Summer of Color 5 Begins this Week

Summer of Color 5 - Color By Number begins this week. I have participated the last two years and have had so much fun.  This is truly a mixed media event. Last year there were people who did sewing, embroidery, canvases, art journals and much more. It was very cool to see the same colors used in so many different mediums. This is also an event that many people do with there children.                                                                                                                                       There are Giveaways each week and the whole event is free.  Be sure to check out Kristen's Blog Twinkle, Twinkle .                                                         

In honor of Summer of Color 5, I decided to post this very colorful page I did in my art journal. I think I used every color of the rainbow.  The flowers are cut using a Sizzix die and old encyclopedia pages painted with inexpensive craft paint.  The background is a stamp from Club Stamp and Archival ink. The centers of the flowers are done with glitter clue.

I really encourage you to participate in Summer of Color.  I have been a crafter in many years so I have a lot of different supplies. I am thinking many of you may also have a lot of things you haven't used.  Why don't you give Summer of Color a try? You could use some of your stash!

Summer of Color 5, Paint Party Friday, Mixed Media Monthly Challenge

Don't Toss That Page You Hate

I made permanent spray ink using Dr. Martin's India Ink.  I'm not so great with spray ink yet so mine ended up going under the stencil. I think I was too close to the paper. This technique seems to be a learning curve. The orange swirl in the top right corner of first picture is my best spray. 

Next I added the three ladies using homemade stencils my friend Lori made me. I wanted to make the girl on the left darker and that is where things went down hill. I used a paint marker and made a mess of her.  Her head looks like a dog with one ear in the top right photo. I thought the page was ruined.

Instead of being upset, I got up and walked away from the piece until this morning.  I decide I could paint over the whole thing with gesso or just play with texture and paint. I did paint over part of it and then I wiped the gesso away. I began adding pieces of drywall tape to give it texture. Then I began to finger paint.  I painted circles using several different kinds of paint: craft paint, student grade acrylic, Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylic as well as Liquitex fluid acrylics.  Finally I added white gesso circles and black craft paint circles. 

I intentionally took pictures of this piece when I was unhappy with it because I often hear new art journalers complain about pieces they hate. I wanted to show that if you keep working at a piece it's very possible to end up with something that makes you happy.  I really like how my page ended up looking.  It's busier and different that most of my work and I think that is what I like about it.  If I'm not careful all my pages will look the same because I tend to work in the ways that make me most comfortable. This piece made me stretch.

I'm very glad I made the choice not to rip this page out of my altered journal.

Link to:   Artist Play Room, Creative Every Day