Mixed Media fun with Graphic 45 and Faber-Castell!

Wow, it's two months into my design team term with Graphic 45 and I just can't tell you how much fun I've been having!!  My studio is literally overflowing with Graphic 45 goodness!!I told my husband he needed to move out of his office so I could cut a doorway and take it over as I need more room.  :-)  You know, he didn't like that idea!

In addition to creating some things with the 3 brand new collections and 2 new deluxe collector's editions, the DT has had a chance to join up with Faber-Castell for a blog hop going on all this week!  I loved using their products to create a canvas.

To create my canvas, I first covered the entire canvas with Faber-Castell gelato colors that coordinated with the Artisan Style design paper.  That was a much brighter look than I wanted so I painted over the background with a light coat of white gesso.  I used a paper towel to lightly remove some of the gesso so that some of the gelato color would show through.  Next, I used a stencil and Faber-Castell's Whipped Spackle to add texture to the background. ( I loved how easy it was to apply the spackle smoothly!)

After fussy cutting the peacocks and flowers from the Artisan Style 12 x 12 title page and elements from some of the Ephemera cards, I began creating a collage using Faber-Castell's Gel Medium both as a glue and sealant.  To get a really good seal and bubble free image, I apply the medium both to the canvas and to the fussy cut images as I glue them down.   Then I brush gel medium over each image as I glue it down, and use a rub on tool to smooth out the image and get rid of any bubbles that may have formed.

Once I was happy with the collaged scene I created, I used a water brush and added a little more gelato color here and there on the canvas.  I allowed that to dry and then put a final coat of gel medium over the entire canvas to seal it.

Here's a look at the products I used on my canvas.  Be sure to stop by the Graphic 45 and Faber-Castell blogs to see all the fabulous projects created by our design teams and leave a comment for a chance to win some great products!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Artisan Style Collection:

Artisan Style (12 x 12)  4501104

Ephemera Cards 4501118

Stickers 4501117

Decorative Chipboard 4501116

Faber-Castell supplies:

Gelatos - 15 pc Metallics

Gelatos - SteamPunk Mix & Match Colors

Black, green, blue gelatos

PITT artist pen, big brush

Gel Medium

Whipped Spackle

Other:

Prima Stencil mini flora

White gesso

Thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate your visits and comments.

Creative Embellishments teams with Stuck?! Sketches

Creative Embellishments is sponsoring Stuck?! Sketches this month with a great prize package!  AND, our design team is guest designing for them with this awesome sketch from their July 15th challenge.  Be sure to head over to their blog and check out all the great examples.

Here’s my take on Stuck?! Sketches.  I used Blue Fern Studio's Love Story collection, added masking on the background and lots of mists to add color here and there.  I used a couple of different foliage chippies and some wood veneer leaves to add to the beauty of my Petaloo flowers.

I colored the chipboard pieces by first painting with white gesso.  Then I sprayed them with Goosebumps, painted with Silks olive green and then a final misting with Lindy’s Ponderosa Pines Olive.  The wood veneer leaves I painted with Silks olive green and then just a touch of Lindy’s Autumn Maple Crimson on the ends.

 

I’ve used the Leafy Corner Flourish Set chipboard underneath the flowers in the corners.

I also used Frond Set 1 chipboard and wood veneer Fall Leaves set of 16.

Be sure to stop by the Creative Embellishments store to get the pieces I’ve used on my layout.  There are so many great pieces to choose from so be sure to look around.

Leafy Corner Flourish Set

Frond Set 1

Fall Leaves (set of 16)

And remember that we have a inspiration photo challenge every month and there’s always a prize awarded to one lucky person!!  wooo hoo!  The challenge is posted on the first of each month so be sure to check it out.  It’s a great way to win some of our great products!

Thanks for visiting with us today, hope you day is extra special!

Graphic 45 Steampunk Spells is back!

Woo hoo!!!!  I know so many G45ers have been wishing that Steampunk
Debutante would be released again and hey ya'll, your wishes have come true!!  Steampunk Debutante has been packaged as a special Deluxe Collector's Edition.

It would be hard for me to tell you how exciting my short time on the G45 design team has been, but just imagine getting a package with papers from the three new releases plus Steampunk Debutante and Botanicabella before anyone else even knows what the new releases are.  Of course it was a mad creative rush to get some things ready for the sneak peeks and the CHA Paper Arts show coming up, but oh what fun!

I'm up on the Graphic 45 blog today with Steampunk Debutante using a Graphic 45  Staples Window Shadow Box.  I really love this window shadow box, it's so fun because it's see thru.  Be sure to visit the G45 blog today and see what's in the new collector's edition and see some other peeks too.

Supply List

Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante Deluxe Collector's Edition 
Steampunk Debutante
Fantasy Floral
Nouveau Artistry
Victorian Transformers
Time Flies
Time Warp
Graphic 45 Staples Window Shadow Box- black
Graphic 45 Claw Feet
Graphic 45 Ornate Metal Keys

Other Supplies:
Petaloo Botanica Blooms - teal
Petaloo Botanica Minis - teal
Petaloo Botanica Ephemera - teal
Tim Holtz idea-ology Corked Domes
Tim Holtz idea-ology Corked Vials
Creative Embellishments Gear Set 2
Stampendous aged spice embossing enamel
Miscellaneous small metal pieces - unknown mfg.
Liquitex Matte Medium

Creative Embellishments has some really awesome Steampunk chipboard pieces that you just might need for your Steampunk projects. Check them out here.
Thanks so much for stopping by today,  I'll be sharing some of my other projects with the new releases soon, so I hope you'll have a chance to stop by!

Graphic 45 Rare Oddities!

Graphic 45's Rare Oddities is in stores now!  It's a great collection for Halloween projects with its warm fall colors, BUT it's so much more than that.  It has so many fun images that you can use for eclectic projects as well as all things spooky!  I'm on the G45 blog today along with Robin Shakoor.  Check it out!

On this layout I've combined several layers of the gorgeous patterned papers from the new Rare Oddities collection and just a little bit of cardstock. The very bottom layer is black cardstock, so it serves as a frame as I find a simple border like this tends to hold the layout together and give it a finished look. One way to make your layers look really great together is to chose contrasting colors as you build your layers. Notice how I've started with the plaid background paper and then added a simple patterned green. Then I've chosen the contrasting orange to layer over the green. Both the green and orange are colors present in the plaid paper but they really stand out from each other because they contrast so nicely. Then to make my photo pop, I've added a black print layer and matted my photo with black cardstock.

When it comes to embellishments, the design rule is use an odd number. Generally, odd numbers of anything looks better. If you look at my layout you will see 5 embellishment clusters - clockwise: the owl, chipboard, bottles, skull and journaling chipboard. Next time you are putting together a layout, experiment with an odd number of embellishments vs. an even number.

I put together a Snapguide  tutorial for you.

Check out How to Build a Layout- G45 Rare Oddities by Maggi HARDING on Snapguide.

I just bet that you'll find this collection fun fun fun!!  Thanks for stopping by.

Swirlydoos Kit Club June kit, Boys Night Out, reveal.

Hello all you savages out there! I'm so happy to share with you my creations with the June kit, Boys Night Out,  and a video tutorial of a tag I made for our July tag challenge.

Here's my tag that I made with parts from the main kit, tech kit, mediums kit and the flowers kit and  a few things from my stash.  You can see a complete supply list in the video or in the tag challenge.

.  Have a look at my tutorial and make a tag and enter it in our July tag challenge.

 This kit is really versatile, you can go "manly" or feminine and I did both!  This first layout is on the "manly" side with a photo of our grandson.   I added the burlap from my stash and masked on some drips and drabs to sort of mimic the background of the Kaisercraft paper that I used for my base.

 I made the paper rosettes from kit paper and sprayed heavily with Prima's Empress Gold mist from the Mediums Kit and then added some touches of teal paint.

  The Creative Embellishments chipboard birthday banner is from my stash.  I simply misted it with the Prima mist (Empress Gold) that came in the Mediums Kit.  That mist has really intense coverage, love it!

Next I explored the more feminine side of the kit with this layout of my parents. I used a Creative Embellishments chipboard frame and flourishes from my stash and some tiny roses; everything else is from the main kit and Signature Flower Kit.  The frame is heat embossed with Stampendous aged ivory embossing enamel.  I sprayed some Prima Empress Gold mist on my craft mat and painted the edges of the flowers a bit with it.

The vines are misted with Lindy's Mission Bell Brown (from my stash) and then touched with a little Prima Empress Gold that came in the Mediums Kit.

I used the June sketch for this next layout.  Our monthly kits always include a fabulous sketch!

Here I've done a heritage LO of my grandparents using the above sketch.  I don't know how to do minimal so I added lots to the background!  The pretty gold lace is from my stash (Thank you Kathi!) as are the Creative Embellishments chipboard pieces.  The background masking was done with the mask in this month's Mediums Kit and Prima Texture Paste that we got at camp.  I also applied some Prima mist and Bo Bunny Glitter Paste also from the Mediums Kit.

  I used the Thermoweb iCraft Deco Foil from the Technique Kit to cover the Creative Embellishment chipboard pieces from my stash. It really makes a pretty embellishment.   You can see how I used the deco foil in my video above.

The flowers are from the Signature Flower kit and I bought the vine in the Swirlydoos boutique.  I cut the vine apart and layered it under my blooms.  

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! If you are not a Swirlydoos Kit Club subscriber, please consider it so that you never miss any of our beautifully coordinated kits. Please visit Swirlydoos Kit Club and click on Join Our Club on the left side bar. Be sure to mention my name, Maggi, when you subscribe because you will receive a 10% discount on your first kit AND a coupon for 30% off an entire purchase in the Swirlydoos store. Your Swirlydoos store purchases are always shipped free when shipped along with your monthly kit. Swirlydoos also maintains a Forum where everyone can share their work, tell stories and have a ton of fun! We have monthly challenges too so please come and join us!

Tablescape with Graphic 45

Do you need a quick tablescape idea for July 4th?  I'm up on the Graphic 45 blog today with this quick little project that you can put together in no time.  Ginny Nimchak also has a great centerpiece for you so be sure to stop by the Graphic 45 blog today and check it out!

The napkin rings are simply 6 x 3" punched strips of paper glued together from Graphic 45's Home Sweet Home collection and embellished with a quick homemade flower and button.  Then I've wrapped more of the design paper around a tin milk jug, added a punched contrasting strip around the middle along with a Home Sweet Home tag.  I made a pretty "platform" for my jug by layering a 12" doily over a 12 x 12" sheet of design paper.  Red poppies complete the look and I'm all ready for a fun July 4th get-together!

Now I have a little secret, I LOVE that tin milk jug and I love to use it for many occasions, sooooo, I glued the paper to itself rather than the jug.  That way I can remove the paper and easily change the look of my jug and incorporate it into different decorating schemes. 

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a fun and safe 4th fof July weekend.  

Creative Embellishments and Sketchibilities teaming up!

There's a new challenge up on the Creative Embellishments blog for July!   We've teamed up with Sketchibilities this month as sponsors and guest designers and of course used their sketch.  Come join the challenge and you'll have a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the Creative Embellishments store.  Here's the inspiration photo for our challenge.  You can read all the good stuff and rules on our blog so please, check it out!

 I followed the Sketchibilities sketch fairly closely and just tailored it to work with my photo.  My inspiration from the photo was the vintage dark appearance and the fence.  I've used Graphic 45's Deluxe Collector's Edition ABC Primer for my layout.  It's vintage colors is perfect for this old photo taken circa 1939.   For the twist I used wood for the fence and two  small Creative Embellishment laser cut wood school buses that I left their natural color.  These come is a set of 3 and they are just so cute!  I also used a larger chipboard school bus from the set of two.  First I inked it and then covered with crackle accents to give it a really vintage appearance.

Wood veneer laser cut school bus.

The large school bus is chipboard and the smaller one is wood veneer.

Chipboard School Bus Front

Wood veneer School Bus (set of 3)

Thanks for visiting today!  Don't forget to join in our challenge to have a chance to win a $50 gift certificate from the Creative Embellishments store.