NEW BLOG

Hi Followers...

Hey I have started a new blog and would love for you all to keep following my artsy adventures....

You can find me here now....

Monica Downing Designs

See you soon...

x0x0x
Monica

Send In The Clowns

Welcome to the Art Anthology/Altered Pages Blog Swap. We’ve partnered with each other these last few weeks of October to offer you lots of inspiration using products from Art Anthology and Altered Pages.

Hi Everyone,
Monica D here to share my October project with you.

I went with a Circus theme for this project with Altered Pages. First you will find links to the products I used from both Art Anthology and Altered Pages

Art Anthology products used.
Art Anthology Velvet Dimensional Paint in Mayan Gold
Art Anthology Sorbet Dimensional Paint in Coral
Art Anthology Colorations Spray in Raider

Altered Pages products used.
Rubber Stamp: Muse Circus Time
Collage Pages: Greatest Show On Earth
Collage Pages : Victorian Clowns


I used a ziplock sandwich box as my project base. I Gesso'd the inside and outside with 2 coats of Art Anthology Gesso.

After that dried I freehand painted stripes in the Art Anthology Dimensional paints Mayan Gold and Coral. 2 coats of each. I wasn't worried about it being perfect because I wanted it to look like a weathered circus tent.

Next I sprayed the inside of the ziplock box with Art Anthology Colorations Spray in Raider.

I printed out a black and white polka dot background and cut it to fit in the back of the box.

Next I used the circus tent stamp from the Muse Circus Time stamp set to create one large circus tent to frame the front of the ziplock box...

I stamped my pattern on cardstock using Red StazOn ink pad then I painted over the stamped image with  Art Anthology Mayan Gold, Then I cut it out and glued it to the front of my box.

Next I cut out the clown images I wanted to use from the Collage Papers listed above, then glued them into place.

I used a piece of black and white checkered duct tape for the bottom part of the box.

I had a lot of fun making this piece.

Here are some pictures of the finished project.

Check back with us every day for more inspirational projects.
There will be an Art Anthology/Altered Pages Prize Pack given away to one of our lucky commentors, so make sure you comment each day on both the Art Anthology and Altered Pages blog! And don’t forget to visit the Altered Pages Facebook page and tell them Art Anthology sent you.
Don’t forget to follow both companies on Pinterest for more inspiration.
Art Anthology: http://www.pinterest.com/artanthology/ 
Altered Pages: http://www.pinterest.com/djean_moore/

SHE IS COURAGE.....Breast Cancer Project

Hi Everyone Monica D here with my Art Anthology Design Team Breast Cancer Awareness project.

I have been thinking about this project for quite some time. I was inspired to do this by a video I saw actually a few months back. When we decided to do a Breast Cancer project I knew I wanted to not only represent the amazing Art Anthology products, but also this amazing organization and artists doing wonderful things to help women deal with their breast cancer scars.

Ill show you my project then share some information about the organization, along with the a link to the video, that inspired me to do this.

She is Courage.....

So...it started as a paper mache manican that I bought at Hobby Lobby. I also bought the candle stick there as well...I covered everything in Art Anthology Gesso which I knew would provide me an excellent base to work from.

All of the color you see on this piece was done with Art Anthology products. 

I started by painting the bodice with Sorbet Dimensional Paint in Buttercream. I so wish you could see the sparkle the sorbet has on this piece...its subtle but so beautiful. After that dried I used Colorations Spray in Warm and Cinnamon Toast ti give it more of a vintage look and I am extremely happy with the results...

The next thing I did was to apply the crystals to the bodice. I used Prima crystals and shaped them the way I wanted so they would flow with the body. My intention was for this to look like a tattoo...

Next I grabbed my white paper flowers. I decided which flowers I wanted to use then decided on which colors. The colors I used are Colorations Sprays in Juicy, Hottie, Wild Orchid, Plush, Glorious, and Waimea Bay. 

I used Hottie and Juicy for the butterflies. I just misted randomly onto cardstock, then used a punch for the butterfly shape, then a stamp on top of that. ...

I outlined all of the flowers and butterflies with a fine gel pen. I applied the flowers to the bodice with a paintbrush and glue...this was all a pretty tedious process but I loved every second of it.

I painted the candle stick with Velvet Dimensional Paint in Fiesta, then misted with Hottie and French Toast...lastly I did a light misting with Raider...I glued the bodice onto the candlestick and she was done. 

So...as I stated earlier in this post, I saw a video awhile back that really touched me. I myself am a cancer survivor, and have a very large scar. To have the option of covering it, and people who are willing to reach out and help women cope with this type of thing, is such an amazing thing to me. I hope you will watch the video, and go visit the website and share this information.  There are so many pictures and so much information. Pink Day this year is 10-10-2014 and all the information is available at the ink below.

http://p-ink.org/

here is a link to the video that inspired me to do this project....

http://p-ink.org/the-next-p-ink-day-is-10-10-2014/

Here is a link to their facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/PersonalInk

Here is a link to their Pinterest boards...lots of beautiful stuff going on at every site. 

http://www.pinterest.com/personalink/

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today and everyday.

Love to you

x0x0x

Monica

Time Is Precious

So I used the Ten Seconds Studio Verday Paint system to achieve this awesome affect on the white flowers I used on the 6x6 chunky canvas.

If you want to check out all of their awesome products check their webstie Ten Second Studio

I love how this turned out.

I used Kaiser Kraft paper from the .75 cent line for the back ground.
Thanks for stopping by and having a look around
x0x0x
Monica

Dreamin of the Beach Chipboard Album

Hi Everyone,

Monica D here to share a chipboard book that I made using the awesome Art Anthology products. I started this project when I went up to Kansas and met up with the creator and owner of this amazing product, Stayce DeWid. Had so much fun working with her and watching the ladies taking the class creating beautiful art.

Here are the products I used

Art Anthology Colorations Sprays in...Waimea Bay, Peacock Feathers, Studio Blue, Juicy, Glorious, Salted Caramel, Sand Castle, Paprika.

Art Anthology Stone Effects in...Bone, Sandstone, Lava and Brick. Also the amazing Art Anthology Gesso.

Art Anthology Stencils.

Some other supplies...Cheese cloth, netting, seashells, heavy modeling paste, and ribbon.

I Used papers and embellishments from Glitz Design Uncharted Waters Collection.

You can see my process for the backgrounds over on the Art Anthology Blog

Here are pictures of the completed pages, and I will definitely be doing more backgrounds and adding more pages to this book.

Thanks for stopping by today have a great everything.

x0x0x

Monica

Some time for a journal page

Hiya.

Just trying to have a relaxing weekend...Finished a DT project and did some work on some other things...
Then I reached for my trusty stack of gelli prints and grabbed some of my favorite stamps, my white signo pen and black jelli roll pen...I didnt sew on this page but only because my sewing desk is a bit of a mess right now...I may add some sewing one evening this week...

TIME FLIES...always try to make the most of it....

HAVE A FANTASTIC DAY!!!!!

MONICA

It's Back To School Time....

Hi Everyone,

Monica D here with my Art Anthology Back To School project....

I really had to think inside and outside of the box for this one...haha...

First I will show you the Art Anthology products I use. Then list some other things I used as well.

Along with the colors listed above, I used Art Anthology Colorations in Timeless to create a bit of an aged look. I also used the Art Anthology Gesso. I used some Tim Holtz inks in Rusty Hinge and Barn Red, some Thickers Alphabet letters, and some rub ons.

Here are some shots of my completed project.

Now let me show you my process...

I started with a wooden box that I bought at Hobby Lobby.

First thing I did was Gesso the entire box inside and out. Then I decided on the colors I wanted to use.

First I painted the lid and the sides of the lid with Lemon Tart

Next I painted the front and back of the bottom part of the box with Fiji, and the left and right sides with Desire.

Time for some texture. I used a heavy modeling paste and a stencil to add a really cool affect to the outside edges of the top of the box.

Now to work on the lid. I used a ledger stencil...I used Viridian for the color. Love the contrast against the yellow

Next I positioned the Thickers foam letter stickers on the top of the box.

This next step is where I used the Tim Holtz inks. I just rubbed the ink pad directly onto the thickers. Barn Door First...

Then Rusty Hinge...love the pop of color with the Lemon Tart and Viridian in the background

For the ART Letters on the top of the box. I have a whole deck of these letters so I trimmed them down, used a punch at the top, then inked them up and got them all together the way I wanted then used a little metal clamp at the top and glued them down.

Ok so now onto the inside of the box.

The first thing I did was the inside edges of the box using Tuxedo. Then I wanted the inside of the lid to look like a chalkboard.

For the color, I mixed Trolley Grey and Mint Julep

I really love how it came out.

This pic is not the greatest but the only one I have at this point in the process. My lighting wasn't right but bare with me...you will see where I am going with this :)

Now to really get my chalkboard happy.

I got a piece of corrugated cardboard and cut it to fit on the bottom of the chalkboard. I put a base coat of Gesso.

Then painted the Trolley Grey over that after it dried.

I glued this to the bottom ledge of the chalkboard. Then I broke up a piece of chalk I had and glued that down to the tray.

Next I wrote on the chalkboard with a White Uniball Signo pen. This statement I wrote on the chalkboard is very important to me....Kids need art, and music...We all do!!!!

Ok so now on to the bottom of the box. I did a google search for vintage art and school supplies. Found some awesome stuff...cut them up...and applied them to the bottom of the box using a gel medium. I LOVE how it came out.

I then added some more things to the chalkboard using rub ons and a cut out of an old chalk box. Then wrote the homework assignment...ART HOMEWORK DUE DAILY!!!!

I hope this project inspires you to go make something cool for Back to School. Ill be keeping this full of art supplies and at the ready.

Have a FaBuLoUs Day!!!