beeswax and fish tins…

 it begins by brushing melted beeswax onto your tin …

adding paper (I used pattern tissue for the background) brushing on more beeswax using it like glue to affix images, ribbons and such (laser jet images work well as they don’t smear)…

thinner papers melt into the surface beautifully…

I also enjoy adding bits of fabric … lace … zippers and more…

so many things look rich and interesting with the addition of beeswax…

Six Players: Mexican Folk Art Theme

as promised … here are the tip in pages I created for Dianne’s Mexican Folk Art theme … each player has chosen a different theme and varying page sizes…

lots of paint and gesso went into my pages … I printed a skull image onto transparency paper … highlighting with a white pen … I placed it behind the opening I cut in the front cover … the final step was using Golden brand Gold Mica Flake (Large) around the edges of the page … it gives nice texture and shimmer…

*these pages measure 8 x 16 inches*

it wasn’t hard for me to decide to go with Frida…

I created a tin foil frame by rolling and smooshing foil together … stitching it onto the page with bits of colorful fiber… the  flower  is rubber stamped and hand colored…

on the left hand side I used assorted papers to help affix the skeleton transparency dry brushing with gesso and adding a loteria game card at the bottom … el corazon means “the heart”

I painted the back page with blue paint and used a piece of torn wax paper that I had used some time ago for making mono print pages … glad I saved it as it made a perfect layer under the shrine stamp that I used as a frame for the black and white Frida image … white gel pen helped add interest to the stamped frame…

Frida has a lot of powerful quotes … I chose

“I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.”

I used black fine marker to accent the pages too…

here is the tag I created to go along with my tip in … I certainly did enjoy this theme …

next month I will be working on “Trees”

two days with a master artiste

the one and only

Michael deMeng

taught two workshops about twenty minutes drive away …  all thanks to Angela of Happy Stamper in Reston for nabbing him after his Art & Soul classes in Hampton, VA … what a treat!!!

Day 1 Cave of Pages

a simple wooden cigar box … got excited and forgot to take a picture of the actual box part before I got busy … there is the lid

my focal image was going to be a swan … but something different came up in the end … found my box a bit challenging to photograph to capture the true coloring and depth

Michael deMeng is an extraordinary teacher … he creates an atmosphere of creativity and fun in his classes … he could have his own “deMeng speak” dictionary with all of the color wash names and other clever jargon he uses … one of the things that is apparent is that he Loves what he does … he is so present and giving

Day 2 Loteria “Cards” made of simple wood blocks … special cool Apoxie Sculpt clay

(thank you Leslie for sharing) … rusty bits of this and that …

I had so many ideas for these and brought SO much stuff to class

in the end I had to put on a few final touches at home … I got to use some of the great rusty bottle caps Mr Magpie is always surprising me with

I highly recommend

Michael deMeng’s newest book, Dusty Diablos …  a visual feast full of inspiration … he shares some great techniques and tells some fascinating stories in the process … his artwork draws you in with its richness … mystery and depth

I was lucky enough to take an altered light bulb class with Michael at Art & Soul a few years ago … I would definitely take a class from him again… each time I learn so much from this generous and talented artist!

many thanks once again Angela !!!

WS: PARTY

“Party” is the theme this week at Wednesday Stamper

I am still in Frida mode and created a postcard with another of the beautiful painted backgrounds that the lovely and talented Linda in Norway gifted me with

*you can click for a close up of my postcard*

cutouts from a seed catalog…stamping…with white gel pen highlights

plus one  Impress rubber stamp

Note: to my blogspot friends, I have tried to leave comments on several blogs this morning with no success … I will of course be checking again later

WS: Flowers

flowers bring so much color and interest to life…they are among my favorite things

there is even a “language of flowers” which has been used to communicate feelings since Victorian times

this week’s challenge theme for Wednesday Stamper/Mittwochstempler is “flowers”

my postcard began with a beautiful painted background from Linda in Norway

a B Line Design arch stamp and a Rubber Stampede daisy stamp … flowers from Dover clip art and a seed catalog

clickable for closeups

the bluebird of happiness was not a frequent visitor at Frida’s Casa Azul
Here’s Hoping you all had a Happy Cinco de Mayo!

WS: Women’s History Month

there are so many women of note that came to mind for the WS Women’s History Month theme

I could not pass up the chance to do a Frida Kahlo piece

it all began with a sardine can

and beeswax at our local altered arts group gathering

torn map and tissue papers …  bits of lace … a piece of metal zipper and a crepe paper Memorial Day poppy made by a veteran in 2005 (see it’s good to hang on to things sometimes)

the final touch was the red ribbon holding a mother-of-pearl sacred heart pendant that I have also had around for a while

one word from this American Art Stamp (Designer: Kathleene Callei) went into my Frida shrine

be sure and visit Wednesday Stamper to be inspired by our guest designer Sherry Goodloe …  she created an amazing reversible Fragments necklace for this week’s theme to celebrate women

* * Happy St Patty’s Day … here is a sweet Irish tune for ya * *

Frida in the House and a giveaway

This Frida piece is for two challenges this week…..Dans ma maison il y a….une peintre (a painter) and Wednesday Stamper (WS) Bows/Schleifen.  I used a Stampers Anonymous shrine stamp highlighting it with white gel pen and gold gouache.

It’s a rainy dark day, so getting a good photo was a bit of a challenge, you can click for a closer look.

This short video shows real footage of the lovely and mysterious Frida.

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A talented art friend, Roberta,  is having a 200th blog post celebration. Be sure and pop over for a visit and leave a comment for a chance to win her lovely giveaway.