Hey there!  Happy Thanksgiving to all of our US readers!  In preparation for Thanksgiving, I started this art journal spread using lots of Autumn colors and this bird stencil that is one of my favorites.

The Crafter’s Workshop provided me with some product to create this project.  The opinions I share are solely my own.

I started my journal page using The Crafter’s Workshop Clear Gesso, which is fabulous.  I taped the spine of my journal book with masking tape and you can see, or not see, the Clear Gesso over it.  It provides a beautiful seamless base without any variation in color from inconsistency in using a white gesso.  I then added this tan mist all over the pages, creating a neutral background to work on.
After adding several coats of mist and dabbing some up in places, I chose a darker brown and the Mini Script stencil to add some small text to the background.  In planning a project using several stencils, I try to choose a variety of sizes, ranging from very small to larger, adding depth. I used the Gel Medium to glue down layers of printed vellum over the script stencil and added some of the White Gesso to mute it a bit.I kept adding layers of paint, acrylics now, in light blues and turquoise. Using an ink dauber, I add another layer of stencils, using the tiny Bokeh Fragments.  I wanted the edges to be softer and blend more into the page, so I didn’t use mist for that stencil.Finally, after that layer of medium dried, I used the 6×6 Bird Nest stencil and a few colors of Distress Ink to add the basic shape of the bird and some of the background.I inked it very lightly and then painted over the bird using watercolors.  I tried to fade out the stencil, except for the bird and some of the nest, freehand painting more of the branch underneath.

With my daughter’s help, I found this lovely quote, which I printed onto white cardstock and cut into pieces.  I adhered the pieces using a matte medium, layering more paint and some of the luscious Gold Gesso over the words.I dabbed more Gold Gesso on around the edges and about the page, letting it drip down the sides.Here are a couple close-ups and you can see just how gorgeous that Gold is, adding so much brilliant shine!I finished up by adding some ink from a pad direct to the paper around the edges and black enamel paint to the bird’s eye.I am so pleased with the way this page turned out!  And today, of all days am thankful to be able to share my love for creating with my sweet daughter, who is my critique, my inspiration and my best friend.

Thanks so much for stopping by the Blog today!

PRODUCTS Used:

TCW2069 – 6×6 Doodling Template – Bokeh Fragments

TCW451s – 6×6 Mini Believe Script

TCW608s – 6×6 Doodling Template – Mini Bird Nest

TCW9003 – Gold Gesso

Be sure to share your stencil creations on our Facebook page or by tagging The Crafter’s Workshop on Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest!

Jenni Calma

The Crafter’s Workshop Design Team Member