Grandma's Brag Book using DecoArt Products & AlteredPages Board Book

 Grandma's Little Cupcakes

 Today's post is how I created this brag book for my sister Julie, who is Grandma to two precious little girls whom she absolutely adores!!
My sweet niece Allie was kind enough to send me photos of her babies,that my sister had not yet seen.Not only will the book be a surprise for Julie,but the photos,of her grandbabies Lauren & Lucy,and her daughters Allie & Amanda as well!  

Julie does not know about this yet as it is on it's way to her as I type,so mums the word!

Hope you enjoy reading about it,as much as I did creating this special book!

1.) Prep board book by covering all pages front and back with DecoArt Media Gesso

 

2.) First cake top, mixed Media Modeling Paste,Snow(Titanium) White and Media Matte Medium along with speckled paint,applied liberally,especially toward edges

3.)Paint overall with Primary Magenta mixed with Snow(Titanium) White

4.)Mix leftover paint with  Media Modeling Paste and small amount of Texture Sand Paste~Neutral

applied this through stencil and on edges of cake top

 
5.) Paint bottom with Espresso, mix small amount with Snow(Titanium) White and paint top.
6.) Liberally apply layer of Media Crackle Glaze.
When dry,wipe over wash of Burnt Umber.
7.)Repeat Step 6

 8.) Paint bottom half with Canary.
 9.)Mix Media Modeling Paste,Media Gesso and Duraclear Gloss Varnish to make frosting consistency and "frost" top

 10.) Paint bottom with Desert Turquoise,making designs with paint.

11.) Mix Desert Turquoise with Snow(Titanium) White and lightly paint over base. 

When dry,use dry brush technique with Desert Turquoise over raised areas.

12.)For the top use generous layer of Media White Crackle Paint

 

13.) Mix Pumpkin Patch and Snow(Titanium) White (separate into two amounts) add to one half  Media Texture Sand Paste~Neutral and paint bottom.

14.)With second half add Media Modeling Paste and push through stencil on top .

15.) When dry use Vermillion to dry brush over stenciled area.

 16.)Paint bottom with Sea Breeze mixed with Light Buttermilk
17.) With circle stencil,use Primary Magenta, Primary Yellow and Sea Breeze to create design.
 Footnote: I stitched a gelli print,made by my friend Becky,into an envelope and attached it this page,this is for my message to Julie.

18.) Paint bottom with  Splendid Gold wiping back center.
 Repeat two more times.
19.)Mix One Step Crackle with Splendid Gold and apply liberally to top.
























20.)Paint two layers on top with Chartreuse.
21.)Push  Media Modeling Paste through stencil on top.
22.)Use Media Modeling Paste to stipple texture on base.
23.)Dry brush Chartreuse over stippled texture.

24.)Apply tissue or textured paper to top with Media Matte Medium
25.) While still wet spritz misters in Primary Magenta,Yellow over paper.
26.)Use sponge in Titanium White to pounce on wet Misters
27.Paint bottom with mix of Snow(Titanium) White and tiniest amount of Vermillion
28.) Dry brush bottom edges with sponge leftovers

 29.) Paint base with wash of Vermillion and Pumpkin Patch
30.)Stenciled layers of Vermillion,Pumpkin Patch and Splendid Gold

No details for this one,as you can see,it drastically changed by the end! I will say I used Americana Sea Breeze and lots of various embossing powders")

31.) Covered Front and Back of book with scrapbook paper using Media Matte Medium for glue.
32.) Also used Media Matte Medium to apply photos to the frosted tops.
33.)Decorated with graphics and embellishments.

All DecoArt Materials used,unless otherwise stated:

Americana Colors~Snow(Titanium) White, Desert Turquoise, Sea Breeze,Espresso,Light Buttermilk

Metallics~ Splendid Gold

Multi Surface Acrylics~ Pumpkin Patch,Canary,Chartreuse

Americana Duraclear Gloss Varnish

Media Fluid Acrylics~Vermillion,Primary Magenta,Primary Yellow,Cadium Orange Hue,Burnt Umber,Titanium White

DecoArt Misters-Primary Magenta,Yellow

DecoArt Media Crackle Glaze

DecoArt Media White Crackle Paint

DecoArt One Step Crackle

DecoArt Media Matte Medium( for gluing down photos )

DecoArt Media Texture Sand Paste~Neutral

DecoArt Media Gesso

DecoArt Media Modeling Paste

Graphics from various sources include:
Land Of Nod Studios-Deb Burnham
Crowabout StudioB- Nancy Baumiller
Hidden Vintage Studios
Arfully Musing-Laura Carson
itKuPiLLli Imaginarium
Altered Artifacts
AlteredPages Products
Cupcake Board Book-AlteredPages
German Scrap-AlteredPages
Stencils used from various sources include:
StencilGirl
Crafter'sWorkshop
artistcellar

A huge special thank you to Allie & Aron for sharing these photos with me! xo

And thank you for joining me today. I really hope I have inspired you to create something special or fun-for yourself or as a gift! 

Jackie ")

happy mail and a few laughs!

   Hi friends! 

Today's post is sharing some wonderful happy mail I recently received~

hope you have a few minutes...")

First up are atc's that I made for my friend Uuna from Finland.We swapped 3 atc's each and she told me she preferred abstract-

 

 

Next are the gorgeous atc's and card that 

 I received from Uuna-Stunning!!

Note card designed by Uuna with pieces from her photography art

 Gorgeous textures and colors!

I love Uuna's use of gold-i love all that glitters and shines!

The color play on this one is simply delish!

  The stamp on the card is Uuna's art-she actually has her own art on a

mailing stamp-how cool is that?!

Thank you so very much dear Uuna for sharing your wonderful art with me-I am very pleased and proud to display these in my studio-to inspire me and remind me of my faraway friend !

To see more of Uuna's art- find her here- Uuna

Next up, a package arrived this week from 

my very first online bestest friend in Ohio-Darlene!!

I had to laugh out loud because the package inside was wrapped in Christmas paper while the card read Happy Birthday(my b'day is in Jan.)heehee

Just look what was inside!

 If you could only feel and smell this glorious leather!! It is sooo soft! Darlene's daughter,Stacey,made this purse and wallet where she works and creates, at Down Home Leather.

And my friend Darlene,crazy and spontaneous that she is,decided I just had to have this!She knows how hip I am(heehee)and that this was just what I needed!! 

Thank you sweet Darlene,I adore this gift!

 also a fab set of four DecoArtTwinkles WritersYay!!

and a recipe for homemade organic bug spray

Darlene knows what a total glitter fan I am,as, I am the first to have turned her on to Stickles-back in the day-heehee when we first met on Strathmore's online art classes.

 Darlene really stuck out to me in the chat forum with her wit and her use of her lace kitchen curtains as stencils!

 I kid you not, I laughed so hard when I read that- I spewed my coffee on my keyboard!! She actually cut her curtain up to use it in her piece she was working on!! hahahaa 

The humor continues with Darlene-you'll know this if you ever read her Zebra comics,here on her blog-freeniebelle

Thank you again,my dear bestest Ohio friend!! xo

 

 This is my new coffee/tea cup for my studio- it did not come from Poland but the design did,by another online friend,Bozena. 

Bozena is a textile artist from Poland,who creates such intricate and detailed textile pieces.Truly exquisite work! Some designs are offered as cups,clocks,pillows or prints.

 I love the birds and when I saw this piece that Bozena had created,well, I needed the cup!!yup! had to have it! 

You can find Bozena at The Textile Cuisine

So glad to have met Bozena and her beautiful artwork!

Finally,today, this next photo is another delivery,but not by mail....

These containers hold 200 various pines and 10 Forsythias- guess what we're doing this weekend?!

Thanks for visiting- I'll be back next week with more art to share,as long as I can still sit and stand! heeeheee

Jackie ")

Steampunk Art Page with Andy Skinner & DecoArt

I was so thrilled when my order came in from Stampendous,my Andy Skinner stamps arrived!!! woo hoo!

Right away I had to use them and this is the path I took-a Steampunk Travel art journal page-using my cool Andy stamps and stencils!

 I have a few steps to share if you would like to join me...

 First coated my page with black gesso

 Spritzed on Cyan Blue Mister and blew through a straw to disperse the spots

 Next,using Andy's Industrial Elements stencil,I stenciled with Mushroom then lightly pounced over in some areas using Quinacridone Violet

 Out came the modeling paste-because you know I love texture! Spritzed in Cyan Blue Mister and scraped through the Hurricane stencil with palette knife.

Just look at that texture- mmmm

 After this was dry,I used Silvery Shimmer ink and Liquid Platinum embossing powder for my stamping.

A few close-ups to share.

I noticed from the close ups that the under stencils appear to have blue in them,that is not the case~must be the rest of the page is sending off color vibes! ")

After the initial stenciled Tornado,I added random parts of it on the page and then went back over the one in the center and added some ink and embossing powder to bits of it.

Next,a few more pounces of Quin Violet here and there,just because I like the color!

When I was finally pleased with all of the color and elements, I coated the page with DuraClear Gloss. I just love the look this gives any finished piece! I suppose this is why it is hard to get accurate photos,but I assure you,it is yummy in real time!

 Products used:
Andy Skinner Industrial Elements Stencil
Andy Skinner Tornado Stencil
Andy Skinner Cling Steampunk Stamps
 Following are all DecoArt Products:
Media White Modeling Paste
Media Black Gesso
Primary Cyan Media Mister
Duraclear Gloss Varnish
 Media Fluid Acrylic in-
 Quinacridone Violet
Americana Multi Surface in
Mushroom 
Other products used:
Delicata Silvery Shimmer-Tsukineko
Liquid Platinum Embossing Powder-Ranger

 

  Thank you so much for joining me again today- I have lots of other projects in the works and several pieces from various classes to share soon-hope to see you back!

Jackie ")