Friday, November 6, 2015

ART JOURNALING DECOART AND YVONNE BLAIR INKY ART JOURNAL

Hello friends!

Welcome back to my blog and a very special Blog Hop and Giveaway Event for a very special lady and dear art sister ... Yvonne Blair of Life's Little Details



I was blessed to have met Yvonne at Ranger U in 2011 and we've been "soul sisters" ever since.  Yvonne is one of the most sincere, kindest ladies I have ever met and I am proud she asked me to help her launch her amazing new line of art journaling products.

** TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN THE GIVEAWAY, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT ON EVERYONE'S BLOG POST.  IT'S THAT SIMPLE!

Here are the lovely ladies and artists also involved in this Blog Hop Giveaway.  Each has created something wonderful using Yvonne's products. And...you will recognize almost all of the names on this list as members of the Curiosity Crew from the recent Compendium of Curiosities III Challenges!  By the way, stay tuned because most of the crew will be back together in the new year with some really fun stuff!

Annette Green
Cheryl Boglioli
Cheryl Grigsby
Linda Ledbetter
Susan Mostek
Yvonne Blair

This giveaway is celebrating Yvonne's launch of her own product line including her new Art Journal Buddy Tool, her amazing Inky Art Journals and her stamp line with Impression Obsession.  For more information about ordering the Art Journal Buddy Tool and the Inky Art Journals, contact Yvonne at yblair@gmail.com or go to her website (link above).  Her wonderful array of stamps are available through Impression Obesssion

Inky Art Journal Pages for Yvonne Blair Blog Hop

I have created an art journal spread using Yvonne's wonderful new 6" x 8" Inky Art Journal.  I totally LOVE her art journals because they lay FLAT when you open them!  No matter where you open the journal to work ... FLAT!  The cover is made out of plain chipboard so that you can alter it in any way you like ... really making your journal your own! The 32 interior pages are a wonderful manila shipping tag material.  These pages are sturdy and it  takes a ridiculous amount of wet ink or paint to bleed through these babies!  I have yet to have it happen to me. 

Yvonne's Inky Art Journals come in three sizes:  6" x 8", 8 1/2" x 11" and her brand new size, 4" x 8". 

Want to know how I created these art journal pages?  Well, here's a tutorial to show you how ...

Here is the list of supplies you will need:  
  • Yvonne's 6" x 8" Inky Art Journal
  • Seth Apter Faded Fragments stamp set from Impression Obsession
  • D17042 Stamp from Impression Obsession.  
  • DecoArt Media White Gesso
  • DecoArt Media Matte Medium
  • DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics - Titanium White, Titan Buff, Cobalt Teal Hue, Cadmium Orange Hue, Cadmium Red Hue, Quinacridone Gold, Burnt Umber, Diarylide Yellow, Hansa Yellow Medium, Yellow Green Light, Yellow Iron Oxide
  • DecoArt Americana Dark Chocolate and Flesh Tone Acrylic Paints
  • Various Book Text and Emphemera
  • Fabric Scraps
  • Lace Scraps
  • Cardstock cut into a heart shape
  • Tissue Tape
  • Neocolor II Watercolor Crayons
  • Hickory Smoke Distress Marker
  • Permanent Black Ink Pen (for detail work)
  • Paint Brushes 
  • Stylus
  • Black Cardstock
  • Permanent Black Ink
  • Specialty Stamping Paper
  • Black Thread and sewing machine
  • Detailer Water Brush
  • 1/4" Scor Tape

You will begin with a blank page spread in the 6" x 8" Inky Art Journal.  Notice how FLAT the journal opens!  I can't stress enough how easy this book is to work in and how beautifully your art flows across the pages!



Next I sketched my idea of the girl coming out from behind a big heart in the center directly onto the pages of the art journal.  Then I traced them onto a piece of tracing paper for later use.



I then brushed DecoArt Media White Gesso over the pages.



While the art pages were drying, I cut out a big heart out of scrap white cardstock.  I tore strips of fabric to create a homespun quilt like heart.  Using Matte Medium and a brush, I glued them in place on the cardstock heart.  Then I set it aside to dry.



Here is the backside of the heart as it was drying.  The fabric hanging over the edges would be cut shorter and frayed later.



While the fabric heart was drying, I began working on my art journal page layers.  Using Matte Medium and a brush, I began with torn book text.  Then I started adding little pieces of ephemera that I liked.  Not too many...just a few for interest.  Remembering that my girl would be peeking out from the center heart on the right hand side, I didn't need to add a lot of ephemera on that page.  Then I added some patterned cardstock for more interest.  Once I had those items in place, I brushed over them with Matte Medium and sealed them in place.



Once the heart was dry, I cut off the straggling ends and left enough fabric to fray all around the heart.  Here I have just laid the heart on top of the pages to get an idea of how everything is taking shape.



I removed the heart from the center and added some more fabric strips to the art pages to tie everything together.  I added them by brushing Matte Medium onto the pages, adding the strips and then brushing Matte Medium over them to seal them in place.  Matte Medium dries clear and is a fantastic glue and sealer.



For more pattern and interest, I added some 7 Gypsies Tissue Tape to the mix.




Now here are the basic art journal pages, layered with lots of different elements, pattern and color.  Everything is sealed with Matte Medium and set aside to dry.



The colors on the fabric heart make my heart happy but they were very vivid.  I wanted the focal point of these art journal pages to be the sentiment and the girl, not the heart.  So, to soften the colors, I added a wash of water and DecoArt Titanium White Fluid Acrylic Paint over the heart.  Then I let it air dry.



While the heart was drying, it was time to transform the art journal pages into a colorful union.  So using a baby wipe, I first swiped Titan Buff mixed with a small amount of water over the pages followed by Cobalt Teal Hue mixed with a small amount of water to make the colors more semi transparent.  I also wiped away some of the color from the pieces of ephemera.  I continued to add more color until I was happy with the background.



Laying the heart on top of the newly colored pages, you can see how everything really is starting to come together!



Next I did some messy machine stitching using black thread on the heart.  I laid the heart in it's place at the center of the pages but I did not glue it in place yet.



I laid my piece of tracing paper with my girl on it under the one side of the heart and using carbon paper between the traced image and the art journal page, I traced the girl onto the art journal page.



Here you can clearly see the outline of the girl on the art journal page.



I painted a basecoat of DecoArt's Media Fluid Acrylic Titanium White on the girl so that the colors I would be adding would be a truer and more opaque.  Then I began filling in the colors ... first her face with DecoArt's Americana Flesh Tone Acrylic paint.



And here is the way the art journal pages look at this point.



I painted the hair using DecoArt's Dark Chocolate, Titan Buff and a touch of Quinacridone Gold and then I started adding the facial shading using Neocolor II Water Color Crayons and a Detailer Water Brush.



Next it was time start filling in her dress. I decided to combine the Cadmium Orange Hue and Cadmium Red Hues to create the dress color and shading.



To give the art journal pages more depth, I added Hickory Smoke Distress Marker around the exterior of the girl and where the heart would eventually rest.  I smudged the gray using my finger and a tiny amount of water if necessary to create a feeling of depth and shadow blended into the background. 



Here you can see the effectiveness of the Hickory Smoke shading.



Next I added some small little flowers using a small paint brush and Titanium White paint.  I outlined everything with a Permanent Black Pen.



Then I added some scrap vintage lace to the neck and sleeve of the girl's dress using Matte Medium to hold them in place.  First I gathered the lace for the sleeve with a needle and thread and secured it with a piece of Scor Tape. Then I brushed over the collar and the gathered taped area of the sleeve with Matte Medium to seal them in place.



I stamped the sentiment, and the inspiration for these journal pages from Yvonne's wonderful stamps, available at Impression Obession a couple of times onto a piece of Ranger's Specialty Stamping Paper using Black Permanent Ink.  Then I cut out the sentiment and glued it onto a piece of black cardstock. I cut it out again, leaving a black edge around each of the words. Those were then glued onto the heart.



The girl's dress was really sweet but it needed something else.  So I added polka dots using a stylus and DecoArt's Titan Buff Fluid Acrylics Paint.



Now to finish off the left side of the art journal page by adding some whimsical flowers ...
I stamped Tim Holtz' Flower Garden large stem and just the small flower from Wendy Vecchi's Ticket To Art flower directly onto the art journal page using Black Permanent Ink.  The leaves on those stems are from Tim's stamp.  Then I colored the flowers and stems in using a small paint brush and DecoArt's Fluid Acrylic Burnt Umber, Diarylide Yellow, Hansa Yellow Medium and Yellow Green Light paints.



I also added some really cool black designs from Seth Apter's Faded Fragments stamp set from Impression Obsession randomly around the perimeter of the pages.  Here is the almost completed art journal pages.  They just need the sentiment heart in the center.



Here is a closeup of the heart that has been glued to the center of the art journal pages.



And once again, here are the finished pages.  I just loved this sentiment from Yvonne's various stamp sets and as I said earlier, it was the inspiration for these pages.  

Please take a few minutes to visit the other blogs and leave comments so you can be eligible to win and Art Journal Buddy Tool and the new 4" x 8" Inky Art Journal.

Good luck everybody!










53 comments:

  1. Very Cool pages! Thanks for the step by step on the layering I like to see everyone's creative process!

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  2. What an incredible spread Candy! Not only can you mix media, but draw and work in fiber as well! Fabulous use of Yvonne's products as well! Than you so much for sharing and please throw my name in the hat!
    hugs&art love xo

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  3. You. Amaze. Me. Every time!! Thank you so much for the detail in your post showing your process. I'm really into fabric bits right now and I love how you've layered them into your spread. You knock me out with your sketched girl and how you painted and dressed her up. "Fire in her soul and grace in her heart"? Sounds like Candy Colwell to me!

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  4. Wow! Absolutely my favorite so far. I gotta do this.

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  5. Absolutely amazing! Love how you shared your. Creative process and the finished product!

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  6. I loved the heart! Your pages were fantastic. Thank you!

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  7. SO GORGEOUS!!! I love that you sketched the girl...wow! The stitching is fabulous Candy! You rocked this!

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  8. Love your journal page and the step by step. Thanks for a chance to win.

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  9. this is a very cool project ! thanks for sharing !

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  10. Jaw is slowly coming back up from the floor, Candy! What an inspiring a beautiful spread in your art journal! You can draw and paint like nobody's business, and I just adore every single detail on these 2 small pages! Yvonne's journal seems like a dream come true for art journalers with those impervious pages that lie flat! You have proven that with the amount of product you have so artistically thrown at them! (That's a good thing!). Just wow, on these beautiful pages, Candy. You have outdone yourself AGAIN! Hugs!

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  11. Oh boy Candy - this step by step tutorial was INCREDIBLE - not to forget how completely FABULOUS this project turned out too. Wow. Watching how you did all this was something else. You are just THE BEST of the BEST. Every inch of this creation is JUST RIGHT... WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL. And yes - Cheryl is right - the sentiment describes YOU! j.

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  12. Candy, thank you so much for your detailed demonstration for creating this fabulous spread in your journal. I admire those who can draw for a more personal style in their journals. My goal for 2016 is to create a journal and having one that lays flat would really be helpful.

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  13. Girly...you made me cry!!!! I feel like I am the lucky one...you and the other girls have blessed my life more then you will ever know....I feel like I am at home with you girls. I am so proud of you too!! AND WOWZA!!! Your page blew me away!!! EVERY LITTLE DETAIL is so well thought out and perfectly put together!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE EVERY DETAIL...you are such an inspiration to me ! Thank you so much for playing along! You rocked this!!! BIG HUGS

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  14. Great pages and tutorial. I LOVE this book.

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  15. Love your design and use of Yvonne's stamps. You both inspire!

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    1. Hello Barbara. Thank you so much for leaving such a nice comment on my blog. I sincerely appreciate it!

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  16. Beautiful pages. I love the way you created the heart. Love Yvonne's sentiment stamp. It's perfect for the page.

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  17. Absolutely wonderful pages, Candy - a great celebration of Yvonne's new line. I love the fabric heart and your lovely girl peeping around. The lacy trim is a great touch and of course I love that layered background. Wonderful to see all the stages. Thanks so much for sharing all the details.
    Alison xx

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  18. A great quote & the strip heart is adorable! Love to get my hands in one of these journals that open so flat!

    Sally

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  19. TOTALLLLLLY SPEECHLESS.....this is BEAUTIFUL Candy!

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  20. what a wonderful tutorial and your girl is so freakin cute!! the stitching of the heart really made it for me and oh how i love the sentiment!!!! i am thinking i may need a few of these journals!!

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    1. Hi Diana. Your comment is so sweet. Thank you so much. I am so glad that you liked he fabric heart so much. I love adding fabric scraps here and there. Trust me, you will LOVE Yvonne's journals. They are amazing to work with.

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  21. Love how you incorporated fabric and stitching into your beautiful page. Thanks for your useful tips and techniques, makes me want to go create a page.

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    1. Carol, thank you so very much for the very sweet comments you left on my blog. You made me feel so good.

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  22. This page you have created for your art journal is absolutely beautiful. Your choice of colour combinations are lovely Along with all the details you have added to make the page soooo pretty. I really love the the way that you have stitched the fabric strips together for heart that you have made. The whole page is offers so much inspiration, THANK YOU for sharing it here for us all to see. Warmest best wishes from across the miles here in France.
    Susanne

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    1. Susanne, THANK YOU so much for the very sweet comments! I visited France last summer and fell in love with it.

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  23. I absolutely love how you used fabric on your page. This is gorgeous!! Thank you for sharing this.

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  24. An absolutely fantastic layout on your journal pages Candy :-) I love the step by step and the wonderful details. Your female sketch looks amazing peeking out behind that stunning heart.


    Best wishes to your friend with her new line of products
    Best wishes
    Annie x

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  25. Now I'll be honest - I'm not really 'feeling the love' for journalling and I'm useless at drawing but I have to say this really really is superb. The step by step photos are wonderful to study and learn from. Terrific project Candy and thanks for sharing all the how to. Nicola x

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  26. Oh my gosh... this is WONDERFUL!! Thank you for sharing all the incredible details that put this together!!

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  27. This turned out so cute - the hard part for me is coming up with such an original idea with all it's pieces like the fabric heart - who would have thought?

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    1. Hi Linda R. You know, I think we all but that wall where coming up with an idea just stumps us. But work through it and look around you for things that inspire you. Also, use ideas that others share to experiment and try new things. The greatest growth is when you get out of your comfort zone and try new things. I love using fabric in my work sometimes. It adds so much and is easy to do. I saw this done through s friend and talented artist's blog... Andrea Oackey Parr. Her blog name is snapping monsters. Check her out sometime. Thank you for your lovely comment!!! Have a great Sunday.

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  28. I loved the whole process of putting these page together. I never thought to use fabric and lace on my pages. I think these Journals need to go home with me. Thank you for sharing your talent.

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    1. Hello! Thank you so much for your nice comment! Trust me, you would LOVE the journals! They are a joy to work with. Enjoy your Sunday.

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  29. It is not often I am stuck for words but I am this time! Everything about your page is fantastic, the layered background, the beautiful hand drawn girl, the flowers and oh my word, that gorgeous fabric heart. Stunning and so inspirational! Now I 'need' one of those journals, even though I am a novice and not very good but I think I just need to practice (or play!). .

    Looking forward to my class with Andy tomorrow, today with Michelle Webb was incredible... Anne xxx

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  30. Wow! So involved and pretty! Thanks for the instructions. It is so helpful to a beginner like me.

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    1. Hi Susan. I am so glad the my tutorial was helpful for you. I try to lay out the steps so that they are easy to follow and hopefully you will want to try it for yourself. Thank you for your very sweet comment.

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  31. Wow! Your pages are gorgeous! Thank you for showing your step by step process. I have never seen some of those materials that you used, like the water coloring crayons, but their effects were gorgeous! Thank you!

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    1. Hi Dynamic Uno! Love your blogger name. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a nice comment! The watercolor crayons are amazing. You would love them. They are Neocolor II. You can find them at art supply stores or online. They are kind of pricey but last a long LONG time.

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  32. Wow, Candy! Another great project! I am sure enjoying working with the journals too! Love your tutorial showing how you created the heart and image of the girl! Sure am loving Yvonne's products!

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  33. Oh WOW!!! I found your blog through this blog hop and I love, love, LOVE this page you have done. So of course I have had a look through some of your other work and I love it all. I am so glad I ended up here. Thank you for sharing your work and your steps to create it

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    1. Hello Therese. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and leaving such kind thoughts. I tried to stop by your blog but there are no posts. I just wanted you to know I was so happy that you like my blog and you found some things I have made that inspired you. That makes me feel really good!

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  34. Candy, your journal pages are beautiful. I love all the details and colors. Your step by step tutorial is fantastic, specifically how you laid out the heart and girl peaking around it. What a great and inspiring make.

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  35. I love your journal page and that fabric scraps heart!

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    1. Hi Kathy! I wanted to thank you so much for the nice comments you left on my blog. They mean so much to me. So happy that you love the fabric heart. I love playing around with fabric in some of my work. Enjoy your week!

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  36. OK...I just had to pop over and get my "art fix" from your blog this rainy morning. I had no idea the treasure that was waiting for me here. Oh. My. Goodness! This is such a glorious collage piece! Every single detail had me gaping in wonderment...and that you drew your lovely art girl...oh, my! And the fabric heart is soooooo fabulous! This is like sunshine on paper...and after 10 straight days of rain, it was a tonic for my soul. Thank you, Candy, for creating art that inspires and uplifts! You are such a treasure! xo

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  37. Candy, your art journal page speaks to me in vivid color!!! I have all the tools and supplies, I think I can be creative after reading and seeing your wonderfully artistic journal page. I will be lurking around here...

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  38. OMG Candy I'm seriously giddy looking at all these cool layers on your beautiful page. the techniques are amazing... the heart made me smile... just beautiful !

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  39. Hey, no fair! You're a collage genius and now I discover you can DRAW too?! Amazing spread, Candy. One of my all-time favorites of yours. Love it so much.

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  40. Wow! So pretty and so detailed. Love this page!

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  41. I just think this is one of the most incredible journal pages I have ever seen - so much variety of product, texture, dimension and incredible colors with just the perfect sentiment. It just doesn't get any better than this. And your gal is truly amazing Candy - I love her - her face, her lacy dress, her hair adornment, and her beautiful face. FABULOUS! XX j.

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I am so happy that you stopped by my blog! I truly appreciate your time and thank you for leaving a comment! Have a wonderfully blessed day!