Mother Earth Canvas

Good Morning everyone

Time for a new challenge over at Creative Artiste Mixed Media where its always anything goes as long as you mixed your medias = we need at least 3 different mediums but the more the better and be as creative and arty as you can be. 

Today I have something a bit different with this mother earth canvas.  My idea was triggered when I saw this beautiful ladies head paper in a pad from Art by Marlene - not something I usually would use but I thought she would be ideal as Mother earth providing and protecting all of nature, she is as colourful as the world she nurtures is with her hair full of flowers and butterflies😀

Getting decent photos has been impossible as its too big for my light box

Hexagon Canvas size 10x12"   See below for how I made the background and built it up.

 This is definitely a very 'in your face' and 'throw everything and every colour at it' canvas😁  Predominately pink and blue

I added buttons to the flowers in her hair and a few scattered flower beads

I added touches of diamond stickles glitter glue to add a bit of sparkle and glossy accents to her eyes.

I first cut out the head from the paper, cutting off alot of the surrounding flowers for now and adhered flat where I wanted it on the canvas.  Around that I stencilled paisley swirls with texture paste, I had the thought that they would look like coming out of her head, before the paste completely dried i took a pallet knife and drew some lines into the paste following the curve to help create the effect of them moving outwards or like strands of hair.

I found these wooded lasercut  flowers so added a few and them covered it all in white gesso.

I then added green and blue paints which contrast with the more pinky purple tones in her....I used green and blues that are similar to those in the images also.

I then added a wash of van dyke brown acrylic letting it settle into the grooves and around the texture paste and wood shapes to help give depth to the finished piece - YES this does look like a mess but stick with it...

Sorry horrid photo but once the brown shadowing was dry then added pink cadence dora paint onto the flowers and highlighting the splashes - this really shimmers when the light catches it. 

I don't seem to have taken any more photos of the steps - was obviously caught up in the finishing of it - I must admit this took way longer than hoped to come together - I started it back in February when the weather was horrid and some nice sunny days were looked forward too!

I then went on to dry brush on gold cadence paint and add in touches of the blue and green where I felt it needed it.  I then cut out a 2nd head, leaving off her neck and decoupaged over the base image with pinflair glue gel.

To finish I added extra flowers & 3 butterflies stamped onto art by marlene papers and more colour added with posca paint pens.  I added ivy which was die cut from brusho Inked card, I wanted it to look like it is growing out of her hair so tucked it in among the flowers.

 I printed the words 'Mother Earth' onto off white card, cut out, inked the edges black and adhered to her neck & sealed with mod podge to finish.

Items Used:

Art by marlene 8x8 paper pad 'out of this world'

Paisley 12x12 stencil

Brittania & Joanna Sheen Ivy dies (very old!)

Uniko stamp set 'country garden' (butterflies)

texture paste

Cadence dora paints

Acrylic paints

Wooden flowers

Please do hop over to Creative Artiste Mixed Media to see what the rest of the DT have created and to join in, we love seeing all your creations in the gallery using at least 3 different mediums.

I hope you have been enjoying the sunshine here in the UK, although I love to see some sunshine its been a bit too hot for me, Monday stuck in hospital all day was like a sauna...don't think that improved the health much!  They have started me on my 3rd different treatment in 3 months this week so fingers crossed its 3rd time lucky.  While my mojo is still on holiday Ive been sat in front of the fans enjoying wimbledon. 

Thank you for popping by once again.  Big hugs Emmax

 

Squirrel tag

Good Morning everyone

Its not often I make a tag but I decided to join in with the first challenge over at  Tag along & atc

I used these fun squirrels from aall&create and built up a little scene.

Tag size approx A6 (6x4")  I die cut the largest die from cream cardstock and then the next size down from white card I'd sprayed with blue and green inks, the blue one is pearlised, keeping it more blue at the top for the sky and green at the bottom for grass.  Once dry I stenciled a little detail with stormy sky distress ink and stamped some text with forest moss distress ink.

I stamped the branch direct onto the tag, stamping one side and then the opposite.  I stamped the squirrels, leaves & acorns onto white card, watercoloured with inktense pencils and cut out.  I then got arranging it all, adding the squirrels and acorns with pinflair glue gel.  To give the squirrels some ground to stand on, I added a scrap of the inked card to the bottom of the tag with foam pads, inking all the edges with stormy sky distress ink.

I stamped the quotes from the set onto off cuts of cream card, cut out and adhered to the front. 

Raiding the ribbon box I found a satin orange ribbon, gold organza and blue lace which matched the colours perfectly.  I punched a hole in the top of the tag and added an eyelet and then threaded my ribbons.

I have a bottle of range matt accents - had it for over 10yrs, so trying to use it - i usually use glossy accents.  Anyway this matt accents is weird as it does leave a shine once dry but its matt - difficult to explain and even more difficult to photograph😁.  Anyway I added that to the acorns to finish.

Items Used

aall&create stamps #290 'squeaky friends' #851 'rise&shine'

aall&create stencil #167 Organic orbs

Stitched tag dies

Derwent Inktense pencils

TH Distress Inks 'stormy sky, forest moss'

Cosmic shimmer airless misters 

Ranger matt accents

Do hop over to tag along & atc to join in and support this new challenge. Emma 

Id also love to join in 

https://letscreatechallenges.blogspot.com/2025/05/challenge-219-ag-no-patterned-paper.html

**

 

 

https://pinspirationalchallenges.blogspot.com/2025/05/pinspirational-challenge-325-may-party.html

**

https://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/2025/04/deep-in-forest.html

**

 

Eggs in the nest

Good Morning everyone

Today its time for a new challenge over at Creative artist mixed media where we celebrate all things mixed media

Ive decided to go seasonal again and make a lovely little birds next.  I used these digital bird images for my nieces birthday and had several left over cut out so thats what triggered my idea to build them a little nest. 

8x8" Mdf shadow box frame.  Pictures below show how I built up the background and texture.  Once that was done I made a little nest out of orange and copper soft craft wire which I adhered into the box with glue gel.  I lined the nest with feathers and added a few around outside the nest and added my little eggs into place.  

I then added 2 of the larger birds - yes i know technically they are 2 different birds and wouldn't be a pair but hey this is craft land and artistic license😁

I created a hanging from the same wires used for the nest and 3 matching beads on each side - got to use my beads up some how and this seemed a good way and adds a bit of bling and interest.

You can see into the nest better here - Ive had these feathers for about 10yrs so good to use some!  You can also makes out the gold dora paint better at this angle 

The hanging loop I made with craft wire and beads

**

and onto the step by step background

After making up the mdf box i added die cut feathers (great way to use up scraps of cardstock) and then added a little texture paste through a net effect stencil which I felt would give a little tree bark like feel.  Once dry cover in white gesso

I randomly added yellow, orange, red and turquoise acrylic paints

Then a wash of van dyke brown - yep it looks a mess now but let it pool around the texture....if its too heavy in any area just dab with some tissue.  Once the first wash was dry i added a bit more in areas to make them even darker

Dry brush on antique white, pale blue & lemon chalk paint 

The top coat was Cadence dora paints which have amazing shimmer, you could use gilding waxes instead.  I personally get on better with the dora paint as can dry brush it on very lightly - a little goes a very long way. Difficult to take photos off - but when the light hits it, it really comes to life.

To finish I coated it all in gloss mod podge to seal and protect.

How I made my little birds eggs.  Took little foam eggs from poundland and coated in white gesso and then pastel blue matte acrylic paint and then splattered on darker watered down acrylics to give the speckles and finished with a coat of matt mod podge.  I found it easier to handle them by sticking on a cocktail stick in some polystyrene....this does of course leave a little hole in the bottom of the eggs but easily hid when adhering them to my project 

Items Used 

Mixed Media birds clipart from Double Helix Digitals on etsy

Feather die - joy crafts

Woodware stencil

Texture paste

mini foam eggs - poundland

Cadence dora paint - gold, orange

Folkart Acrylic paints 

1mm soft craft wire

beads from stash

Do hop over to creative artiste mixed media to join in, anything goes as long as you mix your medias, so cards, atc's, tags, art journal pages are just as welcome as 3d makes like mine

Thank you all for stopping by once again.  Next week is the school Easter holidays so I shall be getting some crafting in with my 5 nieces, hopefully the weather stays fine too as they can get out and play. Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

   

https://daranddiane.blogspot.com/2025/04/double-d-easter-challenge.html

**

https://thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com/2025/04/spring-season-april-2025.html

**

https://dd-tripleb.blogspot.com/2025/04/april-2025-challenge.html

**

https://www.simplyellibelle.com/2025/03/i-spy-with-my-little-eyethe-dawn-of.html - dawn of spring

**

https://2craftycrittercrazies.blogspot.com/2025/04/challenge-97-anything-goes-featured.html

**

https://craftyanimals.blogspot.com/2025/04/challenge-93.html

**