The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #11 Spring Showers!!

Alright artists ... this is a FUN ONE!  This Month's Mixed Media Monthly Challenge is April Showers!!  Here in Atlanta we are really in the middle of April Showers and what showers bring  .... flowers and pollen!!  But I love it!  And this month our sponsor is DecoArt!! Love their products!! And I am uber serious here - we were SO lucky to have a chance to use their products for this challenge and I am now a DecoArt Convert!! Their gesso .... oh my ... heaven!! And their permanent sprays ... be-still my art-heart, are AH-Mazing!! And if you are lucky enough to be one of 3 random winners this month, you will get an awesome box of DecoArt Goodies!!!  Run to your desks and start ... just let yourself get all crazy creative and join us at the challenge!! 

(PRIZE!!)

And here is my project for the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge - April Showers ....

Okay, so this is my silly spring fun canvas!!!  Here in Atlanta, the tulips are blooming with all the rain and warmer weather! So these crazy tulips are blooming in an umbrella.  Why not?!?!? They are just a little confused, that's all!!

As usual, they started out as a sketch in my sketchbook!

 Then I drew the picture onto a canvas.

 And I played around with the background in case I let it show through.  I also wanted to know the exact placement of the tulips, so I used some washi tape where the flowers were meant to go!!

Using a credit card, I smeared on blue, yellow and white to make this rainy background!

I mixed up some green to use for the stems.

Then I got out the DecoArt Sprays.  These are AMAZING! They are permanent, so they don't reactivate once they are dry! So I got out my stencils and played around.  I came up with a couple of cute designs and I turned the prints into the umbrella shape!

I used matte Medium to glue the sprayed pieces down to white paper (no smearing!!!) Then I used the matte medium to glue the umbrella to the canvas!

 I used DecoArt Metallic Paint for the umbrella handle.  And then I used the antiquing cream on top, to take down the shine a little bit.

The flowers are all gesso with acrylic paint on top!  The Deco Art Gesso is SO think and creamy that I just did two layers and the flowers literally pop of the page!! New fav - Gesso!! 10 out of 10 for consistency and coverage!

After painting the flowers with different DecoArt Paints, I applied Interference to give them just a hint of shine.

See, they pop off the page because the gesso is SO rich!

 Please come and play with us!! I promise the challenge is FUN!!  And the prize ... AH-Mazing!!  

Click here to come to The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog!!

Faux Pallet Art

I am loving all the pallet wood signs I see everywhere!! I used all my old pallet for other art projects and when I found another pallet to take apart, the wood really splintered badly. But I wanted to make new pallet art!!  However, when I was at Home Depot that day, they had 70% off wood bin.  There was a TON of scrap wood in the bin but it all had bends or twists in the pieces. So I bought the ones that has at least a couple of feet that were straight to make a faux pallet wood project.  I think it turned out great!!  

First I took the wood pieces and cut them on my circular saw to the size that I wanted to use. Then I nailed all the pieces to 2 cross posts on the the back of the wood slats. ( Although, I need to add a third for stability, I just haven't had a chance to revist the project.)  I used some weathered gray stain to give the wood a less 'brand-new' wood look and I really liked the gray.

  

 

Finally, I hand painted on the dandelions.  They were fun and easy to do.

 Maybe like this ... I keep changing it up ... it needs something but I haven't figured it out yet!!

Overall, it looks good on the mantel. I need to change up the accessories around it, but that is fun to do!!  So, $4.00 later - faux pallet art!!

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #10

Oh boy, do we have a fun Challenge for you all this month sponsored by Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft!!  (And .... an awesomly fun prize!!) For challenge #10, at the Mixed Media Challenge blog, we are doing birds of feather ... anything birds!!  So make sure to cruise on over to the challenge page and check out this month's challenge ... and if you do join in .... you could possiblly win a Gelatos Prize pack - there are 2 prizes this month!! C'mon, join in ... click here .... you can do it!!   

 

Here is my project for this month's challenge ... my little bird sitting in her nest ... I had So much fun making this one!!  It was messy and I got to use a lot of little pieces of embellishment pieces that were sitting around looking for a home!  I also framed my canvas ... which makes it look like a real piece of art!

I started it by painting down some teal and white paint onto an 11x14 canvas!  I was going for an ombre look ... it worked kinda!

 

 I glued down a brown paper bag piece for the branch.  I left it nice and wrinkly for lots of good texture!!

And then I began building my nest ... SO much fun!! Burlap, old sticky leaf, branch pieces ... 

 I felt like the nest needed something that looked a little bit realistic.  I pulled out my stash of Linnie Bloom canvas pieces because I knew I had some leaves in there ... and sprayed them up!

I finished up my nest .... 

And then I made my cutie little bird ....

Finally, I put her in her nest! Doodled, added a little bit of fun around the canvas and tried I also framed my canvas ... fun frame totally re-purposed from Goodwill and spray painted silver!

So, come to the Mixed Media Challenge Blog and play along!! I promise you ... just trying to make something for the challenge will fun - and you just never know what you can create!! 

Creative Blog Hop!

 I was to be asked by Donna from Donna's Crafty Place to participate in this fun hop. Donna is the creator of the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog and a DT member at the Christmas Card Challenge Blog.

The Creative Blog Hop works in a rather interesting way.  You are nominated to join the blog hop and the only requirement are to nominate two others to follow you on the next Monday and to answer four questions about yourself and your creative process.  Nothing to it!

Here is my project for the hop!! My little white church on pallet wood! This project has gone through several phases ... I knew I wanted to make a church since I haven't made one in a long time.  I also really wanted to make one that I had in my sketch book ... so I glued the pallet wood together and got creating! I don't know if this project is completely done ... so I have it sitting up on my wall waiting for me to figure out what to do with that window ....

Sing your song, dream your dream, hope your hope and pray your prayer. 

- P. Beatty

There are the four questions those of us who participate are asked as part of the Creative Blog Hop.

1.  What are you working on now?  This Church!  And also I am taking Saturday Morning Blocks class from Junelle Jacobsen so I am working on my sheep and cupcake stand blocks!! LOVE this class!! 

2.  How does your work differ from others in your genre?  I usually have pretty simple paper piecing and backgrounds. When I try to make too much - I end up creating mud!!  I just find myself pulled to the simple!

3.  Why do you create what you do? I have never taken a really formal art class other than art class in school. I was never good at the drawing or staying in the lines kind of art, so I figured art wasn't for me! But one day I was at my BFF's house and she had made a mixed media project for the teachers at her kids' school and I LOVED it! So I came home and watched every single video on mixed media that I could find on YouTube until I dove into the art supplies.  I create because I just LOVE the feeling of creating and the final thrill of finishing off a piece of work!

4.  How does your creative process work? Well, I sketch a lot in my little sketch book.  I look at pictures in magazines and on pinterest and sketch them down.  Then I take the little sketches and turn them into projects!  I cut out a lot of paper pieces, I use a lot of paint and doodle at the end!  I think that about describes my whole creative process! 

And, now it's time to share with  you the two people I've nominated to participate in the Creative Blog Hop next Monday, March 2nd!!
 
First, is Linda Barutha from Linnie Blooms!  She is an extremely creative artist that started her own mixed-stitch company!!  I love using her canvas pieces!

 I've also nominated Cathy Parlitsis, from her blog Stamps and Scrapbooks.
Cathy is super talented and just I love her cards and designs!!

And here is a little bit more about my process from the in-process church! 

Sketching onto the pallet wood that I glued together!

 Paper pieced church with some paint ...

First layer for the stained glass window ... hummm....

 So I highlighted the window ... hummm...

 I toned it down with some whitewash ... hummm.

 I broke out the watercolors ... I mean watercolors make great stained glass windows, right?

 Lots of tries ... lots of oops and aaggh and ugh.  But I picked one for now ...

 

 

So, next Monday, hop on over to Linda and Cathy's blogs to see what they have to say!!

Happy Valentines!!

Well, the weekend slipped away from me, but the family is home today (Monday) ... so it kinda still feels like Sunday.  In fact, I really thought it was and totally lost track of days!!  I meant to stop by here yesterday and let you all know that The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog has two new Design Team Members!!  They are amazing and I can't wait to work alongside with them .  So please, hop on over to the challenge blog and say HI to these amazing new ladies and PLAY in the challenge with us!! Remember the theme this month is Think Pink - so as you are putting away Valentines Day decorations and cards - see what you can do with them for a Mixed Media Challenge!!

And I am still loving playing in Junelle's Saturday Mornings 2 class!! In fact, on Valentine's Day I made this little block for my sweet hubby!!  So I hope you all had a wonderful Valentines Day and managed to stay warm on this wintry day!! I am off back to my art room to get a little messy!

Junelle Jacobsen's Saturday Morning Blocks Class ....

Seriously .... makes my heart sing!! I just adore Junelle, her teaching, her love for art and of course, her own amazing art!! I have been fortunate enough to attend a couple of weekends of her classes but I sure do love her online classes too!!  This month is her Saturday Morning Blocks Class.  If you have never taken a class from Junelle, then please jump right into one - I guarantee you will learn a ton and laugh a ton too!!  I have taken quite a few online classes ... and hers are my #1 - learn the most and walk away with new ideas classes!!  http://yesandamenblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/open-house-saturday-mornings-2.html

These are just two projects that I did this week - the great thing about the class is that you can really work along with her.  Of course, you might have to pause for drying time (or perhaps, the child that is home sick.) So go now, run to her webpage and take a class!!  

Yarn Bombed Trees - Who would have thought of this .... just amazing Junelle! 

And of course she does a lot of sketching ... and she sketched her mom's art space - and suggested we sketch what is around us.  So I did my art space on a block.  You know, at first I thought that it would be crazy hard to piece together everything in my room.  But honestly, it was so fun to break it down into shapes and colors - 

And then the real space - but know - we had just recarpeted this room.  So EVERYTHING was out and then when I put everything back in it looked this neat!!  So I took a picture to capture the moment of calm and clean .... 

Okay, so enough gushing about Junelle - but do let me know if you take a class from her!!!