Bonus Collage

 This month I rounded up some of my leftover supplies from Frog Dog Studios kits and made a 12"x16" collage. 

 I'm not sure what I will do with it next. I might cut it down to smaller pieces. 

I did make a focal point, but I think it would do better with a quiet surrounding near by. 

Be kind to your dreams! So sweet! 

 Using the Alumilite metal powder and water makes that liquid metal. So amazing! 

 Also look for:

 Cardboard

 Tissue Papers 

 Gold pigment ink

 Mica fragments

 

Also used: Golden paint, Krink paint pen, stamp and leftover transparency embellishments. 

  Tina is really good at picking out awesome supplies for the kits each month! Hope you keep your leftovers too.- heather

Tweet

Dream on, Dreamer!---and this month's Texture Tip

Good morning! Melissa here with a new tutorial using April's kit materials, specifically the super cool mini clipboard. Let's get started!

To begin, I covered the metal clamp from the clipboard with some gesso and the gold ink from the kit (my new favorite ink!). I also dabbed some random spots with Ranger Walnut ink. When that was dry, I used some of my leftover rusting powder from Dusty Attic (from the March kit) to give it an overall distressed look.

While that was curing, I covered the chipboard piece with a piece of the tissue paper from the kit. This blue and gold paper makes me happy!

Next, I added one of the Tim Holtz bingo card stickers and used one of the new Dina Wakely heart stamps and StayZ On ink from the kit to do a little stamping.

I continued to build the collage layers over the bingo card. I used a clip art image of the lady from my stash and fussy cut a little peacock "hat" from another sheet of the tissue paper found in the kit. I found two little flower stickers in my stash and added them onto her hat as well. Found the word "dream" sticking to the side of my collage junk drawer and that seemed to be the finishing touch.Now she's lookin' pretty fancy :)

Using the blue mini StayZ On ink pad, I did some inking around the edges. Just to give it a little definition!

Continuing with the theme of my lady's peacock-ish headdress, I altered a coordinating chipboard peacock to match. This poor little bird went through a few different variations. I finally settled on glitter. I mean, this lady is looking pretty glamorous, so why not!? TEXTURE TIP: In the past I have used glitter paste as a texture, but I think a lot of us overlook just simple glitter. It adds more of a fine grainy texture than what you get with texture paste. At Nat Kalbach's class at CHA we received some gorgeous Stampendous glitter tubes. I used this to make this chipboard dazzling! It started out red, then gold, then I settled on a mixture of the blue glitter with the gold ink. I didn't coat it completely, because I wanted it to look a little vintage to fit with the overall style of the piece.

For the finishing touch, I attached some gold ink enhanced paper flowers from Prima to the clamp. Then I "nested" the peacock above them. I had some leftover Amazing Clear Cast Resin left over from my elephant painting, so I decided to cover the entire chipboard portion with it. I can't bring myself to throw any of that stuff away, it's too awesome!

Tweet

Amazing Inspiration

AMAZING CRAFTING PRODUCTS this month with Frog Dog Studio!  It is a wonderful Add On Kit!  These are essential mixed media products by Alumilite Corporation, http://www.moldputty.com

To Clipboard or not to Clipboard, that is the question!!  In this post, I created one clipboard art, but the clip is more of an accent than to hold anything.  The second is inspirational art.  I love quotes, affirmations, mantras.  These works of art can be made and kept in a box like a deck of card.  Pull one out every day for instant inspiration!

The board is Gesso'd as the base, then layers of the gold ink is painted.  Some painting is done thinly, and some painting has splotches and puddles of color.

The image is collaged, with the StazOn in red.  Next I dusted the whole piece (except parts of the face) with  Alumilite Gold Metallic Powder, and Alumindust in Red Plum.    Look at how I was able to subtly shade the face with the gold and red plum.

The mica fragments were tinted with paint, adhered to the art, and more gold ink and red plum powder added.  The clip itself was painted thickly with the gold ink and glazed with paint.

I really love treasures I have that I can mold and cast with Amazing Mold Putty and Amazing Casting Resin!

Even my Epic Fails work as accents in my art.  The accents on this art piece is a fail that was in pieces and I painted them with the gold ink and added them to my surface.  The gold ink is randomly added to some of the gold on the tissue paper.

I printed inspiration on vellum and added to the surface.  A stamp image added for feeling.  Gelly Roll Pens were used to to fill in colors on the stamped image.

The blue StazOn was swiped on the background and blended with my finger as well as a lighter blue paint pounced around the area.

Find treasures such as charms, small sculptures, buttons, any object you can wrap the Amazing Mold Putty around and create a mold.  Brush Alumilite Metallic Powders or Alumindust into the mold before casting.  Alumilite dyes can be added to the Amazing Clear Cast Resin for personalized shades.

The mummy and column was casted using embossing enamels and Alumindust painted inside the mold before pouring the enamel in it.

Click the link at the top of this post to find great tutorials and information/tips for Amazing Crafting Products.  Easy to use, but I found the tips very helpful.

One of the best tips is to NOT press the item right into the molding putty when activate, but to roll the putty from one end of the item to the other, and gently press for a flat bottom.  The putty will be evenly distributed that way.

Also be mindful of the humidity in your area.  The more humidity requires just a little bit more drying time.

Until next time and more April Goodness - - -

Cre8tivelea Yours - Lea

Tweet

Steampunk Trinket Boxes

      Hello! Hello! I'm psyched to be here to craft! Let's dive in. You may have seen the sneak peek already, and we are going to start with the boxes.

      I have in mind to feature a reoccurring theme called, "Just One More Thing." Every month I'll add something to the kit. Maybe I'll have a cool found object or maybe I'll have a simple object that has a huge impact in my projects. 

      This month it is turquoise acrylic paint. When I saw metal, rust, metallic sprays, and gears, I was thrilled and knew I needed a turquoise/teal/mint green paint. 

      Rust and patina greens are literally made for each other. Think of the Statue of Liberty, she is copper on the outside! The turquoise looks great and provides a contrast to the rust so you can see the texture more easily. 

   TIP: I tested which color I should paint the gear 

before applying the rust and it made no difference. 

 Above: the gears turning rusty. 

Here is one with the paint.

TIP: Apply unevenly, build up paint in corners if possible.

           I also sprayed the gears with both of the Lindy's Stamp Gang Sprays to get some yellow metallic in the rust. 

TIP: make your spray spotty or splotchy

 by not pushing the spray button down fully.

       For the lid of the box, I tried out the black paint from the kit. I had never seen it before and now I love it! It dries quickly like an alcohol ink, but it looks like a glossy paint. 

      Check out the look when the lids were covered! 

                                                          

TIP: give them a little extra time for the paint to fully set,

 and if you scratch it, try covering the scratch with a Sharpie. 

      The bottom part of the boxes are painted turquoise. I then decorated with patterned  paper and a Steampunk babe I had been saving (from "Steampunk Spells"). On the smaller box I used hot air balloons with stacked gears. 

         The super sleek black made a huge contrast to the flat, colorful paper and the texturized gears. I was so happy with the final result! 

     Thanks for checking this out and soon I'll show you how to make a little book that will fit inside the large box. 

Enjoy! -heather 

(In the pretty green moss)

Tweet

Frog Dog Studio Holiday Ornament

Loving the December kit!!!  I will be using the Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements Fabric, the Prima Marketing stamps, the collage image of the girl, the Viva Decor Modeling Paste, and Luminarte's Silk Paints.

I adore the vintage look of the collage image girl, and chose to use her as the focal point of this ornament.

Adhere the Tim Holtz fabric to the ornament blank.  Glaze/paint with the Silk paints as the beginning of the background.

Stamp the background with the squares.  Add modeling paste to the hat and muff, as well as the evergreens.  Lightly add the the paste to the hat and muff (coat too).  Add the paste heavier on the evergreens to show heavy snow on the branches.  

The Silk paint is great for adding a shadow to the muff, hat and the girl's clothes.

Past kits always gives me more media to use!  Here I am using the Lindy's spray from the October Kit, and I am spraying the woven edging that is in the December kit.  Once dried, I glue it around the ornament.

For the finished art, I stamped more squares, splashed more Silk paints, enhanced the word Merry Christmas, added gold with the Sakura Gelly Roll Pen.  Painted a wood tree with Silks and added that and finished with a bow on the top.

Anyone would love to hang an ornament like this!  The time and love put into it will touch anyone who receives it.  Ok, so I am putting this one on my tree, but will be making more to give!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, MERRY CHRISTMAS, PEACE ON EARTH

Cre8tivelea Yours - Lea

Tweet

Texture Tips with Melissa-Using the October Limited Edition Kit

Good morning, Melissa here with this month's texture tip and project using the super fun October Limited Edition Kit. When I first saw the kit goodies, I was really excited. I love making Halloween projects!! One of my favorite things in this kit is the Day of the Dead stencil. Living in San Antonio you see a lot of this type of artwork and I always enjoy it's different interpretations. For this project I used a majority of the kit supplies including the stencil, the 9 x 12 canvas board, Lindy's Magicals, Lindy's spray ink, Dylusions stamps, Tim Holtz rub ons, and ephemera.

I started by collaging some of the book paper onto the canvas board and covering it with the orange Magicals and Lindy's spray ink. I also went around the edges of the board with the purple Magicals. Then I added the borders with the Dylusions stamps and black Stayz On ink.



In the next step, I used the stencil to create a mask. I laid the stencil down on white paper and traced around the edge, then cut the image out and laid it down on the canvas board and traced around it with a white gel pen. I did this so that I could paint the entire skull white, then use the stencil on top of it later.



I painted the skull area with the white Magicals, then laid down the stencil and loosely painted in the details with the purple. I also added the green Magicals to the Dylusion stamp border.



I added some detail and texture here by mixing up the orange Magicals with some Viva Glitter paste. I also used a white gel pen to outline some of the areas.



I wanted the piece to have some more dimension, so I added some shading using Distress Ink and a gray Copic marker (which by the way is my go-to for subtle shading--it works really great!)



At this point, I realized the piece felt a bit off so I decided to paint the eyes with the black Magicals. I also mixed up some of the Viva Glitter paste and added it in because really, who doesn't like a blinged out skull? :) This is also where more texture comes into play. I used a silver Viva Decor Pearl Pen to add these tiny little raised detail dots all around the features of the skull.



For the last step, I added the Tim Holtz rubons all over the edges of the piece. I love how rubons add texture and interest to the background.



And here is the finished product:



And a few close ups:



Thanks for stopping by!

Tweet