Rebirth: Everything Happens for a Reason

To paraphrase Dickens, "this is a tale of two canvases..."

All year I've been taking Donna Downey's CANVAS CREATE classes. It's a different canvas and technique each month. I've really enjoyed getting out of my rut and trying new things.

This is the finished piece.
The photo below is where I started.

Donna's May canvas was done on a black canvas. And I tried twice to get the technique to work for me, but never liked the results. After the third try, I decided to give up and used another technique of Donna's to use up the paint in the palette cups. (There's a video on her blog, but I can't find it...)

When I finished this version my thought was....'THIS LOOKS LIKE A FOREST FIRE."

Then the Waldo Canyon fire had me evacuating...UGH!

Coming home again, I stared at that "forest fire" canvas for a long time and kept thinking I should just throw it away.  Then I decided to redo the canvas and create something I liked.

I started with modeling paste.  (Have I told you that I'm addicted to modeling paste now???)

And watercolor pastels, sprays, and Inca Gold.  IN LOTS OF LAYERS.  When I got to this point I didn't know where to go.  In the end I glued a flower bunch on the canvas that pulled all the cool colors together.

"Everything Happens for a Reason".

Yes. I believe that!

Rogue Redhead: A Finale!

I'm sad to say this is my last post for Rogue Redhead Designs.   I'm stepping down from the design team.  I've started the process to get my basement finished (into a "mancave with girlie parts" (or in other words a craft room to die for!!!)).  With that going on I felt I needed to step down.

Here's a little tutorial of how I created this canvas. (note: after each step I dry the canvas with my heat gun.)

I started with a 4x5 canvas, some paints, gel medium, and paper scraps.

I painted a rough background on to the canvas (and on the sides). I do this just because the paper won't reach to the edges and it keeps the edges from sticking out.

I covered the dried painted background with gel medium, layered the paper on, and added more gel medium over the paper. I use a matte finish gel medium.

Next using solvent or oil based inks randomly stamp all over. I used stamps and "found items" (shelf liner, bubble wrap, spray can lids, etc). This is an ongoing step as the layers go down. If you feel it needs more stamping...STAMP!!

I sprayed color in the corner over a mask. I should have put the stamped BEACH BABES down first, but as you can tell, in the end it didn't matter.

I stamped the BEACH BABES on scrap paper and glued down with more gel medium.

To distress the image I used India Ink pens and my finger to add color and then rub it out.

Use a gel pen to add detail to the distressed image. (and notice there was more stamping going down...)

I just bought this Inca Gold - it's a waxy color. I rubbed some along the edges and corners. Buff it with a rag.

After adding the flowers and shells (or between layers to keep them from running) spray with "Workable Fixative". This will give it a nice shine!

So here are some close ups of the final image. After I had the layer of fixative on, I decided to add the sentiment. Just goes to show you...you can't make a mistake and more layers are always good!

Thanks so much to Shar for inviting me a year ago to join the team and allowing me to play with her great stamp sets!


(On this canvas I used Beach Babes, Floriculture, and Relish Reading)

Happy Birthday Laura!

April 14th is an interesting day in history...
...the Titanic hit the iceberg on the 14th (it sank on the 15th)...
...Lincoln was shot (he died on the 15th too)...
...on normal years, taxes are due...
...and on the April 14th, 1963 my baby sister, Laura, born
(the 14th is also my Dad's birthday and in 1963 it was Easter Sunday)!

This year my sister turns 49 (my Dad would have been 80).

So I wanted to give her a little piece of me.

Besides the background (which I confessed yesterday I nearly left "blank" and kept), I love the shorts. Laura is a math teacher in the numbered shorts made me giggle.

And I like how my poppies turned out.  Aren't they fun?

The sentiment "As you wish" is from her favorite movie Princess Bride.

Yes, I seem to be doing a lot of canvas lately...but I have to tell you I'm having FUN with it!! I've also been working on some scrapbooks and tags.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER!!!

Sneak Peek

Hi....just a sneak peek of coming attractions....

I loved this background so much that I nearly stopped here and kept it! (seems to be a theme with me...)

Come back tomorrow for a view of the finished project (wink)!

Canvas Create: March

I loved February's piece...but this topped it. Can a mother have a favorite child? If so, this is my new favorite!

Donna played with pom-pom flowers.  I used some paper flowers that came in layers (so it was easy to remove a layer).

This canvas is covered in strips of fabric and then painted. It adds SO MUCH TEXTURE! And the paint reacted to the material in interesting ways too.

I can't wait to see April's canvas.  In the meantime, I'm going to catch up with TIm's Chemistry 101 classes!

Canvas Create: February

I'm been trying to catch up with a few classes! Right now I'm doing Donna Downey's Canvas Create and her PanPastel classes...AND Tim's Chemistry 101.

I'M BEHIND IN ALL OF THEM!

So here's my Canvas Create piece for February. Donna's had a big heart in the middle. I love the piece but I didn't want to look at hearts all year. So, I changed to bubbles.

I started with a 14x1 and covered it with Modeling Paste. It took about 24hrs for that to dry completely. The rest is paint.  It was hard to get a good picture of this.  It's more a golden/orange color with raspberry and lime dots. 

Tomorrow, I'll post March's canvas.

Skeets for Missy

Happy Birthday to my friend Missy!

When I sent her mom this She Art canvas for her birthday, Missy nearly stole it (or so I hear). So mental note...do She Art "girl" for Missy's birthday.

But when I sat down to do a girl, something in my head said "No, do Skeets!" (Skeet is the family Weimaraner.  I didn't have a photo of Skeets, but handy Google had one of a Weimaraner.  I just needed to change the eye color.

I printed out to photos of the dog.  And then started cutting parts out with designer paper under the photo.  Voila!  Paper-pieced dog!

Happy Birthday Missy!

GC141: Granny's Photo Album

Greetings from Cannon Beach Oregon!!! I took a 4-day weekend and my stamping goodies on the road.

I'm both excited about this month's theme (Family Heritage - I do TONS of genealogy!!) at Gingersnap Creations (it's also our birthday month!). But also sad because this month wraps up Gingersnap Creations weekly challenges. The blog will continue to be available as inspiration, but founding femmes, Shar and Ali are starting new challenges. Best wishes ladies!!!

Today on Gingersnap Creations, we're celebrating GRANNY'S PHOTO ALBUM. It use to be that when I thought of "granny", my grandmother (late 50's/early 60's, tight curled grey hair, and master maker of chocolate chip cookies) came to mind. But these days, I think of my sister, Laura (running marathons). Laura is anything but "granny" like...she's not even 50 yet.

I've been itching to work on these mini shadowboxes. In fact, I bought three of them before Christmas with the intention of doing these as gifts. I guess the universe decided I needed to wait for this challenge. My muse this week is the newest grandbaby in the family, my great nephew, Julian. Julian is 17 mos old and will soon have a new sister/brother. This photo was taken with my iPhone at Thanksgiving.

My mom has rented a beach house in Cannon Beach for 6 weeks. This is her view and beach access. Stamping on the road can be fun. You are forced to work with the supplies you have with you, so creativity a must. I decided to incorporate a little bit of beach in my creation. Finding little containers to hold sand was a challenge. In the end I used a small vial and will transfer to a Tim glass bottle when I get home.

Our Gingersnap sponsor is month is Retro Art Cafe. For background art I used ATC Size Collage Sheet by Debrina Pratt - DP104.

Please join us at Gingersnap Creations for our last month of challenges!

Canvas Create: January

I've become a devotee of Donna Downey. I love her "go for the gusto" mixed media creations. I haven't started a art journal yet, but as soon as I get a few things off my plate I will.

In the mean time I signed up for her newest series: CANVAS CREATE. Here's my January canvas. Mine came out a lot darker than hers but that's ok. It's my canvas.



Donna loves masking tape. Me? Not so much. But I did use torn paper and washi tape. I really like the feel of this.
I'll be working on February's canvas soon. (grin)

Happy Birthday, Carolyn

I was traveling over the holidays and missed my friend, Carolyn's birthday. It's a few days after Christmas. I wanted to send her a part of me, so I created this 5x7 mixed media piece.

The techniques I used follow a lot of what I learned in Christy Tomlinson's SHE ART class, which I took last summer. In the end I liked it so much I nearly didn't send it to her (wink).

This is the birthday card I sent along. I think the image is a Lost Coast stamp. I love, love, LOVE the sentiment. It totally cracks me up!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROLYN!!

Dr Paine's Apothecary

I've been dying to do a shadow box and/or Configurations box. So I asked Pat, the owner of ONE LITTLE SPARK, if she'd be ok with a Configurations box. There isn't a lot of stamping but it does use a lot of goodies! She said yes right off.

So I started collecting goodies to go in the box. Surprisingly, (or maybe not) this time of year it's very easy to find cheap spooky stuff.

Here are most of my class ladies with their finished pieces. I was very happy they all got done in 2 hours!! Pat, the owner, is on the far left and I'm in the middle back.

So some close-ups:
Monkey Paw. One of the gals tore strips of Sticky Back Canvas and wrapped it around the boney fingers for a Mummy Hand.

A spider created a web in an empty hole.

Apothecary bottles.

Dr. Paine's shingle...

Skeleton and goodies.

Mouse (Martha punch).

Mini skulls

Raven.

The greenery behind most of the goodies is "reindeer moss", which I found at Hobby Lobby. It's very moist and flexible when it comes out of the bag. But I noticed today that it's dried out now. It's even creepier...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! Be safe!