Leave Ordinary Behind

 

Hi all!  In an effort to get some of my many projects, created over the past two years, posted on my blog, I'm going to start sharing the art without a lot of commentary on how I created each piece.  This will hopefully get me back to a fairly regular posting schedule...at least until eclectic Paperie is fully closed.  Speaking of closing...everything in the store, with the exception of clearance items and our kits (kits are 20% off), is now 30% off!  Yippee!  Use code EP30 when checking out.

The eye chart design on the background of the page was created using the Eye Chart Layering Stencil and White Embossing Paste.  Once the paste was dry, I used Dylusions Ink Sprays for my second layer (the paste resists the ink sprays!)  I used a stencil and Gathered Twigs ink for my third layer and then added the sentiment, stamped on kraft cardstock, and a few text circles.  The figure is an older Dina Wakley stamp, which you can find at Stampington.

Enjoy!

eclectic Paperie and Add a Little Dazzle Blog Hop

Welcome to our joint blog hop with Add a Little Dazzle. We are so excited to partner with them and have had so much fun playing with their products.  They have a beautiful collection of metal sheets, in a variety of colors, that are perfect for mixed media projects. Both design teams have combined our products and are ready to share some inspirational projects with you. Join in on the fun and make sure to enter for a chance to win an amazing prize.

Welcome to Day 1 of  the Eclectic Paperie & Add a Little Dazzle joint blog hop! We’re so excited to be sharing some fabulous creations featuring the wonderful products from both companies in today’s hop. We have two amazing days of inspirational projects so make sure to stop by tomorrow.

First we’d like to share a little bit about the two companies…

eclectic Paperie is a different breed of craft store, conceived as more than just a place where you can purchase supplies, we believe in the strength of collaboration, in coming together and sharing with like-minded crafters. Our goal is to offer a mixed media marketplace where a generation of artists can congregate, explore, imagine, and inspire one another.

Add a Little Dazzle specializes in an exclusive line of craft metal sheets that helps you take your crafting to the next level. Whether you are a seasoned or new crafter, our craft metal sheets will help you create unique projects that will make you stand out among the crowd. Are you ready to take your crafting to the next level? Add a Little Dazzle Craft Metal Sheets will help you turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Prize Alert!

Make sure to stop by and visit each of the Design Team Blogs for a chance to win 1 of 2 prize packages from eclectic Paperie and Add a Little Dazzle  valued at $25.  You have until Friday, June 27th to enter.  The winners will be announced on both blogs on Saturday, June 28th.  You must leave a comment on all blogs.

   Are You Ready for Some Amazing Inspiration?

I had the opportunity to play with Add a Little Dazzle metal sheets and few months ago and I fell in love with their product!  The sheets are super easy to cut, emboss, and paint (among a million other things!)  And I love how many colors are available.  For my project, I decided to create a canvas and wait until you see the transformation of where I started and where I ended up! And...eP is now carrying a variety of metal sheets, you can find our offering here!

My first step was the cover a canvas board with torn vintage book paper (this paper is from the 1800's!).  I attached the paper using matte medium.  I think added white embossing paste through a stencil (this one is called Echoes).

Then I got all crazy and added some paint and sprays from Art Anthology, which I really liked but...I took one too many steps, adding another stencil design with some Art Anthology paint, and while I loved the beautiful paint colors, I was not happy with the design...too busy! 

So...I applied gesso and acrylic paint over the entire surface (when in doubt, just add gesso!)  The embossing paste AND the Art Anthology paints, which are dimensional when dry, added amazing texture.  I added aqua and grey paint, leaving some of the white gesso showing.

Next, I used more white gesso and another stencil (Tim's Schoolhouse layering stencil) to add some white to the background.  Some watered down Art Anthology paint (in Fairy) was perfect for adding some splats.  (And the Art Anthology paint dries glossy so the matte/glossy contrast is great!)  I added some black Archival Ink, using a blending tool, around the edges.

I then used more of that book text, mounted on chipboard, to create a base for my photo.  A piece of black cardstock, with more of the Schoolhouse stenciling, was my second layer.  Before adding the photo (yes, that's me on the right at about six years of age, with my mom and brother) I added a big 'ol green drip.

Then I got to work with my metal sheets.  I first die cut the flower shape with an older Tim Holtz die and embossed the flowers using an embossing folder.  I used Tim's "flower making method" to create the layered rose.  I used black paint to go over the embossed flower (before assembling) and then used a paper towel and sanding block to remove some of the paint.  I also used a greenery die to cut out all of the leaves from a white metal sheet and covered some of the leaves with Inka Gold (Green/Yellow).  The metal sheets are so easy to work with and adding little bends creates a more realistic flower/leaf.

All that was left was assembly!  I used glue dots to attach all of my metal pieces to the canvas and they seem to be holding beautifully (the metal is very lightweight).  You could also use a hot glue gun.  The sentiment is a portion of a Tim Holtz saying, which I just stamped on a manila tag, cut out and attached with Glossy Accents.

That's it for my project!  Ready for more?  Check out each of the links below, which will take you to members of the eclectic Paperie and Add a Little Dazzle design team blogs. And don't forgot to leave a comment on each blog so you'll be entered into the prize drawing for a $25 gift certificate, given away by each company!!  Enjoy!!

Create Art

I had a little time to craft tonight and decided to try out the new Art Anthology Sprays that we recently brought into the store and this is what I came up with!  Below is a step-by-step guide to how I created my tag.  Be sure to read until the end of today's post for some exciting news!!

I started by grabbing a #8 manila tag and misted the tag with Timeless Art Anthology Spray and then I added just a hint of Guacamole.  Haven't never used these sprays before, I wasn't sure about the coverage or how they would react with water.  I found that they have a light, translucent, soft color and you can get full coverage by misting the colorant with water, which makes the spray very fluid.  I added a hint of water to my tag before drying with a heat tool.  I'm a fan of splatters so I wanted to leave some of those visible.

Next, I decided to see how the inks would react with water...you know all about how the Distress products react, right?  Well these behaved the same way!  Check out the great splats and drips I was able to achieve by adding misted water after the colorant was dry.  LOVE it!

 

After the colorant was completely dry, I grabbed the Burlap Layering Stencil, my all time fav Wendy Vecchi stencil, Classic Words, Scattered Straw and Wild Honey Distress Inks and decorated the background of the tag.

 Here's the tag with the Burlap stencil (I used Scattered Straw for the color)...

And here's the Classic Words stencil (using Wild Honey and a rather dirty blending tool, which explains the somewhat muddy color...but that's ok, I'm kind of a fan of the color of mud!)

 

Once that was done I started searching for the right image and I ended up grabbing one of the new Donna Downey faces from Unity (this is the She is an Artist).  I wanted to see how much of that giant image I could fit onto a tag...these are some seriously big stamps....they ROCK!

And here's the result after I stamped the image...SWOON!  I inked the stamp with Jet Black Archival Ink and then pressed the tag onto the stamp vs. flipping the stamp over and applying it to the tag.  This gave me more control over what part of the image ended up on the tag.

After I heat set the ink, I added some color to my artist's face by scribbling with Gelatos (I used Gelatos from the Neutrals, 50's Diner, and Green sets) and using my finger to blend the colors.  This allowed me to make her face stand out from the yellow background (and not be so yellow!), add some color to her cheeks, eyes, hair, and lips, and to add shading under her chin.  I also used a white pencil to trace the word 'artist' in her hair, so it would stand out, along with coloring in the whites of her eyes.  My last step was to add the words 'create art' from the Journal Words stamp set from Catherine Scanlon.

 

Interested in learning more about Art Anthology Colorant Sprays?  Join the owner and producer of Art Anthology products THIS Friday at eclectic Paperie's new studio in Exeter, NH.  Stayce DeWid will be visiting the studio on Friday, November 22 to host two technique-laden classes!  Class size is limited so register today!  Click here for full details!