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.

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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

 

Sun, Sea, Sand #2

Good Morning everyone

Mid way though July so time for another sun, sea, sand inspired make at We Love Stamping

or you can always go with the anything goes option as long as some stamping is involved 

This time ive just gone with the sea

Ive used this lovely printed acetate from Stamperia for my card front, so it gives a lovely glossy finish with its sea print.

I stamped the aall&create whale scene onto white card with greeny blue ombre ink pad and die cut into spellbinders labels 4 shape.  I added stencilling to the background with pale oxide inks & stamped some bubbles.

I stamped the whale again onto more white card this time with a dark blue ink, watercoloured with pink and peach distress inks so that it contrasts with all the green//blue, cut out just the whale and decoupaged onto the base image with glue gel.

I stamped some shells with the same pink, peach & lilac inks, cut out and arranged onto the card front along with some real shells ive collected over the years.  Stamped sentiment and some stickles glitter glue details to finish.

This is really thick weight acetate so I just used it as the card front and used plain white card for the back, i scored a flap at the top of the white card to which i attached the acetate.  I rounded the corners with my corner chomper which easily cuts through the thick acetate & 300gsm cardstock together - the rounded corners pick up on the rounded edge of the die cut

This months prizes that you could win 

Items Used:

aall&create stamp 'sea life'

Chocolate baroque stamp set 'seashell collage'

Visible image stamp set 'swim deep'

Lavinia stencil

Stamperia acetate - clear prints (SBA415) 'Vagabond in Japan'

Distress Inks ' picked raspberry, shaded lilac, 

Kailiedacolor ombre inkpad 'Caribbean sea'

Thank you for popping by once again.  Its scary how fast the weeks are passing and that next week the schools break up.  Emmax

Id love to enter:

https://inkspirationalchallenges.blogspot.com/2024/07/inkspirational-challenge-320-designers.html  - Ive used stamps from aall&create, chocolate baroque & visible image

https://starstampz.blogspot.com/2024/07/challenge-60-anything-goesin-or-beside.html

 

Shell shaped card

Good Morning all

A while ago a friend sent me some large shell die cuts and a couple of shaped card bases which i knew would be ideal with the Pink Ink 'shell nymph' stamp

The base shape is die cut from a lovely cream pearl cardstock, onto that i matted the gold solid layer and then the fancy top layer which was also die cut from cream pearl card - sorry i don't know what brand the dies are my friend used.

I stamped the image, watercoloured with derwent inktense pencils and cut her out, i gave her body a bit of shape and attached her to the card front with pinflair glue gel.  I added a stamped seahorse, starfish & shell plus 3 real shells.  Clearly besotted stamped sentiment, Glitter glue & glossy accent hightlights to finish. 

Showing it stood up side on

Just a little close up, i picked 3 little shells from my collection.

Items Used

Pink Ink stamps 'shell nymph'

Clearly besotted sentiment stamp

Starfish & seahorse stamps (old craftstamper mag freebies)

Derwent Inktense pencils

Ranger glossy accents

Ranger stickles 'crystal & frosted lace'

Thank you all for stopping by.  Hugs Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

https://creativeinspirationchallenges.blogspot.com/2023/09/creative-inspiration-challenges-6.html

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http://unicornchallenge.blogspot.com/2023/09/challenge-91-layer-it-up.html

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https://thefairyandtheunicornchallenge.blogspot.com/2023/09/tfatu-9th-2023-challenge-september-with.html

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Charlotte's under the sea

Good Morning everyone

For each of my nieces ive made a personalised picture for their walls.  Charlotte was a baby during covid lockdowns so we didn't see her much at all.  Since last Autumn she has been staying at my parents a fair bit and we have got to know her well.  She has a real empathy for nature and after taking her out shell collecting this spring i finally knew what theme i wanted to do her picture.  Out came my pink ink stamps and ive used several shells that Charlotte herself collected on our day out at the beach. 

Picture size: 12x9" 

  I first made a background with brusho's, cosmic shimmer pixie powders and stencilling - photos below.

I then stamped out the stamps onto white card and watercoloured with my inktense pencils which are colourfast & cut them all out. I then die cut thick cardboard from a cat food box with a Sizzix bigz die to spell charlotte, painted them black and covered with glossy accents, i adhered them into place with pinflair glue gel.  I then got arranging my scene.

I added a pearl bead in one of the shells just for a bit of fun. I used a mix of shells, little pieces of drift wood & some small pebbles.

Its difficult to make out in the photos, but i found a pack iridescent green strands in my stash ive had for years, i added a few of them, just pushing the ends into the glue gel behind my images and shells so that they float freely and catch the light when it hits them. 

I stencilled on seaweed using green acrylic paints & cadence dora paints which really shimmer when the light hits them.

You can really make out the glittery stencilled 'bubbles' here.  I also stencilled on some fish with oxide inks

Just showing it in its frame.  I found this wooden box frame in the charity shop, gave it whitewash with white gesso, added some rope around the inside edge and added a lovely large shell which also hides the rope ends. 

Items Used:

Tim Holtz Bigz alpha die

Pink Ink stamps 'pinky inky' 'sea turtle'

Various foliage stamps

Foliage & circle stencils

Stamperia stencil - fish

Brusho powders 'turquoise' 'sea green'

Cadence dora paints

Derwent inktense pencils

Thank you all for stopping by. I hope you have a good week.  Emmaxx

Id love to enter the following:

https://theoutlawzchallenges-saturday.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-outlawz-anything-goes-in-card-free.html

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https://creativeartistemixedmedia.blogspot.com/2023/09/welcome-to-creative-artiste-challenge-97.html

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http://simplycreatetoo.blogspot.com/2023/09/194-use-stamps.html

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https://mixitupchallenge.blogspot.com/2023/09/miucb-67-anything-goes-optional-make.html

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https://thesisterhoodofcrafters.blogspot.com/2023/08/make-scene.html

 

 

Shell Nymph

Good Morning everyone

I was honoured to be invited to be a guest designer at creative mixed media challenge

........  I got this lovely pink ink 'shell nymph' stamp for Christmas and decided to make a little wall art with her.  The idea to do an alcohol ink background onto the glass of a picture frame came to me in the middle of the night - I love the effect so think i will be trying it out again. 

Frame approx 7x5"  I first stamped and watercoloured my image with inktense pencils and cut her out and sealed with glossy modge podge.   I then took the glass out of the frame and used alcohol inks on the back of it with colours to co-ordinate with my image, adding some blues and green that you find in the sea.  I stencilled some seaweed onto the front of the glass with 'diamond' cadence dora paint which has an amazing shimmer finish when it catches the light. 

I put the decorated glass back into the frame and started building up my scene, adding shape to the nymph and attaching onto the glass with glue gel.  I then dug through my collection of beached combed items to add some shells, sea glass and small piece of driftwood, i also added a couple of stamped shells from the stamp set.

Too finish i added touches of glitter glue to her wings and tail.  I now think this will make the perfect present for my eldest niece when her birthday comes around. 

I added white paper behind the glass in the frame to really help the alcohol ink colours pop

this is the glass once decorated with the alcohol inks on the back and stencilled seaweed on the front.  This dora paint is really sparkly but hard to capture in the photos

and just showing it in the frame before decorating.  The recess of the frame is nearly 2" deep so a good platform for my little scene.

Items Used:

Pink ink stamps 'shell nymph'

Foliage stencil

Ranger alcohol inks

Cadence Dora paint 'diamond'

Derwent inktense pencils

White posca pen 

Shells, driftwood, seaglass

Please do pop over to https://creativeartistemixedmedia.blogspot.com/ to see the gorgeous design team creations and join in.

 Thank you all for stopping by.  I hope you all have a lovely Easter weekend whatever you get upto.  Hugs Emmaxxx

The big splash mixed media

Good Morning everyone

Today im sharing a mixed media project.  I started with a splash shaped MDF plaque and went with an under the sea theme.

I first stencilled texture paste through a shell stencil.  Once dry cover it all with a light coat of white gesso.  Then i sprinkled on blue & green brushos and purple pixie powders, once dry i dry brushed on diamond starlight paint to give a nice shimmer. I sponged blue starlight paint around the edges of the splash and through a circle stencil to give a bubble effect - when the light hits the starlight paint it really sparkles.

  Using a pallet knife I added grit texture paste to the base, once dry i built up the colour with acrylic paints to give a sand like look for the bottom on the ocean.

I stamped the octopus and other sea themed stamps onto white and watercoloured with inktense pencils and cut them all out.  I covered everything with glossy mod podge to seal & protect it all.  I then got arranging my scene, using shells collected over the years.  

Tim Holtz chat sticker to finish which says 'what seems ordinary is often the extraordinary'

A close up of the base, i added a little message in a bottle...using green alcohol ink to stain a clear mini bottle.  

Side 2...

I also decorated the back, so its double sided and can be flipped for a change of scene

Made the same way as side 1.  I used a pebble stencil on this side with the texture paste and jellyfish stamps from visible image.  After colouring the jellyfish with inktense pencils i used paint pens to colour the little circles on them.  I stamped and cut up the quote to finish.

I added a little metal seahorse charm and little pearl bead in one of the shells to finish.

Items Used:

MDF splash from 'thats crafty'

Pink Ink octopus stamp set

Visible Image stamp set

seahorse & starfish - old craft stamper magazine stamps

Funky fossil stencil - shells

Lavinia stencil - 

Imagination crafts starlight paints (now cadence dora paint) Diamond, blue

Derwent inktense pencils

Pebeo acrylic paints

Golden texture pastes

Thank you all for stopping by.  I hope you all have a good week.  Hugs Emmaxxx

Id love to enter the following:

https://creativeartistemixedmedia.blogspot.com/2022/09/welcome-to-creative-artiste-challenge-86.html

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https://blog.dare2bartzy.com/september-challenge-animals/

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https://2craftycrittercrazies.blogspot.com/2022/09/challenge-66-anything-goes-with.html

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