Only By The Walls

It is the beginning of the month which means another art journal challenge from Art and Soul Studio has started. You will find all the details for the challenge in the facebook group Soul Sisters which is part of the Art and Soul Studio.

The challenge is to use these images and quote for inspiration to create an art journal page.

Here is an close up of a part of my journal page if you would like to see the whole piece please follow this link to the Art and Soul Studio Blog.

Products from the shop: Tim Holtz Distress Ink: walnut stain, vintage photo and peeled paint

Happy Creating

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





You Have To Believe

Lately I have been struggling with my inner art demons, they are telling me that what I create is not good enough. They are telling me that I should give up and choose another hobby. Sometimes it is hard not listen to them when they are very, very loud. Most times I am able to turn then off, but lately it's been rather difficult. This morning I put them back in their sound proof box and proved to them and me I am good enough. I think I created one of my favourite pieces that I have ever made. It is an art journal page that I created for Art and Soul Studio.

Here are some close ups, if you would like to see the entire page and my process please follow the link to the blog.

Happy Creating

They Know The Way

Good Morning,

 

Have you seen the challenge that Shop and Crop Scrapbooking have running? If not here is a link to the post on the blog, where you will find lots of inspiration from the Design Team. To enter you need to belong to our Facebook group and add your creation into the correct album. You have until the end of the month to do so.

 

The challenge is a mood board

 

 

How much fun can you have with this, we would love to see what you create.

 

I took my inspiration from the colour palette and the quote and created a journal page. Here are some close up of the texture I was able to create. If you would like to see my process then please pop on over to Shop and Crop Scrapbooking Blog (see link above).

 

 

 

products used that can be found in the shop:

indigoblu mega-flake: autumn blaze

the crafter workshop 6x6 template: mini texturized

 

I hope that you play along

Happy Creating

 

Don't Follow The Direction Of The Arrows

It's Thursday today which means the second prompt for the Artsy Circles for Art and Soul Studio's facebook group Soul Sisters is out.

The prompt is arrows. Here is what I created

Using my metal die and bigshot I found the biggest circle, which is 10.3 cm in diameter and cut a piece of heavy watercolour paper. I then put gesso on both sides, this was to help stop the curling of the paper.

To create the background I did it in layers using three different distress stains. I didn't want to put the colour directly on to the circle so I splatted the stains onto my craft mat then sprayed them gentle with water. Once the stains beaded on my mat I dragged and laid my circle into the stain. I did this a number of times with each colour making sure that I dried in between the layers.

Using same three colours I then splattered the colours on top of the background again drying in between the layers.

I loved the background that I created but I needed more and in the end I lost some of the splatters of the stains but that's ok because their are no rules and creating in an adventure. At this stage I needed to add some arrows so with my white pen and arrow stencil I drew the shapes of the different arrows across the surface of my circle.

Being that the prompt was arrows I decided that this was just not enough so before I added my words to the circle with the same white pen I coloured in the arrows to make them stand out.

products used that can be found in the Art and Soul Store:
tim holtz distress stain - spiced marmalade, vintage photo and ripe persimmon

Happy Creating

Follow Your Dreams

Its the beginning of a new month which means there is a new challenge for Shop and Crop Scrapbooking, pop on over to the blog to see what inspiration the Design Team has created.

This month the challenge is a mood board

I created an art journal page using the quote as my focal point.

Happy Creating

Wild at Heart from Cocoa Vanilla Studio

Today up on the Shop and Crop Scrapbooking blog I have a trio of cards that I created using the Wild at Heart Collect from Cocoa Vanilla  Studio.

If you would like to see more then please visit Shop and Crop Scrapbooking and a photographic tutorial which explains how I created this background.

Happy Creating

Technique Tuesday

Today up on the Art and Soul Studio I have a photographic tutorial with different techniques using Nuvo Mousse, a Stencil Girl stencil both can be purchase in the shop.

If you would like to know more on how these techniques were done please pop on over to the blog to find out

Happy Creating

It's A Boy

For my second play this month for Shop and Crop Scrapbooking I got to create with the collection 'It's a Boy' from Carta Bella.

I really enjoy using this colour scheme and I had the perfect photo of my little man with the same colour on the wrap that he was laying on. I think this would have to be the least amount of mixed media that I have ever used on a layout but the papers said it all.

I couldn't just stop at a layout I had to create some cards as well.

The stencil that I used in the back ground is also available in the shop I think this was my very first stencil and the start of a very, very unhealthy addiction.

The papers that I have used can be found in the shop and some of them are on sale. If you do decide that you need to visit the shop please use the code DO5 and you will receive a discount.

Happy Creating

First Post For Shop and Crop Scrapbooking

Not sure which is more nerve racking being told that you are part of a design team, creating stuff with the products you have been sent or sharing on the design team's blog. Today it's the sharing.

It's all about Shop & Crop Scrapbooking today, my first share as a design team member.  Last month I was sent a box with lots of goodies to play with and I decided to play with the Petticoats & Stripes collect from Echo Park.

 

If you would like to see some close ups then please click on the link above and it will take you to the blog.

The Petticoats & Pinstripes collection is available in the shop, if you would like to make a purchase please use the code DO5 to receive a discount.

Happy Creating

Rusty Gears

The Rust Effect Paste trio by Prima Marketing have been my stash for a little while, but it wasn't until I went on retreat last month that I actually played with it. It was a lot of fun to play with.

In using up some of the gelli plate prints that I created in June last year I made a background that I really, really didn't want to cover up. I just loved all the texture and colours that I was able to achieve.

A brain wave hit, I could use gears because they had holes in them, even though I wasn't going to cover the whole background you would be able to see through the gears.

So now not only do I have yummy texture on the background but also on the gears thanks to the texture paste.

 products used: cogs from my stash, art extravagance rust effect paste - gold rust, brown rust & red rust, art extravagance texture paste - graphite, dylusion paints - vibrant turquoise, fresh lime and lemon zest, gelli arts printing plate, the crafter workshop stencil mini corncob etching, kaisercraft mini alpha stickers - chocolate & white, stabilo all - black, faber-castell pitt artist pen big brush - nougat, derivan matisse flow - raw umber, golden mediums - acrylic glazing liquid gloss, mixed media paper, art basics 3d gloss gel - transparent.

Happy Creating

Follow Your Dreams

Currently I have 5 bound art journals being used and 2 just patiently waiting for me to break them out, but I really love using mixed media paper or heavy watercolour paper that I have cut up myself.  Having all these different size journals and paper lets me just follow my journey where ever it leads.

The art journal page I am sharing with you today has a little story behind it which I hope you don't mind me sharing with you. It started out as a page painted with black gesso, then letter stickers stuck down. Once this was all dry I added colour with my Twinkling H2Os, which were pretty in colour but the design was ugly. I put it aside for another day. That day final came and then after many, many, many layers of thick gesso, texture paste, I was able to cover the old page up. My piece of mixed media paper that is 21.5 cm x 21.5 cm now weighs 64g. The same size and kind of paper with nothing on it only weighs 13g, that's a lot of product to cover something up.

Much happier with the new page

products used: mixed media paper, art basics heavy gesso - white, lindy's stamp gang sprays starburst - tiffanylou blue, blue hawaiian blue, lindy's stamp gang sprays flat fabio - tilt-a-wheel teal, tim holtz collection layering stencil - stripes, uni pin fine line - black 0.1, kaisercraft rubons - dreams, indigoblu stamp - limor circles, dina wakley media stamp - textures

Happy Creating