Two for Tuesday - Techniques

Welcome to my project for the Two for Tuesdays with the Altered Pages Design Team. 

Maybe you've already heard...this time around the Altered Pages Design Team is sharing techniques using specific products rather than a concept or theme. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what we all come up with. The products we are focusing on are Dylusions, Gelatos & collage images from Altered Pages. I also added the Andy Skinner Baroque stencil. I hope you enjoy!

I chose to create a watercolor painting for today. I have many mediums that interest me, but watercolor is where my heart is. This is "She".

I created She on watercolor paper & made the background with my Gelateos in Guava, Lavender & Bubble Gum. I used my handy waterbrush for the background as well. I then splattered & dripped a bit of After Midnight from Dylusions. From there I used the Baroque stencil & created the shadowy look by stenciling first with my Staz On ink pad in Cloudy Sky. I then moved the stencil just a bit down & to the left & then stenciled again using Staz On in Jet Black. I used Staz on here as I new the piece was going to be manipulated still with water & water based inks & I DID NOT want her to fade or run. 

Next, I grabbed my After Midnight ink again & put one or two drops in my paint palette. I added a few drops of water to thin it a bit. I then starting making drastic & elongated eyelashes around each eye with a fine liner watercolor brush. I repeated this process with my Funky Fuchsia Dylusions ink. I wanted a bit of definition so I added black with my Micron pen & a bit of white with my Uni-ball white gel pen. 

To finish I mounted the piece on black card stock and included a vintage ATC collage image to the back to add the title, my info & date. 

I hope you enjoy the projects today. I also hope you find some inspiration to create something of your own. When you do make sure to visit Altered Pages to pick up everything you need for supplies. 

What's on your work space?

Happy Friday Kids! 
Stephanie here again with your Altered Pages Friday post. It's Friday. It's Friday! Yay! As always, be sure to check out the supply list below along with links to amazing deals at Altered Pages.

Can I just tell you in my art lately I have wanted to give myself the freedom to let things happen, let the art just flow, not worry if it was going to be perfect or not. I have a feeling most of you know what I mean. You too have probably said to yourself at one time or another just go with it. Haven't you? Haaaaaaven't you? Okay, so let's go with it.  

While preparing for what I wanted to do for my post, trying to work in this just go with it/freedom theme, I got the idea to only use what was already out on my work space in my studio. I thought I would just let the pieces talk to me as to where they were going and what colors they wanted to be. 

If you are like me you always have a few little stragglers left out from your last project. Oh, wait, this NEVER happens to you? Okay, me neither. Today, I got lucky and there were a lot of great options lying around, party hat collage sheets, Dylusions journal, tags, Dylusions inks, stamps...

do you get where I am going.

So, I grabbed these cute little tags that I had laying about and thought a moon with wings - LOVE IT! Then, I thought a moon with wings and a party hat - even better! Ideas started flowing, colors started moving to the forefront of my mind and I let it happen. It felt great. To be honest this page just developed as I came across each element - one at a time - a little of this a little of that and I think that is what makes it great.

I did all of this with what was already within arms reach. Obviously, it helps that I have a great source for all of my supplies in Altered Pages. The best part is I just let myself be free & I worked with what was in front of me. I was not worried about this being "the perfect page" and I have to say it works!  

In the end I am rather pleased with my little moonflies fluttering about in their party hats. It's a little, okay a lot, whimsical. I love the looseness of it. I love that I only used what was on my desk and I LOVE that I love it. The plan worked...how awesome is that? 

Here are links to just a few of the amazing things Altered Pages has to offer.
Dylusions Journal - lg.  Collage images Waterbrush  Dylusions inks  Assorted Tags and so much more!

One thing I want to mention when working with Dylusions inks they are water based. This is what I love about them. They have play. They are wet, stay wet for a while and can be reactivated with water. 

If you want certain aspects of you piece to be permanent just use an archival ink pad, a Zig pen or your favorite permanent such as Brilliance Ink Pad in black. 

Another little tip, if you want your pages to be pristine just gesso the back before starting a new page.

The back side of this journal page does show some bleed through.
I usually let that be the background for the next entry.

When I don't, though, I just apply a thin coat of gesso to the page, let dry and then give it a go.   Now, go play with your arts & crafts supplies!   Stop by 

AlteredPages.com for all your supply needs.
Happy crafting! 

Inspiration at CHA

Good day to you all!

As some of you may know The Craft and Hobby Association had their annual Mega Show this past weekend in Anaheim, CA. Hopefully, you saw Gia Lau's post about it yesterday as she had such great information to share. I was also able to attend and in my post today I am going to share with you an important lesson that I learned while there. 

First though, I will tell you that I could not have had more fun at CHA. There was inspiration everywhere; from the artists, designers and instructors that I met, the artwork displayed and all of the new products showcased. I was fortunate to meet so many great folks. I, along with Head Honcho of Altered Pages Jean Moore, made exciting new connections for Altered Pages as well. Make sure to check with Altered Pages here for some of the new products for 2014, that will be arriving soon. I was also very happy to FINALLY get to meet my fellow design team member, the amazing Gia Lau. Such great memories were made!

So, about that lesson learned. I attended a seminar by Joanne Sharpe titled, Art Where You Are: Journaling your Life. I learned that I literally could “make art” wherever I am, yes, WHEREVER I am. All I need are a few small and easy to transport supplies. Joanne called this having a Mary Poppins bag. I just loved that. I hope you give this a try. What you will need is a small journal, a water proof black pen such as Micron, a watercolor palette and a few water brushes (just make sure to fill your brushes as soon as you get them so they will be ready wherever & whenever art happens.) You can find all of these supplies and more at Altered Pages. Please see list below.   

Below is a journal page that I created using supplies from my craft stash as a still life. I started with what was initially a very, VERY quick sketch of my “tools” and then went back over it adding a bit of definition and framed it out. I then added the color using my traveling water colors! This literally took less than 5 minutes to sketch and a few minutes more to colorize. I loved the freedom this gave me. It allowed me to not be perfect - Hooray! 

I often recognize art in my daily life. Now, all I need is 5 minutes to soak that up, 

sketch it out and I add the color and journaling whenever I want. How fun is that? 

Thank you so much to Joanne Sharpe for the enlightening class. 

I thoroughly enjoyed myself. 

Thank you also to Altered Pages for carrying all of the supplies I need.  

 I am happy to say I am now carrying my own Mary Poppins. 

In the immortal words of Ferris Bueller, I highly recommend picking one up! 

Recommended supply list - 

Dylusions small journal 

Micron pen

Niji pearlescent watercolors

Waterbrushes

Buckaroo Sally

Ms. Buckaroo Skully

Featuring products from AlteredPages.com and BombshellStamps.com 

Here is how Ms. Buckaroo Skully came to life.

Starting with a 5x7 canvas art board I created the background by stamping a checkerboard pattern using my Maya Road Earth Brown Chalk Ink. While still wet I blended the ink from the center out in all directions. Using my Big Brush PITT Pen in black I outlined the entire panel...for a little pop ya know?

I painted out my BombshellStamps.com image and the Alteredpages.com cowgirl image using my Neutral Color Pack of Gelatos & gave it all a bit of detail & color. 

I then fussy cut all of my images, attached them together using my UHU glue stick where needed and set them aside.  I was lucky to find some scrap book paper from my, well, scraps, and it worked perfectly.  This is the bucking bronco image you see behind Ms. Skully. I added some color here as well, using my trusty Gelatos.  

To finish off the canvas panel.  I added a band at the top and bottom with Newspaper Journal Washi Tape and jute. I attached the jute with Crystal Lacquer. I added some cute Brown Resin Blossoms...a couple here...a few there. She is a cowGIRL after all.

I then adhered my collage and digital images adding Ms. Skully  last. I gave her a lasso made of twine. She never knows when she might need to hogtie something.  

For the finishing touch I added burlap to the back of the panel allowing a 1 inch border all around. And, this is Ms. Buckaroo Skully.

Start at

Bombshell Stamps Blog

and then hop onto our Design Teams Blogs

Kelli Green

Leslie Rahye

Katie Shanahan-Jones

Trisha Too

Alison Heikkila

Roni Johnson

Jodi Elam

Lyneen Jesse

Alaine Medio

Daniella Hayes

Kim Gaughan

Becky Voth

Sharon Rogers

Tristan Robin Blakeman

Jenn Cochran

Danie May

Marnie Bushmole

Stephanie Siatta

Kathi Rerek

Gia Lau

and finish back here at

Altered Pages Blog


THANKS for JOINING US!