The Presence of Wonder

Today I'm sharing a journal page I created for a challenge at the Wanderlust year-long classes I've signed up for.  Along with having a new lesson each Friday by one of many featured artists,  once a month there is a challenge based on something we have learned and there is the opportunity to win some crafty supplies from a sponsoring company!

For this challenge Kasia asked us to look around our homes, at our clothing or on-line to find a pattern that inspired us -  we were not to copy the pattern exactly but be inspired by it.

I was inspired by this Suzani Textile pattern

 (Kasia introduced Suzani Textiles to us in her Lesson last week - and I'll be creating a canvas based on this same pattern as soon as I get a minute!!)

Here is the journal page I created for the February Challenge.  Part of Kasia's lesson was teaching us about different kinds of markers and pens and how they interact with various surfaces - so we also had to use some pens and markers on our design.

First I brushed Gesso over my page, then colored over it with blue and green Neocolor Wax Pastels (they look like crayons).  I then used a water pen to blend the pastels. 

I used white embossing paste with a concentric circle stencil for my 'flowers', coloring over the dry paste with Copics.  I used PTT Faber Castel black pens to draw the borders, stems and leaves and some x's on the dots.  I used a White Acrylic Paint marker on some of the dots as well.

I stamped a crackle background stamp from Impression Obsession randomly over the the page .

and a sentiment from Hand Written Thoughts from Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous in the top right corner.

I love all of the new creative techniques I'm learning at the wonderful Wanderlust classes - I'm getting a little more comfortable journaling with each page I make -  you can still sign up (through July 2016) as all of the lessons are downloadable - so you won't miss any of them!