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Art Journal: Spring Is Near

Hello, friends! Welcome to another ART JOURNAL collaboration with a very dear and special blog friend - VICKI PARSON of Stamp Smiles. We are both passionate about art journalling and we have a monthly show and tell. Sure, it's the perfect excuse to get inky and messy but the greater purpose is to inspire and encourage each other... and have fun with it.

The inspiration for my Art Journal came from a couple of birds. I recently saw them busy (re)building their nest in our woodshed. It's an annual affair with these birds. They disappear during the winter months and reappear to start their home improvement projects. It can only mean that Spring is Near! The stamps featured on this page is by Chocolate Baroque. The birds and the cage are from A Little Bird Told Me. The little flowers in the background are from Seasonal Fragments.

As always, I started by priming the page with Faber-Castell Gesso. Then I applied Folk Art Acrylic Paints with a brayer and dabbed it with a baby wipe; adding layers of colour until I was happy with the blend and texture. The colours I used are 481 Aqua, 524 Calypso Sky, 634 Hot Pink and 735 Lemon Custard.

To create a border around the page I added darker colours along the edges by blending Faber-Castell Gelatos: Blueberry, Boysenberry and Black Licorice.

Here's a close-up of the top half: To add a little shimmery brightness the background, I dabbed on some Faber-Castell Gelato Metallic Icing. And then I rubbed a little Faber-Castell Gelato Gold Champagne through TWC Mini Chickenwire stencil because... well, why not?! And with that, my background is ready for stamping.

First up, I stamped the birdcage from A Little Bird Told Me with Ranger Archival Ink Dandelion and coloured it in with Gold Wink Of Stella. Next, I stamped the birds directly onto the page with Ranger Archival Ink Jet Black. The letters for the sentiment are from Lawn Fawn Riley's ABC also stamped with Ranger Archival Ink Jet Black.

A close-up of the bottom half looks like this: I stamped the little blossoms from Seasonal Fragments with Ranger Archival Ink Magenta Hue and added little dots in the middle with  Faber-Castell PITT Big Brush pen 125 Middle Purple Pink.

I stamped the same birds again with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Neenah White cardstock and coloured with them Copics. Next, I cut out the bodies and adhered them to the page with Ranger Multi Medium Matte. This gave a birds added dimension. Then I coloured the rest of birds with Faber-Castell PITT Big Brush pens: tail feathers (219 Deep Scarlet Red, 113 Orange Glaze, 107 Cadmium Yellow); legs (113 Orange Glaze); and branches (175 Dark Sepia). Last bit of stamping: a sentiment from A Little Bird Told Me in Ranger Archival Ink Jet Black

Final touches: shading with Faber-Castell PITT Big Brush pen 156 Cobalt Green, Clear Wink of Stella, Stardust Stickles and white highlights. (This page is nowhere near as bulky as my January Art Journal!)

HeARTful Stamping 26 Feb: AG + Stamping
Mixed Media World #22: Anything Mixed Media Goes
We Love 2 Create #4: Anything Mixed Media / Creative Goes
Make My Monday #40: Birds
Southern Girls #154: Nature Inspired

Please head on over to VICKI PARSON of Stamp Smiles and check out what she has made. Vicki comes from an artistic family and her projects are simply fabulous.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you are having glimpses of spring where you are.

 Labels: Art Journal, Chocolate Baroque

