It's a Pirates's Life for Me Journal Page - Allara Bamforth

Hi everyone - Happy New Year!

I'm thrilled to be a part of the Art and Soul Studio Team. What a fabulous group of creative women,

What to do with my first post for the blog, was a little overwhelming as the Art and Soul Studio shop has so many fabulous products to showcase but I settled on using an image from the Gorjuss collection and worked from there. I've always loved these images and the pirate one caught my eye as I have a strange obsession with pirates (might be the rum) but I think I just romanticise, as I feel I have pirate blood - as there is a fellow way back in the 1600s in my family tree by the name of  Neptune Blood.

But back to the creating. I decided on an art journal page to ease myself into my role.

Firstly I gessoed the double page of my art journal in black.

I then used my new Stencil Girl Products 9 x 12 Stencil by Traci Bautista and using a sponge applied both watered down white linen dylusions paint and slight periwinkle blue in the centre. The sponge gives good texture and this stencil being so thin is easy to work with

Next I stamped the Gorjuss Pirate girl on some scrap watercolour paper with black archival ink. I had every intention of perhaps colouring her in with copics but I didn't have the right colours in my collection - so I decided to watercolour paint her.

My painting was a little rough but I think it will blend in well with the overall messiness of the page  I'm creating. I also used some of the left over paint from above to water down and use my paint brush to create splatter on the still black page.

Next I cracked out the Lindy's Gang Flat Fabio in Caribbean Blue and dropped a few drops on the stencilled side and sprayed with water to create a drip effect down both pages.

My next picture shows the start of me putting the page together. On the background I have used the Texture Stamp from Carabelle Studio and Carabelle Flower Circles Background - I've once again used some of the left over white paint to randomly stamp. I have also painted some Dusty Attic Chipboard with the left over paint so that it will blend in. I have fussy cut my image and tried in my hardest at writing a title in best pirate text with a white Posca Paint Pen.

I couldn't resist adding some gold touches - it is a Pirate page after all and this was perfect for adding Vicki Boutin Glitter Set - Gold Flakes and Glitter.

Last but not least, a picture of the finished journal page. I did add end up adding some plaster tape and hessian for a little more texture, as I felt this added to the theme.

Hope you enjoyed my process. A full list of the products from the Art and Soul Studio Shop are listed below.

Lindy's Stamp Gang - Caribbean Blue

Dylusions Paint - Linen White and Periwinkle Blue

Vicki Boutin - Glitter Set

Carabelle Texture Stamp

Carabelle Flower Circles Background

Dusty Attic Fish Net Chipboard

Gorjuss Large Stamp Pirate

Stencil Girl - 9 x12 Stencil - Traci Bautista Design

Posca Pen - White

Till next post.

Allara x