Monday 17 February 2014

GD: Ellen Vargo #2 Art Journal Cover

"Hello again Ellen here. Thank you SO much for all the incredible comments on my new stamps and yesterday's post! I'm having a blast"!  

Today we'll be creating a cover for a new art journal.  I created this blank journal using a big sheet of hot press water color paper - the pages are 8" x 10" and the journal has 12 pages.  Here's the cover we'll be working on today.


I know this will come as a shock to you... but we'll be using our brayers again today! (Hey, it's my thing... )  So we'll start out with some Mermaid blue paint...


Then Bora Bora...


Followed by Beach Hut...


And Then Inky Pool...


Now we'll add some stamping to the background using the bold swirly circle (swircle? hmmm. I like it!) from EEV01 and South Pacific paint.

EEV01




Now we're going to create the lotus flower as the focal image for our journal cover.  We're going to use these three stamps to create the flower.  The pod (petals for our flower) is from EEV04, the bold shield (base of our flower) is from EEV01, and the diagonal stripe stamp is from EEV03.
EEV03

EEV04


Here's how we'll use them.


I stamped the pod shape five times onto some painted papers (more brayer clean-ups! save those papers!), cut each pod out, assembled into a flower shape, and then added some sketchy highlights with a white paint pen.


You'll see the bold shield shape at the base of the flower - I just turned it upside down and used only the portion I needed to create the top of the stem/ base of the flower.

The stem is pretty straight-forward ... Stamped the diagonal stripe with Black Archival Ink onto the same green paper I used for the flower base. Cut it out, and then cut it in half length wise so the flower stem was proportional to the flower.  And of *course* our flower stem needed some leaves! This leaf is from EEV04.


I always like to give a frame to my art, so I stamped the criss-cross basketweave border from EEV03 onto white card and then cut it down to 1/2" wide. This stamp also lines up very easily so you can repeat it as many times as you like to make a LONG skinny strip of pattern!  Here's our border and finished journal cover.


I hand-lettered "Art Journal" at the top with a black paint pen and added dots and outlines with a white paint pen. This style of lettering is SUPER easy - I'll show you how in a future post, but basically you print out your word just as you would normally print, and then add a triangle to all the tips of each letter, and fill in the triangle.  Easy!  


I used a Stabilo-ALL pencil to outline all the elements of the flower as well as around the inside of the border and went over it with a water brush to give it some shadows.

Hope you enjoyed my project today - I'll be back tomorrow with my last post for February - we'll be making a batch of ATC's from a master board and adding lots of stamped collage, paint marks, and pen work.  See you tomorrow!

Ellen.

Leandra Says: I'm already loving the endless possibilities using your designs Ellen. The sketchy white highlights are the perfect finishing touch. Bravo.

Gillian Says: I love the texture effect from the brayered background and the addition of the criss cross border really frames the whole piece.

If you would like to join in this week's challenge and play along with Ellen's techniques, then do link up your creativity here, and go in the draw to win some PA stamps of your choice! You need to link your entry by 17:00, Sunday February 23rd 2014.



27 comments:

Hazel Agnew said...

Hi again Ellen. Yeh, brayering, got addicted from your first cards. Mind whirring with loads of ideas after seeing your journal page. Just need the stamps to arrive! Hint hint Leandra. Another hit, Thankyou! Xx

Helen said...

Your journal cover looks just great, Ellen - love the flower, it looks gorgeous. Great lettering too!

Unknown said...

That's Fab! I need these stamps!!!

Julie Lee said...

Some of my favourite colours and a fabulously bold cover. Love the border and the white highlights. Julie Ann xxx

Craftyfield said...

Beautiful, graphic page. Love that brayering technique.

Lucy Edmondson said...

I love the way you use the brayer and I love your new designs, Ellen!

Lucy x

Keren Baker said...

Really really love this- great way to use the shape stamps!

ionabunny said...

Fantastic project.

Beachstudio said...

So much fun! Thanks for the Look-See!

Unknown said...

What a great use of the shapes x

Lin said...

Fantastic journal cover Ellen..very clever xx

GrammyDonna said...

Thank you Ellen this was great and I can't wait to try it. I love the lettering.

jojo79 said...

Beautiful Ellen.

Jo
x

sam21ski said...

WOW great cover, love how you've created that flower and your background using your swircles is fab too.

Sam xxx

Cocofolies said...

That's very beautiful, the large flower made with your stamps is awesome and really gorgeous!!! Coco x

nefertiti said...

Great idea! great work!!!! bizz

PaperArtsy said...

Love the versatility -stem and border from unexpected stamps! Brayers BG's are where it's at! You rock Ellen :)

Dee Spillane said...

Love this

shari said...

Love this cover! Awesome stamps.

Helen said...

Love how you created the flower with the different shaped stamps. I've been playing with my brayer and paints today for the first time in an age. Thank's for your inspiring tutorials!

Pam said...

Love your new stamps and the beautiful artwork you have created with them. Thank you for sharing your talent with us and giving us such incredible inspiration. Looking forward to future posts.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous cover! Fantastic background & the flower is terrific. I love the hand lettering too - another thing I'm rubbish at.

whyducks said...

So lovely!

Ursula said...

Wow! Your stamp designs really are very versatile and very different from any others I seen. This cover is really eye catching!!! Congratulations!

Kezzy said...

Wow wow wow absolutely stunning awesome amazing journal cover. I'm so excited to have your first stamp set that I have ordered another two sets so hoping they will come in a few days so I can play play play lol Kezzy :-) xxx

Alison said...

Fantastic! Love the flower, & the lettering is top notch Ellen!
Alison xxx

Art By Wanda said...

I love how this comes together, Ellen!!!!