Art Journalling vintage/mixed media

Hi it's Brenda here today to share an entry I created in my vintage altered journal. This is an old reading book with gessoed pages where I love experimenting with layers, mediums and paints and keeping it to a vintage theme.

I have used  some of Andy's stamps and stencils in the layering processes.

I started with the white gessoed page and added textures by using black modelling paste through the stencils.

After several layers of paints and more gesso I ended up with a wedding/anniversary themed page. As I had no idea where I was going when I began the double spread I am quite happy with the outcome.

For more details and photos please join me at Bumblebees and Butterflies where I explain the steps and techniques.

Have a wonderful weekend.

hugs Brenda xxx

Supplies

Illusionary Artists stamps - Gothic Grunge, Tech Trauma

Andy Skinner stencils - Creativity, Time Warp, Halftone

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics-cobalt blue hue, prussian blue, medium grey value 6, cerulean blue, titanium white, english red oxide, raw umber, burnt sienna, yellow oxide and burnt umber

DecoArt Media mediums - black modeling paste, white gesso, heavy gel medium.

A Feast for Crows- Fiona Randall

Happy Halloween.

Today I'm sharing my latest project with an eerie feel befitting the occasion. I wanted to create something different for a change and decided upon a painted canvas called

A Feast for Crows.

This piece came together with Andy's Stamp sets and DecoArt Media paints and mediums.

I started by applying DecoArt Media tinting base to the main substrate and when dry applied  DecoArt Extender Medium to the whole canvas. Whilst still wet I applied  DecoArt Premium Acrylics in Titanium White, Medium Grey Value 3 and Carbon black  with a flat brush. This was then blended with a mop brush to create an ethereal feel to the background. and set aside to dry. Next up I created the pumpkins by applying air dry clay to some Tando Creative grey board circles and sculpting the shape. Once dry these were given a coat of DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylic. Once dry, DecoArt Media Antiquing cream in black was applied and wiped back.

The Crow from Andy's  Birds and Bones Stamp set was then stamped and fussy cut and set aside. Time to create the moon which was a Tando Creative grey board circle which was given a coat of DecoArt Media Tinting base. Watering Can Archival Ink was then applied to an acrylic stamping block, spritzed with water and applied to the Grey board circle to create the effect of moon craters and dried with a heat too.

Some stamping of gravestones was then applied to the canvas base using Andy's Illusionary Artists Gothic Grunge Stamp Set. All elements were then applied to the canvas base To finish birds in flight were painted on the canvas and black wire curled around the pumpkins to form the roots.

Close up Detail shots.

Thanks for stopping by today

Fiona.

Products used.



Andy Skinner Birds and Bones Stamp Set.

Andy Skinner Gothic Grunge Stamp Set.

DecoArt Media Tinting Base.

DecoArt Media Antiquing Cream- Carbon Black.

DecoArt Premium Acrylics- Carbon Black, Titanium White,Dark Grey Value 3

DecoArt Remium- Extender Medium.

Grab Bag of Grey Board Circles.



CHATEAU De SKINNER

Spring has finally arrived! 
I'm celebrating this by completely altering a dingy black birdhouse into something of a shabby chic "Chateau De Skinner".  Using DecoArt Products and a combination of Andy's wonderful new Illusionary Artist and Stampendous stamp sets, I was able to imagine and create this beautiful little home decor piece.

Here is the finished piece ... certainly a lot different style from most of the artistic adventures done using Andy's wonderful products.  But, I love finding ways to mix different genres.  Join me on this adventure to see how you too can use your imagination to completely alter anything!

In the upper right corner, you can see the original birdhouse.  Pretty plain, dark and dingy.   DecoArt's lovely Americana Decor Everlasting Chalky Finish paint is the perfect base color to completely transform this rather drab house.  Adding first DecoArt's Vintage Effect Wash in Patina followed with Tan gives the perfect shabby, aged look in a matter of seconds.  I simply applied the Vintage Effect Wash using a damp lint free cloth and wiped away the excess.  Continue to add layers until you achieve the desired effect.  So simple! 

To create a lovely "tile-ish roof", I painted a piece of regular cardboard packing material using DecoArt's Media Fluid Acrylics Burnt Sienna followed by DecoArt's White Vintage Effect Wash that I lightly brushed over the top using a wide brush.  It was heat set and then using Black Permanent Ink, I repeatedly stamped the Ouija Board image from Andy's Spook Illusionary Artists stamp set.  I heat set again and then cut the cardboard into 3/4' strips by 1 1/4" blocks. These were used to lay the "tile" on the roof of the house in rows.  I kept the extra pieces to use as "bricks" to surround the arched windows on either side of the house. (You will see the results in an upcoming picture). 

Using Black Permament Ink, I stamped these wonderful Gothic windows onto a piece of Specialty Stamping Paper.  I layered the windows onto three layers of chipboard to give them dimension.  I painted the edges of the cardboard with the Everlasting Chalky Paint as well as the Vintage Effect Wash colors used on the birdhouse.  The panes of the windows were filled in brushing a wash of DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Cobalt Teal Hue and water.

To really accentuate the windows, I added the "brick" edging.  You can still see some of the random Ouija Board images on the brick.  Just one more thing I loved about this embellishment!

Using a Dark Brown Permanent Ink, I randomly stamped areas of the house mixing three of Andy's stamp sets.  Ilusionary Artists Tech Trama provided much of the back design. I love the diagrams and how they blend with the much softer images from Andy's Stampendous Shabby Chic and Textures stamp sets.  I also stamped some of these images using a Yellow Ochre ink on the sides and front of the house.

Here is a closeup of one of the sides of the house.  You can also see the tiled roof above.  Here you can see the combination of the yellow and dark brown stamped images.  LOVE the subtle detail that they add!

I created a "Cafe" hanging sign using Andy's Shabby Chic stamp set.  This little sign gives such extra character to the Chateau.  Speaking of the Chateau, I used a partial image of the "Chateau" stamp (from this same stamp set) on white tissue paper and then applied it on the front of the bird house using DecoArt's Media Matte Medium.  It works wonderfully as a glue and a sealer.  You can see "Chateau" on the photograph of the entire birdhouse.

In this picture, you will also notice the greenery on top and around the grounds of the bird house.  This was added using DecoArt Media Matte Medium that was generously brushed onto the surface of the areas.  I sprinkled the greenery and petals (Flowersoft product) and gently pressed the greenery in place to air dry.  Then I lightly sprayed a coating of DecoArt's Americana Sealer over it to secure it in place.

The little clay pots were filled with tiny flowers and glued onto the front side of the birdhouse; welcoming all of it's feathered visitors.  Rhinestones were added to the centers of the flower like stamps on either side of the "doors".  A white wire was covered with the Flower Soft pieces, wrapped with ribbon and I made a little garland across the front of the Chateau with bows on either side. The little pegs in front of the round "doors" were covered with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Metallic Gold paint. I used my fingers to wipe the gold on; leaving a little of the black showing underneath.  I also used my fingertip to lightly add the Metallic Gold color over the raised design on the three metal squares in the center of the birdhouse.
Quite a "chic" little Chateau, don't you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope this shabby "Chateau De Skinner" tutorial has inspired you to not be afraid to blend different genres to create your next masterpiece!

• DecoArt Americana Decor Chalky Finish-Everlasting
• DecoArt Vintage Effect Wash-Patina
• DecoArt Vintage Effect Wash-Tan
• Decoart Vintage Effect Wash-White
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Burnt Sienna
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Metallic Gold
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Cobalt Teal Hue
• DecoArt Americana Spray Sealer
• DecoArt Media Matte Medium

• Andy Skinner's Gothic 
• Andy Skinner's Spook
• Andy Skinner's Tech Trauma

• Shabby Chic
• Textures

Miscellaneous  Supplies

• Permanent Black Ink
• Permanent Yellow Ochre Ink
• Specialty Stamping Paper
• Packing Cardboard
• Wooden Birdhouse
• Paint Brushes and lint free cloth
• Ribbon
• Small flowers and clay pots
• White tissue paper
• Rhinestones (for centers of stamped design on front of house)
• Flower Soft of Sweet Pea and Shamrock Green
• Small metal chain and hook (for Cafe sign)
• Chipboard pieces

About the Artist: Candy Colwell

Blog www.candycreates.blogspot.com

Instagram www.instagram.com/candy.colwell

Twitter www.twitter.com/rindacelly

Pinterest www.pinterest.com/mimicandy

DO YOU FEAR THE UNKNOWN?

Greetings everyone!

It's Candy with another wild and crazy project using some of Andy's new Illusionary Artists stamp sets teamed with Andy's line of DecoArt Media products. 

This time, I was experimenting with some new stamps and playing with colors and textures.   This 6'x6" canvas is packed full of images creating a creepy sort of ghoulish scene with an already familiar gargoyle-ish figure I affectionately refer to as "Gary the Gargoyle".  He was actually the inspiration for this canvas!

I began by first washing a piece of watercolor paper with a combination of DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Medium Grey Value 6, Dark Grey Value 3 and water.  (I also used this combination around the sides of the canvas).  Then I brayered DecoArt's Media Black Gesso over this lovely new 6" x 6" Stampendous background stamp.  After it was dry, I tore around the edges and glued it onto the canvas using DecoArt Media Matte Medium.  Using Permanent Black Ink, I stamped the skulls from Andy's new Spook Illusionary Stamp Set around all of the sides of the canvas and feathered the edges with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Carbon Black and touches of Metallic Gold.

Gary the Gargoyle is such a cute little guy ... if gargoyles can be cute. I first brushed DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Green Gold onto a piece of stamping paper.  When dry, I used Permanent Black Ink to stamp Gary in place.  I then heat set him, added the shading using DecoArt Fluid Acrylics Viridian and painted his pitchfork Metallic Silver. I backed him with study cardstock and cut him out.  He was later glued onto the canvas with Adhesive Pop Dots as were several other pieces to give this canvas a lot of dimension.

I have never been a fan of Ouija Boards.  But I have to say that I love this stamp from Andy's Illusionary Artists Spook Stamp Set.  I washed a piece of stamping paper with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Raw Sienna followed by Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide and touches of Quinacridone Gold; creating an almost woodgrain effect. The image is stamped with Black Permanent Ink.  After heat setting it, I cut it out and rounded the corners with a 1/4" corner punch. Next I added Carbon Black paint to the edges using my finger. I love the way this turned out!  I actually looks like a miniature Ouija Board!

Time to experiment with textures and doing what Andy does so well ... making things look REAL that are not!

I washed a couple of pieces of dictionary paper with DecoArt Fluid Acrylics Metallic Silver and Gold mixed with water.  Then I stamped the crosses from Andy's Illusionary Artists Gothic Stamp Set onto the paper using Embossing Ink and a granular embossing powder; a dark brown on the gold and a black on the silver.  Once heat set, they already had a gritty, pitted feeling. I loved that!

To mimic that very eerie mossy look on old tombstones, I mixed DecoArt Media Texture Sand Paste with a touch of DecoArt Fluid Acrylics Green Gold.  I used a very small brush to randomly add the "moss" to the crosses.  Next I sparingly sprinkled bits of a gritty embossing powder in a mossy green color.  I heat set all of this and the results are very cool and won't flake off.

Then I started gluing everything in place on the canvas with Adhesive Pop Dots.  Here you have a more closeup look at the moss.  I love the color, the texture and the depth it adds to this piece.

As a finishing touch, I added some tree trash from a river birch tree in my yard, I painted the twigs white using DecoArt Fluid Acrylics Titanium White and added little torn strips of vintage netting among the "trees" gracing either side of the graveyard canvas.

"Fear THE UNKNOWN" conveniently sits side by side on Andy's new Illusiionary Artists Word Up Stamp Set and it worked perfectly for this canvas! I stamped the words onto a piece of paper using Black Permanent Ink and matted it on black chipboard then glued it in place.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you got some inspiration from this piece or from the techniques I have shared today. 

• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Medium Grey Value 6
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Dark Grey Value 3
• Decoart Media Fluid Acrylics Raw Sienna
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Quinacridone Gold 
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Carbon Black
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Green Gold
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Viridian
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Metallic Silver
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Metallic Gold
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Titanium White
• DecoArt Media Black Gesso
• DecoArt Media Matte Medium
• DecoArt Media Texture Sand Paste

• Andy Skinner Gothic Stamp Set
• Andy Skinner Spook Stamp Set
• Andy Skinner Word Up Stamp Set

• Mixed Mesh 6" x 6" Background Stamp

MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES

• 6" x 6" Stretch Canvas
• Paint Brushes
• Watercolor Paper
• Brayer
• Dictionary Paper
• Stamping Paper
• Scissors
• Tree Twigs
• Vintage Netting
• Adhesive Pop Dots
• Hot Glue
• Heat Tool

About the Artist: Candy Colwell

Blog www.candycreates.blogspot.com

Instagram www.instagram.com/candy.colwell

Twitter www.twitter.com/rindacelly

Pinterest www.pinterest.com/mimicandy