Wild and Free – Jennifer Gallagher

Hello from my Creative Squad! Today we are starting a new theme for the Squad for August and we have Jennifer Gallagher kicking it off in her art journal with my Hamilton Stencil and my Art Deco stamp. This month’s theme is: Wild and Free – After so many months of careful living, it’s time to go Wild and Free… In our Art Journals! Go a little crazy in there and live it up with bright colors, exuberant mark making, bold colors – however you want to go a bit bananas. It’s time to let loose! 


This month we are going wild in our art journals using some of our favorite n*Studio products. I threw caution to the wind and layered lots of bold color and pattern along with mark making and a fun stamped focal image. It’s super easy so let’s get started.

I started by applying a layer of clear gesso onto a page in my square Dina Wakley Media journal. I applied a little Distress Stain in Mustard Seed on the left hand side of the page and then spritzed some water over it. I held the journal up so the color would run down the page.

After that dried,I applied some olive green acrylic paint in some of the open spaces with a cosmetic sponge.

Next, I spritzed on some Aquamarine Marabu Art Spray and added a small spritz of water. I blew the color around with an air puffer.

I chose Nat’s Hamilton Stencil and placed it down on the page, working to center the design from the inside of the page. Then I applied Blackberry, Cobalt Teal Hue, and Emerald Green acrylic paint with cosmetic sponges. 

Using an old gift card and some white acrylic paint, I scraped white in various areas of the page.

I repeated the process with fluorescent pink and black.

To bring back some of the design, I laid the stencil back over the page, exactly where it was before. Any place that had black paint was painted white through the stencil.

Using a black posca pen, I added some dots in a few of the white areas.

Using the Art Deco stamp from Nat’s Stroll Around the Block Set, I stamped a focal image onto multifarious card with Versafine Clair ink ink Nocturne. Before applying the image, I splattered some Distress Spray in Picket Fence around the page. Once dry, I fussy cut the image out and applied it to my page with 1/8 inch scor-tape.

The final touch was to add a few stickers from Tim Holtz idea-ology Big Chat and Small Talk sticker sets. I hope you have enjoyed this art journal page. I really went wild with the layers, colors, and pattern. Be sure to play along with us this month and create something bold in your art journal.


Thank you Jennifer! Loved watching this wild background come together with all those yummy layers :)

Give it a try: you can find all my Stencils and Rubber Stamps in my Online Shop and here are some of the other supplies Jennifer used:

Feel inspired? Working on something yourself that you’d like to share?  I love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next  “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

Leave a comment