STAMPLorations 4th Annual Birthday Hop - Day 5

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STAMPLORATIONS!

I am SO excited to be a part of the STAMPLorations 4th Annual Birthday Hop for this awesome little stamp, stencil and die company.  I have to say that after spending the last year working with all their products I am very impressed with both the quality of the product and the awesome customer service Shery Russ always delivers.

In celebration of the big event STAMPlorations is holding a week-long BLOG HOP to reveal a huge number of new products which have all just been released AND all these brand new products are 15% off until July 7th (which means if you use my discount code STAMPGIRLLYNNE you will get 20% off regularly priced items and 35% off all the new stuff!!) and there are over $200 in prizes to be won - Go check out all the details HERE!  

Today is Day 5 of the Hop and in case  you missed them, here are all the links to the previous days:

 Day One - Monday June 26th

Day Two Link - Tuesday June 27th

Day Three Link - Wednesday June 28th

Day Four Link - Thursday June 29th

And today for Day 5 of the Hop I am sharing these three beautiful Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) I created using the three brand new STAMPLorations Bloomtangled ATC stamps (which I am LOVING!).

Bloomtangled ATC#1

Bloomtangled ATC#2

Bloomtangled ATC#3

I stamped each image on 130lbs watercolor paper with Archival black, waterproof ink and painted each one using my Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors.  And off course, once they were dry, I had to embellish each ATC with a layer of Ranger's Stickles and Glossy Accents to make them sparkle and shine.

And then I slipped each ATC into one of these Frame Cards for ATCs by Strathmore.  I think these cards take my ATCs to a whole new level.

 Don't they just look like little, jewelled masterpieces?

So Thank you for popping in today to see what I am up to and do go check out the other inspirational projects my teamies have created for this amazing STAMPlorations Birthday Event, they are absolutely spectacular.  And if you plan on ordering any of these products DON'T FORGET to use my code STAMPGIRLLYNNE to get that additional 20% off!!  (I just don't want you to miss out!)

Lynne Mizera, Mixed Media Artist

for the STAMPlorations Birthday Hop Design Team

 

 STAMPlorations products used on this project:

(Visitors to this blog can use My Personal Discount Code: STAMPGIRLLYNNE at checkout to receive 20% off your entire order including sale items!)

Bloomtangled ATC#1

Bloomtangled ATC#2

Bloomtangled ATC#3

Other products Used on this project:
Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor paints
Strathmore 130lbs watercolor paper
Strathmore Frame Cards for ATCs
Ranger's Archival Black Ink
Ranger's Stickles 
Ranger's Glossy Accents

HELP ME! I Have Over 100 Bottles Of Spray Inks! (Sharing My Storage Solution)

Today I am up on the Mixed Up Magazine Blog sharing the system I created for my spray inks.  I am a wee bit embarrassed to reveal that I own more than 100 bottles of ink sprays.  I can justify this incredible number because I use all of them on a regular basis, but I am sure you can imagine the storage nightmare I have created for myself.  I needed to find a storage solution that allowed me to see all my colors, that kept the bottles within easy reach, and most important of all I need a system that was simple to maintain and made it easy to put everything back.  Here is my solution!

I had these shelving units custom made.  I am sure I could have found similar shelving from a store, but these units, that were modified from a unit designed to hold essential oil bottles, have a tiny lip on the front of each shelf as well as each shelf slanting slightly toward the back all of which keep the bottles from falling on my head.  (This is very important I have discovered as I am constantly having tubs of modelling paste falling off the shelving unit on the left side of this photo and hitting me in the head all the time!)

I LOVE my shelves!  They are mounted above the paper-covered spot where I do all my messy work, and they hold up to 98 bottles of sprays.  I have organized my sprays by color families -  warms, cools and neutrals - which makes it really easy to find the colors I want and their compliments.

The best part is that no matter how big the mess I create I can put everything back again onto the right spot in seconds.

But after using my awesome ink storage system for a while I discovered that I was wasting a lot of ink when I was trying to choose just the right color spray.  I would spray the inks onto a paper towel to see the exact shade and to compare colors, and often times I would spray more than once.  I finally decided it would be worth the time to create some sort of visual catalog of my inks. And this is it!

To create this visual index I scored two pieces of 81/2 x 11 inch 90lbs card stock every 1.25 inches.  This created a grid of 35 squares - five rows of seven squares across each page.  Then I sprayed my inks onto some thick card stock, cut out a square that fit into my grid and then numbered and labeled the square.

I added the corresponding number to the spray ink bottle using masking tape and a waterproof marker.  I think the numbering is what makes this system so easy to use.

And finally I added basic color wheel information to the back of each sheet and then laminated them and put them on a metal ring.  They now hang next to my sprays and are a my "Go To" reference sheets for both spray color and color matching!

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Now I can pick the perfect shade of spray every time and I can see which sprays sparkle, which glitter and which just shimmer.  I find I am using all my colors more often instead of always grabbing  my "go to" bottles and that I am can now factor in the glitter qualities of each spray on  my projects.  So What do I do with all these sprays? Well....

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I use so many spray products in my art journalling and mixed media card and tag making that I have a huge stash of beautifully inked paper towels and I now use inky paper towels in all my mixed media art.  Lately, it seems, every one of my projects start with a first layer of inky paper towels glued to the substrate and I go from there.  Here are a few examples: This is a stretched canvas covered in inky paper towels and a bit of gesso waiting for me to pull out an image using paint and paper...

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Here is a canvas in progress that started like the one above.   I am use acrylic paint and inks to start pulling out an image of whimsical flowers that I see in this inky paper towel base...

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And here is a plain old cardboard box which I turned into pretty storage for my open shelves using inky paper towels, stencils and pastes and some stamped images....

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Can you see all that delicious texture the paper towel layer created? 

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So that's my share for this month... I hope you enjoyed your peek into this corner of my creative space and I hope that now you too will start using your sprays and hoarding inky paper towels to use in a whole new way!  And here is a little teaser for another blog post:  In my studio space I create storage that is both functional and pretty acting as art work on my walls and visual aids in my studio.

​​SMLSo that

So you will want to keep coming back to see what I share next!
Lynne Mizera, Mixed Media Artist
for the Mixed Up Mag Design Team
 

Sisterhood Of Snarky Stampers Challenge #87 - "A" Is For ARTY!

Hello and Happy Saturday everyone! Today I am sharing the card I created for The Sisterhood Of Snarky Stampers Challenge #87 - "A" Is For ARTY... create something using Mixed Media Techniques.  Now isn't THAT right up my alley?  Here is the card I created... 

I made this card for an amazing woman who I truly believe really can Conquer the World! She is a talented card maker and an inspirational blogger - Ms. Darnell Knauss of djkardcreations.com (you should really checkout her blog!!) and this creation is now winging its way across the Canadian border to her home in California, USA.

The colorful background was made using Dylusion sprays on 130lbs watercolor paper and I used pearl modelling cream by Viva through a stencil to give me all that lovely texture.

I stamped, painted and paper pieced the Prima Doll stamp "Swing Dress" which I fussy cut and attached to my mixed media background using foam tape.

The saying is from my collection of Dyan Reaveley quotes (Oooh How I LOVE how that woman's brain works!) and I then mounted the completed panel on some white card stock to create the card.  Definitely a labour of love for a very special lady! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARNELL!

Hope your day is as Wonderful As YOU

So come and join us over at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers to see what my team mates created and why not consider linking up your own mixed  media creation?  You have until July 7th 11:59 pm Eastern standard time to link up.  We always choose a Queen of Snark and her Princesses and there is blog candy to be had.

Thanks for stopping by to see my creation today... and please do leave me a comment if you like what  you are seeing!!

Lynne Mizera,

For the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Design Team

 

 

Stencil Sunday and Some Inspirational Canvases

Happy Sunday everyone!  Today is Stencil Sunday over at the STAMPloration blog, the day where the design team endeavor to inspire you to use your stencils.

And today is also my last Stencil Sunday post until the fall.  It seems that this wonderful group takes a break over the summer. (How civilized is that?!)  But don't worry, I am staying on with the STAMPlorations mixed media design team group for another year.  Not only are the team and our leader (Shery Russ) wonderful to work and play with, but the products just keep inspiring me!

So with Fall in mind I was inspired to create these sweet little inspirational 4x6 board canvases using inky paper towels as my starting base and the leaves from the Autumn Falling Stencil as masks.

The colors of this paper towel (which I found in my save-the-pretty-paper-box) was the main inspiration for this piece and I just love how the paper towel gives so much color and texture to the finished canvas all in one step.

And even though we are taking a break from Stencil Sunday over the summer I will continue to post a photo tutorial in July and August and of course we will NOT be breaking from our monthly mixed media challenges where it's always "Anything Goes Except a Card" (and you must use a stencil, ANY stencil!)  So keep sharing your projects - we always pick our top three and there are prizes!!

Prizes: $15 gift certificate OR choice of any 2 ARTplorations stencils to the winner

choice of 1 ARTplorations stencil to the top picks 

So watch for my summer tutorials, I have something pretty special lined up and if I don't see you until the fall - Have a wonderful summer!

Lynne Mizera, Mixed Media Artist
for the STAMPLorations Mixed Media Design Team

STAMPlorations products used on this project:

Use the code STAMPGIRLLYNNE to get 20% your entire order at STAMPLorations, even the sale items.

ARTplorations: Autumn Falling Stencil

STAMPLorations: Trendy Birds 2

Turning 55 Has Been A Turning Point!

Oh My Goodness, so much to share with all of you today and I will try to keep it down to a short story-sized post!  Firstly on  May 27th I turned 55 and this EXCITES me beyond belief because I believe that double-digit birthday years are powerful and life changing, especially if you pay attention and leap onto the opportunities that present themselves through the year.  Let me explain: 

At the end of my 22nd year I began planning a trip to China for three weeks; I was a single mom with two children working as a waitress (so you would think not very possible) but as I worked toward that goal everything just fell into place allowing me to take this life-changing journey.  (And it really did change my life but all that in another post!)

The year I turned 33 I met "Mr. Awesome" (my husband now) and even though I had sworn off men for the rest of my life I took one more chance with my heart and am I ever glad I did because our life together has just gotten better and better ever since.

The year I turned 44 I took a new job with a start-up oil and gas company, a decision that allowed me to retire forever from office work five years later at the age of 49!

And three weeks ago I turned 55! So now can you understand my excitement?  And guess what? The awesomeness is starting already! 

This is me on the night of 55th birthday...

Here are just a few of the things that have happened in the past few weeks: 

Just before my birthday I was selected as the only Canadian on the Mixed UP Magazine design team.  Something I have wanted to do for a long time is to be able to share my work through tutorials and articles and now I AM! 

Three days after my birthday I received my first commission cheque from the Fly In The Fibre, a local store that is now carrying a bit of my work (only 100 pieces! grin).  So I actually got a "pay cheque" for being an artist... Swoon!

SOLD - on the very first day!

A few days later I arranged to teach two mixed media canvas classes in the area, putting myself out there as a mixed media artist and instructor for the very first time.

Not only did both classes sell out, but the first class was a wonderful experience with seven happy students each leaving with a beautiful finished piece that was entirely their own.

Then last week I met another amazing mixed media and fabric artist who lives just up the road from me.  She runs a business called The Art Barn Studio and we have already played together with making our own paper out of blue jeans, and she is teaching me how to make  Junk Journal.  This past Monday we played with Pebeo paints creating these "pours", (happy dance).  It turns out she is another Soul Sister and I can't wait to hang with her more! 

 

And finally this mornning I discovered that I was featured in Nathalie Kalbach's June newsletter with the Elephant tin project I created using her stamps for my Mixed Up Mag blog tutorial last month!(Go HERE to see the tutorial).  And it's only been three weeks since I turned 55!

You know, 10 years ago I started saying "jokingly" that when I retired I would spend Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday working in my glass studio and Thursday, Friday, Saturday working in my paper & paint studio and Mr. Awesome would get Sundays (although I could see him losing Sundays pretty quickly, grin).  But you know, here I am 10 years later doing EXACTLY that! Working full time, every day in my studios (yes, I have TWO) with never enough time left over for my glass, and loving every minute of my life. 

Me and Leah Wilson, who taught me how to make "Oliver" my felted owl.

It really is true that if you love what you do, not only will you "never work a day in your life" but also you will wake up every day full of energy and ready to leap out of bed to get going!

And this is Oliver... the big one on the right.

I just want to say a heart felt Thank You to all my wonderful and faithful blog followers, some of whom have been here since the beginning seven years ago. And to let you know to stay tuned because I think you are going to like some of the changes I am hoping to make to my blog over the next few months!

Some of my new pieces...

As always, Thank You for popping in today to see what I am up to and please do leave me a comment if you like what you are seeing!

Lynne Mizera, Mixed Media Artist

Creston, British Columbia, Canada