There’s a new Powerwax that’s slightly different from the previous Powerwax and I was curious how different it was. That’s what led to making collage papers with stencils and Powerwax. Mixing Powerwax with paint allowed me to do things that I couldn’t do with just paint.

Powerwax is water based. How a wax is water based is hard for me to wrap my brain around, but it does mean that it’s water clean up!

This is a very very forgiving process. There’s no measuring or exact ration needed when mixing Powerwax with acrylic paint. Just some and some. If you mix it together and want more color in it, simply mix in more paint.

To create the collage papers, put a piece of tissue paper on TOP of a stencil. Use some repositionable tape such as painters tape or washi tape, to hold the tissue paper in place. This is the Squares Layer Me stencil from StencilGirlProucts.

Then squeegee on the Powerwax and paint mixture. I used a very fancy tool to do this, an old hotel key card.

Since Powerwax is a wax, once it’s dry you can carve into it, like I did with the letter i below. That collage paper was created with the Feelings and Emotions Alphabet stencil from StencilGirl Products.

Could I just do this with paint? Nope. Paint only is very juicy and if only using paint, you have to scrape away or remove any areas while it’s wet. That means the tissue paper is fragile and will tear very easily. With Powerwax, there’s no time pressure. After it’s dry, anytime in the future it can be carved into. So a month or a year from now, I can scratch any pattern, line, or mark into the collage papers. Oh the freedom!

Another thing I noticed is that I can do very small details or have sharper lines when carving into the Powerwax and paint compared to just doing it in wet paint only.

But there’s more you can do with Powerwax.

Powerwax can be used to highlight texture or fill in cracks. I grabbed a piece of colorful cardboard and played around as I used up the leftover red Powerwax. Leave a thick layer on and it’s very opaque (the top red line), wipe most of it off and you get a translucent look (bottom left).

To make it even easier to tear in a specific shape, like the circles here, I brushed water in a circle on the BACK of the tissue paper. Why the back? Since the front has a thin layer of wax on it, it repels the water somewhat. But the back of the tissue paper will quickly absorb the water to create an easy way to tear little circles.

Along with using little pieces of the collage papers, bit pieces work too! The black Speckles and Spots were glued down as an early layer on this play.

The differences I noticed between the old Powerwax and the new Powerwax:

• The old version was juicier, wetter and the new is a bit firmer. They look different in the jar but when mixed with paint, they are both creamy. A perk of the firmer new formula is that it will be less likely to run under stencils the way it did for me when I did the words on the page below.
• The new formula takes a bit longer to dry. How fast it dries depends on how thick of a layer you’ve put on there, how humid or arid your climate is, etc. This does mean ample open work time, which has its benefits.
• The old formula had a bit of a glossy finish to it. The new is much more matte and I didn’t realize how much I liked that until I tried it.
• There is more of a smell to the new formula. I only notice it when I take the lid off the jar, and there is no smell on the Powerwax once it’s dry.

Below is the video where I explored what the old Powerwax could do in an art journal. What I did with the old Powerwax, I can do with the new Powerwax (and in some ways, the new is better!)

I’ll be playing more with Powerwax in the future and if you want to be in the know, then get signed up for my weekly newsletter.

Here are the supplies used. Some of these links may be affiliate links which means I may get a small percentage and it doesn’t cost you anything extra! And you get a really good feeling knowing that you are helping keep the free tutorials coming!

What’s the best part of Wanderlust? Is it the full year of step-by-step art journaling videos and printable pdfs? That it’s lifetime access with downloadable videos? Those are all reasons to love Wanderlust, but it’s the two kinds of inspiration that I love the most about Wanderlust!

***The early bird spots are 50% off, but the catch is there are only 2,000 of them and they sell out quickly. So if you want to get the whole year for $99 ( regular price of $199) then go here to see if any of the spots are still available***

First is the buffet of styles. Having 30+ teachers means a plethora of techniques and approaches to try throughout the year. You can see the full list of teachers here.

• If you’re new to art journaling, it guides you step-by-step so you can get the most out of your art journaling. There’s an introductory pack already waiting for you in the classroom (including beginners guide to art journaling)
• If you’re a more experienced art journaler, it is a powerful creative spark as you explore how the techniques blend with your style!

Second is the mountain of inspiration that comes from the pages your fellow Wanderlust Adventurers share. Seeing how others interpret the techniques and tutorials from the lessons means you get even more variations and possibilities for your art journaling! I know I keep using a lot of exclamation points, but if you’ve done Wanderlust before, you know I’m not exaggerating on those !!!!!

What will the lessons be centered around? This is the 10th year for Wanderlust and they make sure every year is unique!

Each lesson is built around one Hero Technique that each instructor has chosen for their lesson to provide a focus and a structure to the course. This also ensures that the techniques won’t repeat and that your learning experience is balanced. Each week brings something new to your repertoire!

2025 focuses on Seasons and Themes throughout the year. Within each season Wanderlust will be exploring different themes such as colors, supplies, feelings, capturing moments, different kinds of art journaling.

• Season of New Beginnings
• Season of You
• Season of Storytelling
• Season of Leaps and Bounds

This year, I’m teaching 2 of the 45 lessons. Speed Dating a Word of the Year and the Power of Play, Healing through Art Journaling.

The BONUSES!

When you get signed up, there are goodies waiting for you in the classroom right now! Videos where 5 different artists share their favorite supplies and how they use them, journal flip throughs, and printable goodies.

But there’s an extra bonus when you join before September 20th! Studio tours from 5 artists, including me.

In my bonus video, as I share how I organize my supplies, the focus is on the logic and reasoning behind the choices. Studios can be organized lots of ways and no two are ever identical. There’s no one magic answer for everyone so understanding the why behind a decision is very helpful when you’re making your space work for you!

Joyful, zero-judgement, freeing art can be a real game changer. Join Wanderlust to fill your cup and get busy creating art that expresses who you are, even if it’s for your eyes only!

$99

Early Bird price 50% off (available only for the first 2000 members) After that, it’s $199

Wanderlust 2025 includes:

• 45 video lessons released weekly, on Fridays starting from the 3rd January 2025
• 8 extra sessions (pre-recorded or live and recorded) with Kasia Avery to open and close each season
• 19 bonuses waiting for you in the classroom as soon as you sign up
• this year-long course is divided into 4 inspirational seasons for better learning and self-discovery experience, with three short breaks
• host: Kasia Avery
• 32 Guest Teachers (each teaching at least one lesson)
• during the course you will be creating 35 art journal spreads and 10 other mixed-media projects
• incredibly easy to use classroom and help whenever you need it from our team
• access to the Adventurers Circle, our private, super suppportive student platform
• printable handouts and supply lists with every lesson
• life-time access
• weekly encouraging emails with special inspirational installment from Kasia
• all video lessons and handouts are downloadable
• introductory pack already waiting for you in the classroom (including beginners guide to art journaling)