OCC Watercolour Intermediate Day 2 Card 4

To join the class
 

Hero Arts Background Stamp, Various Watercolours (Royal and Langnickle), Canson Watercolour Paper,Stamp it Australia Friendship Quotes, Scented Embossing Powder

Tesla Inspired Wall Art

This was created for a friend’s Husband.

I absolutely love the wooden boxes Prima put some of their accessories in now they are fantastic to recycled into these little art pieces.

I covered this one in Tissue tape, then Matt Multi Medium followed by some Alcohol ink. I think you will agree it comes up a treat.

Then it was a matter of playing around and choosing bits to see what would go where and then sticking it all down.

Of course most of this is Idea – ology with a few watch parts and other random bits thrown in,

I really love how these turn out just wish I had more of the little wooden trays.

A Little Locker

By now you are all well and truly aware I am not only a budget scrapper but a bargain hunter as well.

Nearly all my craft supplies have been gotten on Sale, or at a discounted rate.

I recycle everything I can think of.

I also look for things to play with (though have to stop myself sometimes as I have been trying to use up the OTP stuff I have, needless to say I am almost out of MDF albums and fun stuff to play with)

Anyway the OP shop (opportunity or second hand shop for non Aussies) near my Councilor is a treasure trove of interesting items.

I recently Discovered that they have a section out the back with old jeans for just 50c ( perfect for crafting with at that price and no sadness at killing erm I mean upcycling a pair of jeans)

I have also scored many a good 30-50c book, a whole container with about 60 slide covers again 50c, a bag of dominoes for 2oc

and this little Locker which once upon a time came with a Mary Kate or Ashley Olsen Doll for 50c. It still had the faux magazines and books inside it.

This is just phase one of this project I have an idea for it but it will take some $$$ to get the things I want and a little inventiveness on my part.

Now because I like to pin my posts and I am not clever enough with photo editing to put the pics all Into one I will start with what I have done to it then show you what it looked like to begin with etc. Almost backwards but not quite.

So here is what I have so far (remember this is just a smidge bigger than a barbie type doll):

and here is what the locker looked like originally

and here is is covered in Foil Tape (I got a rather large 2″ wide roll from ebay by searching foil tape worldwide it was about $4 and it is well worth the money as it goes very far.) I was tempted to leave it like this cause its kind of fun and funky all silver but I really do have an idea for where I want to take it.

and again how it looks now.

I embossed the foil tape by tearing it into strips the length of my Cuttlebug embossing folder. I embossed about 4 strips at a time as they are thin and it is much quicker this way. I also did the strips in different sections of the folder so I could mix up the looks.

I then took each strip and used alcohol inks in Lettuce, rust and another colour. Painted it with Black Ranger Paint dabber, left it to dry overnight and then lightly sanded off some of the black paint. I find the steel wool technique does not seem to work very well for me and flattens the embossing a bit to much for my liking.
The best part about the foil tape is that it is very forgiving and easy to add more where needed.

12 Mixed media journal pages of 2013

How exciting that it is a new year which presents 12 chances to play along with Mr Holtz’s 12 tags of 2013

I considered my options for this year, after doing the wee coasters last year I just wanted more room. One of the things I really want to get better at is mixed media art journaling and what better way to do this than to turn each tag for 2013 into a mixed media project, not only this but I was given a gorgeous art journal last year which is perfect so not only will I be using inspiration from Tim each month but also want to create my own page next to it as well the aim is a double page for each month with one incorporating techniques or elements of  Tim’s original tag.

What excited me about this months is I already owned a lot of the elements, in the case of the quote stamp mine is the smaller version, and the pointing finger is a wood mounted one I got from Tattered Inspirations (though I did get the stamp set with it in it for Christmas).

So let me show you my page then I will tell you how it was done.

it is funny looking back at the process I took because the colours I added really don’t all show through though there are a few small spots where a little teeny bit does.

I started off by cutting a piece of manilla from a folder. I then embossed it with the same clock texture fade that was used by Tim.

I then smeared over impasto (which dries an opaque whitish clear its great because if you mix paint with it it will dry the colour mixed in and stay true to that paint colour so great for stencilling with), over the whole thing so as to allow some of the embossing to show through but to blur other bits, I then adheared chipboard cogs and gears both the boarder ones and the normal ones cut from thin chipboard. I smooshed mine into the wet impasto, then I smeared them with more to get the same sort of blurred effect.

Left it overnight to dry and then covered it in two layers of snow cap paint dabber. If you have modelling paste you can skip this step.

Then I played with some colour washes mostly in stream, butterscotch, cranberry, and purple twilight (I know I know you don’t see them now)

then I dried it all with my heat gun and did that till i was happy, then I inked over that with bundled sage and a bunch of other colours. Then I added some vintage photo and walnut stain distress inks, played with a bit of the water swish and flick and such and then smeared multi medium matt over it all and the result was the mottled browns you now see.

Then I was stuck what did I want to do next so again I left it overnight and looked at it with fresh eyes.

I got a big pack of American Crafts Metallic Markers today from my Local spotlight. So I used the gold and went over some of the embossing, also used it to outline my cogs and to then to colour in my butterfly used the pink and green and of course it would not be one of my pages without a little bling.

Then I got out a couple of Tim’s texture stamps that I received for christmas and the black archival ink and stamped a little texture on there.

The rest was fairly simple I coloured the wooden finger with butterscotch colour wash, and  used a couple of thin layers of snow cap paint dabber that I smeared with my finger.

Tore some Kraft CS and inked the edges with vintage photo and walnut stain, stamped the quote and then repeated the same inking on some manila but also inked over the manila so that it was turned brown.

Stamped some crinkle ribbon with a hero arts clock background stamp, used wild honey stain to colour it. Added in some watch parts, and the hardest bit used thin strips of metal found insidesome of the watch parts with some magic tape that I cut thinly by sticking the metal bits down on the tap and trimming it added in my game spinner and mini cog.

And viola my first Mixed Media Page of 2013. It is nice to actually have so much of what was used for a change. Though I would always want to do my take or spin on what is done and not necessarily use every element or tweak it to what my stash contains. I am super excited to see where this journey leads me this year.

 

PS You may ask why not tags? I have nothing against tags at all. To be honest last year I did the coasters to be different and so I would have a lovely piece of wall art, this year I am doing a mixed media journal so I will again have a momento of this year of creativity plus I truly want to learn and stretch myself in mixed media this year. Plus yes I do like to be different and do something that not everyone else is doing 😉

A steampunk Halloween Box

Yes another Cybercrop Challenge. This we 2″ square box was my starting point it was a halloween themed mini otp challenge

I created this box and made a flower using Donna Salazar’s Rose Creations Dies (yep one of my fav things to enter my stash this year)

Then after I had embossed the box and added the flower and watch parts I had an idea how awesome would a flower look with watch parts in its center so that is what I did. I have to say I love how this turned out though embossing the box was the hardest part.

Here are two views of my Steampunk Halloween Box

 

and

 

12 Tags of 2012 September

So my first challenge was that I do not own the foil sheets, I did however some time ago find foil tape on ebay super cheap and have a roll of that. Yes its skinnier and took longer to cover the coaster, it also seems to scratch up easier.

Or perhaps that was my use of a green scourer rather than steel wool ( which I do not have any of at present).

It is quite funny actually I had such a different idea for my coaster originally. However I could not find my victorian Lady stamp and as I was looking I found the free stamp it stamp I was given at Artful Flight. Funny how that happens. I pulled out some white corrugated cardboard (purchased yesterday from a local cheapie shop), my little container of watch parts and just played.

I truly did not have a set idea in mind once I realised I could not find the stamp I wanted. So I really did just get inky and play.

The only thing I did differently with my background is after I scrubbed off some of the alcohol ink I also added a layer of Black Paint dabber then scratched it off using a paddle pop stick.

So enough rambling I am so excited to share my coaster with you all (the butterflies are mulberry paper ones I alcohol inked and then spritzed with a homemade pearl mist)

The quote is very Apt “Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art” Leonardo Da Vinci

Here is Tim’s Tag for this month, and I have to be honest it both excited and scared me. Though I had a lot of fun doing my coaster this month. (click image to be taken to the post and how to’s). (Moved so I can pin my coaster to pintrest)

Arty Matchbox Swap

I have been dying to share this project with you all for a couple of weeks now but had to wait till it was in the hands of my swap partner.

Have to say this was in part inspired by some matchboxes showed to me by a friend on a Ning stite Amazing Matchboxes. Which I shared with the extremely talented ladies at Jellybean Scrappers. Also got to see some other really cool Matchboxes with spooky bottlecap style keyrings in them.

Thus a swap was born for  ‘Arty Matchboxes’ of course being the eager beaver I can be I eagerly started working on a very pretty matchbox using Butterfly garden paper that is still half finished in my stash.

However when I found out who my swap person was I totally changed my mind as the request was funky rather than pretty.

I raided my charms, Found a great Gothic Cross that I had gotten as part of a pendant from ebay, pulled out my watch parts and went to town.

I used alcohol inks over all of the metal parts including both the skull charms and all the watch pieces. Used modling paste to cover the matchbox then rubbed Dusty Concord Distress Reinker over the cover and heated it with my heat gun. (It is the only way it sets into the Modling paste) I did that a few times to build up a nice deep colour.

I only Used the Pitch black and Slate alcohol inks then covered the metal bits with Multi Medium in Matt it reacted a little to give that great rust effect on some of the watch parts.

Also when I was finished it just felt like it needed something else so I made a velvet pouch for the Matchbox

The Matchbox

Opened (though not a great pic)

Whats that inside?

Why Yes it’s a book

The green on the edges of the Book is from setting fire to the edges it is how the Distress Reinker and modelling paste reacted to the heat instead of a burnt colour it turned green. As the book is a ‘Faux Grimoire’ it seemed fitting.

I also chopped up real book pages and burnt the edges to make the inner book. The skull on the cover has also been alcohol inked to age it a bit.

Have to say it was a lot of work to get this just right (took me 3 attempts to make the insert piece alone) but I love how it turned out. Not only that but the reaction of my swap partner and those who have seen it has just blown me away.

It was so much fun to do something a bit darker than what I would normally do. Never be afraid to try something new the worst that can happen is you really don’t like it the best well the above and my recent Masculine cards show you that sometimes you can create something truly special when you step outside of your creative comfort zone…..

12 Tags Day 8 mark 2

Ok so I could not help myself I had to do it.

See here for the Original Tag 8 that Tim Holtz Did Yesterday
http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/12/12-tags-of-christmastag-8.html

Here is my Vintage Version

Materials Used:

Tim Holtz –

-Blending tool and 2 pieces of felt

– Paint Dabber Snow Cap

– Distress ink in Vintage Photograph, Walnut stain and Tea Dye

– Lots and found stamps (I used the people one) and regal flourishes (the corner flourish)

-Glossy Accents

-On the Edge Die Cogs, as well as clock and gears Die cut from both thin and thicker chipboard

Versa mark Watermark Ink pad

Kaiser clear stamps: December 25^th and After 5

A small piece of vintage lace (it is hidden beneath the cogs just barely showing)

White Tissue Paper

Staz on Jet Black

Monte Marte Willow Charcoal (any soft charcoal is good note hard charcoal will not give the right effect here)

Manilla Tag

Heat Gun

Utee Clear

Extra Manilla (I used the other side of a tag I ruined so as not to waste it)

Claudine Hellmoth Matt Multi Medium

Mini Mister Bottle

Vintage Looking Brad

1. See the background Technique from Tim Holtz for Day 8. I  used snow cap paint dabber as I do not own the stain yet, After you colour your tag you will need to re stamp your top corner again as the vintage photograph and tea dye ink will seep into the paint and you want it a crisper white image
2. Prep all your chipboard Pieces (I cut the cogs off the on the edge piece and discarded the edge piece) by dabbing with Snow cap (I roughly cut the clock to fit and left a little at each edge to trim off at the end)
3. Ink over the chipboard using either vintage photograph or tea dye. I used walnut stain on the clock hands to give them a different look. You want to do this so there are little areas of white showing. Dab off the excess ink.
4. Using your charcoal run it around all the edges of your chipboard pieces making sure to get a thin dark edge
5. Using a tissue or your fingers rub the charcoal into your chipboard by pulling it towards the centre of your chipboard. This gives a gritty sooty look to your vintage work and you will not get this look with ink or other means
6. Using your charcoal go around the edge of your tag and smudge it in.
7. Using the Claudine Hellmoth  multi medium in matt do a thin coat on each chipboard piece
8. Then either use glossy accents, triple thick or Utee (I used Utee I wanted to put it all together) to coat all chipboard pieces
9. Using walnut stain stamp the Lost and Found stamp with the People on it onto a small piece of Tissue Paper and heat with heat gun
10. Tear off the excess tissue paper from around your image
11. On the inked side paint with multi medium as quick as you can (or the image will start to smear)
12. Place on tag inked side down and gently smooth out
13. Paint matt multi medium over the top and allow to dry
14. Stamp your tickets on the Manilla
15. Ink them
16. Create a mist by mixing 4 drops of vintage photograph with water in your mini mister and spray over tags.
17. Dry with heat gun and fussy cut the tags out
18. Ink and spray till your happy with how aged and worn the tickets look
19. Go around the edges of the tickets with charcoal and smudge in
20. Glue into place hanging off the edge of the tag
21. Mist a piece of vintage lace with the vintage photograph mist. Blot with Paper towel and repeat this. Then Dry carefully with heat gun or wait for it to dry naturally
22. Glue in place at the bottom of your tag
23. Place your cogs and gears where you want them and glue down with glossy accents
24. Place your clock where you want it and glue into place (Note I made sure one of the gaps in the clock was over the tags hole)
25. Put a hole where you want your clock hands and insert your brad through them. Then through the tag and push the brad flat at the back of the tag.
26. Position your clock hands where you would like them to point

And that’s all there is there isn’t any more.