Category Archives: Mixed Media Mania

March 27, 2016 · 1:18 pm

Growing in Art–Part Two

Hello again and Happy Easter!

This piece seems like a fitting way to start. I was in a state of joy when I created it, in a place of geographic joy, and a with people who bring me joy!

Used lots of found and upcycled items in the construction–scrap wood, muffin papers, sari ribbon, and circuit board remnants.

Another piece on canvas panel. Experiments with dripping Izinks ink, acrylic paints, stencils, ink pens, foam letters on corrugated cardboard colored with Shiva Paint Sticks, also used heated molded plastic, and Pico embellishers. I am learning more about water soluble vs. non-water soluble as evidenced by smearing of some of my details.

I still like to upcycle certain used clothing tags and here is a batch I did at Christmastime. It is a good way to use up all those little bits and bobs I have leftover from other projects.

Because who doesn’t love a pic of art supplies??!!

A sweet and swirly Valentine!

My latest on a canvas panel. Mounted on an upcycled backing from a frameless glass frame. I used modeling paste, a Patti Tolley Parrish stencil, Silks acrylic glaze, glass bead gel, Shiva Paint Stiks, a frame I filled with resin (and a worry doll), heat moldable plastic, a fortune from a fortune cookie, Pico embellishers, and well over a dozen layers. At one point I was so disgusted with the whole thing that I covered 95 percent of it in black paint and then uncovered parts and continued on. I really think that you have to hate your project at some point before you really get to something. Or maybe that’s just moi….

In any case I wish you all a good day and I welcome all comments!

ArtOutWithYourHeARTOut

4 Comments

Filed under Doodlydoo, Flash Trash & Glitter, Mixed Media Mania, Musings

Tagged as black, flowers, glass bead gel, katyoparty, layers, mixed-media, paint, Patti Tolley Parrish, sparkle, texture

March 23, 2016 · 5:00 pm

Growing in Art–Part One

Yep that’s a stamp I carved! I’ve actually carved three stamps now–all hearts! Hardly surprising since I’ve rarely met a heart I didn’t love. My first two hearts are about an inch big and did them during a Julie Fei Fan Balzer stamp carving online tutorial. This latest heart was done at the ReMe art retreat on Ocracoke Island in May, 2015. I enjoyed the process and have enjoyed being able to use my own stamp but I haven’t carved any more. I have all the things I need to do more but my creative attention span is short. I’m always on to the next thing. And the next thing. and the next thing.

That may explain why I have an obscene amount of art supplies. When I embrace a new technique or supply I have the habit of buying every color or every tool or every whatever it is. I recently saw a Youtube video by Sarah at MySerenityCrafts from March 4, 2016, where she vlogs about her experience of buying art supplies. I had already decided at the beginning of this year to USE WHAT I HAVE and I’ve been contributing to a huge bag things I am ready to pass along to other artists. Seeing Sarah’s vlog just confirmed my belief that I need to pare down.

But I digress….I’m supposed to be writing about things I’ve branched out into in my art.

I’ve been really stretching my comfort zone and painting and doing more mixed media than ever and making a point of using what I have. Here are a few new things–

This one I used a canvas panel with Silks acrylic paints and Staz-On ink pads for the background. The dragonfly is made of resin. I made it!! I first stenciled the dragonfly using modeling paste and then made a mold of it. I then poured resin and it worked. Yep I’ve been through a major mold-making and casting phase. For awhile there I would slap mold putty on anything that didn’t move for a minute…

One interesting and unexpected (at least to me) occurrance happened when I used a Silks acrylic glaze to stencil the cherry blossom branch in the left background. The original color was a bright pink but when I put a layer of gloss medium over the top of the piece to seal it it caused a major color change to the Silks glaze and also slightly blurred the image. I liked the effect so I’m calling it a happy accident. I haven’t yet tried to recreate the phenomenon again. If any of you have used this technique on purpose I’d love to hear about it.

The piece below that I called “Transform” is on a canvas panel and then mounted on a recycled backing panel from a frameless glass frame. This experiment involved glass bead gel and a gorgeous stencil by Patti Tolley Parrish (available at iStencils.com)–it is called Dangles. I also used some chipboard pieces that echoed the dangle idea but I cannot remember who made them because I had them unwrapped in my stash. I also used acrylic paints, Silks, Gelatos, Izink pigment ink, alcohol inks, and a partridge in a pear tree–lol Maybe I should list the things I didn’t use….

My final share for today is another piece on a canvas panel. This one used stenciled texture paste, embossed deli paper, and wipe off pieces of baby wipes and paper towels. I used lots of bright colors with acrylic paints, acrylic inks, and some paint pens. This piece is posed with Hula Girl my desk mascot and it makes me happy!

Part Two is coming soon! Thanks for visiting today and I love to read comments and have new followers!

ArtOutWithYourHeARTOut

5 Comments

Filed under Mixed Media Mania, Musings

Tagged as abstract, acrylic ink, acrylic paint, colorful, istencil.com, katyoparty, mixed-media, myserenitycrafts, Patti Tolley Parrish, ReMe Retreat, texture

January 14, 2015 · 10:21 am

Fresh Start 2015

Hello hello blog world! Happy 2015! Who is ready for all that the New Year has in store? Well ready or not–here it comes! I’ve made some goals as I do at some point every year–not necessarily only at the new year. Several times over the years I’ve written down my goals and then never revisited the list until much later and I find I’ve realized those goals. I am now a firm believer in setting an intention and letting your subconscious/the Universe/whatever you call your Power, take over and guide the outcome.

It’s not that I don’t do anything and my goals just happen–it’s more like I’m in tune with the opportunities as they present themselves because my subconscious is on the lookout for them. Along the lines of never noticing pregnant women and then when you get pregnant you see pregnant women and babies everywhere.

I’ve set my intentions on a few art-related things this New Year: blogging regularly, creating art regularly, sharing my creations with others rather than stockpiling it, participating in an art abandonment project, and finding a volunteer opportunity which is art-related.

What intentions have you set with regard to your creativity? I would love to hear. Thanks for visiting today–I can’t wait to see you again!

12 Comments

Filed under Mixed Media Mania, Musings

Tagged as color, flowers, glass bead gel, intentions, new year, painting, stamping, tag, texture, transform

March 6, 2014 · 10:28 am

Swirlydoos March Blog Hop–I’m A Guest Educator!

Hello, hello Friends! I am so excited to participate in the Swirlydoos March Blog Hop as a Guest Educator for the Art Journal Starter Kit. If you have been interested in art journaling this is a fine place to begin. I know you will see many gorgeous and creative inspirational projects from all the designers on the Swirlydoos Design Team and there are fabulous prizes in store for the winners of the hop. Thank you for visiting today and please stop by again soon!

Art Out With Your HeART Out

Welcome to:

Swirlydoos Kit Club

March Scrapbook Kit Reveal & Blog Hop!

If you came here from Petaloo’s blog, then you are on the right track. If not, go back to Swirlydoos’ blog and start from there. We have some amazing projects for you to see today !! Make sure to leave a comment on all of the blogs for a chance to win!!! Make sure you have LIKED & FOLLOWED Swirlydoos on Facebook!!!

Swirlydoos is proud to bring you our beautiful March collection:

Salutations

And check out these coordinating add ons that perfectly compliment our March scrapbook kit!

Are you a subscriber? If so, your kit is on it’s way! If not, check out the Swirlydoos store to see if there are any March kits or add ons in the store!

***All of our monthly scrapbook kits are available in our store while supplies last!***

Has it sold out? – become a subscriber and not only will you never miss a kit again, but you’ll also pay less for your monthly scrapbook kits!

*Mention this blog hop and save 10% on your first kit*

We have some absolutely beautiful scrapbook projects for you to see today !!

Here is my project for the blog hop!

Swirlygirl Journal

Beautified butterfly

Loads of texture and mixed media!

Lots of goodness in the Art Journal Starter Kit at Swirlydoos.com

I also prepared a video to show you the basics on how to prepare your pages and get started with your own art journal practice! Visit Swirlydoos channel on YouTube to check that out (http:\\swirlydoos.youtube.com).

So, let’s get started! Make sure to leave a comment on all of the blogs for a chance to win!!!

You have until midnight, eastern time, on Friday 3/7 to complete the hop. Winners will be announced on the Swirlydoos Blog on Saturday 3/8. In order to qualify to win here is what you need to do:

1: Visit all of the blogs and leave a comment on each. This way we know you were there. Take your time. There are REALLY beautiful things to see along the way.
2: Before you leave each blog, look for the “special” words and write it down.
Once you have visited all the blogs and collected all the special words, they will create a sentence.
3: Finally, go back to the Swirlydoos blog and leave a comment letting us know how much fun you had, tell us the sentence that was created with all of the special words you collected. Can’t wait to hear from you.

My special word is : SHADOWS

The party continues over at Paulien’s blog. Have fun!

67 Comments

Filed under Art Journal, Mixed Media Mania

Tagged as art journal, color, glass bead gel, mixed-media, Swirlydoos, texture

March 5, 2014 · 12:35 pm

Art Journal Update for February

Art Out With Your HeART Out

Hello hello friends! A quick check-in to show you some of my creative journey from February. I worked in my art journal a bit….

Neon Garden

This page started out because I wanted to play with twisted masking tape for texture. After I put down my masking tape and gessoed over it I stenciled the bricks and started squirting acrylic ink around and one thing led to another and thus was born Neon Garden.

I love, love, love, how the bricks turned out!

Abstract to the Max

When I began this page I knew I wanted to do something abstract so this was completely experimental. I kept layering and layering with mists, paint, gloss medium, and finally Vintaj Patina for Metal! I love the effect and texture that this medium added to my page. I used it in two different ways and can’t wait to experiment with it again. Here’s a couple of closeups….

More play with another Julie Nutting stamp. A reminder to myself to live in the Present! Renewed my love for Twinkling H2Os and texture paste!

The first scrapbook page I’ve done in quite awhile….

Last but certainly not least–

Proving to myself that I will never be a professional sketch artist!

Thanks for visiting today and I hope to see you again very soon!

Art Out With Your HeART Out

3 Comments

Filed under Art Journal, Mixed Media Mania

Tagged as abstract, art journal, katyoaprty, masking tape, mixed-media, texture, Vintaj metal patina

January 31, 2014 · 2:21 pm

Blending the Past and the Present

Hello hello! Hope all is well in your world. Thanks for visiting!

I did something today that involves blending the past and the present. I had a blog previous to this one and I wrote about a variety of subjects but many involved my creative projects. Well I discovered a WordPress tool that allows a blogger to meld one blog into another. So I did. Feel free to explore some of my older posts. I love comments–what blogger doesn’t–so let me know your thoughts!

For the past few weeks I’ve been obsessed with a few things–being creative, the HBO series Boardwalk Empire, and my team–the Denver Broncos!

Here are some creative projects I’ve worked on:

Super Simple and Sweet

Bloom Where You’re Planted In the Garden of Life

It Was A Wild Dance In Her Castle Of Dreams

It is said that art is in the eye of the beholder and although this might be a bit of a stretch…I appreciate all forms of art including sports! My most powerful current ~~obsession~~ appreciation of art is the Denver Broncos in the Superbowl this Sunday! Omaha Omaha–Hurry Hurry!! PFM PFM!! This Sunday will be SUPER! Time To Ride! Let’s go Broncos!

Until next time….Art Out With Your HeART Out!

4 Comments

Filed under Art Journal, Mixed Media Mania, Musings

Tagged as creative projects, Denver Broncos, Hurry Hurry, katyoparty, mixed-media, Omaha, PFM

January 4, 2014 · 2:56 pm

Which Path For The New Year?

I hope today’s post finds all of you healthy and happy in this new year! Even though the world in my area is freezing and cold, I am feeling warm and creative on the inside. I enjoyed creating ornament gift bags for holidays….

I really enjoyed decorating the tree….

Now that all of that is behind me, like a lot of people, I’ve been considering my goals for the new year. Personally my goals are much like many people–work on balance in my life, lose a few pounds, be fiscally responsible, yadda yadda yadda.

Artistically my goals are not so clear these days. I love working with paper and mixed-media and paint and art journaling and beads. Over the years my skills and interests have expanded and changed and morphed and melded into a wonderful and colorful experience. With the start of the new year I find myself wanting to turn some sort of page with my creativity.

For the past few years I’ve experimented with selling my one of a kind mixed media cards and met with some success but now there are various outlets (i.e. discount stores, box stores, kits) that now sell handmade “looking” cards for cheap. I’ve decided to continue making cards for my own personal giving and also for art abandonment and charity purposes but no longer for retail sale in the traditional sense.

I’ve also enjoyed scrapbooking for the past 8 years or so. I’ve filled some nice fat albums with my layouts and given them as gifts at times. My family enjoys looking through them from time to time and appreciates the work I’ve put into them. I’ve belonged to several monthly scrapbooking kit clubs over the years (currently Swirlydoos), but there is no denying it is not the be-all and end-all of my creativity these days. I will continue to do my kind of scrapping but I’ve decided to really limit my participation in challenges and round robins. Sometimes I have so many deadlines to meet that I am not taking time to experiment and explore creatively outside those things.

2013 found me delving into the world of YouTube videos and photo tutorials for learning things and laughing at things. I even delved into making some video and photo tutorials myself (yikes!) Look up the Katyoparty channel if you want to check those out. I am enjoying the fumbling and funny learning curve that making videos entails. There is so much more to it than just clicking record…… I am going to continue to experiment in that area.

My fascination for mixed-media has been growing over several years and that is what I am whole-heartedly embracing these days. Art journaling is my current obsession for experimentation. I am completely enamored of art journaling because there are no rules or expectations and you can mix any technique, medium, and/or elements you desire. Do what your heart desires–it’s all good! I am going to continue with my art journal play.

My mixed media play has now jumped to canvas and I’ve been adding more paint and other mediums but I’ve only experimented on small substrates. I want to work on something bigger–something really messy!

I’ve never been published so I’m going to submit something to somewhere at least three times this year. How’s that for a vague-ish goal????

Another of my goals is one that is very well-known by many…..

Dance Like No One Is Watching

Dance Like No One Is Watching!

Until next time….Art Out With Your HeART Out!

3 Comments

Filed under Art Journal, Mixed Media Mania, Musings

Tagged as mixed media art journal, paint, Swirlydoos

December 11, 2013 · 12:23 pm

A Post From The Tundra

Snow dancing!

I am only half joking as I write the title of this post. The high temperatures in the last week have been in the low teens to single digits. I am not a winter person. No sun = little ambition. Cold + no sun = no want to do nada. I’m not a math person either. Just FYI. In spite of all these calculations I have been making stuff. I’ve been making lots and lots of cards.

A pretty and girly card

A grungy card for mom using hand carved (by me) stamps, ball chain, altered ribbon, resin coating, and engraved foil tape.

Lots of mists, modeling paste, glass bead gel, Twinkling H2Os

Embossing, inks, and stamping

Back to the pretty pink and flowers, fussy cutting and ribbon

A tri-fold card with super patina and distresssed metal (started out shiny brass)–love this card!!!

Modeling paste, Lindy’s Stamp Gang mists, Inkagold pastes, and Silks

3D stencil paint, embellished Blue Fern Studios chipboard

All alcohol ink mixed with different mediums, except for the heart and wings which is colored with Inkagold

Small sign for a holiday fair booth

Custom birthday card made for client–antique doily piece, distressed chipboard keys and birdcage, stamping

Holiday cards packaged for sale

Custom birthday card for client–distressed barbedwire chipboard, modelling paste heart, bound like a book

holiday card using stencil cream, fussy cutting, flower and berry pick, ball chain and blingy dangle

Leftover snowflake die cut, piece of burlap string, stamping, distressing

glass bead gel on flower, misc leaf and berry pick, glitter smear, Heidi Swapp Color Shine mist

Stencil cream, doily pieces from stash colored with Lindys Stamp Gang mist, bling from stash

Non-traditional holiday card–distressing, twine, ribbons, stenciling, feathered flower colored with mists, Stickles touches

Ferro, Silks, mists,

Well, that last one is a layout of a most delightful salad I made one day!

I’ve also been working on some mixed media projects

5×7 flat canvas–used my photo

Wall hanging for a sweet little girl–Silks, acrylic paint, Gelatos, chipboard, lacy ribbon

5×7 canvas using all kinds of goodness including MuddPuddles–you can watch a video of the making of this piece on my YouTube channel–Katyoparty

Alcohol inks, stamping, Silks on recycled packaging–check out my YouTube channel–Katyoparty for more info on this project.

Please feel free to leave me questions, comments, compliments! Thanks for visiting!

ArtOutWithYourHeARTOut!

3 Comments

Filed under Mixed Media Mania, Musings

Tagged as alcohol inks, creativity, holiday card, katyoparty, mixed-media, Silks, texture

August 24, 2013 · 6:13 pm

Tango Time!

Hello hello! I’ve been having a wonderful and creative few days here at Create Chicago. Taking awesome classes and visiting with pals I’ve met at previous Create retreats here in Chicago. My first day here I took a class from the (in)famous Sue Pelletier. The class was called Create The Dress You Were Meant To Twirl and Spin In. Sue is a mixed media maven extraordinaire and it is absolutely charming to spend the day learning from her.

I made my dress a bodacious little tango number in the color my mother would never let me paint my room. I really enjoyed the process and building layers upon layers of paint and lace and ephemera and flowers. I will add a few more finishing touches when I return home tomorrow but for now…..anyone up for a tango???

Art Out With Your HeArt Out

6 Comments

Filed under Mixed Media Mania

Tagged as bling, Create Chicago, katyoparty, mixed-media, SuePelletier, tango, texture

August 14, 2013 · 10:33 am

Dragonfly Dreams Canvas

Dragonfly Dreams of Being a Mermaid

This is an 8″x10″ canvas board I picked up at a thrift store earlier this summer. I’m guessing it might be 15-20 years old because I got eight of them in various sizes that were still in their original packaging and all for $2! What’s a girl to do with all those blank boards but start smooshing and spreading and getting her hands messy!

I started out with summer colors–bright orange and turquoise blue but as you can see that didn’t last long. I ended up with “mermaid colors”. The dragonfly began as a Tattered Angels piece that I misted and then built up with acrylic paint, Inkagold, and Shiva Paintstiks. At some point it was outlined with a Pitt pen.

The canvas itself is layered over and over again. I started out experimenting with Kroma Krackle and I am in love with this stuff! You can see the deep cracks in many areas. I put it down on one layer but then went back with it several times after adding more layers with different mediums.

My “swaying” peacock feathers were stencilled with glass bead gel over several layers of paint, mist, and Inkagold paste. I love the variations of color that you can see through the bead gel. I continued to layer with 3d stencil paint and then toned down the gold with Smooch sprays, Lindy’s Stamp Gang sprays, and Shiva Paintstiks.

I also used Golden Crackle Paste to stencil some flowers randomly in one of the first layers I put in the background. I used some Vintag metal brads to anchor a simple organza ribbon for hanging.

I am happy with the way this canvas evolved and turned out. Thanks for visiting and come back soon because you never know what can happen when you….

Art Out With Your HeART Out