Sweet Life Vertical Mini Album For Mini Album Makers Challenge Blog

Hello everyone, I'm thrilled to be a guest designer over on the Mini Album Makers Challenge blog today, a huge thanks to Autumn and her amazingly talented DT for the honour!  I decided to make a Spring inspired vertical mini album created with ... toilet paper rolls!

Not a spec of Distress Ink on this one (it near killed me not to use it!) but those pretty papers from a Blossom and Bliss Paper Pad by Recollections in lovely spring shades of green and pink didn't really need it.  I had to have my Tim Holtz fix though so I used some of his Wildflowers, Tattered Florals and Small Tattered Florals die cuts along with his Metallic Quotations Stickers.

Hope you can pop over to the Mini Album Makers Challenge blog for my how to and thanks again to Autumn for the opportunity, have a great week everyone and happy creating!

Deb xo

Natural Materials Masterclass Tutorial At Mixed Up Creative Academy

Hi everyone, I'm excited to tell you that I have a tutorial now available over at Mixed Up Creative Academy for my Touch Of Nature mixed media canvas created with an image transfer technique and found natural materials.

My tutorial is available as part of the Natural Materials Masterclass at Mixed Up Creative Academy that includes EIGHT mixed media tutorials that incorporate natural and found materials from these talented designers: Teresa Morgan, Riikka Kovasin, Leanne Jago, Me!, Katy Leitch, Corinne Rollet, Erica Evans and Elisa Ablett.

Pop by Mixed Up Creative Academy to read more about these amazing courses and take a browse around to see all that's available, so much mixed media goodness in one spot!  Thanks as always for stopping by today and happy creating,

Deb xo

The 100 Day Project Days 7 Through 12

Hi all, hard to believe but it's day 12 of #the100dayproject and I'm still going, totally surprising myself here since sticktoit-ness is not one of my strong points LOL!  Here's a quick recap of my #100daysofartjournaling makes for days 7 through 12 (you can see day 1 here and days 2 through 6 here).

Started an art journal page for day 7, clear gesso and translucent blue paint on the background with random stamping.  I started to stamp Tim Holtz's Noble Gent stamps on the background but they were getting lost so I decided to stamp The Gent again onto Distress Mixed Media Heavystock and fussy cut.  Then had the idea to add some gears so die cut them with Tim's Gadget Gears Bigz die and just placed them on the page to see if I liked it or not.  Left it to contemplate overnight!

Flight Of Ideas art journal page for day 8, finishing up the page I'd started the day before.  I stamped and fussy cut the light bulbs from Tim's Noble Gent and The Professor stamp sets and also cut out the propeller blades from the Professor set and adhered them to the largest light bulb.  Added some button thread to the other light bulbs and wrote some sayings related to the creative process, my pens were not happy writing on this page (think it was the clear gesso?) so it came out messy but que sera, sera!

Start of a page for day 9, I started out with some paint resist through Tim's Gothic stencil and then made a stencil monoprint onto another piece of paper with the paint left on the Gothic stencil.  I then adhered it onto the page along with a fragment of the paper towel I'd used to blot the stencil while monoprinting.  Variations on a theme!

Rhapsody In Blue art journal page for day 10, completion of the page I'd started the previous day.  Stamping with Tim's Distress Damask stamp and then die cut Spellbinders Ironwork Accents dies from card coloured with several shades of blue Distress Inks.  I cut a window out of each of the die cuts and stamped the circles with a music stamp from my stash.  The largest bird top right is a wood block stamp from my stash along with the 'tweet chirp' from Dina Wakley's Scribbly Birds stamp set and the rest of the stamps inside the die cuts are from a discontinued Crafty Secrets stamp set.

Played with a little hexagonal Gelli Arts gelli plate for day 11, I've had it for ages and have hardly used it at all but I've got a larger Gelli Plate on order so figured I'd best start mucking about and figure out how to use it LOL!  These papers will be used on future art journal pages.  Used Distress Paints and many of Tim's layering stencils to make these gelli plate prints and stencil monoprints.

A mixed media hang tag for day 12, using some of the Gelli Plate printed papers from the day before.  I 've got some tag pockets in one of my art journals so challenged myself to make a hang tag using colours I usually stay far, far away from!  The background is brayered Fossilized Amber, Mustard Seed and Abandoned Coral with a Ringer stencil monoprint in Mermaid Lagoon.  Never ever used that colour combo before but have to say I like it!  Collaged bits of the Gelli Print papers, stenciled with Tim's Typo and Dyan Reavley's Alphabet Border stencils and sentiment stamped with the Classics #16 stamp set.  Credit card lines and Posca pen doodles.

So that's it for now, having a lot of fun doing this!  I'll be back in a few more days with another update and until then, happy creating!

Deb xo

Nest Mixed Media Plaque

Hi everyone, I have a wonderful mixed media plaque to share with you today that was inspired by a free video tutorial series over in Mixed Up Creative's Facebook group, the Mixed Media Learning Zone, designed by Monique van Dijk.

Monique posted 4 videos with step by step instructions for us to follow along with, somehow I missed her last video post but found it the other day and was finally able to finish my plaque.  Lots and lots of textures:

and the way she taught us to make this little nest was truly inspired, I adore how it turned out!

I made a few changes on my plaque and added these Small Tattered Florals flowers that I'd made for another project below the nest instead of the twigs that Monique had used on hers.

I also added a Small Easel die cut to the back of mine for displaying it, love the dimension.

If you'd like to make one of your own, head on over to Facebook and join the Mixed Media Learning Zone group for lots and lots of inspiration and mixed media resources.  Thanks as always for stopping by today and thanks to Monique for a fab tutorial!

Deb xo

Be Brave Art Journal For Therm O Web

Hello everyone and happy Monday (that's not an oxymoron is it?!)  I have a tutorial to share with you over on Therm O Web's blog today for an art journal and holder that I created with Therm O Web's new Metallix Gel's, Brutus Monroe Designer Toner Sheets and Brutus Monroe Transfer Sheets.

I used Eileen Hull's Card Box, Planner Storage & Organizer die for the journal holder, inked with Distress Inks (Iced Spruce and Wilted Violet) and stenciled with Deco Foil Pure Gold Metallix Gel through their Pinwheels stencil.  I hand bombed the art journal itself to fit inside, the covers were crafted from Brutus Monroe Double Dots Designer Toner Sheets foiled with Green Sketch Foil Transfer Sheets and the spine from Brutus Monroe Static Designer Toner Sheets foiled with Purple Sketch Foil Transfer Sheets.

Seth Apter's Coffee Ring dies were die cut from cardstock covered with Aged Copper Metallix Gel to embellish the front cover along with Tim Holtz's Quote Chips and Small Talk Stickers.

I made two signatures for the inside of the art journal from a combo of mixed media and watercolour papers.

The inside of the front cover was inked with Distress inks and stamped with a variety of Stampers Anonymous and AAll & Create stamps and some of Tim Holtz's Layering stencils.

This art journal was created as a place to experiment with my Therm OWeb supplies so I decided to have a play with the White Pearl Metallix Gel on this first page.  DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics in shades of green, some stamping with Archival inks and torn collage fragments from Ephemeras Vintage Garden were laid down and then White Pearl Metallix Gel was applied randomly with a spatula.  I combed through it with a paint comb and then picked some up with a bottle lid and randomly stamped it here and there, loving the texture and translucence and can't wait to play more!

And on the inside of the back cover, more inking, stamping and stenciling 😀

Hope you can pop by Therm O Web's blog for my how to, had fun making this one and really love how it turned out.

I'd like to link my Be Brave art journal up with Mini Album Makers April challenge if you don't mind popping by Therm O Web's blog for more of the details :)

Thanks as always for stopping by today and have a great week everyone!

Deb xo

Keeping Up

Hi everyone, hope this finds you all well.  I've got some more art journal pages to share with you that I created for #the100dayproject, can't believe it is now Day 6 and I've manged to keep up LOL!  I was going to share what I'd made each day here on my blog but decided that would get a bit overwhelming so will just group a few days together here and there to share with you (and if you don't see anything for a while you'll know that I've fallen by the wayside LOL!).

I posted Day One here.  For Day Two I used one of my smaller art journals and Tracy Evans' fun bird stamps from AAll & Create on a Distress Oxide Spray background.

The 'big girl' quote is from an older Wendy Vecchi stamp set, love it!

Day Three, another of my smaller art journals (told you I had a bunch of them!!), this one was even quicker and easier than Day Two as I didn't have much time.

Paint resist background overstamped with Tim's Composition background stamp and then embellished with bits and bobs from my stash; a Large Stems die cut, Detailed Butterfly die cut and some stamped muslin fabric.  Added one of Tim's Clipping Stickers and done!

Day Four was busy as well and I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed but then realized I was under no obligation to make a completed art journal page each day.  I could start a page or make embellishments to use on future pages ... it's my challenge so I can dang well do whatever I want too LOL!  So for Day Four I printed out some of my previous backgrounds onto copy paper, found some old dictionary papers and added double sided tape to the backside and cut out the strips to make some homemade washi tape for future pages.

Day Five I started a page with some crackled stenciling (Ranger Opaque Crackling Medium through Tim's Bubbles and Grid Dot stencils) and adhered torn fragments of papers and some of my printed backgrounds.  Set aside to dry for Day Six!

And for today, Day Six, I completed the page I started yesterday.  Liquitex and Folk Art acrylic paints and stains on the background, added some of the washi tape strips I made on Day Four, tore out and adhered that lovely girls image from a print out of a project I made earlier this year (click here to see it, the orginal stamp is from Artistic Outpost), stamped a Life Quotes sentiment onto deli paper and added lines and dots with credit card edges and acrylic paints.

Nearly completed a week of the challenge now, only 94 days to go LOL!  I feel that I might be able to keep up now that I've given myself permission to not feel pressured into completing an art journal page each and every day.  In retrospect it was a bit unreasonable to think I'd be able to do that so this feels much more achievable. I'll be back in a few days to share more, thanks for stopping by today!  #ithinkicanithinkican 😁

Deb xo

See Possibility Mixed Media Shadow Box For A Vintage Journey

Hello everyone, it's a new month and that means it's time for a new challenge over at A Vintage Journey.  Our theme this month is 'Neutral Zone' and here is the brief from our hostess Nikki:

Time to banish colour! You can create with blacks, whites, greys, beiges, creams and browns but whatever you make, and whatever style, needs to stay in the neutral zone. And remember to create in one of our preferred styles of vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk.

I decided to make a mixed media shadow box utilizing all of the wonderful wildflower dies that we now have from Tim Holtz and Sizzix and here is the result.  (I'd like to add a little note here to wish Tim a full and rapid recovery from his heart surgery, sending you healing energy and positive thoughts Tim and big hugs to both you and Mario 💞).

Come walk with me through my neutral garden!

I started out with a large Vignette Tray that I'd already covered with papers inside and out for another project that never made it to the finish line.  The inside was covered with Tim's Memoranda Paper Stash;

and the outside was covered with his Halloween Collage Paper with some swipes here and there of Ranger Opaque Crackle Medium.

I had to 'neutralize' the papers for the theme so I gave the whole Vignette Tray inside and out a wash with DecoArt Media Titan Buff Fluid Acrylic paint and then mixed Vintage and Matte Distress Collage Medium half and half and covered the inside of the tray with the mixture.

The outside of the box was coloured with Vintage Photo Distress Crayon, rubbing it into the crackle medium to emphasize the texture.

I just took a 'Time For Tea' masterclass over at Mixed Up Creative Academy so brewed up a strong pot of cuppa and painted Large Stems die cuts with it, adding several coats of brewed tea and drying in between.

Once dry, the tea coloured Large Stems were adhered to the inside of the prepared Vignette Tray with Matte Distress Collage Medium and shaded with Vintage Photo Distress Marker.  I also added some of Tim's Design Tape to cover the edges of the Vignette Tray (not sure which tape this is, I have them all mixed up now!).

Next Wildflower Stems #1 and #2 were die cut and coloured with a wash of Mississippi Mud Americana acrylic paint.  Several of the floral heads were die cut a second time and painted with the same colour wash.

The Wildflower Stems were layered below the Large Stems, adhering them with more Matte Distress Collage Medium and shading them with Ground Espresso Distress Marker.  Some of the flowers then had a second flower head popped up Gina K. Designs Black Foam Squares for dimension.

And last but not least, Tim's Wildflowers 1 and Wildflowers 2 were die cut from Distress Mixed Media Heavystock and coloured with Ground Espresso Distress Stain.

The largest Stitched Rectangle was die cut from kraft cardstock as were four Spellbinders Damask Accents borders.  The Damask Accents borders were adhered together to form two trim pieces and everything was inked with Ground Espresso Distress Ink and given a quick dry brush with DecoArt Media Interference Gold.  The Stitched Rectangle frame was popped up on a couple of layers of black fun foam for dimension.

The Stitched Rectangle frame was adhered at the bottom of the Vignette Tray and the Wildflower die cuts were arranged inside it.  Some of the Wildflower die cuts were dry brushed with more DecoArt Media Interference Gold.  The whole tray was then spattered with diluted Frayed Burlap and Ground Espresso Distress paints and White Dina Wakley Media paint.

The prepared Damask Accent borders were added to the top and bottom edges of the Vignette Tray.  Quotations Metallic Stickers were scattered around on top of the wildflowers and a Quote Chip was inked with Distress Ink and added to the bottom of the Stitched Rectangle frame.

Now the observant among you will have noticed that this particular photo looks nothing like the finished piece!  Once I had it all assembled I realized (very belatedly!!) that the Ground Espresso Wildflowers were reading as one big brown mass at the bottom of the Vignette Tray despite my trying to add some accents with the Interference Gold paint.  So I ended up painting the Wildflowers at the bottom with diluted Titan Buff DecoArt Media acrylic paint and then added more accents with Interference Gold once they had dried.  I also changed the Quotations Metallic Stickers to the black and gold stickers so they were more prominent and then die cut one of the Wildflower Stems flower heads from sanded gold Metallic Kraft Stock and popped it up on more foam squares so I had a semblance of a focal point.  Not going to lie, this particular piece was a bit of a struggle but it eventually came together (she says hopefully!).

Here are some closeups of the finished shadow box.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by today and I hope that you will join in our 'Neutral Zone' challenge over at A Vintage Journey and make sure to pop by to see what the other Creative Guides made to inspire you this month.  (And psssst!, we are looking for a couple of new Creative Guides to join our wonderful team so if you are interested be sure to contact Brenda and let her know!  Contact details are in our Neutral Zone post 😀).  Have a wonderful weekend everyone and happy creating!

Deb xo

Curiosity Art Journal Page For #the100dayproject

Hello everyone, I have an art journal page to share with you today that I created for Day 1 of #the100dayproject.

If you haven't heard of the 100 Day Project, it's an online challenge (now in it's sixth year apparently) that challenges the participants to explore their creativity everyday for 100 days. I've certainly seen the hashtags in the past but have never participated so decided to take the plunge this year.

I am going to create an art journal page each day for 100 days (she says hopefully) to try and fill up the myriad of handmade art journals that I keep making and then never use!  (I was doing a wee clean of my craft room the other day and found a stash of about 10 art journals of varying shapes and sizes that I'd squirreled away 😲).  This first page was made in my Create Art journal I made for the release of Eileen Hull's Scoreboards XL Journal die back in 2017, it has had some use but not as much as it should!

I recently (and probably very belatedly) discovered Roben-Marie Smith on YouTube and her suggestion to use some of your own artwork in your art journaling (either the original or a photocopy) really resonated with me ... why had I not thought to do that before?!  So this page started with some torn and collaged pieces of my own art that I printed out on the computer and although you really can't see any of it anymore I love that it was the foundation for this piece.  I also discovered that I use at WHOLE LOT of green and blue in my work (most of the images I loved the most and printed out to use were predominately green and blue!) so I went to the opposite side of the colour wheel and used magenta and purples on this page.

Tim Holtz's Perspective butterfly was coloured with Dina Wakley's Scribble Sticks, spritzed with water and stamped onto the background .... love!  I also just recently purchased some Liquitex Acrylic Ink and used them with my dip pen to outline and do some asemic writing.

I used a variety of StencilGirl Products stencils and after multiple layers I kept seeing flowers (think the butterfly may have influenced that!) so I outlined them with a Derwent Sketching Medium Wash pencil and more Scribble Sticks, both activated with my water brush.

The 'curiosity' sentiment from the Perspective stamp set seemed an appropriate sentiment for this first art journal page in #the100dayproject, so I stamped it onto deli paper that had a third generation stamp of the Scribble Stick coloured Perspective butterfly on it, adhered it with matte medium and outlined it with Posca pens and more Liquitex Acrylic Ink.

Hope you've enjoyed seeing my journal page and that you will consider joining in #the100dayproject, it does seem a little daunting at first glance but I'm looking forward to making art everyday ... whether I feel like it or not!  Some pages will definitely not be share worthy but that's all part of the process I feel, I know I've always learned more from my failures than my successes so here's to 100 days of creativity!  Have a great rest of the week and happy creating,

Deb xo