PaperArtsy Challenge Journal cover

We have one extra week to complete the latest PaperArtsy Grunge Paste challenge so I took advantage of this "free" time to finally do the cover of my journal I use for the challenges.

First, I applied a super fine structure paste through my stencil. I cut this stencil a while ago but this was the first time I tried it on a project. Then I went over the whole page with black gesso.

I used wax pastes to add some shine to the texture. First I used the "green chameleon" paste, then I added a bit of "metallic brass".

These wax pastes are by a Hungarian company Pentart - they are similar to Inka-Gold.

I love the effect!

Note on my maze stencil (and my stubbornness):
When creating stencils, there is always one thing you have to pay extra attention to - what gets cut off and what stays. With most geometric patterns, it doesn't really matter. But with some designs, it does. When I cut my first maze, I got a long and winding shape of the maze walls that was completely useless. So I decided to add some "cracks" to hold the piece together. I wanted "authentic" cracks, so I took a picture, traced it, spent several hours fixing it etc. (some of you know that tracing programs are not so accurate). It took forever. But I forgot to notice where I was adding the cracks. So, when I first applied the paste through the stencil, what I got as the raised element was the "path" through the maze not the walls of the maze [photo on the right]. This one will be perfect for gelli plate printing but it nagged me so very much, that I went through the painstaking process again. So, now I have two stencils - a negative and a positive. 

Regards,

The Mad Cutter ;-)