Day 31: Last Day--It's all about the Scripture!

 Hello Christian Art Journalers and Friends,
As we end our 31 Days of Christian Art Journaling this March, I am wondering how great your book is looking?  I took a photo of mine standing on my studio table and loved having so many colorful pages completed! 

My hope is that your journey is just beginning in this wonderfully reflective way of journaling your Christian-focused Art!  I know it is for me!
Today's last page is using 2 of my favorite supplies...my spray mists and my stamps (Label Maker Alphabet from Inspired Stamps) to get the Bible verse I was meditating on down on paper, and yes I spritzed in some brown this time:

This Proverbs verse reminds me that while I may have many plans in my heart, I can rest in the fact that my sovereign Father God in Heaven will make His purpose prevail in my life and the life of those I love and care about!  What a blessing!

Thank you all so much for the comments, emails, and sharing of what YOU have been doing in our 31 Day journey!  I'll be back next week with some more artwork for you!

May God bless your ART...and your HEART!
~Antoinette

Day 30: Build a page (metal embellishments, coloring ribbon, and camo journaling!) (part 4)

 Hello Christian Art Journalers and friends!
Day 30 brings us to the end of these 2 pages!  You can attach the metal embellishments with red line tape (shown below), but first we have to deal with this very WHITE piece of ribbon:

I used my Copic YR27 to color across it.  If you put down some alcohol right after you can smooth out the sketchiness of the color:

 Hand sanitizer will work too if you are fast enough LOL:

 I cut my ribbon to thread it through the key embellishment.

 Then tied a knot and adhered it to my page with the redline tape.

 Here is the page all finished...but wait, where's the journaling?

If you use a light color you can camouflage it in so it's not so apparent.  I used the Permopaque gold here and you have to be up on it to read it!  It's nice when you don't want the journaling easily read by those flipping through your pages :o)  Here are the finished pieces...

This last one shows a card I made using the same ART JOURNAL WORDS AND FACES set from the Inspired Stamps online store! 

One more day!
May God bless your ART...and your HEART!
~Antoinette
www.inspiredstamps.com

Day 29: Build a Page (add paint using found items) (part 3)

 Hello Christian Art Journalers and friends!
I left you with the above photo in Day 28, and today we're going to grab a found item (this piece below) and use it to paint a design with:

 I ink up the piece of scrap with white ink and then stamp it down to create really neat patterns.  You can do this with lots of stuff you have on hand (pencil erasers, cup tops, different fabrics, even your finger nails if you don't mind getting them messy as you scratch through your paint!):

 So Here is where we are on the 3rd part of our building a page process...

Day 30 will have attaching ribbon and metals, plus a camouflaged journaling technique..
Until then,
May God bless your ART...and your HEART!
~Antoinette
www.inspiredstamps.com

Day 28: Building a page (adding stamps/words) (part 2)

 Hello Christian Art Journalers and Friends,
Day 27 I left you with the above finished collage pages.  Today we are adding stamped words and images:

 I use a GOOD amount of the gel medium over the page to have the added paper blend in with the other pieces.

 I stamped 'JESUS' onto some torn out old novel paper and adhered under and OVER it with the gel medium:

You will then take your distress ink around the outside of the torn pieces to help them blend into your paper.  Make sure the Gel Medium is very dry or you'll have a mess.
I'm leaving you here for now and in Day 29  we will continue building these pages by adding some paint...
Until then,
May God bless your ART...and your HEART!
~Antoinette
All stamps used came from the Inspired Stamps online store:  www.inspiredstamps.com

Day 27: Building a page: Collage (part 1)

 Hello Christian Art Journalers and friends!
So sorry about the delay on these...I've been quite sick with a sinus infection and allergic reaction to the meds!  Spring coming early with all it's pollen has definitely caught me and my allergies off guard!  But I am back at it again!  I truly missed being in my studio creating these for you!!

I have a 2 page spread I wanted to show across several days, as you can stop ANYWHERE along this process and call your page finished (or continue on after I've stopped to add more layers!!)  It's the beautiful thing about art journaling!!  It can be what YOU want it to be:
First I started off by tearing up some scrapbook papers that were in the same color family:

 I used mat medium to adhere them to the pages.

 Next I took my Distress Ink pad and rubbed it across the pages (tea dye)

I added some darker colors to give my page this look.  You could add journaling or photos to this background if you wanted.  I decided to add some journaling  I will show in Day 28...
Thanks so much for joining me on this journey!
May God bless your ART...and your HEART!
~Antoinette

Day 26: Gel Medium + old book text + acrylic

 Hello Christian Art Journalers and friends,
We are jumping right into it today with page two from Day 25's post (you can go there to see how we got where we are now!)   I cut out a piece from an old book--I try to be careful as sometimes you get some rough language on these you don't want peeking through!  Use your gel medium to glue it down and run a coat over it.
Then I mixed the 2 colors with some brown and some white gesso plus water so the words would show through the paint somewhat:

 I paint the darker on the outside then add more white gesso and water to get a good coat in the middle, before drying it with my hair dryer:

 I added more stamps and white acrylic paint around my words.  Then I used the black marker to trace out a body, hands and feet before adding "I believe God" to the 'shirt'. 

I added a scripture to the bottom of the first page that is a Psalm that says "Your Word have I treasured in my heart".  I will go back and paint a big heart behind the image of the woman.

Until tomorrow,
May God bless your ART...and your HEART!
Antoinette
http://www.inspiredstamps.com/

Day 25: Stamping WORDS and FACES in Permanent ink:

Hello Christian Art Journalers and Friends,
Today I have a 'sneak peek' I cannot help but share...it's a brand new 100% Clear Photopolymer set of around 50 stamps that I created specifically for Christian Art Journaling!  It has 3 faces (mouths are stamped so you can make her happy, sad, thoughtful, etc) plus tons of words to use in your art journaling!
Here is the page for today.  I used the same technique with the acrylic paint in days 23-24, and added this element with some white paint:

So many options!  I finish this page and the other side of this in Day 26 where I'll use Gel Medium and an old book text with these stamps!
May God bless your ART...and your HEART!
~Antoinette
http://www.inspiredstamps.com/

Day 24: Metallic Permapaque markers on acrylic paint

Hello Christian Art Journalers and Friends,
Today I wanted to show you the difference of effects from the Permapaque metallic plus markers on the pages we did yesterday.  I was really happy with you they worked, except the white (at the very top).  The silver actually looks more white when it dries:

May God bless your ART and your Heart,

Antoinette

Day 23: Gel Medium with paper dimension

 Hello Christian Art Journalers and friends,
Today I have a really favorite color combo of acrylic paints plus a way to add paper items so that they mesh into the background (not stick out) so you can draw, paint, etc and they look like part of the page!
First I paint purple with a brush:

 Then quickly put your blue on (the best is if this doesn't dry!)

 Next put white acrylic paint onto a paper towel and pound the paper towel, into the wet paint, changing paper towels as you pick up the paint that's down already:

 I wanted more purple so I added more at this point.

Dont forget to dry this before moving to the next step.

 I really hated the white inner seam so I used color misting until I was happy.  Make SURE you put paper towels under the holes or all your previous and future pages can be blue, too LOL

 Dry it.

 Next I used the Inspired Stamps His Little Ones:Boy Praying and just used Staz-On (waterproof/perm ink) so it won't smear when I apply the gel medium.

 Put the Gel medium under and over this, adding extra around the outside of him so when he dries he's now mesh with the paper.  Remember that the lines of the paintbrush will be there so if you want to use your finger or smooth applicator you can (I don't mind the lines)

 I stamp my Inspired Stamps Scripture using the purple Staz-On on paper, cut it out, and adhere it in the same way I did the character:

 DRY this thoroughly before moving on:

 I wanted my character to be a girl (yes, there is a HLO: Praying Girl, but this is fun to change an image using Sharpies!)  I colored over her eyes and hair...I actually recommend if you are going to color her with Copic markers, color first then do the hair.

 I went ahead and colored her face, eyes, and outfit with Copic Markers (you can use acrylic paint, Sharpies, etc. instead). 

 

Here's where our pages will end today.  When I post Day 24 I will share the rest I did with these pages.

I hope you are doing well in your own journey!  Be sure to leave me a comment here if you are visiting!

May God bless your ART...and your HEART!
~Antoinette
You can find lots of Scripture, Character, and other stamps at the Inspired Stamps online store at: http://www.inspiredstamps.com/  We ship most orders the day they are placed!