There is nothing like a deadline to get the creative juices flowing! I had it noted down in my journal that I would enter the Art Daily Cafe challenge which is open until 30th and so I was going to work on it then but when I checked, it said there were 12 hours to go and so it must finish around 11am and not the end of the day like I thought. So what to do? I had already given up on another challenge that I wanted to enter this month due to lack of time, so did I want to give up on another one? Not really, but also I had no ideas just that I liked the challenge technique and wanted to see if I could get something done. Here’s the moodboard and info:
I love image transfers! When I saw the challenge, I knew that I wanted to use an image transfer done on a gel plate as I had a few of those saved up but when I checked in my stash, none of them were the right colour. There was no time to do gel medium image transfers and so Plan C was to do a tape transfer. These are very quick and easy usually – just not tonight haha. I have been saving these very good quality thick glossy magazines to use for my gel press image transfers, and so I flicked through one of those, and choose this image, which is actually a shampoo ad. The problem was that the paper is so high quality and coated, that it took forever to rub the paper off, but eventually and with a lot of water, it came off.
The background for this page is actually a gel print that was done in April 2018 (!) using a large stencil with lots of squares and rectangles on it. I pulled a lot of prints that day and have used quite a few of them but these yellow ones were not really my colour, so I still had them waiting to be used. I decided to use the one on the right.
I don’t have step-by-step photos for this page as it all came together really quickly after eventually getting the paper off the transfer tape! The transfer is sitting on top of some 7 Dots paper which has some interesting marks and scratches and yellowish colours on it which were perfect for this page. The other papers that have been collaged on the right hand side were all lying around on my table just waiting to be used. I really wasn’t thinking brown at all until I started laying them on top of the page and then it just seemed to work.
I added a bit of stamping in Sepia ink, some gold splatters and edges, some black stabilo and splatters, a Finnabair sticker and some journaling in yellow paint pen. I thought the quote was appropriate as I had pretty much given up on perfection after fighting so much with this tape transfer and decided to embrace the imperfection and grungy-ness of it all.
These photos were actually taken at night but turned out pretty good I think. I will see what the light is like in the morning and maybe take a few more, but since it’s after two am I really need to sleep.
EDIT 300920: I added a couple of photos in the daylight… first the craftermath from last night lol. As you can see my girl came from a haircare ad in a magazine. There was so much paper to rub off of this transfer though due to the quality of the magazine paper.
This one I tried to show the shiny reflection of the tape but it still isn’t good due to the reflection from the window, so where it looks all white, is the actual window reflecting down on the page :/
Let me know in the comments what you think. As always, thanks for reading!
CHALLENGES
OK here are the challenges I am entering:-
Art Daily Cafe – August Challenge Cornucopia Image Transfers
Art Journal Journey – Texture
Funkie Junkie – Staying in the Background – made my own gel printed background
SSS Monday Challenge – Add a Photo – photo is from magazine
PROJECT RECIPE:
My art journal (handmade A5 size)
Collage materials
Acrylic paint, acrylic ink,
Stamps,
Archival Ink
Paper
Metallic paint, stickers, posca paint pen, stabilo, neocolours II
Matte Gel Medium
From stash: paper, gel print, magazine for image transfer
Your perseverance paid off because this is a fabulous page. Thanks for joining us at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog.
Hugs!
Cec
Perfect is this page! It is really lovely. Nice layering and splatter details. They really pull the page together. Thanks so much for joining Jo’s challenge this month at Art Journal JOurney. Hugs-Erika
Wow, your pages are stunning! I love the colours and the grungy style, and the way that you layered all the materials together is amazing – perfect ?. So many fabulous details and such lovely textures too! Thanks so much for playing along at Art Journal Journey, it was a pleasure to see you there! Hugs, Jo x
Yay! I’m so happy you succeeded with all those obstacles in your way! What an astounding art journal page! I love your transfer on top of that stenciled background, and it’s even better learning how this all came together. You get an A+ for that fantastic transfer, something I have struggled with in the past. I’m tickled pink you shared your artwork in our Staying in the Background challenge at The Funkie Junkie Boutique challenge blog!
Elle, I totally love your concept and color here! Perfection is totally overrated! We all still seek it and it steals our joy. Love the image transfer and other fab details you added. So well done!