Anything But Cute Sneak Peek

Hello lovelies! I just wanted to share a sneak peek about a tutorial I have up on the Anything But Cute Blog today. What to know how I created this rusty goodness?

Do you like rust? Want to learn more about creating rusty elements for your mixed media creations? Swing on by Anything But Cute to learn more about this diverse design element! Hugz and Carpe Diem! ~Niki

May Tim Tag 2015

I can't believe that it is May already and I have actually made all of the tags so far for the 12 tags of 2015. Two thumbs up for that right? You all know where to go to see the original, but if you don't click HERE

For every tag thus far, I have not had all the necessary supplies so I just use what I have. This tag is probably the closest to the original I have made to date. One thing I do want to point out is my burlap background. I hand cut it to fit on the Manila tag and, of course, it is fraying around the edge. If any of you lovely people know a trick to keeping burlap from fraying please let me know. :) And also my embossing paste in the upper left corner. 

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. Thank you and a huge warm welcome, to my new followers! Carpe Diem! ~Niki

I would like to share this tag with these wonderful challenges:

Inspiration Emporium-Embossing Paste

That Craft Place-Tags

Eyes Tested

Eyes Tested is the new challenge at SanDee&Amelie's Steampunk Challenge this month. We would like to see anything related, like: monocles, eye charts, goggles, eyes, get it? Lol! I was going to do goggles but it didn't work out so I decided to do an eye and monocle.

 I started with a Manila folder I cut down to make the tag size I wanted. I then added all the die cuts, metal trinkets and flowers. And I added the monocle and cut out a circle where the monocle goes.

I stamped my Snellen eye chart on black cardstock and embossed it with copper embossing powder. I then painted the entire tag, elements and all, with black gesso. 

I grabbed some Inka Gold, Silks, and Primary Elements powders and kept adding here and there until I liked the look of my tag. 

The top of the tag has more gold to it and also some green/yellow tint. 

The bottom of the tag has more blues. I wanted to create a sort of gradient (I need more practice with that technique!)

The little banner was embossed and the sentiment says-it's all perspective. Haha! So fitting for me during the time I made this tag as my art mojo seemed to leave me for a month. 

I do hope you pop over to SanDee&Amelie's Steampunk Challenge and have a go! Carpe Diem!

French Wall Scroll

I am finally back! What I mean by that is, I feel like my muse has finally returned and I am back to getting the mixed media ideas from my head onto paper. Thank goodness! I kept having this image of an ivy wall in my brain so I created this simple altered clipboard.

This is what I started with for $1.00. A clipboard made of recycled materials, found at a local craft store. I did add the piece of paper. :)

I created my background first. I used so many different colored Adirondack Dabbers I don't even remember all the names. I think it was 8 or 9 colors. But I did start with Pearl for my base coat. I also used numerous Distress Inks. I created texture with a baby wipe scrunched up. While I was layering the Dabbers I also added the brick stencil to create my wall. The last color I added to the bricks was Archival Fern Green. 

I just kept adding until I liked the look. 

And more colors...

I also used a TH stamp-Cracks to give it more depth. There are cracks in the mortar between the bricks, cracks with the stamp, crack texture created with the Dabbers. 

I worked on my scroll between drying times with my background. I added the French Script stencil from Americana Decor with Coffee Archival Ink. Then flicked it with black and brown watered down DI. 

 I then added a layer of Americana Weathered Wood over the entire scroll. You can't see the cracks very well because I only gave the scroll a thin whitewash to age it. It received a spritz of Frost Shimmer just because I could. :)

I added my scroll to the clipboard and glued Spanish moss and other moss to the left edge and behind the scroll. 

Lastly I added some hand painted roses and spring greenery with little dew drop crystals left over from another project. 

I feel like my old self again and have already started another altered clipboard along the same lines as this one. Carpe Diem! 

I will be sharing this piece with the following challenges:

Frilly and Funkie-Snap, Crackle, Crackle

Recycle, Repurpose, ReInvent-Must Recycle My clipboard is made of recycled materials.

Little Red Wagon #288-Distress It

Through The Craft Room Door-May 5-May 11th-Anything Goes

Rhedds Creative Spirit-Altered Art Anything Goes

All Crafts Challenge-Anything Goes, no cards

Vintage Garden for Anything But Cute!

I am very happy, thrilled even, to share my first piece as a Design Team Member for Anything But Cute! Our hostess for our very first challenge is the amazing Branka and her theme for this month is Vintage Garden!

What do you think of when you hear the word Garden? Is it flowers, birds, butterflies, dragonflies, bees, lattice, vines, fences? Whatever garden vision you have, we want to see it. But make sure it's in a vintage style.You can make anything mixed media that follows this theme. When I think of a Vintage Garden, my mind automatically went to soft colors and lots of wonderful birds singing, and flowers. Any type of garden inspires me because I do not have a green thumb at all and have mad respect for anyone that can keep any plant alive!

I must admit that anything Vintage or Shabby Chic are my weak points when it comes to doing mixed media. Thankfully I have a wonderfully supportive team and they provided lots of inspiration! Make sure to check out their creations as well! 

I found this blog post by Olga Heldwein, and had that duh moment of, "why didn't I try this?"  I used her Dry Brush technique which you can find HERE, to create my background. First I applied Gesso, some number stickers, and my texture paste through a stencil and then used my chalk ink to "paint" the color onto my canvas. I used a script stamp with Archival ink lightly around the canvas. 

I painted and smeared the chalk ink with my fingers then added white acrylic paint over some spots to create a more cohesive soft look. 

I then started adding my elements. I try to place everything where I think it will go and then add in the paints, and other design ideas. The cheesecloth adds just the right amount of extra texture I needed. Whew! My birds nest was brown to start with so I whitewashed it with watered down white acrylic paint and gesso.

I painted and used gesso on all the pieces and the Inspire chippie is embossed with LSG embossing powder-Merci Beaucoup Mint. My flowers were edged with Color Box pigment ink. The die cuts are from a TH die-Spring Greenery. 

I made the eggs with polymer clay and sprayed those with LSG Jack In the Pulpit Teal! Love this color and the shimmer is amazing!

Lastly I added some small button type stickers that are garden themed and some more cheesecloth. 

I would love to share this project with the following wonderful challenge blogs:

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #12-May Flowers

Our Creative Corner-April Showers Bring May Flowers In my neck of the woods we have very little flowers growing right now but I plan on planting some rose bushes in my front yard at the new house this month. :)

Beyond Grey Challenges #68-Make Your Own Embellishments I love using polymer clay in my projects and the eggs in the nest are my polymer clay embellishment creations.

Mixed Media Mojo-Tic-Tac-Toe Board I chose the middle row with Gesso, Stencil, and Chipboard

Craft Your Passion #260-Anything Goes