Creating a Magical Christmas Art Journal Page: Layering Stamps, Colour & Detail

I really enjoyed making these pages.

There is something about creating a Christmas art journal spread that gives you permission to add a little more - more colour, more stamping, more sparkle and more layers.

But when you are working with lots of different stamps, it can be very easy for a page to become visually crowded.

For this spread, I wanted to create something that felt busy and magical while still having a clear focal point.

The starting point was a fairy stamp from Stampanory, combined with Christmas imagery from my Shady Designs Festive Fusion collection.

The products may have changed over time, but the way I approached the page is something you can apply to any art journal project.

Start with your focal point

Rather than stamping everything randomly and hoping it comes together, I started with the fairy image.

This gave me something to build around.

Once that main image was in place, I could decide where the larger Christmas elements needed to go and, importantly, where I needed to leave space.

I then added imagery from the Festive Fusion collection, using a mixture of larger and smaller stamps. Some were stamped directly onto the page while others were used more as supporting details.

This is something I find helpful when creating a busy page: 

Give your main image somewhere to breathe.

Not every stamp needs to compete for attention.

Build the layers gradually

Once the main imagery was established, I started adding smaller details. I used a winter-themed background stamp as well as small baubles and other elements from the collection.

Rather than filling every available space, I tried to repeat some of the shapes and motifs around the page.

Repeating an element is a simple way to make a page feel cohesive. It gives the eye something familiar to find as it moves around the design.

If you are unsure whether you've added enough, my advice would be to stop for a moment and look at the page from a distance.

You can always add more.

It's much harder to take stamped images away!

Add colour with a plan

For the colour, I used Ecoline Brush Pens. I started by colouring the stamped imagery before moving on to the background.

This gave me more control over the focal areas of the page. Once the main images had their colour, I could then introduce colour into the background without worrying about losing the elements I wanted to stand out.

I also wasn't trying to make every area of the page the same intensity.

Allowing some areas to be softer helps the stronger colours and focal images stand out.

Let the background support the imagery

Once the main images were coloured, I added colour to the background. This is where I think a lot of art journal pages can change completely.

The background doesn't necessarily need to be the star of the page. Its job can simply be to support everything else.

I wanted the background to feel loose and slightly atmospheric rather than carefully controlled. That's one of the things I enjoy about art journaling - it doesn't have to be perfect.

In fact, some of the best effects happen when you allow the medium to do its own thing.

Don't be afraid of a busy page

This finished spread is much busier than some of the pages I create, but I think it works because there is still a hierarchy.

• There is a focal image.
• There are larger supporting elements.
• There are smaller details.
• And there are quieter areas that allow the eye to rest.

When working with lots of stamps, it can be tempting to treat every image equally. Instead, think about your page as a conversation.

• Which image do you want people to notice first?
• Which ones support it?
• Which ones can sit quietly in the background?
• And where does the eye need somewhere to rest?

Those decisions can make the difference between a layered page and a page that simply feels crowded.

A little creative freedom

One of the reasons I enjoy art journaling so much is that there isn't necessarily a right answer.

• You can change your mind halfway through.
• You can stamp over something you thought was finished.
• You can add colour to the background.
• You can add more detail.
• And, occasionally, you can rescue a slightly wayward piece of colouring with a white gel pen!

The important thing is to keep looking at the page as a whole rather than worrying about every individual element.

For this spread, the combination of the fairy, the Christmas imagery, the bright colour and the little touches of gold created exactly the magical, slightly whimsical feeling I was looking for.

And most importantly, I really enjoyed the process of getting there.

That's probably my favourite part of art journaling.

1. You start with an idea.
2. You add a little.
3. Then a little more.
4. And somewhere along the way, the page starts to tell you what it wants to become.

Until next time, take care,

Lou

xxx

Materials used

• Dylusions Creative Journal
• Stampanory I Do Believe in Fairies
• Shady Designs Festive Fusion stamps
• Ecoline Brush Pens
• Versafine Clair Nocturne
• Tsukineko Delicata Golden Glitz
• Sakura Gelly Roll White