DLP Week 4 Prompt...Words with Friends

Hello...

Decided I better get to work on this weeks prompt for DLP since a new one gets posted tomorrow...

My friends...my circle is small, but it is true...I learned the hard way that I trust people too easily so as I've gotten older I have learned that less is more, and quality over quantity reigns supreme.

Since moving to Arkansas, I have made a couple of awesome friends. The kind of friends I know that no matter if we move again, or if they do, we will always be very good friends. 

By far, my best friend is my husband Jonathan. We have been married almost 10 years and we have been through a lot. I know what it's like to be without him and we will never let that happen again. 

He has been my rock, my biggest supporter of everything. He believes in me even when I don't believe in myself, which lately is a lot...

I dedicate this weeks page to my husband, my daughter, and my close friends. Without them I would crumble.

I used my gelli plate for the background on both pages. Laid down the paint and used a couple of my foam stamps then flipped my gelli plate over right onto my journal and had my background. 

Then I got to doodling...

I printed out some of my favorite pictures of my friends and I and my husband and my daughter. Glued them down then decided to paint a polaroid frame around each one. 

The white paint is dry but kind of thick and sticky so Im going to let it dry overnight and write some stuff on the bottom of the pictures. 

Here are some pictures of the journal pages in process...

Then I added the pictures and did some more doodling...

Gonna finish it up tomorrow and be all ready for the next Documented Life Project.

Have a great evening everyone

x0x0x

Monica

Beautiful Disaster

Hello Gorgeous People...

I had some time to play this afternoon so I was able to get a journal page done.

Yesterday I was going through a box of printables separating things and I found a stack of Gelli prints that I had put in there to use for backgrounds on some of my Art Dolls. I decided to pull them out and when I got home from running around today, they were staring up at me from my art table.

So...what's a girl gonna do? Well...this girl decided to do some art.

I used one of the prints as the base and I just started ripping the other print into strips.

I love the look of a ripped edge on paper...part of my love for edgy grunge I guess...I don't know but I love it.

I then just took my scissors and cut the outside edges to form the shape of a heart...

Next I went to my sewing machine and very imperfectly sewed the torn strips down to the base.

Next I got out my Portfolio Water Soluble Oil Pastels and started doing some shading around the heart and adding some more color to the outside edges of the background. I randomly stamped a typeset stamp with Staz On black ink...Then I went to Pinterest.

I find Pinterest to not only be a GREAT source of inspiration, but also quotes...gosh...so many awesome quotes and I can ALWAYS find something that speaks to me that I can use on my art pieces...today was no exception.

I found the perfect quote, printed it out...then ripped each individual word from the print out, got out my Gel Medium and adhered the quote to the heart and it was done...and I LOVE IT...

Here is the completed journal page.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...Hope you found time in your day to make some art...It's so good for your soul....

x0x0x

Monica

An Eternal Mermaid

Hello Everyone...

Monica here to share my project for this week with you.

So for our second posting this month, our prompt was to do a project based on an artist we are inspired by.

I have always loved the art of Jasmine Becket Griffith. I love her fairy art and also that is has kind of a goth appeal to it. I just love everything she does.

I did a google search for coloring pages because, and I am just being completely honest here, I cannot draw worth a bean...So...that being said, what you see as my project, I did not draw, this is the artwork of Jasmine Becket Griffith. I simply printed out the coloring page, and did exactly that, I colored it with the amazing Art Anthology products.

Let me show you my process...

Here is the print out.

Next I grabbed my Art Anthology Paints and got to work.

I started with Velvet Dimensional Paint in Lemon Tart. Next I used the Velvet Dimensional Paint in Kona to add some low lights and dimension.

Now onto that gorgeous tail. I used Sorbet Dimensional paint in Veridian, and the Velvet in Lime Aid and Fiji. I also painted her body with the Sorbet in Buttercream.

I finished painting the tail and now that I have her all painted, I need to cut her out. I grabbed my exacto knife and started doing some very fussy detailed cutting.

Here you see she is all cut out and ready for a background, I just need to finish her face.







I used Sorbet in Baby Blue Eyes for her eyes, and Mi Bella for some cheek color and also her lips

I used an 11x14 canvas, grabbed a stencil and heavy texture paste to add some dimension to the background.

Next I chose the Art Anthology Colorations sprays I wanted to use for the background. I chose Lark, Peacock Feathers, Grass, and Ink Spot. I started with Lark.

Then I added Peacock Feathers, then Grass and Ink Spot. I kept misting until I achieved the look I wanted.

After that dried, with some help from my heat gun, I outlined the texture paste with a white signo pen and placed the mermaid where I wanted her.

I found a poem that I liked and printed it out and adhered it to the background, and she was done.

I hope this inspired you to make something from an artist that inspires YOU....

Thanks for stopping by today. Be sure to check back every day and check out what our other Design Team members have to show you and whom they are inspired by.


x0x0x

Beautiful Everything with Faber Castell

Hello Gorgeousess...

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend.

The project I am sharing with you today was done with Faber Castell Gellato's and Pitt Pens.

It's an 8x10 canvas and I am so happy with how it turned out.

Here is a picture of the completed canvas...

Now let me show you how I achieved this.

The first thing I did was cover the canvas in a heavy coat of gesso. I did this because I wanted texture.

I dried it with my heat gun getting close in some areas to bubble the gesso for even more texture yumminess.

Ok now for the color. I grabbed my Faber Castell Gellato's

I knew I wanted to frame the piece in the metallic blue so I grabbed that and applied it heavy handedly to the edges of the canvas.

Have a glass of clean water handy, and dip your fingertip in the water and start rubbing the color into the canvas. It's so creamy and moves around so easily. You can also use a brush for this but I really like using my finger to control where the color goes.

Next I grabbed yellow and red and again I applied each color generously and dipped my finger in the glass of water and just started moving and blending the colors until I achieved the look I was going for. Look at all that texture from the gesso.. Love It!!!

Here is the background after I was done blending the colors

Ok onto the flowers. These are just some white paper flowers. I randomly applied gesso to the flower not really worried about if I covered the entire surface. I wanted a variation in how the color would react.


Here are the two colors applied to the flower

Now take a spray bottle filled with water and mist the gellato's.

You can see the Gelato's start to blend with the misting, I used my finger again to move the color around.

I did the same process for the blue/purple and the pink/purple flowers

For the flower centers, I grabbed a few bottle caps I had lying around and printed out some 1 inch circles and glued them into the center of the bottle cap. I then glued those into the center of the flowers.

I used my Faber Castell White Pitt Pen to add some doodles and detail to each of the flowers.

Now lets add some stems for those flowers. I used the Faber Castell Metallic Green Gellato to draw on some stems. Then I blended a bit with water and a brush.

For some depth and added detail I grabbed my Faber Castell Green Pitt pen and outlined the edges of the stems. I blended the ink with my finger tip while it was still wet.

Here you can see I used my Faber Castell Pitt Pen in the darker green to add some doodles, as well as the White Pitt Pen.

Next I glued the flowers onto the canvas.

Now for some background stamping.

Grab your favorite background stamp and really any color Faber Castell Pitt Pen. I went with the dark green. I love that you can use the pens to ink up your stamps for a really great inky result. Very cool.

Here you can see I did some more doodling with the White Pitt Pen and you can also see that awesome texture and the background stamp.

I love the dimensional elements the flowers and bottle caps bring to this piece.

I used a stamp of the word Beautiful with the White Pitt Pen and quicky sprinkled some embossing powder over it and hit it with my heat gun. I then outlined it with a fine black liner. Also how about those butterflies?? I love butterflies and I used a punch and some scrap paper and just punched a few out and placed them randomly on the canvas. The last thing I did was add some chicken wire to the bottom for an additional textural element.

Here is one more look at the final canvas.

I am so happy that you stopped by today and I hope this project inspires you to go make something beautiful. If you have any questions be sure and leave me a comment and I will be more than happy to answer them

Have a FaNtAsTiC Week!!!!

x0x0x
Monica

Full 2 page spread for week 2 of DLP 2015

Hello Gorgeousess!!!!

I got in my studio last night and finished up the other side of the spread for week 2 of Documented Life Project 2015.

Here is the full 2 page spread

I love using the Portfolio Water Soluble Oil Pastels with the Gesso. It really gives a soft feel.

Im going to practice my lettering to see if I can get this kind of flow with my own writing. I really love the look of it.

Looking forward to next weeks prompt for DLP 2015.

Have a great day!!!

Monica

Documented Life Project 2015 week 2 prompt - Gesso - The Beginning is Always Today

Hello Gorgeousess....

I got half of my spread for week 2 done this evening...the background is started on the 2nd half, I'm just playing around with what to do...but I did get one side done...

Gesso... -  Awesome stuff...I use it CONSTANTLY...I love it for texture, background base, stamping...I mean really the possibilities are endless....

To begin this prompt I covered both pages of my journal with gesso...while it was still wet I squeezed out a small amount of bright pink on each page then misted lightly with water so it was more fluid and would mix well...

I used a brush to move the gesso and paint around until I was happy with the result. Got out my trusted heat gun so I could keep going.

Next I grabbed my water soluble oil pastels...Can I just tell you that these pastels were so danged affordable and they are so rich and creamy and vibrant in their color. I know there are more expensive products out there but these were 12 bucks and I have had them for a few years now and I just love them. You can get them here... Portfolio Water Soluble Oil Pastels

So I just started adding color. First the 3 circles for the flowers, then some orange and yellow, then that delicious blue/green color. I blended the colors in by dabbing my finger tips in gesso to give it a bit of a muted look. I also used water in some places. I just kept playing with the gesso and water and oil pastels until I got the look I wanted.

The letters for the words I actually cut out from scrapbooking paper. I picked up an awesome pad last week at Hobby Lobby for 40% off and I love this paper. I did have to use a pen for some of the letters and I used a black painters pen that I picked up on the craft isle at Walmart. They come in all kinds of colors and I will definitely be getting more because frankly I'm tired of my sharpies drying out on me when I'm in the middle of doodling or writing. Again these pens are very affordable and they are sold individually so you can choose which ones you want. I did some random stamping then just framed up the edges with some more color and it was done.

Ill post pictures of the other side of the page when I get that done. (hopefully tomorrow)

Thanks for stopping by today and remember. Every day is a new Today so every Today is a good day to Begin.
x0x0x
Monica

Do You Believe

Hi Everyone!!!

First of all, Happy New Year!!!!

I'm so excited to share my Design Team Project with you this week. As I'm typing this it is probably being unpacked to be up in the Art Anthology Boot at CHA.  If you are going to CHA please be sure and stop by the booth and check out all of our amazing products. Say hello to Stayce and the girls while you are there. It is booth #

I have a couple of other projects I will share with you as well but today I am highlighting this one.

Our new products, as well as our existing line, are AMAZING...I really hope to inspire you to try some of these amazing products and take your art to a whole new level.

Here is the completed piece.

The Canvas size is 7x14

I started by applying our new Heavy Texture paste to the entire canvas. I used an old credit card to move the texture around until I achieved the look I wanted.

Next I put some really cool burlap wired ribbon up the left side of the canvas. I grabbed my big ziplock bag of white flowers and picked the ones I wanted to use on the canvas. I hot glued them in place.

Next I grabbed my FAVORITE GESSO...Art Anthology Gesso and covered the flowers with gesso. So I had a completely white surface to work from

Now comes the super fun part...COLOR...I grabbed my Art Anthology Colorations Sprays in Warm, Timeless, Salted Caramel, Fern Leaf, Guacamole, Peacock Feathers, and Grape Soda.

I started with the browns, spraying close to the canvas at the top to achieve a drip down affect. Moved to the greens...I just kept layering the colors until I achieved the look I was after.

I then moved on to the flowers. You see some of the greens, a bit of timeless, Again I kept layering the colors.


For the fairy home, I used an empty tuna can. on the back of the canvas, I traced around the can, then used an exacto knife to cut it out. I then glued the piece of the canvas I cut out to the inside of the tuna can. I adhered the can to the back side of the canvas with hot glue.

Ilined the inside edges of the canvas with some moss, then went outside and found some sticks and bent them around the edge of the can that was showing on the canvas.

The dragonflies are made using the Tim Holtz Dragon Fly die and embossing folder. I misted them with the browns and greens listed above, then used some blue glitter on the wings. Zipper for the body. Here you can also see that I added some more color to the flowers using the Grape Soda.

The fairy and flowers I printed out and fussy cut then just glued them inside the fairy house.

I added some filigree gems for a little more magic.

Tim Holtz Metal frame hung by some chain.

The metal piece at the top is from Hobby Lobby.

Thanks for stopping by today...
Have a wonderful everything...