In the name of the..... Cross/Rememberance project

Today I decided I really wanted to work on this cross picture tray and get some new color on it.  My intent is to give it as a gift to someone I know may be having a hard time right now.  Like me.. her favorite color is purple.  She has never really experienced any of my art, so i wanted to be something special.  Worse case scenario, if don't love it enough to gift it, I'll have a new cross to put on my wall for reflection and prayer.  (tee hee)!  I furst covered the cross with Deco Art Media Line Gesso, which is very smooth going on. 

After that I took several of Deco Americana acrylics and did a super dry brush of colors.  The I even went back over the piece with a napkin to remove some still dampened areas of paint.  What to do.. WHat to do???

Thats the best part about arting everyday.   I can walk away from this project and find something else completely to do!  Not quite sure how I would embellish this, or even sure what scripture to include.  Hopefully something will come to me soon.. 

ICAD 4/61- Again with my faces

Supplies- 

Deco Arts Americana Acrylics, Gesso, Tinting Base

Caran D Ache Neocolors II

Pilot Futayaku Pen

Day four of ICAD.. Index Card A Day Challenge with the Awesome Tammy Garcia.. of Daisy Yellow.  They say if you do something every day for 21 days, it can easily become a habit!  Well here's to 61 days of arting EVERY DAY!  If you want to be a part of ICAD and would like information, click on the link here

I want to be a part of the Colour Arte DT :)

The Company store and products can be found here!!

What can I say.. creating makes me VERY happy!  I absolutely LOVE color.  While I personally don't wear a lot of color.  I do LOVE to play with it! I think its the ONE thing that I am NOT afraid of in my art. If anyone were to ask me what my favorite color was.. I would say NEON, the brighter the better!! ::chuckle:: and probably narrow it down to a tanzanite or plum.  While both may be a shade of purple, they are very distinctly different!  Let NO ONE tell you otherwise! (smiles & laughs)

Anywhooo.. I am here today because I would like to be a part of Colour Arte Design Team and here is my project! Mixed Media Tags:  On the Left we have- Create Imagine Make Believe; On the right- Remember You Are Loved

  

 I cut a few hearts out an old pizza box.  I figured I could do it free hand.  Would look more MEKOish if I did.  I pulled pack the first layer or paper to expose the corrugated texture then I rubbed some gesso on it and let it dry as I prepped my tags.


I waited for the gesso to dry, I opened my pots of H2Os.. and grabbed whatever colors spoke to me at the time..No real reason or plan besides making a tag with a heart on it.  You should mist the pots and let them sit about 2-3 minutes so that water seeps into and all that colorful goodness!

     

 As the pots started to get a moistened and pasty, I just brushed color on the hearts.  Gesso may not have been the way to go.. but the H2Os are transparent, so I should have expected more white to show through.  I didn't use my paints so it wasn't really needed after all. On the left is a picture of some hearts I decided to color, just because I like to color hearts.  ::tilts head:: (laughs)  Don't my paints looked loved?  Took lots of use to get them that way.. Got to love them!

While these were drying I decided to go and work on my tags.  I had one large tag Prima doll tag and I had a smaller tag I received in Happy Mail that I knew I wanted to use. That tag had been hit with the #heatgun and embossed with some clear embossing power.  As you see in the next picture.. it creates a resist against the H2Os.. Cooooll Right? I think so!! (smiles) 

I saturated the tag in about 3 colors,.  

Don't they just look gorgeous! Blue Zircon, Pumpkin, and wild plum.  Then I worked on the other tag because I knew I had at wanted to make another one with a different technique. I painted the second card, but I got it extra juicy.  I wanted to add one more step to it before it began to dry.

So with my second tag.. I threw some rock salt on it.  I love how that turns out in the end.  Because not to drop any on the floor especially if you walk around with NO SHOES.. LIKE I DID! ::sigh::  Anyway, (smiles) here is a picture of that tag with salt on it!

I then decided, what they hey.. and tossed some on the embossed tag too!!

After I brushed the salt off I decided I wanted some color back on the second tag.  So I dropped some Deco Art Media Line Fluid Acrylic in my DA Molding Paste and stenciled a few spots.

  

While that was drying I decided I would hand write my quotes to go on my tags and I wanted to use some faces my daughter got from a dear friend of ours. (smiles.. HI VON) I painted the faces and did a quick wash on water color paper that i planned to cut up for my words.

After adhering my bits to my tag with my favorite Helmar Super Tac Glue. I finally added some scraps of ribbon and I felt like I was done.. :)  

My finished tags came out like this.. :)  I was pretty pleased with them.. Here they are once again!

  

 

I hope if you haven't given H2Os or other Colour Arte products a try that you will!
They not only provide you with QUALITY COLOR, but also AWESOME shimmer!  Grab a few and a brush and some water and give it go!! Have a GREAT WEEK!! ::waves::

DecoArt Media Line Acrylics

This picture I began by writing a letter to myself..  A letting go.. of yet another person.  I dislike when it happens, but when you don't consider other people and how you can affect them. Eventually you will get tired.. and care less.. then slowly walk away.  

On the artsy part..   I told myself I would no longer use actual brown in my pictures anymore.  So whenever you see it, with me.. 9 times out 10.. it's a conscious combination of colors.  I used my media line fluid acrylics and after gessoing over my letter.. they were applied.  I used the tinting base to add and give variations of the colors.. mainly a magenta, a blue and a green.  To create this brown.. I did an orange and a drop of the ultramarine blue.. I did this skin tone 3-4 times.. it was too light.. then too dark.. then too streaky.. I just hoped i would ruin the image I had in my head.

I put it down.. and come back.. and I finally had something I was pleased with.  Deco Art's Media Line acrylics are fluid.  They are highly pigmented.. not sure if I can emphasize that enough.  When adding the tinting base.. I am able to not only stretch the life of my acrylics by allowing a little more drying time.. I am also able to play with the lighter hues of the color.  Anywho.. this is the picture I created...

Deco Art Media Line Acrylics and Mediums, #100faces

A friend mentioned to me the idea of #100faces.. It seems like a lot, but it isn't really!  If I work up the courage to share all the faces I create, I am sure I would exceed it!  Faces are something I practice, pretty much weekly.  I do not like to draw the more realistic versions.  I prefer cartoonish type figures, unless I am sketching.  When I sketch you are bound to see it all.  From bold deep dark lines.. to scribbles, cross hatching and side pencil shadings.

Today I am sharing a picture I created over the weekend. I started out with wet watercolor paper and some watercolor crayons by Stamp It Up. I sprayed the paper with water and just scribbled color on it.  Simple as it sounds.  Then I took my Deco Arts Media Line Acrylics and loosely scribbled features on the page.. I am using the term scribble more because of Dina Wakley.  In her radiance faces lesson and in her book Art Journal Freedom she refers to some of her drawings as Scribbles.  I can get with a scribble..  (smiles)  I love loosely creating images. Imperfectly creating images.  Setting the viewer up for what I call..The eye dance.  Giving the viewer a reason to question, if the artist meant to do this.. or wonder if there is a bit of an illusion and perhaps a image was somehow formed that is more than visable as a face.

For me.. I liked the idea of the loose scribble and I used it.  To me pictures like this are freeing.  No expectations.. No need for perfection.  No real accountability of size or shape.  Anywho.. let me post my picture..

My TIffany Inspired Post Cards

Hey folks.. Just giving a little background information of my Helmar post for 10/20/2014.  I was first inspired to make my own Tiffany Inspired Post Cards from the lovely and talented Tiffany Golf also known as SoutherGalsDesigns!  You can find her YOUTUBE Channel here.

The video that inspired me to play is this one here..

She has been my total inspiration behind these cards.. I wish I could put more on my Helmar's post, but it pulls away from the Company's product, So I post here.

Things I used on my postcard includes:

• Americana Acrylics 
• Multi Surface Satin Paints
• Helmar Decoupage & Craft Paste 
• Helmar Tacky Craft Glue
• Helmar Crystal Kote Gloss Varnish
• Various pens for doodling- specifically- Unibal Signo Broad (UM-153) in white and silver; The Ranger Fude Ball ; and a white correction pen
• scrap papers in torn in small bits
• junk mail and card stock
• various stamps
• black archival ink
• glue/paint scrapper
• paper cutter

Here are a few pictures from the process of some other postcards I have in the making.. 

To see my finished project please click here! It will direct you to the Helmar's blog!  Would be nice if you left a little bloggy love, this is my first post as memeber of the design team. I am so excited! :)  I will be doing these again with variation of colors and designs.  I can't wait to send off the ones I created in the mail to my swap partners in the Artful Mail Group and a few other folks! :)  I also love the response the folks at the counter of the USPS when I drop off artsy mail. :)

Anywho.. THANK YOU for your time.. and Don't forget to stop by the HELMAR BLOG or the FB page to say hi! 

Have a great week!

Tamiko here.. uhh like who else would be writing on my blog!!.. lmao  I love neons.. and I choose to Live in COLOR.. :)

A journal page I did with Deco Art Paints, using the  neons, the media line and multi surface satin... A Few Faber Castell Big Brush Pitt Pens, and some Sakura Moonlight gelly rolls pens and my forever trusted Unibal Signo gel pen in white.

In my Dylusions journal.. I first just took the neons paints and cover the page.. and walked away.. had no idea.. how I use it.. lol... Just knew I wanted to use NEONS.. I really love them!.. COLOR is NEVER too bright!!  :)  Anyway.. I got these gorgeous Bloom Girls stamps from Prima, well...   They are HUGE.. perfect for a journal page.. perfect for playing and learning to color/paint faces.. perfect for.. whatever your heart's content...  So I stamped her in archival ink.. then after the ink dried... (rather quickly)  I proceeded to lightly brush a lil gesso wash (gesso with water in it.. lol)  Then I took my paints and added some skin tone.. The gesso did well muting the neons beneath it.. (to me)  Then I added color to the adornments in her hair.. (you know she is a modern day Frida Khalo.. lol)  and I decided to give her a blouse.. just drew something loosely.. and used my big brush pitt pens and smudged it over the neons.. I liked how that named out..  Then last but certainly not least.. i took my moonlight gelly pens and added details back into my butterflies.. on top of dried paint... the PAINT MUST be DRY!! I love those Sakura products too!!  and added lil' accents with my trusty Signo Unibal gel pen in white :)  Anyway.. quick.. and fun page.. Hope to do more.. and POST more this week...

Thank you for stopping by.. :)

Its STAMPENDOUS & DecoArt PLaYTiMe!! :) - MM Card & Treasures Box

In the mail I received some products from STAMPENDOUS and I was elated at the opportunity to play with them!!  I got a Creative Palette and mono printing plate,  a large acrylic handle, and two cling stamps!  They couldn't have come at a  better time.. because I am now, all set to play, with some of my favorite DecoArt paints and stencils!

Loving the idea of creating my own prints.. I leaped into the idea of playing with the Creative Palette and generating some fun backgrounds.. :)  I love the idea that's slender and it space in my bag, which makes it easy for me to grab it and go!  This is a mixed media card I made using an Artistcellar Stencil from the Sacred Heart Series and my favorite DecoArt Neon Acrylics.

Loved the how the stencil was imperfectly perfect on the monoprinting plate.. I think next time I will add some DecoArt Drying Time Extender to my paints and see how that goes too.. :)

My message to myself for the month of June... Live Creatively...

I mean.. the possibilities are well beyond what I have done.. but I plan to check out some other ways to utilize my new friend!  After creating some more pages and  backgrounds..


Then I decided to play with the STAMPENDOUS Face stamp called the Cling GLANCE- CRR200.  She was totally fun.. as I have NO large face stamps to play with!!  The lines from the image are clear and she is just the right size to do a little envelope art..  I was sending my friend Tamie some Happy Mail, and well Tamie loves Sugar Skulls.. So I decided to Sugar Skull my image.. Here is how that turned out..

Excuse my thumb.. (smile) I was debating posting this picture.. and decided at the last minute.. What the heck!  I am playing with a wonderful stamp and this is only a few of the possibilities!!  Oh Yeah.. Tamie.. YOU GOT MAIL!!  :)

Now for my last project.. It was something I had never done.. :)  An altered cigar box.  I actually received one from my dear friend VON for my birthday earlier this month.. Von makes me smile! She is a warm and beautiful lady.  I thought what she had given me was sooo dainty and lady-like.  I knew I wanted to make one too!

To be honest with you.. I looked at so many YOUTUBE videos and blogs on the topic, I couldn't tell you who's idea it actually is.. :)  But I do know I went to Andy Skinner and Made by Sannie 's blogs and CreaBoeTiek Channel on YouTube for inspiration for my first box.

Took a plain wooden cigar box and painted it with DecoArts MultiSurface Satin Acrylics in Coca bean and Chocolate and covered the whole box...

I don't know why.. but I always keep my DecoArt gesso nearby! (smile)

Then I added a thick layer of DecoArts Modeling Paste to the cover.  Then I smooshed a wide piece of lace and some of my favorite trinkets into paste on the lid.  Flowers, charms, and all kinds of metal embellishments.. :)  I let it air dry for 24 hours.

Then I covered the ENTIRE thing in yet more acrylic paints!  Even the metals!.  It was rather dull so I then added some of my favorite Dazzling Metallic Renaissance Brown and Bronze by DecoArts.  Let see some better pictures of the finished box in some pictures below...

decided I wanted some little feet so I glued these one with some help from Helmar's Glue that I got at Frosted Designs.. whew that Barb sure does send quick!!!  :)  

this is a side panel..

I loved painting her face and then adding glaze so her image was not flat.. since the box had so much shimmer now.. :)

this is a close up after adding some of the dazzling acrylics I mentioned.  :)

Here is another side panel...

Well that's it for me.. I hope you guys enjoyed viewing my page and watching me play with my fantabulous paints from DecoArt.. and those outrageously fun Stampendous products!  I am sure it won't be the last time I pick them up  and it wouldn't be for you either!!  :)

************************************************************************

Since I am a part of a blog hop.. I thought it might be nice to let you know there are bunch of talented people out here this week playing with paints, brushes and stamps.. I hope you can take a moment to check them and don't forget to comment, pin and like our sponsors for this event!  It also helps to make you eligible for the prize package. :)


Visit each blog, leave a comment! • Like Stampendous, DecoArt, Princeton Artist Brushes and inspired by Willow Wolfe on Facebook! • We've also got a Pinterest Board started!

Please repin our projects on to your boards and be sure to tag us when you do (#Stampendous, #DecoArt, #PrincetonArtistBrushes, #byWillowWolfe) - we'll be tracking. Your comments on the blogs are your entry into the drawing! We'll randomly choose three blog posts from all the designer posts this week and then choose one commenter from each with a U.S. Mailing Address to receive a prize package. THEN we'll choose three international commenters to receive a generous sample pack courtesy of DecoArt, so everybody can play this time! AND I have a few bonus goodies hanging around my office for some lucky people who SHARE our Facebook posts and Pinterest Pins! Ready for your trip around the world??? Let's get Hoppin!

DecoArt Blog

Stampendous Blog

Claudia Neubacher (Vienna, Austria)

Kristine Reynolds (California, USA)

Iliane de Fockert (Elly) (Niedersachsen, Germany)

Julia Stratford-Wright (near London, UK)

Julie Robertson (UK)

Jamie Martin (Oklahoma, USA)

Debbie Cole (California, USA)

Shannon Moyer-Szemenyei (Canada)

Tamiko McCurry (Illinois, USA)

A few of the bloggers this week are new to hopping, so if you have an issue with any of the links, here's a little tip! If you get a page that says "Sorry that Page is not here" or something similar, try clicking on the header picture at the top of the blog, or look for something that says Home. The hop page should be near the top of the day's posts. We will fix broken links as the day goes on, as well, so check back here if you are really lost.

The Official Rules are here.

Enjoy the rest of your Week and thanks for stopping by! :)

EGGzackly DecoArt NEONs ... for Easter!

Hey guys.. I originally saw this idea on old blog post years ago so I can't give credit to the original person I saw do it :(  I have since tried it a few times, but never blogged about it.. or used my neon paints.  Although Easter has come and gone.. We all use pinterest and I plan on pinning this! :)

My supplies began with DecoArt Americana Acrylic Neons..
Uh like I would try this.. while I am sick.. with any other paint?
There is also an orange and a red but these were the colors I grabbed.  I also grabbed my most fave black pens that allow me to write on all my mixed media surfaces, Sakura Identi Pen, Faber Castell Pitt pen and forever faithful DecoArt Acrylic paint pen.

Boil some eggs!  I usually got for the quick dozen and store them right back in the container from where they came!  Grab the aluminum foil too.. Yes aluminum foil..  Enough for each color of paint and double it if you have cheapy foil like I did! (big HA-HA)  Hey I use neon acrylics.. why would you be suprised to see aluminum foil?  I {heart} mixed media!  lol

I also like to keep baby wipes nearby, not just because I have a cold and it feels good on my nose!!  I also apply.. well you will see shortyl!!

Take the foil and scrunch it up.. come.. scrunch it!!

Then open it up.. and spread it out.. :) 

Then take some paint of your choosing and place it on the baby wipe and blot if all over the foil!!  Yes blot it.. BLOT IT REAL GOOD!! :)  Oh.. blot it kinda thin like though, because if you apply in areas too thickly it will make your speckles like paint rub or more like you applied it directly to the egg!

Place the egg in the foil and crinkle the foil around the egg again, open and repeat, till you have covered it enough and then place it in the carton cradled above the opening to air dry before repeating the process again, if you like.. with the next color...

I of course wanted more colors.. one color? nah not me!

See how they came out?  See how I also kinda cradled them above the egg carton slot.. Mainly so the paint wouldn't just puddle up in the bottom like they did when I use to dip and dye eggs. The air kinda gets a chance to whirl around the eggs and dry it.. rather quickly too!  Especially when the paint is thinly coated!  The colors are ALWAYS VIBRANT.. Hence my love for NEONS!!

Here are some closer shots!

I like them!  Hoping Brook does too.. Since she isn't into coloring eggs.. but she likes to see artsy things!

They need more.. I thought at first.. I would NOT go further.. but since Brook does read.. I decided to put some inspirational words on them and a message for her on a few!

I think she will like this one the most!!

Thank you for visiting & hope my pictures were helpful..
Late for Easter 2014.. on time for NEXT Year!!.. lol

April is.. Autism Awareness...

Each April I want to do something for Autism Awareness.  Nothing big.. mainly because I cannot obligate time,  I am never sure just how much I will have.  This year.. I asked some of my friends over in our FB group Mixing Up Everyday to join me by filling news feed on FB on April 2, Light It Up Blue , International Autism Awareness Day, with post.  Not ONLY did they create Lovely MIXED MEDIA pages, some of them also changed their profile pictures in support!  I am so grateful for my family and friends!  They allow me to be me and bring Brook along my artistic journey!  Very thankful for that!  This is my autism awareness page...

 I am home everyday and I have a daughter with autism.  She is now 9 years old.  She has many delays and things I even consider as acts of stubbornisms (yeah, not a word.. but it is today.. and as long as you know what I mean.. it's now a word!  LOL)  Anywho.. back to her.  Dealing with her is more than a handful at times, so I am glad I am allowed to be home with her, right now.  Not every child with autism is the same, so if you have dealt with one.. you really have.. only dealt with one!  You can't read a book and become an expert on the topic, but you can be enlightened and perhaps even open to the differences that makes us all individuals and remember that they apply  to people with different abilities as well..  You know.. For everything I think of that my daughter cannot do as your average 9 year old, I can think of 5 things that she is interested in or can do that some kids might not even consider.  Our days are not always easy breezy but they are always forever learning.  Sometimes I find myself staring at her and just in awe of the things that she chooses to entertain herself with.  Sometimes she will take over 200 photos in a day.. go back edit them; draw over them and add graphics.. Mind you, NO ONE in my household does this.. she taught herself.  She taught herself on a nintendo dsi.. and on the pc.. She will blend the sound of a Youtube video on one screen and the picture of another video to form another video and record it on another piece of equipment, no one taught her that.. but she loves to do it and finds COMPLETE JOY in it! She watches her programs in four different languages, two I recognize as Spanish and German, she also tries to use sign language..  She is amazing and frustrating and she is loved.. just as she is... Can I better.. I am sure I can.. she is my one and ONLY as I learn more.. I will do more, my priorities are keeping her safe, happy, healthy and productive.

Anyway.. Again as always.. thanks for your time...