Berry71Bleu 2014 "Word" Challenge

I'm honored to be a guest designer for the Berry71Bleu "Word" Challenge this month.  This challenge inspired me to work in my art journal again.  My word is "Embrace" and I'm personally challenged to shake old ideas, attitudes, and things and embrace the new ones set before me in 2014.  I'm looking forward to the change and the personal transformation.  What's your inspirational "Word?"  Hope to see you post your project at Berry71Bleu too.

The art journal pages contains some Blue Fern Studios chipboard and the predominate chipboard on this page is the quatrefoil panel on the background paper.

Canvas Art designed for Blue Fern Studios

Here's a 4 x 4 canvas featuring one of the leafy page accent chipboard pieces from Blue Fern Studios.  As was done on the sea shell frame I posted earlier, I used the art fiber tissue paper technique on the leafy page accent. You can find a short tutorial on the technique here at Blue Fern Studios.  During my Design Team term, I will be sharing a picture tutorial on how to create this effect. I normally post on the 17th of each month at Blue Fern Studios, so check out the posts for the future tutorial.

The canvas background was treated first with taupe colored acrylic paint, crackle, various colored mists, and some stamping.  It's an easy technique that brings life to the canvas and so much interest.  Quick and simple too!

Close up of the leafy page accent chipboard piece:

Thank you for stopping by.

Sea Glass Inspired Project using Blue Fern Studios Chipboard

 

I knew when I saw those pretty delicate chipboard sea shells at Blue Fern Studios I was going to do bling them up and do something different with them. You know that feeling you get when you're working on something and you're enjoying the process and you don't want it to end? Well, that's how it was for me while creating with these sea shells.  Oh, there's so much to tell you about them and not enough time or space to provide all the details.   I'm offering you some close-ups so that you can see what went into them, but mostly what gives them life, is the art fiber tissue paper found at art supply stores.  It's very similar to mulberry paper, but softer and easier to use. The paper provides peaks, valleys, structure and dimension.  I've added some more instructional details on the Blue Fern Studios Blog found here.  Check it out when you can, it's really quite simple, and I think you'll enjoy the process and results as much as I did. Later on during my Design Team term, I'll provide a written tutorial on how to achieve these results with the art fiber tissue paper to share with you.

A few shells above were treated with a taupe colored acrylic paint, clear gesso, crackle and various colored mists.

The bargain bin picture frame was painted in Titan Buff, treated with Helmar's Crackle product, and various colors of mist were applied to the frame.

Thanks for looking.  If you like these colors, come back in a few days, and I'll share a small canvas piece I made using the same art fiber paper technique on a different Blue Fern Studios chipboard piece.  :)

Blue Fern Studio's January 2014 Sketch Challenge

Here it is! Blue Fern Studio's January 2014 Sketch.

I knew the moment I saw this sketch that I wanted to create with it.  The "Winter Page Dangle" chipboard elements are darling. Hop on over to Blue Fern Studios and see how you can enter into the challenge and win a prize.

Here's my take on the sketch:

Close up of some of the Dangles:

 

The snowflake dangle was treated with some Shimmerz Texturez, a little water color pencil to device some elements on the chipboard and adorned with a bead element in the center; and the star dangle was treated with the mica flake technique where you apply glue all over the chipboard, sprinkle on some mica flakes until the chipboard is covered entirely, let dry, apply more glue on top and add more mica flakes and set to dry thoroughly.  Finally, lightly sand the mica flakes with a piece of sandpaper until the flakes are flat and you get this shimmery iridescence effect.  

 

Winter Page Dangles

 

 

 

We hope to see your take on the sketch at Blue Fern Studios. :)

 

I'm looking forward to sharing with you more chipboard techniques at Blue Fern Studios and on my blog on January 17th.

 

Thanks for stopping by....