Woman in Field of Sunflowers

Hi everyone! Melissa here with a page for Reneabouquets.  I love the bright sunshiny feel of this photo, and wanted to reflect that in the way I made the background. Using Renea's Beautiful Board (BB),and other items from her store, I think I was able to do that. The BB is very easy and fun to work with, the shapes are so inspiring!

To make this page, I applied texture paste with a stencil onto the paper. I figured out where I wanted to place the photo and BB, and took a photo for reference,in case I forgot my design.

I mounted the photo on watercolor paper, then taped and glued it and the BB to the page.

To add visual interest I glued on a lot of things: micro beads, seed beads, tulle, old jewelry, Beautiful Beads, crystals, mica flakes,distress glitter, glass glitter, glass beads,pressed flowers, bark, dyed gauze,shells, and sequins.

I used a lot of different mediums, watercolors, acrylics, alcohol inks, lumieres, distress ink,mica powder,and more.

For the BB I prepped them with gesso, then added green and brown watercolors. I topped them with Crackle Paint, and then added more color. These included Prima Sparks Acrylics,mica powder, and Lumieres.

Here's a list of supplies I used:

Beautiful Board Medium Romantic Heart Medallion With Accents Laser Cut Chipboard

Beautiful Board Small Romantic Heart Medallion With Accents Laser Cut  

1.6 Ounce Beautiful Beads Unicorn Candy Iridescent Pearls  

1.6 Ounce Beautiful Beads Bronzed Teal Iridescent Pearls  

2 Ounce Diamond Chunky Glitter Glass

Pink Lemonade Curly Roses Mulberry Paper Flowers  

Blue Fern Remnants Paper Collection 20 Double Sided Papers

Thank you so much for looking, and have a great week!

Winter is Coming

Hi everyone! Melissa here with an inspiration page for Mixed Media Warriors. Everyone on the team does an extra page for the month, in addition to one for the mood board. We can do anything we want. I've had this photo for awhile, and I love the way it looks against the dark background of this paper, Frosty Morning, from the Until Dawn collection by 13 Arts. I bought a bunch of chipboard from Scrapbook Diaries at Christmas, I've used Dusty Attic, and also some from my stash. I like the idea of winter, and snow, but we have nice mild winters in Houston. When it gets below 40 degrees, that is already too cold for me. Don't visit in the summer, it stays a humid 95 degrees for about six months.

To make this page I applied the paper to cardboard using mod podge. I painted on matt medium. I  used double sided foam tape to put the photo onto a piece of cardstock, then watercolor paper,and finally, three layers of foam core board.  I had gauze I'd dyed with Lindy's from another project, took a piece bigger than the pic, and cut a cross shape in the middle. I fit it around the pic and glued it with glossy accents. 

I applied texture paste using a Daisy stencil from 13 Arts. You can't really see it, I painted the raised areas black on the black parts of the page.I didn't plan on applying a lot of stuff, because I thought even just the photo and the paper was enough. I wound up putting a lot on the background, but I tried to keep it wispy looking.

I treated the Finnabair metal butterfly and all the chipboard with Patina Effect Paste. I added clear rock candy crackle to the board,and brushed on a little Shimmerz, then Magic Pond Art Alchemy.

To add visual interest I glued on micro beads, seed beads, dried flowers from both my yard and dog park. Sequins, pearls, crystals, feathers the birds leave in our bird bath, lichen from my yard,mica flakes, tulle, cut up pieces of gold metallic tresors de Luxe lace, metal glitter, rhinestones, and big glass pebbles. You can't really see the pebbles, they're underneath chipboard and other things. 

There's a couple Tim Holtz snowflake rub ons, and I tried to put gold ones at the bottom but I guess because of the matt medium, it didn't work, I wound up with gold smudges.

The flowers at the left of the pic are from Prima.

The metal feathers are from Hobby Lobby, I used the Patina Effect on them too.

I used glossy accents to apply everything.

The elvish girl has a leaf as a headdress, and I wanted to carry out the in the woods theme. That's why I put all the dried flowers on I guess.

The metal snowflake at the top of the pic is from Finnabair.

I added the copper paint to the watercolor paper.

The little pendant is from Hobby Lobby.

Thank you so much for looking, and have a great week! 

Mermaid Card

Hi everyone! Melissa here with a design team project for the Mixed Media Warriors Challenge Blog.

To make this 7 x 6 "card I took watercolor paper and glued on a piece of textured ribbon that looks a little like seaweed. I painted gesso over it, and put on the rest of the embellies. The flowers are from Prima. I gessoed and painted the chipboard with Tibetan Poppy Teal by Lindy's, and Tattered Angels Rich Mocha. I layered on a thick coat of Rock Candy Crackle, and let it dry overnight. I fussy cut the mermaid from paper by Kaisercraft.

To add visual interest I added a little texture paste, sequins, rhinestones, shells, metal,bling, metal glitter, micro beads,white embossing powder,wire, and ribbon.

Thank you so much for looking, and have a great week!

Hi everyone! Here's a vintage art journal page. 

To make this page I took out a sheet from my watercolor paper art journal book, and glued on a piece of canvas. I painted it with gesso.  I put beads on the Dusty Attic chipboard, and painted it with Lindy's Stamp Gang.  The flowers are from Scrapbook Diaries.

To add visual interest I also added shells, pearls, mica flakes, swarovski crystals, texture paste, chalk ink, and stamping. 

I put a little Prima Steampunk Copper on some areas.

This is my take on the following challenges:

1. Dusty Attic August 2017 Challenge

2. Lindy's August Challenge  I have used Sweet Violet Purple Blue, and Bachelor Button Blue

Thank you so much for looking, and have a great week!

Father and Son

Hi everyone! Melissa here with my entry page for the More Than Words June Main Challenge,FATHER & STEAMPUNK.  My husband is an amazing father to our son, and that is how this months word inspired me. For the steampunk challenge, I used clocks, gears, and wings.

To make this page I painted chipboard with gesso, then Finnabair Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint Metallique Steampunk Copper. 

I added a variety of things for more visual interest, Ranger Embossing Antiquities Verdigris,microbeads, dark gold metal glitter, Finnabairs Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint Metallique Light Patina, Vintaj Paint in verdigris, seed beads, gilding flakes, Tattered Angels Rich in Mocha Glimmer mist, and Firefly gold acrylic stencil paint.

I cropped the photo and put some black ribbon on the top and bottom to make it fit. I glued everything onto 7 Gypsies Paper Maritime Collection: Sirene, and outlined it with a black Faber Castell gelato mixed with water. I painted with DecoArt Metallic Lustre in Brilliant Turquoise, glued on dry gold embossing powder, seed beads, and mica flakes.

The metal heart is from 7 Gypsies.

Thank you so much for looking,and have a great week!

Entered into the following contest:

Another Vintage Card

Hi everyone, Melissa here with another design team project for Mixed Media Warriors.

I wanted to do a card with layers of chipboard and die cuts.

To make this I took a half sheet of 12 x 12 paper from Mind's Eye, Lost and Found, "Buddies", and applied some gesso with a cosmetic sponge.  I glued on burlap ribbon, script printed ribbon, and small pieces of lace, all from Hobby Lobby. I topped them with silk ribbon from my LSS. A layer of circle frame chipboard has five different die cuts on top of it: O'Holy Night by Die'Sire, Cherry Blossom by Darice, Mirror Mirror by Spellbinders, and Medium Punch- Branch by Martha Stewart. Underneath the flower by 49 and Market is a Sizzix butterfly die cut colored with mica powder.

 The heart chipboard is from Tim Holtz. I prepped it with gesso, then painted with Finnabair's Art Alchemy Opal Magic in Aqua Rose Opal Magic,topped with a layer of Rock Candy Clear Crackle. The small piece of chipboard behind the heart is from Scrapiniec.

The metal ring fastener is from Tim Holtz, as are the tiny chipboard stars.  The pink paint is Rambling Rose by LSG. The blue green is a mix of Windsor and Newton watercolors: Prussian Blue and Sap Green. The gold is a thick acrylic by Firefly. I used a Derwent Inktense Watercolor pencil in Bark in different areas.  

Thank you so much for looking, and have a great week!