Life Book 2015 Week 20 with Jenny Doh

This week’s lesson was by Jenny Doh is – Unraveling Through Mark Making.

First of all, this lesson was way beyond my comfort zone.  Some people are able to make awesome intuitive creations, but I had a hard time with this.

I created two today because the first one was done totally without thinking, spent too much time on it, and I feel it was a total mess.  I used fluid acrylics, high flow acrylics, fine line applicator, Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils, and palette knives.

I started out by dropping two colors of ink and using my spatula to make marks on the paper, then I switched to the fine line applicator and some black India ink.  I didn’t like what was going on so I started on the left side of the paper just using the red and violet.  I could see what looked like a red hat, so I went with it; then added the face.  I call her The Red Hat Lady.  She’s looking pretty sad because she just saw what was behind the curtain on the right side.  That’s my story and I’m sticking with it!  LOL

This is a closeup (she’s so sad!)

I also dripped some of the paint and added red lines – doesn’t it look like a shower curtain?  LOL

The next piece is my sort of non intuitive painting – I didn’t know what I was going to make, but after laying the paint and making some circles, I decided very soon into the process that I was going to make a face – yeah the face of punk girl!

The word for this one is Just Be – whatever you want to be – Just Be!

Close up of the face (purple mole, or is it just a stain?)

I used a pink neon high flow acrylic paint for the title and made other marks with the violet, red, and black inks.

Well, I’m just glad I did it and got it over with.  Maybe I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for doing this type of art, but I gave it a try and hopefully next time I will like it a bit more!

Thanks for stopping by and…

Keep on crafting!

Carmen

Unity Stamps Be Inspired Challenge

Today is the last day to post our cards for the Be Inspired challenge at Unity Stamps.  I made this card Saturday, but hadn’t had time to post until today.  Almost missed it!!

I started out by creating a mixed media background using a piece of manila folder and blending Distress Inks in Mowed Lawn, Mustard Seed, Ripe Persimmon, and Picked Raspberries.   I then cut it to 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 to make the base of the card; then I used three different stencils to add some accents.

I added a piece of vellum to soften the colors and for the “Hello Darling” sentiment I used my new stamp set, Butterfly Endearment.  I used Shabby Shutters and immediately added clear embossing powder.  I just love that I don’t have to use different colors of embossing powder because the distress inks stay wet.

Then I used the left over piece of the manila folder and stamped the everything wonderful circle stamp using Mowed Lawn.  For the collaged butterfly I used the same colors and also embossed it with clear embossing powder.

Finally, I added some green raffia and green confetti hearts.

I really enjoyed making this card and I’m hoping it gets chosen!

See you soon,

Carmen

Life Book Week 19 – Shadow and Light

Wow, two posts in one week!!  I must really be behind!  Nah, just taking my time, LOL!

This lesson was presented by Jessica Swift.  She is an awesome pattern designer from Portland, Oregon.  She designs hand carved stamps and other media.  You should go to her shop and see all the amazing things she creates!

This was so much fun!  I got to use some of the stamps I created myself when I took Julie Fei-Fan Balzer’s Stamp Carving Class a while back.  Please go visit her too – she is obsessed with carving stamps LOL.  I also purchased her book Carve Stamp Play which is full of wonderful carving and how-to pictures!

But I digress, sorry about that.

I only made one stamp for this class because I tried to make the one thing I have difficulty with – circles!

Since I will be creating a big journal at the end of our creative year, I opted for creating two pages on one large watercolor page.

I divided my page in half by adding painter’s tape to the middle and right hand side so I could have a border.  I will be cutting off the paper on the left side, then folding the whole page in the middle.

The left side is the light part.  I used acrylic paints in greens on the bottom layer and Speedball block printing ink in turquoise for the stamps.  I used a favorite stamp of mine at the bottom because this is the one my grandson’s friend made for me.  It has two small ants at the bottom of the flower, cute!  Then I stamped the leaves on the borders followed by one small stamp I turned right or left to make a border.  Then I made lines with my dotted home-made stamp for journaling.

The dark side on the right is a combination of different shades of purple acrylic paint and then I used a pink Speedball block printing ink with the home-made stamps.  I also added some white dots with the white paint marker.  My husband was really impressed when I showed him this page .  Made me happy!

This is the upper part of the light page.  I added black dots with my Pitt pen.

A close up of the border I used between the two pages.

Sorry about the picture bellow, it warped a bit on the right hand side.  You can see a closeup of the 1/2 flower I made with the leaves on the dark page.

The bottom right with the line stamp and white dots.

And the closeup of the flower with the white dots.

I was really happy to use all the different types of pens and materials I have accumulated in the past seven years since I started playing with paper.

I go to Joann’s, Michael’s or Hobby Lobby and go straight to the clearance section to find anything that is on clearance I can use  in the future.  I have found quite a bit of goodies every time!

Next week we will be having a substitute instructor – I promise to be nice to her, LOL!  Apparently Flora Bowley is having some family health issues and will not be posting so Jenny Doh will take her place and Flora Bowley will do her class in the summer.

Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned, lovely friends, and see what new project I have in store.

Until then,  happy crafting!

Carmen

Life Book Week 18 – Here’s Looking At You Kid

This week’s lesson was interesting in that I had never done marbling with paints.  So Kristin Van Valkenbergh showed us how to get the kid inside of us to come us.  The interesting thing about Kristin is that she makes such cute mixed media pieces with whimsical wide eyes girls, but she showed us something completely different.

I used watercolor paper again on this one.  I created a marbling effect with only four different colors of acrylic paint.  I then attached my favorite photo and painted an aura around it. Then cut out a small door where my inner child would appear.  She had us write a letter from our “kid” about never loosing that inner child and representing our childhood with bright colors of acrylic paint.  I think if I do this lesson again, I’m going to use more neutral colors.  I think it came out too dark.

I used molding paste on one of Tamara Laporte’s whimsical stencils on the upper right hand corner and then used oil pastels (first time ever!) to color and add dimension.

For the door, I used card stock that looked like wood and Washi tape for the “hinge” and enhanced it with acrylic paint, stamps and more pastels.  I don’t remember the stencil I used on the bottom, but I also added more pastels to it.

My inner child used bright neon acrylic paint, chipboard banners, hearts, spirals and heart confetti.

The picture ended up looking like a lime sherbet cone!

After I uploaded the above picture, I decided that it did look like a cone so I outlined it!

Well, I am keeping up with the classes up to now, just not posting as soon as I finish because real life gets in the way some times.

Until next time, friends, happy crafting!

Carmen