Show the world your sparkle

This is the first time I worked in my big Dylusions Journal , the size was a bit daunting because I am used to workning in the small journal :-).  So I just started and kept working on it till I liked the result

Deco Art Products used :  Americana Decoupage matte, Americana Acrylics in: Sweet Mint, Electric Pink, Sea Breeze, Baby Pink, Tangerine, Lamp black, Snow white, True Red and Coral Shell. Americana Multi Surface in Lemn Zest. Deco Art Media Matte Varnish. Glass paint marker in black.
The stencil is by Pronty (fasce A4), I also used som home made stencils, made using die cuts from Sizzix

I started with some decoupage papers, tore them apart and glued pieces on the page using the decou page, The decoupage paper had butterflies and some text on it and I wanted it to get more into the background, so I added paint using a sponge and used some stencils, before I used the face stencil 

and then it loolked like this, I liked the crisp black stencilling of the face but I did not like the pattern of the decoupage papers showing through that much. So I used Coral Shel americana acrylic as a skin colour to paint the face. That helped camouflage the butterflies but now it needed some more colour on the eyes and the hair.

I ended up doing a bid of a Warhol look, using bright colors, I used the face stencil again forto get the hair color in the same spot as the black, and next painted the eyeshadow and the lips and the eye it self.

Painting made the black stencilling look a bit messy (it 's kinda hard to paint inside the lines lol)

so when all color was added I used the stencil and black Americana acrylic paint agian to freshen up the outlines of the face.

Then it looked like this

I liked the look of the faces but it needed something more, and I just couldn't think off what to add, because the page allready was pretty busy. I  added a layer of matte varnish so the painting would be protected

In my journals I like to use quotes, but I just couldn't find one that seemed suitable for this page. Meanwhile the journal was lying in my craftroom and I started some other projects, because I was just stuck.

Then I found the quotes/words I wanted to use and handwrote it on the page, I used a white glass marker (those are supposed to be used on glass, duh!!...but they work great on acrylic paint as well)

Anyway it just did not look good, it looked messy and the idea to write the word sparkle in glitter glue turned out horrible.

So back to the drawing board lol, how to fix this???

The fix was easy, I used got some designer paper and cut it into strips that were just big enough to cover my handwriting and used alphabet stamps and some handwriting (this time all in black ink to get some unity) and I just left the pink handwriting at the bottom of the page as it was.

This is the end result and I am quite happy with it :-)

Pumpkin Demon journalling

I made a page in my Small Dylusions journal, the Demon Pumkin by Rick St.dennis is one of my favorite Halloween images and I know it is a bit early but in my world it's Halloween all year long :-)

Deco Art Products used:  Americana Matte Varnish, Deco Art Media Fluid acrylics in Cadmium Orange, Burnt Sienna, Diary Yellow, Cobatl Teal Hue. Deco Art Media antiquing cream in Raw Umber and Patina Green. Deco Art Media Gesso, Crackle Glaze, Matte Medium. Traditions Opaque White. Andy Skinner stensil Skullduggery. Deco Art Glass paint marker in white

use a brayer and the cobalt teal hue and burnt siena media fluid to make the background, add some water to the paint and roll the brayer through it next brayer over the page going in different directions

next add some stamping (with paints ) and senciling before you use the skull stencil, let dry and add a layer of varnish

when varnish is dry add crackle glaze, let dry and add the antiquing cream. Rubb it into the cracks (i use my fingers) and let dry. Clean with a moist cloth till you like the result

protect with matte varnish again. Cut out the digi and use matte medium to glue on on the page

add varnish over the image (2 layers) when dry add crackle glaze . Use Atiquing cream on the dried crackle glaze and use antiquing cream in raw umber over the digi. Let dry and whipe back till it has a nice aged look.

Write the senti using a white glass paint marker

some canvasses

I made some more canvasses like the Eiffel ower one of this post here

Products used:
Deco Art Americana acrylics in :Driftwood, Traditional Burnt Umber, Antique White, Sea Breeze. Electric Pink Deco Art Americana Matte Varnish, Deco Art Dazzling Metallics in Renaissance Brown. Deco Art Media Gesso, Deco Art Media Crackle Glaze, Deco Art Media Matte Medium, Deco Art Media Antiquing Cream in Raw Umber, Deco Art Americana Decor Stencil Distressed Harlequin,
Stamps used: Andy Skinner Industrial set by Stampendous and The French Market Clear stamps set by Tim Holtz. Prima Marketing Built a frame clearstamp set 2, Ranger Archival Jet Black Inkpad and  Walnut Stain Distress Ink by Tim Holtz.
Lace, charms, old dictionary page, piece cardboard and a canvas. Derwent Inktense pencils.

Thought it was fun to have a series of these, and since the canvas of the other blogpost is for a special friend I thought to make a new Eiffel tower canvas to, how I made it is described here

a bit closer look

Eiffel tower canvas

I have been working on this canvas and have been doubting about adding the ribbon or not, so I kept changing it and finally decided it still needs the ribbon :-) So here it is (after takingthe lace of, and putting it on again) the final piece :-)

Products used:
Deco Art Americana acrylics in :Driftwood, Traditional Burnt Umber, Antique White, Sea Breeze. Deco Art Americana Matte Varnish, Deco Art Dazzling Metallics in Renaissance Brown. Deco Art Media Gesso, Deco Art Media Crackle Glaze, Deco Art Media Matte Medium, Deco Art Media Antiquing Cream in Raw Umber, Deco Art Americana Decor Stencil Distressed Harlequin,
Stamps used: Andy Skinner Industrial set by Stampendous and The French Market Clear stamps set by Tim Holtz. Prima Marketing Built a frame clearstamp set 2, Ranger Archival Jet Black Inkpad and  Walnut Stain Distress Ink by Tim Holtz.
Lace, Eiffel tower Charm, old dictionary page, piece cardboard and a canvas. Derwent Inktense pencils.

The page came from my  Dutch to French dictionary I used in school, the paper was allready yellowed but I thought it needed some more aging. To make sure the paper would not bleed when using stamps, I added a few layers of Matte varnish. Stamped the corners and coloured the stamps with inktense pencils.

Added the sea breez acrylic in the middle of the page and stamped the Eiffel tower.

Added some more matte Varnish to protect the stamping and colouring and when dry I added the Crackle glaze.

When Crackle glaze is dry rubb antiquing cream in the crackles and over the page, whipe back again when dry till you like the result and protect with matte varnish.

Gesso the canvas and the piece of carboard (I gesso both sides of the cardboard so it won't warp)

Paint the canvas Antique Linnen and let dry, make a wash of Traditional burnt umber and  water and age the canvas using a kitchen towel.

Paint the cardboard in Sea breeze and Driftwood using a sponge. When paint is dry use the French Market clearstamp set to create the back ground. Next use the Industrial stamps by Stampendous to age the background and give it the same wash as the dictionary page.
Use Matte Varnish to protect it

Use the distressed Harlquin stencil on the canvas using the Deco Art Dazzling Metallic in Renaissance Brown, and  add some on the edges of the page and the charm.

Distress the edges of the carboard using a small paint brush and traditional burnt umber paint .

age the lace and make a bow. add the charm to the bow .

Glue all parts togehter, I usse matte medium to glue the page to the card board.

Sit back and relax (oh....no ... first clean paint brushes and stencils lol, Stencil and paint brush cleaner will make it easier tho)


I will enter the following challenges

http://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.nl/2016/07/happy-holidays-5th-july.html

http://pinspirationalchallenges.blogspot.nl/2016/07/pinspirational-challenge-169.html

http://welove2create.blogspot.nl/2016/07/challenge-14-anything-creativemixed.html