Having gone through a very rigid math and science track in school, I have never really thought of myself as being artistic or creative. Although those terms are very subjective, they were just never terms that I would associate myself as being.
The first time I felt that it might be possible for me to produce something vaguely visually appealing was when I used PicCollage because it helps me START (the hardest part), gives me ideas along the way, provides me with tools to do anything, and I can tweak it any way I want to get my intended effect.
Last weekend, I decided to tap into this hidden “creativity” by attending a workshop at the Stamp & Scrapbook Expo (find one near you). I was to come out of the 60 minute workshop with a “Mixed Media Journal Cover”. I thought it would be fun to do what I usually do on PicCollage, but physically instead of digitally.
Here’s how I made a personalized journal cover in 4 simple steps:
Step 1: Paint over cardboard covers with Gesso:
Step 2: Apply a thicker coat of Gesso using a Stencil for patterns of your choice:
Step 3: After Gesso dries, use a mixture of these color and shimmer sprays and sponge-dabbing of paint to create any effect you want:
Step 4: Glue on any additional “accessories” to give it a true scrapbook feel!
… and viola! There you have a “home-made”, personalized journal cover!
This was another wonderful experience of having help to START, having the materials available, and coming out of it feeling like I have it in me to be creative if I tried.
I loved the pattern and colors that I created so much that I used it as a background for my weekend PicCollage:
So if you feel like “getting creative” this weekend, you don’t need to be an artist. Just grab a few items from your local crafts store and get cracking! And if you’re not in the mood for the mess, there’s always PicCollage in your pocket 🙂