15 minutes of mixed media

Yay for Tuesday! Here is another take on my 15 minutes of mixed media - a lesson in art and time management!

I had trouble staying focused this week. I think because my mind was racing with the details of ten million other things I wanted to stop the timer. I was really tempted this week. I really wanted to hit pause, take my journal over the gelli plate, create a beautifully colored background and start over.

I am proud of myself for not doing that. It took great effort. My page isn't as busy as usual- another hint to as how my mind was wandering. I do like the colors and simplicity of the end result however.

Since I have devoted the last three or four week's to a blank page start I think I will reward myself with a bright and beautiful background as a springboard next week.

I hope this reminds you that just because we create every day, doesn't mean it comes easily every time we put brush to paper. We are allowed a day to fumble and stall. The point is to keep going. Don't hit pause. I was glad I stuck with it. One more page called done in my journal.

I hope you enjoy the process.

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SUPPLIES I USED THIS WEEK ----->

 Apple Barrel White Gloss, Key West and Neon Pink and Yellow, Painters Brand Paint Pens in Red & Orange,  Water Brushes filled with Dylusions Inks in Bubblegum Pink, Lemon Zest, Funky Fuschia, & Pure Sunshine Sharpie Oil Pen in White, Sharpie Mean Streak in White, UHU Glue Stick, Scissors, Collage Papers from my stash of art journal papers, and both homemade and store bought stencils, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Ripe Persimmon, Pilot Multiball Fine Tip Pen and a hand carved stamp. I also used paintbrushes, an old gift card and a heat embosser. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are a few other journal pages I created using this technique-------> Click on the images below to see how these journal pages were created using 15 minutes of mixed media.

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*as an amazon affiliate, I receive a small incentive if you purchase a product through these links*

the documented life project - weekly challenge 12

Welcome to Week 12 of The Documented Life Project!

March 15 - Cut Up A Magazine - Add To Your Planner.

This week was fun. I took the challenge literally for once, but I have to admit it was for one reason only. MY PLANNER IS GETTING REALLY REALLY CHUNKY.  I think I need to incorporate a FLAT page every once in awhile or we are going to have a book bursting at the seams over here- and pretty darn soon.

It's okay though. I love how this page turned out. AND it forced me to be a little bit creative with how I added my magazine bits. In the end I hauled out a LONG UNUSED tool - the BIG SHOT die cut machine. I forgot I liked this thing. I forgot that it can turn any little scrap of paper or thin fabric into something cool for my planner.

I chose a magazine with bright images and some wording. I cut out several sizes of this shape and this shape. I adhered the cut outs on with a glue stick and painted stripes in the white space. I added a zillion pops of black and white with my favorite paint pens and some funky lettering before telling myself I should be done.

I cut a ton of magazine scraps up while creating this challenge. Then, when I was done,  I went around the studio cutting even more stuff up. Maybe I won't be burying this tool back in the closet afterall!

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This week's challenge supplies: magazine, scissors, uhu glue stick, Golden Acrylic in ultramarine blue, Golden Acrylic in green gold, Painters Brand Paint Pens in White and Black, Big Shot Die Cut Machine.

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-------> Art to the 5th Blog - Our Story

-------> List of Weekly Archived Challenges

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-------> Instagram - #documentedlife

-------> Our Blogs

            Rae

            Lorraine

            Sandi

            Barbara

            Roben-Marie

*as an amazon affiliate, I receive a small incentive if you purchase a product through these links*

coffee filter wreathe

When I was moving recently I came across a handful of foam wreathes- leftover from a school project. Rather than find a place to store them I decided to make a few little wreathes for Spring.

This project took just under an hour and requires only a few supplies - most of which you might have on hand.

You will need: a foam wreathe (mine was 8" in diameter), assorted coffee filters, assorted paints, twine, scrap of muslin, tissue paper, and a floral embellishment. I cut up some polyester material I had on hand and shaped it into circular petals for mine. You will also need a glue gun and a glue stick or two.

First I scooped a very small amount of Golden Heavy Body Acrylic Paint ( I used Fluorescent Pink, Fluorescent Chartreuse, and Fluorescent Green) into an old container. Next I added about two cups of water and mixed it up very well. If you are making a larger wreathe you will need to adjust the paint and water quantities accordingly.

Once the paint & water were mixed well I began crumbling up the coffee filters and stuffing them into the mixture. I divided the filters up evenly and made sure they were well beneathe the surface of liquid. I let them soak for 30 minutes. For my miniature wreathe I used approximately 50 large filters, a combination of both natural and bleached, and 15 white cupcake wrappers. (Depending on how tight you crinkle them when adhereing them to the wreathe, you could use more or less)

These colors apprear VERY bright while soaking, but they will be much, much lighter when dried. Adjust your color preferences accordingly. After 30 minutes I carefully (they will tear easily) wrung out each filter. You can do this with several at a time. Leaving them loosly balled up, I tossed them in the dryer on the coolest setting for about 6 minutes. Once dry I gently, and only partially, unfolded each filter.

They look so yummy! ... like cotton candy peonies! I was tempted to just pin them to the wall at this point...but I went ahead and finished my wreathe. Maybe next time.

Next I began crunching and gluing my filters onto the foam wreathe. You could use straight pins too - but I wanted mine to be premanent. The glue will slightly melt the foam, but this is ok. It makes the depth different for each flower and I like it. I chose to add my filters randomly and layer the smaller cupcake liners with the larger natural ones.

I continued to add filters on the outside of the wreathe, as well as on the inside center ring. I cut a length of twine and muslin, knotted each end and glued the ends to the back of the wreathe.

Next I added my pops of color. I am an not a big pastel person, so while I wanted my wreathe to resemble Springtime, I needed a little punch to call it mine. I began by cutting up circles of polka dot tissue paper, approximately 4 inches across. I scrunched them in the middle and glued them in a cluster on one side of my wreathe. I repeated this step with the pink silky centers.

Lastly I added a piece of muslin and tissue paper to the handle. I love it. Springy and easy and fast. Perfect.

...now...where to hang it?

Enjoy the process!

15 minutes of mixed media

It's Tuesday, so here is this week's take on my 15 minutes of mixed media - a lesson in art and time management! 

This week I started with two colors I rarely use. Blue and Green. I tried. As you can see though,  the pink took over. As usual. Oh well. In the end I liked it because this is what I love to do!

 I am still working in this art journal and love it! I don't LOVE starting with a blank page, but since I didn't have time to create a new batch of backgrounds this week, I had no choice. I prefer, as you know, to start with some color on the page, something I usually create using the Gelli Plate. It is so easy and fast for creating beautiful backgrounds. I hope to work on some of these this week!

SUPPLIES THIS WEEK -------> Golden Heavy Body Acrylic in Pink Fluorescent, Apple Barrel White Gloss, Apple Barrel Lime Gloss, Dylusions Spray Ink in Calypso Teal, Painters Brand Paint Pens in Red, Black, White, & Orange, Ink Joy Ink Pens, Water Brushes filled with Dylusions Inks in Bubblegum Pink, Lemon Zest, & Funky Fuschia, Sharpie Oil Pen in White, Sharpie Mean Streak in White, UHU Glue Stick, Scissors, TUL Fine Tip Permanent Black Marker, ( I buy these in bulk because I love them so much and use them so often! ) Collage Papers from my stash of art journal papers, and both homemade and store bought stencils. I used this one and this one. I also used paintbrushes, an old gift card and a heat embosser.

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Here are a few other journal pages I created using this technique-------> Click on the images below to see how these journal pages were created using 15 minutes of mixed media.

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*as an amazon affiliate, I receive a small incentive if you purchase a product through these links*

15 minutes of mixed media

Welcome to this week's 15 Minutes of Mixed Media !  It is a bold one this week! I mentioned I have been experimenting with color, specifically those I shy away from- so this is what happened when I set the timer. !5 minutes and counting....Go.

I started with a simple background- two oversized swipes of bright color. I like the FolkArt Neons in pink and orange. They are nice, inexpensive paints to use for backgrounds, as much of it get painted over later in the process. I also grabbed some paint pens, a few collage papers, a glue stick, scissors, two Golden paint colors - Ultramarine Blue and Diarylide Yellow,  two ink pads - ripe persimmon and seedless preserves , a few stencils and a water brush filled with a mixture of water and Dylusions ink in Bubblegum Pink.

I began by adding a few pieces of collage paper using the glue stick, followed by several swipes of white paint. (I failed to mention that I also used my go to paint for everything - Apple Barrel White Gloss Craft Paint. ) Next I stenciled several shapes and dried them quickly with my heat embosser. I journaled large words with a paint pen and made several more small marks and swirls also using the paint pens, drying layers with the embosser as I went.

I stamped my ink pad directly to the page in several areas and moved the color around while still wet with my ink filled water brush. I added some small marks using the same brush and dried again with the heat embosser. I laid a stencil down and rubbed white paint over it in several areas to create some texture.

I hope you are enjoying the process. Setting your timer doesn't have to be stressful. I used to find that my teeth were actually clenched when the buzzer went off. I got over that. Once I realized no one was grading me, testing me, watching me- the tension slipped away and it became an enjoyable creative exercise. Need more time until you are comfortable creating this way? Set the timer for 30 minutes and have those supplies at the ready!

Here are a few other journal pages I created using this technique!

Want to see more simple background ideas for your art journal pages created using 15 minutes of mixed media? Read here----->

Click on the images below to see how these journal pages were created using 15 minutes of mixed media.

15 minutes of mixed media

Welcome to this week's take on 15 minutes of mixed media. This week I thought it would be fun to share a video of me creating a journal layout using my tried and true method for spontaneous creativity! Don't worry- I sped up the video so you can view the entire process in about 7 minutes!

I hope you enjoyed the video! I love being able to create an entire layout in just a few short minutes. Just to let you know- I am creating in this Small Dyan Reavely Creative Journal.

Here are a few other journal pages I created using this technique!

Want to see more simple background ideas for your art journal pages created using 15 minutes of mixed media? Read here----->

Click on the images below to see how these journal pages were created using 15 minutes of mixed media.

mailart from my art

Just making a little mail art over here. Hoping to get my act together this year and do a swap!

MAILART: print of my be bold canvas. vintage ledger paper. to do tab. wasi tape. vintage grocery stamps. painted paper plate circles. patterened paper scraps. vintage postage stamps.

the documented life project: weekly challenge 6

Welcome to Week 6 of The Documented Life Project!

February 1 - Open Your/A  Pinterest Board and Be Inspired!

At first I wasn't sure about this challenge. Pinterest is a tad bit overwhelming on a good day - to open a board and be inspired could easily lead to hours of surfing beautiful pages and boards. To simplify things and keep my "surfing time" to a minimum, I chose to open one of my own boards - Tutorials. This is what I found!

I loved sharing how to make this mini canvas and everything about the way it turned out- the colors, the texture and the interesting look the paint took on. I took the challenge one step further and only allowed myself to use watercolors. Watercolors are a fairly new medium for me and I am much more comfortable using acrylic paints. I thought this would push me to use the watercolors, experiment with them a little more...

I used a piece of watercolor paper that was already collaged on the reverse side for my tip-in page this week. I chose a pretty, bright palette and following the lines of my pinterest inspiration I began painting.

As it turned out, I taped my tip-in backwards (NOT the first time) and so I had to create my challenge on the back of my collaged paper. I could have removed the tape and started over, but I chose to leave it as is. Now I have TWO pretty pages this week.

I quickly and loosely applied a bright "frame" like border to my page, followed by several large circles of color. Next I added some swathes of color to the bottom edges of the page. I applied several colors of the paint to my hand-carved feather stamp and then stamped my page. I love it! 

Once all the paint had been applied and dried, I added little pops of white using my favorite white pen of all time. You can see that I have a lot to learn about moving and thinning color, but overall I enjoyed the challenge. Watercolor paints leave such a beautiful fluid look to your page when applied correctly. I look forward to giving this technique some more practice!

I am looking forward to seeing your interpretations of this week's challenge and I can't wait to meet you back here next week!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------> Art to the 5th Blog - Our Story

-------> List of Weekly Archived Challenges

-------> Facebook

------> Flickr

-------> Instagram - #documentedlife

-------> Our Blogs

            Rae

            Lorraine

            Sandi

            Barbara

            Roben-Marie

15 minutes of mixed media

This week for my 15 minutes of mixed media I took a cue from a challenge in another project I am working on - The Documented Life Project. I wrote an entire two pages of journaling, then painted over all but what I felt like sharing.

Before I set the timer this week I chose a two page layout that had been prepped with a simple background- just a few swipes of bright paint.

Once the clock was ticking I started writing. I wrote in pencil and paint. I had my embosser handy, as always, to dry layers more quickly, saving me lots of time. Once I finished journaling I started layering. First I painted over most of my writing with large circles of yellow and blue paint. I like to use glossy craft paints for these little pops of color.

The scalloped border was created using a handcut cardstock stencil. Lots of little black and white details were added using my favorite thing ever- paints pens. Another recycled stencil, a scrap of laser cut lace paper, was used with spray inks to create lots of tiny colorful squares all over my page. I used a hand carved stamp to create feather leaves.

My journal layout this week is bold and bright. I am learning to be brave and let go and let the colors choose themselves. Sometimes, like this week, they are pretty wild, and not what I would usually choose- but I like it!

Supplies at the ready when the clock started ticking this week: 4 colors of craft paint, black and white paint pens, two recycled cardstock stencils, hand carved feather stamp, sunshine dylusions spray ink, brown staz on ink pad, pencil.

Want to see more simple background ideas for your art journal pages created using 15 minutes of mixed media? Read here----->

15 minutes of mixed media

This week's 15 minutes of mixed media challenge turned out even better than I had hoped. I love the colors.

This week I started with a ghost print of a gelli print. This was a print that was already in my art journal. It gave me a slight edge, as starting with a back ground will do. I like it. Sometimes it is a great springboard for color and definition on a page.

Having backgrounds at the ready in your journal is a simple way to add layers to your 15 minute challenge as well as perserve supplies. I never wipe my gelli plate to clean it. I always keep printing until all the paint is depleted. This makes beautiful ghost (or light) prints. I also like to take extra paint off of the palette and swipe it on the page, smearing it out from the center as I go. To do this I like to use an old credit card or a scraper.

Here is the short list of supplies that I had on hand before I started the timer. Remember, having just a few supplies at the ready saves valuable time when the clock is ticking! *5 paint colors (just run of the mill cheap craft paints. I would list the colors, but most of them are so old the labels are worn off) *sticky note tabs *permanent marker *black and white paint pens *glue stick *scraps of painted deli paper *stamp *stamp pad *embosser (to speed up the drying process in between layers) *dylusions blue spray ink

Setting the timer is certainly a challenge on most days, but it gets my creative mind racing. I usually begin a bit harried, but by the time the buzzer rings I am in a flow. Remember- if you are joining in on this challenge and setting the timer- THIS IS YOUR ART JOURNAL. Depending on your schedule and what goals you have set for yourself, YOU DON'T HAVE TO STOP THERE. Keep creating. If nothing else, you will have spent 15 minutes setting up a base for your layout. I choose to stick to the 15 minutes so that I can post honest to goodness 15 MINUTES OF MIXED MEDIA ART JOURNAL PAGES.

If you have started playing along I would love to hear about it. Love how your art is turning out when you set the timer? Send me a few photos via the contact page- I would love to see them! Enjoy!