Grad Night

I am up on the Magenta blog today in the August challenge reminder with this layout.

This month's challenge is Anything Goes so it was total creative freedom and I had fun with it.


Here is a look at my layout in progress where you can see the background that I created before all the other layers were added.

I began by covering the background patterned paper with clear gesso. Then, I went in with white gesso in the areas that I wanted to focus my design. Next, I stenciled the damask using whipped spackle and then went back over the design areas with the stencil and Imagine Crafts irRESISTible in Wedding Dress White. It provides a gloss sheen that resists so that I could whip away some of the Grape Jelly and LuLu Lavender Fireworks sprays that I used to add colour. While the Fireworks colours were still wet, I loaded the Ornamental Pattern stamp in them and then stamped along the outline of the white areas. Once all was dry, I used black StazOn for the Script Postmark and the Diamond stamps.  Some Firework mists mixed with gel medium was used to add the purple splatters and the a mix with acrylic paint for the black ones to finish the background off.

The distressed the cut up stripes of the Purple Night patterned paper using a sanding block. Initially, I had tried using gesso, which you can see on the left corner ones but then elected to go with the sanding as I liked the look and colour better.
Magenta has been a maker of wood veneer pieces long before it was a trendy item and I love how these bird themed pieces work with this layout.

Lots of layering, including silver metallic thread under the photos. It adds a nice touch that compliments the glimmer of the Firework sprays.

I used a variety of different flowers ranging from fabric, taffeta, crochet and paper that all worked together to add the right balance and clusters of interest. 

Here you get a closer look at some of the stamping with the Fireworks spray. The photo just can't pick up and do justice to the subtle glimmer that is all over the page in the sprayed and stamped areas.

My daughter loves this one as a memento of a milestone event. It will spend some time in a frame before it makes it's way to a scrapbook album.

There is still time to get an entry into this month's challenge. With the theme of Anything Goes, it makes it pretty easy to enter. Check out the challenge details here as well as other inspirational creations by some of my fellow Magenta teammates.

TTFN,

Magenta products used:

TM46 - Damask Background

95.085.M Script and 
Postmark Stamp

29.051.E - Geometry
Small Diamond #1

35.078.K - Ornamental Pattern

KDL20 - Birds & Cages

KDL21 - Fly Like a Bird Kit 

 ME215 Delicate Posies

 MLE03 Purple Night

CB638 - Mini Alphabet

LGS August Week 4 Sketch

Here is this week's sketch over at Let's Get Sketchy:

Team B has some great eye-candy takes on this sketch, so be sure to check it out.

Also, a reminder of the LGS's Get Inspired Magazine call for Issue 7 Fall Publication which includes this seasonal mood board.

The deadline is September 1st. You can find out all the submission details here.

TTFN,

Together

What do you get when you mix a fun sketch with a recipe challenge?

For me, it resulted in this... 

This is both my DT take on LGS August Week 3 sketch and me taking a crack at Sassy Scrappers Recipe Challenge for August.

    

Watercolouring with mists... check. I had filled two mini misters with leftover diluted Magenta Hot Pink and Orange Nuance from a previous project and it was just the right colour for the MME My Girl collection embellis that I wanted to use. I sprayed them on a clear gessoed background. After stamping with the white ink, I decided it need a bit more watercolour feel so I repeatedly stamped with the watercolour after spritzing it on my craft mat and then loading my stamp from there. Not perfect impressions but that is totally okay for the look that I wanted.

I used the orange Nuance spray on the Maya Road canvas tags after I stencilled them with a mix of whipped spackle and clear gloss medium. Nothing like some creative chemistry in improvising when you want a certain effect but do not have the product. ;) After they were dry, I dabbed a bit of Dreamsicle Glimmer Mist as it was a different and darker orange to give some further details to the tags.

After I sewed three rounds of circles and arranged my other elements, including the title using Thickers (another check in the recipe), it was time for the last recipe item or rather items... enamel dots. I used both the MME My Girl collection ones and some Simple Stories DIY pink ones.

See the other creative interpretations that my fellow design team members came up with based on the sketch here and fellow recipe challenge participants here.

TTFN,

LGS August Week 2 Sketch and a Call for Submissions

Here is this week's sketch over at Let's Get Sketchy:

Team B has some great eye-candy takes on this sketch, so be sure to check it out.

 

Also, over at LGS, their Get Inspired Magazine has a call for their Issue 7 Fall Publication which includes this seasonal mood board.

You can find out submission details here.

TTFN,

Introducing Nuance

After introducing Nuance in June, Magenta officially made Nuance available to the public this week.

Nuance is a water-soluble acid free powdered dye available in 15 different vibrant and rich colours. Due to its concentration level of the dyes, you need very little of the product to achieve vivid results.

With the launch, they have provided a beautiful Inspiration catalog.




To read about the creation of the cover art work, click here and to learn more details about Nuance head on over to the Magenta site here.

I have had fun playing with this very versatile product and I can't wait to share my DT projects with you over the coming weeks.

TTFN,

Let's Get Sketchy - August Week 1

My first reveal for Let's Get Sketchy is this week's sketch challenge.

I scrapped a photo that I took of cousin Camryn at the cottage during July. The Hello Darling collection from We R Memory Keepers was ideal for the colours in the photo.

I started with a clear gesso covered canvas which I stenciled and then watercoloured using Tim Holtz Distress ink. I added a few splatters too.

Then I machine sewed the border using a thicker gauge embroidery thread before I added layers of patterned papers and die cut clusters.

Some bling with jewels and glitter glue as well as wood veneer add some fun touches. I finished it off with vellum journaling strips.

Looking forward to seeing participants takes on this week's sketch. You have until Friday to enter for the DT favourite but a whole month for the monthly prize. Pop over here for the details. 

This is the sketch for August Week 1:

Hope you can join us.

TTFN,

Delight in Creating

I have wanted to try some string painting for a while now. I have seen Louise Nelson do some spectacular pieces with this technique and have been totally inspired to give it a go. What better way to give it a try than on an art journal page...  pressure free creative fun.

Supplies: journal (Moleskine), gelato (Faber-Castell), acrylic paints (DecoArt), butterfly stamp (Magenta), delight stamp (Heidi Swapp), vellum (The Paper Company), gold embossing powder (CTMH), Versamark (Tsukineko), Glimmer Glaze (Tattered Angels), die cuts (Maggie Holmes- Crate Paper and Amy Tangerine-American Crafts), Gelly Roll pen (Sakura)

I decided to use my Moleskine journal due to its size which I felt would be comfortable for this experimentation. First, I water coloured with a pink gelato and created some splatters too. Next, I used a piece of embroidery floss and dragged it through black acrylic paint and then laid it on the page in a swirly design. I repeated that process one more time. Once dry, I added some sparkly splatters with pink glimmer glaze. Then, I acrylic paint stamped the Heidi Swapp "delight". 

For embellishments, I added in some vellum as an inspiration for Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge of No Ordinary Paper. I pulled out some Maggie Holmes floral die cuts and started with the gold foil text vellum flower and then added two other flowers that would work with the Amy Tangerine "Create Everyday" die cut and the gelato pink. 

I heat embossed my favourite Magenta Butterfly stamp on vellum and fussy cut it. For finishing touches... a little doodling and some shadows with a Gelly Roll pen.

There you have it. My delight... create everyday!

TTFN,