BEYOND THE GATE! by Linda Pearson

Hi all back again with a journal page using the gorgeous paper collection by the talented Sue Smyth.  

I hope you're inspired by this process and create your own spread and I would love to see your interpretations uploaded on to the Bee Creative Facebook page.

Bee Arty products used for this project:

• Castle Dark Mini paper collection - designed by Sue Smyth

        (Cover sheet with cut apart images,  Bay at the Moon and Gothic Favours)

• White Cardstock 350gsm 10 pack - 12"x12" - off cut

• Party Lights – A4 stencil Grateful Heart designed by Michelle Grant Designs

• Time Magic A4 stencil designed by Michelle Grant for the Limited Edition range

• gesso – Bee Arty heavy primer 250ml (white and black)

• Colour artist inks -Soot

• Colour paste – colour blast - singing the blues

• Acrylic paint – payne’s grey, pyrole red and deep green, mid-blue

• White Posca pen

• Heavy matte gel medium

• Texture paste

• Black Archival Ink Pad, blender

• Tombow mono multi liquid glue

I was inspired to create a double spread page in my art journal, first I adhered the -   Bay at the Moon

paper.  In my A3 journal there is a 10cm space on the left hand side when the page is glued in.  

Using some Payne's Grey acrylic paint and gesso – Bee Arty heavy primer 250ml (white/black), apply a blended mix of the paint colours using a silcone (makeup) wedge lightly over the blank area of the journal page, carry over the dabbing of colour over some spots of the printed paper.   Dry off.  Then apply some mid-blue acrylic paint in targeted areas near the gate and left hand side of page.

(PLEASE NOTE:  Scrapbookers may choose to work on the printed paper to add a photo later in the process)

Add some drips over the page using watered down Colour artist inks  - Soot.  Dry off.

The next step is to add more 'mood' to the scene using stencils to add some imposing tree branches and foliage.  The Party Lights – A4 stencil Grateful Heart collection designed by Michelle Grant Designs is used with black gesso – Bee Arty heavy primer 250ml applied palette knife.  Add branches on both sides of the page.  Dry off.  

Before adding the stenciled foliage, make some marks over the page using the silicone (make up) wedge with left over grey paint randomly and lightly through the Rhythm-A5 stencil, from the Follow your dreams collection designed by Michelle Grant Designs

Mix up small quantities of green hues, dark, medium and light.  Starting with the darker green apply paint through the leaves section Party Lights – A4 stencil Grateful Heart collection designed by Michelle Grant Designs.  I chose to add lots and lots of leaves in the three shades of green. Add the dark green, dry off then add mid green shade, dry off.  Finally with the lightest shade of green and white add another layer of leaves to add depth to the foliage.

Below the left hand side shows the dark and mid green leaves, with the right hand image showing the lighter hues of green and white.

     

Dry off the foliage layer thoroughly.  Fussy-cut some butterflies, rose images from the -    Cover sheet with cut apart images.  Also cut a focus image from the Gothic Favours - the scull image was chosen for this page.  Adhere the image to the bottom of the page.

To anchor the scull image to the page add textured black paste (black gesso added to texture paste). 

Use the Time Magic A4 stencil from by Michelle Grant Designs for anchoring the image to the page    

The stencil is masked to enable small sections of chain to be applied as a frame around the scull image.  Dry off thoroughly.  Once dry, apply the stencil over the chain frame again, this time dabbing some Colour paste – singing the blues colour, to add shimmer to the stencil.  Dry off.

              

Using the Time Magic A4 stencil from by Michelle Grant Designs again, apply the cog border along the bottom edge of the using the black gesso/texture paste mix as before.  Dry off completely.  Once dry, apply the stencil over the border again, this time dabbing some Colour paste – singing the blues colour to add shimmer to the stencil.  Dry off.

     

   

Detailing - outline the butterflies with white posca pen.  Along the bottom of the butterfly shapes with posca pen then smudge with wet pen paint with finger to create a trail from the butterflies.

        

Add headings to the page - firstly, paint up an off-cut of paper with Pyrole Red paint.  Fussy cut the words 'Dark' and 'Castle' from the Cover sheet with cut apart images sheet, then cut out the words 'beware' and 'beautiful' from the Gothic Favours sheet, distress the edges with black archival ink. 

Glue all the words to the red offcut card, then cut around the words leaving a red background edge around the words.  Again distress all the edges of the words with black archival ink.

            

Adhere the words to the page.  Dark Castle above the scull image and place the Beware Beautiful words over the gate.  

After creating this journal page with lot of mood and intrigue .... ask yourself ... 

would you go beyond the gate?

Thank you for engaging with this page and I hope it inspires you to venture 'beyond the gate',

Look forward to the next time I share some creative inspiration with you.

Cheers from 

Linda Pearson
linda@yourcreativepalette.com.au