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GWEN LAFLEUR
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File Folder Art Journal with
​Distress Oxide Inks & Stencils

In October 2017 I participated in a blog hop with all of the members of the StencilGirl creative team where we used some of Mary Beth Shaw's favorite Tim Holtz products with our StencilGirl stencils. 

I chose to work with Tim's Distress Oxide Inks since I'd been hearing wonderful things about them ever since their debut. I couldn't wait to play with them and I was not disappointed... in fact, if you've seen other projects I shared around this time, you can probably tell that I got more than a little bit addicted!
​
For this project I made a file folder art journal and then used my stencils and Distress Oxide Inks to decorate the front and back covers and five different backgrounds on the inside pages.
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur
For the five spreads inside the journal, rather than my usual photo tutorials I filmed six short videos showing you how I made each one of the backgrounds in the journal (almost an hour total!) Ready to get started?

For my first spread, I went with mainly browns and had a lot of fun with the oxidized background effects. I used my Art Deco Sunburst Background stencil, the X Rows stencil by Michelle Ward, and the Numbers and Inside Out stencils by Seth Apter.
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Spread 1 - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur
Here you can see a few close-ups of the finished backgrounds:
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Spread 1 Closeup 1 - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Spread 1 closeup 2 - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur

For the second spread, I went much brighter. I did some reduction printing with my Ornamental Petals Screen stencil (where you remove color through the stencil instead of adding it,) then added a few layers of pattern with my Ornamental Peacock Feathers and Decorative Medallion stencils.
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Spread 2 - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur
You can see the whole process in this video:
And of course, a few close-ups of the finished pages:
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Spread 2 Closeup 1 - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Spread 2 Closeup 2 - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur
I just love the way the layers of pattern blend together when you use these inks!

For the third spread, I tried out an idea I had to use the Distress Oxide Inks with some Distress Paint to do a page inspired by a piece of metal with lots of patina. In the video, I added a little Wild Honey Distress Oxide on the right-side page to add a bit of a rusty effect as well (vs. the left-hand page where I left those colors out.) I love how it turned out! For the stencils, I used my Art Deco Borders stencil along with the Numbers and Inside Out stencils by Seth Apter. 
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Spread 3 - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur
Of course, the video to go with this spread...
Here's a close-up of the effects I got on this background:
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Spread 3 Closeup - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur

For the fourth spread I added in some Distress Glaze to do some resist effects using the Marrakech Mix stencil by Michelle Ward.  I also used my Ornamental Floral Screen stencil and my Decorative 6-Petal Flower Screen stencil to build up some layers of pattern and texture.
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Spread 4 - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur
Here's the video for this one:
It's a very subtle effect, but I really like how it turned out!
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Spread 4 Closeup - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur

For the final spread inside the book I used the Distress Oxides to print directly from my stencils onto the background. On these pages I used my Ornamental Floral Screen stencil along with the X Rows stencil by Michelle Ward.
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Spread 5 - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur
One more background tutorial video... ​
And a final close-up, of course. This technique was a lot of fun and I love how it looked with the stamped border.
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Spread 5 Closeup - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur

Last but not least, I have a tutorial for the front and back covers of the journal. This one used quite a few stencils... the focal point was my Art Deco Bookplates stencil, then I did the lettering with my Art Deco Alphabet stencil and the front also uses the word "inside" from Seth's Inside Out stencil. I added a bit of texture with my Ornamental Floral Screen stencil and my Decorative 6-Petal Flower Screen.
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Covers - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur
In this final video tutorial I show you how I made the back cover from start to finish.
A few close-ups from both sides... did I mention how much I love the way the Distress Oxide Inks blend and fade into each other to make such gorgeous effects? Probably, but it's definitely worth mentioning more than once.
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Back Cover Closeup 1 - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Back Cover Closeup 2 - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur
File Folder Art Journal with Distress Oxides and Stencils Front Cover Closeup - Tutorial by Gwen Lafleur

That's it for this tutorial. I probably went a little overboard with this project, but I really loved using the Distress Oxides with my stencils. It was so fun to play and experiment!
Thoughts, questions, or comments?

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  • Portfolio
    • Mixed Media Canvases & Panels
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    • Art Journaling & ATCs >
      • "Pourquoi" Artist Book
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    • Pocketful of People - Online Workshop
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    • Matchbook Minis Online Workshop
    • Half-Day Workshops >
      • Stamp Carving
      • Mini File Folder Art Journal
      • Mini Mixed Media Medallions
      • 4x4 Coptic-Bound Art Journal
      • Boho Art Journaling with Stencils & Stamps
    • Full-Day Workshops >
      • Angels & Icons
      • Mini Journal Mayhem
      • Stitches + Glue Workshop
      • All Wrapped Up Workshop
      • Bits, Beads, & Blends Workshop
      • The Hanging Art Journal
      • Translucent Art Journal
      • Mixed Media Floral Still-Life
      • 3D Boho Collage
      • Mixed Media Shadow Boxes
      • Mixed Media Medallions
  • Tutorials
    • Heat Embossing Tutorials
  • Store
    • New, Restocked, & Sale
    • The Boho Bazaar
    • Original Artwork
    • Tools & Supplies >
      • Paint, Ink, Pens, & Color
      • Embossing Powder, Rubber Stamps, & Accessories
      • Embellishments
      • Paper & Paper Embellishments
      • Trims, Textiles, & Stitching
      • Washi Tape
    • My Products
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    • Downloadable Collage Cut-Outs
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