October Wind

A digital journal page.  I used a Gecko Galz image from one of their collage sheets.  I deleted the background and put it on this amazing Gecko Galz digital paper which has so many beautiful layers, that I added absolutely nothing. Then I typed in these amazing words from a Dylan Thomas poem.

Entering:

Gecko Galz Papercrafting FaceBook Group: October Orange and Blackx

Digitally Made Challenge #6 Halloween until Nov 4 #2 Top 3!

Sharing at:

Art Journal Journey:  Landscapes of the the Soul (Elke's wonderful theme this month) #38

Half An Hour of Art Facebook Group

Getting Old and Rusty

Second post for this challenge: 
We're at the end of our second month of our Mixed Media Art Book Group on FaceBook. This group was started by Marjie Kemper.  This month we are absorbing Seth Apter's book, Mixed-Media Artist.  (I cannot say enough about this book!)

Purpose

This time inspiration comes from the author himself, Seth Apter.  On page 81, I find his words profound. I have not been able to stop thinking about this concept since I first read it.

There are as many layers of product on this rusty plate as there are in me.  I love this baby photo of me, safe in my mom's arms and within the boundaries of the car; yet I'm at the window with my arm out-stretched to the the rest of the world, ready to find my destiny. This work represents the process of building up and breaking down the many layers of my life since this photo was taken.

Process

My husband and I went to the Pickers Market where I rummaged through a bunch of automobile license plates until I found one that said Illinois (the geographic state in which I was born) and 1949 (the year I was born). Then I came home and dug through boxes of photos until I found the one of me in my parents' first car.  

I liked the license plate just fine the way it was naturally rusted up, but since this is an altered art project, I randomly added gesso followed by stenciling with Dreamweavers Embossing Paste in black. (The Crafters Workshop, Clarity Clockwork Stencil ) When dry, I carefully painted on top of the stenciled areas with Finnabair heavy black gesso.  I chose black products because the effect of the Finnabair opal magic paints are different on top of black.

I used Opal Magic Green-Gold, Violet-Green and Pink-Blue.  The Green-Gold turned a copper colore on top of the rust around the rim of the plate.  Love! I had worked minimally with these paints and just had fun experimenting, knowing this was just one of the layers

At this point I realized I needed to work on adding my embellishments. 

Next comes the trio of Finnabair rust pastes.

Something wasn't right so I sprayed the plate with Maya Road blue to bring back the original blue under the plate, wiping off the areas I didn't want covered. Layers, just like in real life.

Then I applied the same products to the chipboard frame. I used drywall mesh as another stencil with the rust paint.  I finished with a wash of ARTQuest Vintage Mica Water Color.

I scanned and converted to sepia my baby photo.  I stamped my subtitle: Attitude is the compass of my destiny.

Using Ranger Rusty Hinge distress ink, I colored some beige paper and then stamped my title.

Stamps:  
STAMPlorations Bold Sentiments: Explore  I used the words Go Beyond Boundaries
Paper Artsy: Eclectica (Everything Art) 02  I used only the phrase: attitude is the compass of my destiny

Adding wire, my altered art/mixed media license plate is complete.

Entering:
A Inky Mess Challenge 14 #2 ends Oct 24x

A Vintage Journey:  Altered Art #36 until Oct 4 PINWORTHY!!!

Frilly and Funky:  Show Us Your Stamps #5 x  I used my stamps in a different way in that I cut up and used only some of the words on one stamp and used only part of the other stamp until Oct 10x
Stamps and Stencils: September Metallics #19 until Oct 3 x
Mixed Media World #29 Anything Mixed Media Goes #88 x
Paper Artsy #13 Metallics #14 until Oct 1 random draw x
Try It On Tuesdays Time or Clocks (Clarity Clockwork Stencil and clock face, year, etc.)) #8 until Oct 8x
Simon Says Stamp Heavy Metal #73 until Oct 1 x
We Love to Create:  #1 Anything Creative Mixed Media Goes #16 until Oct 30
winner announced Sunday November 26

Sharing at:
Mixed Media Art Book Group on FaceBook
****Winner of Seth Apter's prize*******

Trio of Fall Warmth

Here's my third entry into the Coffee Lovers Fall Blog Hop.  

I found these great coffee cups for a dollar each at one of the famous stores by that name.  Each has a different colored corrugated band around the middle--green, brown, and orange. 

Topper sayings are from the Coffee Please digi set at a discounted price from hop super sponsor Verve Stamps.  The mug with pumpkin is a digi freebie from hop super sponsor Stamplorations.  I digitally colored the image.  It was tricky placing plaid digi paper on the mug, but I did it!  Leaves are Tim Holtz dies and embossing folder.  

I plan to give these out with treats inside the cups.

Entering:

Coffee Lovers Fall Blog Hop HERE.  I'm #978

STAMPLORATIONS Summer Theme and Sketch Challenge: Anything Goes (until end of September) #81



OUTLAWZ Festive Friday: Let's Have Coffee FF091517 
OUTLAWZ site-wide drawing:  #161

Fall (ing) Leaves

Here's my second entry for the coffee lovers bloghop, with inspiration from the challenges I've entered.  

This time thanks goes to Craftin Desert Divas, another blog sponsor, for their freebie Happy Fall digi set. I'll be sharing it on their Facebook page.  I chose their pre-colored image for a quick card. (No matter how hard I tried, that sentiment wouldn't print in full, cutting off the top.) 

Other products are Tim Holtz leaves, dies and embossing folders, Ranger ink, and some very old card stock and paper from my stash.  


Entering:

Coffee Lovers Fall Blog Hop HERE.  I'm #870

CARD IN ENVY Easy as 1-2-3 (flat cards that fit in envelopes) #18 x

OUTLAWZ Thursday Twist: Leaves TT091417

OUTLAWZ Tuesday Colour Challenge CC0919



OUTLAWZ site-wide drawing:  #152
OUTL COFFEE, TEA &/OR C

I NEED TO FOCUS OR I'LL MISS THE HOP

THE FALL COFEE LOVERS BLOG HOP STARTED LAST FRIDAY!  We had the grandkids for 4 days so first now I'm making and posting my cards. (Wouldn't have it any other way!)

When: Friday, September 15 – Friday, September 22
Time: 6 am pacific
THEME: FALL

The hop is almost over so I truly need to focus!  How better than with this adorable freebie image from JessicaLynnOriginals.  (She always gives us a freebie for the hop.)  

First I digitally colored Brentwood, then fussy cut him out before I added a sorcerer's hat and a shiny puffy star.  Don't you just love that blurry word paper that I found in my stash?  Goes so well with the sentiment on the coffee cup!

A little bit of copic markers and splatter stamp on the coffee cup.  Some 3-D effect with pop dots and foam tape, especially on the book made with Spellbinders Nestabilities dies.  Background papers and hat from Oct 31 collection by Fancy Pants Designs.  Using up really old stuff in my stash.

Entering:

Coffee Lovers Fall Blog Hop HERE.  I'm #807

OUTLAWZ Thursday Twist: Leaves TT091417
OUTLAWZ Festive Friday:  Let's Have Coffee FF091517
OUTLAWZ  Saturday Paper A La Mode: Make your card pop with pop dots PAM09162017
OUTLAWZ site-wide drawing:  #151

Memory Loss

We're in our second month of our Mixed Media Art Book Group on FaceBook. This group was started by Marjie Kemper.  This month we are absorbing Seth Apter's book, Mixed-Media Artist.
It's an amazing book.  I never expected to be so impacted by the art and stories of the artists showcased.  

After reading  Leighanna Light's artistic process for a stunning piece entitled, When She Stopped Making Sense, I created this digital journal page. This is in remembrance of my own mother who was an avid reader.  I remember clearly the day she told me she could no longer read books because she couldn't retain the story-line from one page to the next.  

Credit goes to Kimeric Kreations, a designer at Digichick.  I purchased several of her files quite some time ago and finally got to use them in this digital composition.

Fall Digital Journal Page

Keeping with my art in nature theme this month, I've created a 100% digital composition that is 8.5 by 5.5 inches for my art journal.  I can reduce the size and print it as a card.

Autumn was my mother's favorite time of year.  She even married in November.  She loved to play the song  Autumn Leaves on the piano.  This composition is in her memory.  She also was quite a fashionista and would have worn this hat!!!  

Although I don't like the weather turning colder, I do enjoy nature's colors and the harvest bounty of pumpkins and apples.

All digital items are from Gecko Galz. Collage sheets: November Splendor, October Treats, Harvest Time. (I think I might print out separately a few bookmarks!)

Entering:
Digitally Made Challenge #5 Fall due end of September #6 x
Gecko Galz September Challenge Harvest Time #2 DESIGN TEAM CHOICE WINNER!!!!
Gecko Galz Papercrafting FB Group September Challenge:  Colors: Brown and Gold
OUTLAWZ Tuesday Colour Challenge Sept. 5 CCO905  site-wde #69

Sharing:
Art Journal Journey:  Yvonne's prompt Color My World for September #61
Half An Hour of Art Facebook Group

Art in Nature An Under the Sea Composition

The month one of the things I'm focusing on is art in nature.  

Here is a composition I made during our Mixed Media Mingle, a local group of crafters who get together once a month to play with mixed media.  

Nature is in the form of our sea and shore.  I love going to Sanibel Island to walk along the beach and collect shells.  It's such a wonderful way to admire what beautiful works of art (especially shells) are created by nature. Unfortunately, right now the sea is wreaking havoc with our shores in Texas and Florida as well as coastal areas. My art is a reflection of quieter times.  

Process:

This is the backside of a 10x10 inch canvas which I used as a shadow box. I started by gluing scrapbook papaer on the sides to cover the staples as well as the inside to have a coherent substrate, followed by a coating of gesso.  Next step was to spray Dylusions Fresh Lime and Maya Road Hydrangea Blue. I played with a bubble stencil to layer the two colors. I sued a vegetable net on the top corner and a heavier net across the bottom, along with some strands of pearls and some gauze here and there.  The inside bottom has Prima graphite mixed with sand. Then I placed my embellishments on the canvas (the art pebbles being placed on top of the bubbles from the stencil), glued, and topcoated with gesso. I used Prima 3D transparent Gel to glue the embellishments and modeling paste to add interesting texture.  I sprinkled two sizes of art stones inside the clam shell and around the bottom for filler.  Once dry, I again gave another dose of the two spray inks.  

At this point, I took my composition to our Mingle and relaxed by using a variety of paints to highlight the embellishments.  I used the Prima Finnabair Rust Paste set on the two mechanicals and the seahorse to provide a visual triangle. 

Where needed on this canvas I layered with Dina Wakely turquoise, Liquitex ultramarine blue, and Dylusions fresh lime acrylic paints.  Highlighting was provided by Finnabair Art Alchemy Acrylic opal magic green gold.

I used ArtQuest vintage watercolors across the frame to tie it all together and then sprayed with Perfect Pearls Sunflower Sparkle Mist.  (No matter where I took photos, the shimmer did not show up, but it's there!) The chipboard words are from Tim Holtz.

Entering this:

A Vintage Journey: September Altered Art #11 x
I turned one of those many canvases (I've collected for an on-line art class) into a shadow box.  I wouldn't necessarily call them unwanted or unloved, but I have a plethora of Melange art pebbles from Finn's workshops so I turned a few into "bubbles".  I also repurposed my daughter's shell collection.

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge 195:  September Anything Goes Mixed Media #11
******Our Guest Designer spot goes to #11 Helene and will be for the 27th October challenge.*****

Rhedd's Creative Spirit September Anything Goes #14 x

Path of Positivity: (a new format) Challenge 51:  Surround Yourself With Art  
Sept. 4-Oct 1 #4
In addition to the comments above regarding finding art in nature, to expand on this month's theme here, I will include that I am influenced by Finnabair.  This piece is done in the style that she teaches. I've taken three workshops in person from her as well as one on-line workshop.  I follow her blog and design team tutorials.  Her products used in this piece include Melange art pebbles, paints, and hardware.

Use Your Stuff:  Challenge 278 No Cards or Layouts ends 9/9 #15 x
I used the back of a canvas, glued on some very old scrapbook paper, then proceeded to use jars of paste, compounds, paint, and embellies that have been collecting for ages.  Some jars had totally dried out! :(

Mixed Media World:  Challenge 28 Twist: Mood Board due Sept 8 #34 x
I went with the green photo, the berry stems transitioned to pearl stems, and the texture in the yellow photo


Mixed Media and Art:  August Mood Board until Sept. 14 #49 x
Once again, inspired by green and the sense of mystical objects along with some mossy, twiggy vegetation


Our Mixed Media Moods Facebook Group and Blog #4 x
This board has been on my mind since it was posted.  I think you can see how the photos inspired me--color, texture, shells.

Art Journaling

I have three art journal pages to show you today.  I've been working off and on with these for weeks!!

The first one (on the left) is part of the Wanderlust 2017 year-long course at Everything Art. This particular page is a Courage to Continue lesson from Dyan Reavely.  I've used her Dylusions ink sprays, acrylic paints and paint markers and one of her stencils.She used a Winston Churchill quote.

The second one (on the right) is also part of her lesson, but I used a Stencil Girl stencil and found my own quote (by Fred Astaire) to fit the dance theme.  This page I'm sharing with Art Journal Journey where the August theme is Poetry in Motion (use a quote).  

This third page was prompted by Marjie Kemper's FaceBook group, Mixed Media Art Book Group. The group offers a three month commitment, each month using a different art book.  We are reading Dina Wakley's Art Journal Freedom for the month of August.  

This is my first page to post there. I've read the entire book and came up with this composition as a direct result of working with product while making my pages for the Courage to Continue lesson.

I had to "mop up" ink spray and wipe off acrylic paint--which I did onto third and fourth pages. I realized I had the perfect background for "white space" and continued to develop the page. 

I used the following challenges and techniques from Dina's book:  
Symmetry--a center weighted composition ( I had lots of left-over pink paint)
White space; Dominance; Color schemes; Stamping on tissue paper (Paper Artsy stamp for Wanderlust).

Sentiment: Rubber Dance Stamps--I'm sarcastic-what's your super power?

Soft Drink Digital Composition

A 100% digital creation:

I was prompted by Digital Whisper Dreamer  July 30: Your Favorite Soft drink where I will share it.

I'll also share it on FaceBook at

#Half An Hour of Art

I used the following digital elements:

Gecko Galz:  Cola Wars collage sheet, Wild Roses paper pack, Secret Garden banner

Imagine That!: Tweet on You pink element and washi tape

I'm entering it in the following challenges:

Digitally Made:  July Challenge #3 Summer Fun or Patriotic Due August 6 x

Gecko Galz FaceBook Papercrafting Group: August Challenge:  Picnic or BBQs

WINNER!

OUTLAWZ Twisted Thursdays Anything Goes due today August 2