Dream, create, inspire plaque

Good Morning everyone

Its the first friday of the month so time for a new challenge over at Creative Artiste where the theme is always 

MIXED MEDIA

anything goes using at least 3 different mediums

Ive made a fun wall hanging for a craft room this month using Jane Davenport stamps and a piece of hardboard that came as packaging for a heavy item - so i snaffled them😀, 1 was snapped but 3 perfect as a substrate.

Size 8.5x4.5" (22x11cm)

See below for how i did the background.

I stamped all the elements onto watercolour paper and watercoloured with derwent inktense pencils, sticking to the same colours for all the elements.  Once dry i coated with mod podge front and back to seal and stiffen and then cut out, doing it this way easier than cutting out first and trying to varnish the tiny pieces like the pencils etc....

I rolled some pieces of torn handmade paper up to look like rolls of paper in different lengths to add a tactile soft element.  These I placed towards the bottom right corner where i wanted the quote.  The quote was stamped onto white, die cut and matted onto black, covered with mod podge and adhered into place.  I then got arranging all the stamped elements to create the scene - this very much looks like my desk after a good crafting session - I start off with good intentions to stay tidy but it never works once Im enjoying the process😄

I took 3 colours of cotton cord and loosely plaited for the hanging loop and added 3 beads each side which pick up on the colours used for the stamped elements. Choice here is to thread and tie so that the knot is at the front or back...I decided i wanted some beads for a bit of bling and to use up some of the thousand i had so have the hanging coming out the front...hope that makes sense!

When i coloured the paint pallets I deliberately added colour over the outside edges like you see in a well used pallet - more realistic 

The paint brushes i added behind the quote weren't long enough so i cut them in half so could have some poking out the bottom of the quote too - making sure i glued them in line with the tops.  I love the frayed edges of the handmade paper here as it adds a lovely soft element.

I used an old stamp set from Creative Craft (company sadly no more) called 'craftiness sentiments' for the quote.  It has lots of lovely craft sayings but i went with this 'dream, create, inspire' as i have to create a project in my head before i can make it, so i get the idea and then work out all in my head how to create it and mentally work through what products i have that can work so by the time i sit down to make anything i know exactly where im going - now that doesn't mean it works, as is so often the case with art it evolves in the creating but i can't start anything without that original idea and starting point.  Im not one that can just sit down with a product and play for me that doesn't work at all.  

I first gave a coat of black gesso to prime and then added texture paste through a swirl stencil which made me think of ink or paint splashes so perfect with the theme.  Once dry I then coated  that with more black gesso and then added black, navy and very dark brown acrylic and then touch of teal and pink to soft a little but i didn't want it too colourful.

I then dry brushed on black and silver cadence dora paints which really shimmer in the light, the silver nicely caught the edges of the swirls.  I edged the whole panel in silver.

I was going to leave it as was but when i placed my stamped images on top the splashes were lost so i added a little colour - keeping it more muted by just dabbing on with my finger - its just enough to see when finished but not to distract from the main elements.

I added some 'arty' lines and dots with black and white posca pens. Punched holes in the top with my crop o dile to thread some twine.

Items Used

(creative expressions) Jane Davenport stamp set CEJDCS023 'HeArt Supplies'

Creative Craft Products(company sadly no more) 'craftiness sentiments'

Derwent Inktense pencils

Cadence Dora paint - black, Silver

Folk Art Matt acrylic paints

Matt Mod podge

Golden texture paste

12x12 Swirl Stencil 

Spellbinders nesting dies 'labels 4' 

Handmade paper

Posca Paint pens - black, white

Hop over to Creative Artiste to see what the rest of the DT has created and to join in with your mixed media makes, everything welcome as long as you use at least 3 different mediums cards, atc's, journal pages, canvases, 3d makes etc....

Thank you all for stopping by.  

Id love to enter the following:

https://tolanythingbutacard.blogspot.com/2026/06/the-outlawz-anything-but-card-july.html

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https://cardsgalorechallenges.blogspot.com/2026/07/july-2026-crafts-galore-encore.html

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https://daranddiane.blogspot.com/2026/07/double-d-potpourri-challenge-2026.html - potpourri - rainbow mix of things

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https://paper-rocks-scissors.blogspot.com/2026/07/july-18-challenge.html

 

Into the forest....

Good Morning everyone

The first Friday in June so time for a new challenge at Creative Artiste where the theme is always anything goes 

MIXED MEDIA

Using at least 3 different mediums

I have another one of my shadow boxes made from a cat food box....of which i have a never ending supply!  This time we are in the woods at dusk surrounded by trees watching the hedgehogs come out to play😁

Box size approx 20x16cm /6x8" and 3" deep

See below for step by step.

Once all the trees were in place I added reindeer moss to the floor, added a couple of trees to either side with a little chipboard birdie, 3 small printed toadstools and my 2 hedgehogs.  Ive had these chipboard hedgehogs for at least 10 years so about time i used them.  I first covered them in brown paint in 2 tones, darker at the bottom and lighter at the top, to the top where the spikes are i very lightly dry brushed on diamond cadence dora paint - when the light hits it it really dances. 

I stamped the quote onto a sage green cardstock die cut into an oval, covered with mod podge and adhered into place with glue gel covering the join in the trees.  I added  more die cut foliage around and behind the oval to frame it and added another little wooden bird.

The foliage was die cut from cardstock i had painted with green cadence dora paint so it really shimmers when the light hits it.  Ive had these tiny wooden birds for years and still using them - it was a big pack. I left them natural as they match the tones of the reindeer moss

The trees ive added half way at the sides were 5 layers of die cuts so nice and sturdy and stand up well.

I love how the light emanates from deep in the woods...who knows what magic is going on in there.  My nan always called this time of night 'The gloaming' which always conjured up a more magical feel than 'dusk', a bit like twilight that always sounds more mystical than dusk! lol  For those who don't know gloaming is Scottish...My nan had long lost her Scottish accent accept when she used her many Scottish words and they always came out in a Scottish accent

and a close up of the hedgehogs, this is as detailed as i dared to get with them, i think if i had attempted putting in eyes & ears it would have ruined them

and onto the box base

After the box was coated in black gesso i then coated in a layer of dark blue and teal paint as i wanted a more dusk/nighttime look.  Then i added lime green and yellow to the back of the box as i wanted the feel of a luminous light coming from deep within the forest - i brought this slightly onto the sides of the box too.  Once dry i dry brushed on midnight blue and black to help build depth, you can see from the right hand photo that the yellow is still visible even through this dark paint but it makes it part of the scene rather than just yellow on top.

(colour is correct on the left one - right one was photographed at night before i moved onto next step)

I covered a sheet of scrap card in green cadence dora paints using light and dark greens, ones dry i die cut into foliage and adhered to the back of the box, this really shimmers in the light and also then has the effect of the light in the forest catching the leaves.

I die cut lots of birch trees from brown 300gsm cardstock and adhered 3 layers together to give me more of a chipboard.  I then dry brushed on brown acrylics to give more realistic bark then just the plain brown cardstock.  I have 2 very old memory box birch dies - 1 is one truck and the 2nd is several trunks joined together, this joint one i used for the background, i used one and a half across and then as its not tall enough, cut up another one for the top, knowing that i would be hiding the joins....if you click on the photo it will bring it up bigger for you to see closer if you wish

The outside of the box, i added texture paste through stencils and in other areas just dabbed on with my pallet knife.  Over dry i covered in the same midnight blue, teal & liquorice black paint used on the inside and once dry, dry brushed on the same lime green and yellow paints.  I finished the corners with metal corner protectors.

The start of my shadow boxes.  I cut up cat food boxes and covered in brown paper saved from packaging.  I cut to 3" deep but you could have a really deep shadow box and leave the full depth of the original box

You can see other cat food box make overs here

                      

                                  autumn shadow box                                       snowy cabin

Items Used:

Inkylicious 'forest quote' stamp

Toadstool digitals 'Mixed Media Toadstools' from Double Helix Digitals on Etsy

Memory box dies - 'Tall birch' & 'Massa leaf' 

Impression Obsession birch tree die 

Kiasercraft wood birds

Texture stencils

Texture paste

Cadence dora paints

Folk art acrylic paints

Hop over to Creative Artiste to join in with your mixed media makes and see what the rest of the DT has come up with this month.  Any project welcome as long as you use 3 or more mediums.

Wishing you all a happy month of June. Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

https://diytozts.blogspot.com/2026/06/wyzwanie-96-recykling-upcykling.html#more

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https://craftingacutabove.blogspot.com/2026/06/june-challenge-and-july-anniversary-news.html - tree and leaf dies used

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https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/06/challenge-202606-june-2026-anything.html - anything but a card

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https://tolanythingbutacard.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-outlawz-anything-but-card-june.html

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https://pinspirationalchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/06/pinspirational-challenge-338-june-blue.html - blues and greens

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https://do-allkreatives.blogspot.com/2026/06/114-verpackung-box.html - Ive created my project from a packaging box 

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Mermaid Triptych

Good Morning everyone

I have 2 posts going live today both very different so do pop back again later...or hop over here

Its the first Friday of the month so time for a new challenge over at Creative Artiste where the theme is always anything goes MIXED MEDIA, so using at least 3 different mediums, but the more the better.

Ive gone for something a little different this month and made a triptych home decor scene using these funky mermaids and fish from Funky Fossil and some fabulous printed acetate from stamperia for the backgrounds and then added lots of different mediums and textures.

Approx Size overall is 14x7" (35x17cm)

Approx size of each panel is 4x6" (15.5x10.5cm)

See below for how I did the backgrounds. 

 

I stamped the mermaids onto white card and used alcohol markers to colour the skin, hair & facial features.   I then stamped the mermaids and fish onto various scraps of patterned paper in a rainbow of colours and cut out, the pieces for the mermaids outfits I paper pieced onto the base images - thus limiting the colouring in I needed to do and the bonus of using up some very small offcuts of pretty papers....personally I find cutting out therapeutic and colouring in stressful...

I then started arranging the mermaids and fish onto the background panels with glue gel, adding a few shells, sea glass and pebbles collected over the years from Cornish & Breton beaches.

I stamped the sentiments onto white using black ink, cut out and adhering into place to finish

Being an accordion design you can alter the angle and viewing point of the scenes

'Mermaid Kisses & Starfish wishes'

I added white posca pen highlights to the mermaids and fish

'Swim your own way' & 'make some waves'

'Salty Air & Mermaid Hair'

All the mermaids and fish were covered in a coat of glossy mod podge to protect them and this also stiffens them so they stand up better to being handled more.

***

and now onto the backgrounds

I could only get 2 tags out of one sheet of A4 so picked a 2nd sheet with similar under tones 

Panels in progress - you can see close ups below.  I die cut them from very thick acetate by stamperia - the dies don't cut all the way through as its so thick but do add a good groove for me to go around with the scissors.

1. add texture paste through stencils - blue for the scales/waves and glitter paste through a bubble/dot stencil

2.  add torn pieces of washi tape and text stickers

3. dry brush soft white acrylic to soften the edges of the texture paste and washi tape

4. over stencil with foliage for seaweed effect with matt green acrylic paint

For Christmas I was given a pack of PET (plastice) stickers with various prints on them, i used a few of the text ones here - see bottom right corner, the white text with circles and a orangey splodge - they work well on this acetate to add details without needing to stamp and they completely blend in.

I picked this washi tape with shades of green and purple to pick up on the colours in the mermaids

Dry brushing matt soft white over the top just softens the blue texture paste and some of the shine in places of the acetate - just adding more interest for the eyes.  I also added some lines with the edge of an old store card and the soft white paint. I used the stencil this way up to kind of give the feel of waves.

Just showing them mounted onto the petrol blue tags, this matches the blue of the metallic texture paste. Originally I planned to just have the acetate panels joined together but felt they needed framing to draw the eye in.

Items Used:

Funky Fossil stamp sets - 'making waves' by zinski art & 'weird fish'

Label dies

scales Stencil

Stencil Bubble/dots & foliage

Stamperia clear prints SBA419 'Alchemy' range

aall&create washi tape (old one)

Stamperia glitter paste 'Arctic Ice' K3P62

Rich relief paste multi Titanium 'antique turquoise' 1505524

Folk art acrylic paints

PET stickers

Im going to have to start writing the name of the stencils on the actual stencil with a sharpie i think as the more i get the more i can't remember the brands/names of them and im not that organised I keep them all in the packaging.  Funky Fossil brand is good as she has her brand embossed into the actual stencil which helps.

 

Hop over to  Creative Artiste to see what the rest of the DT have created and to join in.  Anything mixed media goes so it can be a small little project like an ATC or tag upto a large canvas and everything inbetween - we'd love to see your creations

Id love to enter the following:

https://pixiessnippetsplayground.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-531.html - all the papers used are snippets

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https://stencilfun.blogspot.com/2026/04/april-2026-stencil-fun-challenge.html - Ive used dots, foliage & scales stencils

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https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-848.html

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https://tolanythingbutacard.blogspot.com/2026/04/the-outlawz-anything-but-card-may.html

 

Bird house - creative artiste April

Happy Easter to you all.

Its the first Friday of the month so time for a new challenge over at Creative Artiste Mixed Media

Ive used a new stamp of this sparrow and made him a little bird house....its quite a long post so you may want a cup of tea or coffee....thankfully we can type these posts up little and often as my brain is still like marshmellow so i hope it actually makes sense😁

See below for how i made the background etc...

I stamped the bird 4 times onto white card and the flowers many times and watercoloured with my derwent inktense pencils, added white highlights, covered with modpodge and cut out.  I took one base image and decoupaged on top of it, 3 layers for the bird and 2 for the flowers.  I coloured the 4th stamped bird to look a bit more like a female and just cut out the body section so i could tuck her in behind and create a pair of sparrows.

I raided the drawer in which I keep die cut foliage which Ive die cut from left over inked backgrounds etc...and picked out a variety.  I then arranged the foliage and birds to the right over the birdhouse.

To finish I dug through a large pack of chat stickers by aall&create to find some suitable, I went with 'Blossom''Glow''Shine''Thrive'&'Live' as felt thats what all birds are doing and we should attempt the same in our lives.....we can but try!  I covered them with glossy accents to give an enamel look and adhered in place.

**

and onto the how I made the background

I cut up a stiff cardboard box to a rectangle to start with and then cut one top edge at an angle, the offcut i then flipped over & used to draw the other side so that the angles matched for the roof - hope that makes sense!

  I then cut stripes of the cardboard and adhered 2 together to give a double thickness, these I adhered to make the roof.  I then trim the ends to the desired length.

I added grit paste through a brick stencil and concrete paste on in blotches as i wanted an old wall feeling - once dry covered in white gesso - both these  texture pastes i won last year when i won a mixed media box from tag along challenge  - i also won the chipboard frame used on this project.

I added a layer of purple, pink and green paints picking up on the colours used in the image and then added vintage white over the top concentrating on the sides, I wanted the middle to be darker to give the effect of a hole in a bird house, where its darker inside and my frame would sit over the top.  

House Sparrows love to live in an old wall, So technically they don't live in birdhouses but thats why i wanted the old brick wall effect. My mum has a colony of them living in a tumbled down building opposite her kitchen and while they aren't the most exciting bird to look at they are such happy birds always chit chattering away and good company.........certainly more melodic than 'my' seagulls - which are also always chatting away but its more like screaming and they are always company too, when im out in the garden Mr & Mrs seagull always come down to join me to see what im upto.....It always amazes me how they know my cats from the hundreds of other neighbourhood cats....you would think to them one black cat looks like another black cat🐈  ....they are the advanced warning system to strangers about - 4 or 2 legged!

A close up of the lovely texture, you can also just see the pink paint underneath showing through which helps tie it in with the pink cherry blossom...no layer of paint is a waste, even when mostly hidden it plays an important role in the end result and it all being cohesive. 

I took the chipboard frame and again painted it with the same pink and purple paints used on the background and then dry brushed on a paler lilac to soften.  I then covered the whole thing in matt mod podge to varnish and seal.

Items Used:

Carabelle stamps

Derwent inktense pencils

Folk art acrylic paints

Daler Rowney heavy bodied acrylic

Cadence dora paint - fuchsia pink

Icraft texture paste 'graphite brown'

CraftTreat Speciality paint 'concrete effect' CTMM008

Mod Podge gloss & matt

Aall&create chat stickers

Chipboard frame

Foliage dies

Brusho & pixie powders (on foliage)

Cosmic shimmer airless mister (on foilage)

***

I have plenty of substrates in my stash but it is fun seeing how you can completely change a piece of cardboard box destined for the recycling bin and it shows those starting out in mixed media that you don't need alot of expensive kit to start.  I often just use cheap polyfiller as my texture paste and in the past have even used up left over grout which also worked well, once its covered up with a layer of gesso and then paint it all looks the same.  My new fav paint is folkart matt acrylic and this is great, a little goes a very long way and covers and layers beautifully - its mid range in price.  I have found matt and opaque much easier to work with than transparent acrylic, so a few little tips Ive learnt as i go to encourage you to give mixed media a go - if i can do it anyone can but you do need to accept that the middle section of working usually looks a mess but stick with it and know it is a process and you will create a little work of art that is unique to you.  Start with something small so its not overwhelming - atc's or postcard size are good for that.

Do hop over and join us at Creative Artiste to join in and for more inspiration, hints and tips from the design team, we all have our own style so something is sure to inspire you to give Mixed Media a go....

I hope you all have a good Easter weekend whatever your plans. Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

https://tolanythingbutacard.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-outlawz-anything-but-card-april.html

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https://craftyanimals.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-104.html

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https://2craftycrittercrazies.blogspot.com/2026/04/critter-crazy-109-anything-goes-with.html

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https://thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/04/spring-season-april-2026.html

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https://dd-tripleb.blogspot.com/2026/04/tb-april-2026-challenge.html

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https://www.simplyellibelle.com/2026/03/ellibelles-garden-party-no-13-anything.html