Day 4: Color Mists and Collage (Cross)

Hello Christian Art Journalers and friends!
Today I am working with the ever fabulous color mists, water, markers, paper towels, a magazine page of your choice, and stamps.

Today's page I wanted to write about the absolute gratitude I have for Jesus' saving grace!  So my journaling is in letter form to my Heavenly Father.  I find it very helpful sometimes to direct my journaling TO someone.  If you have a loss of whatever kind or just need to vent and work out your feelings on your own, this can be a safe way to handle your feelings and express them, without actually addressing the person/loved one.

I LOVE the color mists and have more techniques to share with these, but I am still keeping these simple in form until we've covered some of the basics.  So I start by spraying randomly, my lighter color (pink), then add my darker color (I work on a craft mat that is larger than my journal opened up...if your book is bigger, find some foil or scrap paper to protect your table/work surface):

I now spritz water to blend and move color around:

 I want the middle of both pages a little lighter (for stamping and journaling) so I use a paper towel to pick up the excess.  If you do this and lose too much color, just add more:

 I told you I love a good 'drip' so I keep some of them by drying with my hair dryer:

ohhhh, so pretty!  At the Inspired Stamps blog, I will be using this technique to make an Easter card I'll showcase on Tuesday there...this is such pretty background paper, who can resist?

Now for collage.  A couple of things to remember.  When you use magazines for this, they generally have GLOSSY paper (keep that in mind if you plan to stamp or ink over them).  For other resources, there may be more of a paper texture/or absorbent material:  this will absorb your inks, so remember that too as inking over these will alter your look more.  Neither is wrong, just different outcomes...try lots of different stuff!  That's part of the fun!
I cut strips of a scene out of my magazine based on the COLORS in the photo and on my page.  They don't need to match, but need to look good together:

 I then cut them up (you could border your pages with strips or with the pieces if you like; many art journalers use collage for that purpose).  I decided to just make this more random:

When you have the pieces where you like them, use a tape runner or glue to adhere them well.  We are going to use our color mists over them, so they will pucker if you didn't glue them well at first.  If you use a wet glue MAKE SURE ITS DRY before adding the mist if you want it to lay flat (or you'll get more puckering...which you MIGHT like and you might not--adventurers do your own thing and let me know how it goes :o)

Now Spritz with your color mists ON the cut outs:

 I dry with a hair dryer to get the drops to show.  You really can't make out your images as what they began like in their original form in the magazine anymore, which I love!

 Next I add my stamping and my journaling.  Then I use my big chisel side black marker to outline each magazine piece to define them well:

And we are done with day 4.  Tomorrow we are going to have a new doodling page that is important to learn for those days you are traveling or waiting in the doctor's office or stands for sporting events and can't get to all your painting supplies!  Got a marker?  Got your journal?  You are ready to get your Christian Art Journaling in :o)

So how are you doing?  Are you working in your journal yet or still keeping a watch on the daily techniques?  Thanks so much for the emails and comments left here!  I am definitely not alone in this month long journey and it's nice to have friends journeying along the way!

May God bless your ART...and your HEART!
~Antoinette
Inspired Stamps used:  His Cross
Magazine:  National Geographic (got for a quarter at Half Price Books in the clearance section!)