Sew Basic

Today I’m sharing with you my most recent project for Basically Bare.  I got to playing around with a 5 x 7 canvas and my Tim Holtz paints.  FUN! 

To start with, I grabbed a 5×7 canvas panel and streaked on some Distress Paint. You can use any colors you want, but I chose Barn Door and Mustard Seed for their bright happy feel, then spritzed with water to help blend them into the very hard panel. I then rubbed Peeled Paint Distress Ink over the entire panel with a blender while the paint was still damp. That’s how I got all the color variations.

I painted the top of the Basically Bare Dress Form in Mustard Seed and the bottom in Barn Door to echo the background colors. Next, I added silk ribbon around the top of the dress form and at the waist for dimension. To decorate the panel, I grabbed a flourish stamp and proceeded to stamp all the way around the edge of the panel using embossing ink. I then poured black embossing powder over the ink and almost had heart failure. The powder stuck to everything! After dusting a lot of it off with a paintbrush, I decided I liked the effect and hit it with my heat tool.

I painted a nice thick layer of Art Anthology Dazzle Sorbet over the skirt to add lots of sparkle. I tried to capture the amazing glittery effect but it’s so hard to do with a camera, even on a bright sunny day. It looks awesome in person!

After adhering the Basically Bare Dress Form to my panel, I grabbed my Prima flowers and gave the bottom left corner the floral treatment. I love my panel and it’s going to be hung in my studio to add brightness and color.

Supplies:
Basically Bare Dress Form
Art Anthology Sorbet – Dazzle
Tim Holtz Distress Paint – Barn Door and Mustard Seed
Tim Holtz Distress Ink – Peeled Paint
Crafty Secrets – Little Sewing Co stamp
Prima Flowers – Assorted
Flourish Stamp (generic)
Black Embossing Powder

Until later……………………….

Spring is Here

Here is my latest project for Basically Bare.  I just LOVE working with their products. 

Oh yes! Spring is here. Chirping birds, sunny days, and still slightly cool nights. My absolutely favorite time of year. So, to celebrate my love affair with Spring, I’ve created a couple of tags. Green trees, birds, flowers, bright colors; all signs of Spring.

I started out with two #8 tags I cut out of a heavy duty file folder (sturdy is better). I then used Crackle Paint, Art Anthology Mists and Sorbets, modeling paste, stencils, stamps, and ink to create my backgrounds and color my Basically Bare Happy Little Trees and Birds.

For my Bluebird Tag, I used a Basically Bare Happy Little Tree in felt and a Basically Bare Bird. The bird was painted with Salty Ocean Distress Paint and then covered with Art Anthology Splashed Sorbet to add sparkle. I painted the tree with Art Anthology Evergreen Sorbet. While those were drying, I applied Antique Linen Crackle Paint to the tag and sped up the drying time with my heat tool (be careful, you will cause the paint to bubble if you get the heat tool too close). I then sealed the crackle finish to prevent flaking. Next, I used a word stamp with black archival ink to stamp a background and a scroll stamp with sepia archival ink to stamp around the edges. Miscellaneous flowers and pins pulled from my stash completed the tag.

After the crackle paint dried, I misted with Art Anthology Glorious Mist to give depth to the background. I love the way the paint cracked for me. I covered some areas in a thicker coat than others in order to vary the crackle.

For my Sunny Flower tag, I once again used my Basically Bare Happy Little Trees on a crackle background, but I also pulled out my stencils and modeling paste and had some fun. The bright yellow flowers (Peeled Paint and Mustard Seed Distress Paint) add the bright cheery touch I was going for. For the grass, I used a couple different colors of Distress Stain, swiped a manila card through it, then cut it with a pair of scissors. Instant grass!

I once again used Art Anthology Glorious Mist to give the crackle background more depth. This time I used a Basically Bare Happy Little Tree in canvas and painted it with Art Anthology Evergreen Sorbet. Yep, think I’ve mentioned that it’s my fave color.

These tags will be winging their way to their new owner soon.

Until later……….

Finnabair Inspired Canvas

 

For my latest Gauche Alchemy project, I was inspired to create a mixed media canvas ala Finnabair.  I love the way she incorporates different elements and paint into her artwork and it inspired me to create this canvas.

First, I chose my image. This was important since my paint choices were being based on the colors the image contained. Then, I grabbed a prepped round canvas I had laying around in my studio. If you canvas doesn’t come prepped, use Gesso to prime it (important). Next, I painted the canvas using bronze acrylic paint.

Once the paint was dry, I glued down my image and then grabbed my White, Purple, and Orange Mixed Media Color Kits along with some punchinella and began gluing the embellishments around the image until I was pleased with the way everything looked. I mixed larger elements with smaller ones in an effort to achieve a layered effect and add more interest.

For the second paint color, I took two shades of red acrylic artists paint, mixed them together with a little black (also to match the image), and painted over everything I had just glued on. Then, I grabbed my bronze paint and with my fingers, smudged it around the edges of the image and onto the tops of the embellishments. I continued alternating the red and bronze until I had everything smudged and blended together. Fingers come in very handy here as they allow for more control over where and how much paint you apply. The good thing about acrylic paint is that it washes off easily. (TIP: Keep baby wipes handy)

To date, this is my favorite piece of art that I have created and it’s currently waiting to be hung above one of the desks in my studio. Now, why not grab those mixed media color kits, some paint, a canvas, and be inspired!

Until later…………………….

Gauche Alchemy Design Team Call

Heads up!  Gauche Alchemy is having a Design Team Call.  See below for details and how you could become an Alchemist.

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Do you love Gauche Alchemy? Are you irreverent, snarky, creative AND maybe just a wee bit coo-coo cachoo? If so, we want YOU!



Here at Gauche Alchemy, our goal is to support and encourage creative thought and expression by providing materials that help artists of all types and skill levels think differently about their creative pursuits. We endeavor to be the “jumping-off point” for your next great idea! We are all about upcycling, as well as digging up the best manufactured products we can find. We are all about being inclusive rather than exclusive.

And now is *your* chance to get in on all of the fun, snark, and gauche awesomeness we pride ourselves on. We are on the hunt for a few new faces to add to our team of Alchemists.

“What does an Alchemist do??” I’m glad you asked!
“Alchemists” are more than just “oooh lookie what I made” and “here’s how I did it.” Our Alchemists are teachers, crafters, artists, and enablers. We share our knowledge as well as our projects. We are here to inspire. After all, we are regular schmoes too.

“What kind of workload is required of me?”
As an Alchemist, you will be required to submit 2 projects per month. One project is for the newsletter and one is for the blog. Occasionally, we may have special events such as swaps in which additional projects will be asked of you.
“Projects” include actual finished projects, technique tutorials, and anything related to what we do. These posts can be about your craft space, what inspires you, how to bust a rut and so on. Like we said, we are more than just a “creative team” who shows off pretty schtuff.

“Now how about the whole quid-pro-quo thing? What do I get in return?”
As an Alchemist, you will receive an Alchemist “kit” that is looooooaaaaaaded with Gauche goodness. You will also receive a discount to the Gauche Alchemy store. There are other perks you receive but those will be discussed with you should you make the team.

“How long is my term?”
An Alchemist term is 12 months with the possibility of being invited to extend.

“Now where do I sign up?”
To apply, send the following to GaucheAlchemistCall@gmail.com by midnight Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, April 30th with the phrase “2013 DT Call” in the subject line. This call is open to international aspiring alchemists too!

All aspiring alchemists please send us:
Name:
Location:
Your blog address:
Are you currently on any other design teams? (Previous DT experience is not required)
Your favorite type of project to create:
Which products in our shop inspire you the most?
Why do YOU want to work for Gauche Alchemy?