then I can't fly.
That is what I discovered this past week when I worked a whole bunch of hours at my part time job. I was so tired each day that I just couldn't get my creative juices flowing each evening. I really feel like it made me crabby to not lose my self for a bit in creative work.
Yesterday, after the end of a six day stretch I finally got to set down and play. I didn't really set out with a direction in mind, just a page from my art journal, some new stamps that I wanted to play with, some favorite inks, and the need to create something. That is one thing I am really loving about art journaling. It is an opportunity to create without having to really make anything. It doesn't have to be a page for your scrapbook, a big involved decor piece, nothing, it is just pure play. Plus, the piece isn't a huge investment, if you really hate it, what have you lost? Not much, a few scraps of paper, a few bits of ribbons and trims. It is a total chance just to explore and step out of your norm a bit. It doesn't have to be precise or follow any rules.
For this page, I used Unity's Moments In Bloom, butterflies from Tim Holtz's Flights of Fancy clear stamp set, and the Let Yourself Fly word stamp from Red Lead. The letters are some small single letter stamps that I have had forever. I don't have any idea who made them. Everything is stamped in various colors of Tim Holtz Distress Inks.
I used Tim Holtz's new Chip Block alphabet die to cut a few pieces of scrap paper. I used Black Soot Distress ink to color them. The surface of the stamped piece is covered in Rock Candy Crackle Paint. I laid the letters down into the wet paint which adhered them without any glue.
I used the Blended Batik technique I learned at Ranger U (you can find it on page 36 of Tim Hotlz's A Compendium of Curiosities). Rather than use embossing ink to stamp my first image, I used colors assorted colors of Distress Ink and then went over them with Rangers clear Embossing Pen.
After I finished my stamped piece and adhered it to my page, I decided I wanted to add a splash of color. I am a bit afraid of random ink but I gave it a go with a blast of Tattered Angels Sugar Maple Glimmer Mist. I really love the coppery color of it. I wish it wasn't just a seasonal special edition color because I think it needs to be a staple color in every collection.
After I sprayed my project, I decided I should use some Rock Candy Stickles and Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint on it too. I spread the Rock Candy Stickles with my finger in a layer over each butterfly. I then painted on the Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint over the rest of the stamped piece except for the areas with the Stickles. As it was drying, I decided I didn't care for the two different textures combined, so I brushed Crackle Paint over the Stickles.
You can see that when it dried, it left a really interesting effect. It crackled in big flakey chunks and also lifted the stamp and spray colors from below off of the paper. Some of the flakes came off, but most held tight. I really like the effect it creates exposing the faded image below.
I love how sheer Tim Holtz's printed tissue tape is. I added some to two corners and added some stitching over it.
I think I have a new extreme love for the Clear Rock Candy Distress Paint. I think it totally makes this piece. Serious love.
