Patterns - Understand Nature

More inspiration to create journals pages for the Paper Artsy Patterns Challenge. This time from the rubber mat and the wood pile.

Patterns - Tapestry of Nature

I was looking for inspiration to create journals pages for the Paper Artsy Patterns Challenge so went outside and took some photos around my back garden, some of nature some of fences, wood and even the rubber mat by the door.

This is some boxing put up to create a new garden area, yet to be planted and the journal page that came from that inspiration.

Z of Zephyr - Gingham

So I was researching the Zephyr car for my Craft Barn Alpha Challenge - Z entries and discovered that there was such a thing as zephyr gingham. I've always quite liked gingham fabric so thought this was another great thing to use in a Z journal page.
I had some plaid backgrounds I had done so used these for my page with some old advertising images, stamping with acrylic paint and finished with the simple stamping of the word, 'zephyr'.

Have decided this also fits for the Paper Artsy Patterns Challenge. This background was painted in a small journal at the same time that I painted the one I used for the Colour Mixing Challenge. Was really interesting finding out that there was this other name for fine cotton gingham. Such a classic and enduring patterned fabric.

Z for Zephyr - The Car

This is the first entry I was really doing for The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge - Z.
I wanted to find something that was not a zip, zig zag or zebra so thought I would go for a Ford Zephyr and also tried to include the zephyr wind meaning in the whirls drawn on kitchen paper and glued on. I also included stamping to represent roads and some lyrics from The Zephyr Song by The Red Hot Chili Peppers "Fly away on my zephyr".

Let's Go Wild - Zebra

So here's the zebra image which I still wanted to use with bright colours.
Even though this is quite a simple page using Derwent Intense Blocks, I quite like the effect.
This is an entry in Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

Now I was purposely not doing zebra for the Craft Barn Alpha Challenge - Z, but just realised I've done zebras for this one, so would be a bit silly not to enter both!

Oops, only noticed those words on the printed image in the photo - oh well, guess it credits someone!

Let's Go Wild

For this Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge I decided to use an image of a zebra and add it to an existing background that had some brightly coloured tissue pieces on it. I added more colour with paint and a home-made stamp. At first I though about cutting the zebra stripes and gluing them on, but that was going to be too challenging so I tried to paint it. A bit of a failure - I'm not that great at drawing. So I covered that with some gesso and with it covered and the zebra pattern just peeking through it looked better, but still just a background. I than added some paper to represent animal strips and spots, then doodled and stamped.
And that original zebra image - I'm still going to use it next.

Now I was purposely not doing zebra for the Craft Barn Alpha Challenge - Z, but just realised I've done zebras for this one, so would be a bit silly not to enter both!

Family Surprise - #PASC816

I was lucky enough to have a big family surprise this week. I went to collect my daughter from the train last weekend and found she had brought her brother with her. They both live in a city about an hour and a half's drive away. I was pleased to see them both of course, but then looked up and there was my other son who has been away living in London for two years - remember, I'm in New Zealand and you can't get any further away!
What a surprise!! We managed to spend a few days together before he went off to see other family and friends, but have some more time together later this week.

So....I figured that I could base the August Pick a Stick Challenge (#PASC816) around this.
This is also an entry in Stampotique Designers Challenge 254

Step 1: Ripped up book text

Step 2: The rub ons are the larger heart and some metallic chain - some kids' rub on tattoos I got from a sale bin.

Step 3: "Everything was turning up good today".

Step 4: Our dog was out with us for the day.

Step 5: My three kids also in the photo. (Their initials are R, S, & G - mutti is German for Mummy and my eldest was born in Germany so this is where my blog name comes from - just in case you were wondering!)

Step 6: "Family is like music, some high notes, some low notes, but always a beautiful song." Seemed appropriate as we're all into music, listening, playing and singing.

Step 7: Golden High Flow Acrylic in Phthalo Green and Phthalo Blue.

Step 8: The plane which brought my son home and that he will leave on again :(

Step 9: The fabric is the dry wall tape to add texture.

Step 10: "Every place I go, I'll think of you, Every song I sing I'll sing for you." It's from Leaving on a jet plane but I liked it more that that line.

I finished with some stamping, and gold acrylic on the tape, some splatters and black ink around the edges.

Contain Yourself - Credit Card Holder

I had previously made these with fabric and after making some 'paper fabric', I decided to make some in different styles.
The one on the right is my first attempt and a little crooked, but I think I gave some better examples away without taking photos.

This is an entry in Simon Says Stamps Monday Challenge - Try to Contain Yourself

Contain Yourself - Gift Card Holder

I remembered as I published the last post that I had taken a photo of a gift card envelope I made for my nephew's birthday. The underneath of this was left over from stenciling I had done for his card and looked effective under the thin spotted napkin.

This is an entry in Simon Says Stamps Monday Challenge - Try to Contain Yourself

Contain Yourself - Gift Card Envelope

I made these to contain cash that I gave my kids for gifts based on Cat Hand's idea in this video, although I didn't use an envelope, just based it on a piece of card stock. It was them covered with a napkin and edged with washi tape.
I have made more since in different sizes, as this is a nice way to give a gift card or gift of cash.

This is an entry in Simon Says Stamps Monday Challenge - Try to Contain Yourself

Contain Yourself - Tins

When I started my art journey, I quickly need something to contain all those pens and tools. I tend to collect containers to reuse in school projects so had plenty of tins to re-purpose using some of my first Gelli prints. Later I sometimes used the media contained in the tin to decorate the tins, as with the Micron Pens and paint markers.
Never seem to have enough of these!

This is an entry in Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Try to Contain yourself.

Contain Yourself - ICAD Box

I needed to create a container for the cards from the ICAD Challenge and had this box that came in the mail. The process to cover it was quite simple, and I know a lot of people would give it more layers. I guess I'm one of those beginning mixed media artists who still have trouble covering something they like! I was happy with the simplicity and  rough, old-fashioned effect on this box, so I I did leave it there.
I stamped with archival ink on the white layers of a napkin and then glued them to the brown box, with the colour showing through to make the base layer, as well as some of the coloured packing stickers.

This is an entry in Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Try to Contain Yourself

Colour Mixing - Rejoice

Happy with this background using text paper then layering with stenciling and drips of colour. The message is, not to be brought down by the bad things like the little man, but to see the good things and rejoice. 

Colour Mixing- Ink

This was one of my ink mixing attempts, worked on gessoed card stock.

Somehow whatever you do, it is interesting. The lace flower I had stamped on some existing paper.

This is and entry in the PaperArty Challenge - Colour Mixing

Colour Mixing - To Infinity

This was one of my ICADs and I will admit that it was inspired by someone in the Facebook group. I'm sorry, it would be pretty impossible to find them in the feed to acknowledge them.
This was done with Derwent Inktense pencils, but I then used the idea with my class of 10 years. Unfortunately their pieces of art and the numerous other examples I completed are at school. It was a fun way to work on colour theory with them. I only had the one small sample I had done with the school watercolours, mixing to secondary and then tertiary colours.

This is an entry in PaperArtsy - Colour Mixing Challenge.

Alpha Challenge - C is for Country

With the Rios Olympics this week, we have been studying this at school and all the teachers and students have been placed in a country for our fun games event. I was very pleased to be Sweden as my great-grandfather came from there and I have been there several time and met my cousins.
These pages started as left over paint, but as I looked at them and saw the the gold and blue I though of Sweden, so used more left over paint to add loose Scandinavian crosses. A lot of this has been pushed to the background with gesso. I then hunted out images of Dala horses, which I love, and Orust, where my family came from.

This is an entry for the Craft Barn Alpha Challenge - C

Alpha Challenge - C is for Cute

I bought a stamp recently from VLStamps which looks just like my dog and had stamped it all over an existing background. So what next? C is for cute of course. Oscar is actually a Löwchen and is definitely very cute - we think so anyway. He will actually be 6 years old this coming Tuesday, so this could also be his birthday page. As you can see fro the photos, he is never impressed when left at home by himself :(

This is and entry for the Craft Barn Alpha Challenge - C
Seeing we are celebrating Oscar's birthday, I M also entering this in Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Celebrate.

Colour Mixing - Water Colour & Alcohol

Have watch a few videos by Nina Ribina using  inks and alcohol with some limited success. As she has pointed out the surface you are using is very important and I don't think I've found the right paper for me as yet. I did have a go with water colours and alcohol, as in the linked video, and was more successful on some multi media card I had purchased. I don't have fancy water colours, just very cheap ones I bought to try out for techniques before I splurged on anything more expensive.
It worked fairly well, although my colours were limited. It will make a good background for some cards or other projects.

This is and entry in Paper Arty's #14 Challenge - Colour Mixing.

Fabulous Florals - Gelli Prints

These are really works in progress. Hadn't had a session with my Gelli plate for a while. You sort of have to be a little organised with some space for all the prints and stencils - this can be a challenge! Of course once I got going it wasn't so bad and each time I do this I am happier with the results.

These two were made with stencils I made myself and I'm sure will end up as cards or background projects soon.

This is and entry for Simon Says Stamps Wednesday Challenge.

Fabulous Florals - ANZAC Poppies

In New Zealand we commemorate ANZAC Day, 26 April, as the day for remember all our armed forces. This stems back to the Gallipoli landings in 1915 and so we held centennial events last year.
This piece of art was one I completed with my whole class of 10 year olds, with fantastic results.
I still have it displayed in my room as it is one of the first real process pieces that set me on my way to really focusing on art and mixed media.
We started with a painted background, adding texture, and shine if we had the patience to let it dry, using plastic kitchen wrap. We then created patterned and textured papers for the poppies and stems as well at the feature poppy woven with wool.

This is an entry for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

Celebrate - Gelli Print Card

I have watched a few videos at Clarity Stamps where everything is very clean and precise, unlike my fairly hectic work space. I had thought the technique in the link was achievable for me and was pretty pleased with the results. I then turned created so cards and still have more to use in the future.
Probably prefer the print I haven't used yet, now I look at them. Better get creating some more cards!

This is an entry for Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

Colour Mixing - Tartan

I had been wanting to try this for sometime, so gave it a go as it fits well for this Challenge #14 from Paper Artsy.
Don't think it belongs to any clan :) but fun to do.

Anything Goes - Overflowing

I still find it a challenge to come up with my own original journal pages, but this is one of my own ideas. Seemed to be a bit of a mish-mash of techniques and media but loved the bowl overflowing with threads and the inspiring quote I found by Rose Pastor Stokes.

This is an entry for the Simon Says Stamps Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

Anything Goes - Birch Trees

I completed this a while back and it was in created following this video by Shemi Dixon.
The piece uses layered book text pages in the background, random acrylic colours and then a masking technique with tape to create the trees.
I then used the idea to create a page using Autumn leaves and then teaching the technique with my class of 10 year olds.
Pleased with mine, and the kids' pieces of art.

This is an entry in:
  SCD - 254 - Using a text background.
  Simon Say Stamps Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Here's my Autumn leaf version.

And here's some by the kids.