Sail My Ship {Art Journaling}

Getting to art journal with my local gals today :)

We're working on this 9x12 page :

You can watch the video, view the closeups & see the supplies below :

September Art Journaling Classes

Are now live!!

WOOHOO!!

The first class we started with some UNDERPAPER as inspiration.

We talked about creating a cohesive background from some scraps we already had, about some mark making and color choice, stencils, stamps, tools and more.

In the second class I went more in depth about using acrylic and creating acrylic washes to work up layers of beautiful colors. Then we did some scene building and stamping to bring together this deliciously haunted piece.

TWO videos for $10! Both 20 minute videos of intensive instruction and thought process.

Gelli Prints {WIP}

Ahhhhhhhhh a new post :) 

Fresh new spot to tell a story. 

Since I've stepped down from scrapbooking and paper crafts design teams and instead have been trying to focus on my own stuff my art life has really expanded. I've been dabbling in Encaustic (wax painting,) Gelli printing (mono printing,) Art assemblage (3D stuffs,) and more. I figure it's about time I share some of these endeavors.. even though I'm learning and practicing and trying to really MAKE MY OWN in some of these things. 

Today I'm sharing some small scale Gelli Printing and things I've been doing with them! 

I love gelli printing and then working on top of them. Some of the prints come out super detailed, and some are just one pattern on white. It's so fun! Printing, ghost printing, layering. Printing over my UmWowStudio Stencils (and other stencils, too!) doilies, ribbons, bubble wrap, corrugated board and other things. And then.. when I like them from the prints... I get out my stabilo, water brush, colored pencils, posca paint markers, Viva Las VegaStamps! rubber stamps, UmWowStudio Stencils, fineliners, microns, and more!

I am currently in the midst of honing some techniques and will be teaching a class soon :) Gelli Printing my style! 

New Collections!! ♥♥

I have new collections up @ 7 Dots Studio and UmWowStudio! <3 

The first is YULETIDE >> A big delicious christmasy mashup of vintage and modern icons and colors. Can't wait to get my dirty little fingers on this baby to create a december daily. 

 You can see Yuletide larger on my website here.

The second is Lost and Found --- a super delicious collection of vintage paper patterns and graphics. The colors speak to my soul and reach the depths of my heart.

 

 

You can see Lost And Found larger on my website here.

Paint Stick Swap

♥

Hello sweet sweet friends! I haven't posted in so long, and for that I am sorry. but I've been working on some really great things in the background and sometimes there just isn't a way to show them. 

I will be debuting two new paper lines for 7 Dots Studio along with coordinating embellishments from UmWowStudio in just a short few days!! 

I also DO have a few other Mixed Media projects to show you over the next couple of weeks, so that's great, too! 

I've been doing some filming behind the scenes to update classes and a million other things. 

BUT >>> For TODAY I get to share with you a really delicious Mixed Media project I just finished.... an Altered Paint Stick! I joined this Paint Stick Swap with a few other really talented ladies and you should definitely visit all the blogs today to see what they're up to. 

The full line up:

Brianna Marshall

DeeDee Catron

Melissa Johnson

Michele Kosciolek

Sara Vukson

Susan Brown

Tina Walker

Truly the best part of this is how different and unique each piece turned out. We all started with the same thing... just plain ol' paint sticks from your local hardware store! Then we were encouraged to just.. DO 'EM UP! any way we wanted and that made us happy. No theme was given or anything... my sticks turned into this sort of Magical Night Sky themed little beauty:

Because we're each paying for postage to the designated destination, our sticks could be as heavy and 3D as we wanted.... and of course I love some dimension! 

The background for my sticks are several layers of goodness. I started by covering my sticks in Gesso. Any gesso will work if you're willing to put in the hours for extra coverage. I did two coats for the fronts of my sticks and a lighter single coat for the back. 

After both coats of gesso were dry, I applied a third, but this time through an UmWowStudio Star Confetti Stencil. It allowed me to really start bringing in the theme of my sticks and simultaneously start the dimension portion. Before that was completely dry I embedded some UmWowStudio Star Confetti Chipboard pieces into the gesso. Gesso itself is not an adhesive and shouldn't be used AS an adhesive... but if you're working in the background and are planning to build up some dimension WHILE working with gesso, it can certainly substitute. I just wouldn't recommend using it solely for adhesion. 

I let everything sit and REALLY dry, then I layered up some watercolor from my brand new Grumbacher pan set. The watercolor gave me a really great fluid base to build upon, and because I was already working with water based products I grabbed my Tim Holtz / Ranger Distress Stain Sprays and helped really add some night sky colors. I dabbed my chipboard stars with a bit o' gesso to help them stand out and sealed everything with a gloss acrylic sealer. The shine to these beauties mimics star shine :) 

Then it was just a bit o' layered! My little German Charlotte Dolls are vintage replicas. I picked up a set from an etsy shop a year or so ago, and them molded them with Amazing Mold Putty. Now whenever I want one (or four!) I just cast them in Amazing Casting Resin and I have as many as I need forever. The vintage ones sit on my shelf all pretty like. 

The wings have been stamped using a new stamp I designed for Viva Las VegaStamps! : Pair Of Butterfly Wings, and they've been stamped using Archival Ink by Ranger in black on my first paper line for 7 Dots Studio : Nature Walk. The frayed bit behind them is one of my favorite ribbons from May Arts Ribbon, crocheted lace, and to finish it all off there's a teeny tiny little paper doily by Doodlebug Designs I picked up from Paper Issues. My little fairy (as Gabe calls it) assemblage was put together with Prima Marketing / Finnabair's 3D Gel Medium.

What do you think? :)