Mixed Media Journal cover

Hello everyone! This is my first tutorial for Crafts Need as a guest designer and I am thrilled!

Today, I am going to show you how to create a mixed media journal cover. Mixed media involves various products, and one layer on top of another. The best part is you can see each layer in your final piece.

Here is the final cover and below is a step by step tutorial.

Here is the product list for your reference:

White Gesso (any brand)

Medical Gauge

Monte Arte modelling paste

FInnabair’s Texture Paste crackle white

Finaabair’s dots and stripes stencil

Tim Holtz Latticework stencil

TimHoltz collection -alphabet stencil

Tim Holtz Harlequin Stencil

Delusions paints- Cherry Pie, Pure Sunshine, Funky Fuchsia, Postbox red, Tangerine dream, White linen

Finnabar stamps- messy scrip and bubbles

Black Archival Ink

Distress Inks- Black Soot, Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seeds, Wilted Violet, Vintage photo

Kaiser craft wooden frame

Embellishments- chipboard swirl, flowers, leaves, lace (from my stash mixed brands)

Mod podge

Scissors

Paint brush

Wet wipes

Tacky glue

To begin, brush the journal front and back cover with gesso as show in the image above. This primes the surfaces for further texture and color.

Next,cut pieces of gauge and randomly stick them onto your surface with mod podge. At some places you can over lap them for a greater texture. Once done, dry with a hair-dryer.

                                                    

For the next layer, using the dots & stripes stencil and add texture with the modelling paste. Again, the stenciling is done randomly at places. Once this is dry, the lattice work stencil is used with the white crackle paste. 
   

                          

Once our base textures are completely dry and the cracks have appeared on crackle pate areas, we’ll begin with adding colors.

As mentioned earlier, for this project I’ve used Dylusions paints. These paints are translucent and hence become easy from mixed media projects like these to add layers on top of another.

Begin with the lightest color dabbing it on the page randomly.. Do this with all the chosen shades and then blend all the colors together using a wet-wipe.( Holding the wipe in your finger, blend them moving your fingers in a circulatory motion. ) Once done, you can add more color if you feel the need and dry.

 

    

   Mixed media is all about textures, so you’ll see a lot of different textures going in one project.

                                                           

          For our next layer, using white linen paint and harlequin stencil and dab it at random spots.

 Once dry, using the alphabet stencil and distress inks add more texture. I used a mini ink blending tool.



   

For our last texture, use the stamps with archival ink and stamp randomly. Here i haven’t used any acrylic block as I didn’t want a fixed structure to my stamping
.

        

Next, use the vintage photo distress ink and distress the sides of the cover.


 

  

Now, we begin working with our embellishments. To add color to the chipboard pieces, it’s necessary to cover them with white heavy gesso. (Heavy gesso ensures good coverage and takes color easily).

                                                               

Rest of the elements just need to be arranged. You can use tacky glue to stick all your embellishments.

                         

Hope you enjoyed this :)! Looking forward to seeing your journal covers !

Most of the products are available on the site http://www.craftsneed.com/ ,for rest you can always place a preorder with site.Happy crafting.

Regards

Sunila