Mixed Media Tag #1

Another new for me is joining in the 12 Tags of 2015 with Tim Holtz. I have seen many a wonderful tag made for this challenge and thought I would give it a go this year! 1 down, 11 more to go. And this fits our theme at Mixed Media Mojo-NEW with a twist to use 15.

I started my going to the tutorial that TH (Tim Holtz) put up on his blog and then put my own creative twist on this tag. 

I don't have all the art supplies that were used by TH but that didn't stop me. I stamped my own white tissue paper using a TH stencil and adhered it to my tag using gel medium. 

I then grabbed 3 distress paints (broken China, bundled sage, wild honey) and started adding some color to my tag. I used my fingers to spread the paint and then misted with water to get all the colors to blend. Then came the Distress Stain (Vintage photo, crushed olive, spiced marmalade). I used the same DS for my crinkle ribbon. Some TH rub ons were used for my chitchat items (TIP: if you don't have certain supplies for a challenge think outside the box and use what you can) and glued those using Glossy Accents. 

After that was dry I painted my number chipboards with a copic marker then Metallic gold Alcohol Ink and applied gold Stickles. I set that off to the side to dry while I finished my tag. 

I added a small dab of the AI to my craft mat and mixed it with some water so I could use a paintbrush and add the paint splatters. I used the Glossy Accents to adhere the metal pieces and my chippies. I then spritzed the entire tag with Shimmerz Frost to give it a glossy shine because I don't have the Glue N Seal. I used black Archival ink around the tag edges and I was done!

I do hope you enjoyed this process and much as I did while creating it. Thanks for stopping by! Carpe Diem! ~Niki

This project will be shared with:

Tim Holtz-12 Tags of 2015 HERE

Craft Hoarders Anonymous-Choose Your Challenge (awesome idea!) HERE  I used Ink, Ribbon, Stamping, Chipboard and Bling. I also wanted to enter this challenge because I made a promise to myself that I would not buy any supplies until April.

Anything But a Card-New Beginnings HERE My new beginnings are: a new career path, not buying art supplies until April, and learning new techniques

Dreams and Wishes

I have much time on my hands now and have been sequestered away in my Craftroom having loads of fun. This piece I have been working on for a bit but never finished it until today! Whew!

I started out with a blank canvas and applied my damask stencil with homemade texture paste. I stenciled the entire canvas and the sides. 

While that was drying I set to work on my cheesecloth. I sprayed it with Lindys Stamp Gang Tea Pot Purple and Saltwater Taffy. I also used Heidi Swapp's Black Velvet. I added a piece of coordinating fabric on top of the cheesecloth. This piece falls into my craft room makeover colors. 

I then started on my chippies. For the title piece I painted it with gesso and then used LSG ST on it but it was too pink so I added perfect pearls (Grape Fizz) and Primary Elements (Ginger Flower) to give it a gradient look that showed the pink as well. 

 For the black swirl chippies I painted it with black acrylic paint and used sparkling black embossing powder to give it some bling. 

Lastly I added my gear clock chipboard after using the same colors on it as I did on my Dreams and Wishes chippy. I wanted it to be darker so I added some Primary Elements to it as well. Then the brad went in the middle and I adhered it to the canvas with some foam dimensional dots. 

Finally it is finished and so is my craftroom makeover. Viola! Carpe Diem!

This project will be shared with the following:

Artist Trading Post-Fresh Beginnings-HERE (new career path, newly refreshed Craftroom)

Frosted Designs-White as a Snowflake HERE I am trying a new technique of using white space. 

The Mirror Crack'd-Stencils HERE I used the damask stencil

Lindys Stamp Gang January Color Challenge HERE

New Beginnings

This past week has started me down a new path in life and I am excited for it. So this piece signifies my new beginning, off the beaten path.

I was going to do a WOW (white on white) but wasn't feeling it today, maybe tomorrow. 

I started with a small black canvas and my inspiration was the butterfly ($1.00 bin score!) and my FolkArt Metallic paints. 

 I used my new BoBunny stamp and Very Berry chalking ink to stamp the purple hash marks (don't forget the sides!) Then another BoBunny stamp and the Blue Topaz FolkArt paint to add the corner stamp.  

While that was drying I worked on my sentiment "Off the Beaten Path" that is another new stamp. I used the Amethyst FolkArt paint on that stamp. I tore the paper down to the size I wanted, then used a clear embossing powder over the sentiment to give it a glossy appearance. Shiny!

Lastly I added some cheesecloth and the butterfly. I shaped the butterfly with my fingers to make the wings stand off the canvas. 

 Pictures below are the supplies I used. 

Here is another close up, the light is reflecting off the butterfly and it makes it look like there are yellows and reds but that isn't true. The butterfly is all purple and blue. The color spectrum is a wonderful thing!

Thank you for stopping by and leaving your lovely comments. It brightens my day! Carpe Diem!

This project will be shared with the following:

Frilly and Funkie-Anything Goes. HERE This is a frilly and Funkie piece for me and not my usual. 

Inspiration Emporium Inspiration Journal-Fresh Start HERE So perfect for where I am right now on the new path and hopefully a totally fresh start

Sweet Stampin-Girly but no Pink! HERE This piece is what I would call-Elegant Girly.  

Through the Craft Room Door-Anything Goes HERE

New Steampunk technique

Now that Christmas is over and I have used all my wonderful gift cards shopping for new supplies, I can finally begin creating with said supplies because my goodies came in the mail! Yippee!

I joined an ATC swap and knew I wanted to do something in the realms of Steampunk so I created these three ATCs. They measure 2.5x3.5

I used a NEW embossing folder from TH (Postcard) for all 3 backgrounds. I then tried a NEW technique of heat embossing the silver one and distressing it to create a tarnished look. TIP: Heat emboss the ATC before running it through your die machine. 

I used 3 pieces of washi tape on this one and also 3 metal gears under the rose. 

This greenish one was achieved using Inka Gold Metallic rub green/yellow. I used 3 gears on this one (under the rose)

This gold one was made using Rub-N-Buff European Gold. I used 3 gears on this one as well.  

Thank you for stopping by and leaving your lovely comments, it brightens my day. Carpe Diem!

This project will be shared with the following: 

SanDee and Amelie's Steampunk Challenge -Three's My Lucky Number HERE (I used 3 ATC's, 3 roses, 3 metal gears on each ATC, 3 clocks, and 3 new techniques using rubs, embossing powder, and Inka Gold

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #8-Something New for the New Year HERE (I used new embossing techniques, a new embossing folder, and new metal embellies)

NBUS-anything goes using Never Before Used Schtuff (this blog is hilarious!) HERE

Try It on Tuesday-My Favorite Things HERE (My favorite "thing" isn't a thing but a theme or way of life for some-STEAMPUNK! Love everything about steampunk and I try to incorporate it into most of my art.

2015!

Hello y'all! We have a new challenge at Mixed Media Mojo! This months theme is NEW and the twist is to use the number 15.

I used a 7x9 canvas as my base. I am trying a NEW technique of white space and the number 15 (in Roman numerals) is how old my baby girl, Raj, was when she passed to the Rainbow Bridge. 

I made the painting drippings by opening my Lindys Stamp Gang sprays and using the piece of plastic attached to the lid as my paintbrush. I then apied Gesso to the flowers and sprayed my flowers with the same LSG sprays and attached those with glue dots and E6000. 

For the chipboard pieces I painted those with black acrylic paint and also Metallic Purple FolkArt paint. I added some of the metallic paint to the sentiment (Dream as if you'll live forever) as well and adhered that using some rope and dimensional foam dots. 

I have wanted to make an inverted paw print of my girl for awhile but was chicken to try just in case I messed up her original paw print. Thankfully everything worked out. I used white polymer clay and pressed it into the mold. I then baked it and painted it with acrylic paints. 

Can you see the texture from her paw? I love it! The wings are dry brushed with the metallic purple paint as well. 

I added the small bone plaque with Raj's name on it last using TH pegs to hang it from the canvas. This is my tribute to my lovely, faithful best friend. Bless her heart and she will never be forgotten. The metal corner pieces I kept raw. 

I hope you enjoyed this process because this piece means more to me than any other. Thanks for stopping by and Carpe Diem! 

This will be shared with the following:

Altered Eclectics-Anything Goes Mixed Media HERE

Rhedd's Creative Spirit-Anything Goes Altered Art/Mixed Media Only HERE

Family is.......

Hello again! I hope the holidays are treating you well and you are getting to spend time with family. Family is what this post is about. Enjoy!

This is the first year I have lived in the same state as my parents since I was 15!

We have always read books, it is a tradition and something that was started before I was born. I believe that I love reading because of my Grandma and my Dad. I love the smell, the feel, the excitement that books can bring. Everyone in my family reads at least a book a week. 

Now to the canvas! I started with Gesso and then sprayed Lindys Stamp Gang sprays. I was trying to achieve an older look. While that was drying I started on my bookmark (the tag). I used champagne embossing powder first then applied Distress Inks to my tag and I used the TH distress for the edges.

Next I cut out my book pages. I don't really use rulers so I just cut it down to the size I wanted. I applied DI to all the book pages and sewed it together with black string. I added the sentiments with black embossing powder. I did rub some of the embossing powder off to give the book an aged appearance. All the sentiments are related to what morals I grew up with. 

I adhered some stickers to a cream paper because the stickers are see through. Next I stamped the harlequin pattern and the typewriter. The typewriter was stamped onto tissue paper then glued to the canvas using Mod Podge. 

 There! Did and done!

Thank you for stopping by my little crafting corner. Carpe Diem!

This project will be shared with the following: 

Frosted Designs-All About Family HERE

SOE/SOD-mood board HERE

Vintage Journey-Ring out the old-Ring in the New. HERE I was inspired by the words in the poem. Ring out the old-books cover the old and the new. The typewriter makes a bell sound when you reach the end of the paper (old and new (young) people still use typewriters. I used many TH products and he is always an inspiration.

Craftroom Makeover

So I haven't been doing much mixed media recently because I have done a total makeover of my craftroom. It doubles as a guest room. 

This is the end result. But I started with brown walls and it just wasn't a very inspiring place to create. The brown is okay but made me want to sleep. Lol. 

I painted the walls Sassy Lilac and added a damask stencil using Metallic FolkArt paint. Wow! It turned out good!

I have always loved the damask print and had multiple items (bedspread, lamp, journal etc) that have the print on it so into the room everything went.

 

Yes, that is a spatula! I wanted the trim to be black but didn't want to ruin the carpet so I used the spatula to keep the paint off the carpet. Think outside the box. Lol!

Next I added some embroidery hoops to the wall. The hoops hold some fabric that  coordinated with the space. Easy wall art!

I did paint the hoops black before putting the fabric in it. 

I do believe that Santa is going to bring me a new craft table! The one I use bows in the middle so stamping is not fun. 

And I did "stage" these photos, meaning I cleaned everything up before taking pics. I am messy when creating. Lol!

Thank you for taking a look around and if you have any questions about organizing,  my pegboard creation, or color choice please leave a comment. 

Carpe Diem!

Christmas Time!!!!

Hello y'all! Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year. I can give gifts and nobody can say no. Hehehe! This tag is for my secret Santa at work. I hope she likes it and her gift-inside the awesome looking box is everything she will need for a spa day. Soaps, lotions, loofa, candle, showering gel and chocolate. And because I am a vet tech and she has 2 dogs, I included some dog treats dipped in yogurt for her furry babies.

I used my Tim Holtz (TH) tag die and made up about 20 tags so I would be good to go in the tag department. I used Mowed Lawn and Fire Brick DI for the background. I edged the tag with the TH distress tool and chalked around the tag with Dark Bark fluid chalker. Then I grabbed my TH stamp Fabulous Flourish, and embossed the stamped image with Snow embossing powder. It makes the stamped image POP! Loves it. 

I then sprayed Sheer Shimmer Spritz Frost to the entire tag for a glittery effect. Next I applied a ribbon at the bottom and added two brads from My Minds Eye-Sleigh Bells Ring. But shhhhhh-the brads actually hide a "mistake" I made during the heat embossing moment. Oops. 

I added some glitter ribbon and my Secret Santas name and I was done. 

Here are a couple of different angles and a close up so you can see all the glittery goodness. 

Thanks for stopping by during this busy Holiday season! Merry Christmas and Carpe Diem!

This project will be shared with the following: 

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge-Tic Tac Toe HERE-I used Bow, Glitter, and Ribbon

Frilly and Funkie-A Vintage Holiday HERE

A Vintage Journey-Special Christmas Giveaway!!! HERE

The Mirror Crack'd-Upcycle/Recycle or a Christmas Gift. HERE

Stacked Layered Christmas Card

Happy December y'all! This is my first year ever making my own Christmas cards. I saw an image floating around FB of a stacked image card and thought I could do that! The learning process was very curved for me though. Lol!

Our challenge over at Mixed Media Mojo this month is Winter Holidays with an optional twist to make an ornament. I will do a tutorial later this month on my ornament piece-it is kid friendly as well!

We can't wait to see what you all create! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! 

This project will be shared with the following:

Simon Says Stamp-Holiday Cards HERE