Art Journal Pages

Hello.  Long time no post.  Thanks so much if you are seeing this!!!  I'd like to say you will see me here more regularly but we'll just have to wait and see.

  This is actually a post I started back in January and it never got posted.  I started an art journal (a moleskin book) specifically to practice doing flatter pages with collage clusters.  Way back then my plan was to focus on this and probably fill the book this year.  Besides these 2 pages I only got a few more done (I'll share the others later) but I'm not giving up on this, I will get back to it.  

If you have any questions, please, ask away.  If you'd like to keep more up to date on what I'm doing, follow me on Instagram!!

Crafty Hugs to You!!!

Wanda   

Purple, Orange, and Green

Hello Friends!!!!  I have a beautiful project today as a guest designer post for The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog.  It's for their current challenge "Purple, Orange, Green! Eek! It's Halloween".  Sara Emily is the host for this challenge and she says, 

"I love Halloween, and I would love to see your vintage or shabby chic Halloween creations, whether it be a card, tag, canvas, or any other make! If Halloween is not your cup of tea, simply use the colors purple, orange and green on your project to play along."

Halloween is not my cup of tea but I did have fun combining all three colors to create this piece.  My base is a Mini Etcetera Tag.  Don't let the word mini fool you.  This tag measures 4 1/2" x 8".

I cut a piece of Mixed Media Heavystock a little bigger then the tag.  Using a large (12" x 12") stamping platform and all the stamps from the Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz set, Scrollwork CMS367), I stamped the images with Embossing Ink and embossed them with White Powder.

Using a variety of Distress Spray Stains and Distress Oxide Spray I added color to the paper.  When the paper was fully dry I attached it to the Etcetera tag using Distress Collage Medium Matte putting some weight on top of it while it dried for a good bond.  Once dry the excess was trimmed off and the last bits sanded off for a smooth edge.

I painted the very edge of the tag and the hole reinforcer with Distress Paint then mixed a bit of paint with Crackle Paste and added it as shown.

Etcetera trim was used to make a shelf, painting the pieces with Distress Paint and attaching them with Collage Medium.

To emphasize the cracks Distress Crayon was scribbled on, and then I used a combination of a water brush and my finger to spread the crayon allowing it to get into the cracks.

Idea-ology Baubles were colored with Alcohol Ink.  The baubles were put into a container, a couple of drops of ink added, the lid put on and the baubles shook around. I wanted a bit more color so added a couple more drops of ink and shook again.  After removing the cover, I left them in the cup to dry.

The girl is an Idea-ology Baseboard Doll.  The baseboard dolls are a thick material that doesn't bend making them the perfect choice when you don't want to attach them close to your surface.  She was colored with Distress Crayons and a damp waterbrush.  A silver gel pen was used for the necklace.

Idea-ology Letterpress Blocks were painted with Distress Paint just on top of the letters and dots added using Media Gloss Spray and a stylus.  I sprayed a little of the media on my Glass Matt, dipped the ball of the stylus in and then on the letters.  I really like the shiny dot against the paint.

I also added dots to the edge of the trim.

Using the Tim Holtz Sizzix set Wildflower Stems #1 I cut flowers and stems from watercolor card.  They were colored using Distress sprays and inks.  I added wire to the back of the flowers so that they would stand eaiser without bending.

Collage Medium Matte was rubbed on the outside of a glass vial to give it a frosted look, the colored baubles put inside and all the stems and flowers put in.  I then added Glossy Accents to the vial.  After several days it still wasn't completely dry and had taken on some color from the beads.  A better choice would have been to put resin in the jar or to add the Glossy Accents just a little at a time.  

All the open area on the trim was bothering me so I stamped on it using an image from the Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous set, Ornate Trims CMS326.  I lined up the stamp close to the edge of the acrylic block and held my breath while stamping, LOL. 

Ribbon was colored with Distress Spray Stain, bunched up and allowed to air dry giving a wonderful crinkle.

All the butterflies, mushrooms, ephemera, words, etc are from various Idea-ology packs.  Many of the edges were inked.  The piece of ephemera behind the circle and little butterfly was stamped with the background image from Tapestry CMS414.  The word "precious" is a rub on added to the circle.  The Clippings stickers above the girl have a thin layer of Glossy Accents over them.

Behind the Baseboard Doll I have 2 Idea-ology game pieces (retired item) stacked and glued together (edges painted orange) along with a thin piece of foam tape.  These are glued to the tag and the girl giving her plenty of support.  Landscape mossy stuff looks fabulous glued to the shelf and the top of the Letter Blocks.

The clippings sticker below the shelf was attached to white cardstock, the edges distressed and inked. 

For one of the flowers I cut an extra flower head and attached them together just in the center for a fuller flower.  Flat backed pearls were glued to the center of the flowers. 

I really had fun creating this!!!  The combination of colors is not in my comfort zone but I think it came together well.  I hope you think so too.

Thank you for following along and I hope you are inspired to play along with the challenge even if Halloween isn't your cup of tea.

Hugs, Wanda

When I Count

 

Hello!!!  The leaves have started to change around here just a little.  We had been feeling the fall weather but then this week has all been above average temps and feeling a bit more like summer although it won't last much longer.

There are two challenges that inspired the direction of this card.  First on The Funkie Junkie Blog the current challenge is Fall Foilage.  Second on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog the challenge is Dry Embossing.  Also this month Simon Says Stamp's IG Challenge is Fall Color so I'll be entering it over there too.

I used Mixed Media Heavystock for my main panel.  Color was added with Distress Spray Stains first spraying it on, drying and then dipping into the left over color, drying and repeating until I was happy.  I embossed this panel with the Leaves Texture Fade using the circle Diffuser plate set.  I placed the rectangle piece with the circle cut out over the texture fade as my second plate.  This embossed the leaves everywhere except where the circle was cut out.  I lightly sponged Distress ink over the embossed panel to bring out the leaves more.  I also set the circle part of the Diffuser set over the circle area that did not emboss and using a Distress Blending Brush added color around the edge of the circle.  Distress Paint Picket Fence was splattered over the panel.

The sentiment is from the Sweet 'n Sassy stamp set, SNS-20-026 Friendship is a Blessing.  Distress Spray Stain was used on a Mixed Media Heavyweight #8 tag using more yellow colors - same process, spray, dry, dip, etc. but I also dipped into a little orange.  The sentiment was stamped with Archival Ink Black Soot, die cut with Sizzix, Tim Holtz, Stitched Circles and Distress Paint Tarnished Brass added around the edge.  

For all the leaves I began by making 3 colored panels using Distress Watercolor Card and Distress Spray Stains (spraying, drying, dipping, etc.) and then die cut all the leaves in the set, some from each color.  I added more detail with Flower shaping tools and Distress Ink Vintage Photo.  

Cheerful and Optimistic

 

Hi There!!!!  Life is always better when we are cheerful and optimistic.  For me, as long as my focus is where it should be - on God - then cheerful and optimistic happens!!

I recently got some Viva Signature Cloth paper towels.  These were mentioned during the Tim Holtz demos this summer whenever he shared a technique that he wanted a smooth paper towel for.  One technique he shared is Eroded Metallics.  This is a technique done with Distress Paints.  I did the technique after the demo but only had regular paper towels and it does pick up the texture of the paper towel.  That wouldn't always be a bad thing but not something I would want all the time.  After the demo I tried to get some of the Cloth paper towels and couldn't find any in stock.  Last week I checked again and was able to order some from Amazon.  Now that I have them I wanted to do the technique again to really see the difference.  

I painted a piece of Distress Mixed Media Heavystock.  I just had to use the newest color, Crackling Campfire, and combined it with Peacock Feathers.

After drying I added stamping with Crackling Campfire using one of the new release Background Images from the set Tapesty (Stamper's Anonymous, Tim Holtz).

That was dried and next comes the metallic.  I used Tarnished Brass, painted it on, splattered on water getting more in some areas and just drops in others, let it sit a few seconds, laid the Paper Towel on letting it sit just a few seconds and took it off.  Worked great.  In the areas where the water was the paper towel picked up the metallic paint without leaving a pattern behind, just an open area.  So Cool!!!

Instead of just putting the paper in a pile I used it right away to make a card for the current challenge on the Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog which is Birds.  

Leaves were stamped along the top and part way down the sides with Archival Ink using an image from the Nature's Wonder set (Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz).  The edges were distressed and messy stitching added.

The bird is a die cut from watercolor paper and colored with Distress Oxide Ink.  A fibery ribbon and torn papers were glued across the paper and twine wrapped around it.  The speckles (from the Tiny Toadstools set) were stamped with Oxide Ink.

Gear Flower Tag

            

        

            

Hello!!!  I hope this post finds you well and safe.  So many things going on here in the US.

I started with a #8 Mixed Media Heavystock tag.  My order of Crackling Campfire had just come in the mail I wanted to make a blend which I did also using Candied Apple and Carved Pumpkin.  Splatters of water added texture.

Then what to do...  I took inspiration from this month's A Vintage Journey Challenge which is Cogs, Gears and Texture.  I misted the back of the tag with water and then embossed it with the Sizzix, Tim Holtz 3D Embossing Folder running it through my Vagabond 3 times (3D - 3 Times as Tim says) to give it a fabulous, dimensional design.

To really bring out the design I added Ground Espresso using a Mini Ink Blending Tool with a light touch going over and over to catch all the texture.  I painted the edge of a #8 Etcetera tag with Black Soot Distress Paint and then glued the tag to it with Distress Collage Medium.

I neglected to take any process pics of the gears or flower.  The top gear is from the Idea-ology Gadget Gears pack.  The bottom gear is chipboard die cut with the Gadget Gears Bigz Die.  The large screw head is from the Idea-ology Machinery Heads pack.  I used a variety of product to give them that old, rusty look - Grit Paste, Distress Paint, Distress Embossing Glaze, Distress Crayon. 

The flower is Mixed Media Heavystock paper die cut with the Tattered Florals Bigz die.  Color was added with Distress sprays and inks and the flower crumpled while still damp.

The gears were layered with foam mounting tape and a bit of Distress Collage Medium to be sure everything stayed stuck.  The screw head was glued on with Collage Medium and the whole stack glued to the tag with Collage Medium.

For the stem I die cut Heavystock with the 3D Lattice Trim die, inked the narrower piece with the Distress Embossing Dabber, sprinkled Distress Embossing Glaze, and melted it.

Hickory Smoke crayon was added moving it around first with a water brush, drying, and then adding more and rubbing it with my finger.

Everything was splattered with Distress Paint Picket Fence.  Small talk stickers were chosen, edged with Crackling Campfire, spritzed with water to mottle the ink, and glued to the tag.  A bit of Distress Paint was added tot he bottom edge of the tag using my finger, dried, and Distress Crayon rubbed on.

This was a fun tag to make!!!  I hope you like it.  My daughter will probably try to steal it :-)

I pray your week goes well.

Hugs, Wanda

What A Friend

 

Happy Saturday!!!  I hope you're weekend is going well.  We have a quiet day today and tomorrow we will be watching our granddaughter 💓

This was a fun card to make!!  I love how the background came out!!  I put the inks shown onto the non-stick sheet of my Media Mat, sprayed them with water and dipped in a piece of Mixed Media Heavystock - going back and forth between drying the paper, spraying the paper, and dipping more until I liked it. Before putting the paper into the 3D embossing folder I misted the back of the paper and then put the folder with paper through my Vagabond 3 times for a great emboss.

Using a Mini Ink Blending Tool I inked the embossing using a light touch to keep the ink just on the high spots.  Doesn't it look wonderful!!!

I recently got some stamps from Sweet 'n Sassy stamps and chose this one for the card stamping it with Black Soot Achival Ink using the Stamp Platform.  This is a great hymn!!!  After stamping I die cut it with a Stitched Squares die (Sizzix, Tim Holtz) and inked the edges.

I made another dipped in ink paper using both regular and oxide Speckled Egg and Distress Watercolor Paper.  The flower is from the Wildflowers #2 set of dies.

The Distress Marker was used to add green to the stems.  I inked the pieces using the Distress Embossing Dabber and embossed them with Distress Embossing Glaze Speckled Egg.

I cut a square from the left over speckled egg watercolor paper, distressed the edges and layered it under the word panel.  The edges of the background panel were machine stitched.  The Idea-ology metal bow was painted with Distress Paint Picket Fence rubbing the paint around with my fingers, dried it, then added some Archival Ink using my finger.

I love how the card came out!!  I hope you do to.

I'm entering this into the Simon Says Monday Challenge - Beautiful Botanicals

Hugs, Wanda