'What you do speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you say.'
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thursday 9 September 2010

Found the latest GPP Street Crusade yesterday and just had to have a go – especially cos my mind was in turmoil over something at the time.  The brief is to use acrylics in journal pages but using only a scraper – or old Credit card/store card – and maybe some stencils of some kind.

I gessoed my altered book pages first, using an old credit card, then applied the paints in layers, spritzing with water now and again, followed by stencilling using a fern stencil I love but haven’t used very often.  It’s a metal stencil so I couldn’t move it around enough to get random ‘off the page’ imprints, which I would have liked.

paint scraping a3   paint scraping 1a 
Had to wait for the paints to dry overnight because I’d applied them pretty thickly through the stencil.  I wanted to add some more but didn’t want too much because I liked the pages as they were.  I decided on using some letter stencils and some sequin waste – which I was hoping wouldn’t ruin the ‘negative/positive’ effect which I liked so much and here are the results so far.
paint scraping 1  paint scraping 2
I really like these pages and they look a lot better in real life but I’m sure I’ll like them much more when I’ve journalled on them, lol.

36 very kind comments from lovely people:

Gez Butterworth said...

Hi Cath lovely art journal pages they are gorgeous :) The negative/positive effect has worked really well. What a great stencil. Sending you great BIG gentle cyber ((hugss)) I'm only an email away if you fancy a natter any time. Gez.xx

crafty creations said...

Wow Cath what amazing pages love the fern stencilling and all the colour hues that the acrylics and water have created x Hilda

Netty said...

Cath these are gorgeous pages and love how you've created them its so effective. x

Anonymous said...

Fabulous! You have such patience to wait for them to dry - I'd ruin them by not waiting. xx

JoZart Designs said...

I really like the effect you've created here and I love the colours. It's almost a shame to journal on them but then again, who knows they will probably be amazing finished.
Jo x

sam21ski said...

WOW What stunning pages, I think you'll have to get yourself into turmoil more often!!!!!

The fern stencils have worked brilliantly and I can imagine that they are extremely textured if it took that long for the paint to dry!!!

Dotpat said...

I like these pages too Cath, they are great. Love the colours and the ferns fab

Lynne K said...

These are wonderful, Cath! I love the colours, and the ferns. They'll be great journal pages. x

Zoechaos said...

Have that fern stencil it is gorgeous. Your pages are wonderful like water eroding a roack face and revealing fossils. Then I read 'Ring me Now' and howled with laughter you really cracked me up this time LOL xx Zoe

Paul B said...

Ooh lovely abstract work, very textural and visually interesting. Plus those colours work perfectly together. Simply fantastic! Pxx

Sid said...

Loving your experimental pieces !!

G Peplow said...

Hi Cath, lovely inky stuff, it's worked extremely well :) xx

Anke said...

WOW Cath gorgeous pages.

Hugs
Anke

cornishmist - thats me ju x said...

just love these pages my fav colours and the ferns, they look great with the added lettering ju x

Lynne Moncrieff said...

That stencil looks so realistic, I thought you had painted a real fern and stamped with it. Great journal pages Cath. Lynne x

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

These are so lovely. I love how you used light and dark to make the stencils really pop. It's really hard to find metal stencils in the stores where I shop. I can get plastic or paper, so I've never had your stencil problem. And the old credit card is my favorite background technique. It uses so little paint and the drying time is nearly instant, too.

michelle ward said...

Cath - great pages! Love that you used pos and neg, and black and white. The scraped background is very cool and the mix of colors combined with the ferns gives it an under-the-sea vibe. Thanks for sharing with the team. Hope you get that call ;)

Jessica said...

These are beautiful pages! i love fern imagery anyway, and the colors you used combined with the negative effect reminds me of a cyanotype.

Anonymous said...

Fabulous backgrounds Cath!

Anonymous said...

I love the background...the scraping really gives it a lovely effect and the fern stencil is great!

K J D said...

Stunning pages.... love the fern stencil too.

VStarRider said...

Love the positive-negative effect you used, and the colors are great, too. Blues are my favorites. Thanks for sharing your technique!
Cindi

Anonymous said...

Your pages look luscious - I bet you really enjoy journaling on them.

Kim Tedrow said...

These are beautiful! You really pushed yourself in experimenting with the various stenciling techniques. Sequin waste is one of my favorite "tools". Great work! -Kim

Kim Mailhot said...

Love those stencils too. And the blue, black and white makes a great scheme. Nice job, Crusader !

*jean* said...

great color combo! like these very much!

Brigitte aka Scrappassie said...

Beautiful pages and wonderful stencil. Love it !

Dawn said...

oh man!! I LOVE these colors!! Gorgeous spread.

Kari Desi said...

Beautiful! I love the fern stencil.

goudenregen said...

I love what you did with the stencils, great pages!

Anonymous said...

I love that stencil! Beautiful work.

TJ said...

I love these cold colors... this is what ferns would look like if they could survive winter!! Magic. Beautiful scraping. Happy creations from germany, tj

scj said...

I really love how these pages turned out. That's a great stencil you have there! Great colours too. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

That reminds me of ice and frost. Just lovely.

peggy aplSEEDS said...

i love these pages!

Cynthia Schelzig said...

This looks GREAT!!! love it!!