Crumpled kraft and coffee filter pocket

Here are a couple of pages I worked on recently. I started by crumpling kraft paper on the two pages and dousing them with school glue. I then cut a coffee filter into a rectange pocket for the pink tag.

Stamping with text, lady images, and postage stamps followed, along with more paints and Artbars.

 

 

Below is a closeup of the left page (my flash made it orange, sigh)

InkaGold highlights the crumpled paper.

 

 The right page:

Please click on image for an enlarged view

Ledger Art Journal pages

Here are a couple of simple pages from my ledger art journal.
Did I ever mention that I work in quite a few types of books? I love to experiment with a variety of substrates, and book pages can vary so much....such fun!

This background was made when I was trying out my new Inka Gold colors.
I did some random stamping, then made a mask from a postcard of a lady, then used a sponge to paint around her shape. I have wanted to try this technique for ages, and will do some larger masks in the future. I was considering outlining her in black ink - what do you think?
The butterfly is chipboard, and the quote at the bottom is "Friendship is the only rose without thorns".

 

A flower blooms once.



I drew her face on sewing tissue, glued it to the page with gel medium, then drew some more, and colored her a bit. I left the face unpainted. The base page was pre-painted some time before (as usual!).

 



Please click on image for an enlarged view

Chipboard Book Pages

Here are a couple of pages from a chipboard book that I am altering/decorating.

The process is simple but each step takes some time for the drying process. (I leave mine to air-dry)

Start by adding gesso to the entire page, making textures at the same time. After this is dry, use modelling paste to create more texture – then gently push small embellishments in a pleasing manner into the paste. I have also used plaster gauze beside the Katy Keene image.

After this step has dried, spray or paint with your choice of colors – let dry after each color application, or they will mix, sometimes making a brown mess. (unless this is the effect you’re going for!)

After dry, use some rub and buff or your favorite wax paste to color the tops of the texture. I have used Viva Decor’s Inka Gold. I love this paint.

I have five pages for this book – three to go!

My sisters have suggested that I put them up on the wall, as a set of five – What do you think?

 

 

Please click on image for an enlarged view

Being Green





It’s not easy being GREEN.

 

The frog said that.

The frog also claims that a kiss from a princess will enable him to revert to his princely status.

This is the March Challenge on the Altered Books group on yahoo.

The color GREEN, tags, folds, windows/doors.

 

 

The three frogs, glued onto a folded page (three pleats)

 

The closed window, partially hidden

 

The frog's declaration

 

Open window with princess

 

The whole picture

Please click on image for an enlarged view

I HEART Paris

Here is another altered page in the Chocolate Diary.
The section under the heart is sewing pattern paper that I was using for crayon rubbings and embossing plates. They make nice background papers as they glue down transparent, if you use tissue. The heart is cut from thin quilt batt, painted with glue and embossing powder then heated. The Paris stamped square is painted with bead gel. It's not so easy to see in the photo....

Please click on image for an enlarged view

Send a Smile

I have added some finishing touches to my mixed media backgroung page that I posted here:
http://sewinart.blogspot.ca/2013/01/mixed-media-background-page.html

Here is the final page:

 

 

I added a quote stamp from Quietfire Design, "A Smile that you send out returns to you", and some other elements. A very simple page.

Please click on image for an enlarged view

Valentine Grungy Sparkle AB Spread

This is my attempt at a Valentine's page spread. I don't do Cute, so I went where my muse led me.
A few sparkly rub-on red hearts and two keys, background layers of pink, red, orange and blue paints and sprays, a Victorian lady playing a song to My Valentine, a LOVE quote - Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition. - Alexander Smith
And YOU HOLD THE KEY to my Heart, stamped.

Please click on image for an enlarged view

Art Journal Pages

Well, I have been doing art on a daily basis, sometimes quite involved, other times just making a background or two...splashing some watercolours around - you know the drill.
I made a book using sheets of columnar papers, folded into signatures which had covers of cardstock.
This is one of those pages, a purple sheet of cardstock - face painted with acrylics, hair and extras are pencil and markers.

Here are a few pages from one of my altered books:

Please click on image for an enlarged view

Altered Art Journals

 These spreads were finished recently - just having fun with paints, stencils and rubber stamps (and anything that gets in the way whilst I am altering!)

These images are from an old French textbook. Watercolor background, plus some anaglypta wallpaper, a few stickers and background stencils.

A soft ghosty image of a little girl, rubber stamps, stickers, and watercolors. Here I used Portfolios and some Gelatos. yummy!

This spread holds a myriad of technique pieces, collaged. Just playing around with paints, stamps, embossing powder (top left)

Please click on image for an enlarged view

Create a memory

This is a page inspired by a favorite uncle of mine - an avid golfer who enjoyed his cigars. Yes, I can still smell the wonderful aromas of that tobacco! Memories ~~~~

Please click on image for an enlarged view

Art Journal pages

These are recent pages done randomly - as in using up my stash of materials. I do enjoy just working without a theme or idea...very freeing!

Please click on image for an enlarged view

Altered Books Group TIP-IN Swap

For the group swap I decided on Woven Pages as my technique, and made 10 pages, all different. It would be difficult to made two the same!

Please click on image for an enlarged view

December pages

I have been working on my altered books as well as art journal pages. There is so much wonderful inspiration on the web. However, I learned this: At one point you have to stop reading the books and watching the videos, and start inplementing what you have learned and discovered.
Here is a sampling of my playtime.

The photo below shows a quartet of coconut goodies on the right, a gift from Iran. They were yummy delicious.

This pic shows a page from my art journal, my first time playing with Soft pastels. I stamped the flowers and just coloured in with the chalks, and did my version of a scenic background! I used a waterbrush with the pastels, then some letter stickers.

Please click on image for an enlarged view

Altered Art Journal pages

Here are a series of pages I worked on mainly for the AB Yahoo Group Feb Challenge, Stencil Play.
Stencil Play has to be labelled 'Super Fun'!

Please click on image for an enlarged view

Serendipity booklet

Well, I have finally made a booklet from a rather large piece of 'junk' mail. I folded it a few times and got 3 pages plus the covers, at 6 x 6 inches. Yayy!
I covered all the pages with scrapbook paper stack of the same size. I then used images from the book 'Bathing Beauties', adding lace, ribbons, rub-ons, etc.
The front cover has a piece of grunge paper, smooched with alcohol inks. The metal flourish is door hardware. The flower is made from stamped fabric, paper painted with distress crackle paint, and an antique button.
Serendipity is stamped on gauze ribbon.

Please click on image for an enlarged view