Ocean Waves

This month at Frilly and Funkie the challenge is Surf's Up.  I worked on two canvases, used clay seashells, cheesecloth, and art stones to create a faux surf and rocks.

I started by gluing down clay seashells, I make these with polymer clay and silicone molds.  Between the seashells I smeared on some 3D matte gel then sprinkle on art stones.  The cheesecloth is the fun part, rip and shred cheesecloth then paint with sculpture medium.  Shape across canvas and form into waves crashing into the rocks.  With the sculpture medium you can make ridges with the cheesecloth and it dries like that.  Glue down some art pebbles in the cheesecloth "water"

Once dry add some magicals, steampunk sepia along seashells and shore, guten tag teal in waves.  Sprinkle on magicals then spray with water to activate, move canvases around to move color. Dry

Next in the top corner use Lindy's Time Travel Teal, again sprinkle on then spray with water to activate.  Here I also used a paintbrush to cover the entire left top corner.  To make the sand darker I used Primary Elements Burnt Umber.  Again sprinkle on, activate with water then paint corner and into seashells with a brush.

Next paint all those FAB ridges with Pearl Alchemy Paint like an actual wave.  Also paint seashells and art pebbles with pearl paint, adds a little shimmer.

Finally, using embossing ink refill and a paint brush, paint along seashells and in between.  Sprinkle on stampendous aged gold embossing enamel, heat set. Once done I cut apart the canvases, but i preferred them as one.  Oh well.

Here you can see all those FAB ridges.

Love how ripping up the cheesecloth looks.

Seashells and "sand"

Turned out fantastic.  Have a great weekend!

Romantic Rust

Rust isn't just for the old and worn out but for soft and romantic.  This month at Mixed Media Monthly Challenge is RUST!  Sponsored by Emerald Creek Craft Supplies.

I started with pattern paper, coat with clear gesso dry.  Color background with Lindy's Edelweiss green, Pirate's plunder gold, and cape cod coral.  I splatter on the color then spray with water, then dry with a heat gun- makes it look like watercolor.  I do one color at a time.  Next mix light modeling paste with cape cod coral and apply through a harlequin stencil.

Around harlequin pattern add Lindy's Moonlit Mulberry these gives it a purple sprakle with brown under tones.  Starting to look rusty.  Next rub harlequin pattern with White gold and Amethyst Magic art alchemy wax.  So no "rust" products per say but the finished background looks like rust.

 Put it all together and what do you get??  I fuzzy cut floral designs from pattern paper, cut some paper panels and layer it all together with Scribble frames and Flowerdream chipboard.  Chipboard is painted with red wine and coral alchemy paints.  Love the metallic finish of these paints.  I sprinkled on gold embossing powder and heat from the underside this way I don't need to use embossing ink.

All the wonderful layers

Close up of harlequin texture, I also added some random stamping around page.

I like to overlap all my layout elements.

Scribble Frames Available on my etsy store Boozybear

Flowerdream also available on my etsy store Boozybear.

Oh big news!-  I have 103 followers, thank you everyone!

Bring on the Rust

It's May how the hell did that happen!!???!  April has been an insane month for, good insane but insane thus the lack of blog posts hopefully in May i will get to create instead of prep and package.  This month at Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog is RUST!

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge photo.

This month's sponsor is emerald creek, they make these amazing embossing powder that are a must have for mixed media and scrapbooking.

As usual I started with my background, creating a background is always my favorite part.  Paint pattern paper with clear gesso, dry. Start adding the alchemy paint - midnight sky first, paint on then spray with water move color around with paint brush and heat gun to get swirlly background.  Repeat with brass and paint.  Dry  Sponge greyish acrylic paint through numbers stencils around layout.

Sponge white acrylic paint through number stencil.  Lay stencil on top, slightly above and to the left of grey numbers. Now the the grey layer looks like a shadow.
Background done, now you can layer embellishments, paper layers and chipboard on top.

Final layout. I used 7 dots Studio Hazy Days pattern paper and paper die cuts.

 I like to draw around paper embellishment with charcoal then smear with fingertips, just another small detail.

For the chipboard filmstrip i embossed with Emerald Creek Baked Texture Chunky Rust- as you can see it actually looks like rust- real rust.

Here is another great shot of that Chunky Rust Baked Texture.  I also used on Chicken Wire chipboard.

I love the paper die cuts included in paper pack from 7 dots studio.  For that blue splatter I sprinkled Emerald Creek Deep Sea baked texture around this little cluster.  If you sprinkle on top of page then heat from the bottom then you don't need embossing ink!!.

Filmstrip Chipboard $7.95

Chicken Wire Chipboard $8.50

Complementary Colors- MMMC

This month at Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog it is all about color!

Create a mixed media project using predominantly one Complimentary or Split Complimentary Color Scheme. Put your color theory hat on! Be sure to tell us what you used.

Here is a color wheel for you to reference. A Complimentary Pair are two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. A Split Complement is one color plus the two colors adjacent to its complement across the wheel. (For example, Red + Yellow-Green & Blue-Green.)

So I love color theory.  One of my favorite things is to use a color wheel to mix paint I find it so relaxing.  

I started with a tag sponged harlequin through a stencil with Impasto Crimson and aubergine mixed together.

Next color background start by painting on clear gesso.  Next I used Lindy's Jazzy Jivin Purple, Golden Doubloons, and wake me up before you gold.  I like to use the sprayer nozzle to splatter on some color then spray with water to dilute and move color around.  Dry with a heat gun, then repeat steps.  This makes the marbling effect.

Ink the edges with ground espresso distress ink, and add some texture with random stamping and black archival ink.  Cut some paper panels and ink the edges, layer together with ripped up cheesecloth in between layers.

Next fussy cut some butterflies and make a springtime cluster with flowers and butterflies.

Here is it all pulled together.  

Go have some fun!

Stages of the Moon

The challenge of 13arts is

Travel the World- I took it to the next level Travel the universe.
I have been wanting to make a galaxy painting so here it is.

Start with styrofoam balls cut in half for the full moon.  I cut the other half balls into 3/4 moon, 1/2 moon, and 1/4 moon.  Smear on sand texture paste.

While the texture paste was still wet i press the moon into art stones- mega, regular, and mini.  Set aside to dry.

Paint with Alchemy opal magic yellow blue paint.  Dry.  Water down Alchemy Metallique emerald green paint, dab into graters then spray with water, the color with spread into nooks and crannies.  Dry

So many many layers later here is the moon.  Once teal has dried rub with a little white gesso in random spots.  Next rub in gold wax, here I used a paintbrush so i could get into smaller areas.  Next water down black acrylic paint and dab into nooks and crannies, spray with water.  Finally finish with a little white gesso dabbed on with fingertips.
Whew done.

I used a 14"x11" canvas then smeared with sand texture paste.  Added some stars made with a mold and polymer clay- I over cooked that is why they are brown.  Around stars add mini and regular art stones.  I tried to create a swirl pattern.

Close up of star bundle.

Once dry paint entire canvas with black gesso.  Now all that texture pops.

Start painting with alchemy metallique paints, Midnight Sky, Deep Waters, Mermaid Teal, Crocus Fields.  Start by spraying canvas with water- a water spray bottle this is my most used tool for mixed media.  Again paint in swirl pattern.

Paint on corus fields paint, spray with more water then brush out color to dilute and smear color edges.

Blot off the excess paint around edges, now the color is concentrated in center and dilutes out towards edges.  Repeat on whole canvas with all colors, this technique also works to blend colors together.

Here is the completed galaxy.  I concentrated most of the color in texture areas and blended out to non-texture areas.

Add white highlights.

Finish galaxy with splattered white paint, and rub on some white gold wax on stars.

Position full moon in center of galaxy then paint a halo around with white gesso.  Again i painted on then spray with to dilute and fade out edges.  Repeat for all stages of moon.

Finish with sisal underneath moons, insert hitch posts into canvas and wrap with wire.

I think the star bundles are my favorite spots.

When i am working on mixed media there are so many layers of paint and texture I always think i am covering up everything but those layers is what creates all the depth and realism.

Painted in swirl motion, then added some random wire onto hitch post.

The alchemy metallique paint looks amazing on black.