Friday, April 27, 2018

My Sweet Petunia and Visible Image


Hello friends! Do I have a treat for you today!! Visible Image, a very wonderful stamp company in the UK has teamed up with My Sweet Petunia (Creator of the MISTI) for an eye-popping hop, and they asked little ol' me to play along! I'm so honored to be joining them. Let's get started!

First - here's the hop order. I'll post a link at the bottom of this post for the next hopper!

These are the sets you'll see in use today. Please click on any image to hop to the store.

Curious Cats

Dare to Swim

Disguise of a Smile

In Your Hands

Create Your Calm

My first project for you is a card. I started with watercolor paper and stamped this gorgeous seahorse in Inkon3's Fadeout ink, formulated for no-line coloring. I thought I'd experiment - using my MISTI I stamped the image in Fadeout. Then I over-stamped it with spiced marmalade and vintage photo Distress inks. It gives a really cool effect! The Fadeout grabbed the Distress ink just as if I were coloring it. Woah! 


This is such a wonderful image. I've often tried to charm the sandman to visit by imagining I was a seahorse just floating around in the seaweed. It worked occasionally but I couldn't explain the sand in my bed to Mom.


I gave the piece some texture using the other images in this set. Those circles are just wonderful, mimicking bubbles in the water. They are from Dare to Swim. I used Under the Sea dies from Stampin' Up! for the coral and little fishes.

Even though all the inks are dry, and I was curious - just like the Curious Cats set tells me - about how the drops would react to unsealed Distress Inks. Are you ready? IT LIVES! The Nuvo took in the DInks dye and chameleoned!! [Like that new word?] I love how this turned out!!

----- Shifting Gears -----



My second project for you today is a mixed media tag. Check it out. I started with a 6.25 x 3.125 inch manilla tag. Using my darling mini-MISTI, I set up the face from Visible Image's Curious Cats set, and stamped it twice using Versafine Onyx black. I kept the eye covered with masking paper to preserve the white.

For those who don't want the blow-by-blow, I shrank it! I blended Distress Oxides over the tag with a mini foam blender. All products are listed at the end of the post. I used several colors of ink until the tag was covered.

I switched to stencils and rubbed more contrasting ink through them. I spritzed water high in the air to get really small droplets and let it fall over the tag. I stamped several texture stamps (including images from Visible Image's Dare to Swim set) over the background using Distress Oxides, Nuvo embellishment mousse, Distress Inks, and Archival inks.

I added lots of texture with Golden Light Molding Paste mixed with Bundled Sage Distress Oxide ink pressed through a stencil. I also used Viva gold modeling cream through the stencils. I made lots of pen marks with Copic Multiliner pens and Gelly Rolly white gel pens. 


When I was satisfied with all of that, I removed the masking paper and colored the eye with Zig Clean Color Real Brush watercolor pens. I love how that eye turned out! I couldn't resist. I just can't. I got these Nuvo crystal drops. It's just not fair how they call to me.


After I splattered black and white acrylic paint all over, I over-stamped the face in more Versafine ink to resharpen the details. I sprayed two coats of Mod Podge matte sealer over everything. Then I added more Nuvo and those bits stayed white. I kept adding texture with Hero Arts mini-star bits and a couple of clear sequins. I darkened the edges with Daler-Rowney FW acrylic indigo ink and a smearing of Nuvo embellishment mousse. 


The text was stamped on a piece of Crushed Curry cardstock with Versafine onxy black and the edges were roughed up and inked with Pine Needles Distress Ink. I added some burlap ribbon tied with a linen thread. I covered the eye with Glossy Accents and set aside to dry. Viola! I love the way this turned out!


Our sponsors will choose two lucky commenters from the hop to win one of two prizes: a $50 shopping spree at www.mysweetpetunia.com and a $50 shopping spree at visibleimage.co.uk - they must leave their comments no later than Monday, April 30th, at 11:59 PM Central time. The winners will be announced on Tuesday May 1st, on the Visible Image and My Sweet Petunia blogs.


Ok...deep breath. I have a wonderful video on my entire process for making an art journal page. Yay!! Several people have asked me to share this process, so I'm hoping you're going to love it. All the product details are at the bottom of this post. Enjoy the video here, or click over to see it on my YouTube channel.




I want to thank you so much for visiting my little corner of the world. I hope you feel inspired!

The next stop on the hop is Lynn Good. Have fun!

Love and light!
~ky


-----  S U P P L I E S  -----

Card Ingredients:
Canson watercolor paper, cut to 5.5 x 4.25 inches
Visible Image Create Your Calm stamp set
Visible Image Dare to Swim stamp set
Ink on 3 Fadeout No Line Coloring ink
Mini-MISTI
Ranger Distress Inks - Mustard Seed, Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Peeled Paint, Crushed Olive, Mermaid Lagoon 
Ranger Archival Inks - Garden Patina, Watering Can, Monarch Orange, Shadow Grey, Leaf Green
Stampin' Up! Under the Sea framelits (NEW), Silver and Irridescent glimmer paper (retired), Daffodil Delight and Peekaboo Peach cardstock
Copic W1, W3 sketch markers; Multiliner 0.1
Gelly Roll pen, white
Nuvo Black Ash Embellishment Mousse
Nuvo Crystal Drops, White and Clear
Glossy Accents

Tag Ingredients:
Visible Image Curious Cats stamp set
Visible Image Dare to Swim stamp set
Distress Inks - Mustard Seed, Pine Needles
Journal Page ingredients:
Many of the supplies are the same as shown in the list of ingredients for the tag, so I'll not duplicate those links.
Dylusions small art journal
Gel Press 8x10 press
Ranger Brayer
Mini MISTI
Acrylic paint - Dylusions, Dina Wakley, Golden fluid acrylics
Visible Image In Your Hands stamp set
Visible Image Create Your Own Calm stamp set
Visible Image Disguise of a Smile stamp
Michael's Alphabet stamp set, retired
Martha Stewart Wood Grain Rocker tool
Ranger Alcohol Inks
Copic markers and multiliners
Carbon pencil
Nuvo drops white, crushed grape, and black ash mousse
Stencils Crafter's Workshop Mini-Blazonry (280s), Punchinella (219s)
Ranger Archival Inks, assorted
Golden Light Molding Paste
Versafine Onxy Black ink pad
Versamark watermark ink pad
Ranger Distress Inks Walnut Stain, Vintage Photo
Text torn from an old book
6.25 x 3.125 inch manilla tag
Cosmo Cricket letter stickers
SU! Clear embossing powder, White embossing powder
Misc fibers from stash
Tim Holtz Metal Foliage and Hinge Clip
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Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Did Dinosaurs Lie

You know, I always walk around with the Cheshire cat talking in my head. He knows so many fascinating things. I wonder what really happened to the dinosaurs. I thought I'd ask him but Absalom said he's not available.

My concern, you see, is what if dinosaurs incurred the wrath because they couldn't tell the truth? Even if you're a big dinosaur, you still have fears of lava, limited food choices, and no fizzy water.


I mean...we even get trepidatious if we have to share an unpleasant truth. Sometimes we feel like we are the littlest prey item out in big jungle. Stick fast to the truth. I'm going to tell you the truth right now. This page was a blast to make and God intervened to make sure the message was perfect. Here are some stepped out images so you can see it. I don't video all of these because it takes a while to develop. It gets to a certain point, then I have to set it aside until I hear it whispering again. You don't get that? Uh oh. Maybe that's too much truth! I'm weird!


My process starts with slapping on acrylic paint and adhering paper text, different fiddly design items, like archival ink on a random word or background stamp. It looks very chaotic and unnatural. So I take out my stencils and some white acrylic paint to push the background, um, to the back. I'm sorry - it's hard to explain, but light paint colors with a random pattern actually calm everything down and promotes cohesion.


While that is resting, I pull out some gel prints that were left-over from another project I added white gel pen marks, black pen marks, and liquid pearls. I cut them into this shape because I knew I wanted flowers. I set these aside to cure.


I love a grungy brayer. The background was a still too assertive so I added light colored acrylics paints to push it back a little more.


I test fit the letters and flowers. The large letters are Stampin' Up! dies, and the smaller ones are by Mama Elephant. I cut them out of Very Vanilla cardstock. [All supplies will be listed at the end.] I added Dylusions paint to the stems of the flower trees. I love this type of art. Nothing has to make sense or fit with reality. Kinda like me! The leaves are die cuts from SU! botanical builder.


A little more paint love, it really needed grass. Here's where God took over. There was an amazing hop with great artists and I was reintroduced to My Favorite Things. I fell in love with this dinosaur set. When it arrived, the journal was just sitting in one of it's quiet periods. God said put a dino on it! Make it scary because that's how the truth is sometimes. I had no idea where this was going until those dinos arrived. Hence, grass. You'll note the chicken wire stamped over TRUTH, and some shading going on at this stage.

Now, I often seal or "freeze" my work as I go. There are 2 good reasons. The cat is an arse, I frequently mess up. I use Mod Podge matte paint-on sealer if there are few things the wetness of the MP will react with. I use Mod Podge matte spray-on sealer if there are lots of waterbased mediums in play. I use Matte Gel Medium (Liquatex, but many brands are just fine) if I'm too lazy to reach for MP, or if I have it out on my table already.


Here we are. I've glued down the leaves and flower petals. I've added one of my favorite dies from Botanical Builder - the centers of the flower. I cut those out of glimmer paper just for fun. The butterfly is just resting there. He decided to move on to a later project. You can see that I've added some shading around the flowers and black ink (Versafine) around the edges of the pages. Back on the shelf.

Lady Pi just helped herself onto the blog. 


This is where the dinosaurs just took over. You have to watch these - they will eat all your Cheetos, or Beaver Nuggets. I watercolored them with  my Pebeo kit. I added some texture to the background with SU!'s hardwood background stamp and Ranger Archival ink.


This is where I thought it was finished. But that upper right corner bugged me. Nothing I tried looked right up there. I went back and talked to God. He was the one with the dino plan, after all. Yes, I firmly believe you can talk to God about anything. And He does answer.

He asked me to remember how speaking the truth felt. How it felt when it was easy and no one disagreed. How it felt when you were unsure about how it would be received. And especially how it felt when you knew no one would agree with you and attach ugly labels to your name. I realized it was possible to be anywhere on that spectrum - easy to very frightening. This is how that corner became significant.


That's the final item. Complete with additional shading, random added white gel pen accents, a splattering of black and white acrylic paint, random liquid pearls, etc. I added the flower centers (gold faceted gems and a custom color enamel dot) and some glitter enamel dots. I darkened the edges again because that really frames things and pulls your eye inward.


Aren't they scary?


It would be hard to take them seriously.

Distress Oxides and Concord & 9th Hope set.

Here's the project where I used those leftover leaves. I just couldn't bring myself to throw it away. By the way - there's a group over on Splitcoast Stampers that does Bible art journaling. You're welcome to swing by. I don't bite. Meet some nice people. Get ideas. Have some fun!

Hey - I want to thank you for spending some time here reading my crazy posts. I hope I've given you a little laugh - I mean, you know someone who's worse than you, right? LOL Thanks so much for stopping by. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know. You're important. You're perfectly imperfect. You matter.

Ta for now,
~ky

----- Supplies -----

Dylusions journal
Dylusions Cut Grass paint
Acrylic paint - various colors Dina Wakley and Liquitex
Gel Press
Brayer
Liquid Pearls - various colors
Versafine ink
Ranger Archival Ink - various colors
Circle stencil - SU! retired
White Gelly Roll pen
Pebeo watercolor kit
Copic 110, C5 pens
Copic Multiliner
Grass die - the Cat's Pajamas
Glimmer paper - SU! retired
Botanical Builder framelits dies - SU! retired
Large Letters framelits dies - SU!
Hardwood background stamp - SU!
Chicken Wire background stamp - SU! retired
Glitter Enamel Dots - SU!
Gold Faceted Gems - SU!
Inline Letters - Mama Elephant
Khaki QuicKutz letter dies - retired
My Favorite Things Delightful Dinosaurs dies and stamps
General's carbon sketch pencil



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Welcome to the Bunny Nest! I host rescued animals in a small in-home setting. Currently, I host 3 bunnies and 2 kitties. These animals will be socialized and housed for the entirety of their lives in my home. They inspire my crafts, and I use any proceeds to pay for their needs. Thanks for visiting!