Mixed Media Wednesday - Painted File folders !!

Hello all you lovely people out there, Tracy here with today's mixed media Wednesday.....

I was recently involved in a 'Happy Mail' swap with some ladies in the USA and we had to send a decorated envelope with some goodies inside for the recipients. I didn't have any envelopes big enough for the items I wanted to send so decided to decorate some file folders and use those as my envelopes...

I started by gessoing the folders on all sides, once dry I started adding random colours of acrylic paint covering all of the outsides of the folders. 

I continued by adding some stamping and stencilling and painted in some circles to add interest. I then painted in a white panel on the front for my address label....

I used a white gel pen to add some finer details like highlighting the stars and scribbling some words into the background. 

I finished off by using a photocopy of  a previous red haired girl from one of my journals cutting her out and gluing her down on the front of my file folder. I finished off by going over the whole thing with matt medium to seal everything and make it more hard wearing for the long journey across the pond. 

This was such a fun project to do and I can let you know now that the recipients were over the moon with their decorated file folders and even better they can recycle them into a storage solution for their 'most important' papers of course. 

Thanks for dropping by today. I hope I have inspired you to give this great project a try

Bright and painty hugs

Tracy

X

I want to like people...

Hi! Siv here, with Art Journal Monday!

I read this sentiment the other day which I found just fabulous. So true, lol!
I toned one word down a bit though...

 

So, I started with a background I had already made.

Most of the leaves were bleached out, so I started filling them in with purple ink (Dylusions in water brush).

One page done!

I bleached out the rest of the leaves, using water to lift the ink off the paper.

All leaves filled in with purple!

"Dotting" with white pen. It's wise to leave the page at least over night, making sure the ink is really dry (or else the white will turn pink).

All dotted!

Then playing around with some collage elements. Which head to use..?

Realising I wanted more in the background, I grabbed my black Dylusions paint, a mini ink blender and a skull stencil.

Now that's better!

Adding the sentiment with a white posca paint pen. I did two layers to make it opaque.

Outlining the white letters with a black micron pen to make them stand out more.

Adding wing to my gal, outlining the whole figure and adding some writing up the side.

Circles - I need circles!

..and more background elements...

Adding just a little bit of colour to the face and wing.

...and there you go! A new AJ spread done.

Wishing you all a wonderful and creative week!

Siv xx

All Stitched up

This piece is made up from book  and magazine pages , I collaged then together and secured with machine stitching.
The surface colour was added in layers ( I like to use Lumiere paint )

I made focal points by  -

• Sewing dried flowers into organza pockets

• Dressing the bird image with lace
• Adding a smattering of micro beads
• Stamping tags with a selection of bugs
• Adding a few dried rose buds

  

Its time to "lose the glue" and get Stitchin.  Many thanks  ... Linda

Created With Love with our May Guest

Ann is our fabulous Guest this month and today she has a wonderful project tutorial to share:

Her step by step:

I start by creating a quick tissue tape collage by tearing strips of tape and adhering them to a milk paper. Then covered all with gesso. In the lower left and upper right corner adding die-cut.

 I dabbed a variety of Distress paint and Dabber over to add colour. Sprinkle the gold texture spray.

Attached the burlap to the cardstock and die cut #8 tag shape. Place layering stencil over burlap and apply texture paste through part of the stencil.  Let it dry. Ink over area with distress ink.

 Stamp the images, color them using Distress ink and Distress marker. Cut them down.

Thanks so much for stopping by & have a great rest of the day!

Until Next Time,

Hugs & Love,

  

Ann

Our May Challenge is still going strong come play with us!