A day in Paris - Journalling from Kerstin

Greetings all!

Today we're featuring a beautiful art journalling contribution from a very creative guest and one of our previous Special Mention winners - Kerstin of Scrapbook Dreams...

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Hi and welcome everyone, Kerstin here, I come from Germany. When the team from Country view challenge asked me to be a Guest designer, I was just honoured and happy.

I have been creating for many years now, always in search for new techniques and yet unexplored territory in craftland.

My big passions are colours and structure. I'm a big Mixed Media Style fan and love the things that are old and nobody wants anymore, because they have a history! My newest love is Mr. Art Journal, with Art Journaling I have found one of "my" favourite genre - as it combines words and pictures, thoughts and feelings, application of various innovative techniques and the idea of telling stories in a brave new crafty world! But I also like to invent always new and so I will also often be good for a surprise!

Anything goes - the perfect theme and so I have chosen - no surprise - Art journaling, because it makes me happy!. (It relaxes me and helps me to stress management.)  It's a memory on a very beautiful day in Paris last year.

I hope you will inspired to discover the fascinating world of Art Journaling.  In fact, there are no rules for journaling, anything goes. This is actually the oft-quoted "The journey is the reward" and the images are created precisely.  In journaling very different forms of expression can be used: painting, drawing, photography, collage, stamps, stencils, writing, .... and much more. Often it is a combination of different techniques in Mixed media style, that leads to pages .

On the first photo you can see which materials I've used. I have worked with decoupage technique (napkin), used stencils, stamps, distress inks, laces and grandma's old buttons.

Primed with diluted white gesso, let dry, then use a wonderful napkin with decoupage glue, just the stencils with white gesso, dry it with heating tool. Drawing some branches with black acrylic paint, use some suitable stamps with archival pigment ink and another stencil with distress ink (diamond), glue on some embellishments and last but not least - a personalized text in spidery handwriting and voila - a new art journaling page is finished. Just start having fun and try it out!

Thank you very much for inviting me! 

Best wishes, Kerstin

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This is stunning Kerstin - imaginative and beautifully artistic - thank you!

From cardmaking, tags, scrapping, postcards, journalling, mixed media 3D and home decor projects and much, much more - we would like to see what you're up to!  Join in and risk being one of our winners!  We are awarding TWO £20 shop vouchers from our sponsor, Country View Crafts online shop as well as a special BLOG CANDY for one of our lucky commenters (must be a comment left on our initial March post).

We'll be back on Saturday when Nikki will be sharing her 2nd project of the month - don't miss it!  >:o)

Have fun!

Chris and the team xxx