Instructions

Step 1: Honestly, I just treat every single page of this journal the same – I don’t think of them different from each other. The first time I turned to a burlap page, I painted a girl on it. This time, I thought it would be interesting to collage a napkin before starting. I did this by pulling apart the two-ply napkin and using the decorative side up with Matte Multi Medium. The cool thing about doing this is you still get the awesome burlap texture showing through but it also fills in the holes of the burlap making it easier to stamp and stencil over.

Step 2: Once that was dry (as if there wasn’t enough texture already, haha) I used the Cellular stencil with Ranger Texture Paste. This is a fun medium because unlike other texture pastes it dries completely clear. The way I applied it with the Ranger Squeegee gave it a very subtle texture over the burlap. You can apply it thicker to create more of a texture but keep in mind that it does take time to dry. You’ll know it’s completely dry when it’s clear.

Step 3: At this point, I added some White Gesso with a palette knife over the page. My intention was to pick up most of the texture from the stencil but then I ended up adding gesso to the entire page with a baby wipe so it wouldn’t be so thick. I definitely wanted to see a lot of the burlap texture below. In hindsight, while I was editing the video, I wish I would have stopped before wiping the entire page with a baby wipe so it wouldn’t have been all white and I could have still had some of that krafty color peeking through in areas.

Step 4: Next, I wanted to add some patterns so I pulled out the Jumbled Numbers stencil and sponged some Umber paint on various areas of my page. The Fracture Circles stencil is one of my favorites because it reminds me of Scribbly Florals which is how I mostly use it. I pulled out Blackberry Violet and Fuchsia to mix my colors for each flower and did bunches of threes. I actually used the same Ink Blending Tool for all of my stenciling just wiping it off on a baby wipe and the opposite page in between colors. To create the leaves, I used the Dylusions Fronds of Foilage stencil. I also added some shimmer using Dina Wakley Media Mica Sprays in Lapis and Ruby. Most of my colors for this page were inspired by the napkin I used in the beginning. You can see in the video, that I used the opposite page to clean off all my stencils and extra paint. This is such a great way to create a quick background for a future journal page. So, while I was mainly working on the burlap, by the end I had a great background started on the opposite side. I actually love how it turned out as well since I wasn’t thinking about anything as I just wiped my tools off!

Step 5: I’m almost done and only wanted a few final touches. First, I started by stamping the words from the Face in the Crowd stamp set on Dina Wakley Media blank tissue tape with Archival Ink. I added a few swatches of white to place my tape on my page so the text wouldn’t get lost in the background. I added a thin coat of Matte Multi Medium to seal the tape to my page. Then I added doodles around the flowers with Rosy Paint using a fine tip applicator attachment. For the doodles around the leaves, I used the Fude Ball Pen in black.

Here are some close ups of my completed art journal page. I love the way this page turned out and I had no idea the direction it would take when I sat down. I didn’t have any plans, just a desire to create something beautiful on a substrate that we don’t always think of using.

I filmed my process for you today. It’s been awhile since I’ve filmed any process videos but I’m starting back up again and forgot how much I love showing you in a speed lapse the entire project come together from start to finish. You can enjoy it here or on my YouTube channel InkyFairyDesigns.

Thank you Ranger again for inviting me to share my art with your readers using my favorite Ranger products. They truly are some of my favorite mediums I turn to again and again as I continue my journey as an artist. My hope for this post is that if you’ve been intimidated by the burlap pages in the Dina Wakley Media journal, that you are encouraged to try looking at it as any other surface and just have fun!