Forest art journal page tutorial

Hello stampers! I hope you had a nice weekend. We had a soccer game, organised at home, went to IKEA, and went for walks. 

STAMPtember® has started with a bang at Simon Says Stamp and it is the 10th STAMPtember®, so there are even more surprises and inspiration. Don't miss it! It's a month long celebration of stamping.

At the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog we have a 'Use a Clear Element' theme this week, and since it is the first week of a new month, the team is showcasing products by a specific company/designer. This week it is Visible Image. You can see their range of fantastic stamps and stencils here. You don't have to use Visible Image products to join in the challenge, but it is always fun if you do. 

Our September guest designer is the wonderful Anne Redfern. I hope you will visit her blog Redanne, if you haven't already done so. It is full of gorgeous projects.

We still have summer weather, but it is starting to get darker earlier in the evenings and some of the trees are starting to turn colors. So I decided to do an autumn forest scene in my Dina Wakley Media Journal - on one of the watercolor pages. I started out with a tag, but then changed my mind, since I wanted a long horizontal forest.

This is the Visible Image stamp set that I used, called Into the Woods. If you look at the packaging, it is easy to miss that there are in fact two horizontal forest scenes in the set. One is meant to be in the background, but I used it to extend my scene instead.

Start by inking up the stamp with Distress Inks, applying the lighter colors first. I used a brown marker for the tree trunks and branches. Mist with water about four times and stamp.

Continue with the second stamp. You might get a visible joint, but we will hide that later. Add additional branches, by inking up just the branches and stamping them.

I also stamped some of the trees from the first stamp on the right hand side. Also, ink the stamps up randomly, mist with water, and stamp once on scrap paper, then stamp on the scene, to create the splotchy, textured effect that you see here.

I wanted a vast, calm, blue sky and did it with Scribble Sticks.

Dissolve with water.

I added more colors to the forest, bits of yellow, green, brown and gold. Leave as they are, or dissolve with water.

The sentiment words were stamped on Clearly for Art Modeling Film.

Color at the back with alcohol inks and a felt applicator.

Add roots with the brown Ground Espresso Distress Marker. I hadn't planned these to start with, but they fit with the sentiment.

Cut the words out and glue to the background.

You can quickly make clear words into any color, by using alcohol ink. Just remember to color on the back, otherwise you will smear the stamping.

I also stamped two owls with Hickory Smoke ink.

You can maybe see the subtle gold shine better here. It's difficult to capture on photo.

I hope you will join us this week in our Use a Clear Element challenge. As always, you have a chance to win a $50 gift voucher to do some fun shopping at Simon Says Stamp. You have until next Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in.

Don't forget to follow Simon Says Stamp on Instagram, they post great stuff daily. 

Do you use Instagram? If so please add #sssmchallenge so we can see your entries there too.

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog today!  

Happy stamping!

Anna-Karin

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