Pixels & Paper Challenge Blog ~ Monochromatic March!

"Siblings"

So it's time for a new challenge over on the Pixels & Paper Challenge Blog, and I must say, I love this one!

MMMMM - Coffee!

The criteria for this month is "Monochromatic Colour Scheme".  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.  

For me this month, I had an idea right away that I wanted to put a black and white photo onto a black and white monochromatic page - however, it took me a few false starts to get there!

I initially started with a 12x12 black board that I'd picked up in a specials bin - I wanted to seal it with black gesso and then after that was dry, daub white gesso then white acrylic paint to create an interesting background effect...  

Well, I'm not sure if it was the board, or the black gesso that was a bit suspect, because everything white that I added to my background turned pink - every single layer!  I even put a layer of clear gesso over the offending pink in order to break the chain, but still my white acrylic paint turned pink ~ aaarrrggghhh!!!

So, I scrapped that idea and moved on to my next one - and it turned out much better!

The black border is the background 12x12 Bazzill Cardstock. I then grabbed some heavy-weight white smooth cardstock and cut it down by 3cm all round.  I then cut out two half-circles out from the edges top and bottom so the black would show through underneath.

I mixed up some DecoArt Crackle Paste with black acrylic ink to make it a grey colour.  Then using Finnabair's "Cobblestones" stencil, I stencilled in the crackle paste on an angle down the middle of the white cardstock.  I also dropped random splatters of Liquitex 'Carbon Black' acrylic ink over the page using the dropper tip.  This was set aside to dry.

Onto the background on the left hand side, I stamped 'Filmstrip' by Stampin' Up! twice using Versafine Ink in 'Onyx Black'.  Once the background was completely dry, I stuck it down onto the Bazzill Black cardstock.  Using the dropper tip from my Liquitex 'Titanium White' acrylic ink, I drew in the heart shapes on the Black background where the half-circles had been cut out.

I actually used those half circle cutouts to make a new embellishment for my page - I joined them together to make a circle, and then added a circle piece on top from a Kaisercraft's Collectables set (I can't remember which one) because it had a heart in it.  I used two other pieces from the same Collectables set, one to put the date, and the other with a camera on it as it suited the overall theme and the photograph.

I've used some old Creative Memories Storybox papers to mat the photo and to build up the layering, and finally I used my new favourite tool - a dip pen with Liquitex acrylic ink - to write my title "Siblings". 

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you feel inspired to join in this month's Pixels and Paper challenge! 

Deb.xx 

CASE'ing a technique and design!

"Happy Mother's Day" cards for Troops

So, my mojo has been AWOL for about two weeks now, and it was really starting to get to me.  Thankfully, I watched a video by the wonderful Therese Calvird at lostinpaper!  She was stamping solid floral images and then adding depth and detail with her trusty Prismacolour Pencils... Check out her blog post for Altenew here!

So, although I don't have that same Altenew stamp set (yet), I decided to give this technique a go (and I have also used the same design principles as Therese).  Here are two cards I made...

The floral image is from Stampin' Up!'s 'Crazy About You' stamp set, and the leaf image is from the 'Flower Patch Stamp Set'.  The sentiment is from 'Wonderful Mother' (ret).

I stamped the flower in Hero Arts 'Bubble Gum' for the pink card and 'Butter Bar' for the yellow card.  The leaves were stamped using Stampin' Up!'s 'Pear Pizzaz'.  I then used my own set of Prismacolour Pencils to add depth to the inner parts of the petals and a bit of variegation to the leaves.  After fussy cutting out the coloured little panels, stamping the sentiment and sticking the panels down on fun foam, I added some Annabelle Stamps Sprinkles to the centres of the flowers as well as around the sentiment.

Thanks to Therese for always providing such inspiring work and showing us how to get the most out of our crafting supplies!

These two cards will be heading off to our Troops overseas!

Thanks for visiting!
Deb.xx

Combat Cards for Troops - Victoria

Just a seriously quick post tonight - I've made some cards for one of my favourite charities: Combat Cards for Troops.  These are cards that are handmade, and then sent to our troops deployed overseas for them to send back to their family and loved ones. 

The first lot I made at my monthly meeting with the Diamond Valley Papercrafters.  I used Stampin' Up!'s "Mum's Love" [ret] set, Ranger Archival Ink (Watering Can) and assorted Distress Inks and Inktense pencils with a water brush...

This was just a really simple watercolouring exercise that made some very lovely, Clean and Simple cards...

Feeling inspired by my achievements at DVPC in the afternoon, I sat at my desk last night (Sat) and made all of the cards that come with Stampin' Up!'s "Tin of Cards Project Kit".

There are four different card designs in the kit with all materials (except adhesive) included.  I've modified two of the designs to specifically make them for Mother's Day, as that is the next deadline we've got for Combat Cards...

Thanks for visiting!
Deb.xx

Pixels and Paper ~ February 2016 Challenge

Atlanta, GA

Welcome to a new month at the Pixels and Paper Challenge Blog!  This month we have a wonderful inspiration photo that is more of an inspiration theme, really: Travel!

Well, I've only truly travelled once in my life, and that was a memorable two weeks in the USA with my bestie for our joint 40th's in June of 2014.  We started in Chicago, then flew to Atlanta, drove to Asheville NC, Charleston SC, back to Atlanta for a night, New Orleans for 3 nights and then back to Atlanta to fly to Los Angeles and then home.  What an amazing experience, made even better by sharing it with a wonderful woman.

For our initial stay in Atlanta, we went to the Martin Luthur King Historical Site (such a humbling, moving experience) and also checked out the World of Coca~Cola (WOW!)

This is a very simple page with a little bit of layering (not too much).  I had printed out a map of Atlanta that showed where my two landmarks where in relation to the city.  I've also added a bit of 'funsies' for my bestie and I to giggle over - that being the comment on the bottom.  I should explain...

On our first night in Atlanta, we went to a supermarket to pick up some goodies.  We had just arrived and were just getting out of the car.  It was late, probably 9:00pm, and quite dark.  Out of nowhere, came this high-pitched female voice, screaming "Git yaw ASS back in dat caw!"  [best said with a Southern twang - real or otherwise!].  It was so stereotypical - like I'd walked onto the set of a movie!  We managed to get inside the supermarket before we burst into hysterical laughter...

...Needless to say, that was our 'catch-cry' for the rest of our holiday!  Good times!

Thanks for visiting!
Deb.xx

Wanderlust 2016 - January Challenge piece

DecoArt Challenge Piece

I am so thrilled to be part of Wanderlust 2016 - it is only four weeks in, and already I am learning so much about mixed media and art journalling in general.  More importantly though, I'm also learning about myself in the process.  I will also say that today's work has been inspired by another lovely lady taking part in Wanderlust ~ her name is Dee, and her seeming fearlessness has inspired me to get into it this afternoon...  Thanks Dee!

The first challenge for the year is being sponsored by DecoArt, and there is an amazing array of goodies on offer!  The prompt?

Sometimes what you're most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free!

Powerful, huh?  So I had to set about thinking what I was afraid of, and ways around it or through it, to achieve a level of freedom...

Well, other than spiders and needles (!), something in life that I am afraid of is being JUDGED...  ...and that judgement can come in all sorts of forms.  Relevant to my current journey through new forms of creativity is the fear of having my work be judged inadequate by current 'standards' of what is 'in' or 'pleasing' to the viewer.  So, it is a very large leap of faith to freedom that I take to post about this new creative passion of mine ~ art journalling (seemingly without a care in the world ~ yeah, right!).

As I'm learning more and more, I can already see improvements in the work I'm creating and this is a very positive thing for me.

Thanks for visiting!
Deb.xx

Colouring fun with Peachy Keen Stamps

More cards for Combat Cards Victoria

I've been in quite a 'colouring' kind of mood recently, and I'm also wanting to make more use of my collection of stamps.  So, I've decided to select a brand of stamps and make several cards from some favourite images that I can send along to Combat Cards Victoria to send to our troops overseas.  This time around, I'm using Peachy Keen Stamps.

This little guy is called 'Thinking of You Bear' and I've coloured the heart with watercolour paints and coloured the bear using Inktense pencils.  I've made four of him...

This little guy is called 'Get Well Bear', but I've decided to make him into a Mother's Day wish bear instead.  He's been watercoloured with Inktense Pencils. I've made four of him...

This awesome pot of flowers stamp is from the 'Spring Bouquet' set and has been coloured with Copics.  I chose not to put a sentiment on this one so it could be used as a generic card.  I've made four of these...

This little cutie is called 'Baby Monkey'.  I've coloured him with Polychromos Pencils and added a diecut "hello" and a stamp "BABY" plus some sprinkles.  I've made two in boys colours and two in girls colours...

My final card in this particular set includes a gorgeous stamp called 'Sleeping Teddy'.  She's been coloured with Polychromos Pencils with a watercolour wash background.  I've added a stamped "HELLO" and a diecut "baby" to this card.  I've made two in girls colours and two in boys colours.

So, this set for Combat Cards Victoria includes 20 cards that have all been hand-stamped and coloured in with various media.  Which brand of stamps do I choose next???

Thanks for visiting!
Deb.xx

More art journalling...

Dawn's early light...

The other night, I was watching an episode of "Sonic Highways", the rockumentary miniseries by The Foo Fighters.  For some reason, a clip from the introduction really struck a chord with me and I felt like creating an art journal page about it.  Here it is...

I wanted to use my soft pastels and fixative, as I hadn't used them before (one of my (many) recent purchases to complete Wanderlust 2016).  This is perhaps the most 'artsy' I've ever been before, and I must admit, I kind of liked it!!!

Thanks for visiting!
Deb.xx