Friday, May 26, 2017

MIXED UP MINISTRY OF MIXOLOGY BOOK COVER

Oh happy Friday!  I hope everyone has a fantastic AND CREATIVE weekend.

I am over the moon excited to be part of Andy Skinner's Creative Team. 
I am sharing my first piece on his blog.  You can check it out HERE.


I am sharing two different techniques using DecoArt, Tando Creative and Stampendous products.  You can  see a step by step rusting technique on the plain chipboard gears and cogs.  I am also sharing one of Andy's very fun image transfer and coloring technique that has stunning results.

DecoArt has a vast array of wonderful mixed media products: paints, gessos, modeling pastes, brushes...you name it, they've got it!

Tando Creative has an amazing collection of cut MDF board and chipboard.  You have GOT to check them out!

Stampendous has too many beautifully cut stamps to count! I love so many of them!  

I hope you'll check out the tutorial over on Andy's blog and then maybe try some of the techniques on your own creative piece this weekend!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Friday, May 19, 2017

HALLOWEEN FUN WITH ANDY SKINNER AND DECOART

I know it's not even Summer yet and I'm already thinking about Halloween!  
I guess since I'm already seeing all of the big box craft stores putting out FALL things already, I think I better get with it!

I bet Christmas items will start appearing in the stores next week!  It's ridiculous!  But THAT is another blog post subject!  (smile)

Anyway.... I wanted to share with you a Halloween frame I just completed.  Here it is ...


I absolutely LOVE Andy Skinner's Ministry of Mixology Frames from Tando Creative.  The are dimensional, large enough to really have some fun playing and experimenting on the surface and they are sturdy!

A few months back, I got together with some of my friends and we experimented with some different techniques in creating the background for the frame.  I didn't take pictures of this process so I can't share the step by step with you.  But, I basically I created a lot of texture with old pieces of netting, my fingers and a palette knife and a little Crackle Paste particularly around the edges of the frame.  Then I covered the background; working in small sections with modeling paste and stamped into it using various Halloween themed rubber stamps.  

After all of that dried, I added my DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylic colors, sticking with the traditional black and orange.  The center piece of the frame was done with a little Crackle Paint followed by shades of black and grey.  The bolts were all done by using one of several rust techniques and DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics.  I have to admit when the frame was finished, I was less than enamored with it.  So, I put it down and figured I'd come back to it sometime and try to rescue it.  That day came this week!  And now I LOVE the end results!

I rubbed some DecoArt Copper Kettle Metallic Lustre in strategic locations all over the frame and WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MADE!!  It gave "life" to a rather dull background and really popped the stamped images. 

So now I can pick up on the step by step as I finished out the frame...


I began by taking some Halloween pieces purchased from a box store: a small plastic-ish skeleton, some little skulls and some creepy hands.  I gave them a basecoat of DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Titan Buff (a great soft beige color).  


Next I made a "dirty wash" of Quinacridone Gold and Paynes Grey mixed with water-about equal parts of each of the paints and more water.  I painted that all over the pieces and wiped away the excess.  Repeat this step until you have achieved the appearance of a natural bone color.  


Here is the end result.  LOVE IT!


Next I created an eye socket using Paper Clay that would fit into the center section of my frame.  That has to dry thoroughly; like overnight.


Next I chained up my skeleton with some old chain I had in my craft room and some jump rings.  


I began working on the interior recessed portion of the frame.  The sides were covered in DecoArt Media White Gesso using my finger.  I love using my fingers much more than a palette knife because you can really get a "feel" for the project.  


After that was finished, I scraped DecoArt Media Crackle Paste through a stencil made to look like bricks.  Let it dry thoroughly.  You do not heat set any of DecoArt's Crackle products.  Let them crackle naturally with a normal drying time.


Next I painted over the gesso with Titan Buff then Yellow Oxide followed by Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide and finally a bit of Quinacridone Gold to give a bit more of a rich  "brickish" appearance.


To weather the bricks and give them a lot of contrast, I added a layer of DecoArt Media Antiquing Cream in Raw Umber.  Simply brush it on and let it dry.  Then using a damp cloth, wipe away all of the cream you want to remove.  You can also brush on the antiquing cream and immediately wipe away the excess; giving a lighter antiqued look.


Next, using my finger, I added some depth to the brick interior of the frame.  I added a little DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Burnt Umber primarily around the outside edges of the center; feathering it in toward the center.


I temporarily assembled the frame to placement of my eye socket.



Then I painted the socket using various colors of DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics to give it a more natural look.  I found an eyeball on the internet, sized it to fit my eye socket, printed it, cut it out and mounted it on a piece of chipboard.  I brushed over the eyeball with DecoArt Media Gloss Varnish.  



I took an old craft brush and sprayed the bristles with DecoArt Media Black Shimmering Spray.  After it dried, I cut bristles out of the brush and stuck them in place using a 1/8" piece of double sided adhesive tape that was added to the eye socket.  After that dried, I painted over the tape to blend the eyelashes into the eye socket.



Then I simply assembled the center section of the frame in place using double sided adhesive tape and hot glued the hands, skulls and skeleton in place.  I also added a bit more chain running across the frame; from the boney hands to the chained skeleton.  I love dangling chains and things that move freely on a piece.

I hope you are all taking some time out to play and experiment with your artsy adventures!  It's so fun and freeing.  








Friday, May 5, 2017

...AND THE WINNER IS ....

Hey everyone!  It's Friday, May 5th and I've randomly chosen the WINNER for the spectacular DecoArt Prize Package of goodies from their Media Line and also from Andy Skinner's amazing line of stencils.  

Just as a reminder, here is the prize package:


  • Andy Skinner Stencils:  Distress Digits, Time Warp, Typeface
  • DecoArt Media Mediums and Texture Mediums:  White Gesso, Modeling Paste, Texture Sand Paste, Crackle Paste
  • DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics:  Cobalt Teal Hue, Yellow Oxide, Transparent Yellow Oxide, Quinacridone Gold, Titan Buff, Metallic Gold, Carbon Black
  • DecoArt Media Antiquing Creams:  Raw Umber, Patina Green, Carbon Black

And the winner is: Sandi Moore!  Congratulations!

Sandy, if you could email me with your contact information, I will forward it to DecoArt and your prize package will be winging it's way to you as soon as possible!  

Thank you to everyone who left your wonderful comments on my blog and on DecoArt's Mixed Media blog.  They were really appreciated!!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Thursday, May 4, 2017

I LOVE DECOART!!!

Hi Everyone!

There is nothing better on a nasty dreary day than to receive some "happy mail".  I received a big box from DecoArt full of supplies I'd recently requested for some future projects. 

Guys, I sincerely mean this ... I have NEVER been so blown away by the generosity of the wonderful people at DecoArt.  They are such a wonderful company to design for and be associated with.  Mackenzie and Angela ... THANK YOU SO MUCH for always being so helpful and bending over backwards to make sure your design team people are taken care of.  I love you guys!!

Just take a look at some of the "goodies" that were in my box ...


Chalky Finish Paint and Vintage Effect Wash!  I recently worked with the Chalky Finish Paint and LOVE it!  I did a complete overhaul on a faux concrete angel.  You can see the blog post on it HERE. I cannot stress enough how SIMPLE this paint it so use and the fabulous results you get!  The soft, matte finish is amazing!

I have yet to work with the Vintage Effect Washes and I am dying to do so!  The colors are so rich and yummy!  I can't wait to work with these! 


Do you have some clear glass bottles, dishes or jars, buttons or whatever just sitting around because you don't know what to do with them?  These Frost Gloss Enamels caught my eye! You paint them on and they create a colored faux frosted glass look that I am seeing everywhere in the stores right now!  


Metallics anyone?  I LOVE metallic paint in my work!  Check out the CHOCOLATE and CHAMPAGNE colors!  Yep...I'm going to giving those a go real soon!


I adore these new brushes that DecoArt sent me to work with the Vintage Effect Wash and the Chalky Finish paints!  LOVE THEM!!


And finally ... look at these fabulous Decoupage papers! I'm in heaven!  

You can find these and all of the other amazing products available at DecoArt HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have a happy and creative weekend!