Mixed Media Layout "Laid to ruins", 'Words & Paintery' Designteam July challenge

Hi everyone!

Today I'm proudly blogging about my debut as an official Words & Paintery designteam member!

I applied for their designteam call some time ago. You can't imagine how happy I was when I got mail welcoming me to the team! 

Upon seeing July's color challenge that happiness diminished a little though, LOL. The pink was especially difficult to me because I felt I couldn't use a picture of Connor. Since it had to sort of beach related I suddenly thought about Brightons "West Pier".

You can play along with our challenge until August 15! We'd love to see what you come up with! Click here!

During our first vacation to England In 1996, my husband and I visited Brighton and we were impressed by the beautiful, decaying 'West Pier'. Built in Victorian Times, as one of Britain's greatest piers. 

Ever since the 1970's it fell into neglect, crumbling into the sea brick by brick, succumbed to storms, has been set on fire. We came back several years to watch it become nothing more than a small carcass of the majestic beauty and glory it had once been.

Apparently restoring it would have been too costly. It's heartbreaking to me. 

Then again, had it not looked like a shadow of its former self, it might not have haunted me as much... 

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This sheet of paper is from a store called 'Action' so it's not really from a big scrapbooking brand. It suited the picture perfectly though: the colors and the scrolls that resemble the Victorian scrollwork as well as the waves.

Sadly the picture isn't mine, I found it on the net. We were never around at that hour with such beautiful skies.

To enhance the wavelike swirl theme, I used a #timholtz stencil with modeling paste. Slightly blended it with #tatteredangels #glimmermist 'Crushed Shells' but since that did not show enough, I sprayed it on some more afterwards. I sprinkled on (a little more than I wanted to) #Prima #finnabair Artstones and #13Arts glassfiller. 

Later on I sprayed the big swirl with some #tatteredangels #glimmermist 'Coral Reef'.

Sprayed some #tatteredangels #glimmermist 'Coral Reef' here and there on the paper, allowing it to drip as well. 

Using black ink I stamped a gate image all over the paper.

Then came the time to try my new #artextravagance #finnabair #rustpaste! The jars are tiny but the contents work great. I love how quickly it dries, unlike my #VivaDecor #RustyPaper. Wasn't sure how to use the yellow though, I think they should have added a patina blue to the set instead of this. But the result is like real rust! LOVE!

The figurine is from a #prima #IOD mould, by the way. And the lovely hanging clock with the beautiful scrolls is a #Scrapiniec chipboard piece. The face of the clock was covered with #onestepcracklemedium to add to its aging.

So, time to put everything in its place. Used some flowers, leaves, metal embellishments, straws, branches and for the title I used some rub on letters from #Makingmemories.

Unfortunately I had to go and lay this layout in ruins as well as the subject...

The black ink splatters that I added all over the page were too intense. Some of the paper flowers soaked up the ink and it all became a big black blur. 

Luckily there is #gesso and #Inkagold. I used 'Apricot' and 'Browngold'. Also I used some more #tatteredangels #glimmermists, 'Chalkboard French Vanilla' for splattering over the page, and for some accents 'Walnut Gold' and 'Latte'.

I will leave you with some more close-ups of my layout. If you do like it, please let me know. I didn't have enough time because of my boy who fell ill and has been throwing up for a couple of days, otherwise I would have made another one. Seriously.

If you're still interested to see more of my work you can find me on 

Facebook:Less is Bore!

And on Instagram: mandylessisbore 

Happy scrapping! 

Mixed media canvas "Lights will guide us home" May Challenge 'Words & Paintery' blog

Hi all!

Remember me winning the March Words & Paintery challenge with my altered fan? 

Because of that I was asked as a feature for their May challenge! You can check out their post here.
You'll find a little more info on me there as well, in case you're interested.

Secretly I have been working on my canvas using their brand new color scheme. You are so welcome to join them, the challenge is open until June 15!

Check it out here:
Words & Paintery May challenge

Those jummy and fresh colors spoke to me immediately! The quote however, gave me some trouble. Until I came up with the perfect idea...

Last Summer we spent our holidays in England, again. My husband and I love England. Only this time we brought our son for the first time (and my dad too) to share our love for England with them! This was even Connors first holiday/vacation ever.

The picture I used was taken on the boat on our way back, from Dover to Calais. Obviously the lights that will guide us home are the lighthouses and other coastal lights. Which is why I used a lighthouse on my canvas as well.

For starters I glued a paper to a canvas. The paper is from 13 Arts and is called 'Faces of Spring/In your eyes'. 

Then I applied Tattered Angels Glimmerglam 'Tailfin' mixed with gesso through a compass stencil to emphasise the 'way home'. Once dry I added some more of the same Glimmerglam. 

Through the Tim Holtz swirls stencil I used Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint Opal Magic 'pinkblue' mixed with 13 Arts 'Magic Powder' to thicken it.

Through a damask stencil I used modeling paste blended with Tattered Angels glimmermist 'Pink Poodle'. Love the razor sharp voluminous result!

Once dry I sprayed a little more of the Tattered Angels 'Pink Poodle' glimmermist over the damask patterns and a little on the paper here and there.

Stamped some rope with knots with black ink on the page.

On the spot I had thought my picture, I glued some bandage/gauche with gel medium and added Finnabair 'Artstones' in different sizes. I covered most of it with white gesso, mimicking sea foam. 

Around the edges, in the corners and on the sides of the canvas I added Prima Crackle Paste, allowing it to dry overnight. Colored the crackle paste with some Lindy's Stampgang 'Mad Hatter Mint' and Tattered Angels Glimmerglam 'Tailfin'. Same goes for the gesso'ed parts on the bandage.

I'll explain some more underneath the pictures of the finished result.

Sprayed some glimmermist on the ribbon, crumpled it and let it dry. The big blue rose was handmade by my sweet friend Jetty.

 The blue berries and twigs are from 13 Arts. The little bottle was filled with 13 Arts 'glass filler beads small'.

The chipboard letters and word are covered with gesso, Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint Opal Magic 'pinkblue' and 'bluegold', some Tattered Angels Glimmerglam 'Tailfin' and 13 Arts 'glass filler beads small'.
The steering wheel roughly got the same treatment after receiving a layer of Prima 'crackle paste' first.
The space in between is filled up with Prima Finnabair Art Pebbles in different sizes, 13 Arts 'glass filler beads small', Prima 'Artstones' and some glass balls. All was colored with Tattered Angels Glimmerglam 'Tailfin' after the gel medium dried.

 

The chipboard lighthouse is Scrapiniec, the wings are plaster and the ornament is done with a new Prima IOD baroque mold and clay.

  Filled the lighthouse up with mod podge I blended in two tones, one gold and the other mint.

 The wings are coated with Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint Opal magic 'bluegold' and brushed of with a bit of pink.

The ornament got a layer of gesso and some small art stones, the A whole bunch of different shades because I just didn't like the result. I tried Prima Mica Powder Opal magic blue and green first. Then some of Prima's Opal Magic paints, some glimmermist, some gesso, you get the picture ;) 

Just paint and play until you like the result!

Sticking to the maritime theme and our journey on the boat, my canvas needed a little boat too of course. I thought it would be fun to have some little cherubs in the boat, whispering a little secret. The secret is that they're carrying with them one of the compasses letters: 'S' for South.

Filling up the space around the picture I added shells, bits of straws, flowers, leaves, branches, chipboard, charms, etc. I wrapped some beaded string with hearts through the embellished parts. When all was in place I painted it with Tattered Angels Glimmerglam 'Chandelier'.

That's it. I think. Took me quite some time to finish this one up because I kept missing and thus adding stuff ;)
Comments and questions are always very welcome!
Find me on Facebook too: Less is bore!
And Instagram: mandylessisbore

Happy scrapping!