Thursday, September 23, 2010

Creativity Project Day 23

Today's art journal page is pushing my "no mistakes" rule. I kept adding and adding things trying to fix what I did and I never quite made it out looking any better:
Think it looks like I didn't do that much to it? First I cut up a bunch of images from the Steampunk Debutante line from Graphic 45 and glued them onto the page. Then i decided to white wash it with watered down gesso. Then I didn't like that so I glimmer misted it. Then I tried stamping a butterfly on the background... but only half the image stamped so I tried to cut a piece of fabric to cover it but that didn't work out. Then I decided to paint over the whole thing with gel medium (also because I hadn't completely glued all the edges down). Then I inked over it with distress ink. Then I stamped butterfly images on book text, glimmer misted them then glued them down (to cover up the butterfly stamped image that didn't come out). And this is what I ended up with.... I'm not sure what I learned...except for a lot of "what not to do"... which I guess is good....

7 comments:

Jen said...

Hi Melissa - thanks for your sweet comment on your blog! Isn't Donna so inspiring? I took a weekend of workshops with her back in July she renewed my creative spark in a big way!

Love your art journal pages and your ATC's! I've SOOOO been there with this post - not liking what I've created, and working for a while to try to "fix" it!! I think the process is often more important than the finished product - and that's what the art journal is for - trying and playing and experimenting, and finding out what products we like and don't like, what techniques we enjoy or don't, and it gives us a place where it's okay to "fail." (Though really, I don't think any of it is "failure.")

And honestly? I don't think your page is bad at all! I actually like the muted background, the Steampunk image, and the butterflies! I haven't gotten any of the Graphic 45 papers yet - they are on my always-expanding wish list. :)

Amy said...

I too like the muted colors on the background!! I love how you used the Graphic 45 papers...I tend to shy away from them since I'm not always sure what to mak with them....thanks for sharing your creativity! Also, I love your business cards on your previous post...did you use a template to print your personal information on and then cut them and stamp on the back?? I'd love to know! Thanks for the nice comment you left on my blog....2 peas is such a great place to find new great blogs like yours!!

Melissa said...

thanks for the fantastic comments!

To answer your question Amy - I actually just print labels with my info on them and stick them to the back. I keep meaning to get a stamp made but haven't done it yet!

Sasha Holloway said...

I think it turned out AMAZING . .love this

Elizabeth Schaffer Miranda said...

Hi Melissa,
Thanks for checking out my blog. I like the way your art journal came out. It is very pretty. Love what you did with the Graphic 45 papers. Sometimes I am a little overwhelmed by the patterns on the papers to use them but you did a beautiful job here.

Kim @ Twice Remembered said...

Well, I really like it! I so admire creative people who do so well with working with paper and other elements and can layer everything so beautifully like your journal here. I've had similar frustrations, though, with projects around my house {I've been working on floorcloth for almost a year, it was nearly completed, and then I went and messed it up by using the wrong product to seal it. Had to practically start over, argh!} Keep up the great work and thank you for sharing!

Gunn (Merete) said...

Hello from Norway...
I have to say that I really like your page. The background makes the lady and butterflies to pop and it gives a great 3D effect.
You really worked on this one, and I guess you got to try a lot and you got to test your creativity and thats great.
I just found your blogs true Donnas and I love her pages and videos. I been take my AJ out of the dark and started to work on it again. Very inspired by Donna and ohter.
So I just made some pages that can be found in my blog.
Wish you some great and Inspired days to come.
Gunn :-))