Create Your Own Path

I have been working on this particular art journal spread for a bit now.  It started with Dylusions inks, then some swipes of Viva Decor Precious Metals paints in silver.

I stamped the shells from the Elements Collection from the Susana Love Stamps,  Mixed Media Stamps to create the bottom of the ocean.  The rays from the Elements Collection was stamped upside down to create the effect of the light shining in through the water.

I had started out planning for it to be shells on a beach with the ocean behind, but it just took on a different form as I began to work with it.

The fish are created using a corner die from the Dies by SCACD Classic Corners.  I cut them out from black cardstock and then used Mica Powders in Pink Azalea and Yellow Rose.  The Micas gave them the most glorious shine and shimmer.

It wasn't quite finished.  I grabbed a black marker and began to write.  Just some thoughts and ramblings that were in my head.  Things I needed to say to myself.  THEN it was finished.

I love the way that creating in an art journal format has begun to really inspire me.  My creative brain seems to just 'take over' and the critical brain goes on vacation.  There are many things that I don't share with all of you, but some of them I just have to.  I want you to see what you can create.  Give you ideas, tell you to BE FREE. Always, always remember that when it comes to your creating, there are no rules.  Only what works for YOU.  Be true to yourself creatively.  You may not get published, or picked for design teams, or win challenges, BUT you will be happy during the process and that is all that matters.

Challenges:
Unruly Paper Arts - July #1Beautiful Beach
CRAFT Challenge - #162 Splashy/Water theme
Paper Crafting Journey - Summer
Creatalicious Challenges - #35 Anything Goes
Desert Islands Crafters - #33-pick 3 (teal, animals, use rubber stamp, silver)
Mema's Crafts - July Anything Goes
My Mojo Monthly - July, Your Style

Get Inky!

Alex

Silence

I finished up a spread in my art journal and want to share a technique I used with you.  I created the textured flowers using embossing paste and mica powders.

 First I put some of the Dreamweavers Translucent Embossing Paste in a mixing tray and then added a touch of the Mica Powders.  I used Pink Azalea and Yellow Rose. 

After they were mixed up, I applied them to my prepared journal page through portions of the Dylusions Stencil Dotted Flowers.

 This right after it is applied.  It is a mat type look to it.

 Once it has dried thoroughly it is translucent and the shine and color from the Mica Powder really come through.  The leaves are from the Dylusions Doodle Parts stamp set. The colors on the page are from assorted Dylusions Sprays.  The shine is Mica Powder, Gum Arabic and water.  I made it very watery so that the shine and shimmer would really spread out.

The next step was to doodle in stems, leaves and an edge.  Then I stamped on Resilient Woman and Blank Canvas Profile.

Isn't this profile image amazing?  I grabbed it first thing when my stamps arrived and knew it HAD to go on this page!

Added the writing to the left side.  It reads "Listen to the sounds in the silence.  Those are the words of your heart."  Heart is from the Authentic Words Set.

 

Absolutely loving the shimmer and shine.  Just a bit of writing on the right hand page and ......

FINISHED!

I hope you enjoyed learning the technique as well as seeing a bit about my 'process'.  Sometimes I have a plan and sometimes it just comes together as I work.  This was one of the second ones.  

Get Inky!

Alex

NEW RELEASES HOP with SCACD!

Welcome to the New Release hop for SCACD.  I am sooooooooooooooo excited, we have the BEST stuff to share with you today!!!  Hopefully you are hopping along and came from Dianne's BLOG.  If not, I suggest you start at the SCACD Store BLOG so you don't miss a single thing!

Here at SCACD we've been "die"ing to mix things up!  So, this month we have the launch of two awesome new Collections.


First is a fantastic new line of dies.  Susana has collaborated on a collection of dies with a timeless, classic feel.  Delicate and beautiful, the diecuts from these high quality wafer thin metal dies will be featuring on your projects for years to come!


Second is a wonderful new direction for SCACD.  Susana is following her heart with a new line of Mixed Media stamps.  For those of you who are new to the concept, Mixed Media is a style that embraces creativity and experimentation. Let SCACD take you on a new creative adventure with the Blank Canvas Collection.  From the beginner to the mixed media enthusiast, these stamps will have the creative juices well and truly flowing! 


Each set in the collection comprises looks, perfect for mixing it up with different techniques.  Use the elements set to enhance the blank canvas silhouettes, or use them on their own for gorgeous effects.


In addition there is a fabulous set of word outlines, ready to be customized however you like!  Color them in, doodle, zentangle, paper piece - go wherever your creativity takes you.

Mix it up and most importantly - HAVE FUN!

First up - Solid Blank Canvas Woman

I stamped her in the darker color and then masked the image to stamp the blue images.  She is paired with the "ORIGINAL" stamp from the Authentic Words Set.  I did the doodling inside the letters.

Next is - Nature's Tapestry Fan and Garden Corners

I decided to color in the fabulous elements in Nature's Tapestry Fan.  The birds have also been given a coat of Diamond Glaze for some extra shine and I used Luminarte Silk in Ice on the dragonfly wings.  The pearls in the flowers and on the fan are created using Viva Decor pearl pens in ice white and yellow.  The background paper is from the Basic Grey Origins collection.

One of my favorite creations to date using -  Garden Corners Dies by SCACD

This is made entirely from a single corner die design that is one of the dies in the Garden Corner Dies by SCACD.  The body and antennae are portions cut out from the die.  The wings are two corners placed point to point.  The hearts in the top right are to punched out hearts from the center section of the corner.  I am very, very pleased with the end result and will be making many more of these butterflies.


That is is from me, but your next stop is Chris's BLOG, be sure to leave her some love for her fabulous creations!!

For our International Friends, please check out Quixotic Paperie for your SCACD Stamp needs HERE and now also Dies by SCACD HERE.

Don't forget to do some shopping for these wonderful new goodies as well as all the other fabulous things available at SCACD.

Get Inky!

Alex

Powerful Beyond Measure

I got busy with some more art journaling.  This is really a lot of fun and quite soothing.  I love the rules for art journaling.  They are 'NO RULES'!!!

This started out WAY different than it ended up.  There was some gesso cover up involved along the way and a complete shift of direction, but THAT is exactly what makes this so fun!

This left side had some images stamped, some Silks with templates and such, but it wasn't coming together and was frustrating me, so out came the gesso and a paintbrush.  Once it dried, it was still too transparent so out it came again for a second coat.  The great thing, see all those lovely brush strokes?  Those are from the gesso and showing through the layer of Silks in Honey Amber I put on top of it.  THAT made me happy.  The 'polka dots' are created with bubble wrap dipped in a mixture of Mica Power, gum arabic and a touch of water then just dabbed on top to see what happens.  I wrote the Quote in a paint pen and the picture was taken as I was charging into the finish area of a Spartan Race.  Once I made it past the Gladiators, I crossed the line after 8 1/2 miles and 20+ obstacles including things like a barb wire crawl, climbing over , 8 & 12 foot walls, hauling sandbags, traipsing through mud pits and lots and lots of other fabulous things.

The right side I did not have to gesso over.  The background is Silks in Honey Amber, the ground has a layer of Scarab Beetle Mica mixed with glaze over the top.  The clouds are Viva Decor Prcious Metals in silver applied with a spounge.  I stamped the image from Street Views stamp collection onto an old book page and cut it out.  The brush in the image is colored with a gum arabic, water and Fern Mica powder mix.  The buildings are painted with a coat of the gum arabic, water and the Solar Gold Mica power.  The words in the clouds read 'What is in your way?'

So, what is in your way?  What is stopping you from getting messy and playing?  What can you create?

Get Inky!
Alex

Be Your Own Light

I have really enjoyed doing more Art Journaling lately.  This particular spread is one I could see in my brain but was so worried wouldn't materialize the way I imagined but I have learned that is OK as the path you think you want to take may not be the right path at all and journaling allows that process to occur so the end result is always exactly as it should be.  However, my brain must have been on the right path as it is PERFECT!  This is a loooooooong post, with a lot of pictures, but I wanted to share as much of the process as possible for those interested.  I suggest you click on the pictures to see them larger so you can see the detail and shimmer.

This is stage one.  I took pictures as I went, mostly because it was going so well, I was scared I was going to screw it up at the next step so had to be able to prove it was working.  The nice result is that I can share the progress.

The background is painted with Luminate Silks.  The grass is Olive Vine and the sky is Harvest Sol  with some 'dabbed' Periwinkle.  I also scattered the tiniest amount of the Scarab Beetle Luminarte Mica Powder.

The dark trees on the edges are done with black gesso and the Branches Reveresed Crafters Workshop stencil.  Once it dried I used the same stencil and a black mist to create the shadowed ones in the background.  The black on the ground is just some random markings from the palette knife after using the black gesso.

I knew I wanted to add in a fence using the LaBlanche Wrought Iron Fence stamp.  I also knew I didn't have a prayer of actually having it stamp correctly and line up properly multiple times on something where I really, really wanted it to work.  I decided instead to take a chance on a different technique.  I stamped the image multiple times on tissue paper.  I then trimmed it out, put plenty of glaze medium where I wanted the image and stuck it down.  I covered it with more glaze and then waited for it to dry.   It worked!  WOOT WOOT!

This fabulous girl is Rockstar Eyes "Alex".  I have never had the honor of having a stamp named after me before and I ADORE this one.  I would, regardless of her name, which makes it even BETTER.  I used copics on her skin, but colored the rest of her using Luminarte Silks in Vavoom Red, Periwinkle, Honey Amber and Ice.  The image has wings, but I decided, at the last minute, to cut them off for this page.  I am hoping you can see how gorgeously she shines in the picture.

This close up of the background really helps to show off how gorgeous the Luminarte Silks are.  I am completely in love with these.

I began to pull everything together and finish it off.  I used the Bird on a Wire stamp set by Dylusions.  If you have been reading my BLOG long, you know I kind of have a 'thing' with ravens.  I begged, yes, BEGGED Susana to bring this set to SCACD and I am sooooooooooooo glad she did.  How more perfect could it be than to have ravens deliver the message?

I DID, however, cut apart the birds in flight that are in the set.  Now, that was a labor of precision, but I needed to use them differently, so just went for it, because I am crazy like that :).

This close up of Rockstar Eyes "Alex" shows the glow.  I created it with a thin outline of Viva Decor Precious Metals Silver paint.  While it was still wet (as in immediately) I then mixed some glaze medium with some Luminarte Mica Powder in Solar Gold.  This was probably a 2/1 mix of glaze to mica.  I only needed a touch and wanted the gold to really be prominent.  I applied it with a small flat brush and brushed away from Alex to blend the silver and gold creating the glow.

This is a close up of the raven messengers.  I added a touch more glaze to the left over gold mix and swiped it over the words for added shine.

The finished product.

I am so very, very pleased with the end result and enjoyed ever single step of the process. Well, except for waiting for things to dry, but that is only teaching me patience. Something that I need to continue to learn and be reminded of over, and over, and over again.

Have you played with your supplies lately?  Gotten a bit messy and just gone where you heart and soul want to take you?  Try it.  There is no perfect, no right, no wrong, just a process and FUN!!!

Get Inky!

Alex

Speak Your Mind

I have been venturing, again, into art journaling.  It is something I LOVE to look at and admire, but I am intimidated to actually DO.  Why?  Well, I can give you a bazillion reasons, none of which are good :).  So, here I go, just going, and playing, and enjoying the process, because THAT is what art journaling is.

The other morning, on the way to work, I saw a bumper sticker and it spoke to me.  So much so, I got to work and emailed what it said to myself.  I wanted to be certain I didn't forget.  I decided it was perfect motivation for a page.

I had a total blast creating the background with Dylusions sprays.  After it dried I used glaze to put on the ransom words.  The flames at the bottom were created using mica powders mixed with glaze and applied through the Crafters Workshop Flames stencil.  The leftover mixed up glaze I applied lightly over and around the ransom words.  I added some gesso to the page edges and created a sun and heart with them as well.

 I used my sharpie to outline the flames and draw the shapes more clearly that I created with the gesso.

 I stamped the Victoria Bonita image on the right and wrote some words around her that are reminders to me of attributes I need to embrace and not be afraid of.  I then highlighted it with the silks ice.   I wasn't able to capture the shimmer and the image in the same photo, but know it is GORGEOUS!

Have you ever had something just speak loudly to you?  What was it?  Did you honor the feelings and the process?  That is what I am attempting to do.  I am also trying to learn the lesson and not forget.

Get Inky!

Alex

How are your 10 minutes a day?

How are you doing with spending 10 minutes a day in your Art Journal?  Remember this?

How am I doing?  Actually pretty well.  The main thing was reminding myself it was about doing something every day, not finishing something every day and giving myself permission to jump around as part of the process.  I am also learning that there is a pretty good chance I will not share the majority of my completed pages.  Some I will though.  Here is one from last week that I finished.

Pretty basic, but exactly what I needed and wanted on that day.

Get Inky!

Alex

Art Journal EVERY DAY!!

I was linked up to this by Nicole and I am sooooooooooooo signed up.  10 minutes a day?  I can do that.  And if one day I don't, that is OK.  I will do it the next day.  I just know that if I do something crafty every single day, I tend to get more crafty and have better mojo.  No pressure to actually finish it each day, just work on it.  YES!!  I did my work today even.  Just because I missed yesterday doesn't mean I miss today.

Join me!

Get Inky!

Alex