Make your own Tea Journal using small canvases

I love tea, tea parties, tea shops, formal teas, homey teas...you get the picture.  My daughter and I have had tea in different shops and hotels all over the world during her life, we started when she was around 4 or 5 years old.  My personal favorite was about a decade ago at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, it was so beautiful!

This tiny book is made from two small canvases stamped and colored using Imagine products; the canvases serve as the front and back covers.  The inside has an accordion style section that can be used as the journaling pages.  It is fun to glue empty packets of my favorite teas inside or tea packets from tea with friends that I want to remember.  You can check out the details on the Imagine blog to get ideas to make your own tea journal.  If you have any suggestions or questions please leave me a message here.

Thanks for stopping by ~ hugs ~ Renee

P.S.  The "tea/glove" book used as a prop in the background was gifted to me by my friend Ella Wilson, it appeared in one of Stampington's publications and she was kind enough to send it to me.  I really cherish that lovely journal!  Ella is such an amazing artist.

Enhanced Coloring Book Page ~ Inquisitive Owl 3

This is another example of what to do with a coloring book page.  I call this one the Starry Night Inquisitive Owl.  Here's a list of the products I used:

Supplies Used:

Pan Pastels

Tim Holtz Distress Crayons

Stamps:  Stampendous, Stampers Anonymous

Creative Medium iridescent Chartreuse paste by Imagine Craft

White gesso

Stencils:  Artistcellar Aspens & Stars

StazOn Jet Black ink

I enjoy coloring so much I developed a class showing how to color pages and enhance them turning them into small pieces of art.  I already have two classes scheduled locally.   Doesn't that sound like fun?  Photos to follow, one this month and another in June.  :-)  I hope you're having a great day!  Hugs ~ Renee

Creating a Master Board with DecoArt products

I had fun creating a different masterboard similar to last week's using DecoArt products.  There is no end to the color schemes that can be attained by using the Americana line of paints, they blend together very nicely.  I used a Gelli Plate and a piece of water color paper to make the background for this and just a few different colors of paint.  Here is a brief tutorial.

This is a combination of green and blue paints brayered onto my Gelli Plate, then when dry I used a stencil and some Titanium white paint.  To give a punch of color I added yellow paint with more stencils.  At this point the paper can be anything you want it to be.  You can cut it up and use it for cards, ATCs, whatever or in this case I'm using it as a background for a stenciled image.

When all the paint was dry I taped a Prima stencil to the background paper and applied Black Modeling paste with a palette knife.

Lifting the stencil carefully exposes the lovely stenciled image.  Now I can add some additional pops of color.

Some shading was added, catch lights to the eyes and red lips.  Now I have a "portrait" without really knowing how to draw.    I'll be submitting this to the "Bold and Bright"challenge Andy Skinner has going on right now.  Click on Andy's name for the link, you still have time to submit.


Here is the list of supplies used:

DecoArt Products:
Black Modeling Paste
White Gesso
Fluid Acrylics:  Quinacridone Red, Titanium White, Phithalo Turquoise, Antiquing Cream
Americana Paints:  Irish Moss, Yellow Green, Sea Glass, Saffron Yellow, Whispering Turquoise

Stencils:
Andy Skinner's "Have your say"
Prima "Sharon" by Jamie Dougherty
Dyan Reaveley
ArtistCellar

Miscellaneous:  140# watercolor paper, 03 black Micron pen, washi tape, Gelli Plate


Thanks so much for stopping by!  Your comments mean a lot to me, makes me feel like I'm not alone.  Take care ~ Hugs, Renee

Baby it's cold outside! A multi layered card

If you have a moment today you might want to check out my many layered mixed media card on the IMAGINE Crafts/Tsukineko blog.  This cute panel can be used on a card or mounted onto a small box.  Today's offering is a card but I'll sharing the little boxes at a later date.  Here is a sneak peek, the directions can be found on the link.

I hope you have entered your name in the drawing for the new Coloring Book from Stampington.  If not, you have until Friday to do so.
Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I hope this finds you all well and happy!  Hugs ~ Renee

So, what is YOUR favorite product to work with?

All artists have their favorite product to use.  Mine is shared on the Imagine Crafts blog today.  It's no secret that I'm in love with several of the IC/T products but I've been using this one a lot lately.  What's yours?  I'd love to hear about it.

Check out their site if you want to see not only what my favorite product is but also the other AIRs have shared their faves and have posted some wonderful projects to show how to use products you might not be familiar with.
I hope this finds you all well, I'm still unpacking here in South Carolina.  The weatherman said today that Fall was in the air......temperatures are dropping into the low 80's next week.  Can you see the big smile on my face?  Hugs ~ Renee

Stampotique Challenge ~ SDC # 198

There is a challenge going on this week over at Stampotique.  If you want to enter it is simple:  go to their site, read the rules/follow them, show your image off.  The Challenge is from Gez Butterworth and it is a simple one, use your favorite stamp.  My favorite stamp is usually my newest stamp.  This one is by Kate Crane called Angel Squared.

To make this I started with a postcard piece of watercolor paper, 6" by 4", that had a layer of gesso on it.  I do sheets of watercolor paper with an application of gesso on them, let them dry and then set them aside for future creations.  I applied StazOn Studio glaze on the paper with a baby wipe for the background, using Orange Zest and Spiced Chai to tone it down.  When this was dry I stamped off some other stamps randomly and then stamped my angel image with StazOn Jet Black ink and Kate's stamp.  I heat set this with my heat gun and then started coloring in areas with a Memento marker called Angel Pink.

The wings, shoelaces, band on the robe & the heart are edged with Bronze irRESISTible Pico Embellisher and allowed to dry.  For the gold dots, heart and shoes I used Gold StazOn Studio Glaze directly to the image and allowed it to dry.  I love the way the Studio Glaze can be watered down or used for a 3D effect.

When everything had dried completely I used a couple of Artistcellar stencils and some gesso to add more texture on top of everything.  Finally I edged the card with  Jet Black StazOn ink.

This could be used as a postcard or matted on some black cardstock and used for whatever.

Thanks for stopping by today, I really appreciate your visits and comments during this difficult transition period for me.  It looks like it will still be a couple of months before we're actually moved in and settled in our new location.  But it's okay, I travel with all sorts of art supplies!  Take care ~ hugs to you all~ Renee

Faux Gelli Plate page

This will be my last post on Artistcellar as a Design Team member.  I've really enjoyed my Tuesdays and will continue to use my wonderful stencils in my art.  Check out their blog to see the details of how this card was made.

Hugs, talk to you soon!  ~ Renee

Stenciling on art journal pages

Last week I shared with you some art journaling pages that I had just completed.  Several people wanted to see the step by step process of these pages with photos.  If you click on this link it will take you to the Artistcellar blog where I have shared the photos and process that went into creating these pages.

So if you're interested and have a few minutes I invite you to grab an appropriate beverage and take a look!  Today is my actual physical moving day.  Whew, the studio took days to pack up.  I'm sure my new one will look nice a tidy for a while.  I have set up some posts for the next month.  I'll keep you all posted.
Thanks for stopping by, as always I truly appreciate your visit.  Hugs, Renee xx

Art Journal Pages with Studio Glaze

I love the new StazOn Studio Glaze product for art journal pages.  They can add just a hint of color to your pages or can be used for very intense colors, your choice.  Today I'm sharing a two page art journal spread, the photo is here and the directions can be found on the IMAGINE Crafts blog.  Here is the link.

I hope you'll pop over and take a look.  I'd love to hear what you think.  Hugs ~ Renee xx

Art Journaling with Stencils

It is Tuesday, so it must be Artistcellar Day!  I created a two page spread using my stencils today and a new stamp.

Here are the steps I went through to do these pages.  First I gessoed both pages lightly.  When the gesso was dry I stamped Dyan Reaveley's number stamp randomly on both pages too.

Next I applied Blue, Teal and Purple Gelatos to the pages and sprayed water on them to blend the colors.

I placed my Sea Foam stencil on the pages, sprayed more water and blotted it with a paper towel.  This way I could lift off just a little of the color.  Next I stamped Donna Downey Studios stamp called "She Pauses" on the page using StazOn Jet Black ink.

I stenciled my Believe stencil on the opposite page with gesso and let it dry.  Her face received a light coating of gesso at this point.  Now I had a great surface to use Pan Pastels on to give her some color.  All the little bits here and there on the pages are past mistakes that were recycled in this project.

There you have it!  Now it is your turn to get those stencils out and have some fun.  It sure beats shoveling snow.  :-)  Be safe, stay warm.  Hugs ~ Renee xx

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