Art Journal January 2010 Day 4

by Janeen Duer
(Groton, CT, USA)

2010 Mixed Media Discovery Journal 4

Materials (in order of application):
AlphaCollage Stamp
black permanent ink stamp
Multiple stamps from the Shadow Stamp set
watercolors (liquid pigment) used very thick
thick flat brush to coat selected stamp squares
Zig markers (in various colors for center wording
acrylic paints mixed with clear glaze
Thick flat brush to coat selected stamp squares
clear glaze applied over center section only
6-strand embroidery thread
thin 1/2' glue dots
leftover dimensional flower stickers


As soon as I saw Milliande's checkerboard prompt, I knew how I wanted to do the checkerboard. This is my completed art journal page using the day 5 prompt offered to us. I started it with the alphabet stamps along the edge first letting imperfect stamps stand as they were. Then I applied thick watercolor stamping over the top of the stamping. I used a stiff flat brush to mix colors on the stamps for a controlled blend around the page.

I added the words with a black chisel edge pen (hate my handwriting), and then tried to edge the words with a bit of color to match colors from the checkerboard. Right after that, I picked up a little starter set of acrylic paint, mixed it with some clear glaze and stamped some transparent squares and rectangles over the text portion. Then I coated the entire middle area with the clear glaze.

I added primary colored embroidery thread tied in little knots with long ends and stuck them to the page with thin 1/2 inch wide glue dots under the knots and a few select spots leaving the thread to dangle on the pages. I added a few leftover flowers just to try and carry a little more rich color into the center portion because the colors looked to muted to me.

My first dabbling away from watercolors only on an art journal page...