While tidying up my craft room I came across a motivational photo that I used to have on my work desk which always made me smile and inspired me to be more adventurous, it depicts “The power of self-belief”. It reminded me of a lion photo that I had saved from an old magazine so I just had to create this page – I hope you like it (grin!).

For the background I covered the page with Scattered Straw and Antique Linen Distress Ink with a blending tool and then I spritzed with water and left to dry; I love the dreamy way the inks blended with the bursts of colour. Then I splattered the page with black DecoArt acrylic paint dabbing it with a piece of kitchen towel to smudge and reduce the intensity of the colour.

For the lion and wording, I used a picture from a magazine. I experimented by die cutting the trellis pattern into the left-hand side of the picture to blend it into the page; I really like the result (grin!).

I die cut the letters for the wording using a Docrafts alphabet die set from the remainder of the magazine page. They are edged with a black Faber-Castell Big Brush marker before sticking them in place and surrounding them with pieces of the trellis, which finished the page.

Here’s the photo that inspired my page, I love how the kitten looking into the mirror depicts how powerful self-belief is and I’m a great believer in being able to achieve something if you set your mind to it (grin!).
I hope that you are all staying safe and well!
Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.
Challenges
With the background and trellis texture that I created on this art journal page, I’m pleased to join the Texture challenge over at Art Journal Journey that I’m hosting this month; it would be lovely to see you there!
I’m so happy to join the Staying in the Background challenge over at the The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog with the dreamy background that I created for this page.
I’m also pleased to join in the fun over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and their No Stamps Allowed challenge too as no stamps were used to create this page.
I’m pleased to join the Time Out Challenge where for their Challenge #170 they are challenging you to be Adventurous; I’ve been adventurous three-fold in that my art journal page inspires me to believe and therefore be more adventurous, secondly in that I experimented by die cutting into the magazine picture to blend it into my page, and thirdly because I focused on making my page more paper-based so I could play along at this challenge blog.
Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page:
- Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Scattered Straw, Antique Linen)
- DecoArt Crafter’s Acrylic Paint (Black)
- Old magazine
- The Works (Die Cutting – Trellis)
- Pritt Stick
- Docrafts X-Cut A5 Die Cut Set (Folk Alphabet XCU503286)
- Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Black 199)
- Zig Memory System 2-Way Glue (Dual Action Glue Pen)
I love this page Jo, that lion is gorgeous, and the pieces of trellis look great.
Love your inspiration photo too!
Happy Friday 🎉
Alison xx
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Thank you Alison! Wishing you a happy Friday and weekend too 😊. Hugs, Jo x
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Wonderful page Jo, you did the lion and the trellis beautifully, great idea. Love the colours, too. And the photo of the kitty and the lion is so sweet, we all need to trust ourselves more! Have a great day and a wonderful weekend, hugs, Valerie
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First off, I want to tell you I LOVE your page and the message it conveys! What a clever way to blend in the lion photo–love how the busy pattern contrasts with the simplicity of the inky background! Very clever, indeed! And that photo that inspired it is so stinking adorable! I always imagine my Roger cat thinks he is a big bad tiger. (He’s VERY big, and incredibly alpha male, always on the prowl (or eating/sleeping) so his dreams aren’t that far from reality!) Thanks so much for sharing your artwork with us at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog!
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What an endearing picture you chose to initiate your powerful page. That kitten is so cute and I can imagine him sat there imagining he is the big strong much feared lion. Or maybe he is dreaming that he will be – one day!
Love how you built this page up. The colours of Distress Inks you chose work so well together and I think your choice of toning it down with the black works so well too. The thing I really like is the way you used the trellis, it provides a beautiful frame for the lion to come into your page. I don’t think I am expressing myself very well at all, but I hope you can follow my thoughts. I was so drawn to the page and I just simply love it!
Hugs, Neet xx
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Fabulous page, really powerful.
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That page is great. Love the way it all came together. The inspiration piece really made me smile. I must think of that every time I look in the mirror. Your Instagram page is beyond fantastic !!!
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That self believe photo is certainly inspirational. I love it and how you used that image to inspire your lion page today. I love the idea of die cutting the edge of the picture. I never thought of that but it makes such a smooth seamless connection. I might have to steal that one one of these days. Have a great weekend! Hugs-Erika
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Your page is very empowering and as I was looking at it I was thinking of an image I saw on Facebook. An orange tabby cat was painting a self-portrait and the picture he was painting was a tiger. 😺
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Such a beautiful and very technical journal, great work, Jo! Happy weekend!
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Thanks very much and have a happy weekend too! Hugs, Jo x
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I am very excited about this site, you did it great. I want to do something, maybe I’ll get something done after all.
I wish you a nice weekend, hug Elke
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This is very powerful message Jo, great use of an image that has obviously spoken more than words to you. A mighty creature indeed. Love how it’s all brought into one with a message that my inner self does struggle with… Have a lovely weekend, hope to treat myself to some creative time this weekend, there’s quiet a few things to finish in my crafty corner (hope Hubby has gotten over the shock of it now haa haaa!) Hugs Tracey xx
P.S Mom had a lovely birthday & loved all her flowers x
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That’s amazing, Jo. It’s truly power of self-belief. I LOVE how you treated the trellis and the lion together. Thanks for sharing this with us at Art Journal Journey using your theme.
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Fantastic art journal, I like this very much!
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This is an inspiring piece.
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The kitten photo is so funny.. and cute! I could do with a bit of that self belief! x
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It is a wonderful result. I love how everything fits together so perfectly.
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WOW , Jo this is an amazing page ans quote. Fantastic inspiration for your AJJ theme. Sorry I am late calling in.
Stay safe.
Yvonne xx
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What a great creation! I love the sentiment overlapping the image and the message is so great! Thanks for sharing with us at Time Out!
– Shauna
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Oh, how could I miss this?! The Lion and artwork is just beautiful and the quote I just need so much right now!
I have a little pic of a grey cat-baby walking into a puddle and the reflection is, well, a tiger at least – I sure love your Lion much better! (Mine says “Believe in yourself”).
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Beautiful powerful page! Love the way you layered the lion into the page! Thanks for sharing this with us at the “Staying in the Background” challenge at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge.
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