What's the buzz...Artist Trading Coins

 Happy Monday and welcome to Fall~like it or not!

 We have been busy putting up things for the season and finishing up my canning of tomatoes and grapes,and picking gourds,Indian corn and pumpkins and putting those all out for sale.

In between all of that,I have managed to find some studio time to play with the latest craze

Artist Trading Coins!

Have you heard about them? I never knew until I saw my art sister,Kim Collister post hers on Facebook and I was completely smitten! Kim's are fabulous,as is all of her art!

Well,I knew right away,I had to have some of these as well to make my own little pieces of artwork to share!So here they are...

I did take time out to vote in the primaries-and look at the sticker they gave us,Honoring 100 years of Women's right to vote!

You go girls!

 Exercise that right!

 back to the coins,

You see these are Artist"Trading"Coins. The key word here being Trading. I was so excited making these that I worked both sides of the coins.My Riley asked me where do you put your name? I said,oops!no room for name or other sharing info! I guess I'll keep these and make another batch! LOL 

I bought these from Kristen over at Retro Cafe Art,but you can also get them at Joggles,or even make your own!

 The size is  2.5" diameter and can be cut from any substrate,like chipboard,watercolor or mixed media paper.

The neat thing about when I bought them from Retro Cafe Art Gallery is they also sell stencils to use to add more design to your mini art works.

 More pictures,and close ups...

 for a few of the coins,I photocopied some of my own art work and printed them out small,but large enough to cover one side of the coin.

 

A bit of crackling on this one

 The possibilities are endless! 

 The other great thing about these is they are so small,it takes no time to make fun,mini artworks!

 The little box I house these in is something else I bought from RCA years ago and just now decided to use!Came in handy for a sweet little holder of my coins!(the ones for keeping,not trading) LOL

 

Anyway,I love these coins and have just received my second order and when I sit to create on these,I will do a step out for you,so stay tuned!

Hoping your week is full of creativity!

Peace & Love

 Jackie ")

Product List:
Retro Cafe Art~Trading Coins,Stencils,Fairy Box Kit
Finnibair's Art Alchemy Impasto Paints
Posca Markers

Images and graphics from:
Tumblefish Studio-Marsha Jorgenson
Ceremony
Miles Beyond The Moon
One CrabApple
Paper Whimsy


Diamond Glaze~Judikins 

Entering in:

Mixed Media Place~September Challenge

  Just wanted to share the links of where you can find these Artist Trading Coins,if you care not to make you own

Retro Art Cafe Gallery

Joggles

Altered Pages

Splendor

Hello everyone!
 Here today with a Tribe post for the queen of mixed media herself,Gwen Lafleur. (in my humble opinion that is LOL)
 As you know, I adore the Irresistible India Embellished Sari Scraps from Gwen as well as her most exquisite lengths of Irresistible India Embellished Trims carried in her store.
It was time to break out my stash and start using some of these glorious treasures.

I present to you,my canvas titled "Splendor"

To begin with,here is a canvas started quite some time ago. One that I quickly lost interest in and put aside.
I decided it was time to try again, and this time using Gwen's Art Deco Sunburst Background Stencil,
this dull canvas quickly comes to life!
With the stencil,I used heavy gel medium along with Sparks acrylic paint mixed together across the whole of the canvas.
 When this was dry,I spritzed the canvas with water and sprinkled mica powders in blue and copper in the water and let them bleed outward

Next,I started laying texture and colors down using patina pastes

first purple,then teal. And there ended the in process photos!

 At this point,I used Gwen's Art Deco Borders Stencil (the center stencil)  and placed this in the center of the canvas, again using heavy body gel and Sparks acrylic paint.

After I was happy with my colors I had laid down,I took out some gold leaf foil and applied it to various areas of the canvas.

Now came the Irresistible India Embellished Sari Scraps!

I cut from a few of  these gorgeous gem and beaded florets and adhered them to the canvas with heavy gel medium. While these were setting,I then cut up some of  Irresistible India Embellished Trims

I used these trim pieces with tear shaped gems and tiny mirrors  to outline and extend the center design.

The way I cut the trims and Sari was to get in as close as I could to the beading,without cutting the threads that bind on the backside. Once this was cut and placed on the canvas,using heavy gel medium,I took a small paintbrush and feather the same gel medium out from the beading onto the canvas. Making sure to get both sides of the visible Sari scrap.

hard to tell,but in the teal areas of the stencil,I added two layers of Diamond Glaze (above photo)
Using my fingers,I also gently swiped Metallique acrylic paints over the raised areas from the stencils as well as on the edges of the cnvas.

It is Amazing to me,how many different ways there are to use these Sari Scraps and Sari Trims!

To the right of the canvas, I added some of the Fabulous Florals Gold Skeleton Leaves
Found in Gwen's online mixed media store. These leaves were also adhered using heavy matte medium
One last thing I did was to dry brush Teal blue Opal Magic over the majority of the canvas as well as lightly across the skeleton leaves.

For my final addition to the canvas, I used this beautiful orangy gem which came in one of my Going Global Turkman Jewelry Parts packages from Gwen's store.
I simply nipped off the edges and glued on using heavy gel medium.

In all it's "Splendor"

 I hope I was able to inspire you to create something beautiful today!

 Thanks so much for your continued support and lovely comments!

Peace & Love

Jackie ")

Gwen is having a sale at the shop right now-once the items are gone, she will not be replacing them- so hurry on over!


Products from Gwen Lafleur's online mixed media store
Irresistible India Embellished Sari Scraps
Irresistible India Embellished Trims  
Art Deco Sunburst Background Stencil 
Gwen's Art Deco Borders Stencil
Going Global Turkman Jewelry Parts


Prima Finnabair's Products:
Heavy Body Gel~Transparent
Art Alchemy Sparks Paint~Butterfly Spells,Dragon's Eye 
Art Extravagance Texture Fantasy~Northern Lights
Art Ingredients Mica Powders~Blue,Copper
Art Alchemy Opal Magic~Teal Blue
Art Alchemy Metallique~Light Patina,Ancient Coin,Gold Amber

Gold Leaf Foil
Judikins Diamond Glaze 

Entering in these Challenges

 Simon Says Monday~Use More than One Stencil 

Mixed Media Place~August Challenge  

I was inspired by the opal looking colors as well as the sparkle of the bubbles

Camping in May...

Hi everyone. I am playing catch up here over the next couple of weeks. The summer was fast and furious and even though I am starting to feel much better,a busy life took it's toll on me at times. So now that summer is coming to a close,I might need a vacation! lol

Back in May we went for a two week trip to our favorite camping grounds here in New York. It was gorgeous weather-one day of a light sprinkle was all. Otherwise -Perfect! This was our site,first time we were able to get this one in 8 years of trying!
The site was right on the water and it was beautiful!

Chum had to be leashed as there were too many chipmunks around that he would like to chase!
Below is the beautiful view I had each morning while making my coffee

 Chum and Dad out on the water and Chum beats Dad to the shore every time!

  Look at that smile! He sure LOVES Swimming!

While they were out and about,my body movements were still pretty limited at this point,I stayed back and did some journaling. Laying down thoughts,sentiments and color.The thoughts were reread and then covered up with beautiful stencils and graphics which made this mindful and peace felt spread.

Here I used one of my newer stencils from StencilGirl called "Sacred Feminine" by Carol Wiebe.
 I absolutely love this stencil,it truly speaks to me

 This prayer below is from a card I received after visiting a museum in California.

I will always continue to Contribute.

Early morning fog over the island and a couple of deer eating breakfast.

 

 

 Riley is a catch and release kinda guy.Look two on one line!
So,while honey was doing this...

I was relaxing here...

 enjoying this! nothing like a campfire!
I always get lost in the dancing flames,seeing figures and shapes. It really is magical and soothing.

 So from Riley's fishing I saw,came this silly journal spread!

 It was a beautiful vacation,nice time away from it all and we enjoyed ourselves immensely!

 

 and then on our drive home, out the truck window we see this!!

Special delivery of a Hummer by a transport Chinook .   It was really cool to see this!Actually had to look twice before grabbing my camera!
 In the bottom photo they are getting closer to landing.

Home again and several packages had arrived in the post!
 Dear friends had sent get well wishes and beautiful hand created treasures for me.

These wonderful treasures from the shore came from my friend and fellow blogger Kimberly Laws.

Kimberly has a beautiful way with laces and ribbons and putting colors together.
I just love her stitching and can not wait to write in my journal she created! thank you my friend!

  Next is this beautiful and very cool paper doll who watches over me at my studio desk. She was made and was sent by Linda Edkins Wyatt,my friend and Tribe Sister.

Those boots are just the best- and don't you just love the dial Linda used in the center? And look at the yummy embossing she did! Glorious colors-don't you think?

Here she is posing with with her butterfly wings-thank you my Tribe sister and dear friend!

and who is this posing with her?
Two sweet little kitten paperdolls named Peace & Love. These special little dolls were created by Darlene Campbell, my all time bestest Ohio friend ever! Thank you so much,my forever friend! I love them,Peace & Love. 

 And finally,a rather large package came with these lovely treasure in it!

These came from my sweet friend and another fellow blogger,  Kim Collister. 
Such wonderful goodies! Whenever I sip my tea from this beautiful cup,I think of Kim and her kindness.
And this beautiful doll sits at my studio desk alongside Linda and Darlene's dolls. Reminders of the great friendships I have made through this internet. Reminders of the loving and caring people who are out there,that I have never met in person,but feel I have known for years!

Many of you have asked in private emails,and on comments about my healing. Thank you so much!
To let you know,I have regained most my strength in my left arm and hand and am no longer freaking myself out, by thinking something in me is going to break if I move the wrong way! I have been off of the pain relievers for quite awhile now and am doing well without. From time to time I take the nerve pills as my left fingers are not there yet. They still tingle and hurt sometimes(a signal to let me know I over did it) and there is still no feeling in them. Funny thing how they can be numb and still have the pain/tingly sensation. The Dr. says this is normal and may take up to a year to heal,then again it may never heal. I am okay with this because I am ever so grateful to not be in the horrific, debilitating pain I was in. So life is good,no,life is great!

 Thank you for coming by today and leaving your lovely comments, I do cherish each and every one of them.

Peace & Love my friends

Jackie ")