Who I am becoming ~ an eP art journalling page

Today I decided to play in a smaller art journal, a moleskine that is 3.5" x 5.5". I thought it would be fun to try thissmaller size and the stamp I wanted to include suited this format so well. I began by adhering the two pages from the spread to their neighbouring pages with matte medium since this is just a sketchbook with thin pages. I applied white gesso over the two adjoining pages and allowed it to dry thoroughly. Next I scribbled three shades of brown and three shades of orange Neocolor II crayons over the pages and activated the colour with a wet brush. At this point, the one page ripped out so it was washi tape to the rescue on the front and masking tape on the back to reinsert it and strengthen the seam. A little white gesso on a finger knocked back the colour and design of the washi tape to help it blend into the background. Gelatos (Chocolate, Butterscotch, Mango and Tangerine) were added to both pages to deepen the colours and add another layer. A damp finger spreads and blends the colour beautifully

 Torn pieces of a BoBunny ETC 6x6 page were edged with Vintage Photo Distress ink and adhered to the background with matte medium which was also brushed over the top of the pages. This was important for the next step which was shading next to them with Walnut Brown Big Brush pen. By adding the matte medium over the top of the designer paper, it gave me a little open time before it dried to smudge the Big Brush pen and create a softer and grungier look.

Out came the stencils! I used Vintage Photo Distress ink and an applicator tool over the TH Layering stencils, Measured and Burlap. Oh my, I love these two patterns. Then I took Aged Mahogany Distress ink and applied it over two of the patterns on TCW's Well Rounded stencil, followed by white gesso through the same stencil, different pattern. I was in stencil heaven :)

Crafty Individual's Imagine Child was stamped onto a manilla tag using Versamark and then sprinkled with Ranger Rust Antiquities embossing powder and heat set. This powder is so cool...it looks like sandpaper once embossed. It has several shades in it and comes out bumpy and textured which I wanted since it wouldn't be coloured. I fussy cut the image which happens to already be in a smaller tag shape. The tag was then matted on dark brown textured cardstock and the hole was punched through both layers. A torn strip of muslin was used for the tag topper. The tag was adhered to the background over a piece of cheesecloth, using foam tape.

The sentiment was computer generated and matted with the same dark brown cardstock to help it become  more visible. Doodling with a sepia Micron pen was done around the words and around both pages. Dark brown primitive stars were punched and adhered to the right page to add weight and contrast to the page and also draw attention to the sentiment. White gel pen dots were added to each star. A punched border was adhered to the opposite page for balance and to bring the dark brown colour to that side. Again white dots were added. The final touch was the game spinner and brad which were adhered below the image both to underline it and to point to the part of the sentiment I wanted to emphasize.

I truly enjoyed creating these pages. Love the Imagine child's sweet face, my new stencils, and working in this small size journal...and all without using black which is very rare for me.  A good time was had here, let me tell you. Thanks for dropping by today. I always appreciate your company and your comments. Imagine child did, too. She just gets distracted with all that imagining.

I am entering this project in the following challenges:
Creative Corner Challenge ~ #42 Can't Touch This (add texture)
Crafty Hands ~ #1 Anything Goes
Charisma Cardz Challenge ~ #43 Anything But Cards
Paper Crafting Journey ~ Anything Goes
Crafting For All Seasons ~ #64 Autumn Colours

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie

These thumbnails will lead you to the eclectic Paperie store to check out some of the products I used:

Claudine Hellmuth Studio-Multi-Medium Matte	Liquitex Acrylic Gesso	Faber Castell - Gelatos - Neutral Colors	Faber Castell - Gelatos - Yellow Colors
Distress Ink Pad - Vintage Photo	Distress Ink Pad - Aged Mahogany	Faber Castell - Big Brush Pens - Neutral	Tim Holtz Layering Stencil - Measured
Tim Holtz Layering Stencil - Burlap	TCW - 6x6 Well Rounded Stencil	Crafty Individuals - Imagine Child	Uni-Ball White Gel Pen

Tie One On ~ Craftitude Challenge 52

Happy Friday everyone! It's a brand new month and also a brand new challenge at Craftitude. Our themes this fortnight are Anything Goes and Tie One On.Now,before you pour a little spirits to go with that Halloween candy from last night, I should clarify. We are asking you to add a little twine, embroidery floss, yarn, or string...that kind of tying one on...lol. Our sponsor this time is Robyn's Fetish and I was lucky to work with their Jennie the Scarecrow image. Jennie was coloured with Prismacolor pencils, given black gem eyes (the better to see you with, my dear), and then fussy cut. Foam tape was added to her backside for dimension.

I decided to go a little mixed media on the background. The brown and the striped papers came from DCWV's The High School Matstack. White acrylic paint was pounced through TCW's Well Rounded stencil to create the open circles and then used on a TH splatter stamp for the random dots. A scallop punch was used to cut borders from BoBunny ETC paper. The borders were then inked with Vintage Photo Distress ink and faux stitched with a sepia Micron pen. The word FALL was printed from the computer and matted with more of the BoBunny paper. Two puffy leaf stickers were adhered to the top left corner of the ATC and raffia was wrapped and tied where the striped paper met the brown background.

Thanks for popping by to visit with Jennie and me. We're both happy to have your wonderful company and Jennie is just tickled to show off her new fall ensemble. She's such a fashionista! If you get a minute, pop over to the Craftitude Challenges blog to see the awesome inspiration provided by the rest of our talented DT. I'm proud to hang out with them. We'd love it if you joined us this fortnight for our Tie One On challenge.

I am entering this ATC in the following challenges:
4 Krafty Girlz ~ #5 Anything Goes
Crafting For All Seasons ~ #64 Autumn Colours

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie

Happy Haunting ~ CYP Challenge 186

It's Monday and that means a new challenge at Craft Your Passion Challenges. The theme this week is Halloween (the fun child-friendly kind) and we have the pleasure of being sponsored by and working with images from Just Some Lines. I chose Vampirette who has the sweetest face of any vampire I've never known...lol. I coloured Vampirette and her fun devil cat with my Prismacolor pencils. The spider string, her wine glass, dress bauble, and her fangs were all outlined with Clear Star Jelly Roll pen to add sparkle. Devil cat has wonky black gem eyes which make me smile. Vampirette and her friends were fussy cut and asked politely to wait for the background.

The background consists of three layers of papers from DCWV's The Midnight Spells matstack, as well as a strip of black cardstock. They were cut and layered to form a floor, baseboard and wall. The center of the spiderwebs and a few dots were accented with black gems and the spider printed on the paper was given a coat of Glossy Accents for shine and dimension. Vampirette was adhered slightly off center with a dimensional pumpkin sticker to add more atmosphere. Love the spider on it!

A scalloped border was cut from black cardstock using an MFT die. Two tiny holes were punched top and bottom to hold the green baker's twine  in place once it was wrapped around the border. An extra half scallop was added to the top right corner for balance. The sentiment was fussy cut from the same paper pack and mounted on a black folded paper rosette. The dimension it gives the sentiment is so fun.

Thanks so much for dropping by to visit Vampirette, her friends, and me today. Her little smile tells it all~ you've made us happy. If you get a chance, pop by the Craft Your Passion Challenges blog to see the fabulous projects the rest of the DT created with these sweet images. You won't be disappointed. Hope you'll join us for our Halloween Challenge. Molly, my cat, said she'll protect me from anything too scary :D

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create ~ Challenge 43 Anything Goes
Robyn's Fetish ~ #183 Halloween
Challenges 4 Everybody ~ #32 Anything Goes
That Craft Place Challenge ~ Halloween
Come and Get It Challenges ~ A Little Boo For You (Halloween)
Dream Valley Challenges ~ #68 Halloween
One Stitch At a Time ~ #187 Boo
Just Some Lines Challenge ~ Happy Boo to You Week 4

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie

Live in Colour ~ eP get Altered Challenge

It's time for October's eTeam Picks Challenge at the eclectic Paperie and this time the wonderfully talented Giovana is hosting. She has chosen the theme of watercolour...love it! Now I frequently use watercolour crayons on my backgrounds but since the eTeam Picks Challenge is all about stretching boundaries and trying new things, I decided to also colour my images using watercolour...something I have never tried.

I chose to work on the letter F page in my altered dictionary so I picked the word Fish for my theme. The background began with gessoed pages adhered to their neighbours with Gel Medium for strength. This is especially important when working with watercolour because the added moisture can make your pages fragile so they disintegrate.

 I scribbled various shades of blue and green watercolour crayon over the page and activated the colours with a wet.brush. When I do this I clean the brush often and try to activate one colour at a time to keep them true. When I'm ready to blend the edges, I bring the dark into the light areas just enough so there are no harsh lines. Once this was dry, I added gelatos randomly, making sure that the darker ones were used on the edges to frame out the pages. I blend these with a damp finger. The edges were further deepened with Dark Pthalo Green and Pthalo Blue Big brush pens which were smudged with a finger while still wet.

Studio 490 white embossing paste was applied through Dylusions Chequered Dots stencil and then outlined with a black pen. Archival Jet Black ink was loaded onto a Stampendous marble texture stamp and rolled onto the pages. A TH script stamp was inked with Memento Nautical Blue and rolled randomly onto the background. Dylusions Letter Jumble stencil was used with the same blue ink for more texture. 

White gesso was pounced through TCW's Halftone Borders stencil and loaded onto a TH splatter stamp. The curly grass was done with Peacock Feathers and Mowed Lawn Distress inks followed by Archival Jet Black using a Stampotique stamp. Black gesso was watered down slightly and the center ring of my ATG refuill was used to stamp the double circle. A smaller bottle top created the circle around the word fish.

The images which are digi stamps from Whimsy Stamps and Oak Pond Creations were printed on watercolour paper using an inkjet printer. To keep that ink from running when wet, I sprayed them with a fixative. Colour was applied with Inktense watercolour pencils and blended/spread with a wet brush. Love the intensity of colour these pencils give and also how beautifully they blend. The images were fussy cut, lined with Black Big Brush, and popped up on foam tape for dimension.

The bubbles were punched from watercolour paper coloured with gelatos. Treasure Silver was spread lightly over them as well as on the background. Cobalt Blue Big Brush pen was used to edge the circles and shade the left and bottom of each before they were popped up on foam dots and adhered next to the fish. 

The sentiment was created from Idea-ology AlphaTiles and AlphaParts oultined with Black Big brush pen. More of the same was used around the outside edges of the pages. Scalloped border cut using an MFT die was adhered on the edges and embellished with white pen. The AlphaParts letters were also dotted in white.

That completes my whimsical F is for Fish watercoloured altered dictionary spread...try saying that five times fast! I has great fun with this challenge. Thanks, Giovana...great theme. Pop over to the eclectic Paperie blog to check out  the awesomeness Gio created. If you click on the DT thumbnails below her post, you can visit the other DT blogs and see how we all interpreted this fun challenge. Hope you'll join us. 

Life is good; so is art.

Bonnie

The following are some of the product links to the eclectic Paperie store:

Liquitex Acrylic Gesso	Claudine Hellmuth Studio - Black Gesso	Claudine Hellmuth Studio-Multi-Medium Matte	Faber Castell - Gelatos - Blue Colors
Faber Castell - Gelatos - Green Colors	Faber Castell - Big Brush Pens - Blue	Faber Castell - Big Brush Pen - Black	Wendy Vecchi - Studio 490 - Embossing Paste - White
Dylusions Stencil 5x8" - Chequered Dots	Dylusions Stencil 5x8" - Letter Jumble	TCW - 6x6 Halftone Borders Stencil	Distress Ink Pad - Peacock Feathers
Distress Ink Pad - Mowed Lawn	Uni-Ball White Gel Pen

Believe ~ CYP Challenge 185

With October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, we at Craft Your Passion Challenges wanted to show our support for this wonderful cause so our theme this week is Think Pink. We want to see a whole lotta pink on your cards. Dilly Beans is our fabulous sponsor this week and I was able to play with Daisy Girl Framed, one of Megan Suarez's beautiful face images. I coloured her with Prismacolor pencils, accenting the centers of those pink daisies with brown flat pearls. Daisy was then fussy cut and matted in brown cardstock which was also trimmed to the shape of the flower frame. The image was given two layers of foam tape on the back for dimension.

The background consists of 3 matted rectangles using papers from DCWV's Garden Tea Party stack. The papers already have some brown splotches as part of the design so I added to those with two Tim Holtz stamps, coffee rings and splatters, using Vintage Photo Distress ink. More Vintage Photo was used around the edges of each rectangle before matting them on dark brown cardstock. A scalloped border was punched from another patterned paper from the same collection and adhered to the right edge of the card. Doodling and faux stitching were added with a Sepia Micron pen to repeat the sketchy drawings on the one paper.

A length of shiny cream satin ribbon was cut into a banner shape to house the sentiment. The letters are puffy stickers that started out purple but were altered with a brown Copic marker. The brown alcohol ink over the shiny purple plastic made this fabulous shiny copper colour...who knew? Very cool happy accident. The two pink buttons came from my grandmother's button box which I inherited years ago. They look like cupcake icing ...yum.

Thanks so much for joining Daisy and me today. It's always a delight to have your fine company. If you get a minute, pop over to the Craft Your Passion Challenges blog to see the fabulous responses to this theme by my talented teamies. I hope you will feel inspired and want to join us for our Think Pink challenge. I look forward to seeing what you create.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create ~ #42 Anything Goes
One Stitch At A Time ~ #186 Anything Goes
Quirky Crafts Challenges ~ #21 Favourite Things (Vintage Buttons, Pink & Brown combo)
That Craft Place Challenge ~ Colour Pink
Sister Act Card Challenge ~ #29 Anything Goes
MilkCoffee Challenge ~ Spots and Dots

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie

Sneakety peek of my ep post

It's my turn to post on the eclectic Paperie blog today so I created a canvas featuring the Susan K. Weckesser stamp, Happy Homestead. I love this house stamp. I had a good old play with all things messy...and had the hands and work table to show for it! Follow this link to see the results. Hope to see you there.

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie

Be afraid...be very afraid ~ Craftitude Challenge 51

Hello crafty peeps! Another fortnight has passed and it's time for a new challenge at Craftitude. It's also the first post for our new DT members so there are lots of great things to celebrate. Our challenge themes are Anything Goes or Spooky and our sponsor is one of my faves, QKR Stampede. I love the quirkiness and playfulness of their images. They always make me smile. I coloured the RIP image with my Prismacolor pencils and then fussy cut the image. It was then popped up on foam tape for dimension.

The background is a piece of black cardstock embossed with a Cuttlebug mesh embossing folder and then brushed with Treasure Copper gilt wax. The moon was punched from DCWV's The Midnight Spell matstack making sure that one of the spiders on the paper was within the circle. The spider was highlighted with Glossy Accents to give it shine and dimension. The outside of the circle was inked with Worn Lipstick Distress ink. The sentiment was cut from a collage sheet from Lisa's Altered Art.

The wispy clouds were added by adhering a cheesecloth scrap to the moon and background. The eyes were cut from yellow paper and Glossy Accented. Once dry, black half pearls were added for dimension ...and menace.

Thanks for popping by today. Hope you weren't too frightened :) If you get a minute, check out the Spooky cards and atcs by the rest of the Craftitude DT. They have outdone themselves. Hope you'll join us.

I am entering this atc in the following challenges:
Little Red Wagon ~ #207 Mini-mize me (no bigger that 3x3")
Paper Crafting Journey ~ Use Halloween Colours
Sarah Hurley Challenge ~ #85 Halloween
Scrap It With a Song ~ Thriller ( I took my theme from the creepy monsters sneaking up behind in the video)

Life is good; so is art.
Bonnie