Beauty in Simplicity

Posted on July 28, 2018 by

Creating simply sounds so easy, doesn’t it? The problem is, we make things more difficult than they need to be. I’m just as guilty as the next guy for getting in my head too much when I get ready to create something, and I have to make a conscious effort not to do that. Limiting your supplies is a good way to simplify a project and not feel so overwhelmed by the creative process. Pick out four or five supplies and commit to using only those things. This will help you to loosen up and play more freely, and you may be surprised by what develops!

When I was creating my Mixed Media Morsels – Dessert 7 video for my YouTube channel, I added one of my tissue box flower embellishments to a simple black and white tag I had created a while back. I loved how it looked (see pic below), so I decided to create a similar one to show the simple steps I used… and also because I wanted one to put in my tag book this month, lol!

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The tag base I used in my video was purchased as a printed tag with the text already on it. The new tag I made started as a blank one, so I covered it with text by using a stamp and some StazOn black ink.

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The next step was adding the napkin, which I adhered with some Collage Pauge (Matte). I also colored a plain white reinforcement sticker with a black Faber-Castell Pitt pen, and I adhered it to the hole in my tag. I love the effect of adding a napkin over printed text or music; this works best if you use a napkin with lots of white space.

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Then I added my phrase, taken from the Tim Holtz Small Talk sticker book. I outlined the phrase with a gold Painters pen and a black Sharpie pen. I also used the Painters pen to draw a thin, gold outline just inside the edge of the tag.

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I used the Pitt pen again to blacken the tag’s outer edge and then adhered the flower I created with some punched tissue box pieces and a silver sequin.

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Lastly, I pulled a yellow ribbon through the tag’s hole and tied it with a piece of baker’s twine.

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So simple, yet really pretty!

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If we make a conscious effort to create simply, it will help us to focus better and understand what we’re doing, as well as build our confidence. So let’s shove that nagging fear aside and make things that are simply beautiful!

See you soon,
Cat

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Finding Joy in the Ordinary

Posted on July 1, 2018 by

I really enjoy using everyday items to make marks in my mixed media projects and I’d like to show you another way to use the handmade stamps I created in my Mixed Media Morsels, Dessert #6 video. The tag I have made for the month of June features a simple leaf stamp I made from ordinary fun foam, and instead of using the leaf as a focal point, I created a colorful background, using just that one stamp and several colors of Ranger Archival Inks.

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I wanted the colors of the leaves in the background to be somewhat light, so after inking up the stamp, I stamped it a couple of times on a sheet of printer paper before stamping it onto my tag. I really like how the paper turned out!

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I decided to use a couple of stamps from my stash to create the focal point. Using my water brush, I wet the tissue around the stamped images, making it easier to tear them out.Ā Tearing the images helps them to disappear once they are adhered. If your images are cut out, rather than torn, they will have sharp lines that will be more obvious when they are adhered to your project.

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The border is a hand-drawn line with black dots, made with a Sharpie Ultra Fine Point Marker. I added a few more of the black dots later, along with some additional white dots using a Posca paint pen. My tag needed a reinforcement sticker on the hole, so I used some of the purple Archival Ink to color an ordinary white one, then applied it to the tag once it was dry. Voila! No longer ordinary, now it’s a custom, matching sticker!

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I adhered the stamped tissue paper images with Collage Pauge. You can see how the tissue virtually disappears – I love that! After it was completely dry, I colored in the butterfly stamp with paint pens and I’m very pleased with the simple beauty of it.

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Sometimes finding joy in ordinary things just means you have to look at them in a different way – a way other than their intended purpose. That’s what I have found in using common household items as mark-making tools in my art – like making stamps with fun foam, using an empty tape roll or jar lid to make circles, bubble wrap to make dots, or a piece of shelf liner to make cool patterns. I like thinking and creating outside the box and believe me – it’s joyful! šŸ™‚

Thanks for stopping by,
Cat

P.S. I have just listed a second set of mark-making tools in my Etsy shop. There is a limited number of these sets, so if you’re interested in getting one, don’t wait. I have a special bonus coupon code available just for my blog followers. Use this link to receive 15% off my Mixed Media Mark-making Value Pack – Set 2. The code (MMVPSET2) will be automatically applied at checkout and it will be good through July 7, 2018 unless these value packs sell out before then. Thanks so much for following me!

{UPDATE: 15% OFF COUPON IS NOW EXPIRED.}

Products I use and recommend: https://www.amazon.com/shop/cathand

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Home Tweet Home

Posted on June 4, 2018 by

After getting some computer issues straightened out, I can finally share my tag that showcases my YouTube video forĀ Mixed Media Morsels, Dessert #5. In this video, I altered some clothing and product tags, creating tiny houses out of some of them. I really love them, so while I was crankin’ out little houses, I decided I wanted this month’s tag to be a house as well… a bird house, in fact!

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Here’s how I did it: I wanted a “wooden”Ā bird house, so I started by painting my tag with a mixture of brown and yellow acrylic paint, not caring if the tag was covered entirely. Surprisingly, leaving some areas white caused the brown painted tag to look like weathered wood!

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My next step was to stamp the tag with a wood grain pattern.

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I painted another piece of card stock for the roof, adhered it, and then I drew some lines with a brown Faber-Castell Pitt pen. I used a grey Pitt pen for the shadowing. The circle in the center was punched from brown card stock then shaded with the grey Pitt pen. The perch was punched with a regular hole punch and painted.

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I used some painted book text and music papers, along with some dies, to cut out the leaves and my little bird. I adhered them with a glue stick and then shaded and highlighted them.

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The words were handwritten on a scrap of tan card stock, then cut out and outlined with a brown Micron pen. I also added some tiny lines here and there to give them a bit of a worn, wooden look. Then I “nailed” them to the bird house.

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To complete the tag, I added a reinforcement sticker to the hole and tied on a piece of jute. As you can see, my little tag book is coming right along.

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Creating this tag was so much fun! I appreciate your stopping by and taking a look.

See ya next time,
Cat

P.S. If you’re looking for products I use and recommend, you can check out my Amazon shop here:Ā Ā https://www.amazon.com/shop/cathand

 

 

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According to Albert Einstein…

Posted on May 2, 2018 by

“Play is the highest form of research.” George Bernard Shaw reminds us that, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” Hmm, maybe these guys were secretly mixed media artists, LOL!

It’s so much fun to just play — paint, scribble, stick down papers, etc., with no expectation of the outcome. It can be very disappointing when a project doesn’t turn out the way we envision it, so we should let go of all those preconceived ideas and just play!Ā Finding out what will happen when we don’t think about what we’re doing can be very surprising and exciting! Ā šŸ™‚

This month’s tag for Mixed Media Morsels, Dessert #4, was quite an enjoyable play time for me. I used my Derwent Inktense pencils to make a colorful watercolor background for my tag.

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Next, I used a piece of small bubble wrap and some white acrylic paint to stamp some dots onto the background of the tag. Something as simple as this step really makes such a huge difference in how the piece looks!

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I penciled in my quote, using a few of the lettering techniques I covered in my recent YouTube video. If you missed it, you can click here to watch. I then used a black UniBall pen to thicken the script lettering and my Faber-Castell PITT pens to color in the partial block lettering. The highlighting and doodles were made withĀ a white Posca paint pen.

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I added a black butterfly and some stars – both are Remnant Rubs by Tim Holtz . Then I tied some colorful eyelash fibers on the top. While I was at it, I also added fibers to the first two tags in this series, ‘cuz they looked kinda nekked.Ā  šŸ˜‰

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Mister Rogers said, “Play is the work of childhood.” So we all need to find the child inside of us, keep the research alive, and keep ourselves young — in other words, we need to PLAY!

See ya next time,
Cat

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Let’s Have a Giveaway! (Closed)

Posted on April 15, 2018 by

Wooo Hoooo! It’s time for another giveaway and it’s very easy to enter! Just click here to watch my Doodled Painted Paper video on YouTube and look for the Secret Word. Then click this link Cat’s Giveaway on RafflecopterĀ and follow the directions to enter. You will be asked to give the Secret Word when entering. After the giveaway has ended, I will post another video to share the name of the randomly selected winner. I will then contact the winner via email to request their mailing address.

The giveaway prize package will contain some surprises for the winner, as well as this painted/doodled paper I created in the video.

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Many, many thanks to everyone who watches my YouTube videos and supports my efforts to share the joy of creating. I hope you know how much I appreciate you all!

See you soon!
Cat

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Taggin’ Along!

Posted on March 22, 2018 by

Yep, I’m still taggin’ along… and this time I’m creating another tag to showcase a handmade embellishment from my Mixed Media Morsels, Dessert #3 videoĀ on YouTube. I had so much fun making several embellishments, using up scraps and bits from my stash.

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The little dragonfly embellishment I created in the video was a tag in itself, but I’ve chosen to use it as a focal point for my larger tag this month. I added some tiny white dots to the small tag’s border to brighten it up just a bit. Next, I covered a blank tag with a piece of patterned scrapbook paper, then used some stamps to add some floral images and some script in random spots across the tag. I usedĀ a black Sharpie marker to draw some tiny scalloped borders on an old book page, then cut them out and glued them around the edge of the tag.

Lastly, I tied the two tags together, allowing the smaller tag to swing freely. I like attaching it in this way, so that I can lift it and add some journaling or a photo, if I choose to do so.

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So, my little tag book is growing and I’m really enjoying it. I hope some of you are “taggin’ along” with me, creating some fun tags and making your own little tag book of yummy desserts! If you’re not, it’s never too late to start…

Happy creating!
Cat

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Explorations in Burlap

Posted on March 2, 2018 by

Ahhh, burlap… a rough, scratchy fabric, for sure, and kind of difficult to use easily in arts and crafts projects because of its tendency to unravel. But I found that if acrylic paint or glue is applied, it can become very usable! Check out my YouTube video, Mixed Media Morsels, Dessert #2, to see this simple process.

Recently, I altered another tag, this time using burlap as the focal point. I began by covering a blank tag with patterned tissue paper, using Collage Pauge. Then I painted leaves directly onto a piece of burlap, in various shades of green acrylic paint. While the paint was drying, I used markers to draw a border around the tag, adding some squiggly doodles. Next, I cut out the burlap leaves and glued them in place, adding a piece of baker’s twine for the stem. I outlined the leaves with a black pen and glued on the word “explore,” outlining it with teal, black, and a couple more doodles. As a finishing touch, I put some black dots on the tag, which I made by using a stylus tool dipped in India ink. The back side is collaged with pieces of book text, in the same way I did my previous tag. I’m really pleased with how it turned out!

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Here’s how my little tag book is coming along…

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I hope you are creating some tags along with me, using the easy-to-follow techniques from the Mixed Media Morsels – Desserts series.Ā It is so enjoyable to create on a small substrate, with no great expectations of its outcome, but only to have fun in the process of creating. Who knew a piece of plain ol’ burlap could be turned into fun, colorful embellishments and provide such great texture on a project without unraveling all over the place? I sure didn’t, but I guess that’s what exploring is all about!

See ya soon,
Cat

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