Seasonal Canvas | Spring

12 Monday May 2014

Posted by Sara in Canvas, Classes, Mixed Media

Tags

Class, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, mixed media canvas, Silks by Luminarte, The Crafter's Workshop

This week I’m teaching the second of my Seasonal Canvas Classes. I’ve already gotten Winter behind me (in canvas anyway, the weather here is another story!) and we’ll be making the Spring one Thursday night.

Isn’t is fun? I love the fun colours in the kite and, although I am definitely no sketch artist, I’m happy with my little girl silhouette. That being said, she does have what Molly called, “Crazy, wild hair!

And look at that texture! The stencils I used both happened to be by Balzer Designs for The Crafter’s Workshop and the dimension they add to a canvas is awesome!

We’re using our regular deep-edge 6×6 canvas – love these!

I think one of my favourite things about this class is that you can do all four classes and have a full set or just do one and still have a great decor piece for your home! There’s still a spot or two left so if you’re local and want to forget about all that ice we have here today, call The Paperie to sign up and join us.

P.S. I also know that you wouldn’t fly a kite by holding the tail but it’s my canvas and I can do what I want! Artistic licence, right? 😉

She’s a Crazy Angel…

12 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by Sara in Art Journal, Mixed Media

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Art Journal, Dyan Reaveley, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Luminarte, Splash of Color, The Crafter's Workshop

This is the latest Art Journal page I’ve been working on – lots of shimmer as I continue my ~~obsession~~ love affair with Luminarte products.

For my angel’s background I painted several colours of Silks and slightly blended them. I wasn’t sure where I was going with it but now it looks like an ocean to me – and I love her floating in it! I have to go back and do some more blending of the colours, make the transitions more seamless between the colours.

Once that dried, I pressed InkaGold and Perfect Medium through some stencils, pressed down the negatives, then dusted Perfect Pearls powder over the medium. My love of shimmer crosses manufacturer lines, I don’t mind cheating a little!

Finally,I stamped one of the Dyan Reaveley girls on vintage book pages and fussy cut it all out, along with some wings. She got painted in with more Silks, though I used Twinkling H2O’s for her crazy hair – love her eyes and blue they turned out! And I really love the gold shimmer in the orange Twinks!

Lots more left to do with this page, but I’m loving it’s beginning!

What have you been working on lately? Any fun shimmery things? 🙂

Be BOLD.

27 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by Sara in Art Journal, Mixed Media

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Art Journal, Dina Wakley, Donna Downey, Dylusions, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Mixed media, The Crafter's Workshop, Unity Stamp Co.

As soon as The Paperie received the Sally Carly stencils by Dina Wakley for The Crafter’s Workshop, I had to give them a test run – along with the Tiny Circles and Pie Chart stencils designed by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and Ronda Palazzari, and a couple of Dylusions ones too.

To begin, I re-enforced my journal seam with gold chevron washi tape and I love, love, love how it resisted the mist on the gold parts! That was completely unexpected because I just grabbed the first washi tape at hand and stuck it on – awesome surprise!

I used both the positive and negative pieces of the stencil to get different layers of colour with Dylusions Ink Sprays and black gesso. I also did a lot of outlining with my white Uniball Signo Gel Pen, some stamping in black archival ink, and layers of white gesso, Inka Gold, and shimmer mist through the other stencils.

I love how all the layers turned out , especially the Tiny Circles on the head of the first girl:

And the Perfect Pearls Mist through a Dylusions stencil on the second:

Finally, I added Donna Downey phrases from her Art & Possibility set, available through Unity Stamp Co. This may be my new favourite stamp set – the sentiments are fabulous!

All in all, I’m pretty happy with the results – and I really love all the stencils and media that came into play!

What fun things have you done this week? Link me up in the comments – I’d love to see it!

Things on Thursday…

28 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by Sara in Things on Thursday...

≈ 8 Comments

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Classes, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Nathalie Kalbach, Things on Thursday, Wilna Furstenberg

1. It’s my birthday!!!!!

2. I’m on a class frenzy today. I’m watching the videos for this one…

3. Just purchased this one that starts tomorrow…

4. And am about to buy this one too!

5. Because it’s my birthday and I can do what I want! 🙂

Happy birthday (or unbirthday) to all of you too!

Things on Thursday

04 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by Sara in Techniques, Things on Thursday..., Tutorials

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Aussie Scrap Source, Hero Arts, Jennifer McGuire, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Paperie, Ranger, Shari Carroll, The Collins Rep Group

1. As you’re reading this I”m flying to Orlando! Yay! I’m headed off for four days of classes and workshop with the best in the industry at the Collins Rep show. I’m excited – the show in Houston last year was fabulous so I know what to anticipate this year and it makes me even more eager to be there!

2. Aussie Scrap Source has a great tutorial on altering pictures with paint. I definitely have to try out the first technique, the sample looks amazing!

credit: Aussie Scrap Source

3. I love this card by Shari Carroll. It looks fabulous and is so easy! I took a Hero Arts class from her in Houston last year and she and Jennifer McGuire were amazing! Unfortunately, neither are there this year but I’m sure the HA teachers will live up to my expectations!

credit: Shari Carroll

4. Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is up to her creative genius again! She has an awesome tutorial on how to make your own vellum leaves – a must try!

5. There’s a few videos here on the new Ranger Metallic Distress Stains. I don’t think I need to tell you that I’m excited to be trying those this weekend with Tim Holtz! 🙂

credit: Ranger

I’ll be away from blog land until late next week but look for a full post then about the Collins Rep Show!

Things on Thursday

27 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by Sara in Things on Thursday...

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

2012 Yearlong Album, Cocoa Daisy, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Maya Road, Pie chart, Scrapbook & Cards Today

1. I am so excited for this December kit from Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and Cocoa Daisy, as I mentioned last week. This week, there’s been an exciting update – they have posted a sneak peek and I can pre-order it! And there’s an exclusive stamp and stencil set designed by Julie! Yay!

credit: Cocoa Daisy

2. Right now pie charts are a huge trend in scrapbooking and Scrapbook and Cards Today have an awesome tutorial by Nicole Nowosad on their blog showing how to make one. Definitely worth checking out!

credit: Nicole Nowosad and Scrapbooks & Cards Today

3. Speaking of pie charts, Cathie is teaching a class at The Paperie tonight and the focus is how to make and use pie charts and starbursts on your LO’s – this is going to be a fabulous class and I can’t wait to go!

credit: Cathie Reed

4. Maya Road is a company that has some super fun stuff, including coloured zippers. Now why, you might ask, would I want a bunch of coloured zippers in my stash? Watch this video by Ronda Palazzari and you’ll find out!

credit: Ronda Palazzari and Maya Road

5. I’ve been working on my next installment for the Yearlong Album 2012 – we’ll be doing October this week – and here’s a peek!

Hope to see some of you at class this evening!

Things on Thursday

20 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by Sara in Things on Thursday...

≈ 4 Comments

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Christy Tomlinson, Cocoa Daisy, Dina Wakley, Elise Blaha Cripe, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, October Afternoon, sketch

1. I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a huge fan of sketches, I just don’t find they work for me though I know a lot of people absolutely love them. That being said, this one from October Afternoon totally inspired me and I can’t wait to make a LO from it!

sketch credit: October Afternoon

2. I love Dina Wakley‘s art. And this page is awesome.

art and photo credit: Dina Wakley

3. I’m stoked to see this kit. I’m a huge fan of Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and she has designed an exclusive stamp and stencil for this – I. Can’t. Wait.

credit: Cocoa Daisy and Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

4. Elise Blaha Cripe is a super fun and talented blogger who designs stamps (along with doing a bunch of other things!) which she sells through her online stamp shop. There are so many I want but the “today is” stamp is on the top of my list. Sooooo many things I can add in that blank space!

stamp design and photo credit: Elise Blaha Cripe

5. By now, you should know of my love for Christy Tomlinson and the She Art workshops I’m taking online. She’s so much fun to listen to and watch and she now has all the free videos from her blog in one spot! These are worth the time to watch, trust me!

If you’re in the capital city area of NL, I hope you’re joining me at The Paperie tomorrow for crop night! Make sure you call them and sign up – always fabulous times!

Something New…

30 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by Sara in Art Journal, Week in the Life 2012

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Ali Edwards, Art Journal, Dyan Reaveley, Dylusion, Gesso, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Mixed media, Ranger, The Crafter's Workshop, Tim Holtz

I’m going to try my hand at Art Journaling. Not anything personal, like a daily, write your thoughts, dreams, wishes, type of art journal, just one where I get to play!

And I’m a lucky girl because I have two friends, Cathie and Tina, who are doing this with me (though they already art journal, I’m the newbie!) If we’re super lucky, we’ll actually get together once a month too!

Here are the things I have to begin my Play Art Journal:

1. A mixed media album and some watercolour paper:

The album had the most heinous cover ever so that got gessoed and moulding pasted over immediately. It already looks better! Love the dimension, can’t wait to see what happens when I get around to adding colour:

2. The Crafter’s Workshop Stencils:

These are the Dylusions by Dyan Reavely – I’ll get more of these for sure! I love the patterns, the size, and that they come with a border too!

And these ones are mostly Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. Great designs, I have new ones of these already on the way!

3. Paint, Stain, Mist:

These are super cheap watercolour paints and I have some big plans for them! Also, aren’t they pretty! 🙂

I have a bunch of Claudine Hellmuth’s Studio Paints, all the Adirondack ColorWash and Dylusions Ink Sprays, Distress Stains and Inks, and more. These are going to be fun!

4. Gesso, Moulding Pastes (my friend Marg gave me a couple to try out that are amazing!), and Multi Medium.

5. Stamps:

I think my faves are going to be the Tim Holtz and Dylusions from Stamper’s Anonymous, but I have some Ali Edwards ones that I know will make their way in too. And there are some Dylusions stamps with people that are going to have to be mine very soon!

6. I also have the basics – a water mister, paint brushes, Archival Ink (need more colours there too!).

To help me along my way, a few of us are doing ICAD through Daisy Yellow. This is where you make one Index Card A Day – it can be written on , or painted, or gessoed, or whatever you want. The point is to do one a day. I see this as a great place and media on which to experiment!

In the past, I have only done one thing that has mixed media stuff going on – at The Paperie Retreat in May, I had fun with my Week in the Life album:

front cover

back cover

Yes, I know I haven’t posted the album yet, that’s because it’s not quite done. Almost though, and I will post it then, promise!

Want to join in the fun? I’m planning to post my Art Journal stuff on Wednesdays, once I actually start and I’d love to see your stuff too! Even join me for ICAD, it’s easy and anyone can do it, even if you only want to doodle everyday!

See you all tomorrow, maybe with a colourful Art Journal cover in tow! 😉 And if anyone has some suggestions for this new adventure or links I should check out, please let me know!