Art Journal page playing with Bister

The other day a friend shared some works she had created using

Bister.

I was in awe of what she had done and at the same time decided I 

NEEDED them now.

Bister is wood stain imported from the Netherlands.

It's water soluble and on glossy or stamping paper can created absolutely beautiful backgrounds.

Doing a Youtube video search I found a few tutorials,

most in another language, and most on how to create cards and such by combining the Bister background with stamped images.

I am all about backgrounds, and I am all about stamping (but usually as part of my background making)

so I decided to share my spin on combining the 2.

The following is a step by step tutorial on creating this Art Journal page.

This is Bister.

It comes in 8 colors in these little containers.

Don't panic about the size, it truly is an example of a little goes a looooonnnggg

way.

See, it has fine grains, almost along the lines of an embossing powder.

I used a dry paint brush to flick a small amour across my page.

I wound up using 3 colors here.

Mist it with water.

The more you mist the more it bleeds and runs.

I'm in heaven.

Excess water can be blotted up along the edges with a paper towel

and you can dry with a heat gun to speed things up.

I added a second layer of color just because I wanted more veins of color in my piece.

Then some simple stamping with a Kaisercraft stamp and Solvent (StazOn) ink.

I put a tiny bit of the stain in a container, added some water and made a watercolor paint.

Using a cosmetic sponge and stencil I added some circles to the page.

In hindsight I'd use a different applicator,

the sponge soaked up more of the water than I wanted

(I know, who'd have thought a sponge would soak up water…duh moment)

My circles...

I outlined the circles with a white acrylic paint pen.

Added some torn pieces of a sewing pattern.

More stamping,

this time with a Tim Holtz stamp and Solvent ink.

Little bit of Washii tape,

cause tape makes me happy.

For my embellishment I took a piece of canvas and misted it with Olive Vine & Bronze 

Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels, 

and Buccaneer Bronze Moonshadow Mist by Lindy's Stamp Gang.

Once it dried a little bit of stamping with a Club Scrap stamp and Solvent Ink.

I cut a heart out freehand, adhered it to the page and did a bit of machine stitching around it.

Here is the finished piece.

I added some words using Tim Holtz stickers.

Outlined the heart with a Distress Marker and smudged it with my finger,

and inked the edges of the page with black ink.

A few closeups….

Love my heart

Some of the Bister background with stamping over.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my newest tutorial.

Have a fantastic weekend!