UPDATE: Paperbag Studios stamps and Art Pops™ are no longer available, but many things can be substituted to make this project!
Get creative and have fun!

Torrie Gass

I have been so inspired by all the mandalas that I've been noticing everywhere. I wanted to bring that into my own art journal after seeing a gorgeous tapestry recently. However, drawing mandalas is certainly not my strongest skill.

As I was playing around in my journal, with mandalas floating around my head, it struck me to use stamps. Perfect! I can't mess them up, and Roben-Marie's stamps sets go together so effortlessly.

I started with a colorful but not too busy background in my altered book journal. Even though I wanted to use more color, I knew I had to tone it down in order for the mandala to really stand out. Then I got to stamping using the Mixed Media Essentials Stamp Sheet and Garden Muse Stamp Sheet, and just let myself figure out the design as I went.

Creating intuitively is very, well, intuitive for me! I typically don't have a plan going in and let my instincts make all the decisions. Tweet That!

Needless to say, the instincts that dictated the design of this mandala were spot on! I love the organic and messy nature of it, but also love the symmetry and balance as well. I know I'll be looking back on this page frequently for more mandala inspiration!

Going Deeper...

What's your top tip for dealing with blank page paralysis?

Grab your favorite paints plus one adventurous pick, and just start pushing paint around. I start so many of my pages this way when I have no idea what I want to do. It helps loosen me up while I create a background that is incredibly flexible.

What do you do with your art once you've finished it?

I share about 90% of my artwork online, so I usually photograph it when I'm done so I can share it! Then it gets stored on a shelf or in a drawer. I don't display my art journals in my home, although I know lots of other artist's do! It just never occurred to me to do so.