Count Your Blessings

Hi everyone! Melissa here with a new design team page for the amazing Reneabouquets! Go and see all the beautiful things there!I have used a photo from free google, from Stella de Libero.

 To make this page I applied texture paste with a stencil onto watercolor paper. I put the layers under the photo together, starting with taping on card stock under the image to make it stronger. Below that is a layer of watercolor paper, and at the bottom is corrugated cardboard.I tore off most of the paper from the surface of the cardboard, and painted it with gesso.While the gesso was wet, I sprinkled on Ultra Thick Embossing Powder, and heated it just until it melted. I put layers of foam core board between everything, to add dimension. After I had the page all put together, I added Shimmerz Paint to the background watercolor paper. Later I painted on white Higgins Ink, to cover areas where it looked too busy with all the textural things, or if there was too much color. I also splashed the page with the white ink.

I picked out Beautiful Board, applied gesso with a cosmetic sponge, then painted it with Shimmerz Paints, and when dry, topped it with a thick coat of Clear Rock Candy Crackle Paint.You can also see gold mica powder, gold ink, Art Alchemy paint in Ancient Coin,and Prima Waxes on the BBoard.

To add visual interest I added micro beads, glass glitter,metal glitter,distress glitter,seed beads,glass beads, pearls, Swarovski crystals,rhinestones,pressed flowers and leaves,bark, strands of gauze,tulle, small pieces of iridescent wrapping paper,gold mica flakes, shells,metal from Reneabouquets, Tim Holtz, Vintaj, Prima, flowers from Prima, and bling and metal from my stash.

I edged the photo, watercolor mat, and corrugated with black gesso, Prima Wax, gold mica powder. I edged the chipboard with black ink too. Ink is really easy to use, it's cleaner and easier to control than gesso, You just put a little on your brush. With gesso you need to add water, and it's just not as neat as ink.

I really worked on the colors on the page to try and make a composition that was balanced. I have to stand and add things, to get the big picture, kind of like doing a jigsaw puzzle. I've been using just watercolor brushes, they're easier to use than flat ones. To put gesso on the corrugated, I use a flat brush, and the same one every time, because it can really ruin brushes unless you clean it right after you use it. 

You can see I smeared on wax on the photo mat and the bg paper.

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

You can find Reneabouquets here...

Reneabouquets

https://www.reneabouquets.com/

Reneabouquets Blog

https://www.reneabouquets.blogspot.com

Reneabouquets Facebook Page  https://www.facebook.com/Reneabouquets.comandEtsy/

Reneabouquets items I used:

Beautiful Board Large Stackable Honey Bee Corners Laser Cut Chipboard  

Beautiful Board Large Quilling Flourish Set Of 4 Laser Cut Chipboard  

Snow White Butterflies  

1 Ounce No Hole Silver Glass Microbeads 

1 Ounce No Hole Gold Glass Microbeads  

1 Ounce Beautiful Beads Hand Tinted Glass Pink 

.6 Ounce Beautiful Bead Bronzed Teal Iridescent Pearls  

1.6 Ounce Beautiful Beads Unicorn Candy Iridescent Pearls 

.4 Ounce Beautiful Beads Candy Choose Color Flatback Pearls   - Toffee

2 Ounce Diamond Shard Glitter Glass 

.5 Ounce Light Grey Glitter Glass  

.5 Ounce Lavender Chunky Glitter Glass  

1 Ounce Jar ~ Vintage Cream Mica Flitter Flakes 1/8" to 1/4" Natural Stone Flakes  

Reneabouquets Silver Spoon Trinkets Pack  

Reneabouquets Is The Place For High Quality, Local Market Lace!! A 15% off Coupon good towards your purchase of any Reneabouquets Lace & Trims (no quantity limit). Just purchase any amount of Reneabouquets Lace & Trims, enter Coupon Code: THEPLACEFORLACE (must be ALL CAPS) in the Coupon Box at checkout and 15% will be taken off your Lace & Trims!

Choose To Shine

Hi everyone!Melissa here with a page for Reneabouquet!I made this page to fit around the queen bee at the right. The photo inspired me too, the crown is kind of medieval looking.

To make this page I used Blue Fern paper for the background. I used a credit card to apply texture paste with a stencil. I put two layers of foam cord board between the photo and the background.I arranged the chipboard and flowers around, then picked some colors to use.  I painted the frame with Finnabair Ancient Coin Acrylic Paint, then applied a thick layer of Rock Candy Crackle.

I glued on the metal bee with clockface, put a little gesso on, and topped it with layers of paint and Finnabair White Gold Wax.

The areas that are white on the page are gesso with layers of watercolors.

To add visual interest I added mica flakes, metal glitter, diamond glitter,seed beads, micro beads, more chipboard,glass beads, moss, dried flowers, crystals, charms, tulle, gauze, Beautiful Beads, pearls, and more.

The area on the right is layers of blue and lavender Shimmerz, and diamond glass glitter, some gesso, and more Shimmerz watercolor in a pale peach color.

I painted the leaf chipboard with gesso, Shimmerz  green and brown watercolors, and topped it with Clear Rock Candy.

The Queen Bee is a beauty, with her glass wings,delicate colors, bling, and dimensional quality.

I painted the flowers with gesso,lavender Shimmerz, and Finnabair Acrylics.

I rubbed almost everything on the page with Finnabair White Gold Wax, it tied all the elements together I think.

Here is a list of items I used from Reneabouquet:

Pric

Queen Bee Glass Wing With Premium Paper Body Layer

Beautiful Board Medium Rose Heart Locket Frame & Key Set

Beautiful Board Ivy Vines Tuck It In Laser Cut Chipboard

Beautiful Board Hexagon Elements Laser Cut Chipboard

1 Ounce Beautiful Beads Hand Tinted Glass Pink

1.6 Ounce Beautiful Beads Bronzed Teal Iridescent Pearls

1 Ounce No Hole Gold Glass Microbeads

2 Ounce Gold Christmas Glitter Glass

2 Ounce Mermaid Shard Glitter Glass

1 Ounce No Hole Plum Microbeads

2 Ounce Diamond Chunky Glitter Glass

Garden Party ~ Tea With Me Curly Roses Mulberry Paper Flower Set

Blue Fern Tattered Walls Collection 20 Papers

Reneabouquets Queen Bee Clock Charms Trinket Pack

 ❤️Check out the savings...July Coupon-Spend $30.00 or more before shipping at Reneabouquets.com (website only) put 1-Beautiful Board Laser Cut Chipboard Stackable Heart Border in your cart, enter Coupon Code: JULYCOUPON (all caps) at checkout, and and receive 1-Beautiful Board Laser Cut Chipboard Stackable Heart Border free. A $5.99 value. Only one coupon per order. Purchase must be $30.00 or more before shipping. 

The best prices for Renea's items are on - Reneabouquets Shop http://www.Reneabouquets.com

Prices are a bit higher at Reneabouquets Etsy Shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/Reneabouquets -due to new extra costs for Etsy sellers.

Reneabouquets Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Reneabouquet...  

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

Price

Travel Far and Wide

Hi everyone! Melissa here with a page for Shimmerz Paints! What a pleasure to work with these rich, delicious paints, to express my love of the colors in this photo. 

This second version of the same photo, I took it with my new cell phone. I had no idea it took such good pics, in my humble opinion.

To make this page I used watercolor paper for both the mat, and the background.

I used Beautiful  Board chipboard by Reneabouquets.

I stenciled on texture paste with a credit card. I arranged chipboard around the photo, prepped it with gesso, and applied paint. I put on a thick layer of Clear Rock Candy Crackle, and topped it with more paint,gesso, and gold mica powder.

I put a thin layer of paint over a lot of the page, but then wound up painting over a lot of it with gesso,things just got too busy.

To add visual interest I added the following: several little poppy flower stamps from Shimmerz stamps, tulle, cheesecloth,lichen, dried flowers,birch bark, embroidery floss, pearls, mica flakes, metal glitter,glass glitter, rhinestones, charms, rub ons, metal, seed beads, micro beads,dry embossing powder,sequins, and more. As I added things, I brushed on Shimmerz around to tie them in with page.

To the right of the metal I added clear glass glitter to wet paint. The glitter kind of drew the paint close to it.

Here's a list of colors I used

Inklingz:

Oakie Bear Blue

Blue My Mind

Dear John Letter

Olive U Truly

Emerald City

Penny 4 Your Thoughts

Blue Lagoon

Shimmerz:

Evergreen

Tickle Me Turquoise

Jilted Jade

Ultra Marine

Teal the End of Time

Precious Metal

Vibez:

Jeni B Bleu

Deep Blue Sea

Blue Jeans

Creameez

Jolly Green Giant

Stamps

Petite Poppies

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

Remember if you write my name in the comments section when you order, you can get a surprise freebie!

More Than Words February 2017 Mini Challenge

Hi everyone, Melissa here with a card for the Mini Challenge at More Than Words! You could make a card, ATC (artist trading card), or tag. Since February is the month of love, you had to put the word "LOVE" on it.  I am very mushy on the inside, so using this theme wasn't much of a stretch!

I made this card by layering watercolor paper, and then I handstitched a border with embroidery thread.  I applied home made texture paste with a Prima  Stencil, Royal Menagerie Collection, Decor 1,and a credit card.  I painted the whole thing with Winsor and Newton Watercolors, in sap green and burnt umber.  I sponged Prima Heavy Gesso on to create negative space around the embellishments.

To create more visual interest I added tulle, microbeads, seed beads,bling, metal, and moss. The cherubs are from Authentique Paper.

The "Love" is part of a wood chipboard piece. I used Bark Derwent Inktense watercolor pencil on the edges of it by holding the pencil sideways and drawing it along the edges. Some of the pink paint on the edges of the card is Lindy Stamp Gang's Rambling Rose. 

You can see a little gold mica powder I brushed on the card.The flower is by Prima, the leaves are sizzix die cuts that I watercolored.  

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

More Than Words January Main Challenge, Celebrate & Bling

Hi everyone! Melissa here with a page for the January More Than Words Challenge.  I chose these two photos of my son, because they celebrate the joy of having fun! They were taken years ago  in front of my husband's childhood home, in beautiful Northport, New York. It's always exciting to go there in the summer because we can see family, enjoy the beauty of the area, and escape the Houston heat.

For the bling I've used mica flakes, gold mica powder, micro beads,copper wire,and a couple druzy style beads. I also used a Tim Holtz clock face,ornate plate,key, and some Ranger clear crackle. The green watercolor paint is Shimmers by Tattered Angels. The Prima flower in the middle has some chunky clear glitter on it, although it's hard to see in the photo.

The background paper is My Mind's Eye, Lost and Found, Market Street. Almost all the cut up pieces are tags from a sheet of baseball Paper House paper. Along with soccer, Nick played baseball for several years. There's also some ppr. with distressed edges from Bo Bunny. The flowers are Prima, from Engraver, and Coventry Roses,the leaves are also Prima.

I extended some of the tree branches with a bark color Inktense watercolor pencil, I also used it for all the shading on the page, I softened the pencil lines by brushing on some water.

I used Prima heavy Gesso to form a base so paint wouldn't soak into the paper, and also to tone down some of the detail and color of the page.

I used a lot of gold mica powder.

Thank you so much for looking! I hope you have a wonderful year, filled with all the things you love.

This page is for the following challenge:

January 2017 Main Challenge, Celebrate and Bling