Special Guest Spotlight on JO - LET'S ART JOURNAL June 2023

 Hello everyone!

This month, we are very pleased to welcome Jo - Let's Art Journal, who was one of our fabulous February 2023 winners. 

We hope you enjoy her take on our June Challenge and do please visit her Blog which is linked below, and also our social media channels to watch the Guest Designer video! 

My name is Jo and I live by the sea in the North West of England with my hubby. I started Art Journaling in 2015 as a way of expressing my life through words and pictures and I’m captivated by the variety of techniques and materials that can be used to create so many different styles of art. My pages are inspired by what I see, do, feel and hear so it’s personal to me and allows me to express myself, it’s a fun way to record life events and memories too. Over the years my passion for art has expanded to making cards and tags, especially for my family and friends as well as decorations and items for around the house. I love nothing better than to experiment with different techniques and products, get creative, put my ideas into practice and have lots of fun doing so! This has now become a passion of mine and I’d like to share it with you.

Social Media links:

Let's Art Journal BLOG

Q & A with Jo

How long have you been art journalling?

I started Art Journaling in 2015 as a way of expressing my life through words and pictures and I’m captivated by the variety of techniques and materials that can be used to create so many different styles of art. My pages are inspired by what I see, do, feel and hear so it’s personal to me and allows me to express myself, it’s a fun way to record life events and memories too.

What's your favourite colour palette to use?

My favourite colour palette is aqua and blues; ranging from light blue to turquoise to midnight blue. I find this palette calming and relaxing, and I’m drawn to it because they are colours from nature, being found in the sky and sea.

What is your favourite supply or product?

For me there are no rules to art journalling, so anything goes and my supplies are quite eclectic as I love everything Mixed Media. It's hard to choose a favourite product, but it would probably be white gesso because it’s great for pristine white backgrounds, to prime the page for paints/inks so making the page bleed-proof, it can be also used as a resist and possibly my favourite use is to just cover up any mistakes that I make (so it’s my “best friend” too – smile!).

Why do you enter art challenges?

I love entering art challenges because they provide inspiration for my pages, they are a great way to meet and chat to like minded-people, they help me learn new techniques and products, they are a wonderful way to make and also stay in touch with crafty friends, and of course they are great fun!

Jo's Interpretation of our June Challenge

Jo says:  I found it hard to get started with the subject matter of Art Supplies. Of course, they are the materials and products used to create an art journal page, but there is also something that the artist brings, so for my Art Supply list I included:

1. Inspiration that sparks your imagination to create the page in the first place.

2. Materials used for art journalling.

3. Creativity by being open-minded, experimenting and trying new things.

4. Bravery, especially when things go wrong. I’ve learnt that my pages are never perfect and I often have “happy accidents” and that's ok (smile!).

Inspiration also came from an old magazine image of a lady in a yoga pose holding art supplies (such a happy coincidence – yay!); it features as part of my design because art journalling is my happy place helping me to relax and find balance. This image then influenced the colour palette for my page.

To create my page, I covered the background using Villainous Potion and Salvage Patina Distress Paints and some Pébéo white gesso and then I used a brayer to disperse the paint colours. I splattered Distress paints over the top and left it to dry. The central image was fussy cut from an old magazine and I die cut the scalloped circle from some paper scraps and like all the paper pieces were stuck in place using Liquitex matte gel medium. The gold lettering was die cut from some gold foiled cardstock using an Alphanumeric Script Sizzix Thinlits set by Tim Holtz. Once arranged on the page, I added shadows using a Violet Derwent Inktense pencil and a gold Uniball gel pen to make them stand out more. I arranged lots of motivational wording, which were from a Small Talk sticker book by Tim Holtz, in a sunburst pattern around the central image and I edged them with the gold gel pen. Then to finish, I splattered the whole page with black DecoArt acrylic paint.

Thank you Jo for sharing your beautiful journal page with us. We really loved seeing your take on the challenge this month.  

 We hope Jo's fantastic take on our challenge theme inspires you to enter the June challenge!

Here's a reminder of our current Challenge:

Don't forget that you can find all of our challenge details and extra information, as well as Jo's published interview in our magazine Artful Pages.  Enter the challenge on the blog, Instagram or our Facebook group.  All links are on the sidebar!

Special Guest Spotlight on ANNIE SAMSON May 2023

 Hello everyone!

This month, we are very pleased to welcome Annie Samson, who was one of our fabulous January 2023 winners. 

We hope you enjoy her take on our May Challenge and do please visit her Instagram which is linked below, and also our social media channels to watch the Guest Designer video! 

Social Media links:

INSTAGRAM

Q & A with Annie

How long have you been art journalling?

I have been art journaling since summer 2020.

Are you inspired by a particular artist or artists, if so who?

There are so many talented women out there! Dina Wakley, Clair Stead, Niamh Baly, Tammy Klinger are some that I am inspired by.

What is your favourite supply or product?

Stencils and paint are my two favorite products to use in my art journal art.

Annie's Interpretation of our May Challenge

Annie says:  My name is Annie, I am 45 years old. I lived in Quebec, a French province in Canada. I share my life with a wonderful man. I have one daughter and two grandchildren that I love so much. I love scrapbooking and mixed media. I've been crafting for 17 years now and scrapbook is not just a hobby for me, it is a big part of my life.

I am a journaler and I also love to create mixed media layouts and altered objects with a lot of texture, flowers and moulds.

I am a team member of a scrapbook store here in Quebec, since 2019, where I teach art journal classes from time to time and make FB lives in our private group -Scrapbook Art et Passion.

I am in the Zuri team for Zuri Designs Inc, a moulds company where I make videos.

Thank you Annie for sharing your beautiful journal page with us. We really loved seeing your take on the challenge this month.  

 We hope Annie's fantastic take on our challenge theme inspires you to enter the May challenge!

Here's a reminder of our current Challenge:

Don't forget that you can find all of our challenge details and extra information, as well as Annie's published interview in our magazine Artful Pages.  Enter the challenge on the blog, Instagram or our Facebook group.  All links are on the sidebar!

Special Guest Spotlight on WERONIKA DROP April 2023

 Hello everyone!

This month, we are very pleased to welcome Weronika Drop, who was one of our fabulous December 2022 winners. 

We hope you enjoy her take on our April Challenge and do please visit her Instagram which is linked below, and also our social media channels to watch the Guest Designer video! 

Social Media links:

INSTAGRAM

Q & A with Weronika

How long have you been art journalling?

I have been art journaling for a year.

What is your favourite colour palette to use?

I like natural shades, the colours of earth: brown, beige and green. 

Are you inspired by a particular artist or artists, if so who?

My grandfather used to create junk journals. They are a valuable family treasure. He is my greatest inspiration.

What is your favourite supply or product?

Inks, sprays, paste and stencils are my favourite. Lately I have got to like gel printing as well.

Why do you enter art challenges?

I like joining art challenges because they inspire me and give me motivation to create. Also thanks to them I often try new things or get to know new techniques. I like to experiment very much.

Weronika's Interpretation of our April Challenge

Weronika says:  I associate the "Being green" topic with ecology. That is why I decided to use an old book as a base. I went for my favourite colours and vintage style. First I treated the journal pages with some white gesso and then I put on some paste. I also created a pattern through a mask. Next I coloured the pages with brown and green ink. I also chose dried plants in the project and added some paint splattering. The sentiment refers to the topic of the challenge and complements the project. 

At the end I wish everyone patience and persistence in caring for the seeds that will be beautiful flowers in the future. 

Thank you Weronika for sharing your beautiful journal page with us. We really loved seeing your take on the challenge this month.  

 We hope Weronika's fantastic take on our challenge theme inspires you to enter the April challenge!

Here's a reminder of our current Challenge:

Don't forget that you can find all of our challenge details and extra information, as well as Weronika's published interview in our magazine Artful Pages.  Enter the challenge on the blog, Instagram or our Facebook group.  All links are on the sidebar!

Special Guest Spotlight on GUYLAINE SEYER March 2023

 Hello everyone!

This month, we are very pleased to welcome Guylaine Seyer, who was one of our fabulous October 2022 winners. 

We hope you enjoy her take on our March Challenge and do please visit her Instagram which is linked below, and also our social media channels to watch the Guest Designer video! 

Social Media links:

BLOG
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM

Q & A with Guylaine

How long have you been art journalling?

I started art journalling in late 2021.

What is your favourite colour palette to use?

I like to use black, blue and pink on my projects. 

Are you inspired by a particular artist or artists, if so who?

I love to see what other artists are doing, I'm a big fan of Claire @artjournallove, Nuneka and Annie Samson

What is your favourite supply or product?

I am a versatile creator who touches many mediums on art journals, but my favorites products are paint and stencils.  

Why do you enter art challenges?

I often look at challenges to be inspired and of course More Than Words is my fav!!

And finally, In my art journal, I have always wanted to try...?

Recently I bought soft pastels and I haven't yet tried them but it is on my to do list!!!

Guylaine's Interpretation of our March Challenge

Guylaine says:  As soon as I read the theme was Home it reminded me about those colored houses from Dylusions. Home reminds me of town too, which is why I pasted bits of road maps. I like to add texture with tulle and yarn. Home is where you should always feel good. Hearts were so appropriate

Thank you Guylaine for sharing your colourful journal page with us. We really loved seeing your fabulous page this month.  

MTW guylaine GD march 2023 

 We hope Guylaine's fantastic take on our challenge theme inspires you to enter the March challenge!

Here's a reminder of our current Challenge:

Don't forget that you can find all of our challenge details and extra information, as well as Guylaine's published interview in our magazine Artful Pages.  Enter the challenge on the blog, Instagram or our Facebook group.  All links are on the sidebar!

Special Guest Spotlight on ADITI MAHAJAN February 2023

 Hello everyone!

This month, we are very pleased to welcome Aditi Mahajan, who was one of our fabulous July 2022 winners. 

We hope you enjoy her take on our February Challenge and do please visit her Instagram which is linked below, and also our social media channels to watch the Guest Designer video! 

Artist Bio

My name is Aditi, and by profession I work as a Psychologist and Healing Professional. Over the years, I've taken to art as a form of therapy, and am working towards a more holistic approach of healing. I've been creating Mixed Media Art for about 8-9 Years now. My Artsy name is Dots to Lines, and both my mom and I had created it for our artistic pursuits.

When it comes to my style, I'm always attracted to deeper meaning of life and emotions and I connect that to my art and my creations. Therefore, every project has a story to tell. I use vibrant colours and splatter that denotes freedom and spreads radiance. I enjoy paper crafting, creating layouts, journal spread, tags, canvases, albums and altered art. I enjoy art journaling, and I intend to create journal kits and run workshops in the near future. I want to make art journaling accessible to everyone as a form of mindfulness activity, without having to worry about being an artist. According to me, art journaling is a great tool for self-expression and I want to share that with people around me.

Social Media links:

INSTAGRAM

Q & A with Aditi

What is your favourite February memory?

My favourite memory goes back a couple years when my mom and I visited USA, attended creativation and explored several cities together. 

How long have you been art journalling?

I've been art journaling for years. About a decade to be precise.

What is your favourite colour palette to use?

I love purple, blues and teal.

Are you inspired by a particular artist or artists, if so who?

My mom, Sunila inspires me. Apart from her several Mixed Media Artists (the list is never ending) like Nuneka, Asia, Martina, and my Design Teammates

What is your favourite supply or product?

After my watercolour journals, are Lindy's Magical. I love the freedom they give me to play with colour.

Why do you enter art challenges?

Art challenges are a way to feel inspired. They help me churn ideas and get the juices flowing, since they provide something challenging to think about, conceptualise and create. When I began mixed media, it was art challenges that helped me meet fellow crafters, get to know about brands and above all grow. 

And finally, In my art journal, I have always wanted to try...?

I've always wanted to use  watercolours and create an astral self-portrait.

Aditi's Interpretation of our February Challenge

Aditi says:  Love Letters inspired me to create a romantic page in my journal. This is more like a teenage diary entry, fresh in love documenting the beautiful moments. 

I've added elements like flower clusters, tags, a planner card to mark the first meeting, first date, first kiss, etc., and sentiments to go with the vibe.

 I used my favourite shades of purple and a collection from Craft O'Clock Collection- A Little Inspiration since I felt it had the perfect colours and elements I needed for this page.

Thank you Aditi for sharing your romantic journal page with us. We really loved exploring all the elements on your fabulous page.  

 We hope Aditi's fantastic take on our challenge theme inspires you to enter the February challenge!

Here's a reminder of our current Challenge:

Don't forget that you can find all of our challenge details and extra information, as well as Aditi's published interview in our magazine Artful Pages.  Enter the challenge on the blog, Instagram or our Facebook group.  All links are on the sidebar!

Special Guest Spotlight on ERIKA NELSON January 2023

 Hello everyone!

This month, we are very pleased to welcome Erika Nelson, who was one of our fabulous August 2022 winners. 

We hope you enjoy her take on our January Challenge and do please visit her blog which is linked below, and also our social media channels to watch the Guest Designer video! 

Social Media links:

BIOARTGIRL BLOG

Q & A with Erika

How long have you been art journalling?

I've been art journalling for probably twenty-five years, but at first my journalling was more like a messy scrapbook page. I discovered rubber stamping and painting as well as using all kinds of media, and once I realized that I could make journal page and not a more traditional scrapbook page, journalling became my new passion. 

What is your favourite colour palette to use?

I lean towards cool colors (because blues and greens are my favorites), and at other times I go for warm colors. I think my color choice really depends upon the seasons, nature and even the weather.

And finally, why do you enter art challenges?

I love entering art challenges because it allows you to meet other people who love the same types of art, and you discovered so many techniques, ideas and inspiration.

Erika's Interpretation of our January Challenge

Erika says:  This is a great month for me to be a guest at More Than Words because I really love the idea of time and making art on that theme. My art is a 2 page spread. I started by inking my background to coordinate with the printed paper I was going to use.

I tore the paper in half to use some on each side. On the part of the pages I didn't cover with the matching paper, I used 2 old rubber stamps I had and added the days of the weeks and the months of the year words.

Then I did a lot of paper cutting. This is where I got the clock images. I then used some chipboard gears to give the page some dimension and depth. I painted them with bronze paint and  rubbed some black ink over them.  Finally I  stamped the time phrases on the right and also used a couple of letter stickers to create the word time.

Thanks for sharing your amazing journal spread with us Erika and for explaining your process.  We really loved how your page turned out and all those clock images and the rusty looking gears are fantastic!

 We hope Erika's fantastic take on our challenge theme inspires you to enter the January challenge!

Here's a reminder of our current Challenge:

Don't forget that you can find all of our challenge details and extra information, as well as Erika's published interview in our magazine Artful Pages.  Enter the challenge on the blog, Instagram or our Facebook group.  All links are on the sidebar!