Artist Trading Block Favourites

Hello Friends

I apologise for my long absence and lack of visits, hopefully by early next month

I will be be in a better position to rectify that, I hope you will bear with me....

This month at Art With Heart we are not having a challenge (and things are being changed up for future months).  Eileen Hull has released some fabulous new products at CHA (like the cantilever sewing box I featured here and here) and Eileen has also re-released some all time favourite dies.  One of these is the large Artist Trading Block (ATB) die (Szzix 658983) which is my personal favourite.  The Design Team are showcasing these re-released dies during this month. 

First up is my Artist Trading Block Storage Cabinet, details of which can be found here.  I used some fabulous G45 papers to cover the cabinet.  This shows how versatile the ATB die is, you can create 3D projects with it.

Next is my Valentine Heart Box, details can be found here.  This was the first ATB I ever made and DH still has it out on show to this day.

My next choice is my Circus themed ATB using Tim Holtz's Big Top Circus stamp set (details here).

Another favourite is an Andy Skinner inspired ATB, made using DecoArt products and Andy's Faux Letterpress Technique (details here)

My final choice is a project made for our lovely DT member Anna-Karin, we held a virtual baby shower for her, following the birth of her beautiful baby Leo (details here)

I hope you can see how wonderfully versatile the Artist Trading Block (ATB) die is.  I have made houses with it - and even a steam train, it is such a fun die to use.

Edited:  I have had some very exciting news.  Thanks to Eileen Hull and Jo Packham of 'Where Women Create'  I have had four pieces published in Sizzix's newest book release 'Make it a Party'.  I am so thrilled and honoured, it is a beautiful book and wonderfully illustrated and it is my first time ever being published!!

Thanks for looking, take care and I hope to see you soon!

Hugs, Anne xx

Anything But Cute - Challenge #3 - Summer Romance

Hi Everyone

I would like to firstly apologise if I have not visited your blog during this last week, we are away at the moment, internet connections are poor and I really wanted to spend some quality time with family so I have been away from the keyboard!  Normal service will resume tomorrow!

Over at Anything But Cute Challenge Blog the theme for this month is Summer Romance with a romantic and or beach/sea theme, and as many of you know I love anything sea themed so I just had to join in.  There is a mood board for inspiration:

A while back a lovely young blog friend sent me some fabulous seaside Prima goodies and I have been saving them to make something special and they fitted right in with this challenge.

I used a 5" x 5" deep canvas as my base and after covering it with gesso I applied some DecoArt Media Texture Sand Paste which I had coloured with some DecoArt Cobalt Teal Hue
Media Fluid Paint.  

I applied quite a thick coat of the paste and ran my finger across to create the illusion of moving water (well in my mind that is what I intended!).  I added some coloured sand to a line across the bottom and also painted some DecoArt Titan Buff Media Fluid to a another line to represent sand.  It does not show in the photo but the coloured sand has a real 'sparkle' to it.

I gathered together all the bits and pieces that I wanted to add to the canvas, the beautiful Prima resin pieces (which I gently coloured with more DecoArt paints in the colours shown on the mood board), some Tim Holtz leaves from the Pinecone die set and some spools for feet.  These were coloured in the DecoArt Cobalt Teal Hue Media Fluid mixed with some Titan White Media Fluid Acrylic to tone the colour down slightly.

The finished canvas again, I added some of my beloved seed beads for water bubbles and some strands of twisted card 'reeds' for the seahorse to cling too.  The Tim Holtz Discoveries word band is attached with some bakers twine.

I am entering this into Anything But Cute - Challenge #3 - Summer Romance Challenge.

Thanks for looking, I hope to catch up with you all very soon.

Hugs, Anne xxx

Mixed Media May-hem with DecoArt Media

Welcome all my lovely blog friends, thanks so much for your visit.  I am actually away from my computer for a couple of weeks, so I apologise in advance if I don't comment on your posts, I will do my best to catch up once I am online again.  I have a couple of scheduled posts set up, of which this is one - I wouldn't want you to forget me entirely!!

We are all having great fun over at Eileen Hull's Art With Heart Challenge - which this month is:

Mixed Media May-hem with DecoArt Media

We are so fortunate as a design team to have received some fabulous products from DecoArt to use and what amazing products they are (my own personal opinion).  I am also proud to be a member of the DecoArt Blogger Outreach Program (details on my sidebar).

If you saw my last post you will know how much I love seahorses and all things to do with water and the sea/ocean so I am following along on that theme and I have used Eileen's fantastic Artist Trading Block die to create a treasure chest which, in my rather vivid imagination, was brought up from the depths of the ocean....

It is hard even for me to believe now, that this started out as plain cream coloured mat board  (mount board in the UK), as you can see below!

I cut two of the large Artist Trading Blocks (ATBs) from die No. 658984, using the largest ATB on the die  (2.1/2" square) and I joined the two together to make a rectangular shape.

For the top part I cut the same two ATBs again but cut them down height-wise and added a semi circle of card to each end to form the rounded section of the lid.  Some plain card was then scored at 1/4" intervals to form the 'wooden' elements of the chest.  I painted this with Quinacridone Gold Media Fluid and whilst still wet, I added a coat of Burnt Umber Media Fluid (I wanted a random appearance).  I did not take a photo of the next step (I got carried away!) but I added some black and gold Ultra Thick Embossing Crystals to the wet paint, to give a rough texture effect, painted here and there with Paynes Grey and Cobalt Teal to give an 'aged' appearance.

To finish off I then covered the piece completely with Andy Skinner's Dirty Wash recipe (70% Quinacridone Gold, 30% Paynes Grey mixed with Media Ultra Matte Varnish to make a glaze).

For the metal effect edges to the chest I cut some 1/2" strips of card, scored down the middle and painted these with Metallic Silver Media Fluid and then pounced on some Quinacridone Gold, Carbon Black, Cobalt Teal and Paynes Grey Media Fluids.

I gave the metal hinges (Tim Holtz) the same metal colour wash.

The lock at the front and the chain got the same 'metal' paint treatment.  You can see some of the texture in the wood in the pictures above and below.

A close-up of the lock and the 'netting' I added.  The netting (gauze) was sprayed with many different colours of the Media Fluid paints which I watered down and put in spritzer bottles to randomly spray the gauze.  You only need the tiniest amount to make up a spray and the colours stay true.

Apologies for the long post but I know that some of you like to see the detail.  Please do consider joining in Eileen's challenge HERE, it would be lovely to see you there - I cannot describe to you how much fun it is to use these DecoArt Media Fluid products!!

Chest : DecoArt Media Fluid : Quinacridone Gold, Burnt Umber, Paynes Grey, Metallic Silver, Cobalt Teal, Carbon Black

Faux Metal:  Metallic Silver, Quinacridone Gold, Cobalt Teal, Media Ultra Matte Varnish

Netting/Gauze : Cobalt Teal, Pyrrole Red, Green Gold, Quinacridone Red, Burnt Umber

Thanks for looking, I have another scheduled post in a few days with my latest Tim tag, I hope you will join me then.  Hugs, Anne xx

Art With Heart - Love Grows Here

I am loving using my Eileen Hull dies and this one is no exception.  My creation for Art With Heart this month features Eileen's Window Box die.  If you join in the 'Projects to Love' challenge this month you could win one of Eileen's fabulous cookie box dies.  See here for more details.

Since we are still in the month of love, I created a love themed window box card for some family members who are moving house soon.  I used my new DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics, which are just fantastic.  If you want to see more of the paints and how to use them, just visit DecoArt's Mixed Media Blog for more information.

The wall at the back is created using Wendy Vecchi's wall stencil and DecoArt's Media Texture Sand Paste.  Once this was dry I spritzed it with some watered down DecoArt Quinacridone Red, mixed with a little Quinacridone Gold.  The bricks have a wonderful textured feel to them and they look amazingly realistic.

The window frame and window box were given a coat of DecoArt Titanium White and once dry I applied some Weathered Wood Crackle Medium and finally a coat of Titan Buff Medium Fluid Acrylic.  Once dry I went over the whole area with Raw Umber Antiquing Cream.  The beauty of the cream is that it can be rubbed gently into the cracks and edges but until it is sealed (with All Purpose Sealer) it can be easily removed or just placed here and there to give an aged appearance.

The heart flowers were created by punching out three hearts for each flower, these were scored down the middle and placed back to back and then glued to the stems (also part of Eileen's window box die).  The words were stamped with a small alphabet stamp from my stash.

The curtains were created using Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements fabric and some lace from my stash.  Behind the window I added some of Tim's Wallflower paper to give the impression of wallpaper.

There is still plenty of time to enter Eileen's 'Projects to Love' Challenge and it would be lovely to see you there.

Thanks so much for looking, I hope to see you again soon.  Hugs, Anne xx