Handmade Background Letters

I finished a layout for Mixed Media & Art mid June Thematic Challenge here is the mood board

This is right up my alley, the challenge includes making the background and must include letters.
I love creating backgrounds!!!

I started with a blank vanilla cardstock and painted with clear gesso.  Next splatter spots of Lindy's Violaceous Violet, next spray with water.

Here is how it looks once sprayed with water and dry.  The gesso prevents the Lindy's from soaking right into cardstock so you can move the color around and get blotches.

I repeated steps with Treasure Island Aqua, and Buccaneer Bay Blue.

Next sponge Alchemy Paint (my new colors whoo hoo) Plum Preserves, Emerald Green, Midnight Sky, and Soft Satin through a checker stencil. Next outline checker pattern with white gel pen.

Next I painted some old chipboard letters white then beige with Alchemy soft satin paint.  Sprinkle on Primary Elements Mediterranean Blue, and Chestnut Brown spray with water then dab off excess.

I laid on layout then drew around chipboard letters, lift off page and drew around charcoal pencil smear with fingertip glue letter onto page.

The final step of background whew... sponge on bubble through die cut circle stencil, draw around outside with black pencil crayon. Stamp with texture stamp and black archival ink around bubbles, finally use glossy accents and fill in bubble. You will need to let glossy accent dry completely- takes a few hours.

Add paper layers, and paper die cut elements, I used Hazy Days paper pack from 7 dots studio.  I love how this one all came together I need to find a picture to add.

I used Soapy Waves chipboard available on my etsy store BoozyBear.  I have been designing new pieces lately make sure to check the etsy store out, I also included added stencils to the etsy store.

The picture doesn't do the glossy accent bubbles justice, they look just like epoxy stickers.  The key is the glossy accents needs to be super thick BUT the page needs to be flat otherwise the glossy accents will start to bleed.

I also used Number Grid chipboard from my etsy store BoozyBear, this I painted in an ombre effect with Alchemy Paint.

Here is a better pic of grid numbers.

Close up of the checker pattern.  It took forever to draw around the checkers, but I am listening to the best book right now so i didn't mind.  It is called Natchez Burning by Greg Iles if you have an interest in civil rights/ Jim Crow era I highly recommend.

Photo cluster, I kept it smaller so I wouldn't cover up all the wonderful background.

Happy Sunday.  I haven't give a follower update in awhile but I am up to 75 whoo hoo!!! This is super exciting for me.  I will have more exciting news next month- tune in.

With all my Heart

Finished a layout for Lindy's June Challenge- summer pastel colors

I started with a doily stencil (its hard to see) then i splatter with Lindy's Cape Cod Coral, South Shore Sand, and Merci Beaucoup Mint.

Next I spray with water, the color spreads out and the three colors blend together.

Next very carefully lift off the doily stencil, heat set.

Once dry here is how it looks, you can definitely see the doily pattern and all the color variations.  Very grungy final look.

I created a decorative frame by layering together 3 chipboard designs available at my etsy store Boozybear.
Leafy Frame
Alexandra Flourish
Flight Frame

Alexandra Flourish

Flight Frame

Leafy Frame

Add paper layers, and die cuts from 7 Dots studio Dreamscrapes paper line.  I also sewed around circles, note to self do not glue on all paper layers before sewing the page is not very flexible makes sewing difficult as you see with my stitching is oval not circle.

I painted the layered chipboard frame white then embossed with four embossing powders Lindy's Geranium Coral Blush, Golden Angel Wings, Copper Pine and on the butterflies only Merci Beaucoup Mint.  I embossed yellow to pink in an ombre effect.  Finish with some random stamping and splatter with white and black acrylic paint around photo and frame.

Pink embossing along the bottom and yellow at the top.

Really like the subtle effect of background pattern doilies and clocks.  Love the color variations in doilies.

I also used a clock stencil and inked around with hickory smoke distress ink, then highlighted by drawing around clock with glossy accents.

This sewing circle is actually a circle!

Whenever I think a layout is missing something I splatter paint around photo cluster, don't know why but it seems to finish the layout.

Now back to chores...

Reach for the Stars

This month the challenge at Mixed Media Monthly is a Year of Choices, I have chosen Reach for the Stars- I took it literal and used stars as an embellishment.

So many get choices!

I started with a background as usual, love creating a background and I love stripes so lets combine them. Start by creating stripes with painter tape, then splatter on a combination of Lindy's Tainted Love Teal, Cattail Copper Brown, Treasure Island Aqua, Afternoon Delight Demin and sprinkle on Magicals Rusty Lantern Lime.

Spray with water to blend and blur edges, sprinkle on salt and dry with a heat gun.

Once dry peel off tape.  I wish I had pressed edges tighter so i had sharper edges but c'est la vie.  Looks super fun!!!

To make the edges sharper I lined up a ruler along the stripe and inked with vintage distress ink along top and bottom.

Finished background.

Here i cut scroll gear chipboard available at my esty store BoozyBear.  Painted it with broken china distress paint, once dry lightly sand (chipboard is very delicate)

Next ink with Faded Jeans and vintage photo distress ink, the ink will settle in sanded portions- looks old and grungy.

Finally sprinkle on Burnt Umber Primary Elements and spray with water, finish by spraying entire chipboard piece with Treasure Island Aqua.  This chipboard piece is Wind Up Gear also available at my etsy store BoozyBear

Put it all together and here is what you get.  Again I used 7 Dots Studio Hazy Days paper pack along with all the those FAB die cuts.

I used pencil crayons to color on some accent stars. The cheesecloth in between layer was colored with primary elements and Lindy'd magicals.

Layering all those FAB die cuts in between paper layers.

To finish the chipboard pieces I applied glossy accents on top , adds an epoxy finish.

I also highlight stripes with pencil crayon along edges.  I really love how the stripes turned out.

Now onto the next one...

Best Father's Day Present

Today's challenge is from More than Words- Father and steampunk

I started with vanilla cardstock, and splatter on some Lindy's color spray Tainted Love Teal, Bucket o Blood Red and Van Dyke Sepia, spray with water.  When it is nice and wet sprinkle on salt- lots of salt, completely dry.

Next wipe off dry salt, looks like concrete.  With a number stencil, white acrylic paint and sponge add number clusters.

To highlight the numbers I drew an outline and added a drop shadow to number clusters.

I used Time after Time chipboard available on my etsy store BoozyBear, first i mixed white gesso with texture powder then used a palette knife to smear on chipboard.  Next paint entire piece with white acrylic, sprinkle on some primary elements and magicals spray with water, they mix and blend.

Also used 123 Action chipboard, and followed the same steps.  This one I also added pattern paper underneath.

Put it all together and this is what you get.  Also have paper layers, and die cut layered in there, I used 7 dots studio Hazy Days paper pack.

I think this is my favorite spot- A. Mr Finn (my dog) is posed super good B. I like the hexagons outlined with charcoal then the number cluster in the background.  I also outline some of the paper layers with black charcoal to help make the photo cluster stand out more.

I like the contrast of brown/ earth tones of background then the bright teal and green of the chipboard piece.  I splattered around picture with white acrylic paint.

Here is my kid and the other poochy Zeke, my son Alex was born the day before Father's Day I believe two weeks early.

I love the die cuts from 7 Dots studios add so much interest.

I have also added some new chipboard designs- do you like steampunk and clocks??? I sure hope so

123 Action

Wind Up Gear

Making Time

Spin Around the Clock

Time After Time

TimeKeeper

See you all another day!