AAA Colourful colour themed challenges - Colourboard #15

Hello Crafty Friends,

The AAA colourful colour themed challenges have a new colourboard for you to be inspired by, a beautiful combination of blues, turquoise, lilac/purple and green

I love the colours of this board, but I have to admit I found them very difficult to work with. At first I couldn't come up with a single thing to create, maybe because I have lost my mojo or maybe because the board is almost monochromatic, something I always struggle with. In the end I just sat down at my craft desk and started playing with the colours using different mediums; acrylic paints, inks, sprays, markers, crackle paste, volume paste, stamps, dies ....... after a while my desk was covered in blue, bluegreen and lilac/purple paint and creations. All of a sudden I had multiple options to chose from😅but "which one to share with you as an inspiration?" that was the question. I asked my family and everyone had a different favourite, and opinion, so in the end I decided to pick a creation that is wayout of my comfort zone....... art journaling/ mixed media.

This project was inspired by a quote I found on the internet and made me think - As I already find the (almost) monochromatic board challenging why not try to create one of the most challenging  (to me) projects using the most challenging (to me) techniques?
So here is my attempt at art journaling using mixed media

I started by applying a layer of gesso to my pages, then I painted them with a beautiful turquois acrylic paint. When the paint had dried I added a layer of crackle paste, to see what would happen/ how it would turn out. I added a little white acrylic paint over the crackle paste as it had dried, just to get some variation. I kept on playing and added more mediums to the mix, next up was sprays. I sprayed the pages using different blues and spritzed it with water to make the paint move. To get even more texture I used a stencil and added volume paste through it. I stamped some little sentences and a bunch of leaves in blue, green and purple around the pages. I also stamped the quote and cut out the individual words before adding them to my pages. To make the quote stand out I draw a black border around each word.

I had so much fun creating these pages, and I am so happy I stepped out of my comfort zone. They may not be the most beautiful I have created but  playing with all the different mediums was so inspiring and I might just be getting my mojo back. And isn't having fun the most important thing when it comes to creating?!

I hope you are inspired to join in the challenge, as I can't wait to see what you will create using the colours of the colourboard! You have until May 14th to create, upload and link your project to the AAA Colourful challenge blog. Remember we love all kinds of paper crafting, and in any style.

Fore more inspiration, and information, please visit the AAA Colourful challenge blog, it is filled with beautiful, fun and creative projects by the talented design team and our special guest designer for this challenge, Nance Selkeld.

Take care, keep crafting and get colourful!

Jane
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A trio of ATCs - butterfly babies

Hello, 

Today I'm sharing a trio of ATCs I created the other week.

I had a go at mixed media, not my forte but I had a lot of fun creating these cards.

Here's a close up of the cards

If you create ATCs and like to swap with me please send me a message on Instagram or leave me a comment here on the blog.

Take care, keep crafting and have fun!

Jane
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Art journal page in complementary colours

 Hi,
Today I've been playing with complementary colours in my art journal
inspired by the spring cybercrop at Pyssloteket and
Utmaning 3 - Tettiz komplimentfärger

Here I've played with Distress ink, Dylusions ink spray, Distress paint, modeling paste, a stencil, pigment ink, embossing powder and stamps.

I started by ink blending my background in blue, I then stamped and heat embossed the bird on my page. I also stamped and heat embossed a second bird which I fussy cut before spraying it with dylusions ink spray in orange. While the bird was drying I grabbed a stencil and some modeling paste and added that to my page. I adhered the orange bird on top of the stamped bird on my page, added some splatters in dark blue distress paint and my stamped and heat embossed sentiment.

Products used
Stamp set: "Life is Beautiful" by Visible Image
Distress ink: "Broken China" by Tim Holtz/ Ranger
Distress paint: "Uncharted mariner" by Tim Holtz/ Ranger
Dylusions ink spray: "squeezed orange" by Dyan Reaveley/ Ranger
Modeling Paste: by Panduro
Stencil: "Create Happiness KSTDL64" by Vicky Papaionnou/ Stamperia
Pigment ink: VersaFine Clair "Nocturne" by Tsukineko
Embossing Powder: "Clear Gloss regular" by WOW!

I'm still very new at art journaling, and I must admit I'm struggling a bit. I think I'm overthinking the process, but I'm slowly learning to let go and to go with the flow. So challenges like this one is perfect for me as they get me out of my comfort zone, and I am fully enjoying playing and learning about different mediums.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by, I truly appreciate it!

Take care, keep crafting and have fun!

Jane
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"Jingle all the way"

 Hello again,

Another little entry to the Cyber Crop at Pyssloteket.
Challenge 4 - Tag in layers upon layers upon layers...

There where a few criterias for this challenge;
Create a Tag in three layers, minimum, and use

- paste 
- Heat embossing
- Metal decoration 

I decided to make a tag on a tag on a tag kind of tag.
On my bottom tag I have used modeling paste through a snow stencil and inked the edge with some Distress ink.The middle tag is stamped and heat embossed with snowflakes after I "swinked" the tag with Distress ink. The top tag is made of vellum and stamped and heat embossed  with the same white embossing powder as the middle tag. For my metal decorations I have used a small Christmas tree and a small bell.

Products used
Dies: Tag Collection Framelits by Tim Holtz/ Sizzix
Stamps: "Let it Snow" clear stamp by Kaisercraft, "Granar" by hÄnglar & Wings
Paste: Modeling Paste
Embossing powder: "Opaque Bright White Super Fine" by WOW
Inks: VersaMark watermark stamp pad by Tsukineko, Distress Ink " Spun Sugar" by Tim Holtz/ Ranger
Embellishments: metal bell and tree, pink ribbon.

Playing along with the CC at Pyssloteket

CC ends tonight at midnight (Swedish time).


I really appreciate you taking the time to stop by!
Take care, keep crafting and have fun!

Jane
x 

"To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrows" - Art journaling

 Hello,

 and welcome to a new week of crafting!

Today I'm sharing an art journal spread I created over the weekend. I'm still struggling with finding my mojo, but watching art videos on Youtube and playing with all the inspiring goodies by Vicky Papaioannou is really helping, and this spread was inspired by one of Vicky´s art journal pages where she planted flowers in the wellies from her ephemera pack.





This was not what I had envisioned when I started working on this spread, but once again my mistakes led me in another direction than the one I intended. And I must say I absolutely love it!

My plan was to create a page, not a two page spead, in blues and greens, so I started of by ink blending the right hand side of this spead in those colours, but somehow I managed to mess it up completely. I didn't know how to save the page and thought the only way was to paint it over with black paint, but I didn't want to create another black background. My eyes caught sight of an ink pad with Distress oxide in Vintage photo laying on my table, and I grabbed it and started swiping it across the page. It looked aweful! In a desperate attempt to clean it of I grabbed a baby wipe and started rubbing on the Oxide ink. I didn't get it all but it matted the colour. The left side of the spread looked very bare next to the brown mess on the right side so I took the baby wipe, full of oxide ink, and rubbed across the left side. It left the most beautiful wood effect look on the page, and I almost wish I had stopped there (or at least taken a photo of it). The right side was still a brown mess so I decided to try to salvage it by using some white Distress paint over it, which I applied using a brayer. Then I just went for it with stamps and inks. I had no clue on what to create until I saw, in the corner of my eye, my Vicky Papaioannou's ephemera pack with those green wellies. As Vicky I planted some flowers in my wellies, and finished the spread by adding some rubbons, some splatters and a sentiment to the spread. The sentiment " To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrows" is a quote by Audrey Hepburn.

Products used:
Art journal: "Create Happiness" Mixed Media Journal by Vicky Papaioannou/Stamperia
Paint and ink: Distress Paint "Picket Fence", Distress Oxide "Vintage Photo" and Distress Ink "Black Soot" by Tim Holtz/Ranger, Brilliance "Moonlight white" by Tsukineko
Ephemera: "Create Happiness" ephemera pack and Rub Ons by Vicky Papaioannou/Stamperia
Sentiment: DYMO LetraTag

I hope you like my spread, I love it!
If you've made it this far, reading all my text, I'm truly impressed!

Thank you so much for stopping by, I really appreciate you taking the time!
Take care, have fun and keep crafting!

Jane
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Enjoy the Journey - art journaling/mixed media

 Hello,

I'm so enjoying creating in my new Mixed media art journal, and it feels like my mojo is slowly coming back. It's so inspiring to watch the talented Vicky Papaioannou's videos on Youtube, and for this spread I started of by following  some of the steps in Vicky's "recipe".

I started of with some ink blending, followed by splatters and stamping. As I thought my pages looked a little bit like a map from above I decided to go for a travel theme, which is perfect as I'm on a bit of a creative journey at the moment, learning new skills as I'm trying to find my mojo.

Products used:
Journal: Mixed Media Journal "Create Happiness" by Vicky Papaioannou and Stamperia
Ephemera: "Create Happiness" by Vicky Papaioannou and Stamperia
Rubon: "Create Happiness" by Vicky Papaioannou and Stamperia
Stamps: "Lacy Graffiti #60" by Olga Heldwein for AALL & Create, "Create happiness clear stamps" by Vicky Papaioannou and Stamperia, Alphabet stamp set by Studio Calico
Ink: Distress Oxide " Salty Ocean" and "Vintage photo" by Tim Holtz and Ranger
Paint: Distress Paint "Vintage photo" and "Picket fence" By Tim Holtz and Ranger
Word strips: Dymo LetraTag

Thank you for taking the time to stop by, I really appreciate it!
Take care and keep crafting!

Jane
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Mixed media journaling - Live your life in colour

 Hello Crafty friends,

I have found it really difficult to craft lately, I've totally lost my mojo.
I have so many cards I need to make, and want to create, but I have no inspiration. So to try to find that mojo again I've decided to try to create something every week, even if it doesn't turn out the way I want it to. I've also decided to try out new (to me) products and techniques to see if that can spark my mojo into gear.

When I took part in the Summer craft bingo at Pyssloteket this summer I gave art journaling and mixed media a go and found it to be so much fun, but really challenging. So inspired by those challenges and Vicky Papaioannou's amazing videos on YouTube, I've invested in a Mixed Media journal.

This page took me so long to create. I started of by ink blending my pages but it looked awful, so I ripped up an old book and clued pieces of the book pages on top of my ink blending. To try to give the pages some colour I got some Distress paint down on my pages, but once again it turned out horrible. Feeling defeated I grabbed some black acrylic paint and painted over the whole thing, and thought this is not for me......

but then I looked at the pages and thought to myself " it looks a little like a black board", and from there these pages emerged.

Products used:
Mix media journal by Vicky Papaioannou and Stamperia
Die set "Art Tulip" by Vicky Papaioannou and Spellbinders
Rainbow die set by My Favorite Things
Stamp "CLBP 11" by CREAlies
Distress Paint "picket fence" by Tim Holtz and Ranger
Black acrylic by flyingtiger

Pysslobingo - Gör ett alster i stilen mixed media

 Hello again,

I'm having so much fun playing along with the summer craft bingo at Pyssloteket, I just hade to make another project today.

The prompt I chose was to create a mixed media project. Not my forté, but I decided to give it a go after having watched the talented Tiffany Solorio on Youtube. If you haven't watched her videos I highly recommend it.

Here's what I made, a mixed media tag

I started of by die cutting a tag and prepping it with some gesso. After that I made my own tissue paper by stamping and stenciling on a piece of white tissue paper. I then ripped of a few pieces and added them to my tag using gel medium. Then I started playing with stamps, distress oxides, colorshine spray, perfect pearl and some more gesso and so on. I finished the tag by stamping and colouring a cute little crafty mouse and placed him on my tag together with some word strips, which I adhered with my tiny attacher.

It doesn't show very well on camera, but there is a bit of structure and some pearly shine here and there on the tag.

Products used:
Dies:
Tag collection Sizzex Framelits by Tim Holtz
Stamps:
Bits and pieces CLBP 11 by CREAlies,
Tic Toc clear and Sheet Music clear stamps by Kaisercraft,
Poetic lyrics #686 by Aall & Create,
Daisy Grunge by Visible Image
Be Creative Mini by Colorado Craft Company
Stencils:
Numeric Layering stencil by Tim Holtz
Backsplash by Simon Hurley
Other:
Perfect pearl by Ranger
Color Shine by Heidi Swapp
Small Talk (word strips) by Tim Holtz idea-ology
Copic markers
Distress Oxides by Tim Holtz
Gesso 
Gel medium
Tiny attacher by Tim Holtz
Craft cardstock

I hope that was all 😅

Thank you for stopping by, I really appreciate you taking the time!
Take care and keep crafting!

Jane
x

Mixed Media

 Hello,
Sharing another entry to the Spring CC at Pyssloteket.
This one really took me out of my comfort zone.

Challenge No 4 - Mixed Media.

For this one there were a few items that had to be included on the project, extras free of choice were allowed to be added;

*Collage paper or patterned paper 
*Acrylic or other paint 
*Tissue paper
*A tag
*Something stamped
*Wordstickers
* Use a stampler


I started of by die cutting a tag using one of the dies from the Tag Collection by Sizzix Framelits. As my tag was to light I died it using some ground coffee mixed with water. Then it was time for all the items on the list. I don't have any collage paper so I stamped and embossed the butterfly on some patterned paper by Craft Consortium. I also made my own patterned paper for the card base using a stencil and some Distress Oxides, both by Tim Holtz. Insted of acrylic paint I used alcohol inks mixed with modeling paste, together with a stencil. I've also used a little Distress Oxide on the tag. Tissue paper, tag, wordsticker and use a stapler, all check. When it came to "something stamped" I used several stamp sets;

- VI MINIs #1, Visible Image stamps
- Storyteller, Studio Calico
- Little Things, Pink fresh studio
- Sheet music, Kaiserkraft
- CLBP 11, CREAlies

- stamp set by Big Picture that I don't know the name of. 

This was my first attempt at mixed media, and I must say I thouroughly enjoyed it!

Thank you for stopping by, I really appreciate you taking the time!

Take care, stay safe and keep crafting!

Jane
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