Lessons In Bible Journaling: What Is Mixed Media? {What's True About You Mixed Media Page}

***Kit received as part of the Dayspring Bible Journaling Launch Team. Post contains affiliate links. All thoughts are 100% my own. 

I remember when I first started Bible journaling, it was like learning a brand new language!

Tip ins, gelatos, mixed media... what did all of these things mean!? For the non-artist like myself, it was all a little bit overwhelming! If you've stumbled upon this post and feel the same way, hopefully you'll walk away a little less confused about one of these topics at least: MIXED MEDIA!

What on earth is Mixed Media?

Simply put, mixed media is any type of artwork that combines multiple medias (or materials to put it even more simply) in ONE piece... or on one page as the case may be for Bible journaling. Chances are if you've done any art journaling at all, you've done mixed media...even if you didn't realize it at the time. Most of my own personal pages tend to fall in that category with layers of paint or ink, topped with a variety of stickers, die cuts and other crafting elements. While there are some who can create stunning pages simply with colored pencils or a little paint, I personally love the blending of all of these various elements to create dynamic pages (that are often attainable even for the non-artists too!)

What medias can be used in mixed media journaling pages?

The better question would be, which medias CAN'T be used? The possibilities are endless but can include:

• paint (watercolor and/or acrylic)
• ink
• colored pencils
• gelatos
• die cuts
• washi tape
• stickers
• paper
• and so much more...

How do I create a mixed media journaling page?

Honestly, there is no right or wrong way to go about creating a mixed media page. If you're using various materials--- you're doing it right. Still, I know some of us need to hear it step by step so I wanted to do a quick walk through of a mixed media page I created using that 'What's True About You: God's Friend' Bible journaling kit.

Materials used:

• acrylic paint
• tissue paper
• die cuts
• alphabet stickers
• glue

1. When doing any mixed media page, I always start with the background. In this case, I used a red acrylic paint and applied using the credit card method (add paint to edge of credit/gift/paint card and swipe on page for a thin layer of paint). One of the reasons I love mixed media is that these backgrounds don't have to be perfect, as some-if not much- will be covered with the various elements added on.

2. For this page, I knew I wanted to do something really unique and different than what I typically do... I wanted to create something with the beautiful mustard tissue paper included in the What's True About You Kits. This color was just too stunning NOT to use. To be honest... the goal here was to create a flower and despite my best efforts to follow the tutorials I'd found, it didn't quite turn out as hoped. But journaling isn't about perfect, so I decided I was going to roll with it, and see how it came out anyway. This 'flower' attempt was attached to the page using a combination of glue, and a bit of hidden washi tape as well. 

3. Next, I glued the 'difference maker' die cut onto my little tissue paper creation. Again, this truly is the great thing about mixed media--- even if your elements aren't perfect, the layering helps make it all come together! 

4. Finally, I finished off the page and the intended message with some alphabet stickers.

Of course, this is just ONE example of a mixed media page... yours may look very different or use very different techniques. Play around with it. Have fun with it. Not every page will turn out perfect or how you intended, but it's not the end result that matters, but the time spent in the word to get there.

All elements from this page (paint excluded) can be found in the 'What's True About You: God's Friend' Bible journaling kit, available at Dayspring. This kit- like their others- offers a great variety of supplies to help you create your own mixed media pages and spend time in God's word. Head on over to grab yours today.