Our Favorites YouTube Hop

I’m so excited to be part of another YouTube hop! This time I’m a participant and a sponsor. These hops are great ways for not only YOU to learn and meet new artists, but also for ME to do the same! You also have the opportunity to win some amazing prizes donated by our sponsors:

Thank you so much to our amazing sponsors above!!

For my tutorial, I created a journal page using my top ten favorite supplies for a quick journal page. These basic supplies are some of my favorites to break a blank page or add a finishing touch. I enhanced the pages with a few other supplies including stencils, acrylic paint, and a stamp.

So, just why are these my favorites? Let’s discuss each one!

  1. Ledger Pages & Ephemera 
    I love the layers of mixed media, and old book pages, ledger sheets, and other ephemera are my favorite way to break a blank page. Adhere these down with gel/matte medium and then layer on top. As you create layers, the ephemera below will peek through and create lots of interest.
  2. Black India Ink
    Any color India Ink is awesome, but I use black the most. You can use the dropper inside the bottle to write with, use a dip pen, or just use it for some fun drops like I did at the end. Often, this is my finishing touch on a page.
  3. Black Acrylic Spray
    Marabu makes some awesome acrylic sprays! The beauty of these is that they are acrylic, so as you create all those awesome layers in mixed media, the ink does not move or bleed. I’ve also dipped a brush into the bottle and painted with these or added splatters.
  4. Simply Simmons Brushes
    It might be weird to list a specific brush, but if you are like me and often forget your brushes in water, the perfect brush is so important. I’ve left these brushes in water for days (shhhhh!!) and they are still going strong! I’ve only ruined one (so far) from sitting in the water too long, and I just put some tape over it! They are a great price point, which allows you to have multiple brushes of each size. I also really like their watercolor brushes for the same reason!
  5. Clear Gesso
    Clear gesso is important when you want to preserve the ephemera. I layer it over my ledger pages to keep them in tact. This allows paint to sit on top of them rather than soak into the paper — allowing you to wipe away and use lots of water and other mediums as needed. I used Dina Wakley’s in this tutorial; hers is super smooth and silky. I also love the small containers for when I travel.
  6. White Gesso
    If you’ve ever taken a class with Dina Wakley, you’ve probably heard her say that gesso is like underwear! It’s so important to prep a page with gesso for many reasons. (I can get into that later if you’d like!) However, on this page I used the white gesso in place of white paint. I rarely use white acrylic. I like the opacity of the white gesso much better.
  7. Black Archival Ink Pad
    The importance of this ink pad, besides that it stamps really well, is that it is permanent and waterproof. Another important feature when you work with multiple layers of mixed media!
  8. Gel Medium
    So, there are several mediums… gel, matte, and Dina’s new “ultra thick” gel medium. They all serve different purposes when it comes to adding ephemera of all different weights to your page. Matte medium (and in this case Dina’s gel medium) are thinner and better for thinner papers where gel medium or Dina’s “ultra thick” are better for heavier papers. These are similar in concept to mod poge, except not as sticky and better quality.
  9. Word or Phrase Stickers
    Tim Holtz has several versions of these stickers – and I love them all! You can also cut text from book pages, but that takes time. And, for a quick journal page definitely not in the top ten!
  10. Stabilo All Pencils
    There are several colors in these pencils, but I use the black and graphite the most. I love, love, love… (love!) these pencils. The black is super dark especially when it’s activated. I think you just need to try one for yourself to understand! 🙂

Now you know a few quick reasons why these are some of my top go-to supplies. I’d love to learn what yours are. Do we share some of these? Am I missing something? Let me know in the comments!

I can’t wait to hop along with you and see what each artist’s favorites are. Be sure to follow the directions to be entered to win the sponsor prizes.

Use Your Wings

 

Shawn Petite Creative Team 2018/2019

I am so excited to announce that I am part of Shawn Petite’s 2018/2019 Creative Team! Head over to her page and read all about the other artists who are part of the team — they are all amazing, and you are really going to enjoy some amazing tutorials this year!

Read everyone’s bios here!

Last year’s team was also just as amazing, and you can see those tutorials up on Shawn’s YouTube channel. Each Wednesday a Creative Team member posts a blog and video tutorial and sometimes an additional “crash the stash” video.

The first post of the new team is set for September 5…. and my first post is September 19!

Thank you so much Shawn for this amazing opportunity!

AGT: Lotus Pod Butterfly

My sixth tutorial for Donna Downey’s Artist Gang was posted today. I made a canvas using Donna’s Lotus Pod stencil. When I saw this stencil in my package from Donna, I just knew it would make the perfect butterfly wing!

I love that I have the opportunity to inspire others as a member of donna’s gang! ? If you create something that is inspired by my tutorial, tag me on Instagram (@nicolewatsonart), post below, or in the donna downey: community of artists facebook group so I can see it!

The video is above. Please visit Donna Downey’s blog to read additional information about this week’s tutorial.

AGT: Layered Leaves

My fifth tutorial for Donna Downey’s Artist Gang was posted today. This week I’m using Donna’s triple leaf stencil to create a background with watercolor using masking fluid.

Sometimes I find it hard to juggle the not so fun stuff of life (laundry, dishes…) while fitting in moments of creativity. This project was a perfect way to accomplish both! Even though the process of creating the layered background itself is pretty simple, it does require drying time between the layers of watercolor and masking fluid. While the layers dried, I folded laundry and tackled the dishes…. without neglecting my need to create (or forgetting my clothes in the wash!).

You could easily keep this page in your art journal; just be sure to spray it with fixative so the watercolor doesn’t run. However, I cut my backgrounds into card fronts. The bright green leaves shout summer to me and make beautiful plain note cards.

I love that I have the opportunity to inspire others as a member of donna’s gang!  If you create something that is inspired by my tutorial, tag me on Instagram (@nicolewatsonart), post below, or in the donna downey: community of artists facebook group so I can see it!

The video is above. Please visit Donna Downey’s blog to read additional information about this week’s tutorial.