Stitching

Ever since I can remember I have been doing something creative whether it be mixed media, making cards, cross stitch, painting or drawing. Today's prompt for the Artsy Circles is stitching. So I combined my past love of making crosses with my current love of making mixed media and produced my Artsy Circle for the facebook group Soul Sisters.

I started out with my gesso covered circle. I prepared 6 circles, really should get some more cut and prepared because I am having so much fun.

The next step was using my stencil to create the circles. Once the texture paste dried I then stitched the crosses. I only had two size needles at hand, one was a tiny cotton needle and the other was a tapestry needle. The tiny needle was just too small and the stitching would have not really shown up. The tapestry needle really was too big but I decided to use it any way. I was really disappointed with the holes that it left but as you can see they don't show up on the final piece its just more texture.

Next I added my colour

My final layer for the circle was the gesso, I originally applied it with a palette knife but before it was dried I wiped it away. To apply the gesso I used my fingers.

products that can be found at Art and Soul Studio are listed below
marabu art spray - red orange and lemons

Happy Creating

Choose To Shine

I am really enjoying creating the Artsy Circles, I think I am stepping out of my comfort zone, still no idea what my style is but that's ok, I don't need to know.

So the prompt for today is Butterflies. I love butterflies, along with tulips they are my most favourite things. In saying that you would not believe the trouble I had creating the circle for today. First I was looking for something that I thought I had thrown out and in the end I had just transferred it to another draw, 1/2 an hour I spent looking and then it wasn't right. Secondly, after I realise that what I thought was a good idea and it wasn't I then spent ages going through all my stamps and stencils to find what I did have.

Finally I created a circle that I am really, really happy with.

I started off with a piece of heavy water colour paper that I put through my bigshot with a circle die that has a diameter of 10.4 cm, which I then put gesso on both sides.

For my background colour I mixed clear gesso with Frank Garcia artisan powder and applied it with my palate knife, making sure that I had texture and not just an all over colour.

Making sure that the gesso layer was dry with my archival ink and stamp I added another layer.

It is all about layers, through a stencil I added some paint in a contrasting colour.

Next I added white gesso to just tie it altogether, then I got out my stabilo all pencil to grunge it up.

Ok so this is where I forgot to take photos as I was very involved in my creative process. Once I made it grungy, I then stamped the butterflies all over the surface making sure that they were going in different directions and that I had some flying off the page and flying on to the page. I then scraped another light layer of white gesso over my stamping. Using my stabilo all to grunge it up some more. Finally I added my white circle, embossed the image, used my stabilo all to grunge it up again. Lastly I added the three quotes.

products found at Art and Soul Studio
archival ink - jet black
art alchemy acrylic paint - black berry
Frank Garcia - artisan powder - french sage
kaisercraft stamp - sketchy

Happy Creating

Dreamer of Dreams

Are you a member of the facebook group Soul Sisters? It is affiliated with the shop Art and Soul Studio. The reason I ask this question is that not only is it a wonderfully supportive group but they also have twice weekly prompts to get you creating. The prompts are for a project called Artsy Circles, using the prompt you can create anything that you like as long as the substrate is a circle.

A couple of weeks back the prompt was stencil. I used two, one from The Crafters Workshop - Mini Cubist and another from Scrap Fx - Day Dreamer. I love stencils, for me it is an addiction, that I just cant get over.



In my stash I had some gelli prints that I had done a little while ago. This is what I decided to use as my background. I attached the circle to my print with matte medium.

 Once I decide which way I liked the texture of my gelli print I then used my tcw stencil and dina wakley paint to add some colour.

I used versamark ink through my Scrap Fx Stencil so that I could emboss the image. I was so cross with myself as I used some tape to hold down my circle so it didn't move but then I went and ripped the print in two places when I removed the tape. I decided not cover them up, it just adds to the journey the Artsy Circle took me on

Here is a close of the embossed image.

 

The final step was to attach the words and add a little colour.

 

Products that can be found in the Art and Soul Studio shop are listed below

dina wakley media heavy body acrylic paint - umber, turquoise, tangerine and ocean

tim holtz idea-ology - metallic stickers

 

Happy Creating





Once Upon A Time - Echo Park

For Shop and Crop Scrapbooking this week I got to play with the girly collection Once Upon A Time from Echo Park.

This was a really hard collection to use as I hadn't used something like this before. It had lots of yummy papers but also a huge range of stickers and chipboard accents. I really had to think about what I wanted to create. In the end I create a photo frame and a set of three cards.

Below you will find close ups of one of the cards and the frame. If you would like to see them in their entirety and the other two cards please pop on over the Shop and Crop Scrapbooking blog.

Happy Creating

Using Your Scraps

We all have lots of scraps laying around and we always say to ourselves we will use them, but more often than not that doesn't happen. In my package from Shop and Crop Scrapbooking I received the March 2017 Crop Kit. It is Easter themed and I decided to create some cards from this kit. They are not all Easter based but they all can be created using kit and still have paper and embellishments left over for more.

Happy Creating

Sending Wishes Your Way

Have you seen the challenge that Shop and Crop has on their facebook group? To enter all you need to do is place a photo in the correct album. It's about going back to our childhood and playing Tic Tac Toe.

All you have to do is choose a straight line and use those three products to create with. The line can be vertical, horizontal or diagonal. I chose a vertical line and it was the top one,  stamping, flowers and a paper bag.

Would you like to know how I created this then please pop on over to the Shop and Crop Scrabooking blog and you will find a photographic tutorial.

Happy Creating

Stay Curious

For the second day running it is raining here, yesterday I got soaking wet doing the grocery shopping this morning I am sitting in my craft room listen to the rain and the washing machine. Today I thought I would share with you some mini canvas panels that I have been working on.

All three I started on retreat, one I actually finished there, the second one I finished last week while I was completely something else and the third one is still not finished but thought I would share it with you any way.

The panels (pack of 5) were purchased a couple of years ago and they have sitting there waiting for the right time. I took them away with me on retreat because they are little (10.2 x 10.2 cm) and were easy to drop in with all the other stuff I took away with me.

This panel is from a combination of a couple of the classes I took on retreat The Way Things Fall (which I haven't shared with you yet) and Fear Nothing.

products used: canvas panel, book pages, artbasics heavy gesso - white, dylusions paint - melted chocolate, kaisercraft stamp, tim holtz idea-ology - small talk.

This panel was one that I was just playing with, no plan what so ever, then again nothing of mine is ever planned.

products used: canvas panel, lindy's stamp gang spray flat Fabio - pop rock purple, orange creamsicle and ruby red slipper, artbasics heavy gesso - white, book pages, the crafters workshop stencil - 12x12 butterfly collage, donna downey signature stencils - mini number repeat, texture paste, tim holtz idea-ology - small talk, archival ink - jet black, cardstock - black, stampin up' dies - butterflies thinlits, dina wakley media heavy body acrylic paint - tangerine, dylusions paint - black marble.

 The third and final panel that I have been working on is incomplete, not sure where this one is going. Love the background, it reminds me of moss.

products used: canvas panel, book pages, artbasics heavy gesso - white, lindy's stamp gang spray flat Fabio - merry-go-round green, lindy's stamp gang spray starburst - black orchid silver & sea grass green, the crafter workshop stencil - mini tiny circles, artbasics texture paste - white crackle.

Happy Creating

Fear Nothing

I cannot believe it was a fortnight ago I was attending retreat, the time has just flown and I have not created anything new in that time. I have finished a couple of things off but that's all.

One of those things that I finished was a mixed media layout from a class that I attended by Michelle Logan of M Logan Design  To create the layout we had to get messy, which is my type of fun. There was paint, chipboard, paper, different fun items to make texture in our background and stencils. Thank you Michelle for such a fun afternoon.

Normally it takes me ages to pick out a photo but before class started I pulled out this photo of my little man (although he's not so little now) and two of my dusty attic paints, I was armed and dangerous.

The process was lots of fun and I have a finished layout.

products used: dusty attic acrylic paint - denim & oceania, white gesso, acrylic paint - raw umber & black, chipboard - scrapfx, prima marketing paper - salvage district collection

Happy Creating

New Stencil - WooHoo

While on retreat I was lucky enough to attend a class by Michelle Logan (blog) and during her class she was having give aways. Michelle could not have picked a better give away for me, it was a stencil, thank you Michelle. Do I love stencils yes I do, do I have an addiction to them hmmmm maybe, ok yes I do.

The stencil that I received was from ScrapFX. Well I just learnt something new I knew that ScrapFx were Australian but what I did not know was that they are a based in Victoria.

Until I received this one I didn't own a ScrapFX stencil, it is called Day Dreamer. They are made from a transparent plastic. It is thicker than other stencils that I own and it gives a really clear outline that adds dimension and texture to you art.

The background is made up off all sorts. It is in my journal where I put the little bits of lefts overs so nothing gets wasted. The day before the orange went on and the black. The black lines are actually put there by one of my retreat buddies. She was using black paint and some sort of medium from golden and asked if I wanted to use it up. I open my journal to this page and said go for it and walked away, not sure where I was going but when I came back the black lines were there.

Happy Creating

Artsy Layout

Artsy I can do but combine that with a sketch and photo panic stations set in. This was another class from the weekend. The description of the class was "for anyone wanting to explore their love of scrapbooking with their desire to make art". Just reading that I knew I had to do this class by Fiona (blog), it sounded fun and messy, but I knew I would learn something. Maybe get over my fear of sketches.

Before class I actually found a photo that I thought I might like to use, in the end I didn't use it, but at least I had one. You have to go into Fiona's classes with an open mind, you cannot have preconceived ideas of what you will create. For me that's lucky because I never know what I am going to create I just wing it.

On entering the classroom we were given an artist board, a double sided page of abstract (love abstract) sketches and a sheet of different pencil grips. How you hold your pencil makes a difference to the marks you make. I was having so much fun making marks.

At the front of the class Fiona demonstrated how she goes about starting a sketch and then sent us on our way. She doesn't tell us what to do but shows us techniques and that way we all created totally individual pieces of art. The sketch I chose to use and my finished piece don't resemble each other at all but is was a place to start.

And this is what I finished with

Products used - gesso, paynes grey paint, grey lead pencil, donna downey stencil - scribble script

Happy Creating

Mixed Media Magic Retreat

Two days ago I came home from a long weekend (4 days) filled with creativity. Thursday afternoon I arrived and from then on the weekend was jam packed with creating, laughter, food and friendship (new and old).

The retreat was organised by Cindy from A Scrappe Tiger , thanks Cindy. Now on retreat you can do as much or as little as you like, we had options of doing classes, and I did 6. Four extremely talented artists took the time out of their schedule to come and share their talent, knowledge and creativity with us and they were Fiona Paltridge (blog), Louise Nelson (blog), Michelle Logan (blog) and Cindy Porter (blog).

I am not going to share with you today any of my class work that's for another day. Please bare with me as I need to tell a little story behind my art work before I share.

When the class list came out, there was a couple of classes that I decided not to do and one of them was by Fiona and it was called "The Way Things Fall", after reading the description it still didn't really tickle my fancy. Then I gave myself a kick up the bum and a talking too. Fiona is one of my most favourite artists (which I am lucky enough to be able to call a friend) so why would I not do her class. So I did and I have to say oh my I LOVED that class.

When looking at the class requirements is said that we could bring special trinkets or findings that we had stashed away. I knew I had plenty of those, who doesn't.

 

Are you wondering what it is, it does look a bit strange. It is a piece of paper that has cotton string wrapped around and inside it. Then they have been put into a rust bath. When I was talking to Fiona about these pieces of paper (I had two) I worked out that they have to be at least 13 years old. I have been married 11 yrs this year and I know that I created this before I met my husband. They have gone through 5 moves and finally I was able to use one of them.

Hope you are still with me to actually see my art work.

I thought it needed something else but I didn't want to add anything else to it, and two very wise women told me, "if I think it's finished then it is". "Its your art work, doesn't matter what others think", "Now you just need to sign it" which I am yet to do

A close up of some of that yummy texture

products used: art basics heavy gesso - white, paper, cotton string.

Happy Creating

No People Allowed

Yikes! Is it really the beginning of November, this year has gone so quick.

This month the challenge at Show Us Your Stuff is all about creating a layout, art journal page but you cannot use people in your creation.

Instead of people trying using something else, a pet, some food, a scenic photograph.

This month I created an art journal page. It may not have people in it but I did use my emotions to help me create it. One morning I was getting my two munchkins ready for and usually they are pretty good but this one morning they were hitting all the right buttons. Once I dropped them off at school I came home and created. The colours I chose were the same colour as my mood but while creating it the background it helped sooth me.

My hand made items - wood veneer lighting bolt from Rainbow Splendour which I have them gold embossed, and my hand cut and written quote.

Please don't forget to pop on past the blog to see what the other members of the design team have created.

items used: rainbow splendour - lighting bolt, ranger ink - gold & silver embossing powder,  mixed media paper, ranger ink - fude ball 1.5 pigment ink pen, dylusions paint - black marble, dylusions - white lines ink spray, dusty attic paint - denim

Happy Creating

A Sketch and Mixed Media Challenge for the Month of September

Layouts are not my favourite things to create but this month at Show Us Your Stuff the challenge is to use a sketch and mixed media. Please remember to also include a handmade item

I am far from being normal so I decided to turn the sketch on its side.

Well I know I started with the sketch I can sort of still see it, hope you can too.

products used: whipped spackle, art basics heavy gesso - white, archival ink - jet black, cocoa vanilla studio die cut ephemera - free spirit & love always, green tara blossoms - rose, stampin' up stamp - borderettes, hessian leaves, prima marketing stencil - grungy grid, dylusions spray - funky fuchsia, charms creations - hessiam heart, funky flair studio - kraft ephemera, muslin, heart sequins

Would love to see you play along this month.

Happy Creating

Ugly Paper

This month the challenge at Show Us Your Stuff is to use that ugly paper that you have stored at the bottom of your stash.

 

Please click on the link above to see what some of the design team created at the beginning of the month, you would never know that they used ugly paper.

The thing with ugly paper is not everybody may think it's ugly, that's because we all like different things so what I see as ugly, you might think is lovely.

Here are the three papers that I have used on my cards

 

 

 

 

 Handmade items - the resin rainbow brown butterfly & maharaj resin flower.

products used: chromacryl White gesso, distress ink - vintage photo, distress stain - antiqued bronze, kaisercraft collectables - timeless icons, art of life, kaisercraft jewels - bonjour, doily, kaisercraft cards & envelopes square - kraft, dcwv - floral prints the paper stack.

Handmade items - charm creations - white hessian heart

products used: art basics heavy gesso - white, distress paint - weathered wood and broken china, distress stain - antiqued bronze, tattered angel glimmer mist - dragonfly, doily, kaisercraft stamp - flutter, archival ink - jet black, kaisercraft cards & envelopes square - kraft, dcwv - floral prints the paper stack, tim holtz idea-ology - small talk

Handmade items - hand poured plaster flowers then hand coloured, die cut leaves, hand typed quote

products used - kaisercraft cards & envelopes square - kraft, dcwv - floral prints the paper stack, watercolour paper, black cardstock, coloured cardstock, ecoline liquid watercolour - 656, 318, 665, 657, 416, gold card stock, leaf die

Would love to see you play along with us this month and what ugly papers your have.

Happy Creating

Plume from IndigoBlu

I have had the stamp 'Plume' from IndigoBlu for a little while now, and I have been thinking of a design that I could use it on. I finally created a card.

The stamp reminded me of a peacock feather so I used the colours of a peacock as my starting point.

products used: inktense pencils - turquoise, deep violet & deep rose, posca paint pen - pink, memory box die - distress windham collage, studio calico - wood veneer heart, versamark, ranger embossing powder - seafoam, art basics heavy gesso - white, mixed media paper, book paper.

Happy Creating

Winter Blues

Today is the start of another month, just where has the time gone?????? This also means that a new challenge is up on the blog at Show Us Your Stuff. This month it is all about colour, remember to make sure that you add a hand made embellishment to your creation.

 

For this challenge I made three totally different cards.



The hand made items I used for this card are the snow covered hills & the fussy cut image which I then coloured.

products used: stampin' up ink - dapper denim, marina mist, soft sky, soft suede & garden green, archival ink - jet black & cornflower blue, stampin' up stamps - peaceful pines & festival of trees, faber-castell big brush pen - permanent green olive, gelly roll pen - white, ranger embossing powder - silver, versamark, stampin; up cardstock - whisper white, mixed media paper, aleens glitter snow, prima art basics heavy gesso - white.

The handmade items are the resin butterfly from The Resin Rainbow, which was white but I altered with alcohol ink and the wooden veneer from flutterbydesigns - circle confetti.

products used: lindy's stamp gang spray - tiffanylou blue, Caribbean blue, blue Hawaiian blue & tilt-a-wheel teal, faber-castell big brush pen - cobalt blue, sharpie - white, Adirondack alcohol ink - sail boat blue, archival ink - cornflower blue, white thread, mixed media paper, stampin' up stamp - helping me grow, stampin' up metallic foil doilies, vivalasvegastamp - plate 1471, the resin rainbow butterfly - white, flutterbydesigns - confetti circles, stampin' up cardstock - whisper white, izink - volubilis.

 

The handmade items used here is the chevie border from burdys embellies and the wood veneer from flutterbydesign - abstract 2 which I altered with silver emossing powder.

products used: archival ink - forget-me-not blue & jet black, versamark, burdys embellies - chevie borders, stampin' up ink - dapper denim, ranger embossing powder - silver, stampin' up punch - circle 1", stampin' up cardstock - whisper white, white cotton, flutterbydesigns wood veneer - abstract 2, kaisercraft stamp - script, stampin' up stamp - honeycomb hello (retired)

Hope that you are able to join us this month

Happy Creating