Sunday 9 October 2016

Creative weekend 3 - "Rose is a rose is a rose"

Simple "Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose" page in my new Seawhite hardbound 7.5"x7.5" (ca. 20x20 cm) journal :0) Distress ink pads background, stenciling through two stencils lying on each other, stamping without and with masking technique and coloring with Distress ink pads, Distress markers and white colored pencil...

9.10. 2016


Monday 3 October 2016

Creative weekend 2

Another small page I made this weekend in my new Seawhite hardbound 7.5"x7.5" (ca. 20x20 cm) journal :0) Distress ink pads background, water spraying through stencil, stamping with positive and negative masking and colored pencils incl. white ...

1.10. 2016


Wednesday 21 September 2016

Tim Holtz Creative chemistry 103 adventure ends....or maybe not :0)

So here are my tags from Tim Holtz's Creative chemistry 103...


Day 1 techniques:
Distress DIY ombré (tags 1-3), Distress highlight stamping (tag 4), Distress off-set stamping (tag 5), Distress washed watercolor (tag 6), Distress Micro-glaze resist (tags 7-8)


Day 2 techniques:
Distress paint resist (tags 1-2), Distress paint lifting (tags 3-4), Distress stain rub resist (tag 5), Distress luminous mica (tags 6-7), Distress marker spritzed watercolor (tags 8-10)


Day 3 techniques:
Distress layered collage (tag 1), Texture paste coloring (tag 2), Texture paste embossing (tag 3), Texture paste resist (tag 4), Distress grit-paste grunge (tag 5)


Day 4 techniques:
Distress crayon smudge (tag 1), Distress crayon gesso fresco (tags 2-3), Distress crayon texture resist (tag 4), Distress crayon watercolor resist (tag 5), Distress crayon blended background (tag 6), Distress crayon layered coloring (tag 7)


Day 5 techniques:
Alcohol ink stamped resist on Yupo (tags 1-3), Alcohol ink texture resist on Yupo (tag 4), Alcohol ink painting on Yupo (tag 5), Alcohol ink faded layers on Yupo (tag 6-7), Alcohol ink liquid landscapes on Yupo (tag 8), Alcohol ink splattered florals on Yupo (tag 9)


Tim Holtz Creative chemistry 102 adventure continues

So here are my tags from Tim Holtz's Creative chemistry 102...


Day 1 techniques:
Distress paint marbling (tags 1-2), Colored crackle (tag 3), Altered surfaces (tag 4), Eroded metallic (tags 5-6), Stamping resist (tags 7-8), Industrial (tag 9)


Day 2 techniques:
Mixed-media layering (tag 1), Embossing with stencils (tags 2-6), Embossing through stencils (tags 7-9)


Stencil stamping (tags 10-11), Stencil sketching (tag 12), Ink monoprint (tag 13-14), Paint monoprint (tag 15)


Day 3 techniques:
Smudge stamping (tag 1), Brayered stains (tags 2-3), Photo tinting (tag 4), Faux cracked glass (tags 5-7), Distres glitter Rock candy (tag 8), Distress glittering (tag 9)


Day 4 techniques:
Faux patina (tag 1), Faded layers (tags 2), Ombré (tag 3), Monoprint (tag 4-6)


Day 5 techniques:
Rusting with distress powder (tag 1), Sticky powder with glitter (tag 2), Sticky powder with leafing (tag 3), Shabby chic (tag 4), Tarnished silver (tag 5), Chalkboard (tag 6)


Tim Holtz Creative chemistry 101 adventure

Summer was quite busy, but I still had some time for creating. I spent few very nice weeks with Tim Holtz's Creative chemistry courses 101, 102 and 103 and it was a great adventure to discover or re-discover all the techniques he shows in his video lessons :0)

On the beginning of Creative chemistry 101 I decided not to use only Tims's Manila cardstock, but try a different kinds of papers I have and I could use in the future for my art pieces instead, so I have a better references how these papers behave, how they take water, colors and stamped images. I used more than 10 types of papers - watercolor, mixed media, kraft, black, specialty, even photo paper and mostly I was very happy with the results, although sometimes was a bit difficult manage the technique on them. And if I loved some technique a lot I made a few (or more) tags with it :0)

So here are my tags from Creative chemistry 101...

Day 1 techniques:
Blended spritz and flick (tags 1-4), Brushless watercolor (tags 4-5), Wrinkle-free distress (tag 6)


Day 2 techniques:
Alcohol ink agates (tags 1-2), Archival resist (tags 3-4), Reflections stamping (tags 5-9)


Day 3 techniques:
Watercoloring with re-inkers (tag 1), Layered misting (tags 2-5)


Day 4 techniques:
Stained kraft resist (tags 1-4), Stamping with stains (tags 5-6), Marbled stains (tags 7-8)


Day 5 techniques:
Watercolor with markers (tag 1), Blending with markers (tag 2), Stamping with markers (tag 3-5)


Day 6 techniques:
Rusted enamel (tags 1-3), Nostalgic batik (tag 4), Distress powder resist (tag 5)


Day 7 techniques:
Dabber resist (tag 1), Crackle paint resist (tag 2), Shattered stains (tags 3-4)


Day 8 techniques:
Perfect distress mist (tags 1-2), Perfect distress (tags 3-4), Perfect splatter distress (tag 5-6)
Day 9 technique:
Rock candy distress stickles (tags 7-8)






Monday 29 August 2016

Clouterie - Guest Design Team spot for Chocolate Baroque - with photo tutorial :0)

This post is really exciting for me :D. Today I can show you a project I made for Chocolate Baroque stamps as a Guest Design Team member. It's been posted freshly on their Design team blog here.

As a winner of a Spring art competition earlier this year (with a Spring art journal page) I received this great opportunity to make another project with their beautiful stamps. On my blog I would like to show you step by step process, how I created this "textile shop window". And you can find the list of all the materials and colors I used at the end of this blog post :0)



a) first I made a colored paper for a shop window. I sprayed watercolor paper with water, added red Brusho powders and a pinch of blue. Then I used a brush to make a first layer of color. Until I had the final color I wanted, I kept adding the water and red powders and also just a little bit of Brusho Emerald green, because it is an opposite color of the red on the color wheel and make the red more dull. I always moved the brush in the same direction (from right to left and back), so at the end I had a texture resembling the wood grain. After everything was completely dry, I used Lascaux Satin matt acrylic medium as a sealer. I cut the paper into strips, scored them a little bit for the texture, finished the edges with Jet black archival ink and used the double sided tape adhesive tape to connect them into the shop window.



b) then I sprayed my background watercolor paper with water, I added Merlot Color burst powder and with the brush made my base flat color layer (quite pink). I let it air dry, so the final color was more vibrant. After that I stamped background stamp repeatedly with clear Versamark ink on the dry page and than sprinkled the page gently with Merlot Color burst and Prussian blue Brusho powders. With the dry brush I worked the powder into the pattern stamped with Varsamark. Than I sprayed the page with water again and spread the both colors on the page with brush . The stamped pattern remained darker, but it's necessary to be careful with the water (with too much water the dry pattern will be too blur and also with too much powders - they are very intense - the darker will be whole page and the pattern less visible at the end). I trimmed the paper a little bit, so it is slightly narrower than the shop window and can be completely hidden under it.



c) I stamped drapery, carpet, mannequins, corners, shop sign and haberdashery pieces on the mixed media paper with Jet black archival ink and heat set it with my Tim Holtz heat tool, so I could color them with Distress ink pads without smudging. I cut them out and finished all the edges with black waterproof Faber-Castell India ink marker. For the haberdashery I cut out separated masks (from sticky masking tape I stamped the pictures on) for brown and colourful parts, so I could color them safely without mixing the colors. I used Tim Holtz foam applicators and also helpful Tsukineko daubers for smaller pieces. 
For the shadows on the mannequins and all other pieces I used Hickory smoke Distress ink.


Corner stamp I stamped twice and drew a border around both pieces by hand. I colored them with Distress inks and than I lightened up some parts with clean water brush, so they look more dimensional. I wet the areas with water and then removed the excess color with dry paper towel. Left corner is before the and right one after I used the water brush. I am very happy with the wood like look and texture of the corners and the shop sign. It is also thanks to a texture of the Canson paper I used. 

The same lightening process I used on the strawberry patterned violet ribbon (my "carpet steps"). 



And I also decided not to use the thimbles I embossed with silver embossing powder. They would be too contrasting with other elements around.





d) I cut out rectangles from white silk wrapping paper I had from my birthday flowers and I sprayed them with Distress sprays in rainbow colors. I dried it with my heat gun. After that, for every piece I used a darker Distress ink pad color to stamp a patter on it and dry it again. I crumpled he papers several times so it was easier to work with it and arranged it around the mannequins. I used the colored paper ribbons from my stash and stamped buttons to finished the look of the textiles.



e) Finally I completed the page. For more dimensional look I used also a black adhesive fun foam. I used two layers under the shop window and also the drapery and one layer on the back side of the mannequins and lower step of the carpet. So the final layers of the page are - black card stock in the same shape as the shop window as a base for the whole page, violet background patterned paper, one layer of the fun foam frame around the page, upper carpet step directly on the background violet paper and lower carpet step with one layer of the fun foam on the back . Then the mannequins with one layer of the fun foam on the back side and the haberdashery on the upper and lower steps of the carpet. After that the second layer of the fun foam around the page and under the top drapery and on the top of it the corners with shop window and shop sign. 

For bigger parts I used the double sided adhesive tape, but the mannequins stands are glued with Distress collage medium and the haberdashery with Rangers Glossy accents which I also used (in small spots) under the "fabrics".



And here it is - the final project once again:


For the project I used:

Stamp sets from Chocolate baroque:
Floral Mannequins and Haberdashery, Texture Fragments for "textile" patterns, Damask Panel for background pattern and corner stamp from Steampunk Butterfly

Colors: 
for the shop window: mix of Brusho watercolor powders - Scarlet, Crimson, Prussian Blue and Emerald green and Color Burst watercolor powder - Merlot, 

for background: mix of Prussian Blue Brusho powder and Merlot Color Burst powder, 

for drapery and carpet: Tim Holtz Distress ink pads Milled lavender, Seedless preserves, Dusty concord, 

for fabrics: Distress ink sprays Spun sugar, Mustard seed, Spiced marmalade, Twisted citron and Tumbled glass and Distress ink pads Milled lavender, Wild honey, Carved pumpkin, Peeled paint and Broken china and for the haberdashery pieces: Distress ink pads in all these colors, 

for brown pieces: Distress ink pad Vintage photo and 

for shading of all pieces: Distress ink pad Hickory smoke. 

Papers: 

slightly textured Hahnemuehle Toscana 90 lbs watercolor paper 24x32 cm for background and shop window, Canson Mix Media 138 lb for all stamped pieces, silk (flower wrapping) paper for "fabrics".


Thank you so much for your patience and support. I really appreciate all your comments and nice words I can read on the Chocolate baroque blog and here :0)


Have a nice week and maybe see you some day with another Guest design team spot :0)



Thursday 4 August 2016

Playful art journal page 15

A little bit tricky summer beach page :0)

For sand, water and sky I used Distress ink pads and stamped the pictures with Hero arts Shadow inks and brown Ranger Archival inks. Because the colors were a little bit patchy I used also Derwent Coloursoft coloured pencils. I used mostly a foam textile stamp set from Aladine called Navy, these stamps have a great size for paper also and are easy to use.

I'm very happy with a lazy and playful holiday atmosphere I feel from this page. I hope you will enjoy it also and I wish you a lot of sunny happy days :0)


3.8.2016 Playful art journal page 15


Creative weekend 1 - a few eclectic pages :0)

Just a few small pages I made this weekend in my new Seawhite hardbound 7.5"x7.5" (ca. 20x20 cm) journal :0)

29.7.2016



30.7.2016



31.7.2016



31.7.2016



1.8.2016
(very difficult to make a picture of this, I used Distress Mermaid lagoon and Salty ocean inks and also Wink of stella clear glitter pen and Tim Holtz Rock candy clear glitters with sticky embossing powder and nothing of this is visible on the photo...)






Monday 25 July 2016

Playful art journal page 14

Page inspired by beautiful Japanese lacquer art :0)

A lot of layers this time. I colored whole page with black Dylusions paint and than stamped  the bamboo stamp pattern with Versamark and embossed it with WOW Super fine gold embossing powder. I die-cut the koi fish from different textured papers used them as a background pattern and as my focal point also. another layer is a black cardstock as a frame and than another one embossed with Sheena Douglass embossing folder and gilded with Inka gold paste from Viva decor. Edges are embossed with WOW Ultra high embossing powder. Than I cut out the circles - one from black cardstock embossed with this gold powder again and second one with black silk paper - stamped with Versamark and embossed partially with WOW Ultra high and partially with WOW Super fine gold embossing powders. Lotuses are a combination of Waffle flower and Altenew stamp sets. I stamped them on patterned papers - pearly white and green one gold embossed with Chinese characters stamp. Leaves are colored with Distress ink pads and flowers with very light green alcohol markers. Also the main koi fish are colored with alcohol markers and for more dimension I also used a die-cut black fun foam on their back side.

24.7.2016 Playful art journal page 14



Tuesday 19 July 2016

Playful art journal page 13


After a long time a new art journal page titled "Oh, what a world I am dreaming about?" :0)

Background was made with Distress ink pads - Seedless preserve and Mermaid lagoon. Firstly I applied the colors with sponge applicator and than I stamped two text stamps from Carabelle studio over it with the same ink pads. After that I sprinkled the page with water and dry it with dry paper towel and than with my heating tool. I wanted to make a bokeh effect with white pigment ink -  Hero arts Unicorn and Lots of dots clear stamp set from Simon Says Stamp. The result was quite different and surprising than expected, but still wonderful, although when the pigment ink dried completely, the circles changed a color a lot as the ink took the colors from the distress background :0)

Theme of the page was a dreamy scene, so I left my main character - the girl, which dreams - in brown colors and the dream itself is colorful. I stamped her and other images with Coffee archival ink pad on the Tim Holtz plain tissue wrap paper and embossed them with Wow ultra fine embossing powder. Then I cut everything out and glued it on the page with Tim Holtz Collage matte medium. But before I glued the girl, I stamped her lightly directly on the page with Sky blue archival ink pad and colored the face, hair, hands and apron with Tim Holtz Picket fence white paint. Tissue wrap paper is too transparent when you glue it with the medium directly on the page and the background would be too visible through the glued picture without it (but she has a blue tint of the background regardless of it). I also used Tim Holtz mini bricks stencil and with the help of the paper mask I made a path with Coffee archival ink pad. I colored the glass tubes with alcohol markers and stamped my quote with Unicorn white pigment ink and highlighted the letter with Sharpie white paint marker. Finally I made some highlight all over the page with white Gelly roll pen from Sakura.

19.7.2016 Playful art journal page 13






Friday 8 July 2016

Two birthday cards

Hi :0)

It's been a long time since I posted something new, but I had a few busy weeks - summer has come and it is always travelling and family vacation time :0) So today I would like to show just two birthday cards I made...

Have a nice sunny days and enjoy creating for your relatives :0)

25.5.2016 "Secret garden" birthday card



30.5.2016 "Forest scene" birthday card





Saturday 28 May 2016

Art journal page - And what about your garden?

This A4 (cca 8.5" x 11.5") journal page started as a two colors background - I used Dylusions Pomegranate seed and Calypso teal - with some stenciling and stamping in the colors of the background or black. Than I used black cardstock with double sided tape on it and die-cut some wild flowers from Tim Holtz. I covered them with Distress Vintage platinum glitter dust. I brushed off any excess powder and sprayed the fixative over them, so there are no glitters falling of the page now. The result is so nice and shiny. Quote is just embossed with Versamark and Platinum embossing powder on the black cardstock and than gently covered with Inka gold wax from Viva (in Old gold and Platinum colors). I used it also on the edges of the page and on the other page elements  :0)
I'm not very "shiny" person, but I love the unusual contrast of this darker background and bright glitters :0)


23.5.2016 "And what about your garden"
(in the sunlight)


(in the my working, north oriented, room light)


Art journal page - Lost and found and lucky in art

Simple A4 (cca 8.5" x 11.5") journal page with an interesting accident :0)

I wanted to use a gel medium transfer technique. I found a few pictures of hot air balloons in the news paper, so I played a little bit with the background (Distress paints and Silks acrylic paint) and transferred the pictures on, but the paper was too thin and distressed a lot during the revelation process and kept quite dull. Therefore I decided to re-colored the pictures a little bit more and used alcohol markers. I started on the big balloon with red marker, but it became clear soon, that it was not my best choice - the result was horrible :0) No problem - I covered both balloons with Dylusions black paint and stamped and stenciled the background with black archival ink. At the end I used white Dylusions paint to stamp with it on the balloons. Surprise, surprise - although the big balloon was completely covered with black, the red marker "soaked" through the paint and become visible on the white paint as a pastel version of the original strong red marker color :0o.... Very unexpected effect :0) But it can be useful, so I decided to share this journal page with you :0)

Enjoy your creative experimenting and have a very nice day :0)


20.5.2016 "Lost and found and lucky in art" 


Thursday 19 May 2016

Playful art journal page 12

Obsession, that could be a topic for today's journal page. But the official name is "Halloween again?" ,0)

You probably also know it....sometimes you have an idea, you try to bring it to the life and the final result is....anything else :D. So you try it again (and maybe again and again) :0) That happened to me with last two journal pages. Page 11 was a little bit Halloween, but completely differently then I wanted. And the initial idea in my head was not fulfilled and became a kind of obsession.... That's why I offer you a new page with different point of view :0) Unfortunately I need to admit that even if I love this new page really a lot, the obsession remains :D. Please forgive me, but there will be probably another Halloween page in the future, although it's only May now :D

I'm very proud of this page, because it is 97% one layer page (except of the pumpkins green parts). Normally I would use paper piecing technique, but this time I decided to try it with masks. And it was a lot of thinking about the right order of working steps I must say and paper piecing would be much much easier (but more bulky). Also, I would not worry so much that my next step destroy all the previous work .0) But I think that it was worth it. I love the color combination, shining pumpkins and my cute skeptical owl :0))
There is only one disappointment - my mobile phone camera is not able to take full spectrum of colors. Violet (Distress ink pad Wilted violet) is almost invisible, blues (Distress ink pads Faded jeans and Chipped sapphire) are faded and orange color of pumpkins (Distress ink sprays Fossilized amber and Carved pumpkin) is too dark, even in the sunlight. I spent a lot of time just with taking pictures of this page and I unhappily think that this photo is the best I can make with it....

But I used Distress ink pads and sprays, alcohol markers and for the first time in my crafting history colored pencils also. I learned how to make darker orange color for shading of the pumpkins (according the color theory I mixed orange Carved pumpkin and it's opposite color Wilted violet, so I received darker, muted, but still very nice color), I successfully used colored pencils (and I will use them again) and I made my own masks for each object.... hurray :0)

Please enjoy this page with me and have a very nice day :0)


19.5.2016 Playful art journal page 12


Tuesday 17 May 2016

Playful art journal page 11

Today a slightly different page - with a little bit more painterly look. Although it was not intended to be like this, I learned a lot with this page - especially about "how important sealing the layers" is :0)

This page started light blue - I wanted to use Faber-Castells gelatos, but I was not completely satisfied with the intensity of colors. So I dried this first layer and used Distress inks over it in two shades of violet - Seedless preserve and Wilted violet. I used "halloween" stencils and moved the page into a little bit "darker" mood. Than I painted a moon, stamped the crows etc.... The page was almost finished and everything was good as long as I decided to make a final sealing of whole page with clear gesso, because without it I was not able to achieve pure white color of the birds and feathers. Every coat of white became slightly violet after I applied it. And then it happened. Even if my brush and all layers on the page were completely dry, the violet colors of Distress inks smudged or disappeared and the covered first layer of light blue gelatos became visible again. Quite a disaster. And the white moon? There was no white anymore :0O
What happened? It emerged that gelatos, even dried, did not hold Distress inks well. It was only sit on the top of gelatos. If I would sealed gelatos first with the clear gesso or mat medium, it would be much better base for Distress inks and if I would later sealed Distress inks with e.g. microglaze, it would be even better.

So what I did with it? I left the "clear" gesso coat to dry and than started with violets and black again. Of course, It changed the background pattern of the page a bit, but the outcome was not so bad at the end. Than I stamped my crows in white and black and when the stamped images were dry, I sealed only the white part of the crows (it was not important that they become violet again, because when the sealer - mat medium - was dried, the violet color was finally and safely locked into it and was not smudgeable anymore) and repainted it again with white marker. Success :0)) And do you see the flash of genius - when I did not sealed whole page again but just the crows, so there was no danger that I will move the Distress inks again? .0)) That kind of clever ideas is usually coming when you really need to solve some problem or save something you accidentally destroyed :D

So in fact I should thank this accident for opportunity to learn something new. But to be honest, next time I would prefer things to go more smoothly and cleanly .0)

16.5.2016 Playful art journal page 11




Sunday 15 May 2016

Playful art journal page 10

Another "simple" art journal page with topic "Tempus fugit / Time hurries" :0)

Background was made with Dylusions Dirty Martini spray - I love this color - and Peeled Paint and Iced Spruce Distress inks. I just played with some of Tim Holtz stencils and a little bit with ghosting technique. And a new stamp from Stampendous - A hare in a hurry - is so cute :0) Colored with alcohol markers and distress ink. And also with shimmery Twinkling H2O watercolors. It was for a fist time I used them and I'm very happy with the outcome. Instead of Ranger Archival ink Jet Black I used Hero arts Hero hues India Ink Black dye ink, which should be also archival, fade resistant and good to use with both alcohol markers and watercolors and I'm very satisfied with it. It is dark enough and there was no smudging with any colors I used with this ink. Definitely thumb up :0)

Unfortunately I had the same problem again I have with most of my journal pages recently. I want to make just easy pages and enjoy the creating, so I'm trying not to have any preliminary idea about the final page. No focus image, no quote. So I always start with a background and add some border ..... and I love the result so much, that I have a sooo hard time to find something to fit with it. E.g. this time I had a great checkered border and and I twice changed the colors of it and colored it black at the end, because I did not find any way how to connect it with the rest of the page. I need to say that it is really, really frustrating for me :0D...
Maybe I should have one journal just with background pages, perhaps with some quotes... .0). But I feel there is a danger in it....I don't want to end up doing just the backgrounds .... hmmm, what a dilemma :D

Anyway, enjoy today's page and I would appreciate any your comment.... e.g. how would you solve my problem with too cute backgrounds :0) 

14.5.2016 Playful art journal page 10


Wednesday 4 May 2016

Playful art journal page 9

Today's journal page is just a simple combination of some elements I wanted to use once. And topic... "Around the world" :0)

Background is made with stamping and Pan pastels again, postal stamps die cuts were embossed with embossing folders with script, travel and postal theme sprayed with Distress inks with some Pan pastels on it for more matte look. A globe is a gorgeous die from Tim Holtz. And than these nice stamps I have from my parcels and letters with crafty things...irresistible :0)

So no special technique today, just a little challenge with grey background...it is really not a color I would use a lot :D Just one funny thing - when I took my photos of this page, if the sunlight came from other side, the embossed parts looked like deeply debossed. Very cool - but not truth :0))

3.5.2016 Playful art journal page 9