Valentines

The last couple of weeks I made valentines for family members and friends.  Below is the one I made for the Creative Every Day "love" challenge for February.

 

 

I neglected to photograph all of them. (Shame on me.)

Brown Paper Bag Backgrounds

For the monthly challenge at Oriental Stamp Art, we are to create a project using painted brown paper bags. I thought this was a terrific time to pull out some unused items and also meet the challenge over at Lets Play. AND, also the challenge at Creative Carte Blanche.

First I painted the brown bag with white gesso and for one section, I took a baby wipe and removed a lot of the gesso.  (gesso provides a great surface for other colors).  Then I pulled out my Gelatos and added three main colors and on the other section omitted the pink shade and used Lumiere Paints.  On the green section, I also used some Brushos in blue, yellow and orange.  When dry I used a stencil by Ryan Design to add the gingko leaves using a Delusions spray.  I crinkled up the paper when dry because I wanted more texture, adding silver and gold sprays by Lindy's Stamp Gang.  I turned both of these pieces into cards.

1) For the green section I tore the brown bag away from it and edged it with a brown distress ink pad, and with a sponge added some brown ink to the  high spots on the card.  Then I added a brown ribbon and the Happy Birthday Chinese chop and mounted the finished card to a light green followed by a white card.

2)  For the second card, I trimmed it and mounted it on a blue card and then white, adding a ribbon and fan element along with a Thank You in a Japanese kanji.

 

This was a really fun project and I plan to make more backgrounds for my art journal.

DIVAS Canvas Fun

Our project hostess, Debbie, presented us with the materials to create a steampunk canvas with a large red heart -- Valentines Day is right around the corner.

We used gesso, and Lindy's sprays to create the effect.  It was fun to meet friends to celebrate a new year at DIVAS, a local art group.



UNCAGED and ART FOR HEALING

I completed another spread for my art journal, UNCAGED, using the theme at Art Emporium and Art for Healing at Creative Every Day.  For the background, I used a napkin (serviette) with the birds which was perfect, added a bird cage stamp with a little bling along with some birds painted black.  I feel un-caged because I am actually making an art journal which I have wanted to do but scared me as well. Below is the spread I created.



"I'm Going to do it."

I started my journal and already realized that it would have worked out better if I had chosen a blank book with heavier paper.  I am currently used 98 lb.  I did have a great time even if it took forever to start.

 

Over at LETS PLAY with Carolyn Dube, her January theme for a journal page or project is, "use something you would throw away."

 

AND, I also joined CREATIVE EVERY DAY with Leah Piken Kolidas. 

 

The page on the right was created from a brochure received to sign up for a variety of classes.  I had put it in the trash and then realized it would be great for the January challenge at LETS PLAY.  Being new to creating journal pages, I felt like the elements on the page.  There were so many things going round and round in my head, I wasn't sure where to begin.  Well, the cogs are turning and I did complete this spread.  I used stencils and modeling paste on the JOURNAL page along with watercolor washes.



New Year Goal

My goal for 2016 is to create a journal...this will be a new experiment for me and hopefully contain some of my likes, dislikes, flowers and other items that make me happy.  Below is a photo of my first page using stencils from Donna Downey, acrylic paints and a few rubber stamps.  I also want to thank my friend Valerie for her inspiration on a daily basis. 

UGLY at Divas Art Club

For the past several months, our hostess for the September meeting asked us to save items that we would normally toss out to share and use for the September project.  You won't believe the pile of junk that we sorted through on Monday night.  There were boxes, paper rolls, fabric, beads, ribbons and all kinds of trinkets.  We were to construct an UGLY PROJECT that had some significance on a personal basis.  We could use a hot glue gun, needle and thread or a stapler.  All other craft items were not allowed.  

I was sneaky and brought a few items for my project that I saved from my last hospital visit.  Below is my UGLY DIVA.  She has a big heart and loves flowers.