Art Recipe - H&E - a bit emotional Journal Page

Hi, it's Finn again here!
I hope you enjoyed the posts from my fabulous Creative team Members - Marta and Monika as much as I did! I'm so lucky we have them on board!

Today is my day - and I'm ready to share with you another Art Recipe - quick peek into project I've made in my "Odyssey" Family Journal - the one I keep filling with pages dedicated to my loved ones.
I can't express how much I'm inspired working with old photos showing my family - parents, cousins, aunts and uncles, my grandparents - there is a kind of magic in them, bringing all the deep emotions back on the surface, warming my heart and guiding my hands in the creative process.

This page is special  - like most of the pages from this journal.
I've picked a photo of my grandparents - Helena and Edward, walking through the most beautiful Royal Baths Park in Warsaw. I was lucky to visit this place often as they lived very close to it and it was a perfect place for relaxing walk.
They were the best grandparents you could dream of - loving, caring, helpful. We lost our grandpa in 1993 - I can't even express how heartbroken my grandma was loosing her best friend and the love of her life. Now, after 21 years of separation, they are together again.

I really like adding real old  elements to the projects including vintage photos: for this one I've chosen a bunch of lace, couple of old paper scraps, few old buttons from my rubbish box and one beautiful rusty washer. For the finishing touches I've decided add a bit of stamping too - my Vintage Vanity "Stamps and Adverts" set was just perfect for that!

Here is the list of the supplies I used to create this page and short step-by-step:

1. I've started my page putting 2 or 3 coats of Art Basics Heavy Gesso on the book pages: the paper in this book is very fragile so I wanted to protect it and prevent my inks and paints from soaking in it. When the page was primed and dry I was ready to add the next layer.

2. I used Prima Damask Stencil and Art Basics Modeling Paste applied with a palette knife to create beautiful, dimensional white texture. Pastes are great for this technique - and they add a bit or resist effect too!

3. When the Modeling Paste was drying I've been working on creating multi-layered composition of papers, lace and other scraps under the photo. As soon an the background was more-less dry I added some washi tape to it, started gluing strips or Resist Canvas, papers, lace and other elements. Then I glued my composition on the top and added... a bit more layers!

4. I used 3D Foam Squares (Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L) both to decorate the pages and to adhere some of the elements such as buttons or snaps. Note: these foam are great for mixed-media techniques - they don't melt when heated and keep  metal, plastic and acrylic in place!

5. When all the elements were in place I spayed the pages with homemade tea stain and a bit if Primary Elements Pigments mixed with water. (I covered the photo with paper towel!). I dried everything with heating tool.

6. I added more color using Watercolor Pencils in shades of yellow, orange, red, purple and brown. I mixed them and watered them a bit using sprayer and water brush. I dried the project again and added some finishing lines with very soft pencil.

7. I added the last missing elements such as pins or buttons. I've also decided some black texture is missing, so I stamped a bit around my composition with Prima Vintage Vanity stamps (I used Jet Black Archival Ink) and I splashed black Indian Ink. After drying the spread was ready!

Here is the list of products fro our Mixed Media Place Online Store

Did you notice? Yes,  we have NEW ARRIVALS!!!

I hope you liked the project and my new "Art Recipe" - soon I'll be back with more ideas for you... and this Friday there is a new Creative Team project coming! Don't miss it!
Have a great creative week!