Art Journal Pages

I have been making art journal pages. I begin with regular sheets of 8 1/2" x 11" pieces of heavier weight paper (I'll post specifics later...can't remember it now).
Then I do collage work. The ones I am going to show
today are all made of vintage paper.
All shades of white, yellow and tan. The page above shows my basic layout.
Pretty simple, very haphazard...some paper here,
some paper there.
Actually I do follow a very rough outline. I usually try to do things in three's.
Just to even things out a little. If I have time later (haha, who am I kidding...
if I can TAKE the time later) I'll do a post of step by step. If you really want to know, email me.
Or leave a comment. If I get enough, I'll post it.
Anyway (don't you hate it when I carry on conversations with myself like that?!)
then I add a watered down layer of white gesso.
Then a few washes of color glaze (acrylic paint watered down or mixed with polymer medium/matt medium) (whatever is close by).
Then I begin adding some stamped elements, whether that's rubber stamps
or actual household items that I use to stamp with.
It could be a section of bubble wrap, an old medicine bottle top, drawer liner...
Then I add more glaze, maybe some more gesso...
I might drip paint on the whole thing, or use my hand to tap it from the brush...
I use regular stencils to add some texture with modeling paste -
or my new favorite , a big ole bucket of joint compound that my husband gave me.
You know, to his credit, he doesn't think I'm that strange AT ALL
when I get so excited over
JOINT COMPOUND.
Gotta love a man that lets his wife have his joint compound, right?
Oh, back to the step by step...
I use sand paper to scruff things up a bit...
I use white gesso (or titanium white) to tone things down a bit...
and I love to use Ranger Distress Inks to age things a bit.
I'll add some finished pages (ones without the writing on them anyway)
for your viewing pleasure.
I suppose that you've noticed by now that
my "usual" practice of making the journal pages
is a little of this, a little of that.
The secret is the Layering of all of it.
And letting each layer dry between times.
Or use a heat gun/hair dryer to dry it with.
Practice and experiment.
That is the true secret.