Mixed Media July Challenge

It is July 1 and it is time for a new challenge on the Mixed Media Mojo Blog.  The challenge is Summertime with the twist being Shells.

There are so many things that are fun in the summertime.  I chose a nautical theme.  My card is a birthday card for a friend.  I think he will like it and appreciate all the work that went into it.

All the paper and fabric came from a Recollection collection from Michael's.  The wood anchor was purchased there also.

If you come back to visit the Mixed Media Mojo Blog on July 6, I take you through the steps involved in making this card.

Come play along with us with a mixed media project.

June Mixed Media Mojo Challenge

Hard to believe it is the first of June already and now it is time for a new Mixed Media Mojo challenge.  In honor of Queen Elizabeth's birthday, our challenge is of the royal nature:  Fit for a Queen with the added twist of Jewels/Gems.

I had a project in my mind but it was not coming together so after seeing a fellow team member's post, I decided to go with Queen Bee.  My mom passed away in April and her name was Molly Beatrice and she was our Queen Bee.  There are three other Bea's in the family:  Bonnie Bea, Carrie Bea, and Elaina Bea.

The bee image and the crowns are from The Graphic Fairy which I cut out.  A wonderful site for images to use on your projects.  I also used the wings from a couple smaller versions of the bee that I had also printed.

I had a piece of patterned paper that I applied to my canvas and added a few pieces of dictionary pages.  I wrinkled some tissue paper and added that in several areas to add some texture.  Different layers of paint were added.  I did a little stamping with a new stamp.  I used a Tim Holtz stencil and some bright pink embossing paste to add the flowers.  A Donna Downey stencil was used to add the pink splots on the left side.  I also had a stamp set I had never used which the Queen Bee comes from and that was stamped on tissue paper.  I also stamped the bees around the canvas.

Here is a close up of the embossed paste flowers.

 Here is a close up of the bee.  I had printed two of them so cut out the wings on the second bee and the wings are off the canvas.  Glitter and bead gel was added to the wings to make them sparkle.

Here is a close up of the wings on the side of the canvas and the pink embossing paste.  You can see some of the wrinkled tissue paper and the stamped bees.

Come play along with us.  Bring your "royalty" out to play.

Thanks for stopping by.

Mixed Media Mojo March Challenge

The March challenge at Mixed Media Mojo is Spring with the optional twist of watercolor.

I chose to do a 6 x 6 challenge.  I did Springtime but I could not find a way to bring watercolors into my canvas.

I had this new stencil from Hot Off the Press.  I have four graduations in the spring so this canvas will be for one of the girls.

Please come and play along with us in March at Mixed Media Mojo.

Mixed Media Mojo February Challenge

The February challenge on Mixed Media Mojo is Heart with the added twist of Paper Piecing.

Since it is winter I decided to use some bright wonderful colors for my challenge piece.  I used some of my Dylusions paints.  Love the bright cheery colors.  A piece of cardboard was sitting around so it was asking to be used on the challenge also.  I hope you enjoy my creation.

Please come back later in the month and I will talk about the steps I used to make this canvas.  Come join us - you know in the month of February you need to make something with a heart on it.

New Challenge - Mixed Media Mojo

It is January 1, 2016 (HAPPY NEW YEAR) and also time for a new monthly challenge on Mixed Media Mojo blog.

Winter - it returned this week in the state of Wisconsin.  It brought us inches of wet snow, sleet, and freezing rain.  I was very happy I did not have to be out in it.  In fact, I stayed in my pajamas all day - I said the first day it was snowing and it was a day I would have to be working - with retirement  I was staying in my pajamas all day.  It did glisten.

My canvas uses a snowman stamp from Stampendous.  He is the perfect size for a canvas - almost too big for a card.

The snowman was stamped on a book page with gesso on it and cut out.  He was colored with distress paints.  The stamped snowflakes were from several different stamp sets.  I also added snowflakes done with a stencil and embossing paste.  Adds more texture and depth to your canvas.

Please stop by Mixed Media Mojo this month and play along with us.

Mixed Media Mojo December Challenge

Wow - how did it become December already.  Time sure flies when you are retired.  I don't have time to do everything I want to do.  I do still find time to play with my paper, inks and embossing paste.

The monthly challenge at Mixed Media Mojo is Sentiment and the twist is no red and green.

Lucky for me I love to make blue colored cards for Christmas and I chose blue with black and silver as the accent colors.  I have had this stamp for many years.  It was a very inexpensive stamp I bought at Michael's.  It was stamped with Versafine Ink on gessoed book pages and clear embossed.  The background was colored with distress inks.  The color was squished on with an acetate sheet.

I used a silver embossing paste for the chevron strip on the back panel and the dots on the front of th sentiment.  The small star stamp is by Stamps by Judith.  Black splatters were added.  I may change up the bow.  I think I want a fluffier bow,

Please take the time for some creative fun and join us at the Mixed Media Challenge Blog.

Mixed Media Mojo November Challenge

It is the first of the month and it is time for the new challenge on Mixed Media Mojo.  The challenge this month is Fall with the added element of Metallic.

My project uses a sunflower stamp from Penny Black and lots of other things from my crafts.  The metallic is a gold canvas, gold foliage and gold spray.

I had a terrible time getting a picture of this art piece.  A gold canvas produces lots of glare and the sun has not been shining in Wisconsin for a good outdoor shot.

On Wednesday I will have a "how to" on this blog and the Mixed Media Mojo blog.

Please stop over to the Mixed Media Mojo blog and join us for the November challenge.

Mixed Media Mojo October Challenge

It is the first of the month and time to get our mixed media craft on with the challenge for October at Mixed Media Mojo.  The challenge for the month is Halloween with the added element of wings.

I chose to do some fabric ATC's for our monthly challenge.  Fabric was my first love before paper so I enjoy being able to play with it for projects.  I found fabric that had all these Halloween images on it in little blocks so it was very easy to cut out and use.  The ATC's were done for a swap and each one is a little bit different.  They each used the same cat image on them.  Wonder Under Lite was my adhesive for the project.  No sewing was done.  I made a total of seven ATC's.  Here are three of them.

 I used scraps of fabric on many of the ATC's.

Come back later in the month to see a card I make using another image from my Halloween fabric.

Apple for the Teacher

I am posting over on the Mixed Media Mojo Blog today but wanted to share the post here on my blog.

 It is not to early to start thinking about gifts for teachers for the upcoming holidays or for just any day.  I don’t think we can say thanks in enough ways to the educators of our youth.

Our challenge this month is back to school with book pages as the added element.  I chose to alter a small recycled jar (the jar could be filled with many different things).  Wash your jar very well and let it dry. 

I covered the jar with strips of book pages which were adhered with gel medium.  After they dried I brushed on a coat of clear gesso.  I was thinking I wanted the words to show through from the page pages.

 I then painted a layer of red paint.  After that dried, I sponged on two different reds to give the color more depth. 

Now to add the finishing touches.  I left the lid the color it was which was a goldy brown.  I colored a piece of wood that looked like a knob dark brown to represent the stem.  I adhered two layers of book pages together; cut out two leaves freehand and colored them with green ink.  A touch of brown ink was added also.  I took a piece of brown twine, doubled it, wet it with gel medium and wrapped it around a pencil so I could get the curl in it.  Once it is dry remove it carefully from the pencil.  I wrapped natural twine under the lid; tied a bow, and added a tag with thanks stamped on it. 

I do have an artistic conflict going on.  Should I leave the jar as it is or should I brush shiny modge podge on it so my apple shines.  What do you think?

 I am going to enter this in the monthly challenge on the Faber Castell blog.  The challenge is to alter something.  

Enjoy your Wednesday.  

Mixed Media Mojo September Challenge

It is the first of the month and time for a new monthly challenge on Mixed Media Mojo.  The challenge this month is Back to School with the added element of Book Pages.

Yes today is the day our students go back to school.  We can't start school until September 1.  I remember when we started in August.  Of course, the weather is going to be very hot and very muggy for the first days.  The poor teachers with all those smelly bodies in the classroom.

I decided to make a small canvas.

The canvas is covered with book pages.  A layer of gesso was added to the book pages.  The yellow color is a combination of two distress inks.  I love how the color turned out.  I have accumulated many dictionaries so I cut the definition of "teach" out of several of them to place on the canvas.  The A, apple and notebook edge were cut with my Silhouette.  I colored them with paint and then used Brushed Corduroy distress ink to add color/shading to the letter and apple.  I had also used the ink on the yellow.  Everything was adhered to the canvas with gel medium.  Embossing paste was added in two corners for some extra texture.  I then dug out my rub ons and started adding them to the canvas.

 I struggled with this challenge but I am very happy with how the canvas turned out.  I believe it will be a gift to a couple I know who are both teachers.

Please come join us on Mixed Media Mojo with our current challenge.

Mixed Media Mojo August Challenge - Anything Goes

It is the first of the month and time to get your Mojo rev started with the monthly challenge at Mixed Media Mojo.  The challenge for August is anything goes.  I love those challenges because then you can do a project you may need to get done.

I had to make a card for a challenge on a group I belong to.  The challenge was "something sweet" - well cupcakes are pretty sweet. 

The cupcake is a digital image that I traced onto patterned paper and cut out.  The background is patterned paper adhered to mixed media paper for support.  I then coated the paper with a layer of clear gesso.  The design still shows through but when you color on the surface the color has something to bite onto to.  I then added different colors of gelatos on the patterned paper.  The cupcake and sentiment were adhered with gel medium.  I added a coating of glass bead gel over the top of the cupcake.  The bow was colored with gelatos and water.  Embossing paste was colored with gelatos also and using a stencil added some random polka dots around the card.

Please join us for our monthly challenge.  I am excited to see your projects.  

I am entering this into the weekly challenge on the Monday Challenge Blog for Simon Says Stamp which is to not use ordinary paper.  I did use the mixed media paper as my base for the card.  

Christmas in July

Christmas in July – time to start working on your projects for the holidays.  This is the challenge at Mixed MediaMojo.  The extra twist is to use a Santa on your project. 

 I started with a canvas board.  It measures  6 x 8.  I covered the board with part of a carry out bag from Panera.  I love this muted pattern on the kraft.  It was adhered to the board with gel medium.  After it had dried, I put a layer of clear gesso on the paper.  I did not want to lose the background color but wanted some bite for the layers to be added.

The Santa for this piece is chipboard from My Mind’s Eye from 2013.  He is super cute but needed to be more vintage looking.  I took  distress ink and rubbed it across the Santa to give it a more vintage, mellowed look.  Well I didn’t quite like that so I started adding in some color on the jacket trim, the gift bag, belt and gloves. 

The clear gesso covered all the muted pattern on the kraft paper so I decided to just start adding some paint.  I put on blue distress paint.  I then used crackle paste through a stencil.  After it was dry I rubbed green, brown and red distress paint on it.  Now the fun with begin - Adding all the layers of stuff. 

I adhered the chipboard with gel medium.  I also used gel medium on the baubles.  The canvas seemed a little naked in the corners so I found this green trim and added it to two corners.  The edge of the canvas has a copper metallic paint along the edges.

So on those hot summer days, get out some of your Christmas stuff and start creating beautiful projects.

Mixed Media Mojo June Challenge

How did it get to be June 1 already?  May was a super busy month for me if you will notice I had very few posts on my blog.  I did do something creative which I will share this week.  I just have not had the time to post.

But June 1 means it is time for a new challenge on the Mixed Media Mojo challenge blog.

Summer can mean many things.  For me, it means flowers.  I love to watch the different flowers bloom throughout the summer.  A tealish color is one of my favorite colors in all shades so I chose to do my project in that monochromatic color scheme.

I bought two bottles of acrylic paint - a light shade and a dark shade.  I had a embossing enamel called sea glass and the teal pleated canvas trim which is along the bottom.

The tag is a Paper Smooches die.  The tag is made from painted book page.  I stamped over the tag with a background stamp with a Hero Arts teal colored ink.  The sentiment is from Dina Wakely.  I thought it was very appropriate for the new path I am taking in my life in July - retirement.

The flowers are a combination of purchased flowers and handmade flowers.  Starting on the upper right side the two little flowers were white felt which I painted.  The large flower was a book page that was painted front and back and I cut out a flower with my Silhouette and layered it together.  The polka dot flower was also cut with the Silhouette from patterned paper.  The next light teal flower was also cut with the Silhouette.  The last three flowers were in my flower stash and I just added acrylic paint to make them coordinate.

The lace trim with the polka dot paper woven through was actually cream colored.  I put the lace in a watered down acrylic paint and let it dry.

The canvas board was painted with gesso and then acrylic paint.  The floral background is a Hero Arts background stamp.  I inked it with VersaMark and used Sea Glass Enamel powder from the Rubber Cafe.  Unfortunately it did not stamp all the way across but it is amazing what the tag and flowers can cover.

The upper left corner seemed off balance so I used some scalloped die cuts.  Inked them with VersaMark and used the Sea Glass enamel on them.

I then started layering.  The tag does have a double layer of foam tape on the back so it pops up a little higher.  Luckily I had those sparkly dots in my supplies which matched perfectly and were used for flower centers and on the tag.

I really love how the canvas turned out.  I now want more of that enamel in different colors.

Come join us at Mixed Media Mojo this month and create a summer mixed media project.

Mixed Media Mojo Monthly Challenge

The monthly challenge at Mixed Media Mojo is to choose lines from a tic tac board.  The twist is to use every square on the board.  Here is your tic tac board to inspire your creativity.

I chose the middle line:  Gesso, Stencil and Chipboard.  I am behind in my birthday cards so I decided to make a birthday card.

I took a piece of mixed media paper and colored it with a light pink Gelatos.  I then used my clear Gesso (yes there is clear Gesso) and put a layer over my pink color.  I wanted the pink color to be sealed.  I took a stencil and used a watercolor pencil.  I outlines the octagon shapes and colored them in with the watercolor pencil.  I took my water brush and blended the colors.  I added lighter color in other openings.  A second stencil was used to add the silver chevron stripe with silver embossing paste from Faber Castell.

The chipboard is from Basic Grey.  I first colored the chipboard with distress paint.  After it was dry, I inked it up with VersaMark and used a new product called Enamels from The Rubber Cafe.  The color is Sea Glass.  (of course, now I wish I had bought several more colors).  I punched the butterfly and colored it with silver embossing powder.  It is so pretty.  The sentiment was stamped on vellum with the same enamel.  The chipboard was glued to the front of the card with Glossy Accents.  I also used Glossy Accents to adhere the butterfly.

I wasn't quite happy with the color on the card front so on the one side I took my watercolor pencil and added the deeper pink into the openings of the chevron.  I was much happier with the front then.

To finish the card, I matted it in dark gray cardstock.  Wrapped the sentiment around the card front.  Added some silver cord above the sentiment.  The front panel was popped up on the card front.  I then took some enamel dots which are silver glitter (from a Halloween collection) and scattered them around the card front.

I hope you will join us at Mixed Media Mojo this month and play with our tic tac board.

I am also entering this card into the weekly Monday challenge at Simon Says Stamp.

Oatmeal Box to Gift Box

I started my life as an oatmeal box.  Hung out in that lazy susan for quite awhile.  Got dizzy many a day as Barb looked for something she had hidden in there.  Of course, she never lost sight of me, I was big and tall and round.  Alas one day the last bowl of oatmeal was eaten and I was thrown in the brown recycle bag.  Barb must have suffered garbage remorse because before I made it to the big bad green bin and then a ride in the noisy truck, Barb rescued me and put me on the counter.  I will live again but what will a big, tall and round box become.

I just heard I am on the way to becoming a gift box for a lovely teenager.  I know I will like living with Haille and her family. 

I was wiped out several times with a damp cloth to remove all the oatmeal dust.  Some scrapbook paper was glued to me for my first layer.  Now for a true recycle project why didn’t she use some magazine pages instead of good scrapbook paper.  Of course, believe me, with all her paper, she will never miss two pieces.  A layer of Gesso was scrapped on me with a palette knife. 

After I had dried, Barb scrunched up a paper towel and got out bottles of acrylic paint and started dabbing/sponging it all over me.  She put on about 4 different colors so you can see lots of variation in my color.  Barb heard that Haille’s favorite color is blue. 

She cut wacky circles out of a catalog with her Silhouette machine.  This is a fun machine.  She could have cut these circles by hand but the machine makes it so fast.  Some of the circles were cut in half to make the border at the top.  Other circles in different sizes were randomly glued onto the surface.  Now the fun will begin.  

Now she got out the blue and green paint and started painting the circles.  

Of course every box needs to have a perfect top.  She cut circles to fit inside the top of the lid.  She then painted them to match the colors of the box.  

The edge of the top had to be covered also so she cut a strip of colored paper to glue on the edge.

Everything was glued to the top of the lid.

She then added some finishing touches.  More circles, little dots and glitter.  Every teenager loves glitter.

So here I am in all my glory, once an oatmeal box and now a beautiful glittery gift box fit to bring a gift for a teenager.  

Recycled Art

This month on Mixed Media Mojo the monthly challenge is to use recycled items.

The recycled/upcycled items in this ATC are the card stock from programs for commencement.  I have sprayed the white card stock with pink and blue sprays.  I have also recycled a tag from a piece of clothing I purchased.

I matted the pink card stock with black.  I stamped the circles and dots on the pink card stock.  I inked the stamp with VersaMark and VersaFine black ink.  I then clear embossed the stamped images.  They shine and have a little texture.  I painted them with yellow distress paint to pick up the color in the flower I am going to use.

I covered the outside and the inside of the recycled tag with the blue card stock.  I stamped the sentiments and clear embossed them.  The tag was adhered to the front of the ATC.  I cut off the end of the top of the tag.  The flower was glued to the end of the bottom of the tag.  The top edge slides under the flower and closes the tag.  A few pearls and a enamel dot were added to the ATC.

I am entering this in the weekly challenge at Wicked Wednesday ATC which was to use a fold on your ATC.