Whimsical Art Journal Page with Textured Birds 2

Lindsey (doodlings_cards) here with you today. I have an art journal page with the fabulous NEW Textured Birds 2 stamp set 😊. I used a couple of stencils – Ink Dots with alcohol inks to create the background and Sketchy Leaves 1 on a Gelli print coloured with Distress Inks for the leaves.

Here’s the step by step tutorial:

I don’t often make an entire project from scratch. Usually I combine things from previous crafting sessions. Well that’s my excuse for having piles of Gelli prints and lots of pre coloured and cut collage elements! I enjoy putting things side by side and finding a colour combination that works – and it saves you lots of time, when you do want to made a mixed media project!

The background I chose was from a Gelli printing session using alcohol inks and the Ink Dots stencil. I took 2 prints – this one is the lighter outline background where I turned the stencil onto a piece of paper to mop up the wet alcohol inks. The second where I picked up most of the alcohol inks is much brighter, saved to be used in a future project!

A word of warning – alcohol inks do stain your stencils 😕

I used another Gelli print for the leaves. First I stamped text from the Mix it Up 4 stamp set, then blended Distress Ink through the Sketchy Leaves 1 mask.

I stamped one of the birds in Versafine – this ink dries waterproof – and loosely coloured the image with my Gansai Tambi watercolours. Once dry, I added a spot of shading with a graphite pencil and some highlights with a Posca white acrylic pen.

All of my elements ready to assemble … alcohol ink background, distress ink leaves, water coloured bird, some pre-prepared flowers from my stash! And the ubiquitous co-ordinating thread and crystals 😊

Time to include some of my trade-mark stitching!