April Showers with Mixed Media

The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog has geared things up this month. We have a fun challenge with some prizes from DecoArt!

I'm so thankful (as well as my team members) to DecoArt for graciously sharing their awesome products with us. I'm so excited to share what I created. DecoArt has a line of products specifically for mixed media artist. The line is called DecoArt Media (click the link to view the product line).

My project was quite large. I worked on a 20" square canvas. I collaged various papers on it, then used this wonderful DecoArt product called Crackle Paste.  I used various stencils and a palette knife to apply it, then let it dry. I hope you can see the wonderful texture it made.

The theme for this month's challenge is April Showers. If you are participating, this can be anything from umbrella's, to clouds and rainbows, to  - well.... the sky is the limit (literally!).

I chose to paint coneflowers after a fresh rain shower. The next wonderful DecoArt product I used was the Fluid Acrylic paint. I used it in a variety of ways from dripping and spraying with water, using it like watercolor, and also direct application and line work. I love these paints! I also used their Gesso (white) to separate some of the background from the foreground over some of my collage papers. It's great, too.

"After the Rain" 20" x 20" by Melanie Douthit

Here's a closeup of the paint OVER the crackle paste.

In order to participate, go to the main Mixed Media Challenge Blog and upload the link for the project you created for this month's theme. There will be 3 random winners and each will win a  prize package of DecoArt Media products. How cool is that!

I hope you are inspired by this month's challenge. We can't wait to see what you create.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

March with Mixed Media Monthly Challenge

The design team has been busy creating some fun products for the March Mixed Media Monthly Challenge. We have been so thrilled with the number of folks creating and participating in these each month.

Our theme for March is "Birds of a Feather".

Create something that reminds you of birds - birds, feathers, wings, quotes, nests, eggs.... be creative! Let us know how birds inspired your project.


Here's my project for this month.

I collaged patterned papers on a 9x12 stretched canvas. I then used acrylic paint draw the design and add color to the images.

Our sponsor this month is Faber Castell Design Memory Craft. They are offering Gelato prize packs to 2 lucky winners!

One winner will win Mixed Media with Gelatos kit

Another winner will win the Card Making With Gelatos kit.

To enter this challenge, link your project to the space provided on the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge blog.  Be sure to visit all the designer's pages for tips and info on their creations.

Thanks for stopping by and happy creating!

Think Pink February Mixed Media Monthly Challenge

For the month of January, I hopped on board the challenge that I have seen many artists participate in over the past few years. The "30 Paintings in 30 days" challenge has fascinated and terrified me in the past because I felt I was a slow painter, but I jumped on the train and completed 29 paintings this month. One of them is for this month's "Mixed Media Monthly Challenge" theme of "Think Pink"

If you haven't participated in the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge, I hope you will do so this month. 

The sponsor this month is Ellen Hutson. 

"Ellen Hutson LLC was established in November 2006 and is currently located in Issaquah, WA. We are an on-line retail store that caters to the needs of paper craft artists. Ellen Hutson, LLC is always looking to provide our customers with quality products, excellent customer service, and education and inspiration for each of the products we carry."

and the prize is a $25 store credit!

I love doing girls and faces, so I created a whimsical girl on a 12" x 16" canvas panel.

Here's a close up of her face, using acrylic paint. 

and I used patterned papers for her dress and the field she's standing in.

I wanted to incorporate the phrase "Spread Love Everywhere You Go", so I used black Stayzon ink and some older (discontinued) alphabet stamps. I call her a "Ragamuffin Girl". 

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you take part in the mixed media challenge. Just go to this post on the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog and follow the instructions for linking up. You can enter up to five times!

Have a great week!

Happy New Year 2015

It's my first blog post of the New Year! Happy New Year!

I'm sharing my project for the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog. Our challenge was to use a new-to-you technique or product.

I had been saving a wine bottle to do something with, so I decided to pull it out and decoupage it. I chose a palette of blues and greens and browns. It was quite easy to do. I can envision a grouping of these to decorate tables.

Our sponsor this month is Butterfly Reflections Ink. The random winner of all those that participate will win a $25 store gift certificate. How cool is that? 

To enter, link your projects to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog anytime in January. We can't wait to see your projects. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great new year!

December Mixed Media Monthly Challenge

Tis the season to be........... busy!!!

My daughter is busy rehearsing for a Christmas show at the local theater, and I've been trying to get finished with my painting commissions and still find time to make small gifts. Speaking of gift items, I had the bright idea to make a series of mixed media angels - and they were a huge hit. The first one I made is the one I'm using for the December Mixed Media Monthly Challenge. This month's challenge is "Tic-Tac-Toe"

The challenge is to create from any three across or diagonal. I chose "star, patterned paper, and ribbon"

Here's my angel "Hope".

She is 8" x 10" on 1.5" deep sided canvas. I used papers, paint, stamping, gold leaf, and whatever else I found in my papercrafting stash.

Play along with us! Our prize for this month's challenge is a $25 gift certificate to Inspiration Emporium. 

To play, link your project to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog. Thanks for stopping by and have a merry Christmas season.

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge 6 - Stamps

I've enjoying the challenges we have had so far. We are on our 6th challenge since we started these! I've been blown away at the creativity of the participants.

This month's challenge is one of my favorites to use in mixed media - Stamps! What creative person doesn't have stamps. They are so versatile and fun. Our sponsor this month is Unity Stamp Company and the winner of this challenge will win a $50 store certificate to the Unity store. How fun is that!

Here's my creation for this month's challenge using stamps.

All you have to do to enter this is create a mixed media project using stamps, and link your creation at the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog. 

And check out all the other creations by our guest artist and design team. Have fun with the challenge and thanks for stopping by!!

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge for October

The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog has been such a fun thing to be a designer for. I have enjoyed coming up with new ideas to use supplies and "mixing up" the media! I hope you can participate in the October challenge.

The October challenge is to use ribbons! I have always loved using ribbons in my scrapbooking and cardmaking. In my heavy paper crafting days, I had a tendency to collect and hoard ribbon, including keeping even an inch of scrap or lace trim. I'm sure some of you can relate! When I found out our challenge for October was ribbons, I was so happy.

Our sponsor for this month is May Arts. They are awarding our challenge winner with three spools of fall inspired ribbon.

My project for this challenge is a 11" x 5.5" wide piece of lumber. I collaged papers on it, then added fabric flowers and ribbon. The gold leaves is actually ribbon, and I also used a bit of green cotton trim. Flowers are always in fashion, right??

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have been inspired to participate in the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge. Link up your projects on the October challenge post here. We can't wait to see what you create!