For me it is a bit of both – I want to be able to create mixed media pieces to experiment and play, but also to use it on my layouts, cards and Project Life cards. So today I created a mixed media block, working directly onto a piece of wood using my favourite art mediums from Prima and some additional embellishments.

To finish off my block I added some Prima flowers and embellishments. To adhere everything to my block I used my Tombow Mono Multi – and it worked perfectly.

 A fun project completed in a few hours – with loads of texture and interest. I really loved working with these high quality products – perfect in every way.

There’s nothing quite as satisfactory as making a mixed media canvas. It’s one of those projects where you can play around with different mediums and just have fun experimenting. And that’s what this project turned out to be…a session of play with different mediums from Chiswick. And here’s the canvas i made…

I used a combination of products to add colour to my background, but it is when i added my texture that i really started playing with the different products to add shimmer. To finish off my canvas i added some flowers and diamante along with some vinyl die-cut words

here’s how i did it step by step
step 1 – Colour your canvas with paint and gesso to create a base. Once dry use a stencil and texture paste to add a dimensional pattern

step 2 – Leave the gesso to dry thoroughly

step 5 – Using the Pearlescent pigment ink pad highlight the edges of the textured pattern by lightly swiping the ink pad across the texture areas. Do the same around the outside edges of the canvas.

Finish off your canvas with some paper flowers from Chiswick as well as other handmade flowers for contrast and texture. Add some vinyl stickers or lettering, a photo or a favorite quote to personalize your canvas.
I used the following Chiswick products in my project and they are all available from your favorite craft store or visit www.chiswick.co.za

Last year October i had the pleasure of teaching some ladies at a Spa retreat - 9 friends got together and booked into a spa in the beautiful Magalies mountains close to my home. On the Saturday i met up with them and did a morning scrapping session, and after lunch and a neck and back massage we did an altered canvas class.Here's my sample canvas...

we used loads of flowers from Prima and Petaloo as part of the decorating

gold acrylic paint was used to stamp some circles, and then a white pen used to add random scribbles around the stamped circles

the small brown dots was stamped with the back of a pencil using the eraser part dipped into brown acrylic paint - love these perfect little circles

I gave each of them a recycled plastic test tube to use on their layouts - i used a piece of rolled up sheet music in mine but this could be a perfect spot for a little love letter

the beautiful rose on the canvas was done using texture paste - i found a plastic place mat at Pep Home and we used it to add the texture paste right through it before adding the inks and paint to it

i love how something cheap and ordinary can be turned into a scrapbooking/art tool to make something beautiful

i used a combination of 3-4 different Mister Huey inks combined with different stamping inks and acrylic paints to achieve the background colour - i even used a text rubber stamp with white ink to stamp onto my background in selected areas

i love how this canvas turned out - simple in decorating with plenty of hues and shades to revel in!

hope you are having a wonderful week!

Over at The Wholesaler's blog we are sharing some tips and ideas on how to use your Prima embellishments - so head on over to see the entire selection and order yours today
http://www.thewholesaler.biz/blog/embellish-with-a-purpose

i just love these elements to frame little photos and sayings

 I also really love a good chunky necklace with a surprise element. I have often used scrapping elements together with beautiful ribbons to make custom jewellery that can be changed at a whim and re-purposed on a craft project. I used one of the metal trinkets tied with a piece of silk ribbon onto a chunky ball chain. I love the combination of soft and gentle with a vintage industrial feel. These metal trinkets are really amazing for jewellery as an accent piece, making a pretty brooch, used on a key ring and even as home décor.

 It just goes to show that embellishments can be used in a variety of ways – even the unpredictable, but they should always have a purpose. A great embellishment can stand alone quite comfortable making a statement – just like these wonderful pieces by Prima.

things are slowly getting back to normal and into some kind of routine after a hectic 2 weeks of traveling, teaching, parties and more scrapbooking events. but it's all good and i love it. the only negative is that you have to get back into normal/diet eating habits, design team responsibilities that have gone astray along the way and the mundane like washing and packing the dish washer.but God has been good and this year seems to be better than the last couple. God is good in so many little ways and then in so many miracle BIG ways. I think it also has to do with a change of mindset from my side. i will no longer be abuse and used and take a back seat to those who think they are better than everyone. we all deserve a piece of the sun! one of the projects i have done lately and am  very proud of is a specially designed mixed media canvas for Scrapbook Studio JBay's Retreat. I love how this canvas turned out. it started off slow and then turned into this thing i love with all my heart - it's amazing what paint and Mister Huey inks can do for the soul!

the base of the canvas consists of patterned papers that are covered up in a process of layering. the girls were totally freaked out but in the end the result was spectacular. some punched flowers with beaded centers.

beautiful prima flowers for a touch of the unexpected

old rusty nails straight from the farm shed combined with delicate ribbon and lace

hope you have a wonderful creative week filled with blessings. i am blessed each and every day! 

my totally messed up story is worth telling....this is what scrapbooking is doing for me this week!

It’s the month of love, the month of red and white and pink, of eating overpriced chocolates and flaunting ridiculously priced red roses – yip it’s Valentine’s month. Sad that we haven’t cotton onto the idea of celebrating love each and every month, each and every day of our lives, instead we wait for the one month to publicly and privately declare our love to each other. I have learned early in my life that it’s the little things, the seemingly unimportant things that show real love. The things that money can’t buy but that comes straight from the heart and sometimes even the hand. 

For Valentine’s Day I made this little canvas decorated with lots of colour and texture. I started off by adhering some DoCrafts patterned paper to the base using gel medium. I then used a stencil and texture paste to add a pattern directly onto the paper. Then it was time to add some colour using Mr Huey inks. I combined pink, silver, gold and white mist onto the canvas and left the inks to dry naturally. The decorating part was the most fun – I used a combination of different Petaloo flowers to form a dimensional corner on the canvas. As a finishing touch I added some DoCrafts tags and punch outs and chipboard letters. This is a really simple project but loads of fun playing with colour and texture. To create the dimension using my flowers I adhered everything on the canvas using 3D glue dots, this way I could adhere the flowers and then manipulate them until the glue dot settled.

i love the texture and colours variations on these beautiful Petaloo blooms...simply delicious

a docrafts tag peeking out from underneath the layers of flowers

more blooms in reds ...