I LOVE fine art products! I'm not certain exactly when I began to dabble with art, but I do remember in 10th grade (which was a VERY long time ago-LOL!) taking a correspondance art course that provided me with an opportunity to use all sorts of different products. Over the course of the last 5-10 years I have tried numerous different techniques - gel transfers, paper collage, working with glass - you name it I have experimented with it. BUT I have only been a "dabbler" in the fine art field.
This summer when attending CHA I was giddy to see that Claudine had put together a fabulous line of products that were sized and packaged in a format that I just knew would turn this in to a new "adventure" in to creativity for me. The buttery consistency of these paints lends them to be used and mixed in SO MANY ways. Rather than try and perfect it and then share with you I am going to stumble through this experimental process right here and figure out exactly how it is that I can use the new Studio Line of products in my stamping. I am so excited!
Claudine has been so gracious as to share several emails with me, leading me to resources that she has created. She has given me permission to share that information with you here in the CLASSroom, as well as adding links to the products in the store, so that you will be able to easily find this information in the future. We still need to accomplish the later task, but I do hope to get to that sooner rather than later.
The first thing that I want you to know is that although there are "only" 15 colors in the line you have the option of creating 100's of colors to use in your projects. Claudine has created a mixing guide to share 51 colors that she has created by combining two different colors. I find that this chart is really helpful in that it shows a wonderful jump off point for preparing your own new colors. I have printed off the chart below and have laminated it so that I can have it sitting on my work surface - it's my own little color mixing "cheat sheet." Ü Thank you Claudine for providing these resources to us!
Download Claudine Hellmuth Studio Color Mixing Guide
Claudine Hellmuth YouTube Video showing how to use the Color MIxing Guide
At Summer CHA Claudine had created these wonderful little "brooches" using the sticky back canvas. Then she shared a post that she had created for Hero Arts and I just couldn't stand it any longer. It was time to start the experimental process! Her tutorial was a HUGE help in getting me started.
The project above is TOTALLY inspired by Claudine's post. I have been wanting to know how the paint will work if applied directly to my stamp surface and then applied to the sticky back canvas. The poinsettia has been beckoning me since it arrived here at our warehouse - it was time! What better way to put it to use than to create a beautiful brooch for the holiday season!
I painted the surface of the stamp using Dash of Red. It is important to apply a thin even coating, otherwise you end up getting "globs" of paint when you apply the stamp to your surface. You are going to want to clean your stamp immediately after finishing. This will allow you to clean up with ease. It's kind of like doing the dishes - if you wait it can turn into hours of work, whereas if you just do it, it will only take seconds Ü
As you can see I stamped the poinsettia three times - I started with the poinsettia on the right. You can see how I did a little better with each try. I do think that the look above has potential, but it wasn't what I had in mind. I wanted more color, and variegated colors, so I pulled out my brushes and using the stamp as my guide I began to "color" within the lines.
I found it absolutely exhilarting to feel like I was an artist!!! LOOK at how BEAUTIFUL each one of these layers was coming together!!! OMWord - I'm an artist :) I began by applying the Dash of Red. While the paint was still wet I went over the top with the Modern Red. By working quickly I was able to mix these two colors right there on the canvas surface. I also had a small white plastic color palette that I used to mix color. The key is to experiment without worry. You can always give it a second try if you mess it up!
As you can see by the flower on the left I started by filling in the petals with the darker red on one side of each petal. I then added my second color to the petals and finished by adding a little of the darker tone again on the opposite side. I used the smallest of the paint brushes to help me place my colors precisely.
I have taken a picture of the paint brushes and colors that I used so that you can see that I only used two colors to achieve my final results. Adding Modern Red together with Dash of Red brought my colors together with the papers I had selected in a beautiful way. I used three of the brushes that are included in the Studio Line. I found them to work so well! No fibers left on my projects and tips that are just the right sizes for all the different techniques I tried.
If you read Claudine's post you will note that she used this fabulous polka dot fabric for the back side of here blowers. I didn't have any beautiful fabric here at my studio - all I had were some basic colored chintz and canvas fabrics. I added some elegance to my canvas by inking my Scroll Scrapblock with Encore Gold (this is a pigment based ink - pigment inks do work well on fabric). I wanted the fabric to shimmer, otherwise I could have taken one of the yellow/gold pigment paints and used it on the fabric. Once completed I heat set the ink into the fabric.
I LOVE the sticky back canvas! I have worked with paint, stamping and fabric before and have always needed an iron, and some special fabric adhesive - this was SO quick and simple!!! Simply peel the adhesive backing from the canvas and apply to your other surface; in this case my canvas fabric. This picture also shows you how I painted (or colored in) my poinsettias only completing the portions that I would be cutting out.
Using my fine-tipped scissors I cut out each poinsetttia and then applied gold gouche (this is something I will talk about at a later date). You could also use a gold leaf paint pen, but being the quoche has been beckoning me for some time I just couldn't resist using it.
I used the handle of my brush to curl up the tips of my layers and then using the "stick end" of the paint brush applied some Matte Multi-Medium as my glue to affix the layers. I use the stick end because it is so simple to wipe clean with a paper towel - no scrubbing necessary Ü
I then applied my pin - just like Claudine! She's a good teacher - LOL!
I next created a little tag to use as my pin base. I first cut the tag from Craft-a-board and then applied Wassail decorative paper using Perfect Paper Adhesive. This adhesive is one that doesn't buckle your paper - it is so light weight. In hindsight I wish that I had tried the Multi Medium because I am thinking that it may be an ideal product for adhering paper to paper. Hopefully by saying this out loud I will remember to give this a try soon!
Using the largest hole on my Crop-a-dile I place it so that the head of the pin would set in place and I could fasten it on the outside.
This allows me to place the pin head through it and fasten the pin without bending the surface. I then just applied a piece of removable tape to hold it in the position above. I was thinking that this might make a beautiful little ornament as well. Just apply decorative paper to both sides of the craft-a-board and you will be able to then hang your gift right on the tree!
Now here is where it gets kind of funny. In putting the card together I had planned on "hanging my ornament," thus balancing the reds in a more consistent manner. OOPS - plan B - I had put my papers on with the fold of my card on the wrong side - LOL! Oh vey! That's what happens when I get too excited.
SO, by some interesting placement of my red stamped greeting I was able to pull it all together (sort of Ü). So this is my first foray into the ideas that are brewing inside my head. I hope that you will join me in this experimental process and we can learn together.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope that your weekend is filled with the fun of this holiday season!
