Dylusions art journal - Cabinet of curiosities

Hi and welcome :0) Today´s page is in the 8"x8" (ca 21x21 cm) Dylusions journal. 

I recently bought a Color Cube catalog and cards from Sarah Renae Clark and I picked one card with color combination I like to try if I can use it for my project. 

And I played a bit with a watercolor style background and coloring. I stamped glass domes around the central circle and coloured them with violet, pink and orange Ditress Spray stains and Dylusions Ink sprays which I applied with a brush. For the background I´ve chosen teal colours (altough in the picture it looks more blue). I stamped a lot with gold ink - star constellations and moon phases -  and used gold acrylic pen from Uni Posca and black liner to enhance all the images and add some details. The central amonite shell is from Impression Obsession stamps. Finally I finished the page with some butterfly stickers and wrote a quote. I must admit that this color combination is not what I would normally chose, but I quite like the outcome :0)

Thank you for your visit and see you next time :0)

3.4.2024 Cabinet of curiosities

Art journal page - We are all mad here

Hi and welcome :0) Today's page is in Canson Mix Media middle art book - 17 x 25 cm (cca 6.5" x 10"). And it is my entry for Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge Anything goes. 

I started with a sun rays stencil and two shades of blue Distress ink - Tumbled glass and Salty ocean. With a Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide stamped a bigger background stamp over it and added white pigment ink through coffee beans stencil over the lighter stripes. And I did not like the outcome. So I sprayed Black marble Dylusions spray over everything and a miracle happened. Oxide and pigment ink partially resisted the dye spray and the page looked much better :0). 

Than I stamped with Versamark through a Visible image's hat stencil and added Ranger's Perfect pearls and a mist of water. I stamped Visible image's stamps from Alice in Wonderland collection and coloured them with water-based markers. Finally I framed all with black and white acrylic markers and added my quote from Tim Holtz's Snarky chat. 

Thank you for your visit and see you next time :0)

30.6.2023 We are all mad here

Dylusions art journal - Smile

Hi and welcome back :0) This page is in Dylusions classic ca. 8"x11" (cca 20 x 28 cm) journal again. 

I sprayed my background with Funky Fuchsia and Laidback Lilac Dylusion sprays and then with water through Marianne Designs constellation stencil. I found one of Dylusions heads and some legs and combined them with older bottle stamps and Tim Holtz's wings. Finally I added Stamperia Moon and Dylusions quote. Border is from Paper Artsy and key an older stamp from my stash. I colored the images with Dylusions Sprays in water brushes and Zig Clean color real brush markers and white and black acrylic markers. 

Thank you for your visit, have a nice Saturday and see you next time :0)

17. 3. 2023 Smile

Dylusions art journal - If cats could talk

Hi and welcome :0) I have another page in my Dylusions classic ca. 8"x11" (cca 20 x 28 cm) journal and it is my entry for Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge Anything Goes.

I used Dylusions dy-cuts again, some text stamps, hibiscus stamp from Gina K., cats from AALL & Create, puzzle stencil from Ciao Bella and some puzzle die. I coloured the background with Dylusions shimmer paints and my images with black acrylic paint and Dylusions ink sprays - always in a combination of Pure sunshine, Fresh lime and Blue lagoon (with a small addition of Dirty martini and Tangerine dream). For the big circle I dry-embossed pearly white velum from my stash. 

Thank you for your visit, have a nice Sunday and see you next time :0)

25. 2. 2023 If cats could talk

Art journal page - What is it?

Hi and welcome back :0) Today's page is about 6" x 8.5" (cca 15 x 21.5 cm) size and it is a Canson Mix Media 224 gsm paper.

For my background I used Dylusions sprays and light bulbs stencil from Carabelle studio. The whimsical dragons from Whimsy Stamps are coloured with Karin brush pro markers. Although I need to say, that this is not the best paper for the colouring with such a juicy watercolour markers. If the paper is too wet, it peels off. But at least I know it now ,0) I also used some alcohol markers, acrylic paint and even coloured pencils for the light bulb. 

I like the idea and of this page and I am very pleased with the final outcome :0)

Thank you for your visit and see you next time :0)

11.1.2023 What is it?

Art journal page - Own your story

Hi and welcome :0) Here is a new page in my smaller 6"x8" (cca 15x20 cm) art journal from Hahnemühle. 

I've chosen Dylusions sprays this time - Lemon zest, Funky fuchsia and London blue. I mixed them with my brush directly on the wet paper and added some water splashes. I applied Stamperia Black silver Glamour paste through an older Finnabair stencil , let it dry, made a few circles with a white gel pen and added my focal image - beautiful Audrey Hepburn. For the leafy "frame" I used Alexandra Renke dies. And final touches - white rub-ons from Tim Holtz - stars and quote. 

Thank you for your visit, have a beautiful Sunday and see you next time :0)

23.7.2022 Own your story

Art journal page - What seems ordinary...

Hi and welcome back. Today I have a new 8 x 9 inches (cca 20x22 cm) art journal page.

I played with a lovely Autumn splendor die from Honey Bee Stamps, bright colours of Dylusions sprays, gold spray and an older witch die from Tim Holtz. This autumn background die is so beatiful itself ant the colours so bright that it was very difficult to pair it with anyting else. But I did and I think I like the outcome :0) For the witch I used silver glitter paper and covered it with black alcohol ink and later with black PITT artist brush pen, so the black is darker but stil shiny.

This page is also my post for Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge "Not a card".

Thank you for your visit and see you next time :0)

6.10.2021 What seems ordinary...

Art journal page - Magical night

Hi and welcome :0) Today it is a 6.5"x 6.5"  (ca. 16,5 x 16,5 cm) art journal page with the Halloween vibes.

I used stamps from Colorado Craft Company, Tim Holtz and Art Impressions and colored my background with a Dylusions Balmy night spray and my pictures with Karin Brush Marker PRO. I also used a lot of white gel pen this time :0) 

Thank you for your visit, have a nice day and see you next time :0)

22.9.2021 Magical night

Art journal page - HOME sweet HOME

Hi and welcome back :0) Today it is a nontraditional 6.5"x 8.5"  (ca. 16,5 x 21,5 cm) and art journal page. 

I used and transformed my older turquoise left-over background. I added plaid background stamp from Tim Holtz, a lovely girl stamp from Penny Black, some greenery die from Hero Arts and a beatiful house front stamp from Graphic 45. I also used AALL & Create washi tape and I stamped plaid background stamp over the black cardstock with Versamark ink, so the subtle pattern matches my page. I colored my images with Dylusions Vibrant turquoise spray, Karin Brush Marker PRO and OHUHU alcohol brush markers (skin) and I was happy how easy it was :0) 

I love this page and maybe you can also feel those quiet vibes as I do :0) 

Thank you for your visit, have a nice late summer day and see you next time :0)

28.8.2021 HOME sweet HOME

Art journal page - Find and express yourself

Hi and welcome again :0) This is my traditional 6.5"x 6.5"  (ca. 16,5 x 16,5 cm) art journal page of 25. 5. 2021. 

I found some older background I made with acryclic paints and stencils. I was curious whether I can transform the paT artist brush pens and Dylusions sprays filled in brushes.

ge into something. Usually I have big troubles with it, because when I create my projects I make my bacground and focal points together so they match my vision :0) 

I used Darkroom door long butterfies and fern stamp with Dylusions calypso teal creative dyary ink and and some AALL &  Create text washi tape. I found these adorable pandas in my stash and I think that they are just perfect. A light bulb, an old typewriter and a magnifying glass complete the idea of this page. I coloured my images with PITT artist brush pens and Dylusions sprays in water brushes. 

Thank you for your visit and see you next time :0)

Creative week 13 - Stampscape art journal - Dreaming about an adventure

Hi, welcome back today :0)

Dreaming about an adventure - is a partially stampscape art journal page from my Seawhite hardbound 7.5"x7.5" (ca. 20x20 cm) journal.

I started with a new Dylusions paints - Rose quartz, Peony blush, Laidback lilac and Periwinkle blue - on the background and then used black Dylusions paint with an older The Crafter's workshop stencil with a very nice pattern.

Then I created my black-and-white stampscape with a few of Stampscapes stamps and "hung" it on my background "wall" :0)

Finally I stamped the cactus stamp set from Carabelle studio and girl from Stampendous and coloured them with Dylusions sprays. She is my dreamer, she's sitting in the middle of her beloved cactuses and thinking about an adventure - how it would be to visit the land on the picture :0)

Funny is, that I prepared every part of this art journal sooo carefully and then I glued my stampscape on the background in a wrong direction than I wanted...ha ha ha....so for the next time: "Don't use a strong double sided tape, but always a liquid glue, so the mistake can be fixed!" :D

Anyway, I think that sometimes we all have dreams like this...so let's make our dreams come through :0)

10.11.2017 Dreaming about an adventure

Art journal page - Gallery Of Roses

"Gallery Of Roses" -  double page from a small Dylusions journal (cca 20 x 25 cm / 8" x 10").

I played with a background a little bit, I sprayed through a Tim Holtz Floral stencil with Dylusions Ground coffee spray, let it dry and over spray the page with Dylusions Lemon zest and Pure sunshine sprays. On the dry page I then use another Tim Holtz stencil - Dot fade - with Lemon zest Dylusions paint. Acrylic paint is still visible, even on the places where I stamped Kaisercraft medallions and silhouettes stamps with black archival ink.

U die cut the frame from ordinary paper, scanned it with my Scan-n-Cut machine, re-sized it a bit (I needed it bigger and a slightly narrower) and cut it with the machine from the cardstock. The final frame is painted with the black Dylusions paint and "dry brushed" with Viva Inka gold wax (Old gold color).
The background of the frame is again the black painted cardstock with gold embossed letters. For the ornaments I used Versamark ink and gold Pan pastel brushed over it. Central picture is a die cut oval painted with yellow Dylusions paints and sprays and a silhouette die painted with black Dylusions paint.

Finally I embossed the roses stamps from Studio Light with black embossing powder, cut them out and colored with yellow and green Color Burst powder pigments. The embossed lines make a nice boundaries for this watercolor coloring.

This page is also my entry for a Simon Says Stamp new Wednesday challenge: Anything goes. You can visit it here.

Thanks for stopping by and see you next time :0)

30. 4. 2017 Gallery Of Roses

P.S. ...to see more details, open the picture (link) in the new tab :0)

Playful journal page 16 - Phoenix and Dragon

Phoenix and Dragon - an art journal page inspired with Chinese decor :0)
According to the Chinese mythology the Phoenix was a symbol of the Empress and the Dragon with five fingers belonged to the Emperor. For a long time a yellow color was reserved for a monarch and in the Chinese culture has a very important meanings still. 

For the background I used one of Spellbinders Medallion dies. I cut it 6 times and glued the decor on the page. Then I covered all the page with the black Dylusions paint and highlighted the medallions with an Old gold metallic wax (Inka gold) from Viva Decor.
I painted white cardstock with Calypso teal Dylusions paint, stamped the clouds with clear Versamark ink and embossed with gold embossing powder. Then I teared two stripes off it and used the same gold wax on the edges.
On the white cardstock sprayed with Lemon zest and Pure sunshine Dylusions sprays I stamped the Phoenix and the Dragon, again with Versamark, and embossed them with the gold embossing powder. I used one of my label dies to cut them out. The same technique I used for the coins, which were stamped on the white cardstock painted with the mix of Pure sunshine and Calypso teal Dylusions sprays (they mix in a beautiful range of greens).
At the end I painted a brown ribbon with the gold wax and fastened the coins on it with a small pieces of wooden skewer painted with a black Dylusions paint. All stamps I used for this page are from two very nice sets from Local King rubber stamps.

Because I used a limited range of colors, the whole page is nicely consistent and with the all gold accents looks really beautiful.

If you like the page too, feel free to leave me a comment. Thank you for stopping by, have a nice days and see you next time :0)

21.4.2017 Playful art journal page 16 - Phoenix and Dragon

P.S. ...to see more details, open the picture (link) in the new tab :0)

Art journal page - You can sail and you can fly...

"You can sail and you can fly, under water, in the sky" - another small journal double page from Dylusions journal (cca 20 x 25 cm / 8" x 10").

When I started with my previous journal page (London bridge), I didn't want to waste the beautiful Dylusions inks I sprayed for my background, so I pushed another double journal page against the first one and transferred the excess ink to it. As you can see, these inks are so strong that even this second page is as vibrant as the first one  :0)

So here is again a background with Bubblegum pink, Crushed grape and Calypso teal and some water droplets. I made an easy pattern with Black marble Dylusions paint and two stencils (The Crafter's workshop and Joggles) making also some circles and stamped most of the stamps from a new Layering marble stamp set (Waffle Flower) with Tsukineko Brilliance Platinum planet pigment ink around the page. For more dimension I shaded the circles with Distress Hickory smoke and Picket fence inks.

Stamps (Chocolate baroque boat and Carabelle studio origami birds and fish) are colored with Dylusions inks in waterbrushes. They were cut with white border and glued on a second (slightly bigger) black cardstock layer for more depth. White-silver string was strengthen with mate acrylic medium, so it holds its shape better and a white gel pen was used for highlights. Quote was printed on a small label printer machine.

This page is also my second entry for a Simon Says Stamp new Monday challenge: Transport it which you can visit it here and also the first entry for their Wednesday challenge: Anything goes here.

It seems that it is difficult to stop, when you start to play with Dylusions colors :0)

23. 2. 2017 You can sail and you can fly, under water, in the sky

P.S. ...if you want to see more details, please open the picture (link) in the new tab :0)

Art journal page - London bridge

After a very looong time a new journal page out of the bounded journal book - a double page taken out from small Dylusions journal (cca 20 x 25 cm / 8" x 10").  It is so nice to have the freedom of the separate sheet of paper again. I need to admit, that working in the bounded book can be sometime a little bit limiting for me. I absolutely enjoyed all the sprays I used this time :0)

So here it is - Dylusions sprays background with Bubblegum pink, Funky fuchsia and Calypso teal and some water droplets. Then I used Black soot Distress ink pad and Carabelle studio stencil and on the bottom of the page Black marble Dylusions paint with older The crafter's workshop stencil. London double-decker buses are stamped with Dylusions Postbox red spray and Distress Candied apple ink. I cut them out with white border and then glued on the black cardstock which I cut out again, so they have both white and black border. It makes them pop up more on this colorful page. The buses, Big Ben tower, an emblem and London are from the same stamp set (Paper Wizard). Rope is a small stamp from Kaisercraft  and the cards are just real playing cards :0) And this time I used a nice script stamp set from Echo park. Unfortunately there are no upper-case letters for these lower-case ones. White highlights are made with a gel pen.

This page is also my entry for a Simon Says Stamp new Monday challenge: Transport it. You can visit it here.

I really enjoyed creating this page and I love its double meaning....I hope you will like it too :0)

21. 2. 2017 London bridge

P.S. ...if you want to see more details, please open the picture (link) in the new tab :0)

Playful art journal page 10

Another "simple" art journal page with topic "Tempus fugit / Time hurries" :0)

Background was made with Dylusions Dirty Martini spray - I love this color - and Peeled Paint and Iced Spruce Distress inks. I just played with some of Tim Holtz stencils and a little bit with ghosting technique. And a new stamp from Stampendous - A hare in a hurry - is so cute :0) Colored with alcohol markers and distress ink. And also with shimmery Twinkling H2O watercolors. It was for a fist time I used them and I'm very happy with the outcome. Instead of Ranger Archival ink Jet Black I used Hero arts Hero hues India Ink Black dye ink, which should be also archival, fade resistant and good to use with both alcohol markers and watercolors and I'm very satisfied with it. It is dark enough and there was no smudging with any colors I used with this ink. Definitely thumb up :0)

Unfortunately I had the same problem again I have with most of my journal pages recently. I want to make just easy pages and enjoy the creating, so I'm trying not to have any preliminary idea about the final page. No focus image, no quote. So I always start with a background and add some border ..... and I love the result so much, that I have a sooo hard time to find something to fit with it. E.g. this time I had a great checkered border and and I twice changed the colors of it and colored it black at the end, because I did not find any way how to connect it with the rest of the page. I need to say that it is really, really frustrating for me :0D...
Maybe I should have one journal just with background pages, perhaps with some quotes... .0). But I feel there is a danger in it....I don't want to end up doing just the backgrounds .... hmmm, what a dilemma :D

Anyway, enjoy today's page and I would appreciate any your comment.... e.g. how would you solve my problem with too cute backgrounds :0) 

14.5.2016 Playful art journal page 10

Playful art journal page 8

This journal page has two topics - resist and spring :0) Resist is the first one, because it was the inspiration for the background I made for this page. When I saw the set of samples done by Michelle Remy I knew I want to try it, because the range of mediums which can be used for this technique is really impressive and inspirational. And I love my result I must say. For me it looks like an old tapestry. And sometimes if I do something I like so much, I really want whole page to be in harmony. That's why the second topic is spring/love, because that is the feeling I had from the background when I finished it and because Spring in all his beauty is finally here all around :0). 

Resist technique is a combination of more mediums in this case. First I applied Dylusions paint Dirty martini with Ranger foam applicator. In the lower right corner I already had thin layer of Dylusions After midnight paint, so the final color is darker. I did not use any water and this coat of Dylusions acrylic paint really help to this technique and my lighter journal paper to absorb next layers without damage. Next I stamped text and rose stamps with Dylusions archival mixed media ink pad in Dirty martini color. Ink is darker than paint in the same color, so it is nicely visible. Around edges I went with Jet black archival ink pad, again with foam applicator. I dried the page with heat tool and than I stamped Flourish background stamp from Tim Holtz with Finnabairs clear gesso. I put it on the stamp with roller, so the coat was even. This is my resisted part. Finnabairs clear gesso is smoother than others I have and does not have such a rough "tooth" when dried. That is significant for the last, most important layer - Dylusions Dirty martini spray heavily applied with foam applicator. The paper must be really saturated with this liquid layer, so the resisted gesso part can become visible. During the application I also moistened my applicator with a few drops of water, so the final coloration is lighter in some parts and darker in others. When the page is completely dry, I fixated all with coat of Ranger Micro glaze. I put it with my fingers and than buffed with dry cloth. 

Corners, text and element are stamped with Jet black archival ink and embossed with Wow clear detailed embossing powder. For the flourish I made an extra piece of paper with Dirty martini paint, black archival ink and Wow clear embossing powder. Than I put a double sided tape on the back side and cut two flourishes with Tim Holtz Mixed media 2 Thinlits. I did use the cut out pieces of the flourish and because I wanted the segments turning left and also right, I cut one flourish from the front and one from the back side of the paper and flattened the rougher edges with my Big Shot. Than I had enough pieces to play with so I made my own flourish. Some butterflies and corner picture are from Graphic 45 Mon amour collection stamps and are colored with Dylusions sprays in waterbrushes. Last white touches I made with Uni-ball signo pen. 

And that's it....I really hope you like it and thank you for your patience with so looooong article :D

7.4.2016 Playful art journal page 8

Playful art journal page 7

Playing with Pan pastels is fun still, so this journal page has a whole background made with Pan pastels, Finnabairs clear gesso and stencils in Seawhite hardcover art journal (25x19 cm / 10"x7.5") :0).
At first I used foam applicator with light blue Pan pastel for whole background, than I used a waved stencil from Simon says stamp with darker blue pastel and than I covered whole page with two layers of clear gesso (just to be sure that I will not destroy my thinner journal paper later). Finnabair's gesso is quite smooth, so I could easily used it for my next step - I covered whole page with third - darkest - blue color of Pan pastel. Clear gesso holds pastel beautifully, but I was still able to remove some of this third color layer with wet baby wipe through circle stencil. Final result are the lighter circles with visible wavy pattern from first two layers of Pan pastel.
Then I used Tim Holtz white texture paste with TCW Nautilus stencil and I reduced the shine of the white color with light blue pastel applied with brush. The structure of the paste is a little bit rough, so I didn't want to use my foam applicator for it and I had a better blending possibility.
At the end I embellished whole background and shells with Indigoblu gilding flakes and I wanted to have at least the central circle a little bit dimensional, not just flat. Here I found out one important thing (for next time), that I really don't like the Indigoblu special gilding glue for this kind of gilding. Maybe it was because of the layers of Pan pastel, but it did not hold the flakes well when I brushed the excess flakes off (some parts ended scraped, although I did use a quite soft brush) and on some spots it left some "rubbery" sticky lumps....so for example the gold circle I gilded three times and rest of the page two times. In the end, for the last trial I used Design-Metall liquid gilding milk from Efco instead (you can use any gilding liquid). You can put the leaves on it in 15 minutes after application, it holds the leaves with no problems and with no sticky residue. I also applied the protective varnish for metal leaves from the same company, so it could keep the shine of the metal leaves and protect them from scratches for a longer time (unfortunately metal leaves are not the real gold, so they will not stay shiny forever). Outcome of this experience is, that next time I will use the white gesso or a texture paste to build a dimensional objects and than lay the metal leaves on gilding milk.
The sea horse was stamped with Indigoblu gilding glue, gilded and colored with Dylusions sprays in waterbrush. I also re-gilded some parts of it with gilding milk and used the gilding varnish.

At the end I must say, that this page was a great creative adventure and I really enjoyed all new techniques, although it was a bit difficult in a few moments :0) 

2.4.2016 Playful journal page 7

Playful art journal page 6

Today I tried another variation of Versamark and Pan pastel technique background. I have a new 6 Dylusions paints in my stash, so I wanted to see how would they look like in my journal book. When I put these colors in my Dylusions color swatch, I cleaned the foam applicators in my journal. And than I decided to transform this really colorful background in a new journal page :0). I used Versamark stamping (few different stamps at one time) and white Pan pastel over it again. Than I recolored roses with black ink marker. Border, on the other hand, I stamped in black Versafine ink and than put white pastel on it, so the result is more grey now. And the Pan pastel covered the shapes perfectly again. After polishing the page with dry cloth all was perfectly fixed.
There were only two surprises - when I wanted emboss the words under the shoe (clear embossing powder over black stamping), I did not use the baby powder first, so embossing powder covered also the surrounding of the letters, especially the parts stamped with Versamark and covered with pastel. Another thing was, that when I stamped my quote with Versafine, this Versamark/pastel text was still quite visible through the ink, so I went with my black marker over it again. The images of the shoe and owl are also stamped in black and embossed with superfine clear embossing powder, so I could colored it easily with Dylusions sprays in waterbrushes with colors corresponding with background Dylusions paints. I finished the page with white Signo uni-ball pen.

So there it is, a result I like a lot, colorful journal page Nr. 6 in a Seawhite hardcover art journal (25x19 cm / 10"x7.5").

25.3.2016 Playful journal page 6