Blog: Mini Motifs

Crossroads – Art Journal

“A Crossroad. What a pain in the ass spot to end up in.”

I started by stamping one of my Mini Motif foam stamps in a circle with grey ink…

then layered a second Mini Motif stamp on that in teal…

and then finally added the rubber stamp Mini Motif stamp on top, using the Versafine in grey again.

Next I added the Versailles rubber stamp from the Floral Tile Large set for a pattern – it reminds me a bit of all those Minton tile patterns I have been seeing lately while looking at house accounts on instagram.

I did my journaling with a water soluble sketch pencil.

Here are some of the supplies I used:

Leave a comment

Produce Joy – Art Journal

I used four different colors of acrylic spray paint to layer up over the Art Nouveau Wallpaper stencil. I flipped the stencil right over to the adjacent page – more about that page later – so that I could get a nice print of the surface as well.

I used some Versafine in black and grey to stamp with one of the Mini Motif rubber stamps and one of the Fan-fare stamps into the solid fan areas.

For my journaling I used the tissue like stripes with a thin Posca pen.

This was a very fast but fun page. I love spray paints – they have such an instant effect and if you are using the low odor ones with a mask and in a well ventilated room, you can create forever using your stencils and layering them up, or mixing them as I did with stamps. Just as Walt Whitman says “Do Anything, but let it produce joy.“

Here are some of the supplies I used:

Leave a comment

Summer Dreams – Art Journal

I was really dreaming of summer while I played with this page in my art journal, right as we had another cold spell here.

I enjoyed having a little pattern play with some stamps from my Triangle Love set, my Mini Motifs set, and the Solid Hex Small rubber stamp too. Isn’t it fun to see how they all fit together? I used Versafine ink pads for the stamping.

My journaling was done on some blank, transparent washi tape that I just love – but still don’t remember where I got it.

I drew the face with a bamboo sketching pen (a favorite drawing tool of mine) and acrylic ink on deli paper. I adhered the sketch with fluid matte medium and really let the pattern shine through.

Here are some of the supplies I used:

Leave a comment

Come Visit – Art Journal

“Come Visit” – and then some journaling reminiscing about how little I knew a while ago how much I love to say those words. I miss my friends in Germany and further away. Two little words – so much weight.

The “come visit” were a leftover from an old letter that I had used as collage material and the two words were in different sentences on top of each other and it was like a sign (wwahhhahaa – insert glorious music and sunshine here ;) ).

The background was stamped with my Mini Motifs and Fan-fare rubber stamps. Then I added a piece of deli paper on which I had “cleaned” a stencil that had spray-paint on it from an earlier page, creating a nice textured print of the Versailles stencil. I adhered it over the background with liquid matte medium and then sketched the lady on top.

I actually liked her better in pencil but was afraid it might not be visible enough so I added some color with acrylic paints. I am not too happy with that, as I did not think about how the acrylic paint would be taken by the glossy side of the deli paper. Oh well, it is what it is and a good reminder to think ahead sometimes. Or… just go with it… I can revisit this another time ;)

Here are the supplies I used:

Leave a comment

Potential is Scary – Art Journal

Potential is Scary

This art journal page came together in many stages. First I glued down collage paper like old letter pieces and parts of a pattern sheet I created a while ago (with my Mini Motifs and Triangle Love rubber stamp sets) using Gel Medium. I didn’t really know where this page was going to go – and so I just let each step inform the next. Hence the wildness of the page :)

Next I added some pink acrylic paint with a palette knife to tie the collage pieces together. I placed my Santa Fe Stencil on top and scraped some gesso over the stencil with a palette knife. It is raised but very thin, so it still works well in an art journal.

After it dried I used a water-soluble Derwent Pencil to sketch out the face. Instead of going over it with a brush, I used a Faber Castell white brush pen, creating a grayish, brushstroke-like effect. Later I went over it with a green acrylic pen as well. I then used a Posca marker for the journaling.

I finished up the page by stamping my Actually I Can rubber stamp.

This page reminded me how much I love playing with heavy body paints or gesso through stencils- and I definitely will visit this again. It is funny how play can sometimes remind you of techniques that you used to use a lot, that maybe you moved away from as you continued on your path and the next stage in your artmaking. If I pull out my earlier art journals I can definitely say for me it used to be all about actual texture in my journals.

Here are some of the supplies I used:

Leave a comment

Do It Anyway – Art Journal

“Strive to create a world you might never live to see!”

I stamped my Row Houses foam stamp with acrylic paint onto the ledger and then added a sketch of the row houses on top. I also used some collage paper – an old letter and old prints of mine.

I had initially painted a lot of the background with yellow paint but I didn’t like it going over the top of the building so I toned it down a bit with a Gesso wash.

Then I added some stamping with my Mini Motifs rubber stamps and speckled some paint.

Here are some of the supplies I used:

Comments (1)

  • Sue Clarke

    |

    Love this quote. I believe that it’s the only way the world will improve!

    Reply

Leave a comment

Bring it On – Art Journal

“What if things get even crazier from now on… the ride never stops …bring it on.”

This is the first page in my newly bought ledger from 1880/90. I bought 3 and they are not used at all. They came from an estate sale and I bought them specifically for Art Journaling. I have a little weird thing that I am hesitant to fill the first page in any book that I love – when it is handbound or special. I used to be so angry at myself when I messed a sketchbook or diary or art journal up on the first page (meaning I wasn’t thrilled) that I would just burry it in a pile of stuff to not be reminded of it anymore.

Anyway, in order to not fall into that trap here (hahaha) I decided to build up my page on a piece of Grafix Dur-a-lar and adhere that to the first page, so I had a bit of time to decide if I was cool with it ;)

Here’s how I built up the page: I started with a Gelli Plate print with acrylic paints and my Batik and Lily Wallpaper stencils right on the Dur-a-lar. Then I used some collage paper – letters, stamped collage paper (using my Mini Motifs rubber stamps), and a piece from a painting on canvas that I cut apart. Next I made a sketch on deli paper and added some marks with gouache paint and my Triangle Love stamps with archival ink. I layered and adhered it all with double sided tape and a glue stick.

Here are some of the supplies I used:

Leave a comment

Pattern Monday 14 – Video from my Ledger

Happy Monday and welcome to another pattern in my big vintage ledger! This time I’m using stamps from my Small Circle Jumble, Triangle Love, and Mini Motifs rubber stamp sets. I love the complexity that this pattern gets just from the complexity of the stamps. Have a look:

Here is the finished page and what went into it:

Now it’s your turn. Here are the supplies I used:

Comments (2)

  • Sue Clarke

    |

    Love the patterns and the bright colors!

    Reply

Leave a comment

What Does it Matter? – Art Journal

“Most people barely know themselves. So what does it matter what they think of you?”

I took this pattern from Pattern Monday 3 using my Floral Tile Small, Mini Motifs, and Fan-Fare rubber stamps – unfortunately I laid my hand into the still pretty wet ink and ruined the white space in the middle. I tried to fix it with some white paint and water color but – mmhhhhh not sure if that actually made it better but oh well… moving on …

I overpainted a catalog image with acrylic markers and then used posca markers for the journaling.

Here are some of the supplies I used:

Comments (3)

  • Sue Clarke

    |

    Love the words and the pattern. Did you draw the person or work from an image? Either way I really like how she came out Nat.

    Reply

  • Anne Lawver

    |

    Thank you for sharing this. Wonderful art and message!

    Reply

Leave a comment