Loads of playing going on....

I haven't had a lot of dedicated time at my art desk lately but the time I have spent there has been very productive and a little bit scattered with nothing quite being "done" 

some fun new airbrush paints I tried in my new Strathmore journal - with some quick random doodling still in progress.  a page in my wine journal - painted with the labels glued in but no journaling yet.  I better get to it or I will forget my impressions of the wine!!

I really needed to journal this past week and got it all out on several journal spreads but both of these pages still need some embellishments I think...

 
some more journaling - upper left - this one in my anxiety journal.  I really like that page with the handcut vintage book page scrolls.  a spread in my newest altered book journal - with a gel transfer that I am really pleased with - I love how my  dress is a floral pattern similar to how I draw flowers....so neat!!

I started my cards to hand out for Mothers Day - with a collage on watercolour paper.  I am not sure where these are going just yet - most likely paint and mark making with a gel transfer over top - just not sure if I am going to use a photo for the transfer or maybe my doodles.....

If you are wondering about how many cards I am making here...no - I don't have a large amount of mothers ;)  I like to hand out either gifts or cards to the mothers I know which includes my sisters :)

Not photographed were the 3 journals that I Gessoed the covers in preparation for paint and collage etc.  I am super excited to work on those because it's always such fun to make a cover :) 

creating is good.  it keeps me happy :)

Easter Cards.....

The past few days I have been doodling my Pysanka in my large moleskin and having a fabulous time of it!! I decided to use these doodles as gel transfers and make some cards to give out at Easter breakfast this morning at my parents house. 

I used my Canson mixed media paper as a base - let me tell you I am not impressed with it as a mixed media paper for my use.  I glued down ripped vintage book pages (the paper was extremely warped by this time and I had to flatten it out by bending it backwards) and then got out my M Graham watercolours and did a little wash mixing colours as I went along. 

The colours were a little bold and the text a bit too visible on the pages so I knocked it back with a glaze of glazing medium mixed with Titan Buff liquid acrylic.  I didn't want anything to compete with the egg gel transfers.

The watercolours became a beautiful pastel and I was quite pleased with the result of the glazing medium over watercolour.  I was a little hesitant - I wasn't sure how permanent some of my watercolours were and I really didn't want it to run all together.  It worked just fine. 

Now I became a little crazed at this point and forgot to take pictures of the actual gel transfer process - but I promise to document my process and do a complete post on my technique at a later time.

I applied my laser copied transfers with self levelling gel and used my heat gun to speed up the drying time.  I removed the paper from the back of the transfers and cut up into 4 cards per prepared sheet - I actually made two of the above collages - the one above and another one with purple added to the colours as well.  My cards measure 4.5"x6" - I made 8 total and should have made more!!!  As it was I have a very sore right forearm from all that transfer removal!! 

I saved my favourite one....the one below....for myself.  Is that selfish?

After cutting each collaged, painted and gel transfered sheet into quarters - each card was so warped there was no way I could give it out as finished.  So I decided to glue them onto a colourful backing paper.  yikes!!!  they were too warped to actually glue down nicely.  yikes.  I did the best I could and then put them under a layer of wax paper with weights on top to set overnight.  They flattened somewhat and I was less embarrassed to give them away.  Lesson learned....use stiffer paper for my mixed media work. 

Everyone was thrilled with their cards and I had fun and learned something too.  It was great to get out my watercolours again....it's been since last summer that I wet my palette!! 

I hope everyone had a good Easter!!