Never Hide Your Wings {Art Journal} @ STAMPlorations

{My DT work for STAMPlorations}

Happy Sunday friends! How is everyone doing? I have been a little bit busy the past weeks doing some commissioned art work so am not able to keep up with social media for a while although I try to in between when taking a short break. Other than that I have been doing a lot of sewing projects too. Once I started it is so hard to stop. My girls' room has new off white daylight and night curtain for a week now and they are thrill about it. The only thing left to do is give the walls a new color; probably cream or lighter brown, I shall see. I also had the urge to finish off sewing my middle girl's formal batik school uniform last week so she can wear it when school reopen on June 11. My four kiddos are now home enjoying second semester break. That's for two weeks and let me say I love it when the school is off allowing me moments to relax from driving the car. The car is so happy to rest too!

Last but not least, we are fasting this Ramadan which gives my soul and mind to stay calmer even more. 

Let me now take you to today: I bring you my Sunday Stencil feature for STAMPlorations. I created a decoupage mixed media art journal and the layers of green shades for the background is absolutely out of my comfort zone. Yes I love planting green plants in my garden and I love the greenery sights but using green background for my art work is my first time here. Even my eldest daughter finds me odd, lol. Maybe because she always sees my background is normally blues and browns.

For the first time, I used serviette napkin with roses painting in my art journal. Firstly I intuitively colored the pages with three shades of green watercolors {yellow green, fluorescent yellow green and dark green} and acrylic paints {permanent green}. On areas where I felt was somewhat darker, I toned down with white watercolor and the green turns lighter. I keep painting until I felt satisfied.

Next I applied modeling paste through Ethnic Organic One ARTplorations stencil on both pages to create patterns. For additional interest in creating jungle look according to my eldest daughter, I decided to use black watercolor and use my finger to dab the color through Plaid Maker ARTplorations stencil. I admit I had no idea what would come next when I colored the background green. It's all about intuitive {smile}.

One thing for sure though, the use of roses serviette napkin was planned for decoupage! I fussy cut the roses and leaves and placed them on the pages for composition at first before I stick it down with glue {a mixture of pva glue and water}. For areas that look somewhat blurry or blank to my eyes, I layered the adhered rose napkin with another ply of  rose napkin. At that point I would have just finished my art work but I didn't want it to look as cut and paste. So I lightly colored the edges of roses and leaves with yellow green watercolor so it absorb into the art work and leave wonder to a person who may figure out, "How did she do it?". Just the way I ask myself the same question when I look at someone's art. Smile. 

Lastly I stamped the sentiment from Trendy Butterflies 2 stamp set directly on the background. Unlike the butterflies, I stamped it on drawing paper, fussy cut, colored with watercolor pencils and glue down near the roses.

That's it for now. If you like the stamps and stencils I used, do visit STAMPlorations SHOP and get special prize simply by using my coupon code:

And you all have few days left to enter May Mixed Media challenge:

Until I see you again soon. Take care.

Hugs and smiles,