The Collins Group Tradeshow

Well, it is official, I will be teaching 2 classes at the upcoming Collins Group Show in Westborough, MA in April 2015.  This will be my first time at the show since only craft professionals and store owners are allowed to attend.  If you go I hope you'll take one of my classes.  I'll be teaching a mixed media art journal class on Friday from 2:45 pm to 4:15 pm and a mixed media card making class on Saturday from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm.  These are the samples for my classes.

An Amplified Art Journal

My classes are showcasing new products from IMAGINE Crafts/Tsukineko.  I'll be sharing with people different ways to use StazOn Studio Glaze, Amplify! and the new Creative Mediums in iridescent and metallic colors.  So if you are fortunate enough to attend the show I hope you'll stop by and say hello!
Hugs ~ Renee xx

Blog Hop Winner!

The Take It Make It Challenge blog hop winners have been announced today!  Someone who entered a comment on my blog won an original piece of art and this mixed media substrate package.  Pop on over to the Craft Stamper blog see who won the Design Challenge and the grand prize, here is the link.

Congrats to the winner, be sure and send Trish your address if you are the winner of any of the prizes!  Have a great weekend.  Hugs, Renee xx

Using Acrylic Glaze with Stencils

I love the colors and texture of Silks Acrylic Glaze!  I was playing around with three colors on this project, Pink Azalea, Teal Zircon and Key Lime.  First I used the Artistcellar Blazonry stencil on a piece of Glossy Card Stock and with an applicator gingerly applied the paint from my craft mat through the stencil, mixing the colors a little here and there.  To add more interest I placed the Sea Foam stencil on top and pushed the new Creative Medium Chartreuse Iridescent paste through with a palette knife.  Now there is a gorgeous iridescent glow to the panel.

I inked the edges with StazOn permanent ink in the Spiced Chai color.

Next I stamped a butterfly on a piece of Vertigo and colored it with StazOn Studio Glaze and did the same with a piece that I stamped the word "Fly" on.  I adhered both of these pieces to the panel.

There you have it, a mixed media card with lots of soft colors.  Thanks for stopping by today, I hope you enjoyed seeing another way to use your stencils.

Take care, we're having to deal with a blizzard today here in New England.  It makes it nice to stay in and play in my studio.  See you next Tuesday with more stenciling ideas!  Hugs ~ Renee xx

Steampunk Dream

Not only is this a stenciling project but it is also a demonstration of how you can use some of the new products recently released at CHA in Anaheim, CA.

There are so many new products from IMAGINE Crafts used on this small canvas.  It was made dimensional by the use of Amplify!  The colors and textures were further enhanced with StazOn Studio Glaze, my new art love.  If you'd like to see how it was made the directions and supply list can be found here.  Thanks for stopping by today! Hugs ~ Renee

You Are Good Enough~a mixed media canvas

Teddy Roosevelt was quoted as saying, “Comparison is the thief of joy”.  As artists we sometimes are caught up chasing the idea of perfection instead of appreciating how far we have come in the direction of our artistic dreams and goals.  If you love what you’re doing and continue to learn and grow artistically, you are already a success.  Everyone’s journey is unique.  You are good enough.  This is a canvas showing how Delicata Celestial Copper and Bronze Burst can warm up cool colors.  Full instructions can be found here.

Check out how to make this small canvas and all the new IMAGINE Crafts products today on the IMAGINE Crafts blog.
Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you're having a great weekend. ~ Renee xx

Craft Stamper's Take It, Make It Blog Hop Begins Today!

Hello!

Welcome to Craft Stamper Magazines very first Take it, Make It blog hop!

If you have landed here from Nikki's blog then you’re in the right place!

A list of all the blog hop links can be found HERE: 

The January challenge is called ‘Take A Stamp’, and is really simple…just use a stamp somewhere in your art!  When you have completed your project, enter it into the challenge and you will be eligible to win that humongous box of goodies showcased on the CS Challenge Post.   The project I am sharing today is this…..

The main challenge this month has a HUGE prize up for grabs, all you need to do is enter a project into the challenge to earn your place in the random draw!

As well as the main prize, we are also offering blog hop prizes too….

You can win this fabulous mixed media substrate pack:

drawn winner..... Brace Yourself....

To win, simply leave a comment on this (or any of the other blog hop)  post. When the challenge ends, we will randomly draw a name from the comments left! There is one prize on offer for EACH blog post….so 12 chances to win (13 if you count the HUGE prize for the challenge winner!)

The lucky winners from each blog will not only win a mixed media substrate pack, they will win a piece of original art from the blog author! So, the lucky winner chosen from the comments left here will win the project I have shared above! Winners from the other blogs along the hop will receive the original art shared there too…how cool is that?!

So, leave your comment here, and then hop along to the next blog, the fabulously talented:

 Shirley Bampton

Once you’re all done with the hop, don’t forget to enter the main challenge! All the details can be found HERE 

Have fun!

Elina: http://www.artsandcraftswithlove.com/2015/01/timi-blog-hop.html

Elizabeth:http://elizabethr-thecraftyrobin.blogspot.com/2015/01/craft-stamper-magazines-take-it-make-it.htm

Jackie:http://scrapbangwallop.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/craft-stamper-blog-challenge-blog-hop.html

Jolande:http://justjolande.blogspot.com/2015/01/bloghop-for-craft-stamper-yeahhh.html

Kymona: http://kreativekymona.com/2015/01/16/craft-stamper-blog-hop/

Linda:http://lindylou-lifeinthecraftlane.blogspot.com/2015/01/craft-stamper-take-it-make-it-blog-hop.html

Nikki:http://fairyelephantdesign.blogspot.com/2015/01/craft-stamper-take-it-make-it-challenge.html

Renee:http://renee-boltonhouse.blogspot.com/2015/01/craft-stampers-take-it-make-it-blog-hop.html

Shirley: http://www.shirley-bee.co.uk/2015/01/craft-stamper-take-it-make-it-blog-hop.html

Tracy:http://queeniesscrapmad.blogspot.com/2015/01/craft-stamper-take-it-make-it-blog-hop.html

Trish: http://inkpaintbeads.blogspot.com/2015/01/craft-stamper-blog-challenge-blog-hop.html

Zoey: http://scrapsaurus.blogspot.com/2015/01/take-it-make-it-bh.html

The blog hop starts today and closes on January 28th, 2015 when the challenge closes.  There is a huge prize to be won so I hope you will join in!  Wishing you the best  ~ Renee xx

e.e. cummings poem~Mixed Media Canvas Blue

I really enjoyed making the canvas I made last week in autumn colors so I thought I would give it a try using different stencils and colors this week.  The poem is the same with just a few changes to the layout.

"i carry your heart with me"

Instructions
  Begin with  a large sheet of watercolor paper measuring  11” by 15”.  Using  the Calypso Kaleidacolor Ink Pad, ink up an brayer and apply the ink generously to the water color paper.  Blend the colors together with baby wipes.

I wanted to emphasis the Violet color so I blended in a little of the Victorian Violet color.

I drew the image of a girl with my Stabilo pencil free hand.  You could use an ad from a fashion magazine or a stencil to make your image.  Now I stenciled white gesso at the top using Blazonry and in the middle I used the same stencil but just used the Stabilo pencil.  This adds a lot of texture to the piece.  I added white acrylic paint to her hair and some Inktense pencil color to her skin and dress.

I painted around the image of the girl with Black Chalkboard paint and allowed it to dry.  This will be my journaling surface later.

Another layer of stenciling is added using lime green acrylic paint and two stencils, Numerals and Chequered Dots .  I gave detail to her dress using irRESISTibles in Silver and Wedding Dress white.

The hearts are stamped on a separate piece of water color paper using  Brilliance inks in Pearlescent Sky Blue, Mediterranean Blue, and Victorian Violet.  I heat embossed all three hearts with Clear Embossing Powder.  When these were dry I cut out the hearts and sewed a line down the middle of each one with my sewing machine.  Time to add the journaling.  My favorite poem is by e.e. cummings called "i carry your heart with me".  He purposely wrote the poem in lower case letters and so did I, using a white Gelly Roll pen.  I added more stenciling in white gesso with an Artistcellar stencil called Star Coral .  I adhered the three hearts to the canvas.

I used a Chunky Chevron stencil by Artistcellar with Bahama Blue irRESISTibles and a paint brush in several spots.

The dangling threads from the heart strings were trimmed but still left long.

 I framed it first with StazOn Midnight Blue ink on the edges of the canvas and glued the canvas to a piece of chip board.  I finished it by giving the canvas a framed look with StazOn Jet Black ink over the Midnight Blue ink, applying it with an applicator.

    A tiny re purposed flower was added to her waistband for additional interest.  Here is a list of my supplies.

Inks

Tsukineko StazOn Jet Black Ink

 Tsukineko Kaleidacolor ™Raised Rainbow Dye InkPad in Calypso color

Tsukineko Brilliance Archival Pigment Ink Pads

                Mediterranean Blue

                Pearlescent Sky Blue

                Victorian Violet

IMAGINE Craft irRESISTible Colored Texture Spray in Bahama Blue and Wedding Dress White

IMAGINE CRAFT irRESISTible Pico Embellisher in Silver

Stamps

                Dina Wakley Grunge Heart by Stampington

Stencils

                Artistcellar

Other supplies

                140# Watercolor paper

                Acrylic Paints

                Gesso

                Black Chalkboard Paint

                White Gelly Roll pen

                IMAGINE Craft Clear Embossing Powder

                Stabilo Pencil

Tools

            Brayer

Scissors

Inktense Pencils

Adhesive

Sewing Machine

Old credit card to scrape Gesso onto page

Baby Wipes

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope to see you next Tuesday with more stenciling ideas!
 Hugs~ Renee

Take It Make It Challenge for January

We have a new Craft Stamper TIMI Challenge today for January 2015.  It is a very easy one this time, anything that includes rubber stamping.  It can't be any more simple than that.  I created a tag for today that can used in place of a card or it can be a book mark.

I started by stamping one of the stamps from Dyan Reaveley's collection called "Doodle Parts" in the foreground.  I made a mask of this on a piece of scratch paper, covered the initial stamped image, then stamped the woman, from Dyan Reaveley's "Strength",  in the background.

Now, I brought out my Memento markers and started coloring in my image and the foreground.

To finish up I added some lines from an Inkadinkado stamp, stamped the word Diva from Stampotiqe and distressed the edge with StazOn Spiced Chai.  The only thing left to do was add a red and white ribbon.

There you have it for today.  I will be giving you more information this month about a Blog Hop that will be starting on January 16th, 2015.  The give-away is AMAZING!  More on that later.  Hugs~ Renee

Quotation Art using Artistcellar Stencils

In 2014 we had an especially brutal winter here in New England.  I somehow ended up in bed with a cold that resulted in pneumonia.  I will be the first to say that I am not a good patient but on the bright side this gave me an opportunity to watch (translated:  sleep through) some old movies that I had missed over the years.  One that I watched several times was called “In Her Shoes”.  My favorite part of this movie is when, at the end of the movie, Cameron Diaz recites an e.e. cummings poem called “i carry your heart with me”.  Of course when I came out of my stupor I had to research this poet and read many of his poems.  This is still my favorite poem of his and it is what inspired several collages from me.  E.E. Cummings liked to break the rules when it came to grammar and punctuation.  This poem was written in lower case letters so I honored that when I rewrote his poem on my canvas.  I added hearts to the canvas to remind me how deeply this poem  touched me.  I left the machine stitched threads to represent how it tugged at my heart strings.

TECHNIQUE

1.  To begin, use a palette knife or an old credit card to apply a thin layer of gesso to the watercolor paper and allow it to dry.  When it is thoroughly dry, use a brayer to apply Tsukineko’s Kaleidacolor Autumn Leaves ink; blend this with a baby wipe.

2.  Choose an image of a girl out of a magazine or use a stencil to sketch the silhouette of a girl in the right corner of the canvas.  This can be done with an STABILO Aquarellable pencil which when activated with water will create shading naturally.  Paint the image of the girl in with white acrylic paint, if you would like a little color on the image just blend in some Gelatos with your finger and then paint over it.  Clean your brush off on the canvas randomly, applying the white paint where it seems to need a little brightening.  Outline the girl’s image with a Fude Ball pen in a sketchy fashion.

3.  Use the Dylusions stencil Chequered Dots from Artistcellar to apply Memento LUXE Teal Zeal dots in different places on canvas.

4.  Paint black Chalkboard paint around the image, this will be used to write on later.  Allow it to dry completely.  Write the words of the poem on the chalkboard paint using a white Gelly Roll pen.

5.  Stamp Dina Wakley’s Grunge Heart on a separate piece of watercolor paper using Rocket Red Brillance ink, heat emboss it with red embossing powder.  Tear out the hearts and distress the edges with Memento Luxe Espresso Truffle ink.    Sew straight down the middle of each heart on the sewing machine and allow the long threads to remain long and uncut.

6.  The girl’s dress was lightly colored with DWM Ruby Red paint.  When the paint dried I started applying additional gesso with stencils randomly.  I used the Artistcellar Chunky Chevron stencil in several spots.  When the gesso had dried completely I rubbed Interference Blue paint on her dress a few other spots on the canvas.

7.  Using a strong adhesive I glued the three hearts in the top left corner allowing the “heart strings’ of thread to hang down.  A heart was glued on the image and enhanced with “irRESISTible” Lady Bug colored texture spray. 

8.  The Chequered Dots stencil from Dylusions was carefully placed on the hearts and other random spots and heavy gesso was gingerly applied then the stencil lifted straight up to prevent smearing.

9.  To finish the canvas the edges were distressed with Memento Luxe Espresso Truffle ink.

Products Used

• Artistcellar:   Dylusions Chequered Dots stencil; Julie Fei-Fan Balzer Mini Chunky Chevron stencil
• Strathmore 140# Water color paper (measures 11” by 15”)
• Gesso
• IMAGINE Crafts/Tsukineko Inks:  Kaleidacolor Autumn Leaves ink, Archival Brilliance ink in Rocket Red, Memento Luxe Espresso Truffle and Teal Zeal, “irRESISTible” Lady Bug colored texture spray
• DWM Acrylic Paint Ruby Red
• Golden Acrylics Interference Blue
• Chalkboard paint
• Fude Ball black permanent pen, Gelly Roll White pen, STABILO Aquarellable pencil
• Brayer
• Dina Wakley Grunge Heart Stamp
• Palette knife
• Baby Wipes
• (optional:  orange Gelatos)

This is a copy of the article that I wrote that recently appeared in Jan/Feb 2015 issue of Somerset Studio magazine.  If you are near a Barnes & Noble bookstore you can check it out!  I did redo the piece that is featured in the article but this is the step by step process showing how I made the original canvas .

Thanks so much for stopping by, I'll see you next Tuesday with more stenciling ideas.  Stay warm ~ Renee

My word for 2015: Possibility

Here is my word for the 2015.  POSSIBILITY.  I have this piece hanging in my studio to remind me that life is always changing and that is not necessarily a bad thing.  It is a mixture of gesso, stencils, stamps and ink, just a few of my favorite things.

I have written on it a quote from one of my favorite writers, Quinn McDonald.  The quote her is from her blog, it says:  "The place of possibility is right under the wet blanket we toss on the smouldering resentment of our lives.  You don't have to fear the place of possibility~it doesn't obligate you.  It just has...a fresh possibility."

I know personally I have a lot of changes ahead of me in 2015.  I have decided to embrace the possibilities that the future has to offer.  New adventures!

Have you decided what your word for 2015 will be?  Leave a comment, I'd love to hear what you're thinking.  Hugs ~ Renee

© Quinn McDonald is an author, life- and creativity coach, and workshop leader. She is the author of The Inner Hero Creative Art Journal and Raw Art Journaling