VIDEO: Dreamy Ocean Art Journal Layout + Giveaway

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I've had so much fun art journaling lately. I do it a LOT more often than you see here or on my YouTube channel, because it's really a process just mostly for me. It's relaxing, and it's process oriented, not results oriented. In this stressful world, we all need something calming and pressure-free, and for me, that is art journaling.

I created the journal itself in my handmade journal class, which you can learn about and sign up for here. I made this one out of the pre-cut and scored inserts here. It's the perfect size for me - because I can use a single 8.5 x 11 Gel Press print to cover it.

But for this month's beautiful ocean-themed kit, I didn't use a Gel Press print. I prepped the layout with chalky gesso, deliberately creating wave textures, as you can see. Then I used Hero Liquid Watercolor on top in heavy layers to create watery looks. I added this beautiful tissue paper in parts, and then splattered the entire thing with gold ink. Then I colored my focal image with a super simple quick coloring technique you'll see in the video, and enhanced it with just two colored pencils. I colored the edges with a marker that matched my background. I used my circle infinity dies to cut a circle for the sentiment, which I colored and rimmed with metallic ink. I used my black art crayon to hand rub some drop shadows and then glued down my focal image! This was such a fun process - I can't tell you how much joy it brought me to make this - I was sort of sad when it was over!

So here's what's in the full kit - LOOK at that embossing powder!

The add-ons are lovely. There's a pretty, wavy cover die that forms a frame - I cut it out of white - I thought about using kraft as the backdrop, but there's so much silver in abalone, I decided on grey. Then I stamped the layering abalone in a few different colors of reactive ink to give the feel their rainbow iridescence has in real life. I stamped the sentiment from the main kit.

Then my sneak peek card from the other day was so fun to make. First, I ink blended Pool Party and Splash inks through this stencil on a slimline panel I cut with the slimline/bookmark dies. I used the next smaller die to cut the middle out of this panel to save for another project - so what you're seeing is an open frame. Then I colored the fishies from the kit with my Graphit markers (coupon in the footer) to get in those tiny spaces so neatly. The background images from the kit are stamped in Pool Party and I used Sunshine and Ocean sequins to finish it off. Quick and easy card.

Here is the video of both the coloring and the art journal page! Click here if you don't see a video player, and come back for a giveaway! 

Here are all the add-ons this month.

Here are all the supplies I used today.

MMH May 2021 [ HA ] Color Layering Abalone [ HA ] Swirling Tide Border Fancy Die With... [ HA ] Water Flow Slimline Stencil [ HA ] DI871 Slimline & Bookmarks Infinity... [ HA ] Get Them All May Add-Ons [ HA ] DI199 Nesting Circle Infinity Dies... [ HA ] Graphit — Marker Universe [ MRK ] GM100 Gold & Pewter Glimmer Metallic... [ HA ] Watercolor - Hero Arts [ HA ] Marabu Art Crayons | BLICK Art Materials [ BLIC ] STAMPERIA Decoupage Forest FISH Rice... [ ETS ] Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils and... [ BLIC ] Sequins - Hero Arts [ HA ] Amazon.com : LORMAY 2 Pcs Premium... [ AMZUS ] Liquitex Gel Medium - Matte, 8 oz jar... [ BLIC ] Workshops & Classes [ UND ] AF423 Lemon Drop Reactive Ink - Hero... [ HA ] AF428 Splash Reactive Ink - Hero Arts [ HA ] AF426 Pool Party Reactive Ink - Hero... [ HA ] AF420 Taffy Reactive Ink - Hero Arts [ HA ] Understand Blue Card Making Bundle #3... [ CTC ] Understand Blue Card Making Bundle #1... [ CTC ] Understand Blue Card Making Bundle #2... [ CTC ] My Sweet Petunia [ MSP ] Pre-Cut & Scored Cardstock [ CTC ] Art Anthology BIG CRAFT MAT 24x36 311473 [ SSS ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSP | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | UNT ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC [ ELH | SSS ] Scor-Pal MINI SCOR-BUDDY Scoring... [ SSS ] Storage Envelopes, Medium 25pk,... [ ELH ] CheckOutStore Stamp & Die Clear... [ CHC ] Extra Large -50 pk, Avery Elle Stamp... [ ELH ] Mermaid tidy towel case and glue... [ ETS ] Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045 [ SSS | CST ] Airtable: Organize your stamps & dies [ ART ] Hero Arts Blog [ HA ]

Do you art journal or have another, sort of private creative practice that you find relaxing or educational? Lay it on me in the comments for your chance to win a $50 shopping spree at Hero Arts. Then stop by their blog for tons more inspiration in this month's blog hop - the full list can be found here > Hero Arts.

Loveyameanitbye.

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