Thinking of You

 Well I'm back with another project for Elizabeth Craft Designs and this time I decided to do a scrapbook page to showcase how versatile these products are. This week is really a tough time for me, 6 years ago my husband passed away from Cancer. I had never done any scrapbooking about my husband usually it's just about the child and I found these old picture of him and his mom so here is the page. I'm not sure when this picture was taken but I think around 1945 or 1946. Anyways I really like the mix media craze that going around these days so I decided to let the texture roll.
 So I started off using this 'definition' paper from "Tattered Time" by DCWV  which I used  Soft Gel medium to apply definition paper to the white 130 lb card stock. I then took out the following The Crafter Workshop Stencils; TCW219 Punchinella, TCW 454 Specimen and TCW2030 Burlap Bits applied light modelling paste as shown. After it was dry, I sprayed the following colours using Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst sprays using Gold. Copper and Brown.I then applied Copper and Brown Gold Inka Gold by Viva Decor to the raised portions of the stencils. I then used a black Stabilo pencil to highlight the textured of the paste. I also stamped some textures using Texture stamps from Dina Wakley collection using brown Archival ink by Ranger. I then started to layer various papers starting off with a dark brown paper, then a glassine envelope which was stamped using brown Archival ink and using the stamps from Dina Wakley 'Textures". Then I added a white resist paper by Prima Marketing along with kraft resist paper by Tim Holtz,  I put down the photo which I overlaid some taupe crochet trim. All papers were sponged using Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I then ran some gold metallic shimmer sheetz thru embossing folder called 'Damask' by designer Karen Burniston. Then I sanded the Gold Shimmer Sheetz down and used Timber Brown and Jet Black Stazon ink on the embossed areas. I then used a blank wood ATC blank which I cut it in half, part of it was cover using gold metallic shimmer sheetz. The other ATC part was embossed using an embossing folder called 'Swirly Curves' and then added some Brown Gold Inka Gold to highlight the embossed area as shown below.

I cut out Daisy flowers using the Big Flowers Set 1 by ECD using or Tissue paper and Gold Metallic Shimmer Sheetz that were embossed using 'Petal Power' Embossing folder and Damask Embossign folder all by ECD. I then used Timber Brown and Jet Black Stazon ink to highlight the embossed areas. For the center of the flowers I used black velvet paper by Elizabeth Craft Designs. I laid some flowers on top of a piece of chipboard which I used embossed in Dauber by Ranger and embossed using Byzantine Bronze and Midnight Bronze Obsidian Embossing Powder by Lindy's Stamp Gang. For the two butterflies I used a paper from Tattered Time and cut them using the silhoutte  butterfly die that comes with the Butterfly Pivot Card by Karen Burniston by ECD. I then cut the overlay using Beige Velvet Paper by ECD and sponged on Vintage Photo for definition.I added small flowers from I Am Roses and sprayed them using Lindy's Stamp Gang Vintage Spray called 'Incandescent Copper' and added a couple of gold flowers and flower charm by Prima Marketing. I added a couple of metal embellishments a rose and a butterfly and used Brown Gold Inka Gold to highlight them. I cut out leaves using gold metallic shimmer sheetz and beige velvet paper using Triple Leaf Set by ECD.

I had a manilla tag which I used for journalling and used a button with twine for the pullout.  I cut out "Thinking of You" using a die and  black velvet paper by ECD. After all that I took some Sepia Acrylic Artists ink by Daler Rowney and made splats on my paper and cover up the photo so it didn't get splat on...

Supplies Used:

Paper: Tattered Time - DCWV, 130 lb Super Heavy Cardstock, White Resist Canvas Checkered Pattern-Prima Marketing, Kraft Resist Paper Stash - Tim Holtz, Black & Beige Velvet Adhesive Sheets - Elizabeth CraftDesigns, Gold Shimmer Sheetz - Elizabeth Craft Designs, Tissue Paper -unknown

Ink: Jet Black, Timberbrown Stazon ink -Tsukineko, Vintage Photo Distress ink - Tim Holtz, Emboss It Dabber- Ranger, Sepia Acrylic Artists Ink - Daler Rowny

Dies: Curvy Leaves (730) - Elizabeth Craft Designs, Big Flower Set 1 (795)- Elizabeth Craft Designs,Thinking of You (789)- Elizabeth Craft Designs, Butterfly Pivot Card (767) - Elizabeth Craft Designs

Embossing Folders: Swirly Curves (E119), Damask (KB104), Petal Power (E117) - all by Elizabeth Craft Designs

Stamps: Textures (MDR41344) Dina Wakley for Ranger

Other: Stencils -Punchinella (TCW 219), Specimen (TCW 454), Burlap Bits (TCW 2030)- The Crafters Workshop, Copper, Brown -Gold Inka Gold- Viva Decor, Midnight Bronze Obsidian, Byrantine Bronze Embossing Powders - Lindy's Stamp Gang Embossing Powders, Clam Bake Beige, Bayou Boogie Gold, South Shore Sand - Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Sprays,White Roses - I Am Roses, Gold Flowers, Yellow Flower with charms, Wooden ATC's - Prima Marketing, Taupe Crochet Lace - May Arts, Wooden Buttons- Stampin'Up, Light Modelling Paste -Golden, Twine-unknown. Metal butterfly- Fab Scraps, Metal Rose -Michael's, Black Colored -Marking Pencils-Stabilo

Remembering Ralph....

There are days when you would like to skip and this is one day is one for me, although time keeps going on... but for me it seems like yesterday. Six years ago today (April 9th) my best friend/husband (Ralph) passed away from Cancer.  I never do any scrapbooking pages about my husband or myself, usually it's just about the kids, right?. So I thought I could honour my husband this way. I saw this video by Limor Webber for Prima Marketing which you can find here. I started off using a vintage paper from the collection by DCWV called 'Tattered Time'. I placed this on a 130 lb white super stock paper using soft gel medium by Golden to adhere it.

I then used my Brick Stencil by The Crafters Workshop TCW191 and used light modelling paste by Golden to add texture to the paper. I also added some more texture using another TCW 267 called 'Ledger'. I then took a Versamark and swiped it onto the texture paste and brushed on some Lindy's Stamp Gang Magicals in gold and brown to soften the white paste. I also added some Old Gold Inka Gold by Viva Decor to add more highlight. I then outlined the bricks using a Stabilo pencil which will move when using a water brush to add some depth. For the photo I just added a lot of layers using various papers from the bottom up. First layer was tissue paper, paper from Weekend Market by Bo Bunny, glassine envelope which was stamped on using a texture stamp by Dina Wakley and brown Archival ink by Ranger.

I then used a white resist pattern paper by Prima Marketing which was sponge using Vintage Photo distress ink. I added a doily which was sprayed using Lindy's Stamp Gang Dark Chocolate Truffle and then stamped some texture using black archival ink and Dina Wakley stamps. I added some gears which were cut out using corrugated paper using Tim Holtz Gear die in the left hand & right hand corner. Highlighted using Old Gold Inka Gold. I added a gear chipboard piece which was coloured using black soot distress stain and tarnished brass distress paint. I added some buttons with twine, gold  flowers, tags, stamps and cut up a metal frame to add more texture. In the gold flower in the top left hand, I added a "21" brad which was Ralph's birthday. I cut out some tags using Bo Bunny 'Weekend Market' to add some journalling.

Mix Media Canvas

Did you ever have something bizarre happen to you? Last September I had a strange phone call from a friend who immediately thought of me after showing her a few of my oil paintings. Someone was looking for artist who could to do a poster for Consulting Engineers of Alberta for their Gala which was happening in February 2014. Well I was overwhelmed to say the least, I had never thought of myself as an artist but someone who just loved to create.  But never having done anything like that, I was wondering if I could be up for the challenge- mostly Graphic Artists do this. The only requirements was that it had to have a Tuscany theme, something with Leonardo da Vinci who was the founder of Engineering and their theme for this Gala. Apparently after I had submitted my canvas they had changed the theme. So I started off using a 12"x 12" canvas which I applied light molding paste using a palette knife careful to mix up my strokes to give that Venetian Plaster texture look. I then took some Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst sprays using gold, red, pink and copper, letting them drip down the canvas. After letting the canvas dry, I made a column stencil using blank stencils from The Crafter's Workshop. I then taped the column stencil down and apply light molding paste. I applied more molding paste and used a Tim Holtz stencil 'Measured' to the bottom of the canvas. After letting the canvas dry, I rubbed some acrylic burnt umber paint onto molding paste make it look like marble and scrubbed it off. I also added some Viva Decor inks to highlight the Ruler at the bottom of the canvas. After it was dry I then took another leaf stencil and applied more molding paste, again let it dry. Then I applied some Mona Lisa adhesive and let it dry so I could add some variegated leafing. I then floated some black acrylic ink around the columns to make them stand out. I then printed the Leonardo da Vinci and the sentiment 'Building our Place in the Community' onto acetate. Applied them to the canvas using soft matte gel and highlighted it using Viva Decor inks.

NOTE: I did not get the job but the experience was quite valuable and I had lots of fun!!

Something new for me - Mix Media Journal Cover

In 1998 when my son was quite young, I wanted to doing something with my time while he was sleeping. I discovered Decorative Painting which was quite popular at the time and then one of my teachers  introduce me to oils which I fell in love with because I could dabble and dabble and the paint wouldn't dry like Acrylic does. Then fate intervene while I was looking for school books for my son, I discovered this store that half of the store was for Education Activities and the other was into rubber stamping (sadly the store closed in 2009). Rubber stamping became my life and I had to have every product that came out. I was torn between 2 different aspects of art, painting and stamping. After my husband passed away in 2008, I decided to concentrate solely on stamping, trying out for various Design Teams thinking this is what I wanted to do.  Then fate once again intervene and I was given an opportunity to create/design a poster for a gala event in February 2014. Knowing I'm no graphic artist,  I decided to do a mix media poster for the event (first time) ever doing a mix media project (sadly they didn't pick my design - out of 3 finalists). This woke up my inner artist; because it gave me the perfect fit of being able to paint and use my stamping products which help feed my addiction (can you say bad habit).. One of my supplies that I used to use in my stamping was Twinkling H20's by Luminarte which I had before and I didn't like them so I sold them all. This past August, I discovered Dion Dior's blog on the Luminarte website and I was drawn to her art. When I found out she used Twinkling H20's on her works of art, I knew I had to sign up when she offered classes. So this October, I signed up and found out how to use those H20's & find out why they didn't work for me.  Dion is a fabulous artist by the way and if you ever get the chance you must take some of her classes.
So for my project, I used this sketch book is from Stillman & Birn 'Zeta' series and based my idea on  Gabrielle Pollacco  video how to creating mix media journal cover. Another fabulous artist by the way. So I started off using 7 Dot Studio paper collection called '9th Wave' for the base. I then applied a chicken wire and swiss dot stencils by The Crafter's Workshop using some Tim Holtz distress inks in the following colours  Chipped Sapphire and Peacock Feathers. After it was dry, I applied light moulding paste to the stencils again adding some more dimension. After I heat set, I applied the paper to the journal using gel medium. I added some drywall tape along with some cheesecloth to add more dimension.  I started applying various embellishments such as chipboard letters, chipboard bird with branch, metal butterflies by Fabscrap, buttons, bottle cap, Tim Holtz Muse Tokens, TH Word Bands and some Martha Stewart lace using a strong glue to adhere them. Then I took out my white gesso and started applying gesso to all the embellishments so they would except the colorants that I was using. Then I took out my Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst spray and sprayed the journal using Afternoon Delight Denim, Bells of Ireland Green and Tainted Love Teal. Then I added some water my Egyptian Gold H20's so it would be ready for me to apply. I then took out my Silks by Luminarte applied the following colours; Azurite, Key Lime and Teal Zircon which are really transparent to my journal to add more colour.  I then took my Egyptian Gold H20 to add some highlights here and there. I added my flowers last and again took out my Silks to add some colour to my flowers so they toned in with my journal. I added some Tear Drops by The Robin's Nest in the following colour 'Baby' to various embellishments.
I then took out my Inka Gold by Viva Decor using Cobalt Blue and Turquoise applied them sparely on the chipboard letters and metal embellishments.

Here is a close up the bird's nest using some Tear Drops by The Robin's Nest.

Close up of the Chipboard letters using Inka Gold colours.