Until next time...HAPPY CRAFTING!
Monday, December 28, 2015
Friday, December 25, 2015
Potted Flowers
Hello and Merry Christmas!
The project I am sharing with you today is a "vase" for your holiday table. It can be used as is for artificial flowers or with a glass cup or bottle inside to hold water if you prefer real cut flowers.
I started with a large aluminum can from beef stew. I wanted a container large enough to hold a full glass or small vase of water. Using the Activa Rigid Wrap, I cut a long strip to go all the way around the can from top to bottom on two sides. This starter strip gave all of the other pieces something solid to adhere to.
The Rigid Wrap is super easy to use. Simply dip the strips into water and press into place. Gently rub each piece, adding a drop of water to your finger when necessary, until the clay smoothes out and the canvas backing doesn't show. At this early stage you can still see the lines of the can through the wrap.
I started adding squares and strips in various directions to build up the texture and hide the can's lines. When I was happy with the patterns and textures I set the can aside to dry. I left it about 24 hours.
When dry, I painted the can with a shiny bronze acrylic paint...then a little more drying time.
Afterwards, I rubbed Chocolate Gelato on the ridges and bumps to give it a little aged look. Green StazOn in was sponged on top for a little holiday color.
At this point I should have sprayed it with a fixative, but I didn't. I know this, because when I went on to the next step some of the green bled through! Oops!
Anyway, I used some of the ribbon I received in an Altered Pages kit (this year's Christmas kit...I think) and plucked out the gold Dew Drops from the Golden Berry set.
I wrapped strips of double sided adhesive tape at the top and bottom and pressed the ribbon in place. Then I glued the Dew Drops in place with Jewel-It glue. This is where my mistake became apparent. Everywhere the glue soaked into the ribbon there is a green tint.
To make this project more festive, I added an Altered Pages collage image of Vintage Santa Claus and a Christmas wreath, attached with Tacky Glue.
I opted for artificial flowers because my dining room doesn't get enough natural light to keep real flowers alive for very long.
Best wishes to everyone for a happy holiday! Please stop by the Altered Pages Artsociates blog to see another fun project using Activa products.
Until next time...HAPPY CRAFTING!
The project I am sharing with you today is a "vase" for your holiday table. It can be used as is for artificial flowers or with a glass cup or bottle inside to hold water if you prefer real cut flowers.
I started with a large aluminum can from beef stew. I wanted a container large enough to hold a full glass or small vase of water. Using the Activa Rigid Wrap, I cut a long strip to go all the way around the can from top to bottom on two sides. This starter strip gave all of the other pieces something solid to adhere to.
The Rigid Wrap is super easy to use. Simply dip the strips into water and press into place. Gently rub each piece, adding a drop of water to your finger when necessary, until the clay smoothes out and the canvas backing doesn't show. At this early stage you can still see the lines of the can through the wrap.
I started adding squares and strips in various directions to build up the texture and hide the can's lines. When I was happy with the patterns and textures I set the can aside to dry. I left it about 24 hours.
When dry, I painted the can with a shiny bronze acrylic paint...then a little more drying time.
Afterwards, I rubbed Chocolate Gelato on the ridges and bumps to give it a little aged look. Green StazOn in was sponged on top for a little holiday color.
At this point I should have sprayed it with a fixative, but I didn't. I know this, because when I went on to the next step some of the green bled through! Oops!
Anyway, I used some of the ribbon I received in an Altered Pages kit (this year's Christmas kit...I think) and plucked out the gold Dew Drops from the Golden Berry set.
I wrapped strips of double sided adhesive tape at the top and bottom and pressed the ribbon in place. Then I glued the Dew Drops in place with Jewel-It glue. This is where my mistake became apparent. Everywhere the glue soaked into the ribbon there is a green tint.
To make this project more festive, I added an Altered Pages collage image of Vintage Santa Claus and a Christmas wreath, attached with Tacky Glue.
I opted for artificial flowers because my dining room doesn't get enough natural light to keep real flowers alive for very long.
Best wishes to everyone for a happy holiday! Please stop by the Altered Pages Artsociates blog to see another fun project using Activa products.
Until next time...HAPPY CRAFTING!
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Here there be DRAGONS!
I love dragons. I love the stories as well as the artwork that abounds around these winged wonders of old. When I first found the Altered Pages website and saw the wonderful collage images that were available, DRAGON was one of my first searches. I found this page and fell in love with this guy. I've used him on another project last year. He was featured on a gift box on that post.
This time, he is much, MUCH bigger!
But, I'm getting ahead of myself. First I had to make the canvas to hold him. For that, I chose an 8x10 canvas board and added layer after layer of Activa Rigid Wrap for texture. It was very easy to apply! And it's always fun to get in and work a project with your hands. I stamped in a fine diamond shape while the plaster was still wet in a couple of places. Because it was very wet from all of those layers, I set it off to the side to dry for about 24 hours.
Then I added a layer of gesso and after that, I began to add color. Art Anthology shamrock green is the base color. It goes on smooth and has a light sheen to it. When that was dry, I added pigment from my green, brown and gold Steampunk Gelatos. The entire canvas board was sealed with a spray to prevent the Gelatos from smearing or rubbing off. A touch of Irresistible spray was added for more texture.
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| Art Anthology green paint as the base color |
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| With highlights |
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| Dried - without color |
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| Dried - with color |
The dragon was resized in my print program to a full page size and printed on heavy card stock. I applied Gelato pigment to my fingertip and then rubbed it on the image to avoid streaks. I also chose a background that had a dragon image on it and cut them both out.
The images were glued down with gel medium and the coins, gears and tokens were attached with Tacky Glue.
I hope you like him as much as I do. Thanks for stopping by. Please come back again to see what other projects the Altered Pages Design Team has to share with and inspire you!
December giveaway at Altered Pages Artsociates
Until Next time, Happy Crafting!
Friday, November 13, 2015
Greeting Cards with Smeared Ink and Altered Pages
Hi everyone! Happy Friday! It's my turn again over at Altered Pages Artsociates. I hope you can take a moment to hop over and check out these card designs.
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| Click the photo to see close-ups of each card. |
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Butterfly Canvas
Hello friends!
This is an 8x10 canvas. It was originally going to be for a group challenge on Facebook, but I never got it completed in time. I've been working on this canvas off-and-on for months. I bring it down off the shelf and tweak something then put it back. I think I'm finally ready to share it.
There is a long list of products used and I'm not even sure I remember everything I've done to it. I'll note what I can below for you. I hope you like it!
Supplies used (at least, those I can remember):
Tim Holtz distress paints
Tim Holtz tissue paper
Fresco white chalk ink
Gesso
Tim Holtz distressed leaf cutting die
Bazzill black border
Tim Holtz rub-ons
The Crafter's Warehouse stencil
The Robin's Nest Dew Drops - mini pink & yellow, regular crystal clear
Sharpie markers - black and white
Stamper's Anonymous clock stamp
Stamp Camp foreign text background stamp
USArt Quest amethyst mica flakes
Terri Sproul mica mixers in rose
Matte finish sealer
Until next time...Happy Crafting!
This is an 8x10 canvas. It was originally going to be for a group challenge on Facebook, but I never got it completed in time. I've been working on this canvas off-and-on for months. I bring it down off the shelf and tweak something then put it back. I think I'm finally ready to share it.
There is a long list of products used and I'm not even sure I remember everything I've done to it. I'll note what I can below for you. I hope you like it!
Tim Holtz distress paints
Tim Holtz tissue paper
Fresco white chalk ink
Gesso
Tim Holtz distressed leaf cutting die
Bazzill black border
Tim Holtz rub-ons
The Crafter's Warehouse stencil
The Robin's Nest Dew Drops - mini pink & yellow, regular crystal clear
Sharpie markers - black and white
Stamper's Anonymous clock stamp
Stamp Camp foreign text background stamp
USArt Quest amethyst mica flakes
Terri Sproul mica mixers in rose
Matte finish sealer
Until next time...Happy Crafting!
Happy Veteran's Day!
A sincere thank you to every man and woman who has served our great county. Happy Veteran's Day!
Friday, November 6, 2015
Steampunk Tag Art
Hi everyone! I have some tag art for you today. What do you suppose it says about me that I like Steampunk, but I always make it pink?
My set of pastels from Royal Langnickel has both pencils and sticks and also has a blending stump and kneaded eraser. To really showcase these pastels, I chose to use the Steampunked Machines collage sheet. The black and white images are perfect for coloring. When you are using pastels, remember to seal your work so that the color doesn't smear or rub off completely. You can buy professional fixatives or use hair spray. Beware though, that if you choose to use the hair spray your work may yellow over time.
I colored the collage images with the pencils and colored the tag with the sticks. To get the skin tone, I colored the gentleman lightly with pink then orange and blended the colors together with the blending stump.
I added a few embellishments. Two chipboard gears which were dipped in a black ink pad give this tag a little dimension and two pieces of German scrap give it a little shine.
Come back again and see what projects I have to share with you. Until then...Happy Crafting!
My set of pastels from Royal Langnickel has both pencils and sticks and also has a blending stump and kneaded eraser. To really showcase these pastels, I chose to use the Steampunked Machines collage sheet. The black and white images are perfect for coloring. When you are using pastels, remember to seal your work so that the color doesn't smear or rub off completely. You can buy professional fixatives or use hair spray. Beware though, that if you choose to use the hair spray your work may yellow over time.
I colored the collage images with the pencils and colored the tag with the sticks. To get the skin tone, I colored the gentleman lightly with pink then orange and blended the colors together with the blending stump.
I added a few embellishments. Two chipboard gears which were dipped in a black ink pad give this tag a little dimension and two pieces of German scrap give it a little shine.
Come back again and see what projects I have to share with you. Until then...Happy Crafting!
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Some background art to share
Happy Friday greetings! What do you do when you're stuck for inspiration? One of the things I like to do is create backgrounds to use later. Making backgrounds when I'm not inspired to make a project is a great way for me to enjoy my time in the studio rather than staring at my walls (or piles of stuff waiting to be put away) and feeling frustrated.
There are more ways than I can count to make background art using Gelli Plates, acrylic paints, inks, gelatos, pan pastels, stencils, rubber stamps and more!! And Altered Pages has a wide variety of these and many other supplies for your artwork. Today I have chosen watercolor pencils. I love the way the colors softly blend together. Sometimes the results will surprise you. I used a Royal Langnickel size 10 paintbrush with these.
I started with quarter sheet panels of white ink jet card stock and colored random patterns with the pencils completely across each card. Then I grabbed my brush and started blending. You can absolutely use a water brush for this! I wanted brushstrokes to show in places and used less water in those spots. If you're creating on the go or someplace other than your own cozy studio chair, the traveling convenience of a water brush is wonderful! Or if you're like me and don't have a sink handy in your studio, then the water brush lets you create without jumping up to refill your water cup. If you've never used them, give them a try!
And now you're ready to use them to make a card or two! So go out and have fun creating whether its a complete project or just a piece. The point is to just make art!
To be entered into the drawing all you have to do is just place an order of $10 or more with Alteredpages.com. The lucky winner will be announced on the blog as well as our Facebook page on November 1, 2015. Good luck!!
There are more ways than I can count to make background art using Gelli Plates, acrylic paints, inks, gelatos, pan pastels, stencils, rubber stamps and more!! And Altered Pages has a wide variety of these and many other supplies for your artwork. Today I have chosen watercolor pencils. I love the way the colors softly blend together. Sometimes the results will surprise you. I used a Royal Langnickel size 10 paintbrush with these.
I started with quarter sheet panels of white ink jet card stock and colored random patterns with the pencils completely across each card. Then I grabbed my brush and started blending. You can absolutely use a water brush for this! I wanted brushstrokes to show in places and used less water in those spots. If you're creating on the go or someplace other than your own cozy studio chair, the traveling convenience of a water brush is wonderful! Or if you're like me and don't have a sink handy in your studio, then the water brush lets you create without jumping up to refill your water cup. If you've never used them, give them a try!
And now you're ready to use them to make a card or two! So go out and have fun creating whether its a complete project or just a piece. The point is to just make art!
This month Altered Pages is partnering with Royal & Langnickel. In celebration of that along with October being breast cancer awareness month we are giving away this beautiful Pink Art Journal.
To be entered into the drawing all you have to do is just place an order of $10 or more with Alteredpages.com. The lucky winner will be announced on the blog as well as our Facebook page on November 1, 2015. Good luck!!
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