create magic

Hello, I was just having a play yesterday.

I've decided to create some artwork using different techniques, so that I can hang the finished pieces on my 7gypsies photo carousel. Then I can have them on display in my craft room and also flick through them to inspire me, as needed!

I recently discovered my carousel, still in its original box, in a recent craft room clear out. I bought it four years ago and remember having to hunt it down at the time, so not sure if it is still available to buy.

So this is the first piece that I have made for the carousel, and appropriately entitled 'create magic' to begin my journey.

I started off by pulling a page from my Strathmore Mixed Media Journal. I have literally tons (well six!) of these journals in various sizes and different paper formats. This one is from the 5.5" x 8" journal. A perfect size for practicing techniques and also I thought a perfect size for sneaking away with me on my next holiday ;)

I first of all covered the page with gesso and let it dry.

I then covered the page with a Liquitex Matte Medium and smoothed down some book paper over the top of it, ensuring it was firmly pressed down.(Secret: I use old Mills & Boon books for my book papers!).

I waited for a few minutes, and then peeled the book paper off. The exact time is an art to master, as too short and the whole lot will come off and too long and your page will be firmly stuck down!

I was left with a mixture of some words going forwards and some going backwards and some gappy bits. Perfect!

I stamped a Stampers Anonymous stamp down the left hand side. I then drew a line all around the edge with a Faber-Castell Gelato - Metallic Blueberry. I then used a wet paint brush to drag the colour in towards the centre, but not completely. 

This completed the base upon which I would create my girl.

I've coloured the skin with PanPastels. I've added detail with various types of pencils and pens.

For the hair, I've mixed Liquitex ink! with modelling paste and applied it through the Tim Holtz ~ Burlap Layering Stencil. I've then reversed the stencil and applied it to the foot of the page, to bring in some co-ordinating colour to balance the page out.

And that is it! Fun!

Thank you for looking.

Keeley 

she danced as if no-one were watching

Hi! You may recall this abstract mixed media canvas I made back in November. Details of how I made it are HERE.

Well, I didn't like the abstract-ness of it and it had a disco type vibe to me, so I turned it around and added a girl and a few rub-ons to it. Oh, and turned it into a book.

The girl was created with a Dylusions Couture Collection Stencil ~ Flossie. I built her up in layers, so created a base layer from the stencil, then added the legs, hands and head with book paper and then the dress from a scrap of embossed white card I had.

I added some feathers to create a hat and some gems and rub-ons to decorate the dress. There are swirl rub-ons around her, to create movement.

I printed out the sentiment and distressed it with the same colour gelatos that I had used to create the background canvas.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

• anything goes ~ Crafty Calendar Challenges; Stamping Sensations
• album/journal cover ~ The Mirror Crack'd 
• think pink ~ Mixed Media Monthly Challenge

Thank you for looking.

Keeley

a hundred hearts would be too few

Good morning! Today I am coming at you from Crafts 4 Eternity where our challenge theme this week is Valentine.

I have made a mixed media canvas. 

I first coloured my canvas with three rows of pink gelatos, dividing my canvas into thirds and starting with the lightest shade at the top and the darkest at the bottom.

I then created some texture using different stencils and some texture paste which picked up some of the surrounding colour. Flowers are by Prima.

My heart is a Spellbinders ~ Love Heart die double layered. Then I have my cupid, diecut from the Tim Holtz ~ Love Struck Bigz die. I diecut all from Little Yellow Bicycle ~ Sweet Love collection papers. Everything is edged with silver patina wax.

My heart and arrow are My Mind's Eye Dimensional Stickers popped up on pop dots. The arrow wasn't the right colour, so I rubbed some silver wax patina over it.

My words are cut from the papers. I added some silver wax patina around the edges and then I added some rub ons to blend them in.

 

I am entering this in at the following challenges:

• use flowers ~ Cards & Scrap 
• love is in the air ~ Creative Inspirations; Inspiration Journal; Quirky Crafts
• something with a heart ~ Fairy Tale Challenge 
• it's all about love ~ Fussy & Fancy Challenge 
• hearts & flowers ~ Make My Monday
• all about love ~ Natalie & Amy
• h is for ... I have heart ~ Simon Says Monday Challenge
• anything goes ~ Sir Stampalot Challenge
• i {heart} you ~ The Shabby Tea Room
• think pink ~ The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge

Thank you for looking.

Keeley  

vintage love mixed media canvas

Good morning! This week I have been asked to guest design at Try It On Tuesday, where the challenge this week is include a photo, vintage or modern.

I have created a canvas and used as my centre piece, a napkin which contained a vintage photo as part of it's pattern. I just decoupaged it onto the canvas.

I then rubbed gelatos all around the outside of the image to the edge of the canvas and smeared it together with a water brush.

I then stamped the words 'love' around the image and added texture paste through a stencil to get the dots. I finished off the bottom of the canvas by wrapping around some ribbon and lace.

The top is finished off with some netting and flowers.

The netting is held in place with some buttons on each side of the canvas and one on top, which are glued into place.

I am entering this in at the following:

• love is in the air ~ A Vintage Journey; Vintage Udfordring
• C is for cupid ~ ABC Challenge 
• flower power ~ Allsorts Challenge 
• Valentine's Day/Love ~ C.R.A.F.T. Challenge 
• use flowers ~ Cards & Scrap 
• all about love ~ Natalie & Amy 
• paints, stamps, stencils ~ Our Creative World 
• love is in the air ~ Quirky Crafts 
• anything goes ~ Sir Stampalot
• love ~ The Artistic Stamper; Crazy Challenge
• think pink ~ Mixed Media Monthly Challenge

Thank you for looking.

Keeley

Mixed Media Abstract Canvas

Hi, today I am sharing an abstract mixed media canvas I made, following an online class at Mixed Media Studio. The first class is taught by Donna Downey.

I must admit, I don't think abstract art is my thing. It doesn't really mean anything too me. I feel like it is just a base and I want to add something to it, a girl or something. So expect to see it again in an altered form!

Having said that, I did enjoy the process of creating it and I learned a few new techniques.

Some close ups.

I've added texture with a Tim Holtz stencil. The black is either Liquitex Ink sprayed on or black paint dabber.

I've added colour with Faber-Castell Gelatos and more texture with Prima white sand texture paste.

Thank you for looking.

Keeley

she wore her heart on her sleeve

Good morning! Today is Friday and so another challenge at Crafts 4 Eternity is digital, so just add your digis to your project.

Well, you may know I am not very good with the digis, but I could still play along as I added some digital words. I printed my she art phrase out on my printer, so that counts as digital ...huh?

So, I have created a mixed media she art canvas.

I have used a Winsor & Newton artist canvas board as my base. Love these as they are sooooo solid! Then I've added papers, stamps, inks, sprays, rub-ons, texture paste etc to add depth.

My bird is actually a Tim Holtz stamp which I coloured with Faber-Castell Gelatos and then added some extra definition with my pen.

For my clouds, can you see the backing piece? I used an insert from a My Mind's Eye: Lost & Found set of pearls which I had used up. I die cut the Magnolia Cloud die from a piece of scrap and the used the off cut to add extra dimension and then outline the clouds. I just knew I had to fit that cute bumble bee rub-on on there.

I used rub-ons and my Faber-Castell Pitt Pens to create the flower. I added dimension with a layered paper flower.

All across the bottom of my canvas, I have used pink rose rub-ons. Just by chance I came across them in my stash and they worked really well for the colours I had used for my girl.

Onto my girl. Loving her BIG hair! I drew her and coloured her with gelatos and Pitt pens, then added some rub-ons.

More texture.

Have you spotted the hearts on her sleeves?

I am entering this into the following challenges:

• living beings ~ Art Journal Journey 
• colour challenge (I have used the pink, yellow, blue & green) ~ Mixed Media Monthly 
• boldly go ~ Simon Says Monday Challenge 

Thank you for looking.

Keeley

how long will I love you?

Good evening! I am very late posting this week for the sketch challenge at Crafts 4 Eternity. I was a bit late starting this project, but really wanted to use this week's fabby sketch.

For my project I have created another mixed media collage. Expect to see LOTS of these in 2014, as I am loving doing them, although I am still experimenting, so it will be interesting to see what my work looks like in a year's time. Sorry, my photo is a bit blurry.

For my base, I started with a sticky backed canvas sheet. I will mount this onto chipboard, but haven't done so yet, hence why it looks so wonky.

I then covered it with cardboard scraps, but even I am struggling to see those now.

Mediums used: distress paint, distress stain, gold gelato.

I have used a Memory Box ~ Butterfly Vine stencil, combined with texture paste at the top.

The dimensional butterflies were stamped from the Tim Holtz ~ Papillon CMS106 stamp set and cut out.I have also used these stamps as part of my background.

The image was created from a Penny Black ~ Melle Papillon stamp. Creating that dress, very nearly drove me crazy!

She is set onto a Spellbinders die cut. 

The sentiment: How love will I love you?

When I showed it to my other half, he said: 'that's a bit pessimistic isn't it?' Well it comes from a love song of the same name, by Ellie Goulding. 

Go check out the song if you don't know it:

Ellie Goulding: How long will I love you?

Thank you for looking.

Keeley