May 30, 2009

Making the background - step by step

I'm back!
And as I promised last week, I'll post the process of making the background for my painting. You can do it for any background, actually,.... scrapbooking, card making, art journaling, diary, anything....
Mine is 60x60 cm canvas.
Just adjust the size and the amount of materials you use on your project.

1. Use Deco Acrylic 3D (Lefranc&Bourgeois) to make some texture. You can use brush or old credit card. After that, pull out your stamp (here I used flower pattern)...and do some stamping! I suggest you use stamp with not too much little details because it will hardly show up later. And don't expect perfectness!
2. Still on the same canvas, stick some pattern paper using gel medium, and cover it right on once more with gel medium. Wait for 2-3 minutes until the gel zip into the paper, then use some paper tape to strip off some of the pattern. Don't limit it to one direction. Be free.
3. The third material I used here is batik fabric. Use the gel medium once more, and don't forget to cover it again. Don't worry, if you see the surface is milky like mine here, it will be clear and crisp in the morning.
4. In the morning? Yes! It's time for you to be patient. If you do it at night like me, just go to sleep now and leave it overnight. If you do it in the morning....just go do something else and check it out in the evening. Here is the result of the 3 materials match in one canvas :
5. Aaaah...you are back. Now, pick one color that you want to slightly pop out from your painting. Since I choose all one tone natural color for the paper, batik, and(later) the paint, I think this blue acrylic color will looks nice for accent.
6. It's time to recycle again! Now, I used the subscription cards which I collect from numerous mags. It's waaaay too much of them now, so I think It's time to put them for a good use. Don't you think?
7. After the blue color dried, it's time to put some color onto the 3D acrylic paint. Here I used burnt umber and burnt sienna. Mix up some water into the canvas directly and move it. You'll get some messy but nice-in-the-end effect, rather than only using one consistency of the paint.
8. Give more paint (without water) to your stamp image to make it stand out.
9. Don't forget to spread the colors onto all the 3 materials, so the finished result will look blended and even.
10. Leave it again overnight, and on the next day, you will have a ready-to-paint background! Yay!
Check out my painting for this background here.

Feel free to post your project link on this post's comment if you want to try this method, so everybody could check it out too!
Happy creating to you!

May 29, 2009

Album cover for May Scrapgathering




Can't wait for the scrapgathering tomorrow to fill it with all the LOs!! And to learn new techniques from Alice! Yay!
I think I should sleep early to save some energy for tomorrow.
Night night!

May 22, 2009

Cracked - Illustration Friday


Within your heart
there is timeless strength & courage
and wondrous beauty
you have yet to discover.
Crack it open.






If you remember from my last post that I tried to use batik fabric and recycling some of magazines and brochures...here is what coming out of it!
I'll try to post the step by step next week...(next week will be full for me).
Come on, I know you want to try it too! :)
See you soon.

May 21, 2009

May 2009 - Life Project

Get inspired by this mag's ad :

How do you think?
It's cool, right?
I may not be able to recycle everything in my home, but, just to start, in a single step.....this is something that definitely amazing to try.
Check this out :

Gather what you love in the mags, brochure, notes, card...and use the gel medium as always, you can just start. I put them on a canvas to make an inspiration board that I will hang near my working table...and will add to this gradually with a bit of pieces that I found day by day. You can do it on your journal book, drawing book, diary, anything.....










And to make the result looks like one piece, I put gesso on the top of it, being careful to not blocking the words/pics that I want to show. Add some color too for interesting point. And it's finished!

That's life. One step done. Thousands to come.
Have a good weekend, everyone!

May 20, 2009

A girl with a new hair

This is the girl I am talking about.

If you see her big smile, I wish you could see that my smile is much much bigger than that. Maybe you remember from just the last post, how long was her hair. Yes. Today she AGREE to cut about 20 cm of her hair! That's huge! Because I already tried to pursue her to cut it for almost 2 years, and she didn't want to have a short hair...until yesterday, she want it, after she saw one of her best friend have a short cool hair.....
Gee, gosh, what can't I cancel today to rush her to that Kiddy Cut for this treat? None. Absolutely none.
Isn't she beautiful?


This little boy also get his hair trimmed a bit.



Oh, so much fun!

Celebrate our friendship


When you have true friends,
hold them with both your hands.

May 19, 2009

Soul Journaling

I want to do journaling pages (besides scrapbooking and painting) for suuuuch a long time.
Buying book about the technique, done.
Reading it step by step, done.
Searching through the internet looking for so many journaling artist, done.
Being inspired, done.
Then go to grab some basic supplies and the papers for it,done.
Still, I am here wondering what keeps me sit safely on the shore. Hhh.

Then, today, I stumble over Sarah Whitmire's blog, and found that she did Soul Journaling tutorials for 22 days, with step by step technique that keep my jaws still open wide when I type this. Oooh, my dear buddies, you really HAVE TO SEE THIS ! Sarah is really a wonderful and talented soul. And the fact that she shared this for all of us....really melt my heart. Once more, there are so much to find in the heart of blogger artist that keep me in awe. We are really blessed to be a part of this community.

Wish me luck, will you?
I am really thinking I am ready to start.

May 18, 2009

Do you notice?

Life is full of beauty.
Notice it.
Notice the bumble bee.
Notice the small child.
Notice the smiling faces.
Notice the beautiful colors on white.


When is the last time you do notice something simple,
and smile for its beauty?
Mine is today.
When I see these cookies.

acid free glue

Scrappers, just a quick hi and want to share this with you :

For us, scrappers who live in Indonesia, finding an acid free glue is one big problem. So, when today I go to Gramedia book store and found this, it's like finding a long lost friend....giddy with excitement. So, just go...go...go... grab them while they last! And to add to the pleasure...it is sooo cheap....only Rp.13.000,- /bottle.
I only think of one word : stock...stock...stock......:)

May 16, 2009

It's not easy being a snake, huh?

Just now, Adam asked me, "Mom, how a snake walks without legs?"
Aha.
When a simple answer like, "With its tummy, of course, honey..." will do...
I go with the funnier answer,"Do you want to know how is it like to 'walk' like a snake?"
Glee with curiousity and excitement, he say yes without a blink, and Nadea runs to join without I even have to call her.
Got you, kids.
Haha.
"Ok, now, lie down on the floor, put your hands behind, because, remember, snake don't have hands, right?"
They are keep giggling.
"Now, move forward with your tummy, not your feet...."



Oh, they are doing it for ten minutes or so, but I tell you, we have so much fun! I myself can not keep a straight face. They are just sooooo funny trying. Then Nadea give me the funny face and say, " Mom, it's not easy being a snake!!! "

Oh, you bet they don't, honey....

If we are ever to enjoy life,

Now is the time.

Thomas Dreier

May 14, 2009

Do not reinvent the wheel every time.


You know that old saying
"Do not reinvent the wheel"?

We scrapbookers simply love to put too much pressure on our already heavy shoulders. Yup. To be creative is not that you have to start from zero to hero, every time you sit in front of the table looking for your next layout.
If you found something that looks great, make you feel great after it done, why shouldn't you use it again? It is not a crime, and certainly not a shame at all.

So.......
After I finished the layout above (look at the details down here):





I love it !
So I make one more today using the same recipe......


The details :




Sureeeeee.......you must be challenged to think of something new and refreshing every time you go scrapbooking. And I don't say this to make you look down on your spirit. I just want to remind you, don't do the reinventing thing, every time.
Just be happy with some recipes that will always make you feel good....and you can use them again...and again....just like your little black dress.

Happy scrapping!

About me

  • I am a woman who fell in love with papers and words long enough before with boys. Therefore, scrapbooking, writing, reading, and art journaling are just things that complete me. I live happily in Bandung, Indonesia, with my husband, Audy Kusnadjaja, and 2 adorable kids adore me. Isn't life sweet?
My profile

About this home

Be careful while going inside my home here. Your clothes may gets stain if you happen to walk by my still wet canvas, or stumbled upon our piles of books everywhere, and come out with a scrap paper sticking to your shoes. But I promise you, you'll enjoy the time spending here. Tea or coffee?
  • The beginning
  • Last preparation
  • Artsy Girl's scrapper bag
  • Artsy Girl's mini album
  • Back to school
  • You rock!
  • Doilies for memories
  • Becoming an artist
  • Scrap my heart away
  • Too much of good things
  • Yellow sometimes
  • Double pages
  • Some layouts
  • Don't reinvent the wheel
  • Tips for dividing scrap time
  • Back to school album
  • Christmas album 2009
  • A month to play, a month to learn
  • 'Life happens' album
  • My girl's b'day album
  • Recycling the baby book
  • My boy's b'day album
  • About stranger
  • Make something every day
  • 2009 Art journals - bounded
  • Art journals - begin
  • 2009 Daily Journal
  • 2008 Daily Journal
  • Cracked
  • Parade
  • Hierarchy
  • Fleeting
  • Legendary
  • Time
  • Voices
  • Balloon
  • Wise
  • Repair
  • String
  • First painting
  • Life of two girls-treasure box
  • Box of memories
  • Making your own embellishment
  • A month to play and learn
  • Art journal album cover
  • Week in The Life - 2011
  • Week in The Life - 2010
  • Week in The Life - 2009
  • Week in The Life - 2008
  • To see the album - click here
  • To see the class - click here
  • To see the album - click here
  • To see the class - click here
  • To see the album - click here
  • To see the class - click here
  • To see the layouts - click here
  • To see the class - click here
  • To see the album - click here
  • To see the class-group 1 - click here
  • To see the class-group 2 - click here
  • To see the album - click here
  • To see the class - click here
  • To see the album - click here
  • To see the Jkt's class - click here
  • To see the Bdg's class - click here

  • The story - click here

  • The story - click here

  • See inside - click here

  • See inside - click here
  • See inside - click here
  • See inside - click here
  • See inside - click here
  • Other article - click here
  • My Artist Papers

  • Wings in The Cage - series
  • Where is it ? - click here
  • New place - click here
  • Eat&Eat Kelapa Gading
  • Eat&Eat - part 2
  • Kartika Sari-kebon jukut
  • Warung Talaga-PVJ
  • Sagoo restaurant Bogor
  • Eat&Eat 2 - Gandaria City
  • Goela Merah - foodcourt
  • Ba-koel - foodcourt
  • MariSini - food stall
  • Eat&Eat 3 - Surabaya
  • Warung Talaga Ciwalk - new place
  • Wajan restaurant
  • Warung Talaga - Serpong
  • Eat&Eat 4 - Serpong
  • Lekker Bekker