Sunday, June 26, 2016

Listen to Your Art

Hello crafty friends and visitors! I had a little mixed media fun in my closet today with a couple of special challenges in mind. Here is my over sized tag using a "practice" journal page torn from my art journal. I ended up not using it for the intended purpose, but thought it was a great start for this tag. Rule #1-NEVER throw anything out! It may just be your next "masterpiece"!



My original project was going to have a sun on it, but I changed my mind and tore out the journal page. Here's how it started as a different project: For the background I gave my card a coat of gesso then spritzed with Dylusions blue sprays while still damp. I immediately spritzed with alcohol and splashed with some water droplets. I let this dry. Next I laid down some texture paste through a Tim Holtz Speckles stencil laid over his Rays stencil. Not at all part of my design plan for this tag, but it gave lots of texture and most would be covered anyway.

This is where I start with the plan for this tag: I chose a few blue guache colors and watered them down. I applied them to the dried tag and spritzed with water to move the color around. I flicked more alcohol and water at it for visual texture and allowed it to all dry.  Watercolor used to be my favorite art medium, but I'm quickly becoming a guache convert.

I added more stenciling using a home made bricks stencil and Distress Picket Fence Crackle Paint.




I splattered with watered down white acrylic paint and added random stamping using a Heidi Swapp musical image. The quote is actually from two separate older Tim Holtz sets--both had the word "heart" in them. The "Listen to your heart" image did not clearly imprint the word "heart", so I borrowed "art" from another "heart" quote.  These were stamped in Archival ink on Tim Holtz plain Tissue Wrap and adhered with Multi Matte Medium. Nearly seamless collaging with that Tissue Wrap! I edged the tag with Frayed Burlap Distress ink and distressed and layered with more card.

The frame is Tim Holtz Ornate Frame covered with Golden Crackle paste, and sprinkled with Holographic and Frantage (sparingly) embossing powders. When the paste was dry, I hit it with my heat tool to melt the powders. The camera barely picked up the sparkle. It's amazingly shimmery in real life! Half pearls in a gold color from my stash. Usually Golden gives the best crackle, but this jar seems to have left out it's crackle--I have yet to see good cracks come from this jar.

I hand cut the tag from heavy watercolor paper and stamped another old Tim Holtz bird image. I used Distress Markers directly on the stamp, spritzed lightly with water and stamped the image for a watercolor look. The musical notes (I hope they look like musical notes) are hand drawn and pearls added. More Frayed Burlap and distressing for the edges.


The two blue flowers are handmade using Tim's Tattered Florals and a lighter weight water color paper I used to mop up the guache paints on my craft mat. I flicked some of the papers with watered down black guache. I'm afraid I've lost some of the variegation of the flower's colors in my lack of photography skills and having to shoot this at night. I gave the white rose and the pebbly stamens a dusting of whatever was on my blending tool--I think Rusty Hinge. All the pearls and other stamens were colored with Butterscotch Alcohol ink to somewhat match the half pearls from my stash. Gold microbeads finish the flowers off. Various die cut foliage added from my scrap pile.




I hope you like my tag! I'm going to share it with the following challenges:
A Vintage Journey Texture or Embossing Paste I used texture paste on the background (not the bricks) and Crackle embossing paste on the frame.
Mixed Media World MMW #15- From Scrap to Masterpiece My tag was created from a torn out journal page that didn't go right the first time around.
Mod Squad Challenge All That Glitters I used glittery embossing powders on my frame.


Thank you for your visit today and for all your lovely comments! I read and appreciate each one of them!
Hugs and Blessings!
Sara Emily

UPDATE: Yippee! I was a Top Pick at Country View!
   

34 comments:

  1. The layers and transformations of your tag have resulted in a beautiful multifaceted work of art Sara Emily. The flowers are gorgeous in the blue and peachy colours and the touches of gold bring it all to life. You have included so many amazing details and textures, I love it xxx

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  2. A masterpiece of art, that's what it is, Sara! I am keep zooming your photos admiring all the fantastic details and fabulous textures! You have managed to incorporate so many beautiful elements in such a brilliant way! Those flowers are so pretty and your combination of blue and gold is simply marvelous! I adore every single detail here, from your stunning frame to those awesome micro beads! It's a spectacular tag, my friend! You are so creative and so super talented! Bravo! Lots of love to you! Branka xx

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  3. Well Sara Emily, I am trying to catch up with your blog but when I saw this it stopped me in my tracks! This is so beautiful - I love the colours but especially all the special little details you have added! Super stuff!! Hugs, Chrisx

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  4. GORGEOUS!!! I am a firm believer in the never-throw-anything-away theory, and I have the stuffed closets and storage rooms to prove it!! lol. This tag is just delicious my friend. I love aquas, so cool and refreshing on this super hot day. I love the crackle in the background, and your birdie image is amazing! The addition of the glitter and the gold pearls just sucked me right in. I really want to touch that frame, it looks so frothy and wonderful! Such a beautiful tag Sara and I'm so glad you shared it with us at Frilly and Funkie for our Pastels and Pearls challenge. hugs :)

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  5. Ah, what a pretty design Sara - I love the details, so creative.
    Thanks for joining in with us at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge this week.

    Hugs,
    Caryn xxx

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  6. Very pretty tag Sara Emily! The color combination is really nice!
    Hugs
    Samra
    Paper Talk with Samra

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  7. Beautiful work sara ... i really love the colours and that frame is lovely. Must get mine out! Big hugs rachel x

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  8. Beautiful tag. Love all the texture and dimension you added. Thanks for sharing it with us at Mod Squad Challenge Blog. We hope to see more of your creations.
    Kathy
    MSCB DT

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  9. Oh my gosh, stunning!! This is a gorgeous masterpiece, Sara Emily!! I'm trying to pick my jaw up off the floor!! I love all of the layers and details!! The beautiful blue with the gold accents looks amazing!! The crackle, the texture, everything is perfect!! I love the frame and the flowers...heck, I love everything about it!! Spectacular my friend!! Wow!! Have a great day!! Big hugs :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  10. Beautiful tag Sara, loving all the accents of textures and micro beads. Your floral arrangement is so attractive on your tag.
    Hugs, Julie x

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  11. My fav part is the golden music notes and all the golden bling Sara. Such a happy and peacefully precious creation. Every little nook and cranny is perfectly done - just lovely. Xj.

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  12. Well thank goodness for your practice journal Sara, your tag is quite stunning, I love the gorgeous blue background (reminds me of the sea), the beautiful flowers, the lovely frame and pearls, wow! Incredibly beautiful!

    Thanks so much for joining in our Texture and Embossing Paste challenge at A Vintage Journey. Hugs, Anne xx

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  13. This is WONDERFUL, Sara Emily! Oh how pretty. What an amazing rescue project! Every detail is so beautiful and I particularly love the contrast and earthy tones in the bird/branch. Gorgeous!

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    1. Congrats on your win at CVC! This gorgeous tag certainly deserved the spotlight! <3

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  14. Lovely charming tag! Love the you tore out your background and made it into this beautiful tag! Thanks for playing along with us at Frilly and Funkies - Pearls and Pastels challenge.

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  15. This is so awesome, Sara Emily! I love the blue with the gold and all of the amazing texture! The bird on the branch is the perfect centerpiece here. Your flowers are beautiful, as always. Just an overall beautiful, beautiful tag!!! I think this is my new favorite :-)

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  16. WOW what a masterpiece Sara....love all the work you did to make this gorgeous gorgeous tag!!
    Cheers
    Dr Sonia

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  17. Oh Sara... this truly is a mixed media masterpiece! You have inspired my heart yet again. I love how crafty journeys come about (and proceed!) in unexpected ways. Your tag is filled with the utmost beauty. The colors are spectacular and I am beyond enamored with the texture and layers throughout. The gold microbeads and crackle paste are two of my favorite parts. The bird is gorgeous and are those pearly music notes I see?! Be still my pearl-loving heart. :o) Every facet of this is sheer brilliance and I love it to bits. Thank you for the inspiration, my friend. I am so thankful for you in so many ways. :o)

    Hugs and blessings,
    Karen

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  18. Love the blues, the layerings, the wonderful crackled frame and pretty blooms Sara Emily - a beautiful composition! thanks for joining us in the AVJ challenge! Julia xx

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  19. love all the details and the pretty flowers - thanks for sharing your fabulous project at the Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media Challenge

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  20. That's delightful - so much dimension and texture - gorgeous how the frame captures our eye and draws it in. And those gilded pearly drops and crackle add fabulous detail.
    Alison x

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  21. Gorgeous Sara, amazing layers of texture and colour and I adore that wee watercolour bird in the frame (and yes, those do indeed look like musical notes LOL!). Just a wonderful tag, thanks so much for sharing it and for joining us at A Vintage Journey. Deb xo

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  22. WOW! This is super gorgeous!! Amazing details, beautiful colour shade & lovely layers, loved every part of this art piece, so pretty! :)
    Priyanka
    http://shiningcolourscrafts.blogspot.in/

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  23. Sara Emily, this is magical! I keep looking at that ornate frame...it looks like resin. The details here are so gorgeous, and I love the little pearls on the music notes. One of my all time faves! Thanks for sharing with us at Frilly and Funkie Pastels and Pearls Challenge

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  24. Just popping back Sara to say thanks so much for joining us at Countryview challenges this month and good luck xx

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  25. Fabulous tag with a great colour palette. Glad you kept the piece torn from your art journal because it does make a wonderful background. Love all the texture you added to this piece and the pearls tucked everywhere, especially cute on the music notes. Thanks for joining us at Frilly and Funkie.
    Hugs!
    Cec

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  26. Gorgeous with your design and love the colour you have used..Thank you for joining us at More Mixed Media and good luck in draw..Hugs Lozzy x

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  27. Great work. Thank you for joining the challenge at More Mixed Media. Hope to see you again next time.

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  28. I love your tag. Such beautiful colours and gorgeous texture too. Thanks for playing along with the HLS Mixed Media challenge xx

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  29. Oh my goodness! This is so pretty! Love the colours and layers! :)

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  30. Gorgeous, Sara Emily! Congrats on your win at HLS MM Challenge for June. Please look for an email from me regarding Guest Designing for us again in September! Thanks!

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  31. Gorgeous! Sara Emily . Love the colours, texture , subtle sparkle and design. hugs x

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  32. Beautifully done Sara Emily - the music notes do add a magical touch. Listen to your "Art" and follow your "Heart"!
    sandy xx

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