Looking Glass Under the Sea

Looking Glass Under the Sea

18" x 24" Mixed Media on Canvas

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hello to all my sweet little friends.  First off, I just want to say thank you to all of you who have left me a message about my creations.  They are ALL so very special to me.  

For the last week or so... I have been working on my Looking Glass Under the Sea project.  It was OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE - to say the least.  I am not a beach person.  Oh - I love water - definitely.  But LAKE water - that's where I was raised - at the lake! 

On the other hand... hubby spent his youth on the beach.  In fact, when we got married in 1972, he literally traded his surf board to someone in exchange for a guitar!  He decided that since he wouldn't be that close to his beloved beach down Galveston Texas way... that was the best thing to do.  He was right.  We have only been back to the beach a handful of times over the years.  

Soooooooooo... the point of this story is... I reached out for a bit of instruction from him because I had no idea what kind of creatures need to live in my new world or how they even looked!!!  Dear me!  
Here you have the finished project!  

Can you tell that the little ocean nymph is holding a "looking glass"?  She is!  

I had an old Barbie comb so I turned it upside down and made a mirror out of it.  It was already in the shape of a flower which was good for an ocean flower... and I added a few more petals so that it would stand out and up.  There's another picture lower that shows her hand better.  She really is holding it!!  

Here you can see the lace that made the sea horses. It is from a vintage wedding gown! 

Thanks so much for stopping by to see my creation!!!  Hugs joi  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I would like to participate in these wonderful challenges!

~ ~ ~ ~

Scrap Around The World - April Challenge 24,
Textural Maritime Mood Board



Click Here: Scrap Around the World April Challenge 24 Maritime Mood Board

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

A Vintage Journey - Through the Looking Glass - April Challenge

Click Here: A Vintage Journey April Challenge - Through the Looking Glass

Of course, hopefully you saw that my mermaid is holding her "looking glass"!  :)

I am ALWAYS influenced by Tim's style.  I have learned so much and have so much more to learn.  There is alot in this piece from the Ranger collections.  

I used Ranger Inks - they are so perfect on plastic and metals - couldn't have done lots of the ocean pieces without them. 

I used many stamps although they are rather hidden.  And my bubbles were done with the Speckles stencil - it was perfect.  

I also used lots of glossy accent, distressed paint and stains too.  

LOVE working with all of them and love seeing all your teaching videos too - they have helped me soooooooooo much. j.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Artful Times, Challenge 79 -A Bit of Finnabair

CLICK HERE For: Artful Times Challenge 79, A Bit of Finnabair

The very first project I ever did when I started blogging was a mixed media inspired by Finnabair.  I love everything about her art!  

This project has everything on the Artful Times request list: lace, metal, flowers and more!!!  So glad for this chance to send my first project to you at Artful Times! 

It is very hard to see but the ocean floor - underneath the sea nymph - is all lined with lace.  There are also coral type flowers made from crochet lace from my Grammie's cut up doilies.  No worries - I have tons of them!! 

Oh - almost forget - the seahorses are made from old lace from a vintage wedding gown! 

Lot of metal - dear me - nails, staples, washers, screws, nuts, screen, chain, rusty wire from the barn that I had to sand down before using :) - LOTS of metal stuff.  There is even metal used for the fish tails!!  

And yes - flowers... of every shape!  Thank you Finn for all the tutorials... this was fun to make using 'found stuff'!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Eclectic Ellapu
The Pinkies - Out of Your Comfort Zone

Click Here: Eclectic Ellapu - April Challenge - Out of Your Comfort Zone

Hopefully you read in my description why this was so out of my comfort zone!!  Almost didn't do it at all!!!  

===============================================================================================================================================

FLOWERING SPRING TREE Canvas: Bright Colors & New Life

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

YES - it's spring and everything is green and colorful in every way.  But for me... here at the ranch... it's all about the trees.  Of course, we have evergreens so we always have green trees!  But in the spring... it's all about what trees come back - what trees lived.  

Do our favorite trees live? Will they be green again?  

We have had several summers of drought and it's so sad because you can literally hear the trees falling over from lack water.  It's a sound you just get used to but it's a sad sound.  So when the leaves start falling - you just start to think... will the tree across from the cowboy kitchen bloom in the spring?

Thus... I made a tree (my second this spring) to represent what spring means to me.  My tree is full of surprises though.  It is blooming with colors, shapes and sizes.

It also includes my favorite poem....

Trees (1913)

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree. 

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast, 

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray; 

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair. 

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.  

Poems are made by fools like me, 

But only God can make a tree. 

by Joyce Kilmer

Won't you come sit a spell with me under it's branches and celebrate spring?  Find me in one of the cedar chairs with a pitcher of sweet tea!  Hugs. joi

----------------------------------------------------

I began by lightly drawing my blooming tree on a 2 ft by 2 ft canvas! Then added modelling paste for grass texture and glass bead gel for the sun. The sun was also embossed with yellow before being painted.

Sure wish my pictures were prettier. In person, this project is very light, bright and airy. The colors are vivid and fun!  

Then I began the flowers.  I sprayed some small paper doilies that I folded to look like a flower! 

Then a lot of fussy cutting of flowers.  Some I stamped and some were printed from the internet.  All were sprayed and/or embossed.

And the purple one below is soooo gorgeous. It was both embossed and sprayed. It just shimmers and glows so I just had to try to capture it in a picture!!  

The rabbit Mama and babies are metal.  I only had one set of rabbits and forgot to get a picture before painting.  But here is another set of elephants to give you and example.  I used Ranger Adirondak Inks.  It was so fun to see the rabbits come to life!  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

I used several varieties of products which are listed below.

Thank you for giving my the opportunity to present my Flowering Spring Tree to the following wonderful challenges:

Lindy's Stamp Gang - April Color Challenge

Click HERE: for Lindy's Stamp Gang April Color Challenge

In all the Lindy's Color Challenges I have done so far...

these colors are my favorites.  Have to have more!!!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

OUR CREATIVE CORNER - April Challenge

 COLOR YOUR WORLD

Click Here: Our Creative Corner, April Challenge - Color Your World

+++++++++++++++++

MIXED MEDIA WORLD, Challenge #2

Use Bright Colors

Click Here: Mixed Media World #2, Bright Colors

+++++++++++++++++++

Rhedd's Creative Spirit, An Altered Art Challenge Blog

Anything Goes

Click HERE: Rhedd's Creative Spirit April Challenge

+++++++++++++++++++++

Mixed Media Mojo - April Challenge

Recycle Upcycle - Flowers

Click HERE: Mixed Media Mojo April Challenge

+++++++++++++++++

ALTERED ECLECTICS - April Challenge

Anything Goes

Click HERE: Altered Eclectics April Challenge

=============

Here are some of the other product used:

Just click on the links below to see product. 

Lindy's Stamp Gang Pink Ladies Pink Flat Fabio

Lindy's Stamp Gang Summer Lovin' Sun Flat Fabio Spray

Lindy's Stamp Gang Greased Lightnin Green Flat Fabio Spray

Lindy's Stamp Gang Tilt A Wheel Teal Flat Fabio Spray

Lindy's Stamp Gang Magnolia Magenta Gold Starburst Spray

Lindy's Stamp Gang Geranium Coral Embossing Powder

Lindy's Stamp Gang Sunset Yellow Embossing Powder

Lindy's Stamp Gang Aurora Amethyst Embossing Powder

Lindy's Stamp Gang Oakleaf Olive Embossing Powder

Lindy's Stamp Gang Tilt-A-Wheel Teal Embossing Powder

Modelling Paste

Matte Gel

White Gesso

Glass Bead Texture Gel

Silks - Emperors Gold, Wisteria, Rustic Rose, Vintage Mint, Peridot

Ranger Adirondack Inks - Gold Mixative, Latte, Butterscotch, Wild Plum, Caramel

Ranger Distress Markers

Ranger Liquid Pearls and Stickles Glitter Glue - lots of colors!

Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt Pens

Wink of Stella Markers

Prima Flowers

Various jewel embellishments

I think that I will always be...

thankful for Spring buds... on my favorite tree!!!  j.

=======================================================================================================================================================================================================================

ARTIST TRADING POST ATC Challenge

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I loved this challenge!  Why?   I read Inspirational Historical Romance (or no romance!) novels.... takes me away - to another world.... so fun.  I love the pioneer stories include trading posts and log cabins.  I always imagine what they look like by the author's description.  Now I get to create my own little scene - how marvelous is that?!!! 

This challenge was to create a tiny card called an ATC - approx. 2.5 x 3.5 in size - like a playing card.  Guess what - this was my very first one!!  Whew - it's really small!!!  

But... in the end... I hope you don't mind if I say that I think it turned out pretty sweet for my first try.  I had my doubts along the way - to be sure!!  But now it makes me happy :)  

Here is the description of the challenge from the Artist Trading Post blog:
A Trading Post was the name given to an original American place or establishment where the trading of goods took place and was the inspiration behind the name Artist Trading Post.  We thought it would be an interesting challenge to interpret this term into a unique work of art in the form of an ATC.  

Click Here: Artist Trading Post ATC Challenge page

Are you ready to step back in time?  Oh, by the way - you just missed the stage coach so come in and have a big bowl of rabbit stew!  I'd love the company! j.

Probably shouldn't have taken the pictures on a piece of cedar. It makes the little card look so orangish!  The colors are much prettier in person. 

Some supplies used: 
Ranger Distress Paint
Ranger Distress Stain
Idea-ology Seasonal Paper Stash - stage coach and man
Finnabair Stencil
Faber-Castell Pitt Pens
Wink of Stella Pens
Wood from the Ranch!!
Small charms
And even some pieces of colored paper cut from the ATP mood board blankets, pillows and baskets!!!!  

===============================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================

Compendium of Curiosity 3, Challenge 26

----------------------------------------------------

Hello to all! 

I am sooooooooooo excited to be typing this today... my first time to participate in Linda's Compedium of Curiosity challenge. 

These two of the letters were done with the smudge stamping technique as part of a larger project.  The large letters are from Tim's Worn Text Stamps CMS156.

I am so excited to finally have my copy of Tim's third book. I can't stop reading it - every night in my chair - over and over - so amazing!  if you don't have a copy - you NEED it.  The link is below.

Click HERE for The Funkie Junkie Boutique

Because I didn't have the book, I watched the challenges and learned but was never able to participate until now.  And it was soooo much fun doing these letters.  I will tell you though - I did the "Y" over twice - it's not as easy as you think to master. I still need lots more practice but will totally enjoy using this technique over and over. 

The challenge is listed below: 

The Tim Holtz Compendium of Curiosities 3, Smudge Stamping at cc3challenge.com. 

View Here Compendium of Curiosities 3, Challenge 26

Because I did the letters as a part of a larger project...

I realize that I cannot compete because my letters aren't a complete project. I didn't realize it at the time of working on this that they couldn't be combined with others.  And that's understandable - totally.  I will do better next time!!   However, because I was so excited to get to participate for the first time... I went ahead and did it!!!   Sure hope Linda and the design team can overlook my inexperience.  

You can perhaps also so that there are more of Tim's products in the completed project.  Such as:

Rub Ons

Stickers

Letters

Embellishment

Paper from Paper Pad

Ephemera

Embossing Powder

Ink

Distress Paint

Adhesive Metal Sheet

One thing for sure... the name Tim Holtz is a regular household word now and I am in awe of all the Compendium of Curiosities that Tim's "world" entails!  AMAZINGLY Wonderful!

Until the next time... which hopefully will be soon!!! joi

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------