A Splash Of Paint - Oh What Fun We Have

I have recently been teaching a few paint techniques to a fabulous group of ladies in my local area in my recently acquired status of a member of the DecoArt Helping Artist program. The ladies have all got different skills in crafting and have all got a thirst to learn more. Tastes differ as well, from the real girly, girly through to grungy/steampunk. One thing they all have in common is the love of crafting. The last few weeks have been a journey into the world of paint and different techniques that they can apply their own tastes to. No set project other than paint a picture frame and then venturing onto canvas. The frames were a great success with crackle techniques being a firm favorite and stenciling a close second.

The canvases - Guess who forgot to take her camera!!!
Sharon finished two canvases - she elected to use a pre-printed paper stuck to the canvases and just stencils and black paint. Carol - after a priming with white Gesso went onto use the DecoArt Brick Wall stencil with Americana Red Violet then the Timeless Treasures stencil and Americana Lamp (Ebony)Black.

A clock mechanism added and this is now hanging in her home. She's well chuffed with it and rightly so.

Me - what did I do? - Well see the other post for today for my massive (for me) 30x40cm canvas

It's a Love/Hate Thing - Feb challenge with HDH

February - that month when many will be concentrating on that day that falls in the middle. That day when more than a few of you will be declaring your love to those whom your affections have settled on. What's the flip side of that bundle of emotions that many call Love? Hate of course. This is the theme for the challenge over at Haunted Design House. Love and it's flip side - Hate. So .....it's a

Love/Hate Thing

This is a Christmas ornament that I started painting but just couldn't finish. For a few different reasons. It seemed the apt project to complete for this month's piece. A heart shaped wooden piece that has two totally different finishes on it. 
Decoart products used throughout.
The first side features a technique that I first attempted with the help of a dear friend and fellow minion - Black Dragon. This project had me all on my own.
Stamping into clay. I used a few of the images from the Rick St Dennis rubber collection from Smeared Ink - Dark Holidaze

The piece was painted in Americana Antique Teal then dry brushed over with copper from the Dazzling Metallics range

The flip side

This was first painted with white Gesso to give a textured finish. When dry a coat of Americana Golden Straw was painted on and dry brushed with Americana White Wash. Then an old tooth brush used to spatter Americana Cherry Red. The swirls are from the "Paris" Stencil - again available from Decoart with the same Cherry Red paint.

The image is from De Stempenwinkel Gothic Halloween plate #47. Stamped onto tissue paper and applied with Decoart Decou-page.

To hang - a piece of coiled copper wire with a length of black organza ribbon.

Your turn - you can have upto three projects entered in each month. Are you in a lovey dovey mood or has this emotion turned sour? Come show us all at the HDH dungeon - we'd love to see where your heart lies.

I'd like to enter this heart into the challenge at
Smudgy Antics - Anything Goes

Showcase for Rick St Dennis' EDT Blogs

Hi everyone.
Oh my, It's been a busy few weeks in the Cubbyhole lately and quite a few different projects have been made and now I can share 2 of them.
The occasion is the January showcases for Sparkle and Glitter with Rick and it's darker sister, Airless Chambers.
The task to choose Valentine images from the Zibbet and/or Etsy shops and create projects without using the traditional colours of red, pink or purples.

First up Airless Chambers
I chose the image Valentine Macabre available from both Etsy and Zibbet

The story of how this came to be.... Using Decoart products
A canvas primed with black Gesso
then a thin coat of Antique Teal Americana paint. When dry, another layer - this time with weathered wood

Now for the fun part.....

The normal way would be to let the weathered wood layer get to touch dry before going over with the next coat. It's late at night, freezing cold and I need to get this to a drying state. Experiment time.....

I watered down the americana light avocado about two parts paint to one part water, poured this onto the canvas and "teased" it with a brush to cover the surface.

I'm liking this

Bedtime

Next layer

Using the Distressed Harlequin Stencil and some Dazzling Metallic in teal

loving the distressed look

Some  diecut and embossed heart shapes were given a lick of antique gold, deep paint and dry brushed with butter then some hunter green Frantage embossing powder was randomly applied.

These hearts, some die cut letters and, of course, the main image were secured and sealed using decou-page. 

A couple of charms, a brass key and heart, and some pearls applied with glossy accents just to finish off.

My next project was done for 

Sparkle and Glitter 

beware - cuteness coming 

A rocker card with Valentine Turtle

This card not only rocks from side to side but our little turtle is on a spring as well

The gold hearts are from paper artsy, randomly stamped onto a black card base

Those images were all coloured with promarkers

Thank you for joining us on this little show

HDH are BACK (after the winter break)

Yes - the Minions are back in full swing after the dungeon shut down after the Hallowe'en shindig for the normal 2 month holiday at Haunted Design House. There have been a few changes and we are welcoming back some of the Minons that managed to loosen their shackles and go a-wandering through those corridors that are ill-frequented. They forgot they don't get fed out there in the cold and hunger drove them back. Hunger for creating the type of art that you will only find in a few locations and be thought normal.
There are changes to the challenges as well. We've gone monthly. So many of those worthwhile projects are taking time to complete. A few people were mentioning that they didn't have time and missed the deadline. Well, now there is bags of time - from the first Monday in the month through to the first Sunday of the following month......... then it's a new challenge starting.
The theme for the first challenge of the New Year was obviously going to have to be to do with things new, new format, new year etc ................

What's New Pussycat?

Here's the copy/paste bit

"You can use new stash, or a new technique, or cats, or focus on something that's "new" New year, new moon, newly dead, new fears, new passions. Style? that cute and sweet and nice are not what we're about. We're here to celebrate your inner demons, NOT to sweet-talk your inner cherubs" 

All the new challenges over the next few months are open to interpretation!

I have two projects for you today

The first is celebrating the fact that I have been accepted onto the DecoArt Helping Artist Program

and it is with some of their products that I have created the base for my "Tree of Life" for a friend who has a new home.

Using Red Aventurine (enhances creativity and ability to see possibilities. It is said to be able to heal the reproductive system, and sometimes reverse diseases. It also can bring prosperity and lessen negativity) Tigers Eye (aids harmony and balance, and helps you to release fear and anxiety) and Jet (for the person starting a new job or beginning a new business pursuit.  Jet can bring clarity to a confusing situation by bringing unique insights from variant perspectives)

The base - well that started life as 6 small pieces of wood that came with a box canvas as supports. Instead of binning when not used, these ended up in my "just incase box"

glued together to form a box with base.

Then the painting...

Mixing Decoart Americana  black acrylic with some Americana Texturizing Medium, painted the sides that can be seen, Dry time needed.

Next - more black with a bit of the Traditions Warm White in varying quantities to get the different greys that were dry brushed on.

Next - new glue gun - a mini one from daughter as a Christmas pressie - Set the tree base into the box. When set, the Decoart Traditions Blue Green Light paint was applied as "grass"

Next up is a quick couple of ATCs that I just "had to do" New rubber in the house that still had to escape and see ink. Can't have virgin rubber sitting there for too long!! These stamps are from De Stempelwinkel.

Plate#56 The Ancient Cemetery, #47 Gothic Halloween and #42 Dark Night.

This covers the new in "Newly Dead" "New Stash" and there's that Pussy Cat in the corner.

Using plate #53 Dark Creatures, #47 Gothic Halloween, #42 Dark Night, #52 Dark Bounderies and a single "fence with stones"

The "grey" of the images created by using the "second stamping" of the images and there was a bit of masking involved as well. Distress inks used for colour.

I'd like to enter my ATCs into the challenge over at

De-StempelWinkel Challenge #1 - Anything Goes

I'd like to enter my Tree of Life into the challenge at
Crafty Calender - Any Thing New
Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

First Post of 2015 with Rick St Dennis' Prog. Challenge

A Very Happy New Year to you all. 

I hope this coming one is better than the last. Last year had it's ups and downs and this coming year will probably have similar but I'm hoping more ups than downs this time.
One of the ups already ..... see my newer post...........

For this update in my crafting adventures I am concentrating on the new progressive challenge that is starting over on the Sparkle and Glitter with Rick St Dennis blog. As I am on team A I get to post in the first episode.

As always on the first month it's Anything Goes with a Rick St Dennis image that is available in either of the shops. Zibbet (Europeans are urged to use this store due to those utterly ridiculous VAT laws that come into force today, also it's cheaper) and Etsy.   

I made a card, for a change. One was needed for a birthday.

Here we have Roxy, coloured with promarkers then fussy cut out before mounting onto a chocolate brown diecut . The DPs are taken from a collection called "old treasures" found on a wander round whilst on holiday last year but no designer name.

  

This shows the acetate window that was created... just to be a bit different. Some lace and ribbon hide the joins. A stamped and heat embossed sentiment to tie in with the image.

Want a chance to get more images from the pen of RSD?  Join in the Progressive Challenge and get next months image free. Simple!

12 Days of Creepmas with Rick St Dennis and Smeared & Smudged

Morning all.
Today is the 2nd day of the Creepmas hop organised by the gals over at the Smeared and Smudged group. They used to be on a ning platform but are transferring to facebook and December is the transition month. Hence the info can be found on both platforms. Terra of Smeared Ink is the host and her blog is the starting point of the hop and more info can be gleaned there.

Rick St Dennis' Airless Chambers is, again. taking part and today is "my day".  Today is also designated "Smeared Ink day" when the projects, if possible, are to be made with stamps available from their shop. It was with this in mind that my first project came into being. I have used stamps from the Dark Holidaze rubber set, designed by Rick St Dennis.
An old tatty tray that has been sitting in my craft room for "a while" got a bit of a make-over with some deco-art paints.
Firstly - the base of the tray. Plenty of masking, colouring with promarkers and then inking with iced spruce distress ink.

The old tatty wooden tray was strengthened on the corners with strips of torn card scraps, inside and out (tearing helps disguise the edges) then coated with white gesso, just in case the was any residual oil in the wood. Second coat Decoart's Pure Pumpkin acrylic paint. When dry, a coat of Weathered Wood. More drying time. Next a coat of purple, sit back and watch the magic happen. The leaves were painted with Blue/green light acrylic and dusted with mica powder. The edges were all given a coat of copper "dazzling metallics" acrylic paint.

When all the paint was dry, a generous coat of decou-page was applied, used both to adhere the stamped panel and to seal the entire project.

My second project was made using Rick's digi images available from the Zibbet shop.
A wreath to decorate a door (possibly?)

 Creepmas Greetings and  Creepmas Tree Lights

Orange and purple satin ribbons on a circle of card (cereal box) wrapped with hessian. Die cut black holly leaves and swirls

 some glossy accents were applied to the lights for added shine and dimension.

I'd like to enter my tray into the challenge at
Smudgy Antics - Anything goes with SI

Rick St Dennis' Progressive Challenge part 2- December

Hi folks
Just a quickie post showing my rendition of Rick's Christmas Party Hat on a card. My small piece as a member of the EDT for the Progressive challenge over on the Sparkle and Glitter blog.

coloured with promarkers

 on one of the few Christmas cards made this year.

This is the free image given to those crafters that entered a project into the first part last month but she is available to purchase in the shop should you fancy your chances with mr Linky to win more from the pen of Rick St Dennis.