Mixed Media

After taking the class with Tim Holtz a month or so ago, I decided to do some more canvas and mixed media projects.

This is one of the two that I did in one week. I covered the canvas with stamped tissue then coloured it with distress stain and distress ink. I used one of Tim's background stamps with barn door DI on the background after distressing, then added the various items to fit the sewing theme.

This large cotton reel is actually made from card, using a file from the SVGCuts Sew Crafty kit. I added distress ink to the edges of the 'cotton reel' - top and bottom then wound it with wool to simulate the cotton on the reel. I added lots of buttons, some large pins, a ribbon bow and some flowers to finish it off.

The cotton reel is actually a box - the top lifts off to reveal a container to store little bits and pieces in! It actually stands about 5" tall and would be great for keeping all thos offcuts of ribbons that I seem to accumulate!

I am going to enter both of these into the Craft Room Challenge this week as the theme there is buttons and bows.

Mixed Media

I have long been amazed at some of the very creative people around in blogland and have been promising myself to get into a wider range of crafting activities.
I have also signed up to Nathalie Kalbach's Creative Jump Start this month and it has been really good  seeing all the interesting creative things that the team demonstrated. 
   So recently, I sat down at my desk and was determined to get to work with a book that I made last year - started painting the pages but did not get any further.

First page (left hand side)

I made the book from A3 sized sheets that I tore, rather than cut down to size. For this 2 1/2 page spread, I painted the background blue, then added a paua coloured paper napkin to part of the first page. I used Mod Podge to apply this, then added the netting. I stamped around the edge of the pages with a free stamp from CS Magazine.

I added bits of torn paper from an encyclopaedia page with a shell theme, used various shell stamps and cut little fish shapes from orange and silver tissue, which I applied with Mod Podge.

I also used acrylic paints to provide a bit of additional colour around the page. I edged the fish with white paint, then went around the outside of that with a black marker to make the fish stand out a little more.

Second page (middle)

The seaweed is strips of paua coloured tissue and I stamped over that with silver paint, using a tree stamp from a Claudine Helmuth set. I attached the little sea shells on the netting.  The words were stamped then cut out and attached to the pages.

 This is the half page on the right hand side of the spread.

Overall, I was quite pleased with the outcome - I did get the ideas from one of the Creative Jump Start team, but you do have to start somewhere!!