Some Inspiration Journal

So when I bought my large Dylusions Journal, I planned to simply art journal in a larger size and use more magazine images as they tended to be large. I decided soon after signing up for Donna Downey's Inspiration Wednesdays that I'd use it to try out a few things that she inspired. So where do I stand after 6 months? Ummmm...Ok. Yeah, just OK.

Thought I'd share a few pages out of it. (If you're interested in Donna Downey's Inspiration Wednesday's, you can still take the "classes". It gives you access to the past weeks as well as the upcoming weeks for the rest of 2015. It's $35. Go to HER STUDIO page for info.)

  Patriotic:  Week #13. Mine turned out quite different but it's something I like. I'm developing the need to just take basic elements from the "class" and incorporate them into what I like. (and that really is the whole intention of the thing!) Since I was working on it during the July 4th holiday, this is what I put together. I tried out my hand at creating my own stencil (the star) and working with light modeling paste over ink spray. (paste picks up the ink spray and refuses to stay a pristine white)

 Quote from the Declaration of Independence.

 Close-up of star. I painted over the paste with gesso then white acrylic to get it more white but you can still see the star pattern from beneath it. Final top coat was Silks acrylic in Ice to give it some sparkle.

  Number 5 Undefined:  Week 11? This week was to be inspired by Verday paints which cause a weathered metal look. I didn't want to invest in another paint so I tried to recreate from Distress Stains. The new Cracked Pistachio color paired perfectly with the Bronze color. Spackled on the giant number and used up some scrapbook stickers for the small numbers. A few buttons at the top and a label made for a very plain layout. I lack the texture that Donna achieved and really should have added a few more layers of maybe stencils or stamps...but hey, I was focusing on color and lost track of the other stuff. Overall...meh.

I used a homemade Perfect Pearls spray to give the number a little coppery sheen.

 Escape the Ordinary:  Week 8? This spread was a nightmare. Again, I lacked many essential materials that Donna was using. She uses glazing medium and I don't have any. I'm, in fact, trying to get away from too many acrylic media. I find myself more drawn to water based. I thought I could replicate the look she had with gelatos. But the letters I had in my stash were glossy and the gelatos didn't stick well. I messed around with it for a bit but decided the gelatos weren't cutting it. I wanted a more opaque look. It was such a mess that I decided to just paint it all black. Since none of the paint was sticking to my letters, I stenciled the whole thing as well. Then, the letters just took some elbow grease. I primed with Gesso twice then added the paint, twice, in order to get the pop of color I wanted.

Despite the labor intensive spread, I do like it. It's very different from the model but I think its very bold and makes a statement.

While I am using the journal for Inspiration Wednesdays, that's not all I'm putting in it. I'll share a post about those soon.

Thanks for stopping in and taking a look at my pages. Have a great week!
-Wy
"Life is about using the whole box of crayons."