Simple Little Card

Well simple is a relative term when it comes to me and cards but that is okay. Last night a friend came over and we ended up in my art room with me showing her how to use different products. I asked her if she wanted to make a quick card and this is the result. She kept her card and I didn't get to take pictures but we used the same techniques.

Using watercolor paper, I showed her how to stamp with Versamark and heat emboss an image (I think that was her favorite part) and then we used LSG magical to add some color. Her color choices were purples, pink, and blue. We spritzed our paper with water first then added some of the Magicals powder. We created drips and I showed her how to smoosh her paper onto the craft mat to get all of the excess powder that  accidentally flew off the brush. Haha! 

I then made us both a shabby twine bow and showed her how to spray white flowers to create any color she wanted. We also added some glitter to her flower cluster. 

The chit chat sticker I used was edged with ink and the flower cluster was glued with a glue gun. The edges were distressed on the base of the card and the panel. I used the word delightful because this was a fun experience and also because this card is going to be mailed to my dear Grandma whom is a delight to me. The card was finished with some white splatter paint. :) 

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

Love to Craft Challenge #8-March Anything Goes

More Mixed Media Challenge-March with optional use of Green

 I used green on the background and the flowers

Happy Little Stampers-March Watercolor Challenge 

Rubber Dance Stamps-March Spring Challenge

Emerald Creek Dares-Splatter Some Fun

Broken Art

Well I have been back in my art room for the first times since December. I lost my mojo, it plum left me for a few months. I didn't even really want to look at anything art related. Rock bottom is what it was like, but just for art and not anything else. I am not sure why this happened or if it will again, but I have an inkling about what started it. So now I am trying new things and even took an online course from Andy Skinner (more to come on that). We shall see what happens. The design I am sharing today has been remade about 8-9 times. This piece has been on multiple journey's, color schemes, details added and taken away. Only today was I able to see a clear picture of what it wanted to be. Thank goodness! Lol. I give you

  Broken Art

The frame was found at a thrift store and I saw so much potential.

 FIRST IDEA: The initial project was going to be a Valentine's Day gift. Ever see those frames on Pinterest that say "Spooning Since ..."? Well that idea didn't pan out because my metal stamping stamps wouldn't stamp into the spoons. 

2ND IDEA: lots of chippies and a frame to hang jewelry. The metal mesh that is inside the frame wouldn't hold anything and actually broke rather easy. No pics. 

3RD IDEA: soft pastel colors to create a Prima inspired design. That was nixed almost immediately when I went to gather supplies. I have no pastels. Lol!

4-7TH IDEA-didn't work

8TH IDEA: altered rusty paintbrush. Hmmmm, that is feelin about right! Here is how it went down. 

I am not sure exactly what I did because everything you see in the picture above was used. The frame got some paint and stamps were added with Versamark. Then I used about 3-4 embossing powders. The metal corner pieces are from Emerald Creek and heat embossed with Charred Gold.

Stamps, stencils, metal tidbits, paints, sprays, micas, texture paste, crackle paste, embossing powders, and on and on. I did add some white paint around the edge of the paintbrush to define the edges because it was getting lost in the pictures. What a journey! 

The end result was so very different than what I had started with. I am okay with that. Add in the flinging of the splattered paints and drips and drops, it was fun, and fun is what I was after. That was the journey that I wanted to take. 

Thanks for stopping by and Carpe Diem! Enjoy the journey. We all have Broken Art somewhere just waiting for that light bulb to go off in our brain. Hugz! ~Niki

I want to send this piece on more journey's so I took it to a few different places to get my photos. I will be sharing it with these challenges: 

Creative Artiste's Challenge #24-Anything Mixed Media goes

Emerald Creek Dares-March Part 1-Splatters

Mixed Media World #22-Anything Goes

A Vintage Journey-All Aboard! 

I came "aboard" by reaching my own destination for learning to "art" again and have fun doing it after a dry spell.

Craft Stamper-Take It, Make It March-Anything Goes Stamping Challenge

I believe I used 4 stamps, maybe 5 and that is just on the frame alone. Not counting the stamps hidden under the paint on the altered paintbrush.

Creative Embellishments-March 

I was inspired by the dark background with the highlights of the purples, blues and teals. I used a CE leafy vine frame chippie as the focal point of the altered paintbrush.