Winged Heart - Mixed Media Canvas

Hi Everyone!



Hearts and wings is used a lot in art themes, in just about every style. Who doesn't like hearts and wings; its symbolism is awe inspiring. I too got inspired and decided to make this shabby chic, steampunk style canvas piece and it just had to be aqua, yellowish color scheme. Being that I like inspirational words on my art pieces, I found this perfect quote to go with it "Let your dreams be your wings and your heart be your guide". I believe that our dreams takes us places...like wings. Well you just can't have the wings, you also need to know where you are going. So your heart is your guide, you know like a compass.



How it's done

I used an 8 x 10 canvas, which I painted white gesso.  I added swirly design using a stencil and Modeling Paste. For the background I used Lindy's Gang Stamp shimmer sprays; Tibetan Teal and gold. The heart and wings are made out Fimo polymer clay. I first created a template by tracing a heart shape onto chipboard paper and shaped the clay around the template. I could of done it freehand, but I wanted to make sure the heart was evenly shaped. I also stamped shapes on the heart with a rubber stamp. I painted it with gesso, then painted it with read pearl paint. Then added watered down black paint, and filled the crevices of the stamped shapes and wiped any excess paint.




The wings were a little tricky to make. I could of easily bought resin wings, but the ones I saw I ran across were too small, so I had custom made mine. I wanted this 3D, so I carved look the wing's feathers. Started out by first drawing the wings on paper, ensuring the size is proportionate to the heart and that it fit on the canvas. Then I transfer the drawing onto tracing paper. I flatten out an area big enough for the wings to fit on. In order to have an evenly shaped area, I ran the clay though the pasta making machine. The clay is 1/4" thick.  I placed my tracing paper on top of the clay, and the piece of plastic  on top of the tracing paper.  Using a clay stylus and traced the wings. The plastic keeps the tracing paper from ripping, being that it's so thin and fragile. Then I used an Xacto knife to cut out the wings. I painted it with gesso, then mother of pearl acrylic paint.






The gears are Dusty Attic chipboards and Tim Holtz metal gears. I first painted all the gears with white gesso, then painted with them with aqua and brown paint acrylic paint. In order to give it that grungy, rusty metal look, I used Jacquard bronze pearl powder and mixed it into the paint. It totally gives it this rusty metal look with a hint of shine. The decorative swirly shape above the heart is also a Dusty Attic chipboard that was painted with aqua acrylic paint. The key, keyhole, and arrows metal embellishments are from Tim Holtz, which was also painted with same paint  and pearl powders as the gears. I used bling throughout the piece...I like how it contrast the grungy gears.


So go on, grow your wings,  follow your heart and make your dreams come true...

 

 

 

 

 

Follow Your Dreams - Shadowbox

Hi Everyone!

A word, phrase, or quote and at times, a dream will inspire an art ideas. From that inspiration I create a shadowbox, canvas, sculpture, or alter some other innocent artifact. Words once again have inspired me to create mixed media shadowbox; I call it “Follow Your Dreams”. These words conjured the image of a cage with the door that is ajar and the birds flying. The theme creates an allegory for our inner psyche; a desire to achieve our goal and dreams and to do so we must reach outside ourselves.

How it's made

For the shadowbox I used a picture frame, which I painted with gesso, then painted with Martha Stewart pearl aqua paint. I also added textured designs to the front and sides using a stencil and Modeling Past. The cage is made out of 16 gauge galvanize steel wire. I cut individual piece of wire all the same size and slightly bent them. The wire is held together FIMO clay. The clay at the base was textured using Lisa Pavelka border clay molds. I then baked the wire into the clay in the oven for 15 minutes at 250 degrees. After baking the clay, you might find that all of the wire pieces may still get loose. If this happens, add E-600 glue in the hole and the wire will bond to the clay. I used Prima flowers and various clocks, key, and keyhole metal embellishments; which have been painted. The grass is made using texture paste, which has been painted with green paint. The birds are made out clay from a silicon mold that I made from a necklace charm. I like the bird charm so much that I wanted to use it for other craft pieces  that I had make a mold so I can make clay embellishments. The swirl piece that looks like it’s holding the cage and the letters is Dusty Attic chipboard. The cage’s background was made with a musical notes stamp, using Staz-On ink. So get on out there and follow your dreams!

 

Ben's First Hair Cut - Exploding Box (Paper Craft)

Hi Everyone!

Today I bring you an all paper craft. It's called an exploding box...don't worry, there are no real explosions involved with this craft. I made this a while ago for my baby nephew...hopefully my sister will save it so he can tell what he thinks about it when he gets older. What is an exploding box anyway? A box, but when the lid is removed the sides fall down (that's the exploding part) to reveal the multiple sides where you can put photos, sayings, and other embellishments. You usually give this as a birthday gift and put something in the center, money, gift card, candy or something else. I used it a way to record a special moment; my nephew's first hair cut..I know seems silly, but that's what inspired me at the moment.

How it's made

 I cut out a box from cardstock paper and cut all four side sides. There are a lot of tutorial on how to make this on the internet. I used two layers, or two boxes. The boxes are glued together at the base. Make the inside box a little smaller, so as to give the sides room to and fold over. I used different color cardstock paper that match. I also used scrapbooking patterned paper. So when you do two layers or two boxes, you end with 9 panels and each panel has two sides. Then you can decorate each panel on each side or just one side as well as the bottom. So yes there is a lot of cutting and gluing. I glued the different pattern paper to the panels, then I glue my nephew pictures. I printed words like "cutie patootie" , "simply adorable" on card stock and then cut them with a paper punch.