The Crafter's Workshop BlogFly Away

Hi there crafters and Happy June!

I am sharing an Art Journal layout I made using 6 different stencils, inspired by butterfly stencils and a lyric from the amazing James Morrison. I am new to Art Journaling as we know it now, but have always kept a journal or sketch book within hands reach.

Below are the stencils I used on my project!

TCW541S – Mini Believe Script

TCW551 – Chlorophyll

TCW5545 – Mini Butterfly Collage

TCW521 – Whimsy Garden

TCW526S – Mini Fly Away

I started with several different mists on my pages and misted them heavily with water let them blend naturally and give a watercolor effect.

I used the 6×6 Mini Believe Script stencil and some dark brown mist on a neutral wood grain paper.

I hand cut circles in varying sizes out of the misted paper and arranged them across the pages.

I used an ink blending tool and black ink with the ‘Chlorophyll’ stencil to “bookmark” the edges.

Using matte medium, I adhered the stenciled circles and to seal both pages with an even coat.

One of my favorite new stencils is the ‘Mini Butterfly Collage.’ I used it to add an iridescent modeling cream over the tea stain like circles. Using washi tape to mask of the butterfly in the center of the larger circle, I added them around all the patterned paper.

I also used some tiny wood alpha stamps to stamp out my song lyric in a wavy pattern around the spread, ending the phrase with a larger, bolder font.

Using a plain white modeling paste, I added different sized butterflies and dragonflies to each circle using both the ‘Whimsy Garden’ and the ‘Butterfly Collage’ stencil again. Once the modeling paste was dry, I painted them with watercolors and gelatos. Originally I was fairly loose and let the paint drip and puddle, but later went back and cleaned them up a bit.

Then I just doodled and played with markers and paint pens in curvy winding lines around the words and circles. The black and white reminds me of ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ by Tim Burton.