Extreme Boy Layout

Hello friends!  Today I'm sharing more layouts I created for February challenges.   This is my son, Travis when he was 14.  He made it through the skateboard phase with only 1 ER visit.  We had a fabulous outdoor skateboard park in Jacksonville, Kona, with these HUGE, steep sided, concrete bowls.  Often I find myself taking a deep breathe and holding it as he took off down the side of one of them.  

I'm excited about this one because I used a really old stamp set that I had never used, "Extreme Boy" by Junkitz.  I also used "Stars of Worn" by Unity, and a distressed tags from the "Timeless Tags" set by Stampendous.  I combined those with some fun Basic Grey "Fact" paper pad and Die Cuts / Transparencies paper embellishments (yellow and green tickets).  I used a star stencil as well.

I was inspired by a sketch over at Sketches with a Twist.

And I added orange tinted (mixed with acrylic paint) modeling paste for a challenge over at 2Peas's.

Other challenges I'm linking to :

Inspired by : (thur)

Stampin for the Weekend ( fri) : distressing.  I distressed the edges with black ink.

Basic Grey Challenges (sat) : "favorite ..."  One of my son's favorite things to do growing up was skateboarding

Sweet Stampin' Challenge blog (sat) : stars and stripes

You can view all of my Scrapbook Layouts HERE.
You can view my Mini Albums HERE.

Mixed Media Cupcake Canvas'

Hello mixed media friends.  Today I am excited to finally sharing the 4 cupcake canvas' I created earlier in the month.  I was holding off because I felt like they were not quite finished.  I want to add some words or phrases, but never got around to it.  So I figured it was best to go ahead and share them as is for now.  The canvas' are 8 x 8 and I did them in colors to match my studio.  I'm going to arrange them in a square.

I had sooooo much fun creating them.  Of course looking back, realized things I would not do if I had to do it again.  But still found great joy in the creative process for these canvas' and I hope you are inspired to create one of your own and share it with me.  I'm including photo's of each project at the 1/2 way point as well.  

CANVAS #2

The techniques I used for creating the layered / dreamy background was learned in a class called "Art Journal Conversion" by Roben-Marie Smith.  While using these mediums were not new to me, it was the use of them that completely inspired me and is now one of my favorite mixed media techniques.  Roben shows you how to build multiple layers of spray inks with stencils, and gesso to get that dreamy effect.  I'm including photo's at the 1/2 way point of creation as well.

CANVAS #3

The cupcakes are hand drawn patterns.  I paper pieced them and then added the icing (thick tachy glue -Aleene's with glitter sprinkled on top)

I learned a lot doing these canvas'.  

#1 plan out what you are going to put on your backgrounds and visually lay it out, so you can see where you might want to place your modeling paste shapes.  

#2  I love the circles and flowers with the cupcakes ....  but wasn't crazy about the style of the 2 swirly stencils and ended up trying to cover them up with circles.  

If you have any specific questions about any of the backgrounds ..... shoot me an email.

Here's a close-up so you can see the texture the modeling paste adds !

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!  I will have so many more projects (Mixed Media, Scrapbooking, Cards, and ATC's) to share with you in 2012 so I hope you will stop by again.  If you want to receive my post via email, it's easy!  Just enter your email address in the sign-up box on the side-bar.  You can unsubscribe at any time.  

If you are interested in checking out all my Mixed Media projects Click HERE.

Projects with background tutorials can be found HERE.

I just set up a new page with a list of mixed media classes I have taken and why I liked them.  You can find the link with the tabs along the top of my blog.  If you have any classes you have taken and enjoyed .... I would love to here about them.

I have to share one more thing .... I just signed up for Stephanie Ackerman's "52 Card Pick Up" Class.  Wanna check it out??  Visit Stephanie's blog HERE.

I just set up a new page with a list of mixed media classes I have taken and why I liked them.  You can find the link with the tabs along the top of my blog.  If you have any classes you have taken and enjoyed .... I would love to here about them.

Mixed Media Project's

Hello mixed media lovers.  This is a long post, but bare with me.  I rarely share personal stuff, so I"m going to make up for some of that in this post, teehee.   My daughter, Nicole, visited us (she's away at college in FL) back in June and we had a wonderful time crafting together.  I treasure these times with her now that she is an adult and lives so far away.  They grow up so fast, don't they.  

 She is a sweet, loving, funny, crazy, quirky, energetic young women who is passionate about changing the world by becoming a teacher, teaching in inner-city schools, and reaching children who need to know how much God loves them.  And these qualities often shine through in her art as well.

I am so proud of  the young women she is becoming and how she celebrates life with all that she has!
YOU go girl!!

She is a full-time student and works part-time, so she doesn't get to create as much as she would like to.  She loves arts and crafts but has never taken any classes.  She loves to re-purpose things and we never knew what she would find at a second hand shop and bring home to turn into "art".  She just see's things that inspire her and goes for it.    Often she is inspired by a bible verse, song lyrics, meaningful quote, or something that is going on in her life.  She loved the piece I created as a result of taking Roben-Marie Smith's online class back in April and wanted to give it a try.  (You can check out my project HERE.)  She created a couple of projects and wow!  I was so proud.  She has never taken mixed media classes, so it really does show you how awesome Roben's class is.  I don't want to share all the step by step instructions, since Roben's class is still up for sale, but I will share a few photo's of Nicole as she was building her canvas.

  

Roben's class is "Art Journal Conversion" and you can read more about it HERE.

It involves lots of spray inks, stencils, gesso, modeling paste, doodling.  All the things you have probably used before as a mixed media artist.  What was different for me is the way Roben builds layer upon layer creating so much depth in the background.  I love here style and loved the class.  And it was a steal for $24.99.  The only thing I didn't own, and had to add to my supply's was oil pastels.  I got a set for about $10.  You can check out Roben's blog and projects on her blog HERE.

She used the same techniques to alter a journal cover

   

Add because this post is all about my daughter and her art, I am going to share a few more pieces she has created over the years.  Not always the best photo's (she took them herself) and often her idea of a good background was the grass in the backyard, teehee.  I hope you see something that inspires you!  

She likes to take models from magazines, adhere them in her art to use as a base, and then paint over them. This one makes me laugh, it says "How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being"

   

 This is one of her cats.

" He who accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it"  "I have a dream that for little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judges by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."  "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"  MLK, Jr.

"But hold on to what you believe ... in the light ... when the darkness has robbed you of all your sight"

"I know my call despite my faults and despite my growing fears"

  

"Tonight I'm going to bury that horse in the ground"

  

I thought this one was an octopus at first, teehee.  But it's a mouth with words coming out of it.

"There's nothing else we can do.  We have to speak about the things we've seen and heard"

  

  "For we can not but speak the things from which we have seen and heard"  Acts 4:20

This is a series of 3 long canvases.  Across the bottoms of the dresses "I'm tired of striving to be, who You already say that I am.  I am Yours"  "All I know is beautiful in me is You.  Every good thing, every true thing.  Beautiful in me is You".  It's so wonderful and encouraging  to know there are young adults out there who are not consumed with this world, and desire to serve God.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

If I do not love, I am nothing.  1Cor 13 1-3

Not just your art, but your life and who you are is an inspiration to me my sweet girl!

Live, laugh, love!  Mom

Mixed Media Project - Roben- Marie Smith Class

6" x 9"

Hello Paper Crafters.  I recently finished a mixed media class by Roben-Marie Smith called "Art Journal Conversion" and wanted to share my first two projects with you.  This one just makes me smile.  I still need to add the journaling, but couldn't wait to share it.  I seriously can't believe I made this!!  I LOVE Roben's style and I'm so excited that she has classes to teach the rest of us how to get that wonderful layered look.  I really enjoyed the class.  It used a lot of products I already owned and honestly, the techniques were not new to me (spray inks, stencils, modeling paste, doodling).  What I gained from the class was the inspiration to add MANY layers of spray inks and gesso so that you create a depth.  So much is going on in the background, but it is so subtle that it doesn't overwhelm.  The medium I was introduced to was using oil pastels.  LOVE them.  It really allows you to add shading.  Be prepared to use your fingers,  A LOT, in this class.  If you don't like a mess, then this is not the class for you. 

The stencils I used were : Plaid (diamond pattern), Layers of Color (swirly), Crafter's Workshop (dots), and the daisy is from Hobby Lobby HERE, sorry I didn't save the package.  The larger circles are from a Drafting Stencils that has a lot of circles with different sizes, but they are graduated.  So it's a pain to use.  HERE.  I wish someone made one with lots of different circle, in differnet sizes, randomly. 

Here are a list of sites that I found that have really cool stencils though :

Crafter's Workshop

Martha Stewart at Michaels  - I LOVE this one, but haven't seen it at my local Micheals.  Will have to see if I can order it.

Plaid  check out the Folk art catagory.  Their store is a little weird to navigate.  Once you get to the Folk Art section, then you have to look to the right and you will see smaller photo's of options and can arrow over.  Then click on the stencil you want to see.  REALLY cool stencils.

I-Stencils - I linked you to the background stencils but check out the left column for other choices.  You can order from their online store, but I don't see any shipping details.

Stencil Ease

Wall to Wall Stencils

Cutting Edge Stencils

Options for Spray Inks :

Adirondack

Dylusions

Glimmer Mist

Ranger Perfect Pearls

Mister Huey

Inkadinkado

And I'm liking the less expensive RIT liquid dye (liquid, already mixed).  I purchased an .99 cent spray bottle from the artist section at Hobby Lobby and just poured the color in.

Let me know if you think of any others I can add to the list

I started shopping around looking for other options for spray inks.  Glimmer Mist are so pretty, but mine often clog and for what I'm paying for them, I find that frustrating.  Roben used some SEI Tumbler Tie-dye inks, so I decided to check out the tie-dye section of Jo-ann's where I noticed the RIT dyes.  SOOOO much cheaper than Glimmer Mist ($7.50 for 2 oz).  I bought them pre-mixed in a bottle (8oz).  I think it was around $4.  Then I picked up some inexpensive spray bottles at Hobby Lobby and poured the color in those.  So I decided to give it a try.  The orange you see in this project is the RIT.  I will definitely try some of the other colors.

I didn't want to start out working in my art journal, because I figured my first project might not be so good.  So I did this piece on 6" x 9" 140# watercolor paper and decided to hang it on my 7 Gypsies Photo Display Stand.  I don't have any photo's on mine.  It's dedicated to mixed media projects.  Here is a picture I posted in the past :

I spray painted mine black.  I use extra large eyelets in the top.

2.5" x 3" Artist Trading Card

This one is a mini.  You can't really get the depth on such a small peice, but I like how it turned out.

If you are interested in taking mixed media classes, here's a list :

Christy Tomlison

Roben-Marie Smith

Donna Downey - tons of free video's on her blog HERE

and in her store HERE

Creative Workshops

Alisa Burke

Free video's at Cloth, Paper, Scissors HERE

Interweave

Traci Bautista

Julie Prichard

If you know of any that aren't on my list, please share!

You can view my other :

 Faith Art projects HERE.

Collage / Mixed Media projects HERE.

Artist Trading Cards HERE.

***********************************************************

Challenges

Project #1

Cupcake Craft (mon) - texture (flowers and circles are modeling paste)

Ribbon Carousel (tues) - lots of color

For Fun (wed) - anything goes

Let's Ink it Up (monthly) - distressing

Crafts 4 Eternity (fri) - try something new (new mixed media class - style)

Corrosive (sun) - from a bottle  (spray inks)

Project #2

Word Art Wed (wed) - Habakkuk 3:18

Fairy Fun Friday's - flower

OOzak's (monthly) - anything goes

Abby's Scripture Thur #25

3 Mixed Media Background Tutorials / Artist Trading Card

Artist Trading Card 2.5" x 3.5"

I have to tell you that the best part of these 3 ATC's for me was creating the backgrounds!  Back in Oct, my friend Deb and I got together for a mixed media day and experimented with some different techniques.  I have a really great book, "Surface Treatment Workshop" and it has some fun techniques in it.  Most of the technique's I have either tried or seen before, but all the projects using the techniques in the book were very inspiring.  In addition, it's nice to have 1 book with so many techniques.  I tend to forget things, so even though I've done something before, looking through the book reminds me / inspires me to do it again.  Artist Trading Cards are great size for just practicing since they are only 2.5" x 3.5" and fast to create.  If you are new to Artist Trading Cards, then you can take a look at a basic article I wrote way back in 2010 HERE.  And view all of my other ATC's HERE.

The first one was a "rinse aid resist" technique.  It's the rinse aid that is found on the dish washing liquid aisle at the grocery store.  Mine doesn't look as good as the projects in the book, but I still like how it turned out.  I used 3 different color acrylic paints and 140lb water color paper.  hmmmm .... I knew you were going to ask me what colors, teehee.  I only wrote I used 3 colors, but not the colors, teehee.  Well obviously pink and yellow. 
1.  Apply coat of paint and while it is still wet, let the rinse aid drip down the card from top to bottom. 
2. Let the paint dry and then wipe off the rinse aid.  Mine didn't resist so well, so I definitely want to try this one again.  So I added more paint and rinse aid, dried and wiped again.  I can only assume at this point I did the process again with a 3rd color since I wrote I used three colors, but I can't remember.  My background is the result of a technique gone bad, teehee.  So I just kept trying it with a different color and this is what I ended up with.
3. Stamp it with a script image and with orange ink.  My girl with wings and the words are from Lisa's Altered Arts.  The image is kinda fuzzy, if that makes sense.  I don't know if they are intended to look that way or if it's my printer.  My printer doesn't work that well at times.  I guess I"m just used to clean crisp images.

4.  Trim words (Lisa's Altered Arts).  You can create your own with your computer.

5.  Doodle around work blocks and edges.

6.  Add button.

Artist Trading Card 2.5" x 3.5"

I have been using paste for a couple of years. After seeing a project in the book that had raised circles using the paste and the colors aqua / red, I was inspired to create this background.  Paste are found in the artist section at your local craft stores.  I've used Aquitex and Golden and both work fine for me.  It comes in white.  You can add acrylic paint to it.  Or spread it on and after it dry's add paint over it.  It's fun to use with stencils.  I punched circles in heavy cardstock to use as a stencil.  You can get lots of fun stencils from Layer's of Color and from Crafter's Workshop. 

1. Spread modeling paste over the entire background with a palette knife (also found in the artist section of local craft store).  

2.  After dried I used my self-made circle stencil and applied more paste. 

3.  Apply paint (red, aqua, and a dab of white) until you get the distressed look you want.  I often use fan brush to add little wisp of color here and there. 

4. Distress using a script stamp.  The one I used was already distressed (Prima).  It's a 2 1/4" x 2 3/4" clear stamp.  I swiped ink over parts of the stamp and added small parts of the image hear and there.  see below.

5.  Hand cut grass, flower, and banner from patterned paper, then doodle around the edges.

Another great book with fun background idea's and great ATC inspiration is "Artist Trading Cards Workshop" .

Artist Trading Card 2.5" x 3.5"

The above background was created using a paper towel.  I've read can also use a baby wipe, I've just never done it.  Paper towels are more readily available at my house, thank goodness, teehee.

1. Wet  paper towel and lay over some watercolor paper.

2.  Add watered down acrylic paint.  Just enough so it is thin enough to be absorbed easily.  The paint bleeds together a little. 

3. Pick up your paper towel and lay it down somewhere to dry.  I use wax paper.

The paint will bleed through on to the watercolor paper and you can use this for the base of backgrounds as well.

 4.  Lightly swipe more paint here and there if needed to get the distressed look you want.  Whenever I do this, I use a fan brush. 

5. Trim down to slightly smaller than ATC.  Stamp randomly with a script image and black ink.  Adhere to black cardstock.

6.  Tear and add a patterned paper. 

7.  Add cut-out butterfly's and words.

8.  Doodle around the edges of word blocks and patterned paper.  I just realized I forgot to doodle around the sides, so I will be going back and adding that.

I hope you are inspired to experiment with some new background techniques!

I would love to see ATC's you create using these techniques.  Email my a link when you have posted yours.

hugs,

Melisa

You can view more of my Artist Trading Cards HERE.

You can view more of my Mixed Media projects HERE.

You can view more of my projects using Modeling Paste HERE.

You can view more of my tutorials HERE.

***********************************************

Modeling paste

Palette Knife

This is a fancy set.  I just own one ... the first one on the left.  You can buy just the one at local craft store