The Sisterhood of the Traveling Art Journal is still going strong. We are almost done and I have enjoyed this journey. I learned a lot and tried new things and tried new themes. Definitely something I would do again
This journal page was so much fun. I loved adding different textures and pulling out some supplies that I haven’t used in a while.
This fall we had a momentous occasion, our son started college! We miss a lot, but he loves it and is having the time of his life.
I wanted to create an art journal page of him entering his dorm room. Recently I purchased an HP Sprocket to print photos for my art journal pages.
I like the Sprocket, it is a handy little printer and is fun to use. The quality is not the best, but it is fun to use and perfect for art journal pages.
We captured this moment as he was going to his dorm room for the first time and the photos were just perfect for this page.
I used a lot of other elements like stencils, and papers and burlap to finish out the look of this page.
Overall I am happy with the Sprocket and I can’t wait to see what other pages I will create with the photos I print
My local art museum has an annual charity auction and this year I got to participate! The auction is actually in April, but I had to turn my mask in earlier than that, lol.
I really love the challenge of working on a mask, rather than a flat canvas. It was fun to see if my technique for creating landscapes could be translated to a mask, and I think it was a success!
I used a photo that I took of a sunrise over my local city as a reference photo. Here the photo I took, it is a few years old but I really love it and I thought it would be perfect for this project
The colors really spoke to me and I want to recreate it.
I found that the biggest challenge was to make sure everything stayed adhered to the mask while it dried. Since it is not a flat surface things had a tendency to slide, lol. But I was patient and everything worked out in the end.
This project has encouraged me to look at other object to apply fabric to. Nothing is safe from my fabric, lol
Christmas is fast approaching and now is the perfect time to make some new Christmas decor!
I found this chipboard tree at my local creative reuse center and I knew it would be perfect for a fabric mixed media project. It is a Paper Studio brand, I think you can find similar items at your local craft stores.
The first layer is paint. I wanted to make sure the tree was green just in case the fabric didn’t cover it all. Then I added the fabric layer. This added a lot of texture and interest.
Once the fabric was dry it was time to start painting. I have found that these fabric mixed media projects work best if you let the fabric dry overnight rather than using a heat tool.
Once the fabric is dry it is time to add paint. I dry brushed on a few of the Finnabair Metallique and Sparks paint. Then I added the decorations. I used items I found at the Dollar Store and adhered them with hot glue.
Once that was all dry I flicked paint on with a toothbrush. I love how it turned out! This was a lot of fun to create and it will look great in my home. What decor projects are you working on?
Affiliate links:
Liquitex super heavy gel- https://amzn.to/2Px3flj
Liquitex Heavy Gel-https://amzn.to/2RXTQ2O
Gloss Mod Modge-https://amzn.to/2PZxr7R
Corks-https://amzn.to/2zfepkg
Finnabair sparks-https://amzn.to/2DHSq9F
Finnabair Metallique-https://amzn.to/2DHqjXX
Finnabair Paint brushes-https://amzn.to/2TjbgrZ
Have you ever found something at a thrift store that you knew you could make into something new? That is how I felt when I saw a sun shaped mirror, in my mind I saw it as a fabric sun mixed media project. I had the perfect fabric and element to put on it!
I had the perfect fabric in reds and yellows to use as the base. I love how the fabric gives the piece texture and movement.
Once the fabric was dry I was able to layer on more goodies. I wanted to keep my composition centered and build from there, but I did add some elements to the edges just to keep it interesting.
To top it all off I used my favorite Finnabair paints and waxes. I just love how her products add shine and interest to my projects. They are always the perfect touch for any mixed media project I do.
So what item have you reimagined as a mixed media project?
Affiliate Links
Liquitex Gloss heavy gel https://amzn.to/2xW9qVb
Liquitex Gloss Gel https://amzn.to/2xSlwi3
Red and orange Fat quarters (not the same as I used, but similar) https://amzn.to/2QxsgsH
Finnabair Sparks https://amzn.to/2DTS6pd
Finnabair Brass Hardware https://amzn.to/2DUuz7n
Finnabair Wax https://amzn.to/2zOVE84
Finnabair Star Mechanicals https://amzn.to/2xZDE9F
Have you ever finished a project and thought you were done only to realize that you weren’t? Well that is exactly what happened to me with this Blue Mixed Media Fabric Frame.
A little while ago I created the fabric frame and I thought it was pretty cute as is. If you missed that blog post you can catch it here: Fabric Frame
And the original frame was really cute and I did love it, but as I thought about it I thought it needed more. And by more, I mean a lot, lol. So I embellished it, and painted it some more. I love how it turned out and it is a personal choice how much or how little you add to your frame.
As you can see the original just has fabric and paint, but the embellished one has flowers, pearls, metal elements, and more added to the frame.
I clustered 2 groupings on opposite corners of the frame. I added a variety of elements to create interest and texture to the frame. If you know what photo you will be putting in the frame you can tailor the elements to the photo, I think that would look amazing.
After the gesso was all dry I painted over everything with Finnabari Sparks and Metallique paints. They were the same colors as the original frame and I thought that would help make it all cohesive.
The last step was adding splashes all over to really blend the original and the new elements together. I wanted it to look like I planned it all at once, lol.
I really like how this all came together. I love adding new elements on top of project I thought I had finished.
What project did you think you finished but went back later to add embellishments to? Share in the comments.
Affiliate Links (similar product if actual one can’t be found)
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Art Journal strikes again, lol. New month, new theme! This month’s journal’s theme is sewing and I love it. There is a wonderful quote at the beginning of the books that states “My soul is fed by needle and thread.” and I just love that quote. The previous pages are wonderful and a huge inspiration for me.
I decided to take my page in a little different direction and create a page around buttons bursting out of a zipper.
I have done this technique in the past on a bottle, but not a journal page. I did a blog post using a Mason Jar and sea shells, I think it turned out really cute, lol. You can see that post by clicking here — Sea Shell Mason Jar.
This was such a fun page to create! I added texture, paint, stamps, and other interest to the background. I played with my Dylustions paint for the background, I just love the way that paint applies.
Then I added the zipper, buttons, and butterflies to the page. Then I painted everything with Finnabair waxes to create the aged look I was going for.
The only problem is that techniques like this can make your journal really bulky, lol. But I love when that happens because it just means that I am using my journal even more and doing even more creating! The bigger the better, lol.
I have to say I am still really loving my art journal group! I love working on different pages and trying new things. I can’t wait to see what next month will bring!
Also, don’t forget to check my events page to see when and where I am teaching, I would love to have you join me in my class!
Affiliate Links to products I used (or similar ones)
Ranger Journal: https://amzn.to/2A0ZjQ6
Dylusions Paint https://amzn.to/2IMwQR1
Zipper https://amzn.to/2E9miwt
Finnabair Mechanicals Butterflies https://amzn.to/2Eafuim
Finnabair Stencil https://amzn.to/2C3ZoUS
Finnabair stamp and stencil set https://amzn.to/2QEgvR3
Ranger Archival Ink https://amzn.to/2yaQv93
Finnabair modeling paste https://amzn.to/2ypTpGw
Finnabair Wax https://amzn.to/2C48jWi
pack of black buttons https://amzn.to/2y9MCBt
Art journaling is quickly becoming one of my favorite activities! I love creating quick little projects that help me grow and expand my abilities. I have this faux leather art journal page that I wanted to share with you.
I really wanted to start with a faux leather look for the background. So I took the tissue paper inserts from old patterns and Mod Podged that onto the page. Once it was dry I painted it all in browns and yellows to make it look like leather.
You can use different colors to create different looks, and you very the “wrinkly-ness” of the tissue paper to create different looks as well.
Once everything was dry I started to add all the details. I wanted the tiny book to be the focal point. You can see the video tutorial for the book here: Tiny Book
That tiny book was so much fun to make, and the perfect addition to my page.
I added string, torn up old book pages, doilies, chip boards, words, and butterflies. I added color with Finnabair’s mica flakes and a little water, that was really fun because it brought out the texture of the tissue paper and brought the page to life. Once everything was dry I light sprayed everything with some cheap hairspray to help seal the mica powders (otherwise it could all be brushed off)
There you go, a very easy faux leather journal page. I am thinking about doing this same technique on an old trunk. What else can I faux leather?
A couple of weekends ago I had the most magical, special weekend! I was able to take 4 mixed media classes from the amazing Finnabair! She is so wonderful and sweet and patient, and I learned a ton from her!
I did a try to keep my squeals and fan girling to a minimum, but I am not sure I succeeded, lol. It was just so awesome!
See here we are, bffs now, lol.
I am only kidding, but just a little bit. It was so nice to spend the time with her at Mojito Creek, a retreat in Colorado. I have been there before, and I love it there! You can read my review on the retreat here: Mojito Creek Review Link
I did a video of the projects we completed and you can see that here:
At the end of this post I will add affiliate links to some of the supplies we used, but there was just too many to list all of them.
The first project we did is the Book of Rust. I loved learning more about the rust paste and how to use it and just to get better with it. I am going to incorporate more rust into my projects because I love the look of rusty old things.
The next project is the long skinny canvas with rust paste and patina. I loved learning about how to use the patina, I have the paint at home but I never use it. Now I know what it can do and I am excited to add this medium to my projects!
That wrapped up the classes for Friday. It was a long day full of learning and exploring and I was ready for bed that night! The next day we got up not too early and started our day learning how to do 2 more projects.
The first one was the journal. This picture is the cover we made, I don’t have a pic of it reassembled. But it did go back together nicely, lol. I love this journal and I have been using it to make art journal pages, which is so nice because I have missed making art journal pages.
The last project is the moonlight one. I have to say this is the one I was most excited to learn! I love the technique and the final canvas is just so pretty.
All of these projects were so much fun to make! And I actually finished all the projects while I was at Mojito Creek, so that was nice to actually come home with finished projects! If she comes to Colorado again I will be sure to sign up for her classes! This a dream come true and I can wait to incorporate what I learned into my projects!
Here is the list of some of the products I used (they are all affiliate links)
Today I have a fun, easy fabric frame project for you. I am still on a fabric kick, I have so many ideas using fabric and I can’t wait to share them with you.
For this project I used fabric I got from Annie’s Fabric Club. This is not sponsored, but I really like the fabric I got, and I am looking forward to next month’s fabric. Here is the link to the club if you are interested in joining: https://www.creativequiltersfabricclub.com/
This is such a fun, easy project that only takes a few materials
Gather all your material including the fabric and your frame. The frame should have a wide enough border that gives you plenty of room to add fabric. The color of the frame doesn’t matter a lot because you will be covering it in fabric.
To get started cut your fabric in strips that are a little wider than your frame. Spread heavy gloss gel on the frame. Coat your fabric strip in Gloss gel and add to frame, crinkling it up as you go. While everything is wet take the time to get all the wrinkles and texture you are wanting.
Take your time and make sure it looks like what you are going for. Before you let your frame dry clean up the edges and back with a baby wipe. Let the frame dry. Once dry you can leave it at this step if you want, or you can go on to the next step which is adding paint.
After the fabric dried (leaving it over night is best) I dry brushed on a Finnabair Metallique and a Finnabair Sparks paint to add some detail and sparkle. I really love her paints and they add that bit of interest that I am looking for. .
And that is it, the frame is done! These are so much fun and easy to make, I think I will be making a lot more as gifts this year.
