Mixed Media

Army wives are always having a "coffee."  That doesn't mean there's actual coffee involved, but it's what get-togethers have been called since...well...I don't know how long.  Anyway, one of the things I've done with coffee groups is go to the painting studio.  The problem is, I paid around $40 for something I won't hang on my wall.

So, when the Blog Hops With Heart gals decided to do a mixed media project, I decided it was time to cover what I won't use and see if I could come up with something I would.  Before I got started, I did some blog hopping and ran across this. I used it as inspiration to come up with these:

Here are a few "how to" pictures. (NOTE: I only got two of the three pictures done, but I'm planning a third soon.)

I started by doing a light wash of white paint then gluing some background and texture papers onto the paintings. Next came the chipboard cut-outs. 

After the main chipboard was down, I added a banner and some other kraft-colored shapes.  I dabbed white paint on the kraft-colored images and around the edges of my background and texture paper. Next, I splotched a bunch of paint colors so the overall picture had more color, then added more white paint to tone down anything too bright. I stamped a few background images, but I didn't mount the stamps on blocks.  I was intentionally random both in the inking and stamping. Then, it was time to add accessories. I used rub-ons, stickers, and metallic and resin pieces that, if you put them on a card, need special envelopes and extra postage so they tend to build up in my stash of stuff.  I went hog wild!!

I used up so many supplies, I actually threw out some of the packaging. The best part was dressing up the various wood pieces and picture frame using my theme for the overall piece. I used rub-ons to add letters on the butterfly on my "writing" picture, but the dragonfly on the "home and family" picture has X's and O's to amplify my love theme. My "writing" picture was a great place to display my pin for being a finalist in a writing contest. It's been sitting on a shelf and now I can showcase it or wear it when I go to conference.

I'm now officially hooked on this whole Mixed Media thing. My favorite part of these particular pictures is that most of the chipboard pieces I used were what's leftover after you used the main pieces.

No...I take that back.  My favorite part is that, for about the same amount I paid for one picture, I will have three pictures to proudly display. 

You should have come from Kelly's blog and are now headed to Amie's blog.  We're the only three on this hop, but what we lack in length we make up for in inspiration!

Until next time,
Becca