Thank You Mum

It is Mothers Day in the UK today and Sunday Postcard Art have challenged us to create art about mothers.      Imagine the job description to be a mother?
- 7 day week, 52 week year, no sick leave, no vacation, no pay, minimum 18 year contract!

My tribute to mothers everywhere:

Thank You to Mothers everywhere

Starting out with 300gsm card stock I applied Americana paint in Butter, Spa Blue, Mint Julep Green and Indian Turquoise blending them slightly.
Next came stamping of flowers and leaves in Archival Sap Green, followed by a damask background stamp also in Sap Green
Both the stamped and typed words used here were inspired by my Mum.  She always always there, loving, patient and definitely quirky! (this is where I get it from I guess).  The clockwork lady is stamped on coated paper and coloured with Promarkers before being cut out and glued to the background with Golden gel medium.
Finally I edged the card with a Glaze Jelly Roll by Sakura and die cut a small heart from a scrap from another project.

Thanks for looking and if you are a Mum - pat yourself on the back!

Gothic Delights

When SPA announced their challenge as Gothic Valentine, I was a little lost for a while but then ideas began to tumble from somewhere and I couldn't wait to make it.  I don't usually do 'dark' art and don't much like Halloween  but have to say I have enjoyed this so much.

Love Eternal

 Starting out with 300gsm paper I cut a heart freehand and then used it as a template to draw a heart on the 6x4 postcard.  I applied Decoart texture sand using a paintbrush radiating out from the heart drawn on the postcard and left it to dry while I worked on the overlay heart.  I glued some white lace to the heart and pressed it firmly and once it was dry I applied 3 coats of Americana True Red.

Painting the whole of the card with two coats of Traditions Carbon black I began dry brushing from the outer edge to the inner edge working with ever lightening shades of gray until I finished using white at the very centre.  It looked like I had dusted it with baby powder!
Once I had finished with the white I began to cover the whole of the white dry brushing with Traditions Quinacridone Violet.  This was the only way I could think to achieve the subtle shading I wanted to achieve.

I mixed some of the True Red and a little black to apply some dry brush shading to the heart and then sprayed it with High Gloss sealer.  The bow at the top was originally white organza that I swiped with StayzOn black.  (it now has a fantastic metallic sheen, love it).

All in all this has been a lot of fun and I've learned a couple of new techniques.  Thanks so much for taking the time to look.

This old heart of mine

I was so excited when I was asked to host at Take A Word this week, that I immediately started the concept drawing (such a child).  I hope you get some inspiration from the piece.

Heart in my art

Starting out with 300gsm water colour paper and using a fan brush I applied light strokes of white gesso.  Once dried I made three very weak washes using distress ink re-inkers in Milled Lavender, Tattered Rose and Old Paper. I applied a tiny bit of Old Paper, and then much more of the lavender and rose.  (The gesso acts as a resist).  Once dry, I applied some glass bead medium in patches over the gesso.  While the medium was drying, I cut a heart from rusty metal (it's real metal and real rust) and, cut the heart in two.  Using a Crop-A-Dile I punched the holes and applied large grommets.
Next came some 'industrial' stamping with Black StayzOn, the stamps are all circuit boards and warning signs.  Then I laced the two sections of the heart with some soft apricot ribbon finished with a bow.

 Several more layers of the weak distress wash, each one dried before applying the next, then a drop of  undiluted re-inker over the beads.  Next came some stamping with swirls using London Fog Archival Ink and then Golden Iridescent Bronze was dry brushed over the beads.
The words were printed on my computer and edged with Tattered Rose and the small hearts were painted with Golden Iridescent Bronze and punched with a small heart punch.
Finally, I dusted the edge of the whole piece with Pumice Stone distress ink.
Thanks so much for looking and your comments.