Hi! Today I am back with the 7th video for my Christmas art journal series. I have been sharing a new art journal project every Thuesday for the last 7 weeks… all the way until Christmas. Can you believe I still have to share just one?! Today’s project is a cute little 6×6 page, that I made using minimal supplies. No stamping or die cutting on this one. You can easily recreate it using what you have at home and as I go along in the tutorial I also share alternatives to the products that I used for similar look.
video tutorial
You can enjoy the video below or at my YouTube channel
close-up photos
This is a 6×6 page ,that I like to create and frame during the holday season to decorate my house. Then I can easily bind it using the disc system or put the loose pages together in a folder for next year decoration. You can easily adapt this design for a double page layour inside a book, just make more trees to create a whimsical Christmas tree forest… and make sure that all your trees don’t look alike, make them taller, thinner, play with color… the sky is the limit!
Check the video to see how I drew my template for the tree, then cut out all the pieces from scrap patterned paper I had for ages and how I put the tree together.
I also share my favorite shading technique as well as demonstrate other alternatives to achieve the same look.
For the background I used one of my favorite collage techniques, super quick and simple and guaranteed to help you get rid of that white empty page in no time!
supplies
Below you can find a list of all the products used today. Links to multiple online shops are available, just click the logo below each item. Affiliate links used where possible at no extra cost to you.
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more inspiration
Would you like to see what I shared up to now on my Christmas art journal series?!
- day 1 – mistletoe on burlap
- day 2 – Santa’s naughty list
- day 3 – wreath shadow box
- day 4 – naughty elf
- day 5 – couple in the snow
- day 6 – cardinal on a branch
Today is my birthday and what a great way to begin the otherwise meager celebration this year!! This idea would be great for a card as well and might give it a try for next year’s cards! I really like the background and your tree is so whimsical and fun!! Adorable! Thank you for demonstrating an art journal page that doesn’t require stamps or dies. A good challenge to do myself. If anyone is interested, I found Pitt pens at a local independent art store (another place to check if looking for them and there’s an independent art store in your area). Thank you, Vicky. I don’t want to miss the opportunity to wish you a happy holiday season and I don’t know how many more videos you might post before the 25th so I’d better do it now. Ready? MERRRY CHRISTMAS, Vicky! May you and yours enjoy a peaceful, joyful, healthy Christmas holiday. P.S.: The other day I was watching a show and learned a fun trivia fact. Did you know that gesso goes all the way back to the times of ancient Egypt???!!! I thought of you when I heard this because you introduced me to gesso and it’s a must have in my stash now.
great info!!! loved that, I will look into it as I am always fascinated by the history of pigments, colors and mediums in art!
Me too!!!! Like in a particular area of Mexico a bug unique to that area is used as a pigment to produce color used for painting wood a certain vibrant color that’s unique to that area. Fascinating!!
Oh I am sure you will enjoy this book then “Color: A Natural History of the Palette” by Victoria Finley! It was recommended to me when I visited the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam… (love going to art galleries and painter’s houses). There was a paint color expert working there, demonstrating how Rembrandt made paints. After chatting for a while he recommended the book and I loved it! check it!
Oh, my! Your visit to Rembrandt House Museum sounds like a great experience and such fun! I too love that kind of thing and have been watching many documentaries lately on art history. I love history and have recently discovered a love of art history — milk paint(!) being popular back on the east coast in the of the U.S. during the 1700’s and here in Arizona something entirely different (and heavy influenced by Mexican/Spanish culture). Thank you for the book recommendation. I will check it out. What I heard about gesso was from a show on Netflix called The Repair Shop (out of England). People bring in their treasures that are old, worn and/or damaged (including paintings and ceramics and wood items) and this team of experts brings the loved treasure back to life. I can’t get enough of the show! They mentioned about gesso and said in ancient times it was made with an animal glue (rabbit??) and chalk. It was used to smooth out a wood surface in order to get an even coat of paint on. (Like a primer I’m assuming.) Thanks again for the recommendation.
oh that show sounds awesome, I will check my netflix, hope this show is available in Greece too.
If you have the show available to you in Greece and you watch it, I would be curious to hear what you think of it if you would like to share that. I find it fascinating and relaxing. Happy watching — fingers crossed!!!!
love it!!!
Such a happy card! That chubby tree made me smile. Thank you. I love it.
Hello Vicky,
Happy Holidays. I love this card. So fun to make without stamps and dies. Where did you purchase the edge cutter from? I’ve never seen a cutter like that. It’s a great idea to cut the edges with it. Thank you for all your video tutorials. I never miss one.
Maggie D. 🙂
soory Maggie, I forgor to link to that paper trimmer, it’s the new Deckle Edge cutter by Tonic Studios designed by Tim Holtz
Such a fun video to watch. I will miss the videos you have been creating with a Christmas theme. I am going to create a couple of them after the Christmas season. Here in Canada we are starting to get our Covid vaccinations today. Will be a long time before everyone is vaccinated so will have plenty of time to be creative in the coming months.
Wish you and your family happy holidays and all the best in 2021.
Look forward to seeing your videos, whatever you do it always makes me smile. Take care.
In European Union we are still waiting for the vaccine to get approved, it should be OK by the 24th as far as they announced and then the whole Europe will start with vaccinations…. lets hope we will all go back to our normal lives in 2021 !
I love the collage background. I have lots of ephemera that doesn’t always go together, but muting it w/ gesso would tie it together.
Love your page. Thank you for all your amazing videos. You are amazing person. Thank you . Merry Christmas to you and your family. Be safe.
I love this!!! The alternating red and plaid papers are Awesome!!!!
Again a stunning page Vicky. I love that you showed that you also can make pages without stamps or dies.
I have to give this a try have plenty of images I don’t use that can be a background and more than enough gorgeous papers for the trees.
Thank you so much for sharing, can’t wait to see what beauty you make next week, stay safe and have a great weekend.