courage, brave heart ... Life Book 2015

Hello! 

Here I am continuing on with Life Book 2015 ... yes 2015!! 

This is my interpretation of the Week 4 class with Patti Ballard. I have worked her in my 9 x 12 inch Strathmore Mixed Media Journal.

I can see lots of things 'wrong' with her and I started getting a bit OCD about it! Then, after many reworkings of various areas, concluded she is only in my art journal and isn't going anywhere, so time to leave her be!

I have created my girl on a base of patterned papers and drew and painted her mainly with acrylic paints.

I've used several layers of watercolour paint to add some depth around her and then I've finished off with some rub-ons dotted here and there.

The whole page was then coated with Liquitex Matte Medium. It gives it a lovely rich depth.

P.S. I am also following Life Book 2016, so you may see me producing something from that and hopefully before the year is out!

Thank you for looking.

Keeley

copyright 1983 mixed media canvas

Hello! Once again, it's been a while!

Today I have a mixed media canvas to share with a seamstress/needlewoman theme. This one has been in my head for quite some time!

It has lots and lots of layers. I have had this lying on my craft table for a couple of weeks, fiddling and adding layers, until I was happy with it.

To create the layers, I've used old sewing patterns, including the pattern, instructions and the outer sleeve of the pattern. 

I've used tickets, string, alphabet stickers, rub-ons, acrylic paint and matte medium.

More texture with a mini sewing spool. Texture paste through a Prima Scissor stencil and a Memory Box ~ Modern Dressmaker stencil for the ruler.

More layers with acrylic paint and matte medium, adding on and taking off. Many, many layers of this, until I was happy.

The lady was created with a Julie Nutting ~ Rita doll stamp. I built her up with layers of the sewing patterns, rub-ons, acrylic paint and matte medium.

I have decorated the deep sides also, with co-ordinating layers to the front. One side uses the dressmaker stencil from the Memory Box stencil mentioned above.

Finally, I finished the whole lot off with a rubbing of gold wax along the edges of the canvas and the raised parts of the canvas and girl.

Thank you for looking.

Keeley

let your light shine

Hello! It's been over three months since I blogged! Truth is, I've started many projects but just haven't been able to finish anything. The finishing mojo went off on a walkies.

However, now, I have decided to START Lifebook 2015!! This is week one!

Here is my version of The Beacon of Light. The face took forever, but I so enjoyed creating this.

Thank you for looking.

Keeley

SWEET memories

Hello! Today I am sharing a canvas I've made using the Prima Bloom Girl ~ Summer stamp, by Jamie Dougherty.

I've used Prima Color Bloom sprays in Soft Teal and Tea Stain to create some colour. The red is Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Barn Door. These are all water based, so setting them with a matte medium was interesting!

Lots of texture created with a layer of tissue paper ...

... and Tim's Harlequin stencil, with some Prima 3D Gloss Gel.

The sentiment is a rub on.

Finished off my Bloom Girl with Prima flowers and resin butterfly.

I'm entering this in at the following challenges:

• blue ~ live and love crafts 
• bon voyage ~ Sweet Stampin Challenge 
• O is for open (anything goes) ~ ABC Challenge 
• Anything goes ~ The Artistic Stamper; Anything But A Card Challenge; Mixed Media Mojo
• No ordinary paper (I have used tissue paper) ~ Simon Says Monday Challenge
• flowers ~ Creative Inspirations 
• canvas ~ The Mirror Crack'd

Thank you for looking.

Keeley

stars and stripes

Inspired by July the 4th yesterday and loving a red, white and blue colour scheme, which just so happens to be the challenge at Crafts 4 Eternity this week, I decided to recreate the American flag in a mixed media style.

I've used a canvas board as my base and covered it with layers of doilies, Liquitex ink and Dylusions sprays.

I wanted it to look like a crumpled up vintage flag.

I tried to make it look as much as like the actual flag design as possible. I have 13 stripes and 50 stars.

I used the Tim Holtz star stencil for my stars.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

• masculine ~ Mixed Media World 
• a canvas ~ The Mirror Crack'd 
• destinations ~ A Vintage Journey 
• anything goes ~ Anything But A Card Challenge
• red, white & blue ~ Crafty Creations 
• wish upon a star ~ That's Crafty 

Thank you for looking.

Keeley

 

everything's coming up roses

Hello! Time for my next girl! She came together really quickly.

This time she is worked in acrylics on top of a napkin covered in roses.

I decided to paint her in non-flesh coloured tones for a change. Not sure about the cheeks! Maybe a  bit OTT!

Thank you for looking.

Keeley

watercolour girl on fiber paste

Back to my art journal and continuing the journey.

This girl is worked in Schmincke Watercolours, onto a page which has been covered with Golden Fiber Paste.

I had a bit of a love-hate relationship working this girl. The lips drove me to distraction. I went over them sooo many times. Unfortunately, I reverted to pencil at one stage and it then became too waxy to go back over with watercolour, so that it would blend better with the rest of her. Oh well.

Anyway, I have a life, so time to just turn the page ...

Thanks for looking.

Keeley

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 

blushing mixed media girls

Hello!

Here are my latest mixed media girls on my learning to draw journey.

I created them from Schmincke Watercolours, Prismacolor pencils, paint pens and other pens.

Not sure what they are blushing at ;)

Thank you for looking.

Keeley