Fur Babies and Rub-On Transfers

It's always fun to combine old and new supplies, right? This page in my Dina Wakley Ledger Journal features Dina's Circle Furbabies Stamp Set, stamped in rich brown Weeping Willow Stellar Ink from Simon Hurley; then adorned with every fall shade of ancient rub-on in my (considerable) collection!

The best part about a slightly messy collage format is that when using really old rub-on transfers you never quite know if they'll rub on perfectly, imperfectly or sometimes not at all... and this sort of configuration is quite forgiving no matter what happens.

For the record, most of these transfers were of the modestly priced, no-name variety; and yet, unlike some newer, higher-priced, fancier brands in my stash, they went on really nicely, with no flaking and very few imperfections!

Big (BIG!) Mandala Monday

After two months of Index Cards, working in an art journal feels big; and working in my (12x7"ish) Dina Wakley Ledger Journal (back in stock at Ranger!) feels realllllly big... in a good way!

The mandala center, scattered hearts and first two rounds of petals are cut from Dina's Collage Sparks compilations. The petals further out are painted with Gloss Spray, then adorned with a white Posca Pen, and outlined with Letter It Fineliners. I added some transparency ladies from Focals Set 1, which are out of print, but there are lots more cool Dina Transparencies from which to choose.

Wishing you a week with LOTS of creativity and productivity; but not too much humidity! ♥

Dream of the Red Chamber

Shout out to my friend Liz, a lifelong teacher and scholar of both Chinese and English with whom I have shared many meals, adventures and reading lists over the course of the last thirty years or so. Knowing my love of collage and interesting vintage papers, Liz kindly shares with me Chinese texts or flashcards she has finished using. When we met up last week she gifted me an older, three-volume paperback copy of "Hong Lou Meng" (Dream of the Red Chamber) an 18th century Chinese work that is amongst the first novels ever written which still exist. Of course, I don't read Chinese, so, fascinating as the story is both IN and OF the book itself, I was more interested in the beautiful text papers, illustrations and characters, which I've mixed with pretty papers from Pearl River Mart (one of my favorite stores in NYC's Chinatown) and woven into a multi-layered collage in my art journal.

Scribble Sticks & Texture Paste

It's a Mixed Media Mandala Monday featuring Dina Wakley MEdia Scribble Sticks, one of Dina's fabulous Coaster Stencils and some Ranger Metallic White Texture Paste.

The awesome Dina Ledger Journal is currently out of stock, but... if you go to the product page and click the "Email Me" button, you'll be amongst the first to know when it's available again!

Bonnie Lassie

It's another cascade-style collage in my Dina Wakley MEdia Ledger Journal. The ingredients are (approximately) 1/3 actual vintage goodies; 1/3 vintage label repros from a collage ephemera book I got at a yard sale many moons ago; and 1/3 ancient rub-on transfers. I'm finding that collage is an awesome place to use up old rub-ons because it's win win: if they go on smoothly, woohoo! if they go on somewhat incompletely... still cool; sometimes even cooler like an instant distress effect! 

BLOOM!

Whether you are celebrating Easter, Passover, or just some lovely spring weather, I wish you a bloomin' beautiful weekend!

Handcut flowers, leaves, letters and clouds in my Dina Wakley Ledger Journal. 

Also featuring Dina's Collage Paper, Archival Inks and Letter It Fineliners... all of which (and lots more, too!) are available from the fab folk at Ranger Ink.

Whatever else you're doing this weekend, I hope you can sneak in a little time to be creative! ♥

MM14: Fly High Mandala

I've now had three or four different Dina Wakley MEdia Journals from Ranger, and they're always my favorites because Dina actually IS an art journaler and thus knows what sizes, shapes and paper styles are going to be the best, the sturdiest and the most inspiring. The new Ledger Journal* is a reproduction of an authentic 1920s hardware store ledger (but with sturdier pages!) and is a lot of fun to work in. 

My first page in any new journal is nearly always a mandala and this is no exception. I used Dina's Fly High Stamps, Feather Chipboard Shapes and one of her fabulous Coaster Stencils to create this page. I also broke out my sadly neglected Gloss Sprays and remembered how much I enjoyed using those; though I often use them more like paints* than sprays (by dispensing a small amount into a palette and using a brush to apply) and that is mostly what I did this time, too. 

Oh yes, and before I started I randomly glued down some scraps of Gridded Collage Paper, drywall tape (from the big box home improvement store!) and a bit of the final remaining roll from my ancient, well-hoarded, original Dina Wakley Washi Set.

*The new Dina Ledger Journal seems to be out of stock at this precise moment, but there is a button on the product page you can click to be notified when it returns! In the meantime, you can add Dina's Typed Ledger Sheets to your existing journal OR try a Dylusions Ledger Journal or Square Ledger Journal with blank ledger pages as well as dots and grids 

*Apparently other folks do this, as well; there's a second line of Dina Wakely Gloss that comes with droppers instead of sprays!

MM08

Diamonds are a Mandala's best friend! This is my first attempt at a Diamond Window Mandala and it's maybe a 47% match to the idea that was in my head. So you'll probably be seeing something similar before too long. (I'll let you decide if that's a promise or a warning, lol!) :)

Peek-a-Boo Diamond Window Mandala

in my large Dina Wakley Journal from Ranger.

Drawn with Distress Watercolor Pencils 

and outlined with Letter It Fineliners

MM06: Rub-on Transfers

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon the organizer containing what I thought were a few leftover packs of rub-on transfers (in fact A LOT of leftover rub-on transfers) and became utterly re-obsessed. Thus this is my first ever Rub-On Transfer Mandala Monday. (Probably not the last one lol!)

Painting with Perfect Pearls

It's a Perfect Pearls Mandala Monday with extra shimmer and shine in my large Dina Wakley Journal from Ranger, which has the thickest and sturdiest cotton rag watercolor paper I've ever used; it's seriously dreamy and will stand up to any amount of paint, water, ink, sprays, gesso... pretty much ANYTHING you can think of.

Did you know you can watercolor with Perfect Pearls Pigment Powders? It's super easy, you don't even need to use Perfect Medium OR set the colors afterwards! Just add a bit of the powder to some clean water in a palette, mix it up well... et voila! You've just made your own pearlescent watercolor. Combine shades together and make custom colors, or use them as they come. For soft subtle tomes, mix just a little powder in; for bolder hues, add more pigment.

This mandala was painted using the newest additions to my Perfect Pearls collection: Iris, Turquoise, Sunflower Sparkle, Blush and Perfect Bronze. Outlines added with Letter It Fineliners.

MM01: Butterfly

It's a Magnificent Monarch Mandala Monday thanks to this beautiful glossy butterfly photo snipped from the back cover of a magazine last year and saved, "to do something with"; in this case, the "something" turned out to be a mostly symmetrical mandala in coordinating colors in my large Dina Wakley Media Journal from Ranger.

I hope your first full week of 2025 is off to a warm(ish) and wonderful start! ♥

Will It Go Round in Circles? (YES!)

It's a Multi-Tag Mandala Monday in my Dina Wakley Kraft Journal* from Ranger. I made the shapes with Letter It Fineliners, filled in soft color with pencils, and added a few extra patterned paper circles in the background. Wishing you a happy and productive week! ♥

*The 6x6 Kraft Journal is currently out of print, but there are lots of other options in kraft, in square, and well, lots more choices; you should check them out! ;)

Gourd-geous

It's a Smashing Pumpkin Mandala Monday doodled with all three sizes of Ranger's Black Letter It Fineliners in my Dina Wakley Kraft 6x6 Journal. Hope your Halloween Week will be full of fun and treats! ♥

Journal Cover

I've been working off and on in my Dina Wakley 6x6 Kraft Journal from Ranger for several months, but I hadn't gotten around to decorating the cover... until NOW! 

Of course I raided all of my favorite Dina Wakley MEdia goodies: Fly High Stamps, Collage Sparks, Transparencies, Typed Ledgers and Collage Paper; not to mention a bit of Marine Gloss Spray mixed with White Gesso, which added color to the tissue and transparency pieces as well as adhering them to the journal cover.

And now it's even more inspiring to work INSIDE the journal, so I think I will!

New Art Journal

I will take any excuse to sit and make a random collage, and the christening of my brand new Dina Wakley 6x6 Kraft Journal from Ranger is definitely the perfect time to combine some of my favorite vintage goodies (sheet music, nature illustrations) and some of my favorite Dina elements (Collage Paper, Typed Ledgers) and even a brand new Simon Hurley create. stamp set (Watercolor Flowers).

I made a background of torn, strongly patina-ed, sheet music layered over a few different ledgers, then added bits of collaged script on top. I inked up some of the larger Watercolor Flowers with a combination of Oxide Inks (Prize Ribbon, Wilted Violet and Chipped Sapphire) then misted the stamps lightly with water to get sort of a blurry, faded look... like vintage fabric. 

I put the tissue paper lady on top, having selectively inked and shadowed her face; then added a cluster of white flowers from a gardening book and a hummingbird from one of those free giveaway calendars that my mom always saves for me. 

I could easily write more about this spread, but the fact is, my lovely little journal has 63 more blank pages and I could be adorning them, so I'll sign off for now!

Dina Wakley + Perfect Pearls = Journal Joy

Ranger's Perfect Pearls add a beautifully soft shimmery effect to any project. My art journal is my favorite place to experiment with new (to me) products and techniques. Since there are so many ways to use Perfect Pearls, and they look different on every shade of paper, I think I could fill an entire volume! I haven't quiiiiite done that yet, but today on the Ranger Project Page you can follow along as I use them three different ways with Dina Wakley's beautiful "Everyone is Welcome" stamp set, in my Dina Blue Edition Journal.

I'd love for you to head on over and check it out!

Collaged Mandala Monday

It’s time to FACE a new week… with a collage mandala in my Dina Wakley Blue Journal from Ranger. Dina Wakley Media Collage Paper layered over Dina’s Typed Ledgers; with punched heart and circle accents of vintage paper and flowers from a falling apart book of Cath Kidston fabric illustrations. Enhanced by lots of glorious Peat Moss Archival from Wendy Vecchi. 

Inspired by the collage on the facing page from a couple of weeks ago:

Windows and Flowers

Playing in my Dina Wakley Media Blue Edition Journal from Ranger. I love how the windows from Dina's beautiful "Everyone Is Welcome" stamp set look stamped in Wendy Vecchi's Peat Moss Archival atop a vintage paper collage that I was not in love with; I matted them on dark green patterned paper to make them stand out better. Collage background built from Dina's Typed Ledgers layered with Gridded Collage Paper; then finished off with some roses cut from an older, falling-apart book advertising Cath Kidston fabrics. I feel a little bad leaving that heavyweight cotton paper un-altered since it handles paint, ink, stain and literally any type of wet media one throws at it so superbly; maybe it'll see a bit more action when I work on the facing page...

MM50: Funky Flakes

It's a Soft and Snowy Mandala Monday... that is, the MANDALA is soft and snowy, whilst thankfully the Monday is sunny, clear and cold. Hope that the week before Christmas (or the week OF Hanukkah) is treating you well! 

Ranger's Letter It Fineliners plus a few Zig Dot Markers

 and a tiny bit of watercolor in my Dina Wakley Blue Edition Journal. 

Scribble Sticks!

It's a softly colorful Mandala Monday made with Dina Wakley MEdia Scribble Sticks in my Dina Blue Edition Journal. 

Like most mixed media adventures, this was composed in a few sessions, to allow drying time (and occasionally thinking time, lol) between steps. I drew and colored the basic shapes with wet Scribble Sticks (from Set Three, which has the cool metallic shades) on one of the bright white super-heavy watercolor paper pages in the journal (there are also blue denim and creamy colored burlap pages). After it was completely dry, I added assorted stencil patterns (including Tim Holtz's Bubble and Flourish Patterns) in coordinating Distress Oxide Inks and outlined with a .01 Letter It Fineliner. To finish up, I added a few additional details with colored pens and a tiny bit of handstitching around the central circle.

If you've never used Scribble Sticks, I highly recommend watching a Dina Wakley video or two to see how they work and get a few ideas. Actually, I highly recommend Dina's videos to everyone because she is just such a joy to watch when she's creating! In fact, here's a great demo that shows the Blue Journal's variety of page styles and ways to use them.