Halloween Blasts from the Past and DOTD

It's time for Halloween, All Hallows Eve, and DOTD. 

It took me a while to warm up to this Spooky genre, but after a few years of experimenting and playing around with some of my favorite color combinations, this has become really fun.

I thought I'd jump back on the blogposts and share a few of my favorites. They can all be found going back to about 2010 on the blog.

Definitely up there on my favs....all from 

Retro Cafe Art Gallery 

for the Design Team.

This one comes out every year with Graphic45's amazing papers and a plain wooden birdhouse set on a wooden base. Love it!

This tag using Tim Holtz/Ranger products still gets the most Pins on Pinterest at this time of year...too funny.

I guess this was the beginning of my Halloween adventure. Tutorial on blog here. 

This one was about the same time with die cuts on a Chunky piece.

This printers tray with Graphic45 papers is one of my favorites. The papers always stand alone for their color and detail.  Blog post here. 

Whether you like a canvas wall hanging.....

....or a little Halloween Witch to set on your desk...these are definitely fun to create. Witch is for Retro Cafe Art Swap.

ONE, just ONE scrapbook page created....I was never, and still remain, NOT good at scrapbooking!!!

More RCAG products and a Winged Shrine with Graphic45 papers.

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I'll always enjoy this Retro Cafe Art Gallery Kit where I added all the stamping on Graphic45 papers. The Charms, Spiders, Bats and Birds  are RCAG.

My DOTD Shrines from RCAG that blew me away on Pinterest with Pins. It must be the intense color that catches their eye and the Fresco Paints.

A mini Shrine for Retro Cafe Art Gallery DT.

I do like the way this tag was embossed and highlighted with a white pen. The color combo is again one of my favorites. Distress Inks from Tim.

Little Coffins from RCAG made into earrings with Graphic45 papers, Glossy Accents and Inka Gold. 

This is a die-cut from Eileen Hull with embossed Metal and Vintaj Patinas.

Each year Kristin has a Tombstone swap at RCAG. These are a couple of my favs.

Tim Holtz stamps and Fresco Paints.

Love these little Skellies!

This one has a great background....

And last, but not least, the Little Pumpkin Witch with some Graphic45 papers on her torso. The RCAG cut-outs are perfect with her.

So, that's it for me. Working on projects that are keeping me way busy, but should be done soon.

Let me know if you have any questions, and check out the past year's Sept and Oct posts on my blog for more detailed instructions and products. I just didn't have the time to find all the links.....browse with a cup of coffee some time.

Your Friend in ART,

Linda

Create Moments - Art Collage

It's my turn on the 

Finnabair Blog!

I LOVE the chance to create and play.

So this is a real Mixed Media project that has lots and lots of products and pieces.

I start with a 6 x 12 inch canvas board, Clear Gesso and the Grungy Grid stencil.

When it was dry, I painted on Heavy Black Gesso and removed some of the paint with a baby wipe. Then I sprayed with various mica sprays.

I wanted some distinct contrast so I thinned down the Heavy White Gesso with a bit of water so I could let it splatter and run in areas of the canvas.

I added some Canvas Resist Elementals and paper pieces with 3D Gloss Gel.

 Since I started out as a watercolor Artist, I wanted to use an old paint brush and some tubes of watercolor paint in the piece. I used the wings to say how I've flown to different levels in my Art, the glasses to denote that I keep my vision open to all things, the arrow ever pointing upward for my goals, and the ART and Journey plates that give the work a title.

After gluing a majority of the pieces down, I covered most of it with Clear Gesso using one of the wonderful new brushes from Finnabair. They are perfect and a package has 7 different sizes. 

I mixed several colors of Mica Powders with water in spray bottles and sprayed. I dried it in between and sprayed again.

This is how it begins to get it's colors and layers. Many more colors and sprays are added for depth and color.

Then I bring out the Micro Beads and Glass Glitter!!! Now for some filler and shine.

Sprays and Beads and Glass Glitter all make this come alive. IMHO.

I found that my heat tool kind of melted the bristles of the brush that only made it take color and waxes even better. See all the little beads and glitter added with Soft Gloss Gel?

I used Guilder's Wax and Inka Golds to create more color on the tops of certain elements.

I LOVE the contrast that you get with different paints and pastes here.

I decided the vintage ruler had to have something more....so a couple of Words were added to really make a statement.

That's what it's all about here........Creating Moments on an Artful Journey through life.

I love the learning process of my journey.

It's an honor to be with Finn's Creative Team. You can see other great projects there every week on her blog...so check it out and leave them some love.

Your Friend in ART,

Linda

Products Used:
Prima Art Basics - Brush Set, Heavy White Gesso, Heavy Black Gesso,
                                Clear Gesso, 3D Gloss Gel, Soft Gloss Gel.
Prima Art Ingredients-Mica Powder - Copper, Blue, Teal, Purple, and Pink.
Prima Art Ingredients-Micro Beads - Black, Silver,  and Gold.
Prima Art Ingredients-Glass Glitter - Midnight Blue and Pitch Black.
Prima Art Ingredients-Glitter Set - Caribbean Sea
Prima Mechanicals - Plated Labels, Washers, Gears, Leaves 2, Vintage Centers,
                                   Washers 1, Numbers, Roman Numerals, Bottle Caps,
                                   Flowers #10.
Prima Elementals - Canvas Resist Borders #3.

Other Products:
Buttons, Left-over Glitter, Lace, Found Objects, Guilder's Paste, Inka Golds, Metal Ephemera.

Magic Potion Bottle

Yes, it's that time of year again

Halloween!

And nobody does it better than the people who use the products from

Retro Cafe Art Gallery!

I'll give you a bit of a Step-Out here starting with just a plain corked bottle from Hobby Lobby.

It's painted with Purple Viva Precious Metal Paint. This stuff is absolutely amazing when it comes to metallic color and shine. 

Then I added Copper Texture Crackle Paste in a few spots.

While it's still wet, sprinkle Grass Green Micro Beads into the paste. Let it dry.

Always experimenting, and here I found the paint wouldn't stick well, so rather than give up, I added a layer of Clear Texture Crackle....

...and look at the amazing results! Pretty cool, and now it is sealed so it won't come off. 

I decided to add some embellishments on the front of the bottle. Here I used a Flourish painted black. I'll add color with Inka Golds when it dries.

I painted the Ornate Cameo with Pumpkin Liquid Pearls. Then I added Green-Yellow Inka Gold on top. You can see the big difference it makes with the right side not having the Green added yet.

I painted the charm with Heavy Black Gesso and used Inka Golds on it as well. Pretty nice coloration for Halloween.

In order to add something to the cork, I used Licorice Glass Beads, a Skull bead, and a stick pin for height. 

You can also see the Ornate Flourish has the Inka Golds and Copper Micro Beads.

Here you can see the Black, Grass, and Copper Micro Beads on the Spider. He's first painted with Key Lime Liquid Pearls.

The Skull and Crossbones Brass Charm completes the frame at the bottom.

It's all put together with 3D Matte Gel that holds like crazy! The Micro beads are added with Soft Gloss Gel to keep them shiny.

Now is the time to order you supplies for decorating and gifts. So click on the links below to get stared.

Any questions or comments are always welcome!

Your Friend in ART,

Linda

RCAG- Medium Baroque Layered Cameo Frame
RCAG-Ornate Flourish Cut Out Style 4
RCAG-Garden Insect Cut Outs-Spider
Brass Fancy Owl Charm
Brass Skull and Crossbones Charm
Viva Precious Metal Color Paint - Purple
Inka Gold - Copper, Green Yellow
Finnabair - Micro Beads-Black, Copper, Grass
Finnabair - Soft Gloss Gel, Heavy Black Gesso, 3D Matte Gel,
Finnabair - Texture Paste-Copper Crackle, Texture Paste-Clear Crackle
Finnabair - Glass Beads-Licorice


Other Products:
Candelabra Cut-Outs
Furry Spiders 
Cat Cut-Outs
Glass Corked Bottle
Ranger - Liquid Pearls - Pumpkin and Key Lime
Stick Pin
Skull Bead
Black Fancy Trim Ribbon

It's Never Too Late ..... Find a Way

I had a bit of fun yesterday playing in my Small Vanity Journal. I needed to make something bright and cheerful.

Sometimes you just need to dig out your stamps, and stencils and get started!!!

Here's what was going through my mind .....

Robin Roberts mother said to her daughter when she told her that her cancer had returned...."Everyone has something, Robin."

I'm thankful and healthy right now, but as I look around, I can see so many people with struggles in their lives. Too many people put off doing things and then find it's too late because of age, or health, or any number of things life throws their way.

So here is a journal page that brings me to my point,

Never give up...

Never put off till tomorrow....

You're never too old....

 Find a Way to go where you want to go, and do what you want to do...

today.

Here we go.....................

I randomly coated 2 pages in a journal with Heavy White Gesso.

Then I mixed Berry Micro Beads with Purple Mica Powder into some 3D Gloss Gel. Next I spread it over the Grungy Grid stencil. 

All these steps can be dried with a heat tool.

This shows the random pattern for applying the mixture with the stencil. 

Before cleaning off your stencil, turn it over and press the left-over mixture onto other areas of your page. It creates more fun designs on the pages and uses up the excess paste.

Then start spraying with color. 

I used Dylusions and Mica Powders mixed in water, sprayed and dripped, and then blended with more clean water sprays.

I loved the very bright colors and and the shimmery mica sprays.

You add some Mica Powder to a bottle of water and swirl to mix. Then spray and dry with heat tool. I used 2 scoops that just covered the tip of this tiny spoon in a spray bottle. 

If it's too light, dry it and spray again...as many times as you like.

This shows the beads in the Gel and how the Mica Sprays make the stenciled areas shine even more. 

I added the Chevron stencil with black archival ink in spots. 

Accents can be added with pens and pencils. Here you see the vibrancy of Bubblegum Dylusion spray.

This spot had too much spray so I used the baby wipe, shown in the corner here, to remover color from the page in spots. I also removed some from the stenciling.

I added the Stars stencil with white paint and outlined in gel pen. 

This is a section where the left-over paste was pressed onto the page. And where I removed a lot of the mica sprays almost down to the white tinted Gesso. 

I really love this and may use it for something else. That's why I only showed you the single finished page here.

This is how the sprays show up in dots when they're dried in between spraying.

It's extremely hard to photograph mica or shine. One section glares out while another is too dark, but I tried.

I stamped the phrases and clock from "It's Never Too Late" collection onto stamping paper and sprayed with a bit of Gold Mica Powder spray and added a bit of Distress Inks. 

I used "Dirty Walls" stamps in the background and outlined with white pen in spots. The Teacup from "Tea on Deck" sneaked in there, too, with a few other random stamps.

The White Sharpie pen is water based, so it picks up color from the sprays when you write over them. And the Black pen writing adds a bit of journaling around the page.

Time is wasting.....get to work....and keep trying.

It's never too late.

Linda