FRIENDS in ART

Friday, July 31, 2015

My Octopus Sea Maiden

Time for another project from

Retro Cafe Art Gallery.

This lovely lady is made with the

Octopus Sea Maiden kit.

She's holding the Brass Large Conch Shell Charm.

She's all painted up with Fresco Paints and stamped with the

Bubbles stamp from Finnabair and an archival ink.

The Silver Micro Beads give a look of tiny bubbles all over her and the large shell.

I added Tiny Brass Circle Decorations to the headdress and Tiny Gold and Silver Shells as a necklace. Her shell bodice also has the Shells mixed in with Pollen Micro Beads and Soft Gloss Gel.

I used the Medium Fairy Art Doll Paper Cuts - Angels and Saints for her face.

The base is painted Snow Flake White first and then I sponged on Guacamole and Hey Pesto Fresco Paints.

It's fairly covered up, but the base is stamped with the middle right stamp in the Dirty Walls collection from Finnabair.

Then I covered it in a heavy layer of 3D Gloss Gel spread on like frosting. I added Pearl Glass Glitter by sprinkling it around in spots. Silver Micro Beads, Splash Micro Beads and Turquoise Glass Beads were added randomly to fill in spots. The 2 different sizes of beads and the Glass Glitter all get patted down gently into the Gel.

Since the Gel is transparent, you can still see spots of green paint through it. It really, really sparkles in real life!!!

Kind of looks like Sea Foam.....maybe?

The Brass Fancy Shell Decoration and Brass Fish are colored with Inka Golds in Copper and Turquoise. I used a bit of Green Yellow Inka Gold around the edges of the piece with Copper and Yellow Gold on the Conch and Tiny Shells.

I think that about does it, as always, if you have any thoughts or questions, don't hesitate to leave them here. Everything I used is linked so just click on and get started.

Your Friend in ART,

Linda

Monday, July 27, 2015

Spread Your Wings Academy Vol. 3 with Stamping

Four of the Finnabair Creative Team Members have posted

"things to do with stamps"

on the

Spread Your Wings Academy
on the
Finnabair Blog.

Here's a few things I did for the post. But this is just the tip of the iceberg!

I love to make journaling pages, but I have to add layers and layers to make me happy. This is a finished section of my page...

I start by gluing scrap pieces of the Canvas Resist Borders, torn papers and a piece of trim to the pages. Then I added a random layer of Clear Gesso.

I spread Modeling Paste around the open areas like frosting. Let it dry for a few minutes and them stamp into the paste with a stamp that's been sprayed lightly with water.

Use various stamps all over both the pages

When dry spray with bright inks. Let some blend and run, but keep them from getting muddy by drying with a heat tool, too. See how the darker colors go into the recessed areas to create great contrast.

Some of the stamping in the paste is subtle. See how differently the sprays take to the paste, the paper, and the canvas borders.

Now add a layer of stamping with white paint. I add the paint by tapping it lightly onto the stamp with a foam square.

This is my new favorite background stamp, the fine detailed Chickenwire stamp. Note the great texture made with the stamps in the Modeling Paste here.

The last step is to add some areas of black archival ink stamping, some stencil work with a white pen and free-hand scribbles.

You can go on and on. Add more layers of beads, or glass glitter, a picture, some mechanicals...or stop where it is now.

The choice is yours.

Jump over to

Spread Your Wings Academy

and see some more tips and inspiration from 3 other Artists

You won't be sorry!!!!

Linda

Products from Finnabair:

Art Basics - Modeling Paste

Art Basics - Clear Gesso

Prima - Finnabair Mixed Media Journal

Prima - Canvas Resist Elemental Borders 2

Prima - Cling Stamps - Net and Wire. Dream On, and Dirty Walls

Other Products:

White Sharpie Poster Pen

Pitt Pen

Archival Inks

Various Spray Inks

White Acrylic Chalk Paint

Scrapbook papers and trims

Monday, July 20, 2015

Vintage Assemblage Shrine

Today it's my turn on the

Finnabair Blog!

I decided to use a mini cabinet card from my collection in a small shrine to make a Vintage Assemblage.

Brass always seems to show up better when used with turquoise, and so that's the color scheme that I used.

I like to lay things out and get some idea of the project. The flower at the top is trimmed with shears removing 2 sections.

I painted several Mechanicals with Heavy White Gesso so they will take paints and inks.

My main pieces were painted and put together with 3 tiny brads. I sanded the plate to reveal the word CREATE.

This laser-cut shrine comes flat, so I added vintage German-English dictionary pages to the inside sections with Soft Matte Gel. Then I sponged on archival inks to age even more and sealed with Gel.

The outsides were painted with acrylic paints using either a sponge dabber or foam square.

The Messy text clear stamp is used with black archival ink. Now I can glue the shrine together and get ready to add elements to the outside. Once it was dry, I added Clear Crackle Texture Paste to various areas. It really added an "aged" look to the piece.

This wooden candlestick is base-coated with Heavy White Gesso first and then a layer of White Crackle Paste is slathered on. When it's dry, add archival inks in orange and sepia.

The Vintage Lady is cut out and layered onto 2 Mechanicals and a wooden block. I highlighted the leaves and button with more patina waxes, as well as the candlestick base.

The finishing touches were to add some Gloss Gel with a brush to different places and sprinkle Copper, Silver and Black Micro Beads as filler. I also added some Gold Mica Flakes.

The Flower was sprayed with several colors of ink, and beads, plus some Luminous Gold Glitter was added. A bit of Charcoal Art Sugar and black Micro Beads are layered around the candlestick rims.

Check out the links below for all the products used and don't forget to go to Finnabair's Blog every week

to see gorgeous projects, tips, and our great

Spread Your Wings Academy!

Linda

Products Used:

Art Basics - Heavy White Gesso

Art Basics - Soft Glass Gel

Art Basics - Soft Matte Gel

Art Basics - 3D Matte Gel

Art Extravagance - Clear Crackle Texture Paste

Art Extravagance - White Crackle Texture Paste

Art Ingredients - Micro Beads-Copper, Silver and Black