Mixed Media Canvas

I was inspired to make this canvas by CeeCee from Creations CeeCee on YouTube. She made a beautiful canvas using the same Poppy stencil by Donna Downey Studios and tags. I liked hers so much that I decided to make my own very different version. CeeCee  is an excellent artist and demonstrator for Scrapbookcentrale in Canada. If you don't know of her already you should definitely check out her Channel. 

I  adhered three white tags and their strings, which I placed into various positions onto the canvas, with Claudine Helmuth Studio Matte Multi-medium Gel. I then created the poppies using Artist Spackle modelling paste through a Donna Downey Studios stencil. I used various makes and colours of acrylic paint to colour the background, blending with my fingers. Once this was dry I stenciled through a piece of Punchinella with a sponge dipped into white gesso to add texture with the small white dots. The poppies were painted with Daler & Rowney, System 3, Fluorescent Pink paint, with darker accents added with Crawford & Black Acrylic paint in Rose. For the centers of the poppies I mixed together Artist Spackle and black gesso then added some seed beads to give it texture. I punched out the letters for my words from black card using a Martha Stewart set of Alphabet punches. I then used the remains of the punched out card as a stencil and using black gesso added random letters to various parts of the canvas. Using a Tim Holtz  Stampset "Papillon CMS106 by Stampers Anonymous, I stamped  butterflies onto tissue paper with StaZon black ink. Once dry I tore carefully around the edges of each butterfly and then adhered them to the tags with the Matte Gel medium. I added my letters in the same way to each tag, then gave them all a good coat of Gel Medium over the top,

I was very happy with the outcome.

Altered Box in a Winter Shabby Chic Style

I've been quite busy lately working on a few projects and Id like to share one with you today.

It's an altered heart shaped box which as the weather is turning colder has inspired me to complete it in a winter shabby chic style. I'm not a fan of the cold, but I do like the look of those winter frosty mornings when everything seems to twinkle with it's icy coating.

I used a blank white coloured chipboard box which I painted with dark- brown acrylic paint and left to dry. I then painted on a layer of my favourite Folkart Crackle Medium, then best to leave to dry overnight. The last coat was a cream coloured acrylic paint called Tapioca 903 by Folkart, which you must ensure is painted on thickly in even strokes, all in the same direction,   The crackle effect happened almost instantly. 

I made up some pine cones and roses from coloured card using the Tim Holtz  "Tattered Pinecone" die. I also cut several leaves from this same die in different leafy colours, some leafy flourishes from the Cherry Lynn  "Mini Fanciful Flourish" die in gold,  half a clock face & the hands from the Tim Holtz "Weathered Clock" die, which I painted dark brown. I also used some cheesecloth which I aged with Lindy's stamp gang spray in Creme Brulee Creme and some gold bead sprays from my stash. 

I worked out the positioning of all my pieces and then used hot glue to adhear them all down securely. Once in place I librally coated everything with Snowtex paste by Decoart and sprinkled on some glitter to give it an extra wintery sparkle. 

I  distressed the edges slightly with some Tim Holtz distress ink in Vintage photo, then hot glued some gathered lace and a line of gold Chinese braid to the sides. 

I added a touch of gold Run-n-Buff to the clock hands and Cut out the word "Memories" from designer paper and tucked it into place over the cheese cloth.

                                     

A step-by-step video showing how I created this box.

21ST BIRTHDAY CARDS

I made these cards for my daughters 21st birthday. The first one is in my favourite Shadow Box, Stepper Card style and for the second I have used lot's of Die Cuts.

The Frame is a Sizzix Die "Frame Ornate" backed onto blue card which has been embossed with a Dots embossing folder. The paper line is Bonjour by Kaiser Craft. I've used a few Vintage Trinkets by Prima and flowers from my stash and Wild Orchid Crafts. The Eiffel Tower die is by Dy-Namics and Eylet Circles by Spellbinders. 

I made the banner pieces from card and used letter stickers for the name. I adheared these onto Bakers Twine and then held them in place with mini clothes pegs. I painted the Vintage Trinckets with Gesso and then added some gold Wax Rub for definition.

I added some glitter glue to the flowers 

A bronze metal key to signify the "Key of the Door" and some bling accent swirls

I made the numerals by cutting out the shapes and then adhearing rhinestones to them. I've used a Cherry Lynn diecut behind the flowers

I stamped my sentiment with StayZon Ink and added more Prima Vintage Trinkets

My second card was for her Grandmother to send to her.

I used the Spellbinders Fancy Lattice Die for the background and the butterfly is cut from another Spellbinders background die called Butterfly Magic. I've used the bling mesh to add a trim top and bottom, some tulle trim on the inside edges topped with rhinestone flowers from my stash. I've used the same Cherry Lynn swirl die cut and Wild Orchid Crafts flowers

For the inside I have seemlessly joined two pieces if the Fancy Lattice together then made a mat from glitter paper topped with a white Mat then a Spellbinders diecut and a sentiment topper from my stash. I have used the mini baroque die for the message panel and the Tim Holtz Love die for the other panel.

My You Tube Video

ART JOURNAL PAGE - BLUE

I created this page in memory of a very dear friend who lost her life to depression.

It would have been her 21st birthday and this page is my tribute to her.

I used Dylusion Sprays and Neocolor II Water soluable crayons for the background. The doodles were done with my Faber Castelle PITT Big Brush pen and was inspired by Diane Reaveley. The whimsical portrait is my first attempt at including a face in my art journals. I was very happy with the outcome

My journalling was a quote by Tim Robbins from Jitterbug Perfume. My interpretation is of someone who is becoming disillusioned with life and losing their direction and reason to live.

There is an organisation in the UK called PAPYRUS (Prevention of Young Suicide) that has been set up to try to help young people contemplating suicide and their families. They rely almost entirely on donations. If you feel you'd like to help their cause please visit their website http://www.papyrus-uk.org/donate

Thank You

GATES OF HAPPINESS

Hi everyone,

After my long summer break it's great to be back and crafting again. I really missed it.

Here's another page completed in my small Art Journal that I made from re-cycled Xmas cards. If you're interested to see how I made this journal. Check out my YouTube Video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q23m-Q8DaF8

The Quote for this Journal Page is Love is the Master Key that Opens The Gates of Happiness.

I didn't do a step-by-step video for this one but I'll explain my process and the supplies I've used under the pictures.

I really hope you like my page and would be interested to read your comments.

The Background was created using firstly Neocolor II water soluable crayons in a lime green and yellow blended with water. I later added Liquitex Acrylic Ink in the same shades to add more depth to the colour. I used a metal stencil and added the black border using my Faber Castell PITT pen in black.  I used part of the "Art Is" stencil with modelling paste under the gates. Once dry I added some gold Rub-and-Buff wax and then highlighted the words with my Black PITT pen.
THe flowers were found in a gardening magazine and cut out and collaged into place with gel medium. I then doodled on them with white and black pen.

I added Red & Yellow Liquitex \acrylic Paint to Modelling paste to create an orange paste and then used the "Reverse Chicken Wire" stencil to randomly add sections to the page. Once dry I coloured in a few of the wire cells with black ink and then used the same ink to write my quote. I then outlined that with white Posca Paint Pen. 

I added a magazine print of a Venetian mask inside the gate using Matt Gel Medium. I cut one section of the lock so that I was able to thread the lock through the gate so it appeared locked.

The key was cut from chipboard using a sizzix die  - Hardware Findings by Tim Holtz. The heart part of the key came from the Sizzix  Mini Lovestruck die set also from the Tim Holtz range. These were glued together and then I added bead gel, then gold and bronze embossing powder which I heated until it melted and gave an aged rusted look.

My You Tube Video

LIFE IS A BLANK CANVAS.
IT'S UP TO YOU HOW COLOURFUL YOU MAKE IT.

I was inspired to make this art journal page by the packaging from my box of Liquitex paints that I recently purchased. There was a grid pattern of vibrantly coloured squares and rectangles which I decided to cut apart and use them as the basis of my page.

Here are some pictures of the finished page followed by my YouTube video explaining in more detail and including a fast speed step-by-step of how I created it and the products I used.

I wanted to capture a mood of happiness like a carnival with bright vibrant colours.
I  took my lead from the squares of packaging and I used stencils with Liquitex Ink, acrylic paint, Faber Castelle PITT Big Brush Artist Pens, Rubber Stamps and Guilding Flakes to create a kaleidoscope of patterns and textures.

Please watch the video

 

YouTube Hop

Today I'm participating in a YouTube Art Journal/Mixed-Media hop with 6 other talented artists.

Please come along and join in. I've made a step-by step video of how my project was created.

The theme was summer, and we had to incorporate fluorescent paint, so I created this fun canvas
using book paper, modelling paste, tissue paper, a stencil, paper flowers and lots of fluorescent colours.

I was very happy with the outome.

The sun was made using the Mini Mayan Stencil by Balzer Designs at Crafters Workshop and Modelling Paste

The girl was printed onto tissue paper from an image I found on the internet which I added to and adapted to my own requirements. I then glued this onto the canvas and re-coloured it with a black Faber Castelle PITT Artist Pen. 

I used a stampset by Chocolate Baroque for the grass and some smaller random stamps for background detail.