Go Where the Wind Takes You

 The Documented Life Project with a March Theme Making Your Mark (Doodles & Mark Making) March 28 Art Challenge:  Make a Custom Element (I made two.)

I had wanted to do the feathers, kind of like Rae Missigman, but once I got started, I just followed the wind. So, I was about to carve a stamp when I remembered that I had the Tim Holtz Feather Duo set from Sizzix. I had not used it yet so I'm not really sure how you are "supposed" to get the embossing folder to work with the die, but somehow I made it work. (I sprayed them with my Copic air brush system.)  I also used his lattice die cut to create the flying squares. For dimension, I cut these from craft foam sheets. The base paper is Gelatos over and under a pale patterned napkin with gesso. I used my new Recollections letter stamps, the tiny bird is from Penny Black, the leaves from Inkadinkado. I added some Crayola glitter glue, white gel and paint pen, Koi Coloring brushes. I finished with a swipe of Gelato around the edges, doodles using a black gel pen, and some black acrylic paint splatters.

 Shared with:
Paint Party Friday 
Altered Eclectics  
Art Journal Journey

Documented Life Week ColorWheel and a Moo

Do you ever have a plan for a page and then it goes, all by itself, someplace else?

The Documented Life Project, with a January theme of "the blank page", added the challenge of Color Wheel and prompt of "I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way . . . “ by Georgia O’Keeffe.

So, I had this vision of beautifully colored tulips on a bright and cheerful background. This is what I got:

"Why do two colors, put one right next to the other, sing? Can anyone explain this? No"...Pablo Picasso

The shapes are from some alcohol ink dipped photo papers and some gelli prints. I did a lot of doodling and added lots of acrylic paint. I used washi tape and Pitt pens. I added white and black gel pens.

And, here are the steps I took that brought me to anything but a field of tulips!

Colored with Neocolors

Brushed with water, added ephemera with Collage Pauge

Covered with white gesso

Added acrylic dots and black gesso

As you probably know, I'm simply not doing enough these days. I only keep up three blogs (all reachable through the top tabs), teach Zentangle / Art Journaling / Copic coloring, enjoy the Inchie challenge, the Diva Challenge, the Square One prompt, the Documented Life, Creative Jump Start, Life Book, and am on the Design Team at The Outlawz. So, my friend, Zoe, things I should also join in on the Moo-Mania challenge. Love you Zoe!!!

I colored the tag with Neocolors and brushed with water to turn into a watercolor look. Added a napkin on the left with matte medium, The flowers were gelli prints on books and deli paper, and the butterfly was colored with Copics.

Also shared with:
Paint Party Friday

If I Leave, You'll Never Find Me

Susi from Art Journal Journey stopped by and suggested I take a look at their journal challenge, Deep in the Forest. So, I did and I was motivated. So motivated that I couldn't sleep last night (ever happen to you?) while I imagined how I would drip paint for the trees over a huge white moon. And, when I started this double page spread, all that went out the window (ever happen to you?). As I was waiting for the trees to dry I spied my new little zombies from Sugar Pea designs and knew I needed them to be playing in the forest. Acrylics were rolled in blue for the background and covered with a green leave stencil. Trees were painted with several browns. Small white dots with Hero Arts ink and punchinella, green acrylic with textured foam, big white and black with bubble wrap and acrylic. I used my Hero Arts White ink for the zombies. and the lines on corrugated cardboard. I love that ink pad! I masked off the tree with painter's tape to make the little girl hide behind the tree and added a Copic colored owl and mushrooms from stamps.

If I Leave, You'll Never Find Me

Also shared with:
Paint Party Friday
Altered Eclectics