Pen and ink over gesso

I had this idea that I wanted to do some pen and ink drawings over gesso and decided to revisit the dandelions and seed head drawings I did earlier in the year - (here) and this is what I came up with.

I took a Tando Creative media board and scraped gesso over it with a palette knife and let it dry - I did help it along a little bit with a heat gun 'cos when I when I get an idea I want to get going on it - impatient me????? I then took a thin sharpie pen and set about drawing, I was really pleased how well the sharpie drew over the textured surface.

I took a small text stamp and black archival and stamped over the bottom of the image and even added a little of my own writing to help out the balance of it.

Now came the test - will it cope with water being spritzed all over it? Yay, yep it was absolutely fine and having mixed my own custom colours of DecoArt media paint I just dripped them into the water and they spread around beautifully. In some cases I spritzed a little more and dabbed away with a dry paper towel as well.

I wanted the edges to be vintaged and create a frame around the board so I sanded all round and then blended ground espresso distress ink along all four sides. I flicked on a little water to distress it more before heat drying. 

I finished by painting the stems very lightly and dried it off. When full dry I sprayed with Americana gloss spray.

The frame is one from Ikea which has deep sides and for some reason (I don't know why!!!!) I decided to turn it back to front to add the media board so it sits in the recess with the glass over it and the little metal retainers are on show. You know what I really quite like it.

I think I might try some more and make a set of them.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great week and wishing all my American friends a great 4th of July.

hugs Brenda xxx

Have fun with circles for Country View Challenges

I am sharing my second DT project for today, this one is for Country View Crafts and if you haven't seen my monochromatic canvas board for a Vintage Journey just scroll down one or click here to be transported, but please pop back to this post again afterwards.

It's time to use up some paper supplies that are on the shelf and that just seem to sit there just waiting for an opportunity to be used. I had picked up the Prima Engraver pad the other day and really wanted to get out some of the lovely papers to use (and didn't!!!!!), but with a circles theme I knew these clocks would fit the bill.

I began with a mop up tag which had been dipped in left over raw umber, titanium white and titan buff media acrylic paints and I added a couple of more layers by dipping it in watery gathered twigs DI and then walnut stain. Having got my colour scheme and background I set about choosing the paper I thought would go with it.

The clocks and tapes were cut out from another paper from the same pack and the circle of numbers die-cut and mounted on a mount board circle I found in my die-cuts box,

Beginning to think of embellishments I chose a metal clock and altered it a bit with drips of medium grey V6 paint and then gently rubbed on some champagne ice metallic lustre.

I used some champagne ice on a spinner and started layering up the pieces.
 adding a birthday sentiment as well. I really should use papers more often to make cards, they can be really quite quick to make once you've got the design together.

I hope you'll join us this month at Country View Challenges with the circles theme and please pop over to the challenge blog to see what other inspirational projects there are on show.

You won't find me home today as I am off to Coventry to take part in the 'Dare to Create' workshops with the amazing Andy Skinner and Tracy Weinzapfel and looking forward to making projects, learning new techniques and being with lots of like minded people, many of whom are already friends. I'll show you what I make sometime when I get back.
In the meantime have a great weekend and a happy July.

hugs Brenda xxx

AVJ - Monochromatic and ombre mixed media

Welcome to another first Friday in the month and now it's July we can truly say half the year has gone and we are now swapping our longer days for longer nights. But the crafting doesn't stop and we have a fabulous challenge at A Vintage Journey where the very talented Tracy is our host and she is looking for monochromatic projects this month. She says - 

'I love monochromatic themes in artwork; I love the balanced look it gives to a design. If you ever struggle with knowing what colours to use this should be right up your street, one colour alone or hues of one colour (plus black and/or white) - simple! Please just check that your entry is vintage; shabby; mixed-media; art journaling; industrial or steampunk to be in with a chance of being a winner or Pinworthy mention.'

I have made a canvas board piece with a mixed media background and ombre effect in my monochromatic and neutral colour scheme and loved playing with the layers of paints to create the effects.

Process steps

1. Take a small media board stamp numbers and text in black archival ink then spread modeling paste across it and add in some gel beads and fragments. Take a piece of card, place over the inclusions and press them gently into the paste.

2. Adhere some torn paper.

3. With a palette knife scrape white gesso over the board leaving elements below randomly exposed.

4. Take raw umber, titan buff and titanium white media acrylics and a babywipe and paint thin layers of the paints ombre style - ie light to dark.

5. Using the left over paints dip the canvas in the colours one by one, allow them to move around on the surface and dry each layer in turn. Take a little translucent white and splatter.

6. Dip the canvas again this time in gathered twigs and walnut stain distress inks and dry. Also use a pipette and dribble walnut crystal ink across the textured band and allow it to dribble down the page, spritz a little water in place to help it move about.

7. Gather some collage elements and a lost relative photo - I cut it down to give me a good image but also maximise the space I had to work with. I painted and altered the metal bits and used chit chat stickers for my message. The hessian and string add that more rustic look.

I hope you will be inspired by this fabulous challenge theme and amazing inspirational projects from the Creative Guides. Do pop over and take a look if you have a moment and of course if you join in you could be in with a chance of winning a $25 voucher from the amazing Funkie Junkie Boutique.

This is my first post for today, I have another coming up for Country View Crafts in a few hours.

Have a fabulous weekend and a hopefully warm (hot???) month of July.

hugs Brenda xxxx

The sky is like a monochromatic contemporary painting, drawing me in its illusion of depth, pulling me up.

John Green

DecoArt Mixed Media Fluid Acrylic 1oz - Titanium White - See more at: http://www.countryviewcrafts.c DecoArt Mixed Media Fluid Acrylic 1oz - Titan Buff DecoArt Mixed Media Fluid Acrylic - Raw Umber DecoArt Mixed Media Fluid Acrylic 1oz - Translucent White Tim Holtz Distress ink - Gathered twigs Tim Holtz Distress ink pad - Walnut stain Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Found Relatives Tim Holtz Ideology Small Talk Sticker Book Tim Holtz - Idea-ology - Arrows Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Trinket pins

InLinkz.com

Tim Tag June Remix

Discovering Curiosity - explore and inspire

I am so pleased to be joining in Tim's remix this month as I have had to miss a couple due to deadlines etc and today instead of a tag I have made a stand up card.

I don't have all the materials Tim used so it was a real experiment but I did have the plain tissue wrap and stamped my own design using the documented and perspective sets, adding some words to help set the scene.

The tissue was adhered to card with the vintage collage medium that Tim used and then the plaid background is a sheet of canvas from a canvas pad and although it bled a little with the inks I like the effects it made. I used peacock feathers and faded jeans distress inks and then when it was all put together I used a gathered twigs distress marker to edge the edges of the boxes and some antique linen and walnut stain with a water brush to add a bit of ageing to them.

I also used the sewing machine, Tim is getting much more confident in using it now, and I zig-zagged around the card from word to word.

I don't have the dapper die and recently I have been having fun using the mosaic die (that project is not due till late July I am afraid) and using it as a flat mini configurations frame.

All I needed to finish the project were some bits and pieces to fill the boxes and to balance the card. 

I used alcohol inks on the metal pieces, the star and a little on the acrylic blocks over the photobooth ladies.

Mounted on covered mountboard (I used a piece from the Wallflower stash) .....

..... and an easel on the back .....

....  and we have a stand up card for someone special.

All the details of Tim's tag and his remix instructions can be found on his blog and if you're ever looking for a dash of inspiration and some ideas to get you motivated then these tags are the place to go.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for the comments about my DecoArt project on the last post, also a big warm welcome to my new followers.

Ok I will be back Friday with two posts as it's the first of the month and I will also be on my way to Coventry to join the gang for Dare to Create - if you follow on Face Book I am sure you will have heard all about it. A weekend of workshops with Andy Skinner and Tracy Weinzapfel and lots of lovely people I know are going.

Off to get more projects made as I am starting to get behind on my schedule - must get a move on, but first I must also link this to Tim's June Remix post on his blog.

Take care and huge hugs.

Brenda xxx

DecoArt Media Team project

Layered Arch Frame

I am very pleased to be one of the newest members of the DecoArt International Mixed Media Design Team.  This was my very first project created for the DecoArt media blog which was published on April 26th. Let me take you through how I designed and made this piece, but I'm warning a cuppa might be a good idea lol.

This is a Tando triple arch layered frame and in this kit the arched frame comes in three pieces.

Step 1. Glue the three pieces of the frame together and paint it with gesso to seal the chipboard and preventing it from getting too wet with the additional layers of paint that are going to be added to it.

Step. 2 With a piece of sponge blend some media acrylic paints over keeping them light in colour, I used Phthalo Blue, Translucent White and Titan Buff.

Step 3. Create a watery wash of Titan Buff on your craft mat and the do a process I call "dip and dry" several times until you have a mottled creamy effect.

Step 4.  Repeat the dip and dry process with a watery wash of Burnt Umber.

Step 5.  Repeat the dip and dry process with a watery wash of Translucent White

Step 6. Now you have created a translucent distress effect with the paints go over the surface with clear crackle glaze with an uneven coverage so you have some thick and some thinner areas of the medium.

You will see the cracks appear as it dries but make sure you leave it to dry thoroughly.

Step 7. Take Raw Umber Antiquing Cream and rub a little over the frame and wipe back straight away with a babywipe so that the cracks are enhanced but not the rest of the wood.

You can see how distinct the cracks have become.

Step 8. To create the last of the distressing, use a sanding block and sand areas around the edges and then blend in ground espresso or any brown distress ink. To get the really dark patches you need to sand back to the original chipboard and this then soaks up the ink making it look very dark. By doing this you can create a lot of dust you might need to consider wearing a mask, especially if you are asthmatic.

Step 9. Take the back of the frame and four of the spare arched pieces.

Step 10. Glue a layer of gesso over them and then adhere torn pieces of dictionary paper using matte medium and seal everything over the top, leave to dry.

Step 11. With a paintbrush, water spritzer and a piece of kitchen roll blend a darker tone of the colours you used on the frame and dry. I used Prussian Blue.

Step 12. Adhere small die-cuts and brayer white paint lightly over the whole background. Dry. Note I am doing the same with the four small side panels as I am to the frame background

Step 13. Stamp text with black archival ink. I used an old handwriting text stamp.

Step 14. Bring the warmer shades of blue that are on the frame by mixing phthalo blue, titan buff, translucent white and burnt umber to give it a more vintage feel.

Step 15. Lightly brayer the colour all over. 

Step 16. Daub a little white paint on top edge of pieces and spritz with water allow it to run down the pieces and through the die-cuts and heat dry. Repeat this until you are happy with the outcome. Also mix a little Hansa Yellow Light to the blue you had mixed before and daub and spritz with some of that too.

Step 17. Splatter some Titanium White and dry it. The do the same with some Burnt Umber. To get the Burnt Umber looking slightly faded once splattered leave for a few seconds so that it has started to dry then dab the excess of with dry kitchen roll.

Step 18. Mix a vintage glaze using two drips of Burnt Umber, one drip of Quinacridone Gold and a smaller drip of Paynes Grey to about a teaspoonful of Ultra Matte Varnish and mix together. Paint it sparingly over the pieces to achieve a more vintage look.

Step 19. Use a brown distress marker and draw and blend with your finger around the die-cuts to create some shadow effect.

Step 20. Distress the edges of the smaller pieces with a distressing tool or sanding block and blend in brown distress ink.

Step 21. Adhere the frame onto it's background, sand the edges and blend in brown distress ink.

Step 22.  Collect together ephemera and embellishments to add to the frames.
Some metal pieces.

An original vintage Charlotte doll, a glass knob and a mini number plaquette.

Two small vintage photos and square acrylic blocks.

 Step 23. Make the metal embellishments look old and rusty using a quick technique using the media fluid acrylic paints. a) - take a piece of dry kitchen roll and dab burnt sienna all over and heat dry it. Of course metal gets hot so we need to be very careful we do not burn ourselves. b) - for the next layer use burnt umber and dab it over randomly leaving some of the burnt sienna showing and dry. c) - repeat the random dabbing with paynes grey and heat dry. Following that use antiquing creams, lustres and archival ink to add more depth of colours and interest.

Step 24. Add some iced espresso metallic lustre to the base of the knob and the vintage glaze from earlier to the mini plaquette and charlotte doll. Also add a small random amount of coffee archival ink to the plaquette.

Step 25. Rub the coffee archival ink pad around the acrylic blocks to create a more vintage look.

Step 26. Adhere the elements onto the frames using matte medium.

Step 27. Glue mini hinges between the end pieces and onto the triptych frame to add the extra arches and make this a free standing arch layered frame.

Well if you have got this far give yourself a big pat on the back, I know it's photo heavy but I do like to layer my pieces and create lots of texture.
Thank you for taking a look at my first project for the DecoArt team maybe you will sit down and follow my process steps to create your own version don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions, the addy is on my side-bar.

I have added this tutorial to Snapguide and will add it to the sidebar for future reference.

Check out How to Create a Layered Art Frame by Brenda Brown on Snapguide.

You can find a list of the products and supplies I used below and don't forget Susan at Country View Crafts stocks the DecoArt media range and has very competitive prices.

Have a great week

hugs Brenda xxx

Products used:

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics - Burnt Umber

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics - Prussian Blue Hue

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics - Phthalo Blue

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics - Translucent White

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics - Titan Buff

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics - Titanium White

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics - Hansa yellow Light

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics - Paynes Grey

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics - Quinacridone Gold

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics - Burnt Sienna

DecoArt Media Mediums and Specialty Products - Transparent Crackle Glaze

DecoArt Media Mediums and Specialty Products - Clear Matte Medium

DecoArt Media Mediums and Specialty Products - White Gesso
DecoArt Media Mediums and Specialty Products - Ultra Matte Varnish
DecoArt Media Antiquing Creams - English Red Oxide
DecoArt Media Antiquing Creams -Patina Green
DecoArt Media Antiquing Creams -Raw Umber

Other Supplies:

Tando Creative Triple Arch Layered Frame

Ground Espresso Distress Ink

Paint brushes
Brayer

Sanding block

Old dictionary paper

Water spritzer

Kitchen Roll

Babywipes
Metal embellishments for rusting
Other embellishments i.e. vintage photos, charlotte doll, glass knob, mini plaquette
Mini hinges