It was a get all the fingers in the paint kind of a day! A very loose, bring out the kid inside of you kind of way to start an art journal page. And then I had to take a bit of artistic license with one noticeable part of the page.

But before I dove into the paint, I used a barrier cream on my hands. It’s basically like a hand lotion that creates a barrier between your skin and the paint. It also makes clean up a lot faster! You can see the name of the one I used in the supplies at the end of this post.

The prints I made with the Map stencil by Mary Nasser weren’t meant to be rollercoasters but once I saw it in there, I happily couldn’t unsee it! Two of these became the old wooden style rollercoasters in my art journal.

You might have noticed all the extra letters in the word wheeee as I used my Vintage Typewriter Alphabet stencil. That’s because I really really wanted the word to be longer, so I used a little artistic license and made it longer. Not exactly how the dictionary spells it, but it totally works! If only that attitude had worked on all those spelling tests in elementary school.

To get the smaller words on the page, I used a pen with the Alpha Jumble stencil. It’s a quick way to get words for a title of a page. If you want to see how I can get it lined up even with a super dirty stencil that you can’t see through, be sure to watch the video at about 6:30.

What a ride 2020 has been, and it’s nowhere near over yet. Know it’s been a tough year for the entire world and I’m hoping it gets a bit easier for everyone soon!

Here are the supplies used. Some of these links are affiliate links which means I get a small percentage. For example, I’m an Amazon Associate & I earn from qualifying purchases. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and you get a really good feeling knowing that you are helping keep the free tutorials coming!

Not listed above are the Plaza Art Perm. Green Light & Cerulean Blue Hue paints also used.

Stencils make great textures for a crayon rubbing. If you did the leaf rubbings as a kid in school, it’s the exact same idea, just with a stencil!

Start by placing a piece of tissue paper on top of your stencil. I’m using my Words to Live By stencil.

Next, use a crayon to make a rubbing. This isn’t a fancy art crayon. It’s just a kids Crayola crayon with the wrapper removed. To get the clearest image, use the wide side of the crayon and work on a firm surface.

If it slips or moves a little, it isn’t a big deal. Can you see the touch of ghosting around the the BE BOLD at the top? That won’t impact the next step at all.

Color in each open area with a colored pencil. This does 2 things. First, you create a fun colorful piece of paper uniquely yours. Second, it helps with concentration by keeping the mind from wandering when stuck on a very long Zoom conference call. So using art supplies is a very practical thing to do!

Along comes the invariable question, “What do you do with it now?” Before I answer that, I need to make one thing very clear. The point of making this was the process. The journey. The end result is a bonus.

Now that I have this bonus, I have a wide variety of options. Any way that I use tissue paper, I can use it. In a collage, in an ATC, on an art journal page, or I can simply frame it.

An inexpensive frame, like one from IKEA, can immediately turn it into wall art. From a distance it looks abstract and when you get up close you can see the words.

Here are the supplies used. Some of these links are affiliate links which means I get a small percentage. For example, I’m an Amazon Associate & I earn from qualifying purchases. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and you get a really good feeling knowing that you are helping keep the free tutorials coming!