If You've Got It, Flaunt It

The other night, I went to my 3rd art journal class. We were working with Silks (and as our instructor, Gisele, says ~ they are yummy!). They go on very smooth when painting them onto a page and they even feel like silk when dry. I did a page I am not too crazy about, but then quickly did 2 background pages to use later on. Here is one of the background pages I did:

I love the warm colors. I used 3 different colors (coral berry, ginger peach and yellow rose) and kept blending and layering until I was happy with the finished look.

Tonight I decided this was the page I wanted to work with. I have a mini flame stencil from TCW. I decided that I would trace the flame pattern and then color around the flames with black gesso. I LOVE how it came out! I then took a stamp I had bought quite some time ago and colored it in with Dylusions ink sprays and acrylic paint and stuck the image on the page. I finished it off with some letter stickers to say, "If you've got it, flaunt it". I love, love, LOVE the finished page in my art journal. 

I think I will have to do a canvas where I play with color and pattern and then cover it with black paint or gesso to allow the colors to be the bits in whatever picture I choose.

Canvas and Art Journal

I started working on 2 canvases last Friday for my office, but did not finish them. I did manage to get one of them finished tonight (it was only missing a quote). Here it is:

I used Dylusions spray inks once again (even for the hand painted grass and flowers. I used acrylic paint for the quote and Gold's Opaque Flakes on top (for some texture). This just screams "happy" to me :)

Then I decided to work in my art journal. I was totally making it up as I went along and ended up with a page I LOVE!!! This is it:

I started by pouring yellow and blue acrylic paint on one page and then folding them together to mix it around on both pages. Then I went around doing random brush strokes with my paint brush. Then I came up with an idea that to me seemed really outside of the box. Do you see that sheen on the pages? I used gel matte medium to adhere organza ribbon on the entire surface! I wish you could feel it, the texture is so cool. I am definitely going to use that idea again! I then used silver glitter paste with some stencils for the bottom left and top right corners. Next was stamping around the edges and then I painted on the quote with more acrylic paint. LOVE the end result. This was a total experiment and tons of fun. Isn't that what it's all about? (why do I suddenly hear the "Hokey Pokey" in my head???).

Productive Day!

Today I went to my first all-day crop at Scrapbook Centrale since November 2011 (near the end of my second pregnancy). It is the first time since then that I went to a full all-day crop all alone! Since having Alexis, I always go to the crop in Kahnawake where I bring Erica with me for the first half of the day and then rush through the rest of the day trying to get as much done as possible. It seems I am used to the "focus and plow through" mentality because halfway through the day I had finished doing 12 pages for my 8x8 album of the pregnancy and family pics from Nov/Dec 2011 and Jan 2012! Here they all are:

And then I decided to focus on doing some art journaling. I got 2 pages done:

Once again I played with my Dylusions ink sprays (London Blue, Dirty Martini, Cut Grass and White Linen). I also tried a new product at the store: Viva's glitter paste (what I used to do the rocks). Absolutely gorgeous! I think I am gonna need some more colors. I also used a cute little stamp I just recently got (for a steal because it was in the clearance section of the store). The star was done with a new stencil and then I outlined it with Liquid Pearls. The edges of the page were outlined with a white pen. So much fun!

Then I did this one because I have been itching to use some Stampotique stamps I ordered recently (Smumanha and Smushasha). Welcome to my "ugly" mermaids:

I decided to play with my Faber-Castell Gelatos again (the blue set and the tropical set). I then used the silver modeling cream and coral stencil as well as some stamps (Stampotique - colored with Dylusions ink sprays - and some alphas found at the store for customer use). I did all the bubbles freehand with my white pen and then dotted the edges of the page with Liquid Pearls. Voila!

I am thrilled I got so much done. I worked on 2 canvases last night that need some finishing touches, but they will be posted soon enough (they are going to be hung in my office at work because I have a lot of blank wall space and it needs a dose of "Michelle").

I am bushed...Goodnight!

8x10 Canvas

Last night I worked on an 8x10 canvas and was once again having fun with my Dylusions ink sprays (bubblegum pink, funky fuchsia and crushed grape). I had a butterfly stamp that I got at NSD a few years ago as part of my goodie bag that I always thought was pretty, but never thought I'd use it. Thank goodness I didn't get rid of it! Now that I am doing mixed media, I am finding uses for things I wasn't using in my scrapbooking. The stamp was from Tattered Angels (Nature in Flight).

Basically, I started by spraying the 3 colors all over the canvas and then letting them drip down a bit (I love "drippage"). Then I stamped the butterfly image on the canvas and then again on white cardstock. I colored it in using the Dylusions spray, London Blue. I went over some spots with a white pen to lighten the butterfly a bit and so that it wasn't too monochromatic. I then stuck it on the canvas using gel matte medium. I used my Gloss-gel pen to do the edges, body and antennae (as well as the "flight pattern"). I used a stencil and light molding paste to do the stars. Once they were inked and dry I added Stickles to get some sparkle. Voilà! A canvas ready to be displayed:

Inspiration is Everywhere

Last night we had the second monthly meeting of the art journaling club at Scrapbook Centrale with Gisele Cabral (love working with her!). This time we played with Faber-Castell Gelatos. I had tried them before, but didn't really know how to use them properly and wasn't sure if they would be something I'd really ever use. Well, after doing the pages last night, I am a believer! It was a lot more fun (especially after some instruction) than I ever expected. I also liked using it on canvas. It was fun to see what it was like with different textures. So, we used gel matte medium, gesso, canvas and the Gelatos. We also had our pick of punched flowers and leaves to color as well as different images to stamp. I even colored the girl with the Gelatos. Here is what I worked on last night:

Because I used softer colors, I wanted them to pop. I used a black Faber-Castell marker to doodle along the edges as well as to outline the hexagon shapes that were there from using stencils and gesso. I just realized I forgot to mention we started by using the gel matte medium to stick on ripped pages from a book (a major trend right now). The finishing touches were the circles I added by dragging a tube through acrylic paint and then randomly putting them on the pages. I am quite pleased with the look. And no, I did not plan on the look of rolling hills and a "sunset"-colored sky...it just took shape that way! Funny what happens when you just let things take on their own spirit. I love this! And once again, I have another entry in my art journal that does not follow any other color schemes I have used so far (I am obviously not partial to any particular themes). Next month we get to work with silks (I already have a modest stash because I love the metallic finish!). Can't wait!!!