Go + See + Explore - Art Journal Spread

Hello, everyone! It's Laura, back on the blog today. I am sharing another art journal spread, but one with a little different feel this time. 

This project did not start as a journal spread. In fact, I had planned to only make an assortment of tags. But once I started going, this is the direction it led!

I really wanted to try stamping with ArtFoamies and acrylic paint into the gloss sprays. I thought it might make a cool, grungy effect, and I think I was right! I really loved how it turned out! Incidentally, I had some extra spray/paint on one of the foamies, and ended up stamping it on a tag, since it was the closest thing. When I sprayed that tag, the paint and spray I had stamped acted as a resist, and I think it made the result even cooler! 

Going back to the tags, I love the way the white ink from the Moonlight Duos pops on the dark background. I've tried a number of white inks, and this is the only one I have ever been happy with. 

Supplies:

Dina Wakley Media Journal - Black

Dina Wakley Media Gloss Sprays - Marine, Aloe, Olive, Mineral, Carnation, Lemon, Fuchsia, Apricot

Dina Wakley Media Arylic - Turquoise

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylic - Titanium White

Big Numbers - ArtFoamies

Dino Skin - ArtFoamies

Line Work - Rubber Moon

Number Column - 100 Proof Press

Bare Winter Tree - 100 Proof Press

Three Flying Birds - 100 Proof Press

Moonlight Duo Tint & Hue Ink Pads - Aurora Teal

White Tag

Black Archival Ink

Burlap

Vintage Book Papers

Letter stamps (cheap set from Michael's)

Golden Matte Gel Medium 

Check out the process video below!

I hope you feel inspired to try using your supplies in different ways! 

 

Twinkle Twinkle Pocket Tag

By Guest Artist Nancy Baumiller

The variety of rubber stamps at Rubber Moon is outstanding! Super great artists stamps to choose from and the shipping is lightning fast! Totally blown away!

 I choose Dreamer Girl and Picasso Quote by Mindy Lacefield! Such a lovely soul and such an inspiration! 

Twinkle Twinkle Pocket Tag

To start, I used 3- 6" x 3" brown paper craft tags and then lightly brushed white gesso over all 3 tags.
I then took one of tags and cut in half. With the lower half, I then cut off a small strip, about 1/2" and then with the remainder, I cut off the corners. (sorry for the lack of photos on some parts)

For the background on the first gessoed (full sized) tag, use a damp brush and pick up color from a black water soluable crayon. I use Neo II's. and paint the tag black-ish. Leaving about a 1/4 border around the tag. Paint about 3/4 the way down. I tried make it appear as if the little girl was sitting in bed wishing on stars. 

When that is dry, draw on little stars with a white Gelly Roll pen. With a white Neo II crayon, draw straight onto the tag, creating a moon! Then adding a bit of yellow around the moon.

Paint the bottom piece using an olive green Neo II.  Then paint the 1/2 inch strip with Acrylic Neon Red paint. Add little lace like sticker embellishments to the top of the 1/2 inch strip. Also, added some star sticker gems to the top half of the tag!

To attach the "bed" to the background tag, Poke holes all round about 1/4 apart using an awl, through both pieces. Sew pieces together with embroidery floss.

For the girl...using the second gessoed tag.....Stamp the "Dreamer Girl" using permanent black ink. Stamp just below the hanger(?) Never did know exactly what to call those. hee hee  Then draw a dress skirt.

Paint the girl with Neo II's.  Her cheeks, nose and mouth, use acrylic Neon red paint. Paint stripes on shirt a periwinkle color. Then paint skirt a light pink acrylic paint, then smudge red Gelato crayon around edges. Made polka dots with a blue paint pen and then stamp using the Picasso Quote using permanent black ink and stamped it on her skirt.

Add fibers to top of your tag!

Thanks for having me! It was great fun! Hope you enjoy!

xo

NancyB

*Thank you Nancy for a super awesome, creative and  fun post! We hope you will join us again soon.
Please visit Nancy at Nancy Baumiller - Crowabout Studiob at Deviantscrap.com

                               

Oh Joy! Holiday Card by Carmen Whitehead

Hello Friends!  It's Carmen here and I'm so happy to be back sharing with you some stamping inspiration.  Christmas time is my favorite time of the year.  As soon as Halloween is over I start decorating and watching Holiday movies on the Hallmark Channel!  I created this card with my newest RubberMoon stamps and I love how they worked with the gold ink.

I started with Strathmore's watercolor paper cards and taped off a tree shape, I spritzed it with Imagine Crafts Sheer Shimmer Spritz in Gold.  I then layered a stencil on top, taped off the same size shape and applied Staz-On ink in Emerald City shade with an Ink Blushers sponge.

The brilliant gold ink is Delicata in Golden Glitz.  I used RubberMoon's Christmas Ornaments Border, Oh Joy, and Fall Border.  They all worked great with this very rich ink, all of the details stamped perfectly.  I do recommend cleaning your stamps well after using this ink.

I gave it one last spray with Sheer Shimmer Spritz in Sparkle.  It's a  little hard to see it in the picture, but the card has a wonderful shimmer to it.

I kept it simple with this card using only two colors, but these stamps would also look wonderful using more traditional Holiday colors and filling in the spaces.

Thanks so much for visiting with me today.  Remember to come back and visit often,  there's lots of inspiration happening now on the blog.

Blessings,

Foodie Fun!

Hi there! Barb here again with a quick, easy gift idea project.

For some reason I get a little obsessed with coasters at this time of year. Maybe it's looking forward to those warming beverages during the long, cooler months.


A friend of mine was throwing a "Drinks n' Hors d'Oeuvres" party to celebrate the beginning of Autumn, so I thought I'd get out my blank coasters and make a fun little gift to take to her. I ended up making a dozen of these in less than an hour. Way less! It took longer for the final sealer coat to dry than it did to make all of them.


I began with a blank 3.5" square coaster. You can find these in just about any size if you search them online. Or, if you have a kitchen supply type store in your area, they usually carry them.


My friend loves to cook (we call it "getting chef-y"), so I thought RubberMoon's chef stamp would be perfect.

To begin my project, I simply stamped the chef image onto the coaster using StazOn Jet Black ink.


Next, I colored him in. Since the coasters are an off-white, I painted in his chef whites using white acrylic paint. I happen to have Amsterdam Acrylic on hand, but any white acrylic would do. I colored in his scarf and hair with sharpies.


Then I gave him a little bling by coloring in the platter with a silver metallic pen and dabbing copper Liquid Pearls on for his buttons.

I wanted the chef to stand out a little more, plus I wanted to add some background interest. So, I stamped the chef onto a piece of scrap paper and cut it out to use as a mask.


I put the mask over the image on the coaster. I set it on there loosely without bothering to tack it down in any way. I then used some turquoise colored glimmery spray that I made myself and gave the piece a few spritzes until I was happy with the amount of coverage.

I noticed that his platter was empty and decided that just wouldn't do. Being a bit of a story teller, I asked myself, "Well, what is he serving?" I answered myself with the sarcastic answer I used to give when asked what was for dinner, "Food."  Aha! I got out my RubberMoon "Food For Thought" stamp.


I only wanted to use the word "Food" from the stamp, so I masked the rest of the stamp off with scotch tape. If you've never done this before, it's simple. Mask the part you don't want inked with the tape. Then tap the stamp in ink. Remove the tape strip, and, ta-dah! You can now stamp a clean image using just part of the stamp.

That's how I arrived at my friend's doorstep with a dozen chefs each carrying a platter of food.

For a tutorial on how to make your own Glimmer Spray, please stop by my blog at In The Studio With Barb: All That Glimmers. Thanks!

Ode to a Cat by Kim

Hello my Artsy Friends! Today, I would like to share with you my Kitty Cat banner. I am a cat person (as you can tell) and thought it would be fun to play with some of the great cat stamps that RubberMoon has in their store.

I had a lot of fun with this banner and used my beloved cat Miss Blue, who is a pure bred blue point rag doll, as my inspiration for the stamps and the sentiments.  I used various colors of ink to achieve my background, and have a short tutorial below to show how I achieved the look.

After I was happy with the watercolor look of the inks, I used various RubberMoon stamps in the background to finish off the look before I stamped on my focal images of the cats.

Here is my banner put together and complete....

I used my Pentel watercolor pen and some colorful inks in various colors. First I dipped my brush in the inks and did random areas of the Inchie Art Squares Tile.  I really love these tiles, they really are super sturdy and make for a great base for my banner.

After I had added all my colors it was time to stamp my images.

I have used a very non-conventional item to put my stamped image on...toilet tissue!  Yes, that's right, I have used some ordinary toilet tissue. I love the effect it gives! I wanted the Cat stamps to stand out from the background stamping I did and this was a great way to achieve the look.  The tissue took the stamp great and then I fussy cut it out and mod podged it onto the art square. The finished result is something different and fun!

I hope you have enjoyed taking a peek into my studio today, and will try out some of these techniques and sweet kitty cat stamps from RubberMoon, they are just purrrfect!

 RubberMoon Items Used

Inchie Art Squares

Flower Cat

Ashley Cat

Impurrfect

Hot Wheels

Roller Derby Kitty

If Cats Could Talk They Would Lie To  you

Bunting Large

Stardust

Scattered Hearts

Loopy Hearts Border

Other Items Used:

StayzOn Ink

Hero Arts Inks

Pentel Waterbrush Pen

Silk Sari Ribbon

Lawn Fawn Jute

Creative Imaginations Sentiments

Meow - Enjoy Your Day!

Give Peas A Chance

Hi! I'm Barb Black and I'm delighted to be one of the new RubberMoon Creative Dream Team members.  I think the most difficult thing I had to do for this first post was to decide which RubberMoon stamp(s) to use first!  It really wasn't that much of a challenge, I guess.


I love wordplay, so as soon as I saw Gretchen Ehrsam's "Give Peas A Chance" stamp, I knew the direction I was taking.  Pairing it with Sunny Carvalho's whimsical pea pod stamp was a no-brainer.

And so, this card was born.

For this card I used the following supplies: 

Glossy white card stock,

Green card stock,

Black card stock,

Water-based green ink pad,

Craft (or chalk style) white ink pad,

StazOn Jet Black ink pad, 

Green water-based markers in two different shades, 

A black Sharpie,

Sequin waste, and 

Sponges

I began by stamping the saying and pea pods on the glossy white paper, using the black ink.  I used StazOn because it doesn't run or bleed when I color over it with anything water-based.  I then colored in the pods and the peas and carefully outlined the piece using my Sharpie.

Once that was done, I set it aside to work on the background pieces.  This is where good ol' messy fun comes in (my favorite pastime).


First I did a rough tear across one edge of the black cardstock just to give it some quirky interest.


Then, using the white ink on the black, and the green ink on the green, I set the sequin waste over each piece and dabbed the inks through the holes with a piece of sponge.

I love using sequin waste for backgrounds!  It's ridiculously inexpensive, which always gets my attention.  As you can see, I used the same piece for both colors.  I simply wiped it off with a clean damp cloth in between uses.  You can probably also tell that I've used this same piece many, many times before. Once upon a time it was white.



Sequin waste is just what it sounds like - it's the "ribbon" of hole-y plastic that remains after sequins are punched out.  Just as different sized sequins are available, so are pieces of sequin waste with different sized holes.  The possibilities are endless!



After all that, the only thing left to do was to glue the layers of my card together, find time to write a quick note, and send the happy little thing off to brighten someone's day.



I hope this gives you inspiration for new projects of your own.  Life is messy - join in!

"My Girlz"

RubberMoon is pleased to have Nicci Dot CA as our guest artist today! Her work is so whimsical and today she's sharing some of her "Girlz" with us. See the note from Nicci below as well as an interview conducted by artist Melanie Statnick earlier this year.

From a young age I have been in ‘creation mode’.

My subject matter has been pretty consistent since I was 5… cartoon style bunnies, cartoon girls, cartoon bunny-girls… lol.

I have spent the past few years building up a print and greeting card collection with my favorite images and have found this to be a fantastic way to share ‘My Girlz’ with the world.

Currently there are over 40 unique cards in my greeting card line and 15 prints which are popular sellers.

When I create, I focus on fun, bright colors with ‘girlz’ ranging from Whimsical Princesses to Sexy Bombshells to Steampunk London Ladies to Fluffy Nibbling Creatures.

In 2013 I brought out a line of ‘Glitzy Galz’ postcards along beginning the creation of a colouring book titled ‘Dreamcicle’.

On pretty much a daily basis I enjoy working on my soul (feel good in the art community) by hosting/organizing ‘Into the heART’ ART RETREATS in Western Canada.

Here's the interview with Nicci:

1. Please introduce yourself. Who, where you are from, where you live?

My name is Nicci (aka Nicci Dot C. A.   www.nicci.ca ). I was born on Vancouver Island in sunny British Columbia, Canada back in the early 70's and I am now lucky enough to live in South Surrey near the beautiful White Rock Beach in mainland B.C.

2. How did you get your start in Art Journaling?

My good friend, Violette (www.violette.ca) introduced me to art journaling back in 2007. I was grumbling one day about how my house was starting to become over-run with painted canvases and she suggested that I begin working out of a journal. That was the same glorious day that she let me try out her Twinkling h2o's.......YUM!  (http://www.dreamingcolor.com/twinkling-h2os/) They are wonderfully juicy, shimmery water colour paints. They are so  vibrant and work wonderfully with Golden fluid acrylics.

3. What size of Journal do you prefer to create in and why?

I prefer to work on 7 x 10 inch pages. I have many journals ranging in sizes, but I seem to keep going back to the 7 by 10's. I believe it has a lot to do with my main subject manner. I am always sketching girls, my Glitzy Galz.  :)  They tend to end up with hair the colour of flowers in the sun and eyes that glint with the starry sky.

4. Do you set a goal to journal every day, or do you have to be in the mood?

Every once in awhile I will try setting a schedule to work by, but I always end up breaking free and just creating when the moment moves me. It must be the Gemini in my blood.

5. Do you keep a travel journal and tool kit with you?

I do not always have my art tools on me, but it I am spending a night or more away from my home & studio, or know that I will be sitting somewhere for at least 30 minutes, I do pack a small journal, a col-erase sketch pencil, a black fine/medium liner marker and either water colour pencils or water colour crayons.

6. Where do you get your ephemera from and what do you use to adhere it with?

I am not a big ephemera Artist. I love looking at it and collecting some peices, but I have a really hard time using it as part of my mixed media work. I look at everything as a creation that someone else has made and it seems like I am crossing a line by altering it. This may seem weird, but I also have a very hard time using pages or part of a page from a magazine. I think of all the photography, desk top, and design work that the creators went through to create it and sympathize. Bizarre, I know. I cannot even pull a head of an old doll or take a watch apart....lol. Therefore, I use fabric pieces or I make enlarged photocopies of my older journal pages and cut them up to use on new journal pages. I also like to use bits of scrap-booking paper. My fave product to adhere these media treats is GOLDEN's Acrylic Glazing Liquid in a satin finish (http://www.goldenpaints.com/products/medsadds/mediums/index.php). I find that the gloss finish tends to make the finished pages stick together.

7. What organic objects have you used in your journal to create interesting texture?

I recently made my own molding paste with some baby powder, white acrylic paint and modge podge. It works great when pressed through a stencil. Then when I dry it with my heat gun, my studio smells like a cute powered baby....lol. Just kidding, but it does smell like baby powder. I know, I know, it is not exactly organic by any means.

I have also saved some black coffee from our coffee pot in a glass for a few days. As it begins to evaporate out of the glass, the coffee colour becomes more intense and is then ready to use as a water colour paint.

8. Name some of your challenges as you begin a new page and what prompts do you use to move past them?

A challenge for me is doing something on my page other than a girls face. They are just like an art journal security blanket for me, therefore I sometimes embellish them with outlandish make up and jewelry etc to help push my boundaries. If I am stuck, I actually turn to my favorite movies or searches in Pinterest for inspiration. Some movies I have put on for background ambiance are Momma Mia, Coraline, Pretty In Pink, Alice In Wonderland, etc. I love works Tim Burton and John Hughes. I actually have a folder on Pinterest called 'Creative Inspiration' (http://www.pinterest.com/niccidotca/creative-inspiration/).

9.  Name some of your must have tools and/ or mediums you use in your art journal.

My red col-er col-erase sketch pencil, an eraser, my water colour paint brush filled with GOLDEN titan buff and water, a black medium tip permanent felt, GOLDEN acrylic fluid medium in satin and some water colour or mixed media paper.

10. What technique have you found to be the most difficult for you?

Lately I have been overcoming the challenge of creating my own art stamps. My carving skills still need quite a bit of practice, but I love the outcome so far.

My challenges are usually not geared to techniques being difficult, but a fear of trying new products/techniques. Last Summer I was gifted with a 8x10 inch gelli plate and a large brayer.  They have yet to come out of the package. They will soon though...I promise. I would also like to try image transfers. Those will be two of my goals for this summer.

11. Do you write in your art journal like a diary? Or does your art you work inspire you to write?

My journals are mostly filled with art. I usually do not add text, as that way I can pick out some of my favorite images and turn them into art prints or greeting card images. This way, with the use of Photoshop, I can add in the text I wish to incorporate into my images.

12. What tips do you have for the beginner?

Fear not, jump in with both feet and just create … after all, it is just paper. There are no mistakes in art. Art is whatever comes out of you. Plus you can either share it with others or keep to it yourself as a place you can safely escape to when the time is right. Art Journaling is a way to travel without leaving home.

I hope I managed to give you a little insight and inspiration today. 

Feel free to pop on by and visit me at www.nicci.ca

A R T

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

 

Sometimes the simplest idea really hits the mark.  In late March,  I was scheduled to demo some of my favorite techniques.  I picked out a few but needed one more to finish up.  A few days before I was in a craft store and saw these black letters that were nominal in cost and had curly qs!  I was excited.  I love working with interference powders, paints, etc. 

I chose Perfect Pearls to work with but there are several other kinds readily available (Confession:  I also own all the Pearl Ex powders by Jacquard). Pearl Ex does not have a binder but Perfect Pearls does.  Either work well for this project because I chose to use a liquid binder, Future Floor Finish (also known as Pledge Floor Finish.  I worked mainly with four types and liked three out of four:  interference green, interference gold, interference blue, and turquoise ( a non-interference color). 

(FIRST PICTURE):  I put some Future in a cup and spot applied it to the letter.  Then I put my brush into the interference gold powder and applied it to the areas marked with Future.  I chose Future as my binder because I wanted a mix of translucent and opaque coverage.  (SECOND PICTURE): I used all of the colors mentioned above.  NOTE:  I did decide that the gold didn't give me the coverage I wanted so I took care of that problem in the next photo. 

  

I went to my tried and true bronze Golden fluid acrylic and reworked the gold areas.  The opacity of the acrylic really worked well with the shimmery nature of the rest of the powders. 

I let this sit about 10 minutes to dry and gathered supplies to collage the letters further.  I wanted a mix of fine line and bolder stamps to add interest to the letters, and, of course, a few special words.

These were the RubberMoon stamps I chose:  joy, spiral star, three rings, mod marks, seven daisies, and xoxo (not pictured). I also threw in my own be stamp. I grabbed a black StazOn pad as well.  It covers fine on top of the dried Future.

 

The designs stand out perfectly on the interference areas. 

Here are some detail photos:

 

I used Scor Tape on the back and placed the letters on my studio door before taking the beauty shot.  NOTE:  These letters are on sale every few weeks.  This is a quick project that looks far more complicated than it is.  It's great for anytime or holiday gift giving and easily to personalize with your stash of RubberMoon stamps in minutes.  I'll look forward to seeing mine every time I walk into my studio.