Ideal Beauty

I think this canvas is one of my first, if not the first, projects in the "mixed media" category. It is certainly my first canvas. At work, my boss wants to replace the poster type artwork with originals made by company employees and their families and have an art gallery type look. He provided the 16" x 20"canvases. I told him I work with paper not paint. He said, "That's OK. I don't care what you put on the canvas as long as you make some artwork."

I started with text tissue paper on the canvas. However, when I applied the acrylic paint over it, the text got completely covered. Lesson learned for the next canvas: use a baby wipe to lighten up the paint so you don't cover the paper underneath. I applied multiple shades of blue for the sky, and various greens for the grass. I used white gesso for the clouds and then later used texture paste and a stencil for addition texture on the clouds. (Click any picture to enlarge it)

I knew I wanted a tree but wasn't quite sure how to make it. I finally found a couple artists on Pinterest and YouTube that used hot glue strands to make the tree. It gives great texture and mimics bark really well. After the glue cooled, I painted it with multiple shades of brown for the bark and green for the leaves. I wanted some separation between the grass and sky, so I used a rubber stamp and dark green acrylic paint to stamp a row of bushes across the canvas. For additional texture, I colored texture medium with a medium colored green paint and used a stencil to add additional bushes on top.

I colored more texture medium with various shades of paint and used a brick stencil to make the path. After it dried, I put white acrylic paint in a fine tipped bottle and used it to make the grout. The Julie Nutting "Audrey" stamp was paper pieced. Copic markers were used to color her skin and hair and to add shading to her clothing. She was popped up over the canvas.

After printing the quote on white cardstock, I die cut it and layered it on additional die cuts for dimension. I inked the edges of the clouds and layered several in the sky. I sprayed them with some glimmer mist spray to give them a shimmery look. Some paper flowers and paper punched butterflies add the finishing touches.

Supplies:
Stamps: Penny Black wood stamp (Splendor), Prima Julie Nutting cling stamp (Audrey)
Inks: Memento (Tuxedo Black), Distress Ink (Dusty Concord, Tumbled Glass)
Papers: Recollections Printed Tissue, Hot Off the Press patterned paper (Lavender Rosebuds), Core'dinations cardstock (purple glitter)
Paint: Anita's Acrylic Paint (Hunter Green, Foliage, Espresso, Earth Brown, Latte), Craft Smart Acrylic Paint (Pale Blue, Apple Tart, Bright Palm Denim), Folk Art Acrylic Paint (Metallic Pearl White), Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint (Red Apple)
Copics: BV0000, 000, 00, 11, 13, 17; E00, 11, 31, 35, 37; R20; YR20, 24
Other: Artist's Loft White Acrylic Gesso, Teresa Collins Modeling Paste, Deco Art Texture Medium, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist (pearl), Want2Scrap stencils, Ad Tech Hot Glue Sticks, Ranger Distress Collage Medium, Art C Brass Template, The Paper Studio Poppies & Paperie White Beaded Micro Flowers, Fiskars Butterfly Punch, Spellbinders Grand Big Scalloped Ovals dies

I'm entering this canvas in the following challenges:
Through the Craft Room Door March/April Special Challenge - Mixed Media
Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge #36 - Anything Goes
Alphabet Challenge Blog - Y is Your Choice
Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge - Mixed Mediums

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a great week.

Ye Shall Not Fear Them

Happy New Year!! Welcome to the first challenge at Word Art Wednesday. This week we're focusing on Deuteronomy 3:22, "Ye shall not fear them: for the Lord your God he shall fight for you." Wow! I think this is such a great verse of comfort. If the Lord is doing the fighting for us, why should we fear anything? This verse goes great with Romans 8:31, "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" As we look around our world and wonder what the new year may hold for us, our families and our country, we may be tempted to fear. But let's remember that the Lord is fighting for us and we have no need to fear.

For my card this week, I chose to use several products from Our Daily Bread Designs.They just released two types of Center Step card and coordinating layer dies (A2 and 5.5" square). I don't have those dies, but I do have some of their pre-cut/pre-scored Center Step card bases. I thought the center step design would show case this verse perfectly. I used a Double Stitched Rectangle die to die cut the verse. I used the Mini Vintage Label die to cut out a piece of yellow patterned paper and then cut the die cut in half. Each half was used to accent the verse panel and to hold the ribbon in place. A Fiskars butterfly punch was used to punch a butterfly from solid patterned paper and from vellum. These were attached to the ribbon on the right side of the panel. The vellum layer was coated with clear Wink of Stella for some shimmer. Some rhinestones on the butterfly and on some flower centers finish off the card.

Supplies:
Card base: Our Daily Bread Designs Center Step 
Patterned Paper: Our Daily Bread Designs (Whimsical Wildflowers, Plum Pizazz), Taylored Expressions (Vellum)
Stamp: WORDart by Karen
Tools/Embellishments: Our Daily Bread Designs dies (Double Stitched Rectangles, Mini Vintage Label (retired)), Fiskars punch (Butterfly), Zig Wink of Stella (clear), Offray ribbon, The Paper Studio bling

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Crop Stop January Challenge #36 - Use companies carries by the Crop Stop Store (Fiskars, Cuttlebug, Zig, Scotch)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Must use patterned paper
Repeat Impressions DCC13 - Things with Wings
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Something New (I took the butterfly punch out of the package just to use on this card)

Thanks for stopping by today. I've missed visiting with you and hope you'll come back soon. Please be sure to visit the Word Art Wednesday blog for your free digi and to see lots more inspiration from our Design Team.

Tickled Pink

{Note: If you are looking for my Word Art Wednesday post, please scroll down or click here.}

I am honored and excited to be a Guest Designer for Our Daily Bread Designs for the months of July and August. You can read their introduction in this post on the ODBD Blog. Each Wednesday during July and August I'll have a card showing some of that month's new releases. This month, I get to play with the Tickled Pink and Bon Voyage stamp sets and the Flamingos Dies. You can see my first project on their blog in this post.

After stamping and coloring both flamingos in the Tickled Pink stamp set I die cut them with the Flamingos Dies. It was very easy to line up the dies over my stamped images. I used the 2 largest dies in the Doubled Stitched Rectangles set to make a frame out of a pearlescent cardstock. I layered two frames on top of each other to give it a little extra dimension.While I had these dies out on my table, I used the next to the largest die to cut a rectangle out of one of the beautiful papers in the By the Shore paper pad. The scene was the perfect size for the flamingos. One of the sentiments from the Bon Voyage set was heat embossed in the upper left corner. Using the die-cut inlay technique I added the patterned paper scene to the center of my stacked frames. This was adhered to another panel of patterned paper from the By the Shore pad that had been matted on navy cardstock. This stack was then adhered to the top panel of the easel card.

The smallest image from the Bon Voyage set and the Happy Birthday greeting from the Tickled Pink set were heat embossed on a small piece of patterned paper and then die cut with a Doubled Stitched Rectangles die. After double matting this piece, it was popped up on foam squares on the matted patterned paper at the bottom of the card interior. This makes the "stopper" for the easel panel. The flamingos were adhered to the beach scene with 3D pop dots. Some copic coloring provides shadowing for the flamingos and a couple of coats of clear Wink of Stella provide shimmer for the sun's rays and the flamingos' feathers. When closed, the finished card is a standard A2 size.

Supplies:
Our Daily Bread Designs Items:

Bon Voyage

Tickled Pink

Flamingos Dies

ODBD By the Shore Paper Collection

Double Stitched Rectangles Dies

Other Items used:
Copic Markers: R81, 83, 85; C1
Inks: Memento (Tuxedo Black), VersaFine (Onyx Black)
Cardstock: Bazzill (Avalanche (cardbase), Coredinations (royal), Georgia Pacific (white), Unknown brand of pearlescent cardstock 
Other: Simon Says Stamp fine detail embossing powder (clear), Zig Wink of Stella glitter brush pen (clear)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
CraftyHazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge - Use Patterned Paper
Crafty Sentiments Designs - Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Crafting from the Heart Challenge #166 - Anything Goes
Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #192 - Tic Tac Toe (Bottom Row - Summer, 2 or more patterned Papers, Die Cuts)
Outlawz Monday Greeting Challenge - Vacation
Scor-Pal Challenge #39 - Die Cuts and must have more than one score (The Scor-Pal makes it so easy to make the scores at 2.75" and 5.5" across the 11" side of my card base.)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Summer Sunshine

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Please be sure to check out the entire July New Release. There are some gorgeous stand alone dies and another beautiful stamp set.

Declare the Works of the Lord

Hello! I hope you had a good day yesterday and for my American friends, were able to spend time celebrating Independence Day with those you love. It's time for another challenge at Word Art Wednesday. This week our focus verse is Psalm 118:17, "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord." According to commentators, this Psalm was probably the dedication of the restored walls and gates of Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles in 444BC in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. During the rebuilding of the walls, the Jews were surrounded by enemies who first tried to discourage them through ridicule and then threatened them with violence. Our focus verse is a testimony that in spite of the enemies surrounding them, they did not die during the rebuilding but lived to declare the things the Lord had done for them. So often in our lives today, we face the same thing. We're trying to do what the Lord wants us to do and the enemy sends discouragement in the form of ridicule and, in some cases, physical harm. However, verse 6 of this same chapter states, "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" Like the Israelites of old, we must trust the Lord and keep doing the task He's given us to do.

For my card today, I chose to make my own background with stamps. Recently, on Instagram, Amuse Studio offered a stamp set for free with $2 shipping. I didn't have any of their stamps and I liked the looks of the set so I thought I'd give it a try. I am so glad I did. The set arrived very quickly in my mailbox. The red rubber cling set includes the flower image, two leaves and two sentiments. I used one of the leaf stamps and the flower for my background today. They stamped very crisply right out of the package. A Hero Arts Ombre ink pad gives the flowers some color variation. I stamped the flower randomly on some white cardstock and then filled in the spaces with leaves. After trimming the panel down slightly, two ribbons were layered across the panel and a separate white ribbon was knotted off to the left side. This panel was matted on green cardstock before being adhered to the card base. The verse panel was double matted and popped up with foam squares over the ribbon. Some small gems in the flower centers finish off the card.

I couldn't resist doing a little interior decorating with the flower and leaf stamps. I'll definitely be reaching for this set again!

Supplies:
Cardstock: The Paper Studio Heavy Weight (white for card base), Georgia Pacific (white), Bazzill (Pink and Green)
Stamps: WORDart by Karen, Amuse Studio (Dear Friend)
Ink: Memento (Bamboo Leaves), Hero Arts Ombre (Pink to Red)
Tools/Embellishments: Our Daily Bread Designs dies (Double Stitched Circle), Spellbinders (Standard Circle Large), The Paper Studio bling, Offray ribbon

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Dare 2B Artzy - Bright Colors
Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #192 - Tic Tac Toe (Diagonal top left to bottom right - gems, digi & stamp, and die cuts)
Make My Monday Challenge #49 - Summer Brights 

Thanks for visiting with me today. Please come back later today as I have a fun announcement and another project to show you.

My Soul, Wait...

Welcome back! It's time for another challenge at Word Art Wednesday!! This week we're back to one of my favorite books of the Bible, Psalms. Psalms 62:5,"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him." This Psalm is one of my "go-to" places in the Bible that I turn to when I need encouragement. The psalmist is reminding himself of all the ways God takes care of him and encourages him. In this week's focus verse, the psalmist is reminding himself to wait on the Lord. When tough times come, this is sometimes hard to do. Our society is full of instant everything. However, God's timetable is not always set on "instant." Sometimes He says, "Wait." It's always worth it and after God resolves a situation, I'm always glad I didn't run ahead of Him. However, it's usually hard to do. I'm learning but I have a long way to go.

Our sponsor this week is Simon Says Stamp. This company is truly one-stop-shopping. I was able to go to the Stampaway USA Convention with a friend earlier this month. Simon Says Stamp had a booth. I was so excited to meet some of the staff and I even was able to talk to Heidi Crowl! What a kind and gracious lady she is!! Even with all the hectic commotion of the vendor hall, she took time to talk with me, ask my name and answer questions. All of the staff at the booth was so kind and the crowds didn't seem to phase them at all. I was able to pick up some new SSS goodies and I am using several of them in today's card.

I saw a YouTube video by Jennifer McGuire where she a cool emboss resist technique. So, I gave it a try and added my own spin to it. On watercolor paper, I used SSS White Embossing Powder to heat emboss several of the solid floral images in the Artful Flowers Stamp Set. Then I inked my panel with three shades of Distress Ink (Shaded Lilac, Cracked Pistachio and Evergreen Bough). I spritzed the panel with my Mini Mister and then blotted it with a paper towel. I took the panel to my ironing board and sandwiched it between two sheets of copy paper. I ironed it with a hot iron until all the embossing powder melted off the watercolor panel and into the copy paper. Using the outline images from the stamp set, I stamped them with Versafine ink and heat embossed with SSS Clear Embossing Powder. I purposely stamped the outlines a little off the solid flowers to give more of a casual, playful look. I heat embossed the flower centers with gold embossing powder. Using another technique I learned by watching more YouTube videos, I smooshed a Black Soot distress ink pad on my clear acrylic block. After spritzing it with water, I used a paintbrush to flick spatters on my panel. As a final detail for the background, I spritzed it with shimmer spray.

Using circle dies, I cut out a circle in the bottom right of the panel and adhered the verse behind it. I die cut 4 circle frames from the dark gray cardstock and stacked them around the opening. Then I mounted the panel on dark gray cardstock and attached it to my card base. To finish it off I used SSS Assorted Moonshine Sequins and champagne sequins. I topped the sequins off with Star Dust Stickles.

I'm entering this card in these challenges:

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #267 - Learn Something New (the type of heat emboss resist technique I used and the ink splatters)
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday - Use Stamps

I had so much fun with the background technique that I had to make another card. For this card, the floral outlines were heat embossed with Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder. I die cut the inked and embossed panel with square dies and layered them in a telescoping technique. They were mounted on a piece of white cardstock that had the edges heat embossed with two layers of the embossing powder. This panel was adhered to a dry embossed white cardstock panel that was then mounted to a larger panel with heat embossed edges. This larger panel was adhered to the card base and covers the entire front of the card.

Using another technique shown by Jennifer McGuire in this Faux Metal Embellishment video, I stacked 3 SSS Thanks diecuts and then heat embossed them with 3 layers of the same embossing powder. I love the metallic look this gives the diecut. Sequins were scattered across all the layers. The flower centers and sequin centers were dotted with Eucalyptus Stickles.

I'm entering this card in this following challenges: Crafty Sentiments Challenge  - Lots of Layers

Both cards were entered in the Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge.

I hope you'll stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog to pick up your free digi and to see what the rest of the Design Team made. Also, be sure to stop by Simon Says Stamp. Tomorrow they kick off their annual Stamptember celebration. I can't wait to see what goodies and surprises they have in store for us. We hope you'll participate in this week's challenge because one participant will win a gift certificate to the store. Just in time to shop for all their new Stamptember releases!!

I've listed all the products I've used below. Please note: the Anna Griffin Honeysuckle Vines embossing folder and the Eucalyptus Stickles are used are now discontinued. The foam tape, dark gray cardstock, and gold embossing powder I used are not available online. For all of these items, I've listed substitutes below. Affiliate links are used wherever possible. This means that when you purchase using one of my links, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

WORDart by Karen	Simon Says Clear Stamps ARTFUL FLOWERS sss101488 Hop To It	Simon Says Stamp THANKS Craft DIE S202	S4-116 Spellbinders STANDARD CIRCLE SMALL Dies
Spellbinders Standard Circles Dies - Small	S4-128 Spellbinders SQUARE SMALL Dies	S4-126 Spellbinders CLASSIC SQUARE LARGE Dies*	Simon Says Stamp Sequins ASSORTED MOONSHINE ASMS37
Brown & Champagne Gold Round Sequins | Hobby Lobby | 1112325	Tsukineko FROST and SPARKLE Sheer Shimmer Spritz IA-SML-200	Tim Holtz Distress Mini Ink Pad EVERGREEN BOUGH Ranger TDP39945	Tim Holtz Distress Mini Ink Pad SHADED LILAC Ranger TDP40170
Tim Holtz Distress Mini Ink Pad CRACKED PISTACHIO Ranger TDP46776	Tim Holtz Distress Mini Ink Pad BLACK SOOT Ranger TDP39860	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad MINI KIT #4 TDPK40347	Simon Says Stamp DESIGNER FLOWERS Wafer Thin Dies sssd111441 Hop To It
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad MINI KIT 13 TDPK46738	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad MINI KIT #3 TDPK40330	Simon Says Stamp EMBOSSING POWDER WHITE Fine Detail WhiteEP2	Simon Says Stamp EMBOSSING POWDER CLEAR Fine Detail ClearEP1
Ranger Embossing Powder SUPER FINE GOLD EPJ37408	Ranger Embossing Powder LIQUID PLATINUM EPJ37484	Tsukineko VersaFine ONYX BLACK Ink Pad VF-82	VersaMark Ink Pad
Ranger Stickles STAR DUST Glitter Glue SGG20622	Ranger Stickles COOL MINT Glitter Glue SGG46264	Lifestyle Crafts QUICKSTIK Precision Pickup and Placement Tool 00745-4	Fiskars 12 Inch SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer
Fiskars PREMIUM CUT LINE Paper Trimmer 12 Inches	Cuttlebug 5 x 7 Embossing Folders POPPY Provo Craft Anna Griffin	*Martha Stewart SCORING BOARD Score Craft Tool 42-05002	Ranger Inkssentials MINI MISTER Spray Bottle Tool IMMR13593
*Ranger PAPER CREASER BONE FOLDER Fold Cardstock & Cards Easily BON10029	Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# SLATE Gray ST26	Georgia Pacific White Cardstock	Strathmore WATERCOLOR 9x12 SHEETS 373091
Scrappy Tape 1/4" x 30 yds	DoCrafts 3D FOAM TAPE 9mm x 5m Stick It STI7201	Ranger Glossy Accents	Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two Applicators 62191
Scotch Advanced Tape Glider (ATG)	Ranger 1 OZ MULTI MEDIUM MATTE Jar With Brush INK41528	Dahle Self-Healing Cutting 18x12 Mat 10671	Cuttlebug Machine

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