Paint Stick Swap

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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? :) 

A little birdie told me {a card for Donna Salazar Designs}

Hello Donna Salazar fans :)

DeeDee here today sharing a bit o' inspiration with you by way of card.

Even though they're hard to photograph, I find using a white base so pleasing. It really allows the products and supplies (that layered on top) to shine.

The base is just two pieces of watercolor paper that have been cut, one slightly smaller than the other and layered with dimensional adhesive. Tht watercolor paper stands up well to heavy embellishments that end up being layered on top. 

Then I brought in some beautiful text paper from the Family Jeans 6x6. I trimmed the strips to different widths; 1/2 inch, 1 inch, 1 1/4 inch. Then I cut banner edges into them, and layered them across the top layer of the card in a stagger. I think folded over a paper doily, wrapped some twine around the card, and layered up some flowers.

The final touch was an UmWowStudio Leafy Chipboard Brand covered in heavy gesso and doused thoroughly with Wood Grain Smooch Spritz and water. A bitty bird sticker is the very last layer.

Thanks for stopping by today :) 

Donna Salazar Products Used:

GCD Studios 6x6 pad - Family Jeans

Clearsnap Smooch Spritz - Wood Stain

Other Products:
Prima Marketing - Flowers and Gesso

May Arts Ribbon - Burlap Twine

UmWowStudio - Leafy Branch

dimensional adhesive, adhesive, sticker, doily, watercolor paper

Be The Author

Today I'm sharing a layout over on the Berry 71 Blue blog as a Special Guest Designer. Stop by and check out what's happening >>> you've been challenged to handmake a flower! I was given one of Marivic's beautiful handmade tags and wanted to utilize it, so I grabbed a chic selfie of my little sister and got to work. 

My sister Ashley takes the cutest selfies ever! I grabbed my favorite piece of Nature Walk : Musical Blooms and a piece of Limba Wood embossed paper I picked up @ Paper Issues, trimmed and adhered the two together.

Here you can see the AMAZINGLY beautiful handmade tag that Marivic (Owner @ Berry 71 Bleu) sent me. It's so wonderful. I used it as an embellishment cluster, but all the coordinating and beauty was done for me. If you're interested in getting one of these tags, Marivic says you can send her an email, she makes them by request! I added only 1/3rd of a Chipboard Doily and a Chipboard Six Inch Ruler by UmWowStudio.

And now.. my handmade flower! I've diecut some Sizzix Tattered Floral cuts of the leftover piece of Musical Blooms. They've been layered together and adorned with a bauble from Prima. I layered the flower on top of the other 2/3rds Chipboard Doily and some Washi Tape from Gauche Alchemy.

The alphas are from a 7 Dots collection and my Dymo Label maker. There's a splattering of Tattered Angels glimmer mist, and a My Mind's Eye epoxy brad. There's also a line of May Arts Eyelet Lace between the Limba and Musical Blooms papers.

And that's all folks! Be sure to handmake some flowers and enter over @ Berry 71 Bleu!