Dark and Radiant

You know how you have those days where your head is full of new creative ideas and you just keep going? This weekend has been like that for me. I love it when my muse is working overtime! I have been on a canvas kick for a little bit and today is another 5x7 canvas.

How I wish you could see the shimmer and radiant awesomeness of the gel thats in the background (it's like texture paste)! Gorgeous and more gorgeous! I set up my design first to see where everything would go. 

 I used white gesso to cover my canvas, then added some white texture paste and when that was dry I painted the entire canvas with black gesso. After the black gesso was dry, I used a palette knife to add the Colour Arte Radiant Gel-Guatemalan Green. 

 When the green paste was dry, I added back all of my black gessoed elements and glued everything down. 

Using Colour Arte Silks- Wisteria and Vintage Mint I painted the flowers and the dragonfly. I added the gems last.

The crown was painted with Inka Gold-Violet, as were the clock hands. The clock face was painted with Colour Arte Silks-Warm Gray. Black Finnabair micro beads completed the canvas.

I also tried a new idea. I used a script stamp from Rubber Dance Art stamps and inked it with the Radiant Gel then randomly stamped along the side of my canvas. I've done it with paint but never paste. :) It didn't turn out as well as I expected but I am going to try it again!

This was a fun play in the art studio this weekend. I tried so many ideas, some went in the reject pile and some are still a WIP but it was a joy to just spend some time enjoying the way my brain thinks, some good me time. Hugz and Carpe Diem! ~Niki

I would enjoy sharing this design with these fantastic challenges: 

We Love 2 Create-Anything Goes Mixed Media

Dream In Darkness-Anything Goes

Live and Love Crafts Challenge #43-Something New 

(all of the Colour Arte paints and the gel are new)

Open Minded Crafting Fun Challenge #1-Something New 

(all of the Colour Arte paints and the gel are new) 

Sisters of Craft-Anything Goes

Mixed Media Place-Creative Gym #16 (New Beginnings) +DT call 

Colour Arte #8-Color is the Heart of Art 

(my heart sings for a darker color palette)

Ravaged Patina

So happy to share this piece with you all because it is one of my new favorites and also because I tried so many new ideas and techniques! The challenge at SanDee&Amelies Steampunk Challenge this month is-Ravages of Time. Think of crackle, patina, rust, worn out, peeled paint, peeling wallpaper, kapeesh?

This piece started out quite dull and un-interesting but the awesome part is a crafty friend of mine gave it to me to see what I could turn it into. Phone not included. Lol

I painted the box with black gesso and while it was wet added some white tissue paper to create some texture. Then sealed it with matte mod podge. 

While that was drying I started on the clock face, a Creative Embellishment chippie (love their Steampunk collection!). I added special effect paste and texture sand randomly to give it, well, Texture! :)

Once it was dry I used my finger to "paint" gold modeling creme over the entire piece. The bad news is I forgot to take pictures of the painting process because I was in the Zone! I spritzed and sprayed it with everything but the kitchen sink. 

Add some Cheery Lynn gears and cogs (I believe that a Tim Holtz cog is in there as well) with some foam dots to create depth of the gears and painted those the same way as the clock, kinda. 

To achieve a patina look I decided to do my own version, as I couldn't find any tutorial that suited what I saw in my mind.  I just kept adding and dabbing sprays, mists, Inka gold, Silks, and distress paint until I was happy. 

Here are some of the supplies I used, but not even 1/10 of everything I used. :)

I then swiped black StazOn to the raised tissue paper for definition. 

The last item added was the "time" sticker and "love the journey" rub in the bottom right corner. 

Here are some close ups and more pics:

Love that texture!

Depth and layers. 

Sun

It is amazing how different this patina looks in the sun vs indoors. Amazeballs!

I have never said this before about a piece I have made BUT-the pictures do not do it justice! Hopefully you are inspired to join in the fun at our Steampunk corner! 

Thank you to all that have read through this entire post, I know it is a long one! Hugz and Carpe Diem! 

~Niki

I would like to share this design with the following, wonderful challenges:

Eclectic Ellapu-June challenge for the Purple Team-Steampunk

Altered Eclectics-Anything Goes

Rhedds Creative Spirit-Anything Goes

That Craft Place-Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge-Anything Goes