Pink Gloves and Altered Boxes

 “Art is a kind of mining," he said. "The artist a variety of prospector searching for the sparkling silver of meaning in the earth.” 

― Jane Urquhart, The Underpainter

Of course I wore pink gloves altering these  boxes to store some  treasures in that I need to send off to some friends.  

Using the  Finnabair technique and my box  of  misfits.. items that never  ended up  back in their home or broken little things or flowers I would never use again .. until today. 

Black gesso everything (13@rts gesso is the best ever) and then dry brush using the new alchemy paints from Prima  which  I used three colors : 

- Steampunk Copper

-Gold Rush 

-Silver Spoon 

On this box I thought why not, lets try a little deco art crackle glaze ...and  ohh it did show through ... was not sure   ( I did paint it on after the black gesso) . I am one that crackle and me  never seem to get along .. but the deco art crackle  has been a sure thing to date .. it has never disappointed! 

My boxes are off to their new homes ... hope you get creating something magical today! 

You Tube Mix Media Delight

Join us on our You Tube Channel today for a  positively delightful step by step  video recreating this spectacular mixed media layout using  the Flying Unicorn kit of the month, 13@rts mists and mediums,  and Flying Unicorn adornments 

Art Journal 2014 - Kroma Crackle

"Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery—celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from—it’s where you take them to.”

jim jarmusch

It was  my turn to host the  Art Journal Challenge  - and this is the  project I really wanted to post on Wednesday -  since we  got our  new  shipment of  Kroma  Crackle in and  I really wanted to  play with it  ...  but  I was waiting for the Kroma to dry ( only yesterday did  I realize that  YES you can heat set it  -so my five  days of  patience was not  needed for it to dry ! ) Two coats of it on a a chipboard covered in gesso  and  double the  cracks as  the pic shows below (I love this stuff even more  now that  you can you use a heat  gun !!) Bits and  pieces of  mesh  tape were cut and  used and Kroma  Crackle spread on top with a  palette knife  at different depths  to blend the  mesh  in  ...  The  first layer of  Kroma  I applied  right  from the  tube, the  second layer  I  applied  it by mixing  pearl-ex  in with it  ... and  it  worked ohhh so  pretty!

LSG Mists , paint  dabbers, silver paint, dylusions mists ( especially the  white  one  - love that  one ) to  cover the  flowers, the  laser  cuts , the  FUL adornments, the buttons etc ...  I painted, I sprayed, I  dabbed,  and  I  painted and  sprayed  some more ....   i used   some  concepts  from my  canvas  mermaid  tutorial  which is a mere feeble attempt and complete  inspiration  from Finnabair -Ania Dąbrowska -  which not in this  lifetime or next  will I have an ounce of her creative 
awesomeness .... but we can  keep trying and  keep being  inspired ! 

I so wanted to use this bling button from my stash and it looked out of place in my eyes on the the cover so on a a gold string I tied it  and  now it acts as a page marker 

Kroma Crackle - LOVE THIS  STUFF! 

LSG - Alpine Rose

White Dylusions

Mesh tape - ( thank you  Jen!) 

The  silver and  gold rock ! 

Perfect Pearls

Adornments - Flying Unicorn

Paint Dabbers

WCYDW

Every Wednesday on our forums we have a WCYDW - What Can You Do Wednesday where the creative team shares with you all wonderful tutorials and techniques  that you can  try and learn from . This  week it was Tammy's turn and oh my wow .. a  wonderful tutorial on making your  own gelli plate  - so sit  back and  enjoy : 

Ok so here is what you're gonna need to make your Gelli plate! :)

Glycerin- 2x 6oz bottles = 12 oz
Knox Gelatine- 7 packs (small box will do)
Sugar- 6 tablespoons
Water - 1x 8oz bottle drinking water. MAKE SURE ITS COLD

Hardware
2x mixing bowls microwave safe holds and will hold 7 cups
Container - You plan on storing your Gelli plate (Needs to have smooth bottom no marks or ripples)
Mixing spoon- If you're worried about the ones you already have (I would use plastic or metal ones)
Brayer- for playing later!
Instructions:
Get your 2 bowls out in one pour your cold water in and mix in your packs of Knox Gelatine. I did this 2 at a time till I used all 7 packs. Mix until no clumps exist.

Then get your other bowl and mix your sugar and glycerin together. Mix until smooth.

Now combine one bowl into the doesn't matter which way you go and heat in microwave until mixture is clear and hot. Pour into your container and let sit on counter for 6 hours. Then play! :)

A few projects created by Tammy using her new  homemade Gelli Plate .

Supplies : 
Card
Impression plates
Gouache paints
Claudine Hellmuth paints
White Gel pen
Jacquard lumiere paints

Tag
Impression plates
Prima circles mask
Jacquard Lumiere Paints
Claudine Hellmuth paints
New Venise lace (YUM!)
Manor House Ornate frames
Manor house pink roses
Prima flowers white- Abbey
Petaloo- wild mini Blossoms
Rose image - Pinterest
Bird and cage image - Pinterest
Shimmerz- cotton candy to color the seam binding

Canvas Journal

 Devote yourself to an idea 

Go make it happen. 

Struggle on it. 

Overcome your fears.

Smile. 

Don't you forget: 
This is your dream

I love the above saying so using  a canvas sheet - gesso medium matte, gesso and  chipboard with a few  flowers  I created the above.  I was  going to frame it  but  heck no  .. I bound  it  and  made a  journal  book with lined sheets  - a  sweet little  gift  for  someone . 

BE YOU

 I  did use the  Kit of the Month - 50 Shades of Summer in order to create this layout - The Faces of Spring papers  by 13 @rts are so perfect  so mixed media layouts  because of their  thickness and  durability .
The  mists, paints and  maks in the  kit  were  used to  create the  textures and  the  colors (  I mixed and  match the  colors, diluted them,  added  gesso ...  really played  with them to  get t the  soft, grey subtle  look with the   hints  of  coral pink .

Laser cuts and other are from my stash that  have been  collecting dust and  time to use up .

WCYDW - Gel Medium & Mixed Media Canvas

Let the tutorial begin : 

GOLDEN Gel Mediums offer artists many ways to build texture. They range in consistency from pourable to moldable with varying degrees of sheen and transparency. They can be used to create glazes, extend paints and change finishes. Some gels incorporate pumice, glass or acrylic granules that impart unique reflective, rough or absorbent surface qualities.

Gels can be thought of as colorless paint, as they are composed of 100% acrylic polymers similar to acrylic paint. They can also act as adhesives in collage and mixed media that dry to form continuous films with excellent flexibility with chemical, water and UV resistance.

Lets make a canvas : 

Golden Gel Medium 

Canvas

Golden Gesso

Lindy's Stamp Gang Mists