PaperArtsy: Textured journal spread with EAB {by Riikka Kovasin}

Moikka everyone! It's Riikka here with you today. I'm sharing a fun, non-traditional stamping technique and turning that into an art journal spread. Underneath is a sneak of what is to come with three different stamped items in it. Can you spot them all?

In this project I'm working with the new Alison Bomber Berry Branches stamps. I chose to use two sets in this spread - EAB54 and EAB56. I'm also using one of her new stencils, PS501.

Color-wise I seldom use a stark contrasting palette but somehow in this spread that felt like the best choice. I figured that the contrast will heighten the texture I'm going to create to the piece. I'm mixing the vibrant Red Lipstick (FF160) with serene Cerulean (FF200). To add some light to the spread I picked Eggshell (FF138) as that matched to the tones of old paper. For the texture I used modeling paste.

I started the spread by laying down the two colors haphazardly. I added dots of paint across the surface and then used a medium-sized brush to spread them around. I let the colors mix in places, resulting an awesome ray of purples and plum tones. After the initial layer, I partially added another coat on top to heighten the red or turquoise spots so there's pure Cerulean (FF200) and pure Red Lipstick (FF160) in places.

Next, I then started to add visual texture to the background. I picked up a couple of stamps from the sets EAB54 and EAB56. The one is a crackle pattern and the other old text. As usually, I didn't use a stamping block but instead went for a partial impression of the stamp. The black ink I chose to use created contrast to the background.

Now I had color and contrast in the piece, so a touch of light and structure was needed. For that I chose to use old book paper. I love how the tiny print texture echoed the stamped background. I added two vertical strips to the background - one for each page of the spread. I also used the PS501 stencil and a soft pencil to trace the shape of a lady onto the book paper.

To top up the texture and the vertical structure, I created a textured piece of cardstock. To be honest, I actually did this first, having an idea of the composition of the piece in my head as I knew this sheet needed drying time.

To create the texture piece and to tie it to the project, I stamped onto wet modeling paste. The trick is to find the correct amount of water to safeguard the stamp and yet show the image. Let me explain, step by step.

First spread a layer of modeling paste onto your surface. As you're working with a relatively wet and thick medium, I advice using a sturdy cardstock sheet. Mind you, I was working on top of 160g sheet and it worked fine.

While the modeling paste is still wet, stamp a pattern to it. Stamps with a bit bolder design usually work better. The tricky part is to avoid the paste from sticking to the stamp. My solution is a couple of spritzes with a water mister. That acts as a kind of lubricant. It also might be beneficial to let the paste dry a little before stamping so it's not that sticky. After some experimenting you will get the hang of it. An important reminder - clean your stamp right away after using it with modeling paste. Don't let the paste dry into the stamp or it won't give you a crisp image anymore.

After the stamped paste has dried, add a coat of color. In order to enhance the texture, I suggest picking two contrasting colors. I chose the vibrant Red Lipstick (FF160) as my fist color. This color is seen in the grooves and shadows, so you might want to pick a darker tone for this layer.

After letting the fist paint layer dry, add another, contrasting color on top. This time use dry-brushing and only try to hit those texture peaks with the color. A sturdy, rigid brush with a light hand usually works best. Preferably do several coats of color than one heavy, because with too much paint you are likely to loose the bottom color. I chose the patina-styled Cerulean (FF200) as my top color.

Note - some of the texture shown in the photo above is from the stamp - like near the paint bottle on the left. However, some of the texture is from stamping - like near the tip of the brush. Here I either had too much or too little water on my stamp when initially stamping to the modeling paste. The texture is created by the pull of the stamp rather than the motif on it.

After finishing the texture paper, I cut it into strips and added one to each side of the spread. I really like how the two colors I used keep the project cohesive, but there's still a clear transition between the background layer and the textured strip. It's partly due to the texture but also partly because of different ways of applying the paints.

The book page strips looked a bit too separate from the whole, though. To tie them better to the project, I added some splashes. As I mentioned earlier, I picked Eggshell (FF138) as my off-white as it matched the tone of the old paper. I used a fan brush to make the splashes.

Now that I had the background done and ready, it was time to concentrate on the focal points. I had my book paper lady, but she needed elements around her. For that the berry branches in the sets EAB54 and EAB56 were perfect!

I used black ink to stamp the branches onto my cream-colored cardstock. This time I used a stamping block. I also stamped two words to be used as the journaling, or a title, in the spread.

I added some color to the berries. As I was working on top of black surface, I picked my oil-based pencils for the job. I was thrilled that the combo of the black ink and red pencil on top mimicked the color palette of the background so well. To add some highlight and variation to the tone I also added some white in there.

After coloring the berries, I then cut the branches out.

I had a little ponder about how to attach the branches in place. In my projects I like to have loose, airy items and the idea of gluing the delicate branches to to background seemed off to me. Instead, I decided to sew them onto a tiny piece of fabric and then attach that piece to my spread. This way I killed two birds with one stone - the branches stayed loose, like swaying in the wind, and I got added texture to my project.

The words I had stamped previously and cut into little labels seemed just to float on top of the picture plane, when I laid them down. So, they needed a grounding element. As I had chosen words "dusk" and "bright" thinking about daybreak and the victory of light over darkness, I decided to enhance this idea.

I cut two circles out of the texture paper I had crafted and colored the other one black and other white. For the black I used my stamping ink and heat set it as I laid a layer on top of non-absorbing surface. For the white I used the Eggshell (FF138). I then adhered the circles in place on opposite pages of the spread and added the text labels on top. And with that, the project was done!

Here is the finished spread! There's the berries on both pages and a character on the left side. The background reminds me of nebulae, like a cosmic cloud that gives birth to new stars. It's quite amazing to think how the bright burning suns are born from clouds of dust. How something tiny evolves into something colossal!

As you can see from the photo underneath, I didn't paint the whole "bright" circle white. It still has some of the original colors peeking through, but the overall appearance is brighter and lighter.

The photo also shows the different materials I added to my spread. I love to use different surfaces and textures in my projects. There's the texture created with modeling paste, but also the sleekness of the old paper, the softness of the fabric and the fibers of the natural twine. I really like how contrasts heighten each other and add something new to the details!

Here's another detail photo showing the modeling paste stamped texture. Here you can see the stamp design quite clearly in a dimensional paste.

If you are not into art journaling, here's another option using the same elements - a mixed media greeting card. There's the painted background, the texture and book page strips, the book page lady and a berry branch to decorate.

For the sentiment I used a combination of stamped and typed words. I first typed a label with my old typewriter and then stamped the word "bright" as a part of the greeting.