IT'S A WINTERY WONDERLAND ~ SO LET IT SNOW WITH DECOART!

Hello everyone!  

Welcome to my blog and my Winter Challenge Piece for 

DecoArt's Winter Challenge.

Are you ready to join in on the fun for another DecoArt Media Challenge?  This challenge has a winter theme full of blue and purple hues and maybe even some snow!  Even if you're not a blue or purple fan, you're still welcome to join!  Simply create something wonderfully  "Winter"!

This challenge opened December 28th and closes January 29th...so there is still time to create and share with all of us on the DecoArt Media Blog. The DecoArt Design Team will choose the winner of this challenge and that winner will be announced on Facebook on February 2nd.

There have already been several beautiful winter projects posted on individual DecoArt Design Team member's blogs.  Be sure to check out the links to each of those by clicking on the BLUE DecoArt's Winter Challenge link above.

And now on to my project and the complete tutorial for you ...

I created an adorable and very useful little snowman coaster; perfect for resting your hot cuppa coffee or cocoa with marshmallows as you sit by the fire and watch the snow flurries rush past your window.

This was a fun, simple and useful project to make.  Grab that cuppa something warm and join me in this pictorial step by step tutorial using the fabulous DecoArt Media products!

Supplies for project:

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Titanium White

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Phthalo Blue

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Cerulean Blue

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Ultramarine Blue

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics English Red Oxide

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Phthalo Green-Blue

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Burnt Umber

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Paynes Grey

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Medium Grey Volume 6

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Yellow Green Light

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Sap Green

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Primary Magenta

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Vermillion

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Yellow Oxide

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Interference Blue

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Interference Violet

DecoArt Media Gesso White

DecoArt Media Tinting Base White

DecoArt Media Matte Medium

DecoArt Media Ultra Matte Varnish

4” x 4” tile for coaster – in this case, a Tumbled Tile

Paint Brushes

Pencil

“Let It Snow” sized on computer and printed on copy paper

Old Toothbrush

Stylus

Cork backing for coaster

Instructions:

Step 1:  Paint a blank coaster with DecoArt Media White Gesso and let dry or heat set.  In this case, I used a more porous tumbled coaster but any type will work.

Step 2:  Playing with DecoArt Media Tinting Base, mix various colors of blue to decide colors to create a wintery sky background. 

Step 3: Mix DecoArt Media Tinting Base and DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Phthalo Blue and brush onto the coaster as a background.  Let dry or gently heat set.

Step 4:  Using a fairly dry brush, brush light, wispy strokes of DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Ultramarine Blue onto the background to create almost an effect of seeing the cold air circling around on the background.

Step 5:  Create a landscape by lightly brushing DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Titanium White on the lower portion of the coaster and create a horizon line.  Then lightly brush DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Interference Violet particularly around the edges of the sky to create an iridescent light effect of the wintery sky.

Step 6:  Begin painting little pine trees on either side of the landscape background.  First use a small brush and DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Phthalo Green-Blue to create the first layer of the pine trees.  Then add some DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Yellow Green Light to the trees to vary the green color. 

Step 7:  Using a small brush, dot the trees with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Titanium White to create a snowy tree look.

Step 8:  Use a small piece of sponge or a makeup sponge and randomly dabble a mixture of DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Titanium White and Cerulean Blue onto the wintery sky.

Here is a photograph of the coaster to this point in the process: a wintery sky and sort of blowing snow effect for the background with pine trees blanketed in falling snow.

     

Step 9:  Using a same small sponge, randomly dab DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Interference Blue onto the wintery sky to create some subtle iridescent blue highlights.

Step 10:  Sketch the snowman in place on the coaster using a pencil or you can sketch your snowman onto a piece of paper first and then use DecoArt's Graphite Grey paper to transfer the image to the tile.

Step 11:  Paint in the white areas of the snowman using DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Titanium White. Gently heat set or air dry.

Step 12: Paint the scarf of the snowman first with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics English Red Oxide.

Step 13:  Add shading to the scarf first with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Yellow Oxide mixed with a touch of DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Titanium White for the lighter highlights.  Add DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Burnt Umber for the darker highlights.  Add pattern to the scarf using a small detail brush and DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Yellow Oxide. Outline the scarf with a detail brush and DecoArt Fluid Acrylics Burnt Umber.  Gently heat set or let air dry.

Step 14:  Repeat Step 13 for the snowman’s hat.

Step 15:  Paint the snowman’s carrot nose with a small brush and DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Vermillion followed by outlining and shading in DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Burnt Umber. Gently heat set or air dry.

Step 16:  Draw the snowman’s face using a pencil.

Step 17:  Randomly add a wash of water and DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide to gently “age and warm up” the coaster. Gently heat set or air dry.

Step 18:  Using a stylus and DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Payne’s Grey, dot the snowman’s eyes and mouth in place.  Gently heat set.  Add color to the snowman’s cheeks by mixing DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Titanium White and Primary Magenta.  Gently brush the blush onto the cheeks.  Add small, subtle smile lines under the snowman’s eyes and a little shading around the nose, cheeks and sides of the snowman’s face using DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Paynes Grey. Gently heat set or air dry.

Step 19: Using a detail brush and DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Burnt Umber, paint the woody part of a small pine tree on the right front side of the snowman.

Step 20:  Add needles to the pine tree with a detail brush and brushing small strokes first with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Phthalo Green-Blue followed with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Sap Green.  Gently heat set.

Step 21:  Make a mask to cover the face of the snowman using a piece of scrap copy paper.  Cut it out and lay it in place over the snowman’s face.

Step 22:  Create a wash using DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Titanium White and water.  Circle an old toothbrush around in the wash mixture and flick it onto the coaster to create snowflakes.  Gently heat set.

Here is a photograph of the coaster as you have completed Step 22.  Coming into the home stretch now with just a couple more things to complete it!

Step 23:  Using a fairly stiff brush, stipple “snow” onto the pine tree limbs using DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Titanium White.

Step 24:  Generate “Let It Snow” in a whimsical font on a computer about ½” tall.  Make the letters white and the background black.  Cut out the sentiment and place it on the coaster.  Use DecoArt Media Matte Medium first as an adhesive by brushing the Matte Medium onto the surface of the coaster where you want the words to go.  Place the words and press in place.  Then brush over the words with Matte Medium to seal them in place.  Brush over the entire surface of the coaster to seal it.  Matte Medium dries clear.  Gently heat set or air dry.  Apply one more coat of Matte Medium as a sealer.

Step 25:  Finally, brush over the entire surface of the coaster one more time using DecoArt Media Ultra Matte Varnish to give the surface and silky smooth texture and another layer of sealer.

Step 26:  Cut a piece of cork adhesive backed paper just a bit smaller than the coaster.  Then remove the backing and lay the cork backing in place.  There you have it; a great little coaster!  Make a whole set or give them as gifts!

Won't you join us over at DecoArt's Winter Challenge?  You could be the lucky winner of a fabulous prize package of DecoArt Media Art Products worth $120!  Click on the link above for all of the details on how to enter.

Good luck!

MAGAZINE PEOPLE ART JOURNAL PAGES

Hello everyone!   Happy 2016!  

I don't like making new year's "resolutions".  I prefer to call them hopes of things I would like to accomplish this year.  It is my hope to completely obliterate the "fear factor" in trying new techniques or things that until now, I have just dipped my toe in the waters or have found excuses...yes...excuses to procrastinate from doing the artful things I long to do. 

Fear is a huge stumbling block, isn't it?  It keeps us from seeing our own possibilities and from creating what could possibly be our BEST WORK EVER!  

I recently came across a wonderful quote by Vincent Van Gogh and I wanted to share it with you...

"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint', then by all means PAINT and that voice will be silenced." 

 There is so much truth in that statement!  

I wanted to share a couple more of my magazine people art journal pages that I have done.  

They have all been created in a very loose format of Shannon Green's "Journaling By 5s".  I used a 9x12 Strathmore Visual Journal.  I have already shared several of my pages on previous posts.  Here are those links if you would like to see them:  

Adventures in Art Journaling

Magazine People Art Journal Pages-August

Choose Happy Art Journal Page for DecoArt Media Blog

More Magazine People Art Journaling Pages

Candle In The Wind Art Journal Pages

More Magazine People Art Journal Pages-September

Magazine People Art Journal Pages-November

Now for the most recent additions:

This page obviously doesn't have a magazine person on it but I still love it and included it in this art journal.  As on the previous journal pages and in loosely keeping with the Journaling By 5s format, I began this page with some spritzes of color spray mists.  These were Heidi Swapp's Color Shine mists.  I layered the page with sheet music, book text, images from tissue paper.  The frame is from an older 7 Gypies tissue paper.  The beautiful butterfly is from Tim Holtz' Melange Tissue Wrap.  "Dream" is from a napkin as are the colorful tulips.  I also added some torn strips of fabric, a filmstrip washi tape and some little metallic accents.  All of these items were layered in place using a brush and Matte Medium first as a glue and then as a sealer as I brushed over the entire page to seal it.  I then added more soft colors using a water brush and Neocolor II Watercolor Crayons.  

This next page is a reminder to enjoy the simple things in life:  birds singing, butterflies, the sweet smell of fragrant flowers bursting with color and beauty.  There is beauty in everything around us, if we just take the time to NOTICE it.

This page began with an acrylic paint base that was just randomly brayered over it.  I added more of 7 Gypsies kraft colored tissue paper with book text, bird and butterfly images. I also added another of their wonderful tissue paper frames.  The flowers and some of the birds and butterflies are from paper napkins.  I distressed a doily and used a piece of it then added some butterfly washi tape randomly on the page.  Little trips of filmstrip washi tape are topped with some copper metallic scroll accents.

These pages are basically just layering items to create a wonderful, cohesive collage of images, thoughts and feelings.  I hope you enjoy them and they inspire you to express yourself through your art!  

VINTAGE MERRY CHRISTMAS CANVAS

Hello again my blogging friends!

I am a huge fan of vintage/retro Christmas pieces.  I would love to share with you a piece that I created especially for you that is now being featured on 
DecoArt's Mixed Media Blog.  

I recently came across the most beautiful image of Santa on his Christmas Eve visit.  It is actually the cover of a Christmas Ideals magazine from the year 1946.  Happily, that was long before I was born but I remember those magazines in our home every Christmas season.  

The art of the cover of this particular edition just mesmerized me and I wanted to recreate it onto a 5" x 7" canvas that would resemble an old vintage Christmas postcard.  But I had a problem in that I am not a great painter of people or animals.  

The way I've done this canvas, you combine some of your own painting with the addition of a paper copy of Santa and his reindeer from the original artwork.  So you don't have to be a fabulous painter to get fabulous results! With DecoArt's Media products, this project came together easily and it was a lot of fun!  I really do think my finished canvas looks like an old vintage postcard.  You could really make this a showy Christmas decor piece by adding a vintage type of frame or just leave it as is and make it part of a Christmas display.

You can view the entire project over at DecoArt's Mixed Media Blog and get the complete pictorial tutorial if you'd like to make this piece.  And I'll share the original art work with you here because you will need it for your project.  Just right click and save it to your computer.  Then you can size it to fit whatever piece you are creating.

Here you go ...

Merry Christmas Blessings to you and yours.

VINTAGE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS WITH DECOART

It's December 1st already!

As the Christmas carol says, "Fast away the old year passes."  Before you know it, Santa will be making his annual Christmas Eve visit.

A few years ago, I decided that I wanted to create a "grandchildren's tree" for our home.  I wanted to fill that tree with ornaments that my grandchildren make for us and ornaments that I make for them....a dated ornament, one for each grandchild, each Christmas.  

Someday these ornaments will be theirs to share with their families.  I hope that they will become treasured keepsakes; hand made with love from their "Mimi".

I am so excited to share two of the ornaments I have just completed for my tree with you.  They are featured at DecoArt's Media Blog page with complete pictorial tutorials.

Perhaps you have small children or grandchildren and would like to start a Christmas tradition like this for your family.  DecoArt Products are wonderful to work with and I feel confident that year after year when I unwrap these precious ornaments to hang on my tree, they will be just as beautiful and bright as the day I made them.

MORE MAGAZINE PEOPLE ART JOURNAL PAGES

Hello!  I hope everyone is having a wonderful day.

I wanted to share two more of my magazine people art journal pages with you.

This page is layers and layers of all sorts of different elements.  The original background is created by wiping various colors of acrylic paints onto the gesso'd surface of the page using a baby wipe.  When that was dry, I lightly spritzed some Heidi Swapp Color Shine sprays onto the colorful background. 

Next I added some fibers, a rough textured loose burlap style piece of ribbon trim and corrugated strips using DecoArt Matte Medium brushed onto the background to glue the pieces in place and then dabbing the brush with Matte Medium over the top of those pieces to seal them in place.  

The next layer consisted of a little torn 7 Gypsies tissue paper with book text words that was applied with Matte Medium in the same manner as were the textured pieces in the paragraph above.

Once that was dry, I stamped the various flowers and greenery using a black permanent ink and heat set that in place.  To add the color to these stamped images, I used my Neocolor III Watercolor Crayons and a Detailer Water Brush.  I so love those watercolor pencils.  It's so easy to fill in and blend colors. I lightly sprayed the page with a clear sealer to protect all of my coloring so that when I added my magazine girl, the colors of the flowers and leaves would not run.  After all, they are water soluble and the Matte Medium would activate those colors.

I brushed the page underneath where my girl would go, I laid her in place and then brushed Matte Medium over her to seal her in place.  Once dry, I added the tissue tape around the edges and the teal acrylic paint color to edge the page.

"Love to Create" is a IndigoBlu stamp that was stamped with black permament ink and stamped onto white cardstock.  The edges were torn and it was glued in place over a big pink bow that I thought was a little over the top on my magazine girl.  

This page began as a colorful gelli print that also had alot of exposed white on it.  It was originally done on plain deli paper and glued onto the surface of the gesso'd page using Matte Medium.   

I loved all of the exposed white because it gave me so much area to play with to create a great contrast of the spots of bright color.  My next layer is a piece of Tim Holtz' Melange Tissue Wrap.  It is basically transparent with lots of beautiful stamping on it; featuring his Papillon butterflies and some lovely French script.  That layer was also glued in place using Matte Medium and then another of Matte Medium on top to seal it in place. 

I cut out the lovely black frame from a piece of old 7 Gypsies frame tissue paper that I have.  I love that paper!  So many very cool frames to choose from.  It was also laid in place using Matte Medium. 

Once dry, I added some tissue tape to the page and then some rainbow ribbon trim around the perimeter of the page.  Again, Matte Medium was brushed on to hold it in place and seal it.

The next layer included some lovely butterfly tissue tape and other colorful tissue tapes that were placed randomly on the page.  Then I randomly stamped various polka dot type images on the page using black permanent ink and heat set it in place.  I colored the larger butterfly in using my Neocolor III Watercolor Crayons and a Detailer Water Brush.

I glued my magazine girl (from a Cinderella ad) onto the page using Matte Medium as a glue and then a sealer.  On top of her dress, I glued three butterflies in flight.  These butterflies were images found on the internet and sized to fit the page properly.  I love how they pull everything together and give more depth to the page.

Finally I took a little bit of teal acrylic paint on my finger and wiped it around the perimeter of the page to sort of "frame" the page, as I had done with all of the previous art journal pages.

I hope you enjoy these pages and that they might inspire you to pull out your art journal, a canvas or whatever you like and take a few minutes out of your busy day to find time to play!

ART JOURNALING DECOART AND YVONNE BLAIR INKY ART JOURNAL

Hello friends!

Welcome back to my blog and a very special Blog Hop and Giveaway Event for a very special lady and dear art sister ... Yvonne Blair of Life's Little Details. 

I was blessed to have met Yvonne at Ranger U in 2011 and we've been "soul sisters" ever since.  Yvonne is one of the most sincere, kindest ladies I have ever met and I am proud she asked me to help her launch her amazing new line of art journaling products.

** TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN THE GIVEAWAY, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT ON EVERYONE'S BLOG POST.  IT'S THAT SIMPLE!

Here are the lovely ladies and artists also involved in this Blog Hop Giveaway.  Each has created something wonderful using Yvonne's products. And...you will recognize almost all of the names on this list as members of the Curiosity Crew from the recent Compendium of Curiosities III Challenges!  By the way, stay tuned because most of the crew will be back together in the new year with some really fun stuff!

Annette Green
Cheryl Boglioli
Cheryl Grigsby
Linda Ledbetter
Susan Mostek
Yvonne Blair

This giveaway is celebrating Yvonne's launch of her own product line including her new Art Journal Buddy Tool, her amazing Inky Art Journals and her stamp line with Impression Obsession.  For more information about ordering the Art Journal Buddy Tool and the Inky Art Journals, contact Yvonne at yblair@gmail.com or go to her website (link above).  Her wonderful array of stamps are available through Impression Obesssion. 

I have created an art journal spread using Yvonne's wonderful new 6" x 8" Inky Art Journal.  I totally LOVE her art journals because they lay FLAT when you open them!  No matter where you open the journal to work ... FLAT!  The cover is made out of plain chipboard so that you can alter it in any way you like ... really making your journal your own! The 32 interior pages are a wonderful manila shipping tag material.  These pages are sturdy and it  takes a ridiculous amount of wet ink or paint to bleed through these babies!  I have yet to have it happen to me. 

Yvonne's Inky Art Journals come in three sizes:  6" x 8", 8 1/2" x 11" and her brand new size, 4" x 8". 

Want to know how I created these art journal pages?  Well, here's a tutorial to show you how ...

Here is the list of supplies you will need:  

• Yvonne's 6" x 8" Inky Art Journal
• Seth Apter Faded Fragments stamp set from Impression Obsession
• D17042 Stamp from Impression Obsession.  
• DecoArt Media White Gesso
• DecoArt Media Matte Medium
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics - Titanium White, Titan Buff, Cobalt Teal Hue, Cadmium Orange Hue, Cadmium Red Hue, Quinacridone Gold, Burnt Umber, Diarylide Yellow, Hansa Yellow Medium, Yellow Green Light, Yellow Iron Oxide
• DecoArt Americana Dark Chocolate and Flesh Tone Acrylic Paints
• Various Book Text and Emphemera
• Fabric Scraps
• Lace Scraps
• Cardstock cut into a heart shape
• Tissue Tape
• Neocolor II Watercolor Crayons
• Hickory Smoke Distress Marker
• Permanent Black Ink Pen (for detail work)
• Paint Brushes 
• Stylus
• Black Cardstock
• Permanent Black Ink
• Specialty Stamping Paper
• Black Thread and sewing machine
• Detailer Water Brush
• 1/4" Scor Tape

You will begin with a blank page spread in the 6" x 8" Inky Art Journal.  Notice how FLAT the journal opens!  I can't stress enough how easy this book is to work in and how beautifully your art flows across the pages!

Next I sketched my idea of the girl coming out from behind a big heart in the center directly onto the pages of the art journal.  Then I traced them onto a piece of tracing paper for later use.

I then brushed DecoArt Media White Gesso over the pages.

While the art pages were drying, I cut out a big heart out of scrap white cardstock.  I tore strips of fabric to create a homespun quilt like heart.  Using Matte Medium and a brush, I glued them in place on the cardstock heart.  Then I set it aside to dry.

Here is the backside of the heart as it was drying.  The fabric hanging over the edges would be cut shorter and frayed later.

While the fabric heart was drying, I began working on my art journal page layers.  Using Matte Medium and a brush, I began with torn book text.  Then I started adding little pieces of ephemera that I liked.  Not too many...just a few for interest.  Remembering that my girl would be peeking out from the center heart on the right hand side, I didn't need to add a lot of ephemera on that page.  Then I added some patterned cardstock for more interest.  Once I had those items in place, I brushed over them with Matte Medium and sealed them in place.

Once the heart was dry, I cut off the straggling ends and left enough fabric to fray all around the heart.  Here I have just laid the heart on top of the pages to get an idea of how everything is taking shape.

I removed the heart from the center and added some more fabric strips to the art pages to tie everything together.  I added them by brushing Matte Medium onto the pages, adding the strips and then brushing Matte Medium over them to seal them in place.  Matte Medium dries clear and is a fantastic glue and sealer.

For more pattern and interest, I added some 7 Gypsies Tissue Tape to the mix.

Now here are the basic art journal pages, layered with lots of different elements, pattern and color.  Everything is sealed with Matte Medium and set aside to dry.

The colors on the fabric heart make my heart happy but they were very vivid.  I wanted the focal point of these art journal pages to be the sentiment and the girl, not the heart.  So, to soften the colors, I added a wash of water and DecoArt Titanium White Fluid Acrylic Paint over the heart.  Then I let it air dry.

While the heart was drying, it was time to transform the art journal pages into a colorful union.  So using a baby wipe, I first swiped Titan Buff mixed with a small amount of water over the pages followed by Cobalt Teal Hue mixed with a small amount of water to make the colors more semi transparent.  I also wiped away some of the color from the pieces of ephemera.  I continued to add more color until I was happy with the background.

Laying the heart on top of the newly colored pages, you can see how everything really is starting to come together!

Next I did some messy machine stitching using black thread on the heart.  I laid the heart in it's place at the center of the pages but I did not glue it in place yet.

I laid my piece of tracing paper with my girl on it under the one side of the heart and using carbon paper between the traced image and the art journal page, I traced the girl onto the art journal page.

Here you can clearly see the outline of the girl on the art journal page.

I painted a basecoat of DecoArt's Media Fluid Acrylic Titanium White on the girl so that the colors I would be adding would be a truer and more opaque.  Then I began filling in the colors ... first her face with DecoArt's Americana Flesh Tone Acrylic paint.

And here is the way the art journal pages look at this point.

I painted the hair using DecoArt's Dark Chocolate, Titan Buff and a touch of Quinacridone Gold and then I started adding the facial shading using Neocolor II Water Color Crayons and a Detailer Water Brush.

Next it was time start filling in her dress. I decided to combine the Cadmium Orange Hue and Cadmium Red Hues to create the dress color and shading.

To give the art journal pages more depth, I added Hickory Smoke Distress Marker around the exterior of the girl and where the heart would eventually rest.  I smudged the gray using my finger and a tiny amount of water if necessary to create a feeling of depth and shadow blended into the background. 

Here you can see the effectiveness of the Hickory Smoke shading.

Next I added some small little flowers using a small paint brush and Titanium White paint.  I outlined everything with a Permanent Black Pen.

Then I added some scrap vintage lace to the neck and sleeve of the girl's dress using Matte Medium to hold them in place.  First I gathered the lace for the sleeve with a needle and thread and secured it with a piece of Scor Tape. Then I brushed over the collar and the gathered taped area of the sleeve with Matte Medium to seal them in place.

I stamped the sentiment, and the inspiration for these journal pages from Yvonne's wonderful stamps, available at Impression Obession a couple of times onto a piece of Ranger's Specialty Stamping Paper using Black Permanent Ink.  Then I cut out the sentiment and glued it onto a piece of black cardstock. I cut it out again, leaving a black edge around each of the words. Those were then glued onto the heart.

The girl's dress was really sweet but it needed something else.  So I added polka dots using a stylus and DecoArt's Titan Buff Fluid Acrylics Paint.

Now to finish off the left side of the art journal page by adding some whimsical flowers ...
I stamped Tim Holtz' Flower Garden large stem and just the small flower from Wendy Vecchi's Ticket To Art flower directly onto the art journal page using Black Permanent Ink.  The leaves on those stems are from Tim's stamp.  Then I colored the flowers and stems in using a small paint brush and DecoArt's Fluid Acrylic Burnt Umber, Diarylide Yellow, Hansa Yellow Medium and Yellow Green Light paints.

I also added some really cool black designs from Seth Apter's Faded Fragments stamp set from Impression Obsession randomly around the perimeter of the pages.  Here is the almost completed art journal pages.  They just need the sentiment heart in the center.

Here is a closeup of the heart that has been glued to the center of the art journal pages.

And once again, here are the finished pages.  I just loved this sentiment from Yvonne's various stamp sets and as I said earlier, it was the inspiration for these pages.  

Please take a few minutes to visit the other blogs and leave comments so you can be eligible to win and Art Journal Buddy Tool and the new 4" x 8" Inky Art Journal.

Good luck everybody!

A HAUNTED HOUSE ART/JUNK TWINE BINDING JOURNAL FOR A VINTAGE JOURNEY

Hello everyone!  

I am so excited to announce that I was recently asked by Brenda Brown to do a guest designer spot 

for A Vintage Journey.  This was like a homecoming for me as I was one of the original "Creative Crew" when A Vintage Journey launched in February of 2014.

The theme for October is "Journaling with Tim" ... something right up my alley as I have always been a huge fan of Tim Holtz' style and I am currently have so much fun learning, experimenting and creating my own art/junk journals.

I played around with Tim's Artful Dwellings die cuts and created a very dimensional Haunted House cover.  Complete with ghostly visitors, rickety old siding and spooky roof peaks, this book is definitely a one of a kind.  With a combination of some Tim Holtz and DecoArt Media Line products, I had a complete blast making this book and so can you!

Here are a couple of little sneak peaks for you ...

"Knock Knock ....

"Who's There?"

"Doncha."

"Doncha who?"

"Doncha 'witch' you could come in and play?"

 

Looks like Tim's "Creepy Kids" are stopping by for a visit ...

And what would a Haunted House art journal be 

without good ol' Grandma's portrait hanging in the foyer?

For a complete pictorial tutorial on how to create this art/junk journal, head on over to 

A Vintage Journey's challenge blog!

Happy Fall and Happy Halloween!