Scrapbook Boutique~April 2016 Moodboard Challenge

Pretty Pink Art Journal page

It's been way too long since I've joined in with the lovely ladies at Scrapbook Boutique!!  Thankfully my mojo has returned from it's recent sabbatical, and I've been able to play along with their awesome April Moodboard Challenge:

Obvious themes for me to take away from this gorgeous Moodboard are "pink" and "roses".  Armed with that in mind, I set about making my Art Journal page:

[At my husband's request, the face in the photo has been distorted...]

There is a lot of layering of acrylic paints with this spread, and stencilling of both paint and texture paste, as well as employing the 'transfer technique' to get my photo onto the layout.  I've been learning a lot of these techniques from the awesome Wanderlust 2016 journey I'm on - it's fabulous!!

I have also stamped some text and whimsical rose images with Archival Ink in 'Watering Can'.

Thanks for visiting - I hope you like my Art Journal page!

Deb.xx

Kraft+ April'16 Challenge~Kraftboard #2 with Black&White~Entry No.2

"Thank You Card"

I loved the look of the Moodboard Challenge at Kraft+ so much this month, that I wanted to play along again, this time making a card.  Here is the fabulous Moodboard once again:

Apart from the obvious black and white combination, I also drew inspiration from the three circular shapes, and decided to put three pretty flowers as the feature on my card.

I stamped the pansy image using the 'Flower Shop" stamp set by Stampin' Up! in VersaMark on Kraft cardstock and heat embossed it in black.  I then watercoloured the images in with white, allowing the moisture to sink into the Kraft cardstock, and then building up the white until I was happy with it.  I then added some black and grey tones over the embossed area, and topped up the centre with white watercolour as well.  I then used the co-ordinating punch by Stampin' Up! to cut out the pansies.

I used a piece of Kraft cardstock a bit smaller than my card size so that I could edge it with 'Black Soot' Distress Ink.  I stamped the "Thank You" sentiment from the 'Four You' stamp set by Stampin' Up! in VersaMark and heat embossed it in black.

I wanted to add a bit more texture to the card front, and so I heated my panel from the underside with my heat gun.  Once it was warm, I sprinkled black embossing powder randomly and continued to apply heat from the underside for a few minutes.  I then carefully (and from a distance!) applied heat from above my panel to set the embossing powder.  Quite a bit of it still 'flew away', but I got an effect I was happy with.

In constructing my card, I used a piece of organza ribbon by Stampin' Up! to put across my panel.  I clustered my flowers, using foam squares for the front one.  Once I had adhered my panel to the front of my card, I realised the card needed something else.  I added three white enamel dots in a triangular shape (with two around the sentiment to draw the eye).

I'm really happy with how this card turned out, and I'm even more thrilled to be crafting again after an annoying hiatus while my mojo went on a little vacation (without taking me!).

Thanks for visiting!
Deb.xx

Kraft+ April'16 Challenge - Kraftboard #2 with Black&White!

"Creativity takes Courage"

It's been a long time since I've joined in with Kraft+, but I couldn't resist the look of this month's challenge:

I took inspiration from the framed quotes, particularly "What's stopping you?".  I based my art journal page around the thought that "Creativity takes Courage" - here it is!

To create my kraft background, I ripped up some old kraft packing paper (the paper that comes with Stampin' Up! orders).  Using a gel medium, I stuck my ripped up pieces down to my journal page.  I alternated between smooth pieces and scrunched pieces to add dimension.  I also added some black and white chevron washi tape around the edge of my page to replicate a frame.

Once it was dry, I used a pallet knife and black gesso to add a large smear down the middle of the page.  I chose the pallet knife over a brush as I wanted to get the effect of the scrunch vs smooth texture I had created in the background.

I stencilled some opaque white texture paste through a cobblestone stencil to the top and bottom of the page.  I wasn't happy with the finish once it was dry (to me it wasn't white enough), so I touched it up with some Titanium White acrylic paint.

I grabbed a film frame chippy by 2crafty and heat-embossed it in black.  I then added some Tinby Designs Metallic Melts in 'Carbon Black' to give it some additional detail (hard to see in the photo).

Looking through my Tim Holtz "Small Talk" book, I found my exact quote "Creativity Takes Courage".  I grabbed both white ones and both black ones and planned to put them inside my frame - but how???  Lightbulb moment - the back of the packing from these books is in a Kraft colour - why not use some of the packing on my spread?!!  So I measured up my frame on some of the packing cardstock and put it all together.  I thought it might also be nice to use some extra bits of the packing cardstock elsewhere on my spread.  Before putting down my central piece (being the film frame), I added some black and white cotton thread for extra texture and interest).

Detail

I also used a random strip of white cardstock that had been torn, as well as some Stampin' Up! DSP to fill out the layers on my spread.

Taking my Sharpie White Paint Marker and Black Paint Marker, I added some journalling which I highlighted with the alternate colour in a shabby circle, as well as some small doodling bits.  Finally, I spattered white acrylic ink over the layout, added a few black enamel dots and some words ("be brave" and "create") from my Tim Holtz "Big Chat" book.

Thanks for visiting!
Deb.xx

Pixels and Paper Challenge Blog - Vintage April

"Vintage Art Journal Page"

Wow, where is the year going?  We're into April already, Easter has been and gone, and it's First Term school holidays in Victoria - OMGee!! 

It's also time for another challenge over at the Pixels and Paper Challenge Blog, and this month we're all about vintage!  Here is the gorgeous inspiration photo:

The criteria (obviously) is Vintage.  You are welcome to submit traditional paper layouts, art journals, divided page protectors, smash books, a mixed media canvas. Digital entries are welcomed and encouraged.  All entries must be new for this challenge and no back-linking please.

You may combine with a sketch challenge only - no other combining will be accepted. Please include our inspirational picture as well as provide a link back to Pixels and Paper on your blog post and don't forget to tell us how you were inspired. International submissions are welcome.

 

So, vintage isn't really a style I'm familiar with at all, so this one was waaaay out of my comfort zone!  I decided to make it an art journal page as I'm into learning about mixed media at the moment, and here is what I came up with:

I started with sponging 'Tattered Rose' Distress Ink on the background of the page, and then stencilled some 'Tea Dye' Distress Ink through a lace stencil by Prima Marketing.  Wanting to get a bit of texture into the background, I also stencilled some texture paste through the same lace stencil, and inked up some of the raised sections with 'Tattered Rose' once it was dry.

Detail

I grabbed a piece of hessian from my stash and sewed some random buttons onto it and frayed the edges.  I also grabbed a piece of white lace from my stash and inked it up with 'Tattered Rose' to change the colour.  I grabbed a piece of patterned paper from the Duchess Collection by Kaisercraft and cut it into strips and uneven lengths.  One thin strip from the blue side of the paper was threaded through the lace.

Once the papers were stuck down, I applied a small amount of gesso over them to hold some blue watercolour paint.  There is also a gold doily there somewhere, under the lace and under the hessian and mannekin base (a retired die set by Stampin' Up!).  The dress for the mannekin was cut from the remnants of the patterened paper and a piece of ribbon was added to differentiate between the bodice and the skirt of the dress.

There is a piece of scrunched up kraft paper set out like a fan behind the dress mannekin, and this also has patches of gesso and then blue watercolour paint.  As a finishing touch, I added a few paper flowers under the bottom edge of the dress.

There's a lot going on with this page!!  As someone who is (a) only just really learning about mixed media and art journalling; and (b) not all that flash with the vintage style, I'm pretty rapt with how this page turned out!!

Thanks for visiting, and be sure to enter the challenge so you have the chance to win a prize!

Cheers!
Deb.xx