Artist Collaboration Challenge: Iceland

I recently joined an artist collaboration challenge with the inspiration being the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis in Iceland.

Aurora Borealis Challenge-Encaustic 

I recently started dabbling with encaustic, or wax, painting and thought that the nature of this medium would work well with this subject.  I love how the wax swirls when heated, especially when color is added. I added splatters of yellow at the end and love what it did when heated. 

Here is one of the inspiration photos of the Northern Lights and WOW!  Isn't is beautiful?

Aurora Borealis, Iceland

Never thought about Iceland as a vacation destination, but how beautiful is that?

I hope that someday I will see them in real life! 

To see the other artists' interpretations go HERE or HERE.

Thanks for visiting, today!

Kathy

Prima's Rust Paste and The Blue City

I love companies that have unique and successful artists create products because those products are usually things that other artists really want.  Prima is one of those companies and Finnabair, aka Anna Dabrowska, is one of those artists.  Along with many other artist, Finnabair has her own very successful line of stencils, stamps, embellishments, mixed media paints and mediums with Prima.

I love creating patinas and when I saw Finnabair's Rust Paste, I knew I had to have it.  It comes in a set of three colors, red, brown and gold, and has an opaque, textural, matte finish. I applied the paste to some chipboard die-cuts to test it out.

Rusting It Up!

I started by applying the brown paste first, then added red, leaving some of the brown showing. It goes on gritty but layers beautifully and does not flake off when dry.  It looks like rust that has built up over time.  I was really impressed!

I added a touch of Finnabair's new acrylic paint, Art Alchemy, in Violet-Gold, which is much more fluid and works really well over the Rust Paste. I applied it with my finger and a very light touch so I could create just a glimmer of gold. If I added too much, no problem! I just kept layering Rust Paste and paint until I liked the results.

I only have two colors of Art Alchemy: Metallique Light Patina (turquoise), and Opal Magic Violet-Gold. The latter has two-tone qualities, for a very unique effect. I LOVE the beautiful shimmer that this paint has, and there are many more colors to choose from. I must have more!

The Project

So what will I make with these rusty die-cuts?  Sometimes the answer is right in front of me.  I had a canvas that I started and didn't like where it was headed.  So I put it on a shelf that faces my desk.

Unfinished Canvas

Ugly, right?  Well, I had an idea. I removed the orange from the canvas and started layering Finnabair's beautiful, shimmery Art Alchemy paints over the layers that were already there.

After the paints dried, I used a rubber stamp from Finnabair's Dirty Walls Stamp Set (oh man, this set is so cool!) with Manganese Blue and Sepia Archival Ink to add more depth to the background.

After much song and dance with my rusty die-cuts, metal Prima embellishments and some photos on my desk, my canvas was finally finished.  

I've been obsessed with this blue city in Morocco since I discovered it online a while back.  Blue is my favorite color and to think that there is a city where all the buildings are blue makes me giddy! The town is called Chefchaouen and someday I want to see it in real life.  But for now, I can dream in blue!

Is there a place that inspires you?  I would love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today! 

My Social Media:

Pinterest (my art)   https://www.pinterest.com/katluvsdogs/my-art/

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Fun With Bleeding Art Tissue

Over on the Gel Press® blog today check out my Bleeding Art Tissue Tutorial.  I made a beautiful butterfly canvas by printing on this special tissue paper.  I had so many prints left over that I thought I would share some more projects.

The fun thing about bleeding art tissue is that the color bleeds when liquid is applied.  You can purchased it here.  A search on Pinterest reveals lots of projects, many geared toward children.

The idea was to print on the tissue then add water and let it bleed onto the printed areas.  It was such fun that I couldn't stop printing.

Along with the butterfly canvas, I also made a mixed media scrapbook page.  First, I glued the printed tissue onto 11 1/2" x 11 1/2" watercolor paper using matte medium.

I sprayed the paper with water.......

....then placed another piece of watercolor paper over it to mop up the colored water.  The paper keeps the colors from running together and making mud.

 I'll use the extra watercolor paper for another project. Let everything dry before adding any other media or embellishments.

I mounted the paper to a 12" x 12" piece of white cardstock, layered some fibers, paper and tape, and did some sewing around the edges. 

The phrase is cut out using my Silhouette Cameo.

My last project is a set of six 4" x 4" canvases using the Stamper's Anonymous Crazy Dogs stamp set, gluing a different color of printed tissue on each canvas background.  The canvases are deep enough to set on a self.  I love how these turned out!

Lots of fussy cutting! Apparently, they are coming out with die-cuts for this set. 

Thank you for visiting my blog today! I'd love to hear from you so please leave me a comment below. Don't forget to check out my project on the Gel Press® blog too! For more inspiration, check out my art on Pinterest and follow me on Instagram.

Back To Basics Blog Hop With Gel Press®

With all of the kids heading back to school, Gel Press® thought we should take you back to the basics! Everything is coming up circles for my Back To Basics blog post!  I love this shape for whatever reason and it seems I'm not alone.  Did you know that Gel Press® makes four round plate sizes: 8", 6", 4" and 3"(one of 3 shapes in the Petites A Set)?  I had such fun making prints with these round plates that I made enough circles for three or four projects!  I am sharing two of these projects with you today. 

Gel Press® Circle Cards

Gel Press® Circle Layout: Lucy

Supplies

Round Gel Press® Plates: 8", 6" and 4" 

Gel Press® Petite Set: 3" Round

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylic Paints

Stencils and Rubbing Plates

Strathmore Mixed Media Paper

Circle Cutters and Punches

Brayer

Tutorial

Place dots of paint in similar colors onto the round plate and press the rubbing plate into the Gel Press® to make a design. Look at that luscious color!

Pull prints onto mixed media paper and clean the Press in between colors.

The print below is the one I used for the cards.

I pulled several prints using black paper, adding Golden Iridescent white with the fluid acrylics to make the designs really pop.....

.....and stamping the rubbing plates off onto the paper to make even more designs.

Here is how I did the smaller plates with the stencils to get a great print: Mount the two smaller Gel Press® Plates onto acrylic stamping blocks.  Place paper down first, then the stencil over the paper.  Apply paint to the plate with a brayer then stamp it into the stencil to create the design on the plate.  Then stamp the plate onto another piece of paper.  This seems to make a really clear impression on the plate, thus making a good print. 

Plus you have the initial print from creating the impression.  This design is created from the openings in the stencil. (image in the middle) The gel print is the image on the right. I love these stencils designed by Michelle Ward I just ordered from The Ink Pad, a stamping and mixed media art store in NYC.  They are designs of city grates, manholes, etc.  Are they not the coolest!!!

Talking about "back to basics", do you remember the tool below?  If you scrapbooked back in the 90's, you probably owned one.  It still comes in handy for creating circles in many different sizes. Do/did you have one?

I told you I had enough for more projects!

Gel Printed Circles

 I cut the large circle into quarters then stamped and colored the cards.

Gel Press® Sun Cards

For the scrapbook layout, punch 16-2 1/2" circles and glue them onto 11" x 11" white card stock in a grid-style. 

I sewed the circles to add texture, but that made for a really busy background. To quiet it down a bit, I layered book text and drywall tape before adding my photos.  I also changed my photos to black and white so that there is contrast between the colorful background and the subject.

There are lots of creative things to do with circles....layer them and making flowers, or sew them and make garland......to name a few.  What would you do with them?

Here are more photos of the cards.

Please visit each blog for a Back To Basic idea or technique!

Happy Hopping!

Ann  

Cindi  

Cyndi 

Elena 

                          Kathy <--you are here

Keri 

Kitti 

Lea 

Sandee 

Teresa 
Gel Press

Want even more inspiration?  Check out Gel Press® on Pinterest and Gel Press Junkies on Facebook. Shop for Gel Press® online.

Thanks for visiting today!

Blog Hop With Gel Press™ and EnviroTex® Resin

Welcome to the EnviroTex® Resin/Gel Press Blog Hop. The designers for both companies have been creating wonderful projects. Please leave a comment on EACH blog. Tell us on the Gel Press blog and on the ETI Resin blog as to which projects you found most interesting or inspiring. One winner will be picked, at random, Sunday, July 31, 2016, at 10pm CST. The winner will get both Petite sets of Gel Press plates and ETI Jewelry Resin! Hop now through Sunday! Winner must be 18 or over and live in the USA. Good Luck!

EnviroTex® Resin is perfect for creating beautiful jewelry but today I will show you how to create beautiful resin embellishments and unique resin paper.

Resin and Gel Print Assemblage on Wood Blocks

Tutorial
List of Supplies

6"x 6" Gel Press™ Plate

EnviroTex Jewelry Resin

Prima Vintage Art Silicone Molds

DecoArt Acrylic Paint

Old Book Text

Embossing Folders

Deli and Butcher Paper

Wood Blocks

Embellishments

Resin Embellishments

Follow the directions on the package for mixing the resin. You may want to wear gloves to protect your hands. This is a two step process.  Mix equal parts of the resin and hardener solutions in one of the cups provided.

  Stir with the stick for 2 minutes, scraping the sides to incorporate every bit.

Pour the mixed solution into the clean cup.

Stir it for another 60 seconds.

It's ready to use! According to the directions, there is about 25 minutes of open time, so work relatively quickly. Pour the resin into the silicone moulds, trying not to overflow them.  The first batch filled 3 moulds so I made a second batch and filled 2 more.

With the rest of the resin, I painted old book and dictionary pages on both sides using a sponge brush.  Place them on a non-stick surface to dry.

I did all these steps at night and left them to dry overnight. In the morning they easily released from the moulds and were soft and pliable.  According to the directions, they are soft cured after 12 hours, medium cured after 24 hours and hard cured after 48 hours. Consider these as guidelines since there are lots of variables, like humidity and temperature in your area.  

The paper has a transparent quality if you painted resin on both sides.  It is a bit brittle but tears easily without crumbling or breaking apart.

Sand any edges with fine sand paper if needed. I love how these resin pieces turned out! These Prima moulds are so unique and perfect for resin. Now they are ready for color!

Alcohol inks are perfect for smooth surfaces and I painted each resin piece with a different color.  To create depth, I layered several colors, including metallics. As a final layer, I added metallic paints with my finger to highlight the raised areas. Note: Do not use a heat tool to dry.

Gel Press® Printed Backgrounds

Embossing folders are a great way to add pattern to prints. Since I have lots of colors going on in this project, I wanted to keep the paper neutral shades of gray and black.

I also used thin deli and butcher paper.  To help the acrylic paint stay wet longer on the plate, use DecoArt Extender Medium.

I made lots of prints until I got four that I wanted to use with the resin pieces.

Putting It All Together

Using lots of goodies laying around my studio, I assembled each piece on a thick block of wood using matte medium for the paper and Beacon 3-in-1 glue for the resin and embellishments.

It's so much fun making these resin embellishments! Use them in scrapbooking layouts, cards, canvases and more! Think of all the possibilities!

Visit the other blog hoppers and see what they made using Envirotex Resin and Gel Press®.

ETI Blog

                              Kathy <------you are here

Ann Butler

Cindi

Beth

Cyndi

Donna

Lea

Karen

Keri

Larissa

Sandee

Paula

Ann

Tammy

Gel Press

Don't forget to comment and win this!

Blog Hop Prize