Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #32 - Put a Stencil On It

It's time for another challenge over at the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge. Our theme is "Put a Stencil On It." This month we are sponsored by Stencilgirl Products and they are offering our winner a $25 gift certificate!! Our guest designer is Stencilgirl owner Mary Beth Shaw.

Also, we are introducing our newest designer Lynne Forsythe!! I think you will love what she made for our January Challenge.

Since it was January I was thinking it would be good to make Thank You Cards for all those gifts I got over the holidays. I wanted to use blue colors since I think of January as a "blue" color kind of month.

To start, I picked out a piece of blue patterned paper. It's from an old 6x6 paper pad in my stash and I don't know what company it is from. I wanted a pattern that wasn't too busy for me to put a stencil on top of it.

First, I colored some DecoArt Media Modeling Paste with
several different blue Tattered Angels sprays. 

Then, I applied the modeling paste to the stencil leaving it thicker and thinner in different places.
I taped the stencil to my craft sheet using Washi tape so it wouldn't move around.

Finally, added some Prima Crystal Glass Beads. They stuck to the thicker areas.
I let it dry completely and added a spray of spray adhesive to help adhere the beads.
Then, I knocked the edges to take off any beads that were not adhering strongly. 



To finish off the card I adhered the paper using double sided tape to a dark gray card base.
To create the sentiment I used a Lawn Fawn die and sticky back craft foam. 

Mixed Media Monthly Mid-Month Inspiration Post

I made a second project for the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge October Mood Board Challenge.

I used a Stampotique Witch stamp  and Spider Web stamp to create this card. I blended the background using various Tim Holtz Distress Inks. Then, I stamped the Stampotique Spider Web Stamp in Wilted Violet. I watercolored the Witch with Distress Markers. Then, I sprayed water through the Tim Holtz Bat Stencil.  For the sentiment I used Black Soot Distress Ink and a Tim Holtz Stencil. Finally, I added a little Tim Holtz Industrial Sticker Spider to the spider web. I hope you will join our October Challenge and I can't wait to see what you create!

Christmas Card Challenges #49

It's time for this week's challenge over at Christmas Card Challenges. This week our Challenge theme is everybody's favorite again - "Anything Goes". Get a head start on your Christmas cards and come join us this week. Thanks for stopping by!

For my card I used the new Brett Weldele stamps from Stampers Anonymous. This snowman and sentiment is from the set called Blizzy the Happy Snowman. I just couldn't resist this cute guy. I made the background from Ken Oliver Color Bursts. Then I used the Brett Weldele stencil called Creepy Trees on the background. I sprayed the stencil with Dylusions White Linen Spray. I colored the snowman with Copic markers and stamped the sentiment with Black Ranger Archival Ink. To finish it off I added some snowflakes using a Viva Clear Glitter pen.

5 for 5 Halloween: Stencils

Welcome to Day 4 of our 5 for 5 Halloween Blog Event. Today our theme is "Stencils". We are all sharing a project where we used stencils. Each day our 5 Designers will post a Halloween Inspired Project based on a theme. Some of us are offering prizes, so be sure to visit all the links below and leave comments.

I'm also on the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog today. I'm joining along again in the October "Spooky" Word Search Challenge. I found words Like orange, black, skull, etc... to use on my project. Be sure to head over there to see more new mid-month inspiration projects!

I'm offering this prize package full of Halloween embellishments. I think you will love it. To be eligible to win, just leave a comment on every day of this event and be sure to follow me. I will announce the lucky winner here on Saturday, October 17.

I made some home decor blocks for my "Stencil" project. I started with wood blocks I picked up at new home construction sites in my neighborhood. I painted the blocks orange and used a different stencil on each one. For the "B" I used the Tim Holtz Bats Stencil. On the middle "O" I used the Dylusions Skulls Stencil. And on the final "O" I used the spider web stencil from My Favorite Things designed by Mona Pendleton. 

I added several layers of silver paint and crackle paint to the letters. To finish it off I outlined the letters with a black Faber Castell Design Memory Craft Big Brush Pen and painted the sides black. This was a super easy and fun project. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to come back tomorrow for our final day!!

Our 5 for 5 Halloween Designers

Donna (me) 

Rachel

Lynn

Karen
Kris

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #12 - May Flowers

It's time for a new challenge over at The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge. Our theme this month is "May Flowers" easy peasy and so much fun!!

I'm so excited that our Guest Designer this month is the amazing Ranger Signature Designer Dina Wakley!!! You are going to love the project she created for our challenge. Be sure to go check it out.

Our sponsor is Stamper's Anonymous and they are offering two prizes for our 2 random winners - each contains a Dina Wakley stamp set and stencil set. Those are awesome prizes!!

  

I created my project on a thick piece of chipboard that I found on clearance at Hobby Lobby. To create the background I used DecoArt Gesso and Modeling paste along with Dina Wakley paints, stamps,  and stencils.  I was inspired to create the flower using non-traditional colors from a flower I sawy in one of Dina's Art Journaling books. I colored the flower with Stampers Big Brush Pens. The sentiment is from Dina's Scribbly Flowers Stamp Set. Thanks for taking a look and I hope you will join us at the MMMC this month!!

Dylusions Christmas Art Journal Page

I'm sharing an art journal page I made using Dylusion spray inks and stencils. I colors in the stencils using Pan Pastels and Gelatos. I was inspired to make this for a challenge on the Dylusions Facebook Challenge Page. This month the challenge is to use the Dylusions star and non-traditional holiday colors. I find it so relaxing to work in my art journal. This one was really fun to make. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you and yours have very Happy Holidays!

12 Days of Holiday Inspiration 2014 - Day 3

Welcome to Day 3 of the 12 Days of Holiday Inspiration Blog Event brought to you by "The Inspiration Crew".  We’re just a group of online crafty blog friends who love being creative. This time we're doing a 12-day event to provide you with tons of Holiday Inspiration.

We're making crafty projects using products we like and some of us are even offering prizes. Check each blog and the information there for what prizes are being offered and when the winners will be announced on that blog.

I'm offering a prize box, check back each day. I'll have picture of my prize posted soon!! I'll announce the winner of my blog candy on Saturday, December 13. To qualify for my prize make sure you are a follower of my blog and leave a comment. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win!!

Below is a list of all the crafty ladies participating in this event. Be sure to visit all the blogs each day for loads of fun, prizes, and Holiday craft ideas.

Today, I'm sharing some stars made using art journal pages I made with Dylusions Christmas Stencils and spray inks. The star die is from Tim Holtz. To finish off the stars I added some white lines around the edges with a white gel pen. You can use them to decorate cards, or put a hole in them and add some twine to make ornaments, string them for a festive banner, or just pile them up in bowl for a pretty Christmas decoration. I love how bright, fun and festive these stars are. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to stop back by tomorrow for Day 4!

Donna Bowman 

Rachel Kleinman

Ceal Pritchett

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Jennifer Cuthbertson

Lynn Kopas

Misty Buck

The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #3 - Stencils and Pastes

It's time for the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #3. This month our challenge is to use stencils with paste on your mixed media project. You can make any kind of mixed media project - card, ATC, scrapbook page, canvas, altered item, etc...

Our sponsor this month is the awesome crafty retailer Eclectic Paperie. They are generously offering our random winner a $25 gift certificate to their store. And, our super talented guest designer is Karen Crossen.

For my project, I decorated an oval paper mache box from Hobby Lobby. First, I covered the whole box in gesso. Then I covered the bottom of the box with scrapbook paper using Multi Medium. On the  lid, I colored the sky using watercolors and Tim Holtz Distress Paint. I mixed my own color of glitter for the "sand" on the bottom. I used Martha Stewart glitters. I used a stencil from The Crafter's Workshop - Palm Tree TCW257 for the Palm Tree, sun and birds. I used Liquitex Modeling Paste that I colored using custom colors I created from acrylic paints. I added a lot of modeling paste because I wanted the tree and other elements to have lots of texture and to stand out. After the modeling paste dried, I added some highlights to images using Faber Caste Stampers Big Brush Pens. To finish off the lid, I cut some surfboards out of scrapbook paper and adhered them to the sand area and I painted the edge of the lid red with acrylic paint.

Remember, you have until midnight August 31 to link up your project. I can't wait to see what everyone make this month. Thanks for stopping by.  Now go pull out your stencils and pastes and start creating!!!

Christmas Card Challenges #32

It's Sunday, so that means we're starting another challenge over at Christmas Card Challenges. This week our challenge is to use a tag. You can make just a tag or a card with a tag on it. To make this card I started with a green tag that I had in my drawer of tags that use to wipe up my craft mat after using spray inks. Then I mixed some glitter in some modeling paste and applied it over a Dylusions Snowflake stencil. It makes a nice sparkly, dimensional background.

I made the rest of this tag using my all time favorite Christmas Paper Collection - Crate Paper Snow Day. I found a new 12x12 pad of this at Tuesday Morning a couple of weeks ago and since I had used up almost all my papers I had to get it. I cut all the snowman and line of "snow" words out of patterned paper. I also used white glitter paper and a Papertrey Ink die to make the rolling hills. I topped it off with some jute twine from Papertrey Ink. I hope you will play with us this week and I can't wait to see what you create! Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Card Challenges #27

It's time for a new challenge at Christmas Card Challenges. The theme this week is to use stencils on your card. I love to use stencils. I made the background of this card using Dylusions spray inks. Then I used the Dylusion Snowflakes stencil with Mr. Huey's Opaque White Spray Ink. I like that the white is opaque so you can really see the stencil images well when you spray on top of the other inks. Then I added some white canvas letters. To make them stand out I outlined them with a black Stampers Big Brush Pen. The ink bled in to the letters which I kind of liked, but some of them got too dark for me so I colored the insides with a white Stampers Big Brush Pen. I brushed the edges with Jenni Bowlin Chalk Ink Edger in Black Coal. This is a kind of a nontraditional mixed media Winter Card, but I like how it turned out.

You Are Here Card

I made this card for the Virginia's View Challenge. The challenge is to use a stencil. I used this US stencil by The Crafter's Workshop. I sprayed the stencil with Heidi Swapp Color Mist in Coral. Then I used several pieces of Heidi Swapp Color Magic Ephemera that I sprayed with Heidi Swapp Color mists in Chartreuse, Mustard, Teal and Cherry Red. The card stock is Neenah White and Tempting Turquoise by Stampin' Up. Thanks for stopping by!

My 1st Art Journal Page in a Long Time!

Since I moved in about a month ago I've started making backgrounds in my art journals again. I have a bathroom with a sink and large countertop in my new craft room and it's working out great. I can spray the journals on one side, then clean off stencils in the sink and let them dry on the other side. The only problem is I haven't had a good idea for a journal page. I haven't even made a page in almost a year. So, today I sat down and found a background I wanted to use and decided to make a page from something.

Here's what my new space looks like when in use. 

Here's what it looks like cleaned up.

I knew I wanted to use the words "create" and "evolve" but my thoughts on the graphics just didn't work out. So, I found a stamp set by SCACD that I had never used and I basically just randomly stamped all over the page. I also used a heart stamp by Unity and the letter stamps are Dylusions. The background and border was made with Dylusions sprays and stencils and Tim Holtz Distress Paints. I colored in all the images with Distress Markers. It was fun and relaxing even if it wasn't quite as artistic as I had hoped. At least it was a start. 

Dear Santa...

Dyan Reaveley posted a challenge on her Facebook Art Journal page last week and I finally had time to make my page today. The rules are you had to use the snowflake stencil, the spray in color London Blue and the Beard stamp. Luckily I had all those items.

For the background I sprayed London Blue in the Middle, Turquoise around the blue and then Purple on the edges. When it was wet I sprayed water over the snowflake stencil. When it dried I put the stencil back down and spray Mr. Hueys white on the stencil. For the images I colored them with Prismacolor markers and blended with Gamsol. The star I cut out of another background page that didn't work out. Thanks for stopping by!

12 Days of Holiday Projects - Day 9

Welcome to Day 9 of The 12 Days of Holiday Projects Blog Event. Several crafty blog friends and I decided to post one holiday project a day for 12 days - just for fun.  The projects will be anything crafty like cards, ornaments, wreaths, advent calendars, etc… We’re posting projects we made using products we like and hope they will give you some inspiration for your own holiday craft projects. You will find links to all the other participating bloggers below. Hopefully you can find time to look at the other blogs and leave comments on any that inspire you. If we inspire you to make, something please let us know - we would love to see. Happy Holiday Crafting!!

For my Day 9 Project I'm sharing a Christmas art journal page. I made the background with Dylusion pink & red ink sprays. I cut the trees and stars using Dylusions stencils on tags and backgrounds that I had in my stash ready to use. I also used Dylusions stamps for the border, reindeer, ornaments and sentiment. I colored the stamped images with Prismacolor pencils and blended with Gamsol. I added Distress Stickles in Scattered Straw to the stars on the trees and a rhinestone to the reindeer's hat. I also used an American Crafts white gel pen on the border berries. I haven't worked in my journal in ages and this page took a really long time to make, but I had a great time creating it. I hope you can stop by tomorrow to see my Day 10 project. 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you can make it to the blogs of the other ladies to see the awesome holiday projects they are sharing with you today.

Barb Murphy

Ceal Pritchett

Donna Bowman 

Jen Cuthbertson

Lalo Ik

Libby Hickson

Rachel Izakowicz

Rachel Kleinman

Regina Hardy

Veronica Zalis

12 Days of Holiday Projects - Day 3

Welcome to Day 3 of The 12 Days of Holiday Projects Blog Event. Several crafty blog friends decided to post one holiday project a day for 12 days - just for fun.  The projects will be anything crafty like cards, ornaments, wreaths, advent calendars, etc… We’re posting projects we made using products we like and hope they will give you some inspiration for your own holiday craft projects. You will find links to all the other participating bloggers below. Hopefully you can find time to look at the other blogs and leave comments on any that inspire you. If we inspire you to make something please let us know - we would love to see. Happy Holiday Crafting!!

The project I'm sharing for Day 3 is a set of 3 ornaments. To make these I used a large ornament die from Sizzix and cut it out in Grungboard. I painted the tops with Tim Holtz Brushed Pewter Crackle Paint. I painted the colors on the ornaments using Claudine Helmuth acrylic paints and then I sprayed them with Perfect Pearls Mist in Perfect Pearls to give them a little sheen. Then, I used Dyan Reaveley's Dylusions stencils and the acrylic paints to paint on the images. When it dried I put Stickles in a matching color over the images. I love how colorful and fun these turned out. And, they were easy too. 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will be able to visit the other ladies blogs and leave them some love. They've been working very hard on some amazing holiday projects to share with you. 

Barb Murphy

Ceal Pritchett

Donna Bowman (me)

Jen Cuthbertson

Lalo Ik

Libby Hickson

Rachel Izakowicz

Rachel Kleinman

Regina Hardy

Veronica Zalis

I am an artist?

I'm not sure I would call myself an artist. But, Dyan Reaveley says if we make art journal pages we are artists! My brother got all the artistic and musical ability in my family. He can draw amazingly well and can stun people when he sits down and plays Mozart on the piano. Me - not so much. And of course, he spends all his time at a swimming pool! I wish he could just give me little of his artistic ability, but I guess it doesn't work that way.

Anyway, I'm on a Facebook group called Art Journaling for Women. Dyan Reaveley is very active in the group and she made a journal page that said I Am An Artist. And, I think other people started posting pages that said I Am An Artist. So she asked us to make pages that say that and e-mail them to her and she is going to blog about them. So, I didn't have a lot of time to make this very intricate, but I made this page today. For the background I used Dylusions Spray Inks in Bubblegum Pink, Purple, and Lime and a Dylusions stencil with acrylic ink for the border. I drew the letters with oil pastels and outlined them with a Sharpie Paint Pen. Once again, it was fun and relaxing page to make. Thanks for stopping by!!

Live & Learn Journal Page

Today I was talking to my friend at work about something that happened and I said "I guess I just have to live and learn." So, I felt like making a journal page about this today. I used Dyan Reavely Dylusions Spray Inks in Crushed Grape, Bubblegum Pink and Vibrant Turquoise and lots of water on the background. Then I used her small Chequered Dots stencil and water to finish the background. I made the words and doodles using oil pastels and a White Out pen. Thanks for stopping by!!