SPECIAL GIVEAWAY OF DECOART MEDIA PRODUCTS!!

Hi Everybody!  Ready for some exciting news??

I'm offering a FREE GIVEAWAY of the DECOART MEDIA PRODUCTS graciously donated by the fabulous people at DecoArt. These are the products I used in creating my Industrial style frame now being shared on DecoArt Media's Mixed Media Blog. 



Here's the project.  For a complete pictorial on how to create this, hop on over to DecoArt Media's Mixed Media Blog for all of the details.  There are lots and lots of amazing DecoArt Media products used on this piece. 

Want to see the prize package??? .... You're not going to believe THIS incredible array of products!  

• 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

How's THAT For a fantastic prize package???

All you need to do is leave a comment on the DecoArt Mixed Media blog and on my blog.  Share it on Facebook and Twitter, if you like!  Spread the word about these amazing products.
  

Unfortunately, you have to live in the USA to be eligible for this giveaway, but I would still really appreciate your comments if your are outside of the USA!

The random drawing will be held on May 5th and the winner will be posted on my blog.  I will notify the winner and we will get your prize package shipped to you.

What better way to acquaint yourself with DecoArt Media products if you don't already have them in your craft room? If you do have them, then you KNOW what a wonderful group of products are being represented here. 

GOOD LUCK and thank you in advance for all of your nice comments!

DECOART MIXED MEDIA BLOG ~ TANDO INDUSTRIAL FRAME KIT

HAPPY APRIL, HAPPY SPRING!

I am so excited to share my latest creation with you over at the 

DecoArt Mixed Media Blog.  

Last month, I took part in a really fun blog hop using our choice of Stampendous Stamps and DecoArt Media products.  

You can see my "Unexplained Toxic Skuldoggery" canvas HERE.  I chose to concentrate on Andy Skinner's amazing stamps from Stampendous and the canvas was named for the three sets I used.  

This month, I decided to concentrate on some of Andy's newer DecoArt Stencils that I dearly LOVE.  The sets are:  Time Warp, Distressed Digits and Typeface.  You can find out more about them HERE.  

 

This is just a  sneak peek of my very dimensional  industrial frame.  I hope you'll hop on over to the DecoArt Mixed Media Blog for a complete pictorial tutorial.  

Stay tuned!!!  I have a special announcement coming shortly ...

WORKING WITH DECOART CHALKY FINISH PAINT AND CREME WAX

Hi everyone!

It's Spring and I was in the mood to redecorate my half bathroom off of my kitchen.  I wanted to give it a more romantic, shabby feeling.  Before it was done in blacks and tans and was decorated with African animals.  So, quite a big change!

As I was shopping for items to put in the new bathroom, I came across the sweetest little angel.  She is supposed to be a yard ornament but I loved her and knew she would be perfect in my bathroom.  She looks like she's made out of concrete but she is actually quite lightweight.

Her original coloring was that dark grey concrete color. But that did not scare me away because I knew that I had some new DECOART AMERICANA CHALKY FINISH PAINT and she could be easily transformed!  Check out the link above to see all of the beautiful available colors of chalky paint.

I chose "Lace" which is a light ivory color.  I wanted my angel to be light and I would add a darker wax to bring out all of the details later.

This paint is SO EASY to work with and I totally LOVE my new and improved angel!  Let me take you through the very quick and very easy steps to completely transform ANYTHING!

As I said, I chose "Lace" to paint over my angel.  There is no prep work at all other than maybe wiping off any dust before starting.  I used a regular acrylic brush about 1" wide.  I shook up the paint really well and stirred it a little bit with the wooden stick end of my brush.  Then I started to paint over the entire surface.  Be sure to dab the brush into all of the cracks and crevasses (and smooth the paint out) so that all of the original grey color is covered up.  Let it dry and be sure to clean your brushes thoroughly after using.

Here is my angel ... already taking on such a lovely new appearance!  There were little areas that I had missed on my original layer of paint so I simply went back over those areas and touched them up and let it dry again.  

Now for the really dramatic part ....

I used a medium brown DecoArt Americana Golden Brown Cream Wax to create all of my detail.  Again, just shake up the wax and begin painting it all over the piece.  I worked in sections so that the wax would not begin to dry too fast before I had a chance to move it and work with it.  But, the wax is water soluble so it is easily manipulated with a damp lint free cloth.

I used the damp cloth to remove all of the excess wax that I did not want on my angel.  I was also able to blend traces of the golden brown wax color over the lace paint where I wanted to add some shadowing effects.  You can add more color or wipe away excess color with the damp cloth.  SO easy and fun!!!

There were areas where I wiped off too much of the brown wax.  So, I simply reapplied more wax on top of the areas I wanted to create more depth and gently wiped away the excess with the damp cloth.  Repeat this process until you get your desired results.  Once the cloth has some excess wax on it, it's fun to use that wax to add some shadowing effects as well.

Here is my beautiful new and improved angel...perfect for my bathroom decor!  From here, I could had added more hints of different Chalky Finish Paint colors to the leaves and flowers but I really wanted her to be super simple: just the Lace and Golden Brown Cream Wax combination.

These next two pictures show you the detail that is able to be pulled out of the statue by brushing on the brown wax and wiping away the excess with a damp cloth.  

Just amazing!  She's so much prettier as a light angel than the grey concrete one!  And I think she looks a lot more expensive, too!  Like something that could have been picked up at an antique market or something.  

You could add a patina effect to her.  You could add some metallic gilding, you could add color to her face, cheeks, hair and flowers, etc.  It's all up to you and your imagination!

If you've never experimented with DecoArt American Chalky Paints, I highly recommend that you do it!  They are so fun, so easy and the results are amazing!  You can paint pretty much transform anything: statues, cabinets, frames, furniture: you name it!  

   

Here are a few pictures of my new bathroom.  It's hard to photograph a small area in full.  I love the corner cabinet full of teal accents and a few of my own art pieces mixed in!

 

And finally, a beautiful metal piece that I found and dearly love to the left and my sweet little angel to the right.

Thanks for stopping by!

CREATIVE CARTE BLANCHE COMMUNITY

Hi everybody!

I hope you all are having a wonderful spring so far.  So many things are happening these days!

Image found on: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/123286108522724839/

I wanted to share a bit of news with you ... the Creative Carte Blanche Community on Facebook is alive and kicking and my wonderfully Creative Carte Blanche sisters have decided it's time to really kick it up a notch for our community and spend less time on the Creative Carte Blanche Blog.  

Like everyone these days, life seems to be taking everyone in a thousand different directions.  If you follow us on our blog or on Facebook...as WE follow YOU, you know there have been several recent big life changing things happen to so many of us.  There have been recent devastating loses of loved ones in the Creative Carte Blanche Community.  Many of us have been or are currently caregivers for friends and family.  Some of us are combating illnesses right now and our creative time has given way to "life".  We totally understand that and are proud that we stand together as a community to support and love one another. And ... we are also there to inspire, educate, encourage and challenge each other in our art adventures.    

My art sisters and I really want our mission to be one of support and love; not only in the art world but in the real world.  That being said ... 

If you're not a member of the Facebook Creative Carte Blanche Community, we happily invite you to join us.  This is a completely free community where we share our creative stories, tips and tutorials, our art and maybe even some free "goodies" from time to time.  We also are there to lift each other up and be like an online family.
  
It's a place to come together and have "carte blanche" over anything you create; no themes, no deadlines, no competitions.  Just sharing your love of art and your creative process with other artists who just want that total freedom of expression.  

Linda Ledbetter will be posting more information on the Creative Carte Blanche Blog site so be sure to check that out.

Sending big creative hugs out to everyone and looking forward to seeing you at the Creative Carte Blanche Community!