Sketchbook Pages: Joy

As I mentioned yesterday, this layered journal page incorporated all my new supplies: masking tape, India Ink, black Plaka, a duotang label and fluid acrylic medium (another new-to-me supply: gel medium is what I've used previously). Since this page is a bit more involved, I thought I'd give you a bit more of a step-by-step on my process. Unfortunately, I didn't take in-progress photos, so you'll just have to imagine the beginning stages.

First I mixed some paint. I wanted a watermelon shade for the background, and I wanted to use my new fluid acrylic medium, so I blended my Golden acrylics into some of that; I used a bit of Titanium White, Naphthol Red Light and Hansa Yellow Medium and obtained the pink you see in the background. Once that was dry, I dripped orange India ink from the top edge.

As I was waiting for that to dry, I went to check the mail. Lo and behold! I had a package of washi tape waiting for me! Thus, the next step was easy: washi tape! The first piece I laid was the small bit with pink polka-dots: it was part of the wrapping for my tape. The red and grey geometric prints and the grid washi tapes are new - they were a perfect complement to the orange/grey floral and orange washi tapes (and the masking tape!) I already had.

Once that was done, I wasn't too sure where to go next. So I pulled out a box of supplies and came across the vintage page protectors, the birds and the brass letters. Perfect!

These were glued down randomly until I was happy with the composition. Then I chose a word ("JOY" seemed appropriate based on my limited letter supply and the fact that a dear friend of mine chose this name for her baby girl) and framed it with one of my new labels.

I sat back to let that dry but wasn't satisfied that the page was quite done. Something was missing...


Of course! Black Plaka polka-dots! After watering down the thick black paint, I simply used a brush (the wrong end of the brush actually) to flick paint all over my page, concentrating on the upper left corner:

Once I started scattering paint, I needed to try the same with the orange India ink. Great results, I think! A few days later, when I bought the brown and violet ink, I was tempted to add a few dots of the brown... but so far I've restrained myself. I think the spread is done. As is, it makes me smile every time I look at it. JOY indeed!

What do you think? Would you add to this page or leave it as is?