Tuesday, February 23, 2016

BEGINNING... Mixed Media Collage



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Hello All My Sweet Friends.... 

Today is DAY 7 of
7 favorite posts from 2015.

Once again... thanks bunches and bunches dear...
Candy Colwell for nominating me to do these posts!


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New Year - 2015 - full of new beginnings if we choose to take the "ticket"...

This project was made as a result of a challenge from Jimmy Leslie to make a mixed media collage.  This was from my first ever online workshop... Creative Jumpstart 2015 with Nathalie Kalbach. 

 Would you believe I had never used spray paint or fabric on a project before but that was part of the assignment so I did it!!
The theme was New Beginnings. 



The suggestion was to use a wooden board.  This creation measures 16" x 20".   It is done with gesso, modeling paste, spray paint, regular paint, gelatos, markers, stamps, ink, everything but the kitchen sink... and I spent some time there too!!!  

Here is how it began. 




Next - work on background and puzzle with stencil, paints and sprays then begin gluing down some of the pieces. 




After pieces added - more stencils and paints! 




For extra dimension and color there are small pieces of pointed wood covered in gelli print paper, a tiny puzzle that I painted with a new design, frayed fabric cut in a circular shape, a red heart paper doily, some silver metal bling shapes, and some chain.  











I added the small collage of watch parts because even though the new year was just beginning - the older I get - the faster time flies by... so any "new beginning" seems to be focused to some extent on the passing of time!  

And of course, a key attached to the chain - with the words New Beginning and 15 for 2015!

Will you take the new ticket, work the puzzles of life and make it a year of growth (especially artistically - hehehehe)???  Or will you tear up your ticket (see the one laying at the bottom left?) and leave the fun challenges behind?  WHICH WAY???!!!!  





Thank so much for taking time to go back with me through some of my 2015 projects... I tried to choose the unusual ones for you!! As you can see - I can do most any kind of artsy craftsy projects but... working with mixed media on canvas is where you will find me happiest!  Hugs. Joi

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Monday, February 22, 2016

Mixed Media - Bringing ONE to LIfe!

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Day 6...
7 days of 7 2015 projects. 

Thank you so much for nominating me to share my creations... 
Candy Colwell. 

In the beginning... it was just the POWER OF ONE. 


And then creation began with a little SNAP and CRACKLE.... 
ending with a POP of new life! 


From beginning to end... it was an inspirational journey.  In the beginning...came the seed in my mind the popped up thru the crackled ground of my heart and exploded with a pop into an example of the magnificent, omnipresent POWER of ONE.  



And here is the story...  

I began by prepping the wooden #1 (created here at the ranch by hubby) with gesso. Then painted it with Pebeo Precious Gold Irridescent paint.

The goal was to use only one color scheme for the entire project. I chose gold.  Please know that although some of the pictures make it look like there is a greenish tint - there were only shades of light and dark gold colors used in the entire project.  

While waiting for that to dry I begin assembling what I hoped would look rather like a the solar system!  In my "found objects" I had a half metal strip, an old pierced hoop earring, a very long nail, a washer, wire and part of a metal lid.  Together this made "outer space"!  Just nailed the nail right into the wood - so easy!

All the metal for the solar system was painted with Adirondack Alcohol Ink. I used several different shades of golden colors.

Later towards the end of creating - I added the round believe word tag and the little crystal from an old necklace.  There was just something fun about how they could hang from the other pieces.

Then I begin adding some personality - a bit of paper with words on it as well as crackle paste.  Here are some pictures of the crackle up close but most of it got covered up in the end.   After the crackle was dry I went over it with various shades of gold distress paint.




Then using only one stencil and one stamp set on this project - The Crafter's Workshop Sunburst stencil and Tim Holtz letters.  I added the "sunshine" rays to help my little seedling grow and began stamping the letters for the side on grunge board with archival ink. I cut the letters out by hand but cheated a little on the center of the O and the D - just painted it white!!!

I used a big brush pen to color the letters and accented them with Wink of Stella pens for a bit of sparkle. I also used the same pens to accent the sunrays with some shining sparkle after stenciling them with walnut stain distress ink. 


Here is a picture with flash to show the Wink of Stella on the rays! 



Out came the Fiber Paste to which I added burnt umber acrylic paint to make 'mud'!  By then it was getting late and the mud was the exact color of chocolate ice cream. Seriously - it made my mouth water - now HOW silly is that???  I didn't stop to get some of the real stuff though (good girl)!

While the "chocolate" fiber paste was still wet, the seeds were planted.  Yes - they are real seeds and it was a tedious undertaking. 

While my luscious chocolate earth was receiving it's seedling additions (translation... drying!)...  I began fussy cutting out my seedling plant.  Originally I painted the little stem and two leaves onto the wood but of course - there was no dimension so added two more layers of fussy cut card stock stems and leaves. I just drew them by hand and used pitt pens to decorate the veins. Loved finger painting them with silks so their veins would show well and they would have a bit of shine as well as color variation.  I also attached the seedling with glossy accents so that helped with the shine too.




On to the back of the Power of One!  

TIMELESS... that's how I think of anything inspirational and spiritual - TIMELESS.  I painted the timeless die cut with rusty hinge distress ink - which to me is gold when dried and edged it with a black pit pen and white uni-ball pen.



Then began the fun part - the metal!!  I just used old watch findings and a big watch spring.  Around that I added some beads, some filigree metal balls, and even some black snaps.  I set the black beads in clear glass bead texture gel.

Why the snaps???  Ok so it's just a funny thing that came to mind one night as I was trying to go to sleep.  You see...
I had the CRACKLE... then when I was adding the seeds I inadvertently ran across some POPcorn.   Sooooo don't you think I had to have the SNAP too?????  Hehehehehehhe!!! 


I also liked the little Idea-ology Small Talk sticker that says:
'always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder'.
PERFECT. 


At the very top and over the side... is a fussy cut picture of Michelangelo's Creation of Adam.  Just seems right for this piece.





The cheese cloth was sprayed with Gossamer Gold Lindy's Stamp Spray.  I added it because it just reminded me of how everything in our lives from beginning to end is intertwined.  

Added a couple of small rocks from the walking trail at the ranch and I think that completes this mixed media creation!

Thanks bunches for taking the time to stop by and read.  I just love being able to share with my creative and artistic family.
Hugs, joi.










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Sunday, February 21, 2016

My First Whimsical Horse with Fantasy Story Written by ME!!!!

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DAY 5... of
7 Days to post 7 2015 projects!

I appreciate Candy Colwell nominating for this fun!!

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WELCOME Partner
to...

SUNSHINE SOULS and DAYDREAM ACRES Farm & Ranch 


This is a land of fantasy and freedom.

A community of loyal friends and ultimate fun.

A friend could be any one - from robot to rebel.

Everyone and everything is welcome. 

Everyone and everything is always safe and happy. 

The sun shines love into hearts and dreams come true.

Walk among the village, the lanes, the parks.

Relax to the floating mystical waves of musical pleasure. 

Stroll thru buildings filled with whatever your mind wants to see:
a museum, a library, a church, a theater, a dining feast.  

The Chaumont Barn contains any critter the way you imagine it. 

See nature in it's most glorious array your eyes could behold.

Acres of daydreams will heap sunshine on your soul. 

Life is contentment. Contentment is joy. 

Sunshine is in your soul today!

Are you ready to go visit?  I know I am!!!  

See ya there... joi 
~ ~ ~




This is a 2 ft x 2 ft mixed media canvas.

I LOVED doing this project and so enjoyed creating my magical horse for Daydream Acres too!! 














This was originally created for the Scrap Around the World Mood Board as seen below for March 2015.



The horse was my inspiration because I had never drawn
or painted a horse before.  Since there was also a robot and
a futuristic theme... it encouraged me to TRY the horse. Why?  
Because I knew that it could look very strange and that would be 
ok in a futuristic world!!!  That gave me the courage to proceed :)

The colors interested me - so basic and minimalist - gray, white, yellow, blue. The twine reminded me that with horses comes rope!

I used lots of paper, die cuts, stamps, stickers, rub-ons, distress
and acrylic paints, embossing powder, metal tacks, and twine!

Thanks bunches for taking time to stop by. 
XO j.  


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Saturday, February 20, 2016

LETTERS OF CREATIVITY Mixed Media Canvas



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Hello to all of you creativity keepers out there! 
Hope your day is going well.  

This is DAY 4...
7 posts from 2015 in 7 days.  

Thanks bunches to Candy Colwell for nominating me to post. 

I hope you find all the little aspects of this CREATIVITY TYPOLOGY interesting. 


It began by covering the entire 2 ft x 2 ft canvas with newspaper!  Our local paper is so small that it barely covered the canvas.  Hubby works the crossword every day so it's there too - completely filled in!  LOTS of Typography of different types for the first layer.  



After adding several layers to the canvas of paint and paper scraps... I began the letters. 
Lots of the different products and techniques were used for them. 
Here are a few:
Stamping
Embossing
Fussy Cutting
Painting
Marking
Oil Pastels
Glitter
Journaling
Metal Foil
Embellishments
Chipboard 

The "E" and "Y" were done with the same type of technique so I included them in the same picture! 

 





The next letter was RAINBOWS!! Love the promises of rainbows. 





And here are some close-ups of all the letters.  It would be hard for me to say which one I like best.  They were all so fun to do and each described in a different way what CREATIVITY means to me! 


Here is the ACROSTIC for you:

C: Courage

R: Reinvent
E: Emotion
A: Art
T: Transform
I: Illuminate
V: Visionary
I: Imagination
T: Timeless
Y: YOU (and me!!)

































Thanks bunches and bunches for taking the time to read my description and peruse my pictures. 

And thank you for your comments. They just make my day!
My reply blogger reply button doesn't work but I read each one.

Hugs! joi  

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