Mixed Media Tutorial - Mini Art Journal

Hello Oddballs!!!!

Have you heard about our new "Technique A Week?"

Each week one of the lovely Oddball DT gals shares a new art technique...

Find all the details including how you can win FREE STAMPS on Angeliques blog HERE as she shares her Colorbursts Technique!

Today I am excited to share with you a mixed media technique to create a Mini Art Journal!

When I was first inspired to create this mini art journal I had a different design in mind which didn't use the ribbon or need any holes anywhere.   However about half way thru I decided I really wanted to use this Tim Holtz crinkle ribbon that I've been hoarding for years so I changed the design a little to incorporate it.   

Had I planned for the holes I would've used thinner cardboard making the covers able to go thru my hole punch.   As it was I used an electric drill atop a plank of wood to drill the holes thru both covers...... it worked!  Who knew?  lol  This new design also made the process of using 1 long sheet of paper for the inside pages moot. 

I have included all the files necessary to make the above journal as well as a blank template to design your own.  The 2 stamp files are ready to be printed on 6" x 6" paper to give you the same starting point that I used in the video or your can use the blank template to design your own front and back covers using any digital stamp or clip art of your choice.    You can download all 3 files here.... Template Download

I still want to try my original design idea so for my next Technique week which will be March 29th I will be back with another video to share my original art journal technique with you.

In the meantime you can check out any Techniques you may have missed in February.....

 Oddball DT Tina's fabulous Brusho Colors and Spray Starch Technique from February 8th & Troppostella's funky Airbrush technique from February 15th

Be sure to join Oddball DT Tina on March 15th for her "Bubble" technique & on March 22nd Oddball DT Penny will share her "Stencil" technique!

We hope you find the inspiration in our techniques to have fun and create something wonderful..... we hope you will join us over in the Oddball Art Stamps FB Group to share your creations and join in our Monthly Challenges!

Thanks for stopping by!
Lizzy xo

Lets Do It With Rubber

It seems that there are a lot of Oddballs out there that still don't know about my line of rubber stamps available exclusively over at www.WhimsyStamps.com!

So I figured lets change that up with a little GIVE AWAY!

Currently there are 16 unique designs available and more to be released come September!
+ 2 on 50% CLEARANCE 
Moondrop 
&
Perscilla
You can check out the entire Lizzy Love Collection HERE.

PRIZE PACKAGE

1 ORIGINAL PAINTING + 1 RUBBER STAMP SET

"Plans 4 The Weekend"

Original Mixed Media Painting

5" x 7" on 140lb Cold Press paper

AND

1 Rubber Stamp Set

(If the winner already owns this stamp set they will be able to choose one they do not yet own)

HOW TO ENTER

I will be using Rafflecopter for this give away since it worked out so well last time!  You MUST purchase a rubber stamp from the WS Lizzy Love Collection between August 4 2015 and September 4 2015 to enter. You will receive 5 entries for every stamp you purchase during the qualifying period,  please enter each stamp purchased into the Rafflecoptor separately to earn all of your entries.  After which you  can also score extra entries by visiting me on FB [2 entries] and tweeting about this giveaway each day. [2 entries] 

This Give Away is open to participants all over the world!  WHIMSY STAMPS has retailers worldwide so you can find a retailer near you HERE if you dont see my collection in the retailers store that is closest to you just contact them and ask as they should be able to order in whatever you want from the WS Lizzy Love Collection. 

This give away will go til Friday September 4th 2015 at which time a winner will be randomly drawn!

Enter below......

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Looks To Kill

In case you missed this one on FB a couple of days ago here she is again, I can't even put into words how pleased I am with how she turned out!  This was my first time experimenting with my new Twinkling H2O's which I have up until now only admired from afar on Youtube and everytime I went into Michaels. Yes I am a bit on the cheap side so it wasn't until they finally went on clearance at my local Michaels that I finally got my chance to try them out! lol Unfortunately I was late to the clearance party and all they had left was 2 lonely packs luckily in 2 different color combos so I grabbed them both up for only $7 a piece YAY! for those that dont know that is down from $21.99 a piece previously before the sale!  

I really enjoyed working with the Twinkling H2o's and they were used the most in this piece however I also used gelatos, watercolor pencils, watersoluable Neocolors, gel pens, acrylic ink and Montana Paint markers (also acrylic), archival ink, iridescent medium, black embossing powder on the bats only and glossy accents for the eyeballs of the flowers and the eyes on the candy corn which I must say really finished this piece off nicely and made it pop in real life!  

With all the shimmering and iridescence going on in this piece the scan unfortunately doesn't do it much justice.  This piece was completed for a swap that I participated in recently, the theme was Halloween.  This mixed media painting is titled "Looks To Kill" and was painted on a 5x7 piece of mixed media art paper that I cut down to size using my pattern craft scissors.

I will be back to post I what I receive in return from my swap partner once I receive it.  I hope my partner likes what I made her, I totally fell in love with it and had a really hard time letting it go lol :)

Day 4 & 5 ~ 29 Faces Challenge 2014

Well it was bound to happen sooner then later! lol  I have officially fallen behind on this challenge, but I am attempting with this WIP to get myself somewhat caught up. 

(even though it might be cheating just a wee bit lol)

Mixed Media Journal Page WIP

So I am not quite finished this page yet, obviously lol Its 2 am and I am falling asleep with the paint brush in my hand so its time to call it a night.   Did you catch my cheating?  Face #4 is the girls face and face #5 is the pandas face on her hood.  What do you think?  Am I cheating or....   

Thank you for stopping by, I will have some finished artwork and more faces to share with you tomorrow!

Day 3 ~ 29 Faces Challenge 2014

My day 3 painting was done on a large piece of fabric which is part of an international collaboration project that I am participating in with a bunch of other women artists around the world.  Since the fabric is so large unfortunately I was only able to barely get my part into my scanner, if I have time tomorrow I will take a pic of the whole thing with proper daylight.  This particular piece was split up into sections so each artist worked on their section from start to completion by themselves.  The section I completed pictured above is 12 inches tall and 7 inches wide and was done mostly in acrylics, some ink, washi tapes, markers and a few other things.  I actually filmed the whole process and as soon as I find an extra couple of hours to edit the footage I will have the video up on youtube!  It is now 3:25am and seeing as I have to get up super duper early I am off to bed!  Good night and thanks for stopping by! :)

Fun With This Art Thing

I must say, it feels SOOOOOOO good to be back in my studio making art again every single day!!!  Oh how I missed this!!  

I wrote a new poem a couple of days ago to put in the "about" section of my Youtube Channel, I would like to share that with you now.....

Big eyed beauties painted up on the surrealistic canvas

sad eyed vixens evoke such a bittersweet sadness

bunnies and pandas so unbearably cute

in this studio we never put the music on mute

lots of pink and teal too

more neon colors and glitter glue

kawaii creatures pull at your heart strings

Im pretty sure anybody can have fun with this art thing!

~ Lizzy Love

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I have also added a few new Digi Stamp Designs to my Etsy Shop over the last couple of days, I'm really excited about them and can't wait to start putting them into my own paintings! (really soon!!!!)  In the meantime they are all available on Etsy for instant download and you are welcome to use them in your own artwork however you like.

 

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I really feel that this Digi Stamp project is really helping me to grow as an artist in so many ways!  Sometimes challenging, but all the time rewarding!! 

If YOU have any ideas for Digi Stamps that you would like to see me create feel free to let me know in the comments below!

Digi Stamps Are Here!

I am excited to announce that as of today I am now selling my artwork in Digi Stamp form in my Etsy Shop!  

perfect for art journalling, mixed media art, greeting cards, scrapbooking or whatever else your creative mind can dream up!

No need to wait for the postal service as these little cuties will be available to you immediately after your payment is processed for instant download which means you get to print it out as many times as you like!

My plan is to add one or more new digi stamps to my Etsy Shop every day so stay tuned for more designs coming soon!

Have a fabulous artsy weekend! ♥

Halloween Keepsakes

Following up on yesterdays post I just wanted to share with you the other 2 keepsake coffins that I handpainted with my big eyed zombie girls, the set of 3 in pink, purple and teal are all now finished!

Buy Teal Coffin HERE

Buy Pink Coffin HERE

Buy Purple Coffin HERE

Just In Time....

Keep your treasures close to your heart, someplace safe where you will never part, a keepsake coffin is what you need, with big eyed zombies yes in deed!

Just in time for Halloween I am completing these adorable in a spooky way Hand Painted Keepsake Coffins in purple, pink and teal with big eyed zombie girls on the fronts.  I am thrilled with how they are turning out!

Every year in October Michaels sells these wonderful little unpainted wood coffin boxes that I keep eyeing up every year but never got around to buying until now!  They are 5" L x 2 ¾" W x 1 ½" D in size and have a little latch on the side to keep all your treasures locked inside.  

 

Buy purple coffin HERE

I will be completing the pink and teal coffins today and they will be available in my Etsy Shop tomorrow!

Miss FrankenFright

I was recently commissioned to paint a 16" x 20" painting on art board of a dark skin nurse with wild black corkscrew curly hair holding a bleeding human heart.  This is what I came up with...  (keep scrolling down to read the poem that I wrote about this painting)  

Miss FrankenFright

16" x 20"

mixed media on art board

It started with a bang in war torn 1944

you think your safe

when you walk thru 

those hospital doors

until you meet the nurse of nightmares

she’s a terrifying sight

looking after her patients care

they call her Miss Franken Fright 

in the dimly lit hall she stands

holding the bleeding heart 

while its still beating in her hand

she’s just getting to the best part

she sings “spooky come and spooky go

what I do with my bleeding hearts

is only for the dead to know”

~ Lizzy Love

Imagination

Since I was a little kid one of my most favorite quotes has always been "Sanity is the playground for the unimaginative!" I don't remember where I heard it as a kid, I just know that I loved it so much that I wrote it everywhere, in fact I think it is still plastered on my old bedroom door in my parents house. lol  You may have also noticed it at the bottom of my blog here as well and now its finally made an appearance in my artwork, its really about time! lol

I am very much up in the air about selling this painting, I love it that much!!! It may or may not get added to my Etsy Shop, I'm still deciding, but in the meantime here are some pics to share with you and you can order prints of it just follow the link below...

Imagination

4" x 4" x 1.5"

Mixed Media Original

Prints available HERE

Thanks so much for looking! Ciao for now! ♥

In My Art Journal

I've decided to give you a little peek inside my art journal today because the ACEO that I ended up creating yesterday originated there.  I actually have 2 art journals going at the moment, one is very rough, doodling, sketches and that sort of thing and the other is a mixed media journal for doing more painting and stuff however I rarely find the time to get to that one anymore.  So from the first journal...

After I did this little pencil sketch above yesterday I decided that he was just too darn cute to stay locked away in my journal as a pencil sketch and that he deserved his very own art card to be shown to the world!

So here he is in color...

Shy Boy Had A Bad Day

ACEO Mixed Media Original

2.5" x 3.5" on linen canvas paper

$10 on Etsy HERE

So when its all said and done I think I like the original pencil sketch better then the ACEO! lol He just seems to look a little bit cuter in pencil then he does in color, maybe I chose the wrong colors?  I'm not really sure, or maybe its just me?  who knows, what do you think?  Is he cuter in pencil or color or does it not make a difference to you? I would love to hear your opinions, comments and criticisms in the comments below!

Thanks for looking! Ciao for now! ♥

Dream Big

Unfortunately I'm still not feeling very well but I wanted to share the ACEO that I finished, it was the WIP from yesterday.  I don't have anything started to show you at the moment and I didn't write a poem to go with this one yet either.  I do intend on coming up with a poem for this one at some point so I will probably come back and add it in eventually.  Hopefully I get feeling better soon and get things back on track around here!!  I have a big art show coming up August 24 & 25 weekend which is why I have been building my ACEO collection back up again amongst other things as well, just hard to do much when your sick! blah

Dreams 6

ACEO Mixed Media Original

2.5" x 3.5" on mixed media art paper

available on Etsy HERE

Thanks for looking! Ciao for now! ♥

Head In The Clouds

Dreams 5

ACEO on Mixed Media Art Paper

Mixed Media Original

Available on Etsy HERE

No one is who they seem

in this ever growing crowd

she's lost in a dream 

with her head in the clouds

~ Lizzy Love

I'm not feeling too well today so I'm just going to keep this post short and sweet.  This next pic is the ACEO that I am currently working on, I should have it done by tomorrow and will post the finished pics then.

ACEO WIP

Mixed Media Original on Linen Canvas Paper

Thanks for looking! Ciao for now! ♥

Summer Snowballs

Just going to be a quickie post for you today to share a new ACEO that I have done, its the owl WIP from yesterday.  I don't have a poem to go with this one either so like I said, a real quickie! lol

Summer Snowballs

ACEO Mixed Media Original

2.5" x 3.5" on mixed media art paper

on Etsy HERE

I don't have a WIP to share with you today as I am still working on the other one I shared with you yesterday and have yet to start anything new.  I'm sure something new will blossom later today! lol

In the meantime I would love to hear your thoughts, questions or criticisms below in the comments!  As always thanks for looking and ciao for now! ♥

ACEO ~ ATC ~ Art Card

You may have noticed already but I'm back on an ACEO kick!  Over the past couple of days I have shared the new ACEO's that I have created and been asked about 5 different times "Whats an ACEO?"  So I decided before I go any further with the new ones today I would take a moment to answer that question once and for all in case there is still anyone left out there wondering "what the heck is an ACEO?" lol  To make this easy I just copied and pasted the web definition from Google as they tell it perfectly!

Artist trading cards (or ATCs) are miniature works of art about the same size as modern trading cards baseball cards, or 2 1⁄2 by 3 1⁄2 inches (64 mm × 89 mm), small enough to fit inside standard card-collector pockets, sleeves or sheets. The ATC movement developed out of the mail art movement and has its origins in Switzerland. Cards are produced in various media, including dry media (pencils, pens, markers, etc.), wet media (watercolor, acrylic paints, etc.), paper media (in the form of collage, papercuts, found objects, etc.) or even metals or fiber. The cards are usually traded or exchanged. When sold, they are usually referred to as art card editions and originals (ACEOs).

I have 3 to share with you today! First off is the WIP that I shared with you yesterday is now finished, it is #4 of my ACEO Dreams Series, mixed media on mixed media art paper.  I have written a poem about this one which I will share here with you in a minute.  I just also wanted to let you know that I did write poems about the last 2 that I created as well and not only are the poems written on the backs of the ACEO's but I also went back and added them into the blog posts and the Etsy listings so if you want to read them here are the links Dreams 2 and Dreams 3.

Dreams 4

Mixed Media ACEO

2.5" x 3.5" on mixed media art paper

Available on Etsy HERE

Some dreams are big 

other ones are small 

they can be short 

or mighty tall 

some times your dreams 

you sleep right thru 

other times your dreams 

they do come true

~ Lizzy Love

I actually have 2 WIP to share with you today!  The first one here is going to be an owl when it is finished and I am not sure if you can make out the sketch of the owl on top of the paint or not, I haven't started to paint the owl in quite yet.

So far I started with a piece of mixed media art paper cut to size.  I collaged a bunch of small pieces of sheet music that would of otherwise been scrap as they were so small to the card first. I then added acrylic paint, I guess I over did it a bit with the paint as you cant see much of the sheet music at all now! lol I sketched the owl out on white tissue paper and applied it with gel medium to the surface and that is as far as I've gotten with this one so far.

This next one is going to be #5 of my Dreams Series and it is going to be another big eyed girl.  So far with it I used a piece of mixed media art paper cut to size.  I did something a little different with this one, something I never did before as I just had the idea last night.  Im sure a lot of other artists out there already know and do the little technique using Tim Holtz distressed inks by applying the ink in a couple of colors to the Ranger craft mat and then adding water and placing your paper or in this case my ACEO in the water ink mixture then lifting it up to see what you got.  Well in this case I did that with spun sugar and broken china distressed inks only instead of spritzing water on it I spritz Perfect Pearls mist in the perfect pearl color which is just translucent shimmering white.  I am in love with the result!!!!!  Well, you can see for yourself...

Ok, the pic above does not do it justice at all!!!!!!  This card shimmers so beautifully and when you tilt in the light you get all these shimmering blues, grays and pinks through out the whole card, it is really something!  So after I did that with the inks, I added the clouds and raindrops and a postal stamp but wish I hadn't done the postal stamp, its ok though because I will be painting the girl in and hopefully she is going to cover up most of it anyhow.  

I should have these 2 WIP done by tomorrow to share with you!  Thanks for looking and if you have any questions please feel free to leave them below and I will try to answer them the best I can!

Ciao for now! ♥