The Groove Makes Mixed Media a Breeze

The Groove Tool by ArtC makes mixed media super easy.  I'll show you how to create this pallet piece with some of ArtC's goodies.  Let's jump right in.

 

Step 1: Get a mini wood pallet from ArtC and brush a base coat of paint on.  I'm using ArtC's Gel Stain/Blue.

 

Step 2: ArtC has lots of different type of collage kits.  This is the Ephemera Collage kit and I'm using the book page. 

 

Rip the page up into pieces and glue down onto the pallet. 

 

 

Step 3: Paint over the entire surface of the palette with gesso.  Don't worry with the help of the Groove Tool we'll see that blue again.

 

 

Step 4: Brush green distress ink over the surface and move the ink with water if needed. 

 

Step 5: using the Groove tool from ArtC and the sanding attachment start working the surface to get the blue paint to show through in areas.  This is going to give a great distress base.

 

Step 6: stamp randomly over the surface with a stamp set of your choice. 

 

Step 7: using your finger or a paint brush, or even both...rub areas of the pallet with the blue gel stain. 

 

Step 8: ArtC has some wonderful stencils with adhesives and this is one that I thought flowed perfect with the piece.  I mixed some Whipped Spackle with the gold metallic paint from ArtC and then randomly apply over the stencil and let dry.  You can hurry the drying along with a heat gun but know it will bubble your pattern.  I personally like the bubbled effect but just so you know. 

 

Step 9: Using the ArtC chestnut gel stain rub into the edges and around the stenciled areas blending the paint and having it heavier in some places and lighter in others. 

 

Step 10: Add more paper pieces and then use a baby wipe dap the chestnut stain in areas of the pallet.  

 

Step 11: take a black fine writer pen and line around the edges of the torn paper.

 

Step 12: add some of the diecuts from various collage kits, here I added the butterfly and some of the doilies.  Once they are glued down take the brush attachement for the groove tool and highlight with the chestnut gel stain.  

 

Work with the piece until you are happy.  Add more diecuts, paints, flowers and/or layers as desired. 

 

Here is the finished piece and some detailed shots. 

 

 

 

 

Be sure to stop by Momento:ArtC for all of these products that help create this project. 

 

Adhesive Stencils

Gel Stain: Blue

Gel Stain: Chestnut

Metallic Paint: Gold

Botanical Collage Kits

Ephemera Collage Kits

Groove Tool

Surface Pallet

Warm Coffee and Heartfelt Creations

 

 This adorable shaped card was creating using the latest collection from Heartfelt Creations...Coffee Talk.  I had to gussy it up with some handmade flowers, sparkle and gold and now it's fit for princess, LOL.  Want to see how I created this card or more samples from the Coffee Talk collection?  Go to Heartfelt Creations blog and you can see all the details. 

 

 

 

Healing My Spirit

As many of you know this has been a very difficult year for me.  I lost my oldest son ( Will) who was 14 the end of July.  I've always been a strong Christian who knows that God will hold me up through anything...I must admit, the last few months I've really been tested.  There are days that I wake up and question everything that I've believed in my whole life, but I always come back to a yearning to be close to God especially during this time of complete heartbreak.  I don't normally share posts that are quite so personal but I really feel I need to share the joys and the sorrows that go along with this journey I'm on, in hopes that perhaps someone is out there and can relate. 

One thing I have started doing is Bible Journaling and it has really helped me to express myself with my art while I concentrate on something I feel the Lord is trying to reveal to me.  It's a special quiet time that I am really coming to love.  In fact I've gotten several of my close girlfriends together and  we are starting a Bible Journaling group that will meet after the new year...I can't wait. 

This is one of my first pieces I created in my Bible using Jamie Dougherty's Creating in Faith line by Prima.  The blue speckles are all the tears I feel I've shed over the last four months.  I'm waiting on the Lord to turn those tears into showers of praise and I know by faith that he will heal my spirit. My son was wonderfully made, he was exactly the way God wanted him to be and also he left this world at exactly in God's perfect time...but that doesn't mean I don't long for him daily.  I hope the things that I've gone through will somehow be a witness to Gods unfailing love and will bless me as well as others.  So for now I'll be quite and still and wait upon the Lord while I focus on my gifts.