Time and Tide

Oh dear, I think I am like a bus...nothing for ages, then two 

posts in one evening.

After several gloriously spring-like days here in the Hunter Valley, the 

weather today is definitely reminding us that winter arrived last week. It

is freezing, raining, and the daylight has been very weak all day. Therefore,

I had trouble getting any decent light to take my photos.

Regular visitors to my blog probably know that very recently I have become

 interested in Mixed Media. I guess it is just part of us evolving in our craft.

However, I will always love creating my cute and clean cards too. Let's just 

say I have added ''another string to my bow''.

So far I have made four Mixed Media cards, but today I decided to try a 

canvas. My few efforts at M. M. are obviously still very "beginner 

standard", but I guess we all have to start somewhere, and the whole 

process is a learning curve. I can't believe how I have changed...the more

messy my hands and desk become, the happier I am...What Fun!!!

This is a small canvas, but even then I procrastinated for an age before

I began...once started though, I really got into the swing of things. 

Previously, I have always created a card/project, then gone looking

for challenges to suit. However, this time there were several challenges

for which I created my canvas. 

This is Tim Holtz's Umbrella Man. I die-cut him from dark grey 

cardstock, ran a narrow line of Brushed Pewter around his edges,

then applied only one coat of clear embossing powder so he had a  

very textured surface. I coloured a silver heart brad with three 

coats of a black Promarker, then applied three coats of 

clear embossing powder.

I printed the quote onto sponged white cardstock with the computer,

cut each word individually, then sponged each tile with black ink.

The clock face was given the same treatment as Umbrella Man, minus

the Brushed Pewter edging.

A side view of my canvas, showing how I mounted Umbrella Man

on black 3D mounting tape.

Challenges I would like to enter

Anything But Cute #2 - 'Make It Masculine'

Craft Stamper - 'Take A Technique...Texture'

Frilly and Funkie - 'Monochromatic'

Mixed Media World #3 - 'Vintage'

Simply Create Too #87 - 'Masculine'

The Craft Barn - 'For The Man in Your Life'

Try It On Tuesday - 'Watches and Clocks'

Canvas Base - Winsor and Newton

Dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix Umbrella Man, Weathered Clock

Stamps - Blade Rubber Official Paid; Stamp-It Victorian Watch

Stencil - Ranger Dylusions Diamond Small

Quote - Computer generated Harting font 

Texture Paste - homemade (thank you for the recipe Pamellia)

Embossing Powder - Fantasy Crafts Clear 

Printed Tissue - Collections Elements

Gesso - Atelier Traditional

Ink pads - Versamark; Versafine Onyx Black; Distress Ink Pumice Stone; Momento Tuxedo Black, London Fog; 

Distress Stain - Brushed Pewter

Aquapencil - Black

Heart brad is from my junk stash

I can't wait to have enough time to 'play' and get messy again, and will try something with lots of colour and perhaps some flowers next time.

Bye for now,

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Churchyard Garden

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I feel I am becoming increasingly interested in 

mixed media creations, and have just begun to experiment in this field. This is 

my 3rd mixed media creation. I know it is fairly 'straight', but hopefully with 

time, and experience, my work will become 'looser' and 'freer'.

When I was a little girl (soooo long ago!) people used to say I was a 'very strange

child'. This was for many reasons, one of which was that I loved churchyards, and 

that love still remains today. Churchyards to some people are disturbing places, 

but I find them peaceful and beautiful, and some of the older ones have wild 

flowers, ferns, and other pretty vegetation growing in them, not to mention 

the occasional bunnies, birds, and insects.

My card has been greatly influenced by the countless times I have sat quietly

in old churchyards, not only in Australia, but in other countries too.

I distressed the edges of the kraft base, but it doesn't really show up, then

I die-cut the church window and painted the die-cut with Distress Stain

'Brushed Pewter'. To give the impression of light behind the window, I

sponged 2 yellow distress inks onto a scrap of card, covered that with

Tim Holtz' Frosty Film, then attached the window to that. 

For the brickwork, I applied homemade texture paste through a stencil.

The paste was made using the recipe by the wonderful Pamellia, who has

become a major inspiration to me...she has just started her own mixed 

media challenge blog, in addition to her personal blog. When the paste

was dry, I sprayed and sponged it with several distress sprays and inks.

After fitting the window into the aperture, I arranged my handmade

flowers and die-cut foliage, all of which were sponged, painted or 

sprayed with various inks.

All the foliage was finished with a light spritzing of liquid acrylic

pearlescent ink, but unfortunately it barely shows up in the photos...

nor does the lovely shimmer of the Frosty Film in the window.

I have had the dove die for years, and can't believe I have never used it.

It was among the many items I found when I transferred my outside  

studio to our spare bedroom. After cutting it, I roughly painted it 

with silver paint, then applied 2 light coats of 'Abalone' Opals.  

While the Opals was still molten, I carefully placed 1 tiny piece 

of  'Champagne' Glass Glitter (using a toothpick) to represent 

the dove's eye.

Challenges I would like to enter

Allsorts #310 - 'Use At Least 3 Die-cuts'

Anything But Cute #1 - 'Vintage Garden' DT Favourite

City Crafter #261 - 'Focus On Flowers'

Country View Crafts - 'Simply Scenic'

Crafty Cardmakers and More #138 - 'Make Your Own Background'

Fab 'n' Funky #258 - 'May Flowers' TOP 3

Fan-Tastic Tuesday - 'Add Some Flowers'

Inspiration Journal - 'Embossing Paste'

Little Red Wagon #288 - 'Distress It'

Mixed Media World #3 - 'Vintage'

Our Creative Corner - 'April Showers Bring May Flowers'

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' #79 - 'Anything Goes With A Twist...Add Flowers'

The Mixed Media Monthly #12 - 'May Flowers'

Dies - Sweet Stamps Elegant Leaves; Marianne LR 0106, LR 0150, Bosskut Dove

Punch - EK Success Retro Flower Medium

Stencil - Crafter's Workshop Mini Bricks

Embossing Powder - Opals Abalone

White Ink - Colour Box Frost White

Distress Stains - Tim Holtz Brushed Pewter, Festive Berries, Tea Dye

Distress Inks - Tim Holtz Peacock Feathers, Bundled Sage, Peeled Paint, Iced Spruce, Spiced Marmalade, Scattered Straw, Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Gathered Twigs, Walnut Stain, Aged Mahogany, Spun Sugar.

Liquid Watercolour - Winsor and Newton Chartreuse

Silver Spray - Daler Rowney Liquid Acrylic Pearlescent

Glass Glitter - Stampendous Frantage Champagne

Frosty Film and Distress Edging Tool - Tim Holtz

Stamens are from my junk stash

It's so good to be back in blogland...thank you for visiting me, and until next time,

Hugs

Jennifer. x