Hello, Erin here again and welcome to another Art Journaling for Beginners.

I so enjoyed seeing your pages last time and getting a glimpse of your personalities. It is always awesome to take part in such a sharing. This week we are going to keep it really simple. We are going to look at a fast and easy way to jump-start your art journaling page. We are going to USE A TEMPLATE! What? Yep, you heard me, a template.

I have noticed that LOADS of scrappers LOVE using templates to get their layouts started, but folks often feel like it is cheating to use a template to create an Art Journal page. I know I used to feel that way too – I thought I had to make everything from scratch, or at least alter and blend so many things together none of it was recognizable anymore – in order to call a page my own. Do you want to know a secret? You don’t have to! There is nothing cheating at all about using a template to get a really cool background going for your Art Journal page.

I love the look of lots of little paper pieces on my AJ pages, but I get tired of cutting them all out digitally. So I started using templates to aid in the paper piecing part of creating my AJ pages. Now one question that always comes up is “How do I make a LO template turn into an AJ page?” Well I am glad you asked. Let me show you! I have chosen two DSI templates to demonstrate this. For this first one, I will be using Elementary Templates.

First I open a blank canvas. Now, I prefer to use either A4 or 8.5×11 for my AJ pages as it gives them a different feel from my layouts and makes it easier for me to sort them on my computer. I personally feel it is also easier to create an aesthetically pleasing page from this size. That being said, I have made some pages I absolutely love using the 12×12 and 8×8 configuration so you do what you feel most comfortable with. Remember, there are no rules.

I then chose one of the four templates that I thought would best work for my page and opened it also. I selected JUST THE LAYERS I WANTED TO USE FOR MY AJ PAGE, (yep, that’s right, you don’t have to use them all!) and moved them onto my blank canvas. I moved them around and even duplicated some until they were where I wanted them to be.

Now I am ready to clip my papers to the bits of the template. Remember, you can move them or change them out at any time in the process if you decide you don’t like something.

See how easy that was. Now I have a background all ready for me to make into an AJ Page. I can either add shadows to the paper layers for depth and texture, or I can blend them for the more digital look. I like texture, but am too lazy to play with a gazillion shadows so I tend to use a combination of shadows and blending.

And now I can add the rest of my goodies to the page. Ready for another hint? A lot of people think that you have to have specifically “Art Journaling” supplies to make AJ pages, but that is just not true. You most likely have LOADS of things in your stash that will work great. Just use products that call out to you or speak to whatever emotion, thoughts, or feelings you are working with. I have been really enjoying Maya Angelou quotes this week, so I thought I would use one for this page. I chose my colors and elements to go with the feelings I get from the quote. And here is my finished page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(the Beauty In Bloom kit will be 50% off this Tuesday – Thursday!)

Now wasn’t that easy?! The template did the hard work of building a background for me. I just had to add the quote and the fun bits to bring finish it off. Here is a second page I made using the same technique and Bee Sweet Template pack (I just love all those hexes).

Again, I used some of the paper piecing layers from the template to form my background, then used kits and element packs from the DSI store to finish the page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So now you give it a try.  I would love to see how you use a template to create your own AJ page. There are some excellent templates and loads of fun kits and ellie packs that are great for this in the store so check it out here and then come back and show us what you made.