December has approached so quickly and I have an inspiring layout for this month’s moodboard for Scrappingclearly. Using the ABM journal to create a festive themed page. Started with a gessoed page to help it take all the colours I have thrown into this. Adhering this Christmas image from the Luckyfindings imageries to start the process. I applied DW paints in Ruby, Aloe, Buff and Fir to blend in the image to this page. Using a stencil for the stars and sentiment from TH along with the Christmas deer stamp painted with Scribble Stick in Ancient and Ruby, how cool does this deer look in the background, this compliments the image and theme here. To finish this off with some white splatters to tie in the page. Hope I have inspired you to head over to the Scrappingclearly website to buy these amazing products to recreate your own.
Our last month of new challenges and new inspiration.
Remember, one lucky monthly winner will receive an exclusive Scrapping Clearly Prize Box, that will be filled with premium crafting supplies that will fuel their creative journey.
DECEMBER CHALLENGES
1. Our DECEMBER Moodboard:
This visual mood board - be inspired by these colours, textures and themes.
For DECEMBER, think: festive, earthy, nostalgic, traditional, magical, creative, merry
2. DECEMBER Sketch:
A Sketch - please use the Sketch as your base design, but interpret it freely into your projects - any paper craft project can apply!
3. Weekly ATC Prompts
Every Monday, we will release a unique ATC prompt. This is a NO-SWAP ATC project. This allows you to create your own mini artworks to keep as your own project. By the end of 2025, you will have your own collection of 52 ATCs that incorporated the weekly theme or technique.
Check out this BLOG, to see the current list of weekly ATC prompts.
Please load your entries to this album by the end of the month to be in the running for the Prize box. Please note: Please edit your photo caption in Facebook to give us information about your project and inspiration.
At the end of each month, one overall winner will be chosen across all three challenges, based on creativity, adherence to the challenge brief and effort and originality.
What a year of inspiration and creation! Thank you for being a part of it.
The page centres around feminine strength and freedom, symbolised by the central female figure with angel wings and the empowering phrase “With Brave Wings She Flies.” There is a mystical and steampunk influence, with visual storytelling elements such as wings, keys, and vintage ephemera suggesting transformation and resilience.
Colour Palette
Dominant hues: Lime green, apple green, chartreuse, and deep mossy green, accented by teal and pops of yellow.
Contrasts: The greens are softened with neutral tones (beige, black, white), and pops of vintage floral tones (dusty rose, cream).
Background: Transparent washes of bright green with script overlays provide texture and depth without overpowering the focal elements.
Techniques & Mediums
Mixed media layering: The background includes blended acrylics or inks with bold brushstrokes and subtle resist or transparency techniques to reveal the layered handwritten text underneath.
Collage layering:
Central female figure with illustrated angel wings.
Vintage ephemera elements (ticket stub, measuring tape, butterfly, lock and key, green leaf, florals).
Hand-drawn/digital florals are collaged in clusters, offering soft organic shapes against geometric and linear elements.
Composition
Focal Point: The central figure’s intense gaze and symmetrical wings command attention. Positioned slightly left of centre for balance.
Visual Anchors:
The “With Brave Wings She Flies” sentiment is top-aligned and grounded by the floral collage at bottom right.
Diagonal movement: Created by the lock, key, and ephemera at the lower left corner, guiding the eye through the page.
Typography: The script in the background adds a poetic, aged feel, grounding the modern colour palette in nostalgic storytelling.
Elements & Symbolism
Wings = strength, rising above challenges.
Key & Lock = unlocking potential or guarding personal growth.
Vintage florals & ticket = softening, journey, and femininity.
Ruler (6”) = symbolism of measure and growth
This piece is a layered, confident celebration of individuality and feminine power. It balances whimsical dreamscape elements with nostalgic vintage ephemera, brought together with Lisa Oxley’s signature bold colour blocking and layered mixed media techniques. The page both empowers and enchants.
Blog Post 3: Tags & Stamps — The Secret Layers That Transform Your Journals & Layouts
When words and images tell your story, tags and stamps provide the glue — the visual echoes and interactive elements that make your pages feel complete, cohesive, and rich with meaning. In this post, we’ll explore how to use tags and stamps intentionally, why you want them, and how they can elevate both your art journaling and scrapbooking practice.
Why Tags & Stamps Matter in Journals & Layouts
Dimension and interaction: Tags let you tuck hidden notes behind photos, fold out extra content, or create pull tabs. They invite the viewer to peek deeper.
Visual rhythm & repetition: Stamps echo motifs, textures, or sentiments across a layout so your eye travels naturally.
Cohesion & theme building: Using consistent stamp styles or tag shapes ties pages together, making disparate elements feel intentional.
Anchors for journaling & focal points: Tags can be a journaling spot, label, or a contrasting accent. Stamps can provide titles, quotes, or subtle backgrounds to support your story rather than compete.
Tag Ideas & How to Use Them
Think beyond just paper tags — experiment with vellum, chipboard, acetate, fabric, or even cork. Here are some creative uses:
Hidden journaling tags: Slip a journaled tag behind a photo mat or flap for secret reflections.
Title tags: Use a tab-style tag as a heading spot for a page or section.
Layered clusters: Stack your tag over or under ephemera, stitches, thread, or washi for texture.
Interactive elements: Use tags as pull-outs or condition them with string or ribbon.
Mixed media tags: Treat tags as mini canvases — stamp, paint, collage, and then attach them to your page.
Background / texture stamps: Patterns, grids, dots, scribbles — great as subtle texture behind images.
Sentiment stamps: Phrases, quotes, dates — perfect for captions, titles, or journaling prompts.
Image stamps / motifs: Icons, florals, shapes — for accent elements or layering.
Alpha & number stamps: For adding dates, headers, or numeric journaling.
Tips for stamping success:
Use a light touch: Press evenly, lift straight—especially on textured or collage surfaces.
Choose ink wisely: Archival dye inks, pigment inks, and hybrid inks all have strengths. If stamping over gesso or paint, a pigment/versafine/mineral ink usually holds better.
Stamp before layering heavy media: If you intend to paint or gloss over, stamp first so your image isn’t lost.
Mask and layer: Use masking to partially stamp behind other elements, creating depth.
Stamp off and re-use: One stamp impression can become a background, then an accent when stamped again lighter.
Plan your layout — decide where photos, journaling, and focal points go.
Stamp a subtle background or texture layer (lightly).
Add your tags — tuck, overlay, or cluster.
Journal, title, or add sentiment stamps.
Go back with stamping over edges or accents to frame or repeat motifs.
Finish with any paint pen or highlight details.
When executed thoughtfully, tags + stamps become the visual glue — they connect your journaling to your images and make the whole page feel like one intentional piece, not disparate bits stuck together.
What’s Next?
With your journal, pens, tags, and stamps working in harmony, your pages can breathe, resonate, and tell your story in layers. In the upcoming November newsletter, we’ll highlight photo prompts and gratitude journaling — perfect complements to everything you’ve learned in this series.
We hope you have enjoyed this series and it has helped you with your planning and you can add some of these tips to make your journalling pages even more spectacular.
Hi everyone, today I had a play in my art journal using all of the products from Scrappingclearly. Using the Dina Wakley journal and Luckyfindings imagery sheet which are all available from Kylie. First I adhered the image that I had printed on tissue paper with DW gel medium. I find this medium great to work with leaving no sticky residue on your page. I then used Simon Hurley’s Astro Paste in Refined Copper to create a body through a stencil for my image. I proceeded to build a background with DW paints that complimented the image, leaving some white space to tie this page together. I used paints through stencils to create depth around my page. To finish off the layout I cut a quote from the DW ledger quotes. Cutting and spreading the quote is visually pleasing. Being in a journal I did not want to add bulk therefore adding layers to my page with paints, stencils and some stamping to bring this image to life. Hope you are getting into a creative mood and playing with your supplies from Kylie at Scrappingclearly. Below are some close ups to inspire you.
Scrapping Clearly monthly challenges have lots of scope, from moodboard to sketch or ATC. Be ins[ired by any of these. This LO was inspired by the sketch.
Blog Post 2: The Right Pen Makes All the Difference
Writing, Drawing & Detailing in Your Journals
If you caught our last post, you’ll know that finding the right journal is the first step toward a creative, personal, and inspiring journaling practice. Now that you’ve chosen your journal, let’s talk about the tools that bring your ideas, lists, doodles, and reflections to life — your pens.
Pens may seem like a simple choice, but when you’re journaling, creating art, or adding handwritten touches to your scrapbooking layouts, the pen you pick can change everything — from the texture and mood of your writing to the longevity and look of your pages.
At ScrappingClearly, we stock a wide range of journaling pens, fineliners, and paint pens that suit every style — whether you love a crisp handwritten note, a doodled border, or a splash of metallic ink across your layout.
Journaling Pens – For Writing, Doodling & Detailing
Journaling pens are designed for smooth, consistent writing without bleeding through your pages. They’re ideal for daily writing, note-taking, sketching, or fine detailing in planners and notebooks.
Some customer favourites in-store include:
Uni-ball White Pen –The Uni-ball White Pen is perfect for adding crisp, opaque highlights, doodles, and contrast to your journal pages. It shows up beautifully on dark backgrounds, painted surfaces, and mixed media layers without skipping. A must-have for adding those final bright details that make a page pop.
Fude Ball Pens– Ideal for bold, smooth statement journaling. Their rich, opaque ink glides smoothly across the page, making them ideal for titles, headers, outlining, and adding emphasis to important words or phrases. They also write beautifully over paint, gesso, collage, and textured surfaces, which makes them a must-have for mixed media journals.
Tim Holtz Distress Markers- Distress Markers are perfect for journallers who love adding soft colour, shading, and subtle detail to their pages. Designed with water-reactive ink, these markers let you blend, wash, and layer colour effortlessly — ideal for adding gentle backgrounds, colouring stamped images, or creating watercolour-style effects without the mess of paints. The dual tips (fine point + brush tip) make them incredibly versatile for :Use the fine tip for writing, outlining, date stamping or doodle details & use the brush tip for colouring, shadowing, and blending with water. They work beautifully in notebooks, art journals, tags, and layered mixed media pages. If you want controlled colour with that signature Distress look, these markers are a fantastic tool to have in your journaling kit.
Art Marlene Duo Acrylic Markers- Bold Colour × Two Tips, the Art by Marlene Duo Acrylic Markers deliver vibrant, opaque colour with the versatility of two nibs in one pen. Use the fine tip for writing, details, and outlining, and the brush tip for colouring, shading, and expressive strokes. They write beautifully over paint, gesso, collage, and textured pages, making them perfect for mixed media journals that need strong, reliable colour.
Artline Supreme Markers - Artline Supreme Markers are great for adding clean colour, simple shading, and quick lettering to your journal pages. Their smooth-flowing ink and comfortable nib make them perfect for titles, borders, doodles, and everyday notes. A reliable go-to marker for lightweight mixed media and creative journaling.
When you’re writing in a junk journal or vintage-style book, the fine tip of a black or sepia fineliner complements aged papers beautifully. For a bright art journal, coloured pens add contrast and energy to your pages.
If pens are for writing, paint pens are for expression. They glide over textured surfaces where regular pens can’t — perfect for mixed media journals, tags, and art pages layered with paint, gesso, or collage.
In the ScrappingClearly store, you’ll find:
Posca Paint Pens – A must-have for any mixed media artist. They come in a huge range of colours and nib sizes, and can write over acrylic, watercolor, gesso, or even fabric.
Spectrum Noir– Spectrum Noir Markers are perfect for journallers who love soft blends, smooth colouring, and polished shading. Their dual tips (fine + chisel or brush, depending on the set) make them great for lettering, colouring stamped images, adding shadows, and creating gradient effects. They’re ideal for adding detailed colour to journals, tags, and mixed media pages where you want a refined, alcohol-marker look.
Pilot Pintor – Pintor Paint Pens deliver bright, opaque colour that works on paper, paint, gesso, fabric, wood, and more. They’re great for journaling and mixed media when you want bold marks, lettering, doodles, and highlights that really stand out. Smooth flow, strong colour, and reliable coverage make them an easy favourite for creative play.
Life of Colour - Vibrant, versatile, and fun! Life of Colour pens are perfect for journaling, scrapbooking, and mixed media projects. With brush and fine tips, they glide smoothly, layer beautifully, and even blend with water for painterly effects. From bold brights to metallics and earthy tones, these pens make every page pop with colour.
Ecoline Brush Pens - vibrant, fluid, and full of life! These water-based brush pens are perfect for journaling, hand lettering, and creating smooth, expressive strokes. Their transparent, ink-like colors layer beautifully and blend effortlessly with water for painterly effects. Whether you’re adding bold highlights, soft backgrounds, or delicate details, Ecoline pens give your pages that splash of artistic flair without fuss. Pro tip: Keep a water brush handy to turn your lettering into a seamless watercolor masterpiece!
Liquitex Paint Pens - Liquitex Professional Paint Markers deliver rich, artist-quality acrylic colour in a smooth, controlled pen. They’re perfect for journaling and mixed media pages, writing effortlessly over gesso, paint, collage, and textured layers. Use them for bold titles, graphic lines, layering, and adding strong pops of colour that stay vibrant and permanent.
Kent Urban Paint Pens - Kent Urban Paint Pens are perfect for adding bold, opaque marks to your journal pages. They write smoothly over gesso, paint, cardstock, collage, and textured surfaces, making them ideal for mixed media layers. Use them for titles, borders, doodles, highlights, and expressive marks where you want strong colour that stands out.
Paint pens are fantastic for:
Writing affirmations over textured backgrounds
Adding dots, doodles, and borders
Highlighting areas of your page with white or metallic accents
Creating layered journal covers or mixed media tags
Tips for Mixing Both
One of the best-kept secrets in journaling and scrapbooking is the combination of journaling pens and paint pens. Try this creative formula:
Use fineliners for your notes and outlines.
Add paint pens for embellishing, layering, or colour blocking.
Finish with metallic or white paint pens for that extra highlight or visual “pop.”
Pro tip: Always test your pen on the back page of your journal — some papers, especially coated or handmade ones, may react differently to wet mediums.
Coming Up Next…
In our next post, we’ll dive into how tags and stamps can elevate your journaling or scrapbooking spreads — adding layers, meaning, and texture that pull your page together beautifully.
Whether you’re jotting down gratitude lists or capturing those end-of-year reflections, having the right tools — from your journal to your pen — makes the creative process flow effortlessly.
Hi everyone, I could not stop playing with the Luckyfindings imageries that I had recently printed on tissue paper. Recently I spent some time in my craft room and made a wall hanging which I absolutely adore. It took a few days due to finish as it needed some extra drying time.
Firstly I mixed some PVA glue with water and created a woven effect with black twine and then added a napkin that I had in my stash. I allowed this to dry overnight before I hacked into it to rip out some portions to expose the weave. I sprayed some Lindy’s sprays which can be found in the Scrappingclearly store and then dried it completely before adhering the imagery with Dina Wakley gel medium. I painted the back of the image with some white gesso to allow the image to be pronounced. I adhered a title from my stash, wound the loose threads on a stick to create a foundation to hang this little beauty. Hope this inspires you all to create your own wall hangings and ensure to visit the Scrappingclearly website to purchase your mixed media needs and images.
Hi everyone, I’m back this month sharing my latest mixed media art journal page created for the Scrappingclearly Design team - and this one is called ‘not picasso’ as per the title of the Luckyfindings imagery sheet. The name pretty much says it all. This page is all about embracing the messy, the imperfect, and just letting creativity flow and using supplies that I have purchased from Scrappingclearly.
I started out with an art journal page from Art By Marlene the perfect size. Applied some gesso to the page before adhering the tissue printed imagery, this was done on a laser printer. Then the fun began with adding a mixture of Dina Wakley and Dylusions paints to create a background to resemble the November mood board. There is something so freeing about not worrying too much about precision just letting the brush and colour guide you. I then added some stenciling with acrylic paints to create geometric shapes and stamping in archival ink. Splatters, a border and a title always completes an art journal page. I really enjoyed the creative chaos and how this journal page presented. If you are feeling stuck or hesitant to start your next art journal spread, I highly recommend trying something like this.
Thanks for stopping by to check out my project for the November mood board. You can find all the supplies I used (and tons of other mixed media goodies) over on the Scrappingclearly store:
Ranger Archival Ink - Library Green
Luckyfindings imagery - not picasso
Art By Marlene Journal - the perfect size
Various Dina Wakley paints
Dylusions blue lagoon paint
Dina Wakley Ultra thick gel medium
Liquitex white gesso
13 arts white acrylic ink
13 arts geometric triangular stencil (from my stash)
After a couple of months of moving and sorting myself and my creative space out, I have finally had some fun and played with this months moodboard. It was such fun getting my creative groove back and playing with all my fave things! And I even made a VIDEO for you to see it all come together!!!
Here is my finished canvas.....
And here is this months moodboard....
I really drew inspo from the colours and the art deco pattern. I loved the burst of yellow and the feathered image i used from Lucky Findings.
I really love playing with the gold accents.
You can check out how this was all put together here via my YouTube link.
I hope you enjoy the process and I hope to see you all again soon.
November is here — and we’re feeling all the creative gratitude
After the incredible energy of the ScrappingClearly Artistic Anarchy Retreat, we’re taking a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate everything our amazing community has created and shared. This month’s newsletter is packed with inspiration to help you capture those thankful moments in your own creative way.
Inside you’ll find:
Journalling ideas & prompts to inspire reflection
Product spotlights on journals, pens, tags & stamps
Tips for mixing handwriting with printed journalling
Curative Collective Artist Highlight
New products
It’s a month to slow down, create with purpose, and appreciate the stories that matter most.
Follow the link to our Scrappingclearly Share & Inspire Facebook page to read the newsletter in its entirety
This post kicks off a special three-part Journaling Series here on the ScrappingClearly blog where we’ll explore everything you need to make your journaling experience creative, cohesive, and uniquely yours. Over the next few posts, we’ll dive into the essentials:
how to choose the right journal for your style,
which pens and paint pens bring your ideas to life, and
how tags and stamps can add layers of meaning and texture to your pages.
Whether you’re a dedicated art journaller or just starting your creative journey, this series will help you build pages that reflect your story beautifully - one layer at a time.
Finding the Perfect Journal for Your Creative Journey
Explore the best journals for art, memory keeping & gratitude practice.
As we move into November - a month of gratitude, reflection, and creativity - it’s the perfect time to slow down and reconnect with your journaling practice. Whether you’re capturing everyday gratitude, recording retreat memories, or experimenting with mixed media, your journal is where your creative story begins.
At ScrappingClearly, we stock a wide range of journals designed for every kind of maker. Each has its own character - from sturdy mixed media books to lightweight travelers' notebooks - so you can find the one that suits your style and storytelling approach.
You can click on the links below to take you straight to the shop to view Journals from these popular suppliers.
Art Journals - For Paint, Texture & Bold Creative Play
If you love splashing paint, layering collage, or experimenting with gesso and mediums, an art journal is your perfect creative home. Look for heavy, mixed media paper that can handle wet techniques and texture paste.
Our top picks include:
Dina Wakley Media Journals – Beautifully textured cotton rag, kraft, and burlap pages that hold up to heavy paint and mixed media layering.
Dylusions Creative Journals– Loved for their smooth, sturdy paper that takes sprays, inks, and paints with ease. Perfect for expressive art journaling and layering.
Art by Marlene Journals– Bright, bold, and built for mixed media freedom. Their spiral binding makes working across pages easy and flat.
Life of Colour Journals – Designed with thick, premium paper made to handle pens, paints, and watercolor markers. Ideal for mixed media exploration, colour play, and sketching on the go.
Art journals invite you to go big - to make a mess, explore color, and let your creativity unfold without restraint.
If your creativity thrives in moments between places - coffee shop sketches, weekend retreats, or daily gratitude reflections - a travel journal keeps your creativity portable.
Our community loves:
Teresa Collins Traveller Notebooks– Elegant, empowering, and beautifully designed for intentional journaling. With luxe covers, gold accents, and refillable inserts, they’re perfect for daily reflections, gratitude notes, or memory keeping in style.
Luckyfindings Junque Journals – Handmade, eclectic, and full of character. Each Junque Journal from Luckyfindings is a one-of-a-kind creative adventure — filled with layered papers, vintage finds, and textured details that invite you to write, glue, paint, and create freely. Ideal for those who love a mix of storytelling, art, and beautiful imperfection.
These compact journals make it easy to keep your stories flowing, wherever you go.
Mixed Media & Watercolour Journals – For Artists Who Love Layers
When your pages involve watercolour washes, brush lettering, or layers of acrylics, a mixed media or watercolour journal is your best friend. Their thicker, textured paper is designed to handle moisture and layering without warping.
Royal Langnickel - Affordable, reliable and perfect for both beginners and experienced creators. The cold- pressed pages have a lovely texture that holds watercolour pigment beautifully while standing up to wet media techniques and light collage work. Ideal for swatching, travel journalling or mixed media play.
These journals are ideal for those who love to merge illustration, watercolor, and words — where every page becomes its own artwork.
Choosing the Right Journal for You
When it comes to journaling, there’s no one-size-fits-all. The key is to choose a journal that supports your creative rhythm.
Ask yourself:
Do I want to write, paint, collage — or a mix of all three?
Will this journal be for daily gratitude or experimental play?
Do I like a bound spine for continuity or spiral binding so it lays flat while I work?
Will I work mostly at my desk or carry it with me on the go?
Do I want a clean, minimalist space or a textured playground?
Your answers will guide you to the perfect match. And remember - there’s no rule against having more than one journal! Many creatives keep different ones for gratitude, sketching, art journaling, and personal reflection.
Every blank page is a doorway waiting for your stories, colors, and memories to come alive.
Now that you’ve found the perfect journal to match your creative style, it’s time to fill those beautiful pages with personality and flair. Part two in our Journaling Series is all about the tools that bring your ideas to life - pens and paint pens. From fine, delicate lines to bold expressive strokes, we’ll explore which pens work best for journaling, mixed media, and everything in between.
Stay tuned for Part 2: The Right Pen Makes All the Difference — coming soon to the ScrappingClearly blog!
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