I am READY for Spring, with some help from The Crafters Workshop.

Hi everyone, Monica here with a spring filled project for you.

I really try to step outside the box and inspire you all to use products in different ways.

This week I have The Crafters Workshop Mini Bubble Doily (TCW372s) stencil to work with. 

I started by mixing some Liquitex Course Texture Gel and acrylic paint. I used heavy card stock for the base. I applied the colored texture gel with my pallet knife then dried it using my heat gun. I did the same thing with blue paint and the texture gel, and I also did white with the texture gel onto a Gelli Plate background.

Once the gel dried I used some Tim Holtz ink over the entire background. Orange with the pink, a darker blue with the blue. I then painted the back of the orange/pink with yellow and the back of the blue with pink.  

I then, using the stenciled pattern as a guide, cut it into a spiral, while scalloping the edges. I then rolled them into the roses, leaving the textured stencil pattern on the outside...

The background of the canvas is a Gelli Plate print, the mushrooms are from the Funky Dream Fairies collaboration kit between Marsha Slayer Jorgenson and Nancy Baumiller at deviantscrap.com. The butterfly fairy is from a kit by Kristin Hubick Hello Dollie Nature Fairies available at retrocafeartgallery.com.

The wood tree and birdcage are pieces I picked up at Hobby Lobby  and painted with acrylic paints. 

I had a lot of fun putting this together and love working with The Crafters Workshop stencil.

I'm hoping this project brings Spring a little closer to everyone .

x0x0x

Monica

Dreams Are Magical

So this week for my design team project I had the Lighthouse mini album from Genuinely Jane Studios http://www.genuinelyjanestudios.com/newsite/cubecart/index.php?_a=product&product_id=877

I did this mixed media piece on an 11x14 canvas.


LET THE MAGIC OF YOUR DREAMS LIGHT YOUR WAY

I added texture to the entire canvas with a heavy  modeling paste. I used different shades of blue for the base and shading. I then added some ink in blue and green. Once I had the background done, I started working on the lighthouse.

I covered the lighthouse with Liquitex Course Texture Gell, then painted diagonal areas of black and white.I love how the red on the roof is so contrasting to the black and white so I added a little red door just cut from corrugated cardboard.

The images of the whale and girl and clouds I used are from Tumble Fish Studio's Dreams Cloud #9 kit, artist Marsha Slayer Jorgensen over at deviantscrap.com. I covered the whale, the clouds, and the hair of the girl in Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam Chandelier. They are super sparkley and magical looking.

I glued the Lighthouse onto the canvas, then added the rocks, which are just from a bag of rocks I picked up in the craft section at Walmart. I then added the whale and the girl, then dry brushed some white highlites around the whale and the waves on the canvas.The last thing I added is the black and white checkered border and lines on the lighthouse. For this I used duct tape!

Close up of Images Dreams Cloud #9 kit by Marsh Slayer Jorgensen Tumble Fish Studios
 deviantscrap.com

  Close up of Lighthouse

 Texture on Light House using Liquitex Course Texture Gel

Background texture using Liquitex Heavy Modeling Paste
                                            
 I had a lot of fun with this project. I hope it inspires you.
Always believe in your dreams and where they can take you.
x0x0x
Monica

FROG DOG STUDIO AND GENUINLY JANE STUDIOS BLOG HOP

Welcome to the Frog Dog Studio and Genuinely Jane Studios Blog Hop!

This week our design teams are showcasing projects from the Frog Dog Studio January Mixed Media Kit, featuring an Exclusive Genuinely Jane Studio Telephone Booth Wood Album.  Both teams are excited to share their kit projects and show you how they were inspired by Genuinely Jane products.

Be sure to follow the blog hop list below as you hop from one blog to the next. Lost?  Return to the Frog Dog Studio blog or the Genuinely Jane Studios blog to see who is next on your hopping list! 

We love Frog Dog Studio kits and Genuinely Jane Studios product so much, we are sharing them with you!  Visit each blog and leave a comment for a chance to win one of the following: 

1.  ONE winner will be selected to receive a $25 Frog Dog Studio Gift Certificate to use in the Frog Dog Studio store.

2.  ONE winner will be selected to receive a $25 Gift Certificate  from Genuinely Jane Studios to use for GJS books in the Genuinely Jane Studios Store

You must visit each blog and leave a comments on all blogs in order to qualify.  

Comments are due by midnight EST, Friday, January 24th to qualify for the drawing. Winners will be announced shortly after the end of the comment period, so be sure to check back to see if you've won.

Let's get hopping!

Here is my version of the Phone Booth...I had so much fun making this. Superman and Wonder Woman bear great significance to my husband and I so I had to fit them in...that's a long story though so I won't go into it LOL...

 

Some pictures of the process...I printed out the British flag and glued it to the 3 sides of the phone booth.I doodled over the black and white scrapbooking paper with my white signo pen...I love graffitti... I painted the clear beads that came in the mixed media kit with black and used them as the feet on the phone booth...

I really wanted to utilize the stamps as much as possible so I made this tag to send to my son as a reminder to CALL ME, and not always text me. Love how it turned out.

 

 Have fun hopping and good luck!!!!

Frog Dog Studio (http://frogdogstudio.blogspot.com/)

Keri Babbitt (http://kensingtondesign.blogspot.com)

Lea Cioci (http://www.leacioci.blogspot.com)

Melissa Johnson (http://melsartjournal.wordpress.com)

Sue Carroll (http://1arthouse.wordpress.com)

Tina Walker (http://adogslife-thirteen.blogspot.com)

Genuinely Jane Studios (http://www.genuinelyjanestudios.com)

Susan Wojtkowski (http://irreversiblymoi.com/)

Aimee Fleck (http://aimeefleckart.blogspot.com/)

Monica Downing ( http://madzieme.blogspot.com/) (you are here)

Amy Lassiter (http://sparklinggnome.com/)

Sarah Lynch (http://www.kitchensinkcreations.blogspot.com/)

Kim Hutchinson (http://jumbledhutch.wordpress.com/)

Madge Gillen (http://www.thescrappinlounge.com/)

Christine Hatchell (http://www.scrapbookingtechnique.blogspot.com/)

Ildiko Miskell (http://thecraftinmama.blogspot.com/)

Emily Hammann (http://www.emilyhammann.com/)

Genuinely Jane Studios Design Team project...Hot Air Balloons

Hey everyone...Monica here...

So I'm super excited to show you all my first project for Genuinely Jane Studio's Design Team.

I used the Hot Air Balloon album to make these 3 air balloons.

The first one is Journey.

I didn't have to do anything to prepare the album. It is nice and smooth and I knew I would be gluing the paper on the wood.

I started by tracing the shape of the Air Balloon onto printer paper. I then drew out the lines and bottom part.

I had some paper I had picked up at Hobby Lobby (the blue/greenish paper) and I traced the basic shape of the balloon then cut it out.

I then cut each individual ruffle of the top part of the balloon from a border paper by Crate Paper. I layered the cut paper onto the blue paper, then cut the edges away. I then just used mod podge to adhere it to the wood base.I picked up some chain at Walmart in their craft section and I used the for the oval above the basket and the chains on the balloon. I then glued Tim Holtz gears above the chains. I used a scrap piece of burlap and created the basket  then glued a couple of gears and a charm to that. I used my dymo labeler and put JOURNEY under the Tim Holtz metal piece at the top of the balloon.

The second balloon I did is Love.

I used papers from a paper pad I have had for a long time. I used a spray adhesive to adhere this paper as it was thinner and I didn't want it to buckle. I then used some open weave mesh and applied it to the top part of the balloon, and a scrap piece of a brown mesh for the edging and started layering the rose and floral cutouts on top of that. I used a cotton ribbon for the balloon wires and the same metal chain for the ring.The roses along the trim are from The Paper Studio. The charm and chain are Tim Holtz. I created the basket from a scrap piece of raw canvas and some lace.

The third balloon I did is SOAR.

All of the butterflies are hand cut by me. The background paper is from loose stock at hobby lobby. I adhered this paper with spray adhesive as well. I then just started layering the butterflies. Had so much fun. I used the chain from Walmart, then created the basket from burlap and some crochet trim. The butterfly charm is actually a piece of Jewelry from the Journey collection at Hobby Lobby.

The back of each balloon has lined scrap paper and I am going to journal about Journey, Love and what makes me Soar, then they will hang from the ceiling in my studio. 

I will be doing the 4th balloon as well and it will be Dream. I will post pictures when I get that done.

I hope this project inspires you to go make a beautiful mess...

INSPIRE

My word for 2014...

INSPIRE:  To fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something, esp to do something creative. 

 

inspire; 3rd person present: inspires; past tense: inspired; past participle: inspired; gerund or present participle: inspiring

I draw inspiration from so many people, and things, and I just hope that by sharing my art, and trying new techniques and finding inspiration myself as I journey through 2014, that I can inspire someone to try something new, to get creative, or find a new way to express themselves. I know art has opened up things in me I never knew before, and introduced me to some amazing people. So thankful for art and how it has inspired me.

These are other words associated with the definition of inspire. 

stimulate, motivate, encourage, influence, rouse, move, stir, energize, incite, inspirational, encouraging, heartening, uplifting stirring rousing stimulate moving affecting impassioned influential, arouse, awaken, prompt, induce, ignite, trigger, kindle, produce.

Have an awesome weekend
x0x0x
Monica

 

HOW BIG IS YOUR BRAVE?

I finished this journal page last night. It started with an amazing Gelli Arts gelli plate print.
I ordered Jill K. Berry's TEXTures 2 stencil set from artistcellar.com and received them in the mail earlier this week. I think I even squeeled when I saw they had come...
Got home last night after a stupid day at work and just had to find my happy place...
I heard this song on the radio last week by Sara Bareilles, BRAVE, and I loved part of the chorus that said, I wanna know, how big is your brave...
It was perfect...

I used pink ink and my ink blender thingy and just started grabbing the TEXTures stencils, in no particular order, and covered the gelli print...that was Monday night. Got home last night and decided to use my black staz on ink pad just around the edges and I LOVEEE how it created another layer. Then out came the stamp..I used a foam stamp for the question mark, from a set I got years ago from Lisa Bearnson....man am I ever glad I got that set of stamps, I think it came with like 38 foam stamps and they are all AMAZING. I use them all the time..then I just used my letter stencil and did the words...
Ran it under my guerilla sewing machine for some texture...then I added the butterflies...I know I know I use butterflies a lot, they just speak to me, and make me happy...
Heres the page...

So there ya have it...
Go have an amazing day...and be brave...no matter what...just be brave...
x0x0x
Monica

Counting The Days To Christmas

Hey there and Happy Snowy Friday!!!
Here is my Design Team project this week for Creative Inspirations Paints and I am definitely counting the days to Christmas.
I will tell you this is not at all what I had originally intended on doing. I just went in a completely different direction LOL.

I started by creating a background print on my Gelli Plate using Garnet and Spring Green. I then used an old cardboard tube to create circles and painted over them with the Garnet and Spring Green. Got out my white signo pen and started doodling and turned the circles into ornaments. I framed the print with the black and white checkerboard Duct Tape.
Here's a picture of the background before adding the tree, and some close up shots showing dimension and the Deliquesce Black Embossing powder.

 I cut the Christmas tree by hand then covered it in the Resplendence Emerald Glitter, which by the way is so sparklie, then I embellished it with the clear Jeweled Inspirations.

I printed the numbers on cardstock. The numbers are from the Merry and Bright kit (awesome!!!) by Nancy Baumiller at Deviantscrap.com. I painted another piece of cardstock with the CI Sunshine paint then glued the numbers on and recut them. I adhered them to the border with pop dots. The green background paper is a piece of scrapbook paper I had. I inked the edges with a dark green ink pad.

I inked up the chipboard letters then covered them in the CI Deliquesce Black and they came out awesome. This is the best embossing powder I have ever used. I attached a a red ribbon at the top to hang it.

Here's the final piece. It's crazy and colorful and happy like Christmas!!!!

Here are the Creative Inspirations Paints and products I used with this project.  You can find them here. http://www.creativeinspirationspaint.com/

Hope this inspires you to go create something bright and funky.
Merry Christmas
x0x0x
Monica