2016 #11 My Creative Home {by Astrid McClean}

2016 Topic 11: Our House

Hi everyone, Astrid here, joining you this evening with a post with the current theme Our House. I love my home, - it is my happy place and so I was delighted to create a project related to this theme. Having said that, I chose to take quite a free interpretation and created a journal page incorporating words that express how I feel about my home. I am a teacher, close to retirement and cannot wait to spend more time creating mixed media art in my craft space. My journal page represents how I feel about my home and that space.

Step One: I started by creating some texture on a double spread in my altered book journal, using Grunge Paste through a Tim Holtz layering stencil, I then added a thin layer of gesso, making sure that some of the text could still be seen.

Next I added colour, using the following Fresco paints: Caribbean Sea, Captain Peacock and Chalk. I used a brush as well as a baby-wipe and some crumpled up kitchen roll to achieve textures in different places.

Step Two: I love those wonderful turquoise hues, but wanted to add more warmth, so I made a mix of Brown Shed and Baltic Blue, using slightly more of the latter and went around the outer edges of my spread to give it a kind of frame, using the same technique of crumpled tissue to add further textures. I love the purply brown the mix of these two colours makes.

Step Three: I have been dying to use the new Infusions, and this was the perfect opportunity to have a play with them, so I picked A Bit Jaded and used it in several places to still add more texture to my background. I also used a bit of Sunset Beach.

Step Four: Usually I would at this point start to do some background stamping, but on this occasion I decided to create some focal points first, one for each side. The first is one of the stamps from the wonderful Lynne Perrella Collection LPCO17, this lady represents my muse, as you will see from the final photo.

LPCO17

Step Five: I gave her some wings from VID 09. My muse often is in need of wings, and I think they fitted her just perfectly.

VID 09

I stamped her in black Versafine and coloured with Vintage Photo and Rusty Hinge Distress inks, adding more definition with a couple of Inktense pencils. For the other side I created a little coin envelope, made with a Tim Holtz die, in its pocket I want to keep notes on things I want to find still for my house.

Step Six: I adhered both elements to my spread and then carefully added shadows to blend the elements into the background using Inktense pencils again.

Step Seven: Finally I used several other stamps from the VID 09 set to create further interest to my background. I also used some of the words from ESN18 to add sentiments that express what my home means to me, a place to chill, reflect experience peace and joy, and of course most of all create art! I also highlighted some of the raised textures with Treasure Gold Renaissance Gold.

Well, I hope you like my journal spread, - I actually made another one, using similar techniques and colours and featuring the main stamp from the ID09 set. If you want to see more details on that one, just visit my blog. Thank you for staying with me and why not create a page of your own to share what your home means to you? Oh and just in case you wondered, - none of the colours I used can actually be found in my home, which is mainly off white in most rooms. I just love the colours I used as they express to me the mood of how I feel about my home. Have a wonderful and creative week! 

Blog: astridsarticefforts

Facebook: astrid.maclean

Pinterest: astridchristine

Welcome Astrid and thankyou for sharing your journal spread, such beautiful colours. The layering and addition of Infusions brings a whole new dimension. our homes are so very important to us and this is a great way to celebrate how you feel about your home. ~Darcy

We would love to see how you interpret this House topic by linking what you make to our 2016 Challenge #11: Our House, on this page HERE.

All of our bloggers love to see your twist on their ideas,  particularly if you were inspired directly by their post. 

All links go in the draw to win a £50 voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. The Our House link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, June 12th 2016. The winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.