A day from the past....

Hello Crafty friends…

A bright, cheerful welcome to all of you…that’s how it is here in this part of the world! How about you???

Today, I have an art journal page to share with you inspired by some lovely challenges.

The mood board at SATW just triggered the childhood memories in me, especially the bicycle! The moment I saw that on the mood board, I knew what was coming.

I had ordered for some lovely decoupage tissues online and patiently waited for it to arrive so that I could do this page!

And so…I went about altering one of the pages from the children’s story book (yet another childhood possession of mine) and so happy to see it bulging with my works, lol!

Here is how I started! I got so carried away in the creation, I forgot to take the step by step pics..

Step1 – since it was a printed page, I wanted some of the text and image to be seen in the bg. I applied 3 colors of gelatos Lavender, snow cone and lemon randomly on the page and then blended it with gesso to arrive some translucent pastel shade! I loved the fact that I could still see the layer beneath.

Step2 – Adding more layers with stencils and inks. I use Archival blue, green, brown, black and went about creating textures with burlap and hearts stencil from TH and ferns stencil from Color Box . I liked the breezy look of the palm leaves in the back drop…so reminds me of my holidays at the back yard of my aunt’s house!

Step3- Some stamping with Bo bunny text and kaiserKraft butterflies and music notes. I watered the gesso and with a small round cap created circles here and there. Then came the texture paste and TCW bricks stencil and I also applied some crackle paste on the bricks randomly for some more texture. Now this was beginning to look more like a back yard! I added the postal seal to give it a vintage feel, after all it’s a day from my past!

Step4-  Now comes the interesting part. I tore the part I wanted from the napkin and adhered it to the page with gel medium. The page suddenly came alive! I could almost visualize myself playing there as a little girl! The breezy palms, the cozy bench, lovely flowers in bloom, the green grass, the brick wall, music in the background, butterflies hovering, a few dragon flies too and oh yes! The bicycle parked…Does that ring a bell in your memory too???

Step5- I went about inking the edges on the page with walnut stain and then black soot and took out my Visual artistry stitches stamp. I stamped the faux stitches in black in some places and then added a few more straight stitches in white with gel pen. To me this looks like water colored image on fabric and adding the stitches was the perfect finishing touch!

Step6- Embellishments…how I LOVE them! I made some white flowers with modge mold and Plaster of Paris. I got a bunch of tiny white flowers and inked the edges with DI worn lipstick and mustard seeds.

I stamped some tiny butterflies on text page and again inked with DI worn lipstick and peacock feathers and had them placed dimensionally on the page as if they were flying.

And finally…a tribute to all our childhood. 

Since this page took me back in time, I added a tiny metal clock charm, heart charm(cos I LOVE that gilrlie bi cycle) and tied it together with a white twine to make the smallest bow possible and attached it to the flower basket on the bi cycle with a tiny flower too! Oh! This is my most fav spot in this page…

Step 7- The quote. Simple and sweet and nothing more! I stamped this with alphabet stamps that I purchased recently and love the fact that I can now make my own sentiments and quotes with it. A few color spalts in black and white and my page was ready.

 I hope this page strikes a chord in all you and if sis give you a glimpse of your childhood, give me a shout out!

I want to HEAR it!

I am riding my bi cycle to the following challenges…

Scarp AroundThe Word – I can’t thank you enough for the lovely mood board this month…you brought my childhood back!

Simon MondayChallenge – home grown summer (here is a page from my back yard!)

Try It OnTuesday – stencils challenge ( loads of it for texture)

Frilly andFunkie Challenge –stitch in time ( I have a 2 tone faux stitches with which I have tied all the elements on the page and that little clock charm that reminds me of my childhood)

Stamps andStencils – Time flies ( yes, how it flies..I am glad I could go back in time to create this page)

FantasticTuesday Challenge – Ag with butterflies ( have lots of them, few stamped and few fussy cut ones hovering all around in the back yard)

Moo Mania – embellishments ( LOVE them, the tiny POP flowers and my metal charms)

Hope you had a great time in my back yard!

Until my next creative journey,

Happy Crafting and re cycling.

Cheers.

"CELEBRATE" with colors

Hello Crafty peeps…

Welcoming you to my page today with mixed emotions. Today marks the 50^th challenge at Anything But A card…yeah, that’s good news but then it also happens to be the last…so we decided to celebrate in style. That’s it, the theme this month is “Celebration” and do what your creative soul prompts you to except no cards!

Join in the celebration here and see what the Dt’s have to show you and looking forward to seeing all of you play one last time.

I decided to play with colors this time and that too metallics…am loving bright colors these days..Oh my! What happened to my vintage love??? Not to worry…

I altered an empty packaging box that was lying around and made something to fit inside…well that’s the surprise!

Here is the altered box..

Step1 – I took a piece of black CS measuring the lid size and ran it thru Itsy Bitsy floral embossing folder. Then generously rubbed brushed pewter DS and rubbed with a wipe to reveal the black CS in places.

Step2 – I took out all the bright acrylics and metallic colors that I had and started building up layers, wiping and applying to reveal the color beneath. Also gave dry streaks of acrylics…you can see the bright colors here.

Step3- I chose a bright orange fiber paper and covered the lid and then adhered this embossed CS on top. The flowers are made with Cheery Lynn Sun flower die on white handmade paper and spritzed some yellow metallics first and then rubbed in wild honey DI for the edges and also dry brushed some gesso to give texture. Foe the flower center I glued in some white sand and colored it with alcohol inks. I thought these two flowers complimented the embossed flowers on the CS. I had a few berries and CLD tropical leaves which completed the floral arrangement.

Step4 – The sentiment is from KaiserKraft and I love a little sentiment always peeking from all my projects. It’s as if they are trying to say something to you. I had some left over Sizzix flourish die cuts from my previous project and decided to heat emboss it in gold to add the ornamentation! The ornate button is modge mold colored with alcohol inks and then rubbed Inka gold. The corner metal plates have been antiqued with acrylics and Inka gold and finally some green crystal bling just makes you open your eyes wide! Yes…this is way too colorful…remember we are celebrating!

Step 5 – The box ix open now! What do you see…ye, a lovely had dyed seam binding in all the bright colored DI and I made a loopy bow with it. I decorated the center with some beads and baubles and some metal charms that says it all.

But WHAT IS THIS??? Any guesses….

 Step6- I made a clutch style mini album which fits perfectly inside the box. It has 4 pocket pages and spaces for small pics and spaces for journaling. I have used DCWV as proud as a Peacock, paper line. More colors…

I am glad I made this colorful project in time to give it to my cousin who visited me from London, I was meeting her after 6 years and yes, that moment had to be documented!

I hope this colorful feast prompts and inspires you to play along and do take time to participate in the “celebrations” challenge.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I would like to have this project enter the following challenges…

That CraftPlace – AG mixed media

Sisters ofCraft- Ag

Inky Chicks – use metal embellishment

Createsomething catchy Challenge week#2- handmade flowers

Craft forthe Craic

Frosteddesigns- metals/metallics

ArtbyMiran - Ag
We Love To Create Craft Ch#16- ag mixed media

Until my next creative journey,

Happy Crafting and Re cycling.

Cheers.

A creative short cut!

Hello Crafty peeps…

Welcome to my page today and hoping this month goes well for all! I am sharing my DT project for Rhedd’s Creative Spirit where the challenge is always Anything Goes but only mixed media or altered art, no cards please!

Before I get to share what I made, would like to ask you if you have at any point chosen a short cut to creating any project? You have an idea in mind and can’t wait to see the final picture and so you chose a short cut method so that the project gets over fast….have you done that?

I had to do it here! I was so blown away by various artists who have played with polymer clay and have done some lovely art tiles with it. I wanted to do it but who had the clay and moreover I was not going to wait for a day for the clay to dry and then assemble it on my project! And so…I chose the short cut…yes my very first faux  clay tile!

I have altered yet another biscotti box here…given to me by a dear friend (the empty box, lol)…she knew I would love to play with it! Thanks Anu…

After the previous vintage makeover to a biscotti box which you can see here, I wanted something bright, ornate and colorful and so this is what I made…

Step 1- I sponged the lid with gesso and purple acrylic paint to get this lovely lavender shade. The sponging gives a natural texture which I like for all my boxes! As the lid was drying, I decided to make my tiles.

Step 2- I cut out strips of different sizes from an empty cereal box and layered 2 pcs to get some thickness. I gessoed them and gave texture with some modeling paste, TCW flowers and damask stencil and Prime basket weave stencil. Blasted a heat gun to dry them fast…remember I said shortcut!

Step3 – once the pcs were dry, I applied some brown black acrylic paint to all of them and then used metallic acrylic paints to given hints of color to the raised portion of the relief. I just took some paint on my finger and brushed them on top randomly. I have used blue and green paints and where they merged, there was a lovely purple shimmer!

Step 4- I rubbed in old gold Inka gold to mute the bright colors a bit and voila, my faux clay tiles are ready! That’s not even short cut, its like fast food, lol! I stuck some blingy colored crystals for grandeur!

Step 5- Now for the focal tile. Since there was grandeur all around, I chose to keep the focal tile simple. I stamped this lovely winged Ivy Goddess from Paper Artsy, Eclectica by Elizebeth Borer onto black CS and heat embossed in gold. The edges of the tile are inked with purple shimmer and have edged all the tiles with old gold. I decided to keep the tiles matte and hence no glossy accents or varnish.

Step6- By now, the lid was dry and I placed my tiles on top and further decorated the box corners with some blue crystals . Colored the base with some brown acrylics and gesso and rubbed in Inka gold.

Step 7- The closure is a modge mold resin which I have colored with blue alcohol inks and rubbed Inka Gold. I loved the antique look. 

The little ornate feet has been given an antique look and just perfect for this box.

 I was fortunate that the inside of the box was already a dull gold and so I kept is that way.

Here is a closer look at the Ivy Goddess in all her grandeur!

 That’s a lot of bling, quite unusual of me and yes I managed to do all of this in flat 2 hours! I know this is no match to the original clay tiles but shortcut is all about reaching there early right! If you have short cut story, do share.

Hope this inspires you all to play along and would love to see your creations linked as soon as possible. Do have a look at all the wonderful creations by the design team here.

I would like to have my Ivy Goddess enter the following challenges…

Crafty cardmakers Challenge- Anything But a card

Shopping ourStash Challenge blog- add bling

Crafting bydesigns – AG

Frilly andFunkie challenge- Things with wings ( The lovely Ivy Goddess)
The Artistic Stamper Creative Blog- AG
That's Crafty Ch Blog- use purple
Crafts4 Eternity- AG
Sisters Of Craft - AG
A Bit More Time To Craft - Ag

Until my next creative journey,

Happy Crafting and re cycling,

Cheers.