Honoring the Heart-A Mixed Media Board Book

Good morning everyone! In honor of February and all things "love", I created this mini board book honoring the heart using the Faber Castell mixed media journaling boards from this month's kit. I wanted to do a different background technique for all of the pages.

For the first page, I started with the black Gelato from the kit. I just rubbed it right onto the surface and added water to create a smoky background. I made the dots with the white Gelato and highlighted them with a red Faber Castell Big Brush pen. I added the doodling with my white gel pen. I had these cute mixed media stickers that I received from my sister in law for Christmas, so I altered this one by adding the valentine and label from the kit clip art and Stickles to her crown. I found a heart quote from a piece of old paper in my stash and cut that out and attached. Here is a close up of the finished page:

For the second page, I wanted a painted background. I finger painted some of my favorite colors on the background, then very loosely painted a flower shape with black paint and a thin brush. I added some highlights with the white paint.. I also used the Sin City stamps in the background, as well as dots from a Ranger paint dabber. Very simple, but colorful and fun to do!

Page 3 was a fun one to create. I started with a background of Pan Pastels. Then, I stamped with the rose stamp from Sin City stamps and Versamark to create a resist. Next, I laid down a stencil and used the Pan Pastel through that was well. It was cool seeing the pattern from the stamps come through the stencil. I sprayed with fixative, and let it dry. Finally, I created the horizon line at the bottom using my Aqua Letraset markers and smudged it in. I added another little mixed media sticker girl and attached another quote.

For my "fearless heart" card, I started the background with Pan Pastels again. Next, I rubbed an area with the white Gelato from the kit to create a highlight for the clip art heart I added. I found a little corner stamp in my stash and stamped that in the corner with black StayZ On ink. Then, I took a chipboard key, coated it with Glossy Accents and Distress Glitter and attached it to the card with my hot glue gun. I also added the Prima button. When it was all pieced together, I added a thin layer of Glitter Structure Paste in Magenta.

For the fourth card, I used Distress Paints and a stencil to create the background. I added a strip of washi tape down the middle and added another of the mixed media sticker girls and a "loved" label. I hand drew the border with a pencil, then filled it in with my markers and gel pens.

For the last page, I did stripes of Gelatos in pink, gold, red, and yellow. I added some water and used downward brush strokes to create a blended effect. I used a stamp from Sin City as the focal point. Then I used my Letraset Aqua markers to create the "grass" area at the bottom. I added a few doodles with my gel pen and another cut out sentiment.

I covered the back of all of these pages with a solid color paint, and on the advice of my five year old daughter, have decided to add some writing eventually to each page. I hope you enjoyed, have a great week!

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A Blank Canvas, September Edition...

Hi Tina here today with the September Edition of 'A Blank Canvas', my monthly blog series that walks through how I create a mixed media layout from a naked sheet of cardstock.

By adding Kit supplies and product from my own stash, I will take the ordinary and turn it into something unique and special.  I hope you join me each month as I travel this journey of creation and exploration!

Before we get to the step-by-step, let's take a peek at my mixed media layout created for September.

Products used from the September kit include:  Faber Castel Big Brush Pens, Fragments, Hero Art Ink, Paper Pen, and watercolor paper. I also used a star stamp from the Stamp Add On, available in the Frog Dog Studio shop.

In addition, I Studio Calico wooden bubbles, Zing embossing powder, UTEE embossing powder, and a Fude Ball pen from my stash.

Before I share the video tutorial, here are a few more close-ups of my layout.

And the video...

I hope you enjoyed by design process tutorial! I am loving neon right now, so I created a second mixed media layout and I thought I'd share it too.

I hope you enjoyed this month's edition of 'A Blank Canvas'!  Please try out these techniques and share your projects with us on our Facebook page!  We love to see what our members and friends have created!

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Bring On The Color! - Featured Kit and LTD Kit

This month's kits inspired me to the max!  I like bold, jewel tone or tropical colors!  I do like earthy colors but the tropical colors make me happy.

Here is the September kit.  Look at all the goodies you receive!!!  I especially LOVE the Faber Castill Pitt Stamper's Big Brush!  Along with the stamps, the Big Brushes are permanent on paper, but on non porous surfaces, the color stays wet - so perfect for stamping with.  The Dylusions spray let me get playful and add splatters to my art.  The items I didn't use in this post, will be showcased in my Playful Musings post on August 25.

Here is the Limited Edition Kit!  I adore creating with the Gelli Plate!  The brayer you receive is soft and perfect for making mono prints.  The Stencils and other goodies has your imagination going on overdrive not wanting to stop designing prints!

This art infuses 2 Gelli Plate prints,  the Big Brush Pens, and a graphic image I computer generated.

A little paint goes a long way on the Gelli plate.  For best results, use water-based paint and inks.  Oil based may be used but they are harder to work with and clean off the plate.

An even motion back and forth, side to side is used.  Sweep upwards at the top, and downwards at the bottom lifting the brayer off the end of the plate with each pass.  The brayer in the kit is a soft brayer which is perfect for mono printing with the Gelli plate. Harder brayers won't work as well.

Here are photos of the two Gelli prints I made.  I took the first print, and adhered the second print on top for contrast.  I enhanced the second print - the circles, by using the  Big Brush Pens.  The circles were originally white.

The graphic is printed on vellum and adhered to the art after using the  Big Brush Pens, black pen, and white ink to add contrast, dimension and color.  3D elements added for further contrast and texture.

Here is the finished art.  After printing with the Gelli plate, I added more ink, stenciled numbers, collaged, add more ink from the Big Brush Pens, and 3D embellishments.  See how the pink lacing adds a perfect divider from the two prints.

This art is using the featured kit, no Gelli plate.  I die cut the background paper and watercolor painted cardstock.  To enhance it, I took crumbled plastic, and scribbled on it with the Big Brush Pens.  These Big Brush Pens stay wet on stamps and any non- porous surfaces (see my Playful Musings at the end of the month for more detail).

The white Dylusions spray is a dream!!  I was able to spritz and splatter (from the bottle) the paint.  Also added white to the UmWow Chipboard elements.  The sun was stamped using the Big Brush Pens  and painted/enhanced with a gel pen.  The black "amazing" was made more dimensional with the black paint pen.

3 different types of art, done differently but from the Featured Kit and the Limited Edition Kit!!!  Too many ideas to show here, once I started creating, I couldn't Stop!

Gelli Plate Tips:
- Fabric paints like Lumiere's will work with the Gelli Plate.  You will get beautiful results.

- Watercolors are not the best for the Gelli Plate. The viscosity (thin) will bead up on the Gelli Plate.  It can be done, especially with Gouache watercolors.  Experiment and see what you can come up with.

- Do your monoprinting on dry paper - do not wet or soak paper first.  Glossy does not work as it will stick to the plate and damage the surface of the plate.

- If your paints bead up on the surface, there might be a film build up, easy to remove by washing plate surface with dish soap like Dawn.

- If your paper is sticking to the Gelli Plate, there is too little paint on the surface.  A slight learning curve as you print, to see how much paint is required.  You want a thin coat but not too thin.


Cre8tivelea Yours - Lea

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Texture Tips with Melissa--September Frog Dog Studio Kit

Good morning all! Melissa here with September's texture tip :)

This month I received the neon themed kit to play with, and play I did! For my first project I did some work in my art journal using a little bit of everything in the kit.

I started by rubbing the neon green ink pad all over the journal page to create the background.

Next, I added some of the Dylusions white spray ink.

Then, I began adding little bits and pieces of the paint chips, the stickers, and the color fragments. I attached them all with matte medium.

The next step is where I brought in some texture. I laid down a flower stencil and then covered it with Golden Fiber Paste. This paste has a very fibrous feel to it, like a handmade paper. It has a very rustic look that I enjoy.

Using the Viva Liquid Pencil, I added in some doodles along the top and bottom areas. I also cut up the neon pink plastic roll and attached a few of them as circles on the page.

For the final step, I did an exercise that I learned from the book Unstuck. You take a random page in a book and just begin selecting words and phrases that jump out at you. Then I arranged them into a little poem--fun! I cut them out and attached them to the page, then went around them with the pink Faber Castel big brush pen to highlight each phrase and add a little depth.

Here is the finished product and a close up:

Thanks for stopping by!!

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Gelli Plate Madness!

Hi! and Happy Monday!

Tina here today to kick us off with our September Design Team tutorials, tips, and how-to's.  Before we get started with today's video tutorial, let's take a peek again at the 2 AMAZING kits offered this month!

First up, we have the September Mixed Media kit!

Neons are screaming HOT today and this kit is full of bright, vibrant colors and patterns.  The creating possibilities are endless!

We also have a Limited Edition kit, that will provide an unlimited amount of projects and will allow you to create unique, one of a kind mixed media canvases, art journals, and more.

Today, I will be sharing a few projects created with the September Limited Edition kit.  My first video tutorial will show you how to use your Gelli Plate and provide some basic information on the Gelli Plate projects and options.

Let's get started with the first video tutorial!

How is that for a cool product?  And so many uses!

I also wanted to share with you 2 projects I created with my Gelli Plate prints.  First, I would like to share a Girl Canvas that was created using several of my Gelli Prints on Deli Paper.

The canvas background was created using Gelli Prints, paint, and ink.  Here's a short video on that process.

My second project uses one of my Gelli prints as a base for an art journal page.  I don't have a video tutorial on my design process, but here are some images of my art journal page and close-ups.

I used a similar technique as used on my Girl canvas, building layers with paint, ink, and sprays.

If you are looking for a way to create endless, unique projects, a Gelli Plate is the way to go!  You will be addicted, I can guarantee it!  :)

Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a great Monday!

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