Simple Die Cut Collage by Judi Kauffman for The Queen’s Ink

My Traveler’s Notebook is getting quite a workout lately! I love the size, the variety of insert booklets, the portability; I’m crazy about the way it’s expanding, the mix of single pages and 2-page spreads. Sometimes I spend hours doodling, sometimes a page comes together in a hurry. No rules. I just know that everything about it makes me happy. (If there’s a Traveler’s Notebook Fan Club, sign me up!)

Today’s pages started when I put the leftovers from a sheet of violet glitter dots peel-offs onto a piece of yellow/orange cardstock so that extra sparkle wouldn’t go to waste. Then I got out some simple silhouette dies and started to play. 

Use the photos for inspiration, or keep reading if you want to know what I did next. A supply list follows the step-by-step instructions.
1. Die cut 5 different butterflies, a horse, a unicorn and a pair of wings from the glitter-dot cardstock.
2. Die cut head and shoulders twice from pale lavender cardstock.
3. Sponged edges of glittery die cuts with heavy application of denim blue ink. Saved the newsprint that I worked on to use in step 5 (background of collage with horse and unicorn).
4. Lightly sponged a bit of denim blue ink on the silhouette faces.
5.  Layered and adhered pieces as shown in the photos. (Largest butterfly cut in half as wings for right side of 2-page spread.)

6. Added embellishments (7mm Lure Eye stickers for eyes on the horse and unicorn; peel-off borders and swirls and glitter dots to make crown and necklace for the faces, etc.)
7. Painted the manes, tails, and unicorn’s wings and horn with Finetec iridescent watercolors.
8. Stamped eyes on newsprint. Cut out the eyes. Added the left eye to the face on the left side of the 2-page spread. Added the right eye to the face on the right side. Optional: Use eyes cut from a magazine instead of a rubber stamp. 
(YES, I know that the eyes are not in proportion to the size of the faces - I wanted that offbeat look!) 

SUPPLIES:

• Traveler’s Notebook (inserts: Grid, Kraft paper)
• Laurel Burch dies from Stampendous
• Glitter Dots and other assorted peel-offs
• Finetec iridescent watercolors
• Paintbrush
• Eyes (rubber stamp or cut from magazine)
• Adhesives of choice
• Blue ink pad
• Cardstock in yellow/orange and pale lavender
• Craft sponge or ink blending tool
• Lure eye stickers
• Newsprint