Fun with Art Journaling

In Week 3 of Camp Scrap's Art Journaling we were to have fun and do what makes us happy. One of the suggestions was to use scraps and stamps left on the work table from a previous project. On my work table at the time was my order from UmWow Studios, patterned paper scraps from Week 1 Kit-tastic, book pages, pieces of faux resin paper, a strip of watercolor paper spattered and smeared with Distress ink and a roll of Washi tape with world globes on it. A quick search through my stamp collection turned up a travel set and a passport stamp.

I began by gluing down all the assorted paper scraps with matte medium followed by a few pieces of Washi tape and a very thin wash of gesso. I added swipes of random colors of Fresco Chalk finish dye ink from Stampa Rosa that haven't seen the light of day for years. I had forgotten how great this ink was. I then glued down a piece of faux resin paper and stamped it with the collage image from the travel set. Unfortunately the image just disappeared into the background. I added the stars with a stencil from UmWow and Wendy Vecchi Gold Embossing Paste and while that was drying I inked up a manila tag with the chalk ink, stamped the collage image and the passport then fussy cut all the pieces. The collage pieces were glued over the stamped image with some being up on foam tape and the passport was added to the corner with foam tape. The sign post was done with a black PITT pen, brown Copic and a white gel pen. The final touch was the Arrow Confetti from UmWow which was inked with Versamark, dipped in gold embossing powder and heatset before being glued in place. Once it was done the cut out images on the left looked pretty bland so I added color with Distress markers and a waterbrush.

Til next time...

Sea Frame Week 2 Mixed Media

Sorry about the gap between posts but life got in the way with trips to doctor, dentist, veterinarian etc. Being a full time caregiver can be such a pain sometimes. I've had this project finished for a while but just couldn't seem to find the time to photograph it.

The mixed media project for week 2 of Camp Scrap was an embellished picture frame. I picked up a plain wood frame for $1 at Walmart and gathered some buttons, beads and other miscellaneous doodads from my collection. I coated the entire frame with Crackle Paste and embedded my largest items into the paste, filled in with small stones for fish tanks then set it aside to dry completely. The next step was to fill in any remaining space with a mixture of glass beads in 3 different sizes and matte medium and set aside to dry.

I painted the entire frame with Tim Holtz Distress Paint in Salty Ocean with streaks and dabs of Broken China and Victorian Velvet. Gave it a quick dry with my heat tool then applied Distress Stain in Vintage Photo, making sure to get it in all the cracks and crevasses then wiping it off all the raised areas. Final touch was dry brushing some Distress Stain in Tarnished Brass over everything. I am really happy with how this turned out.

Til next time...

WOYWW but it's Friday

I am a true, dyed in the wool Virgo. I have a place for everything and everything is in its place. I mean, come on, all my Tim Holtz Distress inkpads, markers, paints and stains are in alphabetical order as well as all my rubber stamps. Crazy, I know, but I can put my hands on just about anything I need or want within seconds. That's why I just had to photograph my workbench today and share it with you. It is a complete and utter mess. Soooooo not like me but I had a blast working on last weeks Mixed Media project and this weeks Art Journal page for Camp Scrap.

Now I need to clean this disaster up so I can put the finishing touches on my projects and get them posted.

Til next time...

Week 2 Art Journal

Yes I know I'm running behind. I wish I knew how other people can cook, clean, do laundry, medicate a sick dog, care for an old man, feed and water dogs, cats & chickens, make jam, create artwork, photograph it and get it blogged without getting behind. I haven't even looked at this weeks projects. Oh well, fortunately Camp Scrap is all recorded and should keep me busy for months.

Anywhoway... Last weeks Art Journal Project was to a) Use just one color b) Be inspired by a single shape and c) Use something from around the house. I did 2 of the 3. I couldn't think of a single thing around the house that I could use.

I chose hexagons because they remind me of chicken wire (I'm obviously obsessed with all things Chicken) and bees. The shades of yellow just seemed to go with the honey bee theme so I went with it.

In order of execution:

1. Apply book page to mixed media paper with matte medium
2. Gesso the whole page
3. Randomly stamp hexagon outlines (Papertrey Ink & StampinUp)
4. Mask previously stamped hexagons
5. Randomly stamp patterned hexagons all over page and emboss with clear embossing paper. (Papertrey Ink and StampinUp)
6. Airbrush with Copic markers starting with lightest shade of yellow in upper right corner, working down towards lower left corner using medium shade and ending with darkest shade.
7. Use Tim Holtz Honeycomb stencil and alcohol dampened applicator to remove some ink here and there.
8. Use alcohol and cotton swabs to remove excess ink from embossed hexagons
9. Remove masks, journal in and around white hexagons and stamp a few bees (PITT pen, StampinUp bees)
10. Using UmWow's hexagon confetti mask, apply a mix of white and gold embossing paste here and there (Dreamweaver, Wendy Vecchi)
11. Stamp, die cut, color and embellish large bee and mount in lower corner. (StampinUp bee and die, Copic Markers, Glossy Accents, Donna Salazar Pralines & Cream glitter

P.S. If you read my last post, the UmWow mask did give me a sharper, higher profile with the embossing paste that I really like on this piece.

Til next time...

An Um Wow Imp

There is an art journaling blog and YouTube channel that I've been following called Imperfect Impulses with Aaron so I guess that makes me one of his Imps. I love this guy - his techniques, his style, his videos as well as his personality. And he likes Lady Gaga so all in all he is just about perfect. There is just one tiny, little problem. He has been costing me money. In a recent video Aaron used some masks and doodads from Um Wow Studios that I just had to have.

UmWow has all kinds of laser cut chipboard from the tiniest Confetti Collections up to tag books. I tried to restrain myself but the confetti packages were just so tempting. I ended up ordering 7 packages of confetti. They are supposed to be chipboard but look like wood. They can be stained, painted, stamped on, heat embossed and probably things I haven't thought of yet. I do have to warn you though - these are laser cut so there is soot on them. Don't drop them on anything light that you want kept clean and wipe your hands after handling.
Diamonds: Solids as small as 1/8 inch up to 5/8 and frames from 3/8 up to 1 inch.
Chevrons: Solids and frames from about 3/8 to 1 inch
Octagons: Solids and frames from less than 1/4 up to about an inch.
Snowflakes: 1/8 to 1 inch
Gear Mash: The smallest is about 3/8 and the 2 largest are 1 1/2 and 2 inches.
Arrows: Every type imaginable!
Love Confetti: Hearts, tags, lips, people, X&O, and arrows in assorted sizes.

UmWow's masks are a bit thicker than most of the other masks and stencils I have which should give me a higher profile when using embossing paste. They are also a bit stiffer so I am wondering if I will get a sharper image when sponging or spritzing. The five that I chose for my first haul are: Brick, Butterfly Swarm, Diamond Confetti, Hexagon Confetti, and Star Confetti. Can't wait to use these!

Plan on seeing these products from UmWow in future projects. I already have a partial order ready to go and I haven't even used this stuff yet. Is there a 12 Step Program for this?

Til next time...

Fun with Mixed Media

The first project in Mixed Media for Camp Scrap was a 5x7 canvas. Can't remember ever working on a canvas so this was a new experience. I didn't have most of the supplies and stamps so I made do with what I had.

First step was to apply a book page with Acrylic Matte Medium which acted like both an adhesive and a sealer. Since I didn't have acrylic paint, I mixed Gelatos with the Matte Medium and painted over the whole canvas. Next I added a piece of burlap with the same medium and while that was drying I made the melon layer with more gelatos and matte medium, stamped a script background, embossed it with clear embossing powder to seal it then glued it over the burlap layer. For the bird and foliage I used the stamps from StampinUp's  Friends 24-7, stamped with Versamark and then used black embossing powder. I colored them with Derwent Inktense Pencils, fussy cut them and set them aside.. If you've never tried the Inktense Pencils you are really missing out. They are the most fabulous watercolor pencils I have ever used and I have used them all.

Made a lace doily stencil with glossy cardstock and a Cheery Lynn die, placed it on the canvas and applied embossing paste. While the doily was held in place by the paste I lightly spritzed with Dylusions then removed the doily. While the doily was loaded with paste and colored spray, I placed it face down on a piece of mixed media paper, rubbed from the back then removed the doily. I now have a beautifully colored doily plus a doily print to use on other projects.

I ran into a bit of a problem stamping the sentiment from Verve Stamps on the upper right corner. May showed how to stamp on uneven surfaces by using just the stamp and not an acrylic block. It looked so easy until I tried to do it. Disaster! I ended up stamping on a piece of tissue, heat embossing in black and setting it in place with matte medium which makes the tissue disappear.

Final steps were to attached the foliage to the surface, the bird up on a bit of foam and some bits and bobs from my stash. I added just a hint of distressing with a stamp from Tim Holtz's Slight Alterations set and Wendy Vecchi Archival ink in Tree Branch. This was a really fun project and I plan on doing more of these little canvases.

Til next time...

Kit-Tastic Week 1

In the Kit-Tastic category for Camp Scrap we will be working with kits obviously.  If you don't have any kits you can create your own using supplies you already have following a basic guideline. This first weeks session used 6x6 patterned papers, 3 neutral 8.5X11 sheets of cardstock and 2 colors of 8.5 x 11sheets of cardstock that coordinate with the 6x6 paper. Add some embellishments and 2 sheets of 12x12 cardstock to build your layout on and you were good to go. Have I mentioned that I have an entire drawer full of 6x6 paper pads, mostly untouched?

To create my kit I chose Graphic 45's French Country pad along with the coordinating stamps, StampinUp's cardstock in Cherry Cobbler, Hello Honey, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla and Crumb Cake. I created my own embellishments with silicone molds from Mod Podge and StampinUp's Simply Pressed Clay along with Copics and some Spellbinders dies. Added I piece of burlap from my stash.

I am very pleased with the 2 layouts and I'm thrilled to finally have the 2 youngest of my flock recorded for posterity.

Til next time...

Never Too Old for Summer Camp

Wow! It has been forever since I last posted. So much has been going on and I never seem to have enough time to accomplish everything on my list. One of the things I have been doing is Art Journaling and Mixed Media. It has allowed me to be creative in a whole new way and use many of my tools and supplies that haven't seen the light of day.

I signed up for Camp Scrap 2014 with May Flaum which started last Monday and I am really enjoying it. I plan on doing the Art journaling projects on individual sheets of mixed media paper and then binding them all together when camp is done. Our 1st weeks challenge was to do something out of our comfort zone and/or use a product we are unfamiliar with.

For the Art Journaling session I actually used my own hand writing which is something I never do. I started with a piece of mixed media paper and used gelatoes and a wet paintbrush to creat a rainbow background. It was beautiful. Then I used a stencil and some Dylusions spray in Crushed Grape on the left side, flipped the stencil and put it inky side down on the right. Note to Self... Dylusions are intense!!! It completely obliterated my pretty rainbow gelatoes. Live and learn... oh yeah, this is a class so I am supposed to be learning.

Next up was stamping the background stamp from WaltzingMouse Stamps with Wendy Vecchi Archival ink in Potting Soil in the lower left corner and enhancing the circles with a white paint marker. Second Note to Self... get a Faber-Castell Big Brush Artist Pen in white.

Used a Faber-Castell PITT artist pen in black to write my journaling and went over it a time or two to thicken the letters. Highlighted parts of the journaling with a Pilot Gold Marker. Doodled that bizarre creature with the paintbrush on the right with a black brush PITT pen. Added some texture with a Tim Holtz stencil and whipped spackle then used some distress ink once it was dry. Final steps were to stencil "K8T", ink the edges of the whole thing with distress ink and add the date.


Tomorrow I hope to post some projects from the Kit-tastic class.

Til next time...

Surprise!!! ... and a little WOYWW

Yes I'm back... again! Starting tomorrow I will be sharing projects I've been working on as well as projects from Camp Scrap 2014.  Tomorrow's post is already done and scheduled and Friday's is in the works. For today I just wanted to say "Hi" and post a photo of my workdesk for "What's on your Workdesk Wednesday".  I am a neat freak so this will need to be cleaned up soon or I'll go crazy.

Til next time...