Don't box me in

I recently taught this Art Journal page as a class at a retreat for my local scrapbook store - The Paper Teapot😊

Although I'm relatively new to art journalling, I love that you can't make mistakes - what happens, happens...

 I started by covering my journal pages with White Heavy Gesso - you may not need this step, but my journal is an old book I picked up from the second hand book store.

Then I added some Light paste through a stencil, and let it dry thoroughly.

I sprayed the pages with water, then dripped Colour Artist Ink on it and let it run - I used Lime, Mermaid, Grass, Oasis and Calypso.

I also used Colour Artist Ink in Marine, but but only used very little of this as it's such a strong colour.

Next I stamped some squares and a large Carabelle Art stamp with Black archival ink. I also stamped a few more squares of varying sizes with navy and turquoise archival inks.

I then went back over the area I wanted to be the face with the White Heavy Gesso - I was happy to let some of the background still come through. I also shaded some of the squares with this.

I used an aquarelle pencil, Distress crayons and a black Posca pen to shade and outline the face.

The lips were highlighted to give some fullness with Colour Paste in Punch.

Then I stamped some sentiment stamps with archival ink...

At that stage I decided she needed flowers, so added them in the same way as the face...

Time for the title; and finally I mixed some Colour Mica Powder in Olive Grove with string gel, and dribbled some lines to make some crosses...

I also added some tears to my girl with the clear Colour Shimmer Brush Marker {and a few spatters - I just can't help myself with those pens!!) 

Here's the final page...

And all the wonderful Colour Blast Australia products I used!

Go on - have a play!

Sketchabilities 154: Puss Patch

Time for another Kitty Cat page!

This time it's Patch - beautiful photo courtesy of Shiloh 😃

Here's the sketch

With this patterned paper from Pretty Little Studio's Savannah Dreams the page came together so quickly! I just added a little pink ink from Colour Blast Australia 💗 I just can't get enough of these hearts from Charm Creations either - aren't they pretty? Luckily I still had a perspextive to add to the bottom too.

Sooo pleased with the outcome 😁

Colour Blast Australia - It takes Sunshine and Rain

Today I have what looks like a relatively clean page, but in reality there are a rainbow of  Colour Artist Inks in behind the cut file.

This cut file is available through Paper Issues (Stitching Heart Burst).

Once I had cut the file, I used embroidery thread in rainbow colours to stitch the lines that radiate out from the centre

I then lined the cut file up with the second layer of card and drew some guidelines so I knew where to paint...

I used Colour Artist Inks in this order to create the rainbow

Citrus

Spice

Sunburnt

Cranberry

Slipper

Bordeaux

Marine

Calypso

Mermaid

Grass

Lime

 I could then put the cut file back on top for this awesome look 💓

 

I spattered a little of each ink again on the top layer, which you can see in these close ups..

I also used Colour Artist Ink in Grass to stain the wooden leaf.

Here's the finished layout - just a few Pretty Little Studio embellies with the photo and calling it done!

Just a change from some of the more grungier pages I have been doing lately - hope you like it!

CSI: Color Stories Inspiration 263; This is Real Life

Welcome Scrappy friends!

Bre's boyfriend loves taking photos where there are interesting light plays - she just happened to be in the frame this time lol

This month CSI partnered with Page Maps and we were invited to join in with a sketch as well...

Here's the sketch, and the challenge...

And here's my take on it...

 It was great using a different background this time, I'm usually a white plus mixed media kinda girl 😉 I used Pinkfresh "A Case of the Blahs" for the papers and embellies, as well as a couple of stars from Cocoa Vanilla. I did take a bit of artistic licence with the colours in the mood board and brightened them a little.

I love how it turned out though, hope you do too!

Life is Good

Hi Crafty friends, I'm back again with a quick (ish!) layout for you.

First up, here's the finished page...

I decided on this page I wanted a pale pink background, so I mixed a couple of drops of Colour Artist Ink in Slipper - all you need because it's so highly pigmented -  with a spatula full of White Heavy Gesso.

Once I had mixed it in, I used my palette knife to roughly lay it down in the centre of my page.

 I tried to leave as much texture as I could, lumpy bumpy is good!

Once that was totally dry, I used a Kaisercraft stencil to lay on some more White Heavy Gesso, but this time I didn't colour it, but before it dried I sprinkled some Colour Embossing Powder in Blush and heated it.

Off to a good start, but I still didn't have enough depth so I got out my Colour Shimmer Powders in Passion and Cobalt. I sprinkled just a few tiny little bits of both colours here and there, then very lightly sprayed with water. The gesso resists the powder so it runs into the gaps. Love it! I also tilted the page to make it run even further.

Looking at this had me craving a boysenberry ice cream!!

While that was drying, I painted my chipboard title (it was already white) with a little Colour Shimmer Dust in Navy, using a water brush. I went over it towards one edge a little heavier.

When this was totally dry, I used an embossing ink dauber on the lower half of the words, and embossed it with Colour Embossing Powder in Bling.

It looks gorgeous once it's heated!

I was finished then so I put my layers together using a doily and a bit of punchinella as a base, and then Cocoa Vanilla's Bohemian Dream for all the rest of the layers and embellies. I also added some gold sequins, and finally I splattered a little White Heavy Gesso and Black Heavy Gesso.

Here are some close ups - including the title - 

Thanks for visiting, hope you're inspired to try something new!

Sketchabilities 153 - Together is the Best

It was Mark's Dad's 91st birthday a couple of months ago, so that meant lunch out and of course a photo with all the grandchildren 📷😉

I used the current Sketchabilities sketch to make this...

Here's the sketch...

 

I combined the 3 photos into one, but apart from that stayed pretty much true to the sketch - cleaned out pretty much my stash of hearts lol.

Come have a play - you have a month!

SuperStar

Hey there scrappy friends!

I have another scrapbook layout for you today, sticking with my favourite things for now - Colour Artist Inks,  Colour Paste and Colour Embossing Powder, plus a cameo appearance at the end by a Shimmer Brush Marker 😍💖

Here's the finished page...

I wasn't quite sure where I was heading when I first started out with this one, it changed quite a bit mid-stream!

To start with, I laid some Colour Artist Ink in Lime on my tile, I did it like this as I wanted to use my brayer to start with rather than a brush.

This is what it looked like initially...

I then repeated this step with Colour Artist Ink in Oasis.

To give it a bit of depth, I splattered some Colour Artist Ink in Marine. I also stamped the stars with a slightly watered down version of this.

I used a Tim Holtz stencil and Colour Paste in Just Blue to add a few highlights around the edges where the cut file would go.

Once I looked at how the Paige Evans cut file would sit on the page, I decided it needed some darker colour underneath it, so I added some more Marine. (The papers that I backed the cut file with are all Boys Rule by Cocoa Vanilla)

I used Colour Embossing Powders in Envy, Deep Water and a touch of Bling on my chipboard. One of the chipboard pieces was already white, but one of the others I primed with White Heavy Gesso to give a clearer colour.

It was finally time to actually start gluing things down!!

Apart from some ephemera and a flair from Cocoa Vanilla plus the chipboard, I also used a Charm Creation Star, punchinella and lots of gold and blue thread.

I highlighted some of the stamped stars with black and white paint pens.

At this stage I thought I had finished, but ended up lightly running the gold Shimmer Brush Marker around the edge of the page, and tapped a few splatters of that also.

Some close ups for you....

So many different ways to use these great products! Go try something new today 😀