Altered Seashell

     A few months ago my Mom gave me a bag of seashells, that I thought were too big for scrapping with. But altering one worked perfectly for the August Color Challenge at Lindy's Gang, and was so much fun to do! 

     The first step was making some of my embellishments with paper clay and a few Finnabair moulds (Art Nouveau, Mechanica, and Hollybrook Ironwork). The flourishes were molded onto the shell before completely drying. Then I added some pearls and shells, and covered it all with white gesso. 

     Once the gesso dried, I spritzed it all with water, adding (Treasure Island Aqua) Spray, (Sassy Sapphire) Magical from the Drop Dead Diva set, and (Oom Pah Pah Pink) Magical Shaker. 

     In between the embellies, I added some Prima Rust Effect Paste (Dusty) with Beaver Tail Brown Squirt added to it, to mimic sand. 

     After adding touches of Prima Metallique Wax (Old Silver), I went over everything with a light coat of white gesso again, and added some more color. Then I applied (Purely White) Embossing Powder to the raised areas, followed by a couple of coats of (Angel Wings Peacock) EP all over. 

Thanks for looking!

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Challenges Entered:

Lindy's Gang ~ August Color Challenge

Lindy's Products Used:

Sprays (Treasure Island Aqua) 

Magical/Shakers (Sassy Sapphire and Oom Pah Pah Pink)

Squirts (Beaver Tail Brown)

Embossing Powders (Purely White and Angel Wings Peacock)

 Bleeding Art ~ July Anything Goes Challenge

Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge ~ #52 Anything Mixed Media Goes

Creative Inspirations ~ Something Seasonal! (Summer)

Crafty Creations ~ #395 Anything Goes 

Floral Collage ~ Red Rubber Designs DT

       Happy weekend! I'm back with an art journal spread featuring some Floral Cling Mounted Rubber Stamps from Red Rubber Designs!  

     The background was colored with Lindy's Magicals (Rowdy Rizzo Red, Greased Lightnin' Green, and Yodeling Yellow). Then I applied black gesso to a floral Prima stencil, shown on the left, to reveal the colors. 

     The main image and some of the plants were recycled from a magazine. I also recycled some fruit netting underneath the main image, where I randomly applied some Prima Olive Green Rust Effect Paste. The paste was also used along the torn edges of the black cardstock, and finished with a coat of Emerald Creek (Apple Martini) Embossing Powder, for a cool mossy effect. 

     All of the stamping was done with Archival Ink (Jet Black), embossed with Emerald Creek (Black Onyx) Embossing Powder, and colored with the same Magicals as the background. The big yellow flowers were made with the Charcoal Flowers Stamp.  

     

     To create a bush, I cut off the vase from the Spring Bouquet Stamp. Then I added the red flowers, embossed with the Floral Collage Stamp. 

          Thanks for looking!

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Featured Red Rubber Designs Stamps:

Floral Collage

Charcoal Flowers

Spring Bouquet

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Challenges Entered:

Mixed Media Place ~ July Challenge 

Products Used: Black Gesso, Rust Effect Paste (Olive Green), Archival Ink (Jet Black)

Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge ~ #52 Anything Mixed Media Goes

Simon Says Monday Challenge ~ Bright and Cheerful

Crafty Creations ~ #395 Anything Goes

Krafty Chicks Challenge ~ #466 Embossing

Wander Tag

     Howdy y'all! I'm back with a tag inspired by the wild west!

     I added lots of metal and rusty textures using Emerald Creek Embossing Powders for the July Rhinestone Cowboy Challenge at Emerald Creek Dares.  

        I started with some background stamping, and applied white gesso to the Tim Holtz Stripes Stencil. Once dry, I colored it with Distress Spray Stains (Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Wild Honey, and Fossilized Amber). Then I reapplied my stencil, and embossed it with EC Chunky Rust Baked Texture. The arrow and "wander" were stamped and embossed with EC Onyx Frost, and "wander" was colored with Distress Inks (Rusty Hinge and Fired Brick). 

     

     The stars are brads that I covered with black gesso, a coat of EC Ancient Amber Baked Texture, followed by Charred Gold Embossing Powder. 

     To make the cogs and screws, I applied paper clay to the Finnabair Mechanica Mould. Then I painted them with Dylusions (Ground Coffee) Paint, embossed with Ancient Amber Baked Texture, and topped with Chunky Rust Baked Texture. An awesome combination! 

     My favorite part is the belt, made with torn pieces of brown and dark brown tissue papers, adhered with Prima Soft Matte Gel onto a white strip of cardstock! Then I punched some holes, and embossed them and the strip edges, with Oil Rubbed Bronze Embossing Powder. The buckle was made using the same steps as the stars. 

     I finished it up with some rope around the hole, and a tassel made of yarn. 

Thanks for looking!

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Challenges Entered:

Emerald Creek Dares ~ July Rhinestone Cowboy

Emerald Creek Products:

Baked Texture (Chunky Rust and Ancient Amber)

Embossing Powder (Charred Gold, Onyx Frost, and Oil Rubbed Bronze)

The Funky Junkie Boutique Blog ~ It's Heating Up!

A Vintage Journey ~ July Precious Metal Challenge

Tag Tuesday ~ Circles 

 Simon Says Monday Challenge ~ Not A Card

Travel Collage Art Journal ~ Red Rubber Designs DT

     Red Rubber Designs has a great assortment of travel stamps, which I featured on this art journal page! 

     The colors and bricks were inspired by the Lindy's Gang July Color Challenge.

     I started with some background stamping using the Script Background and the Ancient Map Unmounted Rubber Stamps. Then I embossed the travel images onto white tissue paper using Jet Black Archival Ink and Lindy's Black Forest Black Embossing Powder, adhered with Prima Soft Matte Gel. The Paris Collage and Triomphe Collage were layered together, anchored by the Fleur de Lis, (no longer available) stamped onto paper clay. 

     The bricks were done with a stencil and white gesso. Then I colored them and the rest of the page with Lindy's Sprays (Black Orchid Silver, Autumn Maple Crimson, and Cajun Carnelian Red) and Magicals (Oom Pah Pah Pink and Black Forest Black). The red sprays were also added to Prima Rust Paste (Red) and applied to the bricks for some texture. 

     Unlike the other images, the Liberty one, was adhered over the bricks. 

     
     The wooden embellishments are from My Mind's Eye (Hello World), with the destination arrow over the Tower of Pisa.

         I stamped the Fiore Dollar Stamp (no longer available) onto paper clay. Then I colored it with Black Orchid Silver Spray and Oom Pah Pah Pink Magical Shaker, followed by a coat of Queen Sheba's Silver Embossing Powder. 

     Buttons were the finishing touch, with hand-stitching added to them! 

     Thanks for looking!

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Featured Red Rubber Designs Stamps:

Paris Collage

Triomphe Collage

Pyramid Collage

Tower of Pisa

Ancient Map

Liberty

Script Background

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Challenges Entered:

Lindy's Gang ~ July Color Challenge

Lindy's Products: Sprays (Black Orchid Silver, Autumn Maple Crimson)

Magicals (Black Forest Black, Oom Pah Pah Pink) 

Embossing Powders (Queen Sheba's Silver, Black Forest Black)

Art Journal Journey ~ We're All Going

More Mixed Media Challenge ~ Anything Goes with Optional Pastel

Simon Says Monday ~ Not A Card

Peace, Love, Light

     Green has always been one of my favorite colors, especially emerald and teal! So I created this mixed media piece, made from cardboard and other recycled items, colored with various gorgeous greens and metallics, using Art Alchemy Paints and Waxes.

     Including the colors, I took lots of inspiration from the June Challenge at Mixed Media Place, like the pine cones, pine tree, and dew drops from the mood board.  

     I started by adhering some leftover fruit netting, including the darker green netting from avocados, which I can't live without, and also happens to be green, to a piece of cardboard. I even left the tab, which has the wooden "Peace" banner on it. Then I added some torn strips from an old dictionary, and covered it all with white gesso before painting. The same netting was also used on the outer cardboard piece, after painting it with Rustic Brown Metallique Paint, and applying black gesso. 

     To extend the tree trunk from the image, I used some more black gesso, and colored it with Prima Waxes (Rich Copper, Bronze Age, Vintage Gold, and Lucky Emerald).Then I embossed the pines with Emerald Creek (Onyx Frost) Embossing Powder onto white tissue paper, adhered with Prima Marketing Soft Matte Gel. The Pine Cone Charms are also from Emerald Creek, and the silver ones got covered with white gesso, and painted with Art Alchemy Sparks (Fairy Wings) Paint. 

     The foliage and other metal charms were also covered with gesso before painting.

     To create water, I painted the bottom with Emerald Green Metallique Paint, with touches of the other greens painted over it. Then I added some medallions from the Funkie Junkie Boutique to replicate lily pads, frog included. The dew drops on the leaves were done with Ranger Glossy Accents. 

     The medallions also got treated with gesso, paints, and waxes. Then I added various clear green beads, along with some jade ones. The smaller river rock are Jade Gemstones from Emerald Creek.

     It felt great to use up so many charms that have been in my stash for YEARS, like this butterfly fluttering on top!

     The main image came from a magazine, and was adhered with Prima Soft Matte Gel, to the insert from my husband's cell phone, after covering it with black gesso. Then I used a stencil to create a mosaic effect on the frame, including the sides. After drying, I painted it with the same colors as the background, painting water along the bottom, and gave it touches of bronze and gold wax. I just love the effect, and wish you could see all of the shimmer! 

          The lantern was made from a large bead, that I embossed the the round edges with using Emerald Creek (Charred Gold) Embossing Powder, along with the hanging piece that I found among some beads. 

     

     The ray of light coming from the lantern, was painted with watered down Art Alchemy Sparks (Dragon's Eye) Paint. Then I painted the wooden banners with Art Alchemy Metallique (Rustic Brown) and Sparks (Ginger Magic) before embossing the words with EC (Black Cherry) Aroma Embossing Powder. 

     This piece was so much fun to make, and now hangs above my scrap table for inspiration! Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Challenges Entered:

Mixed Media Place ~ June Challenge

Products Used: (Prima White Gesso, Prima Black Gesso, Art Alchemy Paints (Rustic Brown, Golden Moss, Dark Forest, Ginger Magic, Fairy Wings, Dragon's Eye, Emerald Green, Green Olive, and Opal Magic Green-Gold) 

The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog ~ Water, Water, Everywhere

Bleeding Art ~ June Add Cardboard Challenge

A Vintage Journey ~ July Precious Metal

Creative Artiste ~ #51 Anything Mixed Media Goes

Country View Challenges ~ Blues and Greens

The House That Stamps Built ~ Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge (I went across with the top row using insects, butterfly and dragonfly charms, Metallics, used throughout, and Dew Drops on the leaves)

Bo Bunny (Sweet Clementine) Buttons ~ FotoBella DT

     Hello! I hope you're enjoying your Summer so far! Today I have a set of buttons featuring the Bo Bunny (Sweet Clementine) I Want It All Bundle from FotoBella.com. I just LOVE buttons, and thought this would be a fun addition to a layout, as lids for jars, boxes, or tins, or even made into a set of cards!

     For a step-by-step tutorial, please visit the FotoBella Blog. Thanks for looking!

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Challenges Entered:

Crafty Creations ~ #394 Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations ~ July Anything Goes

ainkymess ~ Challenge 32 Just for Fun

Bo Bunny (Sweet Clementine) Beautiful Bloom LO ~ FotoBella DT

     Hello! I want to introduce you to the fabulous Bo Bunny (Sweet Clementine) I Want It All Bundle Clementine) from FotoBella.com, if you haven't seen it already! I created a layout of this beautiful bloom that was grown with love, by my dear friend and former FotoBella Design Team member, ReNae. As soon as I saw this photo she posted to Facebook, I knew her stargazer lily had to be featured, and the colors were spot on with this collection, that can be used for Spring, Summer, and even Valentine's Day.

      My design inspiration came from the birdcage in the corner, which led to the striped paper framing the photo. Then I cut strips from the (Sublime) paper, and inked the edges with Distress Ink (Black Soot). Before adhering them to my page to create more stripes, I embossed the lace with the Kaisercraft Lace Stamp. 

      The butterflies, yellow birdcage, heart and titlework all have a beautiful shimmer from the specialty foil in the Chipboard Stickers. 

     The doily heart was fussy-cut to create a frame for the Chipboard heart. 

     Then I used the banner from the Noteworthy pack to stamp and emboss "stargazer", and the Thickers' to spell "Lily", which also has a stripe of the specialty foil on them.

     A fun way to play with color, patterns, and stripes, using the Bo Bunny (Sweet Clementine) I Want It All Bundle from FotoBella.com! Thanks for looking!

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Challenges Entered:

Mix It Up Challenge ~ #27 Anything Goes + Foiling (Foiled Chipboard)

A Place To Start ~ July Anything Goes

Creatalicious Challenges ~ #166 Anything Goes with Optional 2 or more design papers

Creative Crafter's Challenge ~ #17 Anything Goes