Shabby House and new Sparks - by Finnabair

Hi again my dear friends!
The most crazy and creative weekend in Ireland has finished... and I have to tell you I have many reasons to be proud of what we did! Great atmosphere, new friendships, beautiful projects of  my students and a lot of messy fingers - all that was included in our Mixed media gathering package!

During these classes I had a chance for the very first time use my new Art Alchemy Sparks - and they did fabulous job to colour my embellishments during Shabby House Class... oh, did I mention it was the debut of this project as well? Double excitement!

Just check out this mind-blowing combination of blues and browns. It's vintage, feminine and grunt at the same time - perfect combination if you like to stay on the "lighter side of mixed-media", I think.

There are so many inspiring, delicious products to try in this class: Icing Pastes, Liquid Acrylics, Sparks and of course a selection of Art Basics such as Gels and Gesso. We were playing with Tissue Papers, stencils and my favourite metal embellishments - Mechanicals.... oh and don't forget elements of Art Daily Journaling line as well - great mix, don't you think?

I have to tell you although all the Shabby Houses were different - we could pick our favourite colour palette to work with - they were all equally beautiful. I'm so happy my new class was so succesful and I'm already planning all the new colour palettes to work with in the classroom - with my art alchemy paints the possibilities are endless, right?

Here are selected products I've used in this project - all liked to Mixed Media Place Store:

I hope you are having a great week - I'm seeing some of you this weekend in The Netherlands!
Woo hoo!
Sending love

Art Basics Gels - Video Tutorial and Gel Giveaway!

Hi again my dears!
Do you remember I've promised to make a Live Show explaining how to use my Art Basics Gels and why? So I did... and here is a recording of this video - for you to watch and share... and I'm really counting on you now! I'm getting a lot of questions in my social media and email about "how to use..." or "where to start..." - and I completely get it, mixed-media may be overwhelming... so maybe, if you will help me share this video other artists and crafters will have a better chance to see it and we will all help them create? What do you think? Deal? I'd be so grateful!
But wait!
To say thanks for your help, there is a Gel Giveaway too! Am I Gel crazy, or what?! Check it out below the video!

Would you like to win a set of my gels of your choice (glossy or matte finish)?

Here is your chance!

How? 
Share one (or more) of the Gel InfoGraphics in your social media 
and tell your friends about this tutorial and Giveaway!

Then, if you are lucky, you may be picked as the lucky winner!

Here are 3 InfoGraphics for you to pick and share (yes, you can share all of them):

Rules are simple: 

- leave a comment, telling me where you've shared the InfoGraphics - we really want this tutorial to be visible!

- share the info about the giveaway and video in your social media

- keep your fingers crossed so you will be the lucky one!

Giveaway is open till Sunday 23rd September, 9 pm of Irish Time (BST) for all countries, except the prohibited areas. The lucky winner will be announced next Monday on the blog - so don't forget to check!

Thanks again for all the help with spreading a word about this tutorial - this will help me so much!
Sending best wishes!

True Love

Hello Friends!

Karolina is here today with a beautiful new artwork that is practical and poetic at the same time. :)
You can follow her lead and use these clever techniques for any kind of project but I think this particular idea might come in handy for Valentine's Day next month! (hint hint) ;)

Please enjoy this new inspiration from my talented Creative Team!

*   *   *   *

Perhaps you remember my last year's post about my efforts to get my studio organized. Today I have for you another idea to make your art space look unique and more orderly. :)

It's an altered wooden organizer in which you can store all sorts of handy tools and trinkets.

I decorated it using a transfer technique - I think the texture of wood makes transfers look especially beautiful.

First I prepped the surface of my box with White Gesso and Snow White Impasto Paint.

After drying the background, it's time for the most crucial step: apply a single layer of gel medium to the entire surface of the wood. Not too thin but not thick either. If it's too thick, the paper will be hard to rub off.

Then I simply glued on my photo - important notice: glue your chosen image face down!
I did it with 3D Matte Gel as I think that this gel medium is ideal for transfers.
Make sure your your photo is printed on a laser jet print otherwise the transfer won't work!

Now you need to smooth the surface. You can use your fingers for this, a palette knife, a ruler - just make sure the image is evenly glued to the surface, without any air bubbles. 

You will see the whole process step by step in my video below.

Once the photo is glued and dried, spray it generously with water and simply rubbing it with your fingers, remove paper from the wood to reveal the print. You will see the beautiful transfer emerge. :)

To secure the image, I applied one more layer of gel medium. Thanks to this my photo will be safe and I will always be able to remove any unwanted paint or ink splashes from it.
I also gently swiped the photo with White Gesso to make it blend in with the background.

To make my background more varied, I added accents of Sparks Raven Black paint through the Checker stencil and Modeling Paste through the Flourish stencil for some beautiful texture.

I painted my box with Impasto Paints. They provide perfect cover, have a lovely creamy consistency easily diluted with water and are permanent when dry.

When the color part of the work was ready, I added the amazing Art Extravagance White Crackle Paste - another favorite product of mine! I used Art Alchemy Sparks paint in Mermaid Sparkle to emphasize the crackles and Metallique Emerald Green for the details.

My embellishments here are IOD moulds, Mechanicals, Art Stones in different sizes and some Art Ingredients Glitter from the Ebony & Ivory set. 3D Matte Gel holds everything firmly in place.

I really love how my box turned out. I made it as a gift for a very special couple who decided to start a family.
What can be more beautiful than a union of two loving hearts? This little project is the expression of my belief in true love. :)

And now I'd like to invite you to watch my step by step video tutorial.
Feel free to leave any questions you might have and I'll be happy to answer.

Transfers are an easy and original way to capture moments and memories.

What's more, you can use this technique on all kinds of substrates - altered objects, wood, canvas, in your art journals, even on stones and fabric.

Don't be afraid to experiment, I'm sure you'll feel inspired and come up with your own new ideas!

Happy creating!
x
Karolina

Products used: