Faber Castell: Design Memory Craft

Handmade Journal- One Little Word

Hi! Jen Matott here to share a project that I made using DMC products.  I have made a little mixed media book that has a variety of materials for pages.  The theme of this book is "One Little Word". I created this after being inspired by Ali Edward's yearly quest for the word that will become part of your yearly creative efforts.  I have wanted to participate for some time but didn't get going until now.  I created this book using a vintage photo proof portfolio (I found it among my grandfather's possessions when he passed away.)  They were used to hold photographs but are perfect to create a mini album!  I used watercolor paper, canvas, mixed media paper, chipboard, and cardboard as the pages.  Most of the pages use Gelatos® or Aquarelle watercolor pencils. I wanted to make something closer to my style in order to explore my word this year "Time".

Here's the cover... mostly covered in papers from Authentique and Prima but inside is the more artsy materials!

 

Inside front page that used a piece of chipboard that I covered wth paper  and cut out the window to reveal the drippy next page.

 

First I used a template to spray some Gelato® spray though it to create the clock background.  I then used the Stamper's Big Brush markers to stamp the clocks and banner pieces and used Gelatos® and water at the top of the page to create the drips. I cut out the banner pieces and starburst stamped image to create some depth.

I created a wash of color using Gelatos® on a craft mat and water.  I used them on the back of the page and when the dried, I drew with the PITT® artist pens to create journaling boxes for me to add my thoughts and goals. The next page was canvas on a piece of the portfolio and I used the Aquarelle watercolor pencils to create the circles and arrow shape.  I also used the Big Brush Marker  to stamp the letters to create the words in each box. More drippage and corregated cardboard!  Love the textures here and how the dripping Gelatos® interact with it!

The back of the cardboard page was done with Gelatos® smeared onto the background and then stamped text on top with the Stamper's Big Brush pen... Then, I used that template again to push light modeling paste through to create the raised clocks... add some papers and this one is done!

The reverse of the first page... the template with the Gelatos® sprays on it and turned over to create the opposite.  I used some punchinella to smear some Gelatos® through to create the dots.

More Gelatos® sprays, washes, and stamped images with Stamper's Big Brush Pen.  I created the tag with leftover wash colors.

This book was part of a class I taught at my local scrapbook store and I love the outcome of this special little word book!  I hope you enjoyed my project today!  Thanks for letting me share.

 

 

Easy technique with Art GRIP® Aquarelle pencils

Hi there everyone, Mou Saha here with today's post.Back in October, when I went to teach at Oh My Crafts' Discovering Possibilities event, many of the students wanted to know how to use the Art GRIP® Aquarelle watercolor pencils. So, I have been experimenting with these pencils. Let me share with you one of the simple things I learned.
Usually, I associate palette knives with oil and acrylic paints, but I found that they work great with watercolors too.
First I colored on my art journal page with several shades of the same color.

Then spritzed it with water lightly. I blended the colors and moved them around with a few quick strokes of the palette knife.

Once the backgrounds dried, I wrote on them, stamped and embellished them.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Quick Card Inspiration

Need a quick and easy card for the holidays?  Mou Saha has got your inspiration!  Mou created this card using Art GRIP® aquarelle pencils to add color to the background and ornaments.  You can cut out your ornaments by had for a fun free form shape, or use your die cutter of you want something a bit more crisp and polished.  Add your ornaments using Helmar 3D Scrap Dots and 3D Zap Dots.  Mou then layered her card onto some craft paper and did a quick sew around the edges and to add the strings for the ornaments.  Quick, easy and best of all made by YOU!

Don't forget to hop over to the Helmar Blog to see what the Design Team has been up to!

Unique gift box

I don't know about you but I'm starting to panic over how close the holidays are!  I have a unique way to package a small gift such as a gift card, jewelry, or other small treasure.  I had been given a few of these containers to alter and decided to try to do so with some of my favorite Faber-Castell products.

You can get some of these at your local craft store or restaurant supply store. Take the handle off carefully and set aside.  Open up the container and lay flat.  They have a waxy finish so you will want to sand them well with some extra fine grit sandpaper first. 

Wipe clean and prime with gel medium or simply collage decorative papers such as tissue paper, patterns, maps, book pages, sheet music, thin patterned papers, wrapping papers, etc... rip and apply with a good gel medium, like the one in the Design Memory Craft Textural Accents Sampler.  Once it is dry, flip it over and do the other side.

Now, it's time to add some Gelatos!  Color over areas (no need to be very careful or precise) and add a bit of spray water to blend and allow to drip.  Blast with a heat gun to dry.  Continue until you are satisfied with the coverage and do the same with the other side in different colors.

I used a Stamper's Big Brush Pen in Black to stamp some butterflies on the inside.  You could do this all over if desired.  I also stamped on sentiment on a tag (this on is a Thank You for my son's teacher).

I decorated the finished box with paper flowers and canvas leaves.  The flowers were made using watercolor paper colored with Gelatos, Art GRIP® Aquarelle pencils, and bubblewrap stamped using black gelatos. I punched circles using 2" and 3" circles cut into a spiral and rolled.  The canvas leaves were colored with Gelatos and cut.  All pieces were applied with a hot glue gun.

This little box could be used for an occasion.  How much fun would it be to get this with a gift card in it?  The possibilities are endless for color combinations and embellishments!

An art journal page with Art GRIP® Aquarelle pencils

Hi everyone, Mou Saha here with another art journal page...Let me show you how I created this page in steps.

I lightly sketched lines on the journal page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filled the sections with colors using Art GRIP® Aquarelle pencils.

Blended the colors with wet brush

When dry, I journaled on the page using PITT® artist pen

I let a little water drip down and wrote 'Favorite Season' with Art GRIP® Aquarelle pencils on the wet surface to finish the page.

Have fun!

Day 3 card and giveaway with Brenda Pinnick!

Welcome to day 3 of my card crafting series and give-away! 

Yesterday's winner is...conniemelancon! Congrats, Connie! You've won your choice of two prints from my Etsy store! You'll need to send me your addy - brenda@brendapinnick.com then I'll get them sent to you.

OK, let's show the card already...

We talked about color combinations earlier and here's one I'm all over lately. This combo is relaxing with the turquoise but refreshing with the greens. A small bit of yellow adds some happy, which we all love!

For this card, I used my Sizzix products, available on HSN.com or from various craft supply stores across the country or the web. The base is cut from my Decorative Edge Stationery Die, using Strathmore's Bristol board, one of my Favorite surfaces to work on. The embossing was then done using one of my Sizzix Embossing Folders, the Birds and Flowers set, also on HSN.com, a terrific value kit including 10 folders!

For the coloration, I used Faber Castell's Stamper's Big Brush Pens and Art GRIP® watercolor pencils. I love the mix of strong saturated hues with softer tints of the same hue. The pencils are great for subtle blending - I used a little bit of water to create soft transitions in the coloring. Even though the markers are India ink, while they are still wet, you can use water to dissolve them and move them around, using a small paintbrush.

Okay, now for day 3 prizes: From Faber Castell, Yellow, Red, Green & Blue sets of Art GRIP color pencils and from yours truly, one of my embossing folder two-packs, available on Sizzix.com

And finally, today's question, inspired by Carla's comment about her husband- Do you and your husband or significant other or best friend tend to like the same general family of hues? 

Leave your comments here and on my blog to be eligible to win!

Oh, and please tell your friends about my 7 day giveaway! I'd appreciate it!

 

Design Memory Craft products on canvas

 

 Hey bloggers Rita Barakat here! Did you know that that you can

use all your Design Memory Crafts products on canvas?

I  used my Art GRIP® Aquarelle Watercolor pencils to draw the outline.

(This works great because it blends into the background once you get going.) 

 

 Then I brought in my PITT® Artist Pens and drew some more definite lines.

(Did you notice they do NOT bleed on the surface!)

 I filled in the spaces with the Aquarelles and used a blending pen

(this is basically a paintbrush with water inside - you can use a wet

paint brush) to pull the color to all of the hair. Whats nice about

this technique is you can add more, or change the colors adding

highlights to the  hair.

 I used Gelatos on the dress and Aquarelles on the heart; blended with water.

 *A little trick I use is the white Gelato. If I want to lighten something up, or I just dont like the color combo I did I go back with  the white Gelato and blend with a wet brush, it gives a tie dye kinda look!

 Ahhhh! Much better! I used Aquarelles for her skin and gave her a little blush with the Gelatos.

I went back with my PITT Artist Pens to doodle and outline.

 Isn't she sweet?

It's Technique Tuesday!!!

Happy Tuesday!  Hope you all enjoyed an extra long weekend being creative.  Seems everywhere you turn these days you see mixed media art and collage.  We just love it!  That's why we were sure to include the Textural Accents Sampler to the Mix & Match line.  These little babies are awesome and can be used so many ways. 

Did you know that you can tint Gesso?  Yup.  Sure can.  You can add some color by mixing in a bit of Gelato or Art GRIP® Aquarelle.  Just lay down a nice patch of color and mix in a bit of water, then add some Gesso to create a tinted primer that looks great on chipboard, wood, canvas, you name it!

Gel Medium adds tons of texture.  You can squeeze it out into lines like cake icing.  Or, apply some in patches and scrape it away to make lines and crosshatching.  That's called sgraffito.  When the Gel Medium is dry you can add Gelato or Stamper's Big Brush right on top!

Glaze is a great way to add some sheen to otherwise dull surfaces.  Try it on top of newsprint or old book pages to add abit of luster to normally matte papers. 

Don't worry, you can still catch Tiffany's demo!

 
If you missed Tiffany's live demo with Oh My Crafts yesterday, never fear - you can watch it here.  Tiffany shares some great techniques using the Textural Accents Sampler, Art GRIP Aquarelles®, Gelatos.  Don't miss her inventive technique using PITT Pastel Pencils and Embossing Powder! 

Still looking for inspiration?  Check out our Facebook page and see what our fans have been up to this summer!

With a bit of inspiration...

Hi All, Colleen McGinty here on Technique Tuesday with an idea for turning your favorite papers into works or art! 
 
Are you like me and love all the beautiful scrapbook papers available and buy them for inspiration?  With your own interpretation of the designs and your Faber-Castell art materials you can turn some of these beautiful inspiration papers into canvas art for your walls!

  
 
I used these Bo Bunny scrapbook papers as inspiration and recreated my own artwork on 8x10 thick wrapped canvases.

 
 
Design Memory Craft Materials:              

• Stamper's Big Brush raw umber
• Stamper's Big Brush nougat
• Stamper's Big Brush colbalt turquoise
• Stamper's Big Brush cobalt green
• Pitt Artist Pen dark sepia
• Art GRIP colored pencil sets; yellow, green & blue palettes
• Metallic Gelatos green & blue

Other materials

• rubber stamps (un-mounted)           
• embossing stamp pad
• white embossing powder
• silver glitter embossing powder
• black embossing powder
• mini crystal rhinestones
• artist canvases
• heat tool
• ruler

Mix the Gelato colors on a pallet with water, spread the color evenly over the surface of the canvas front and sides (let dry). Draw a few grid lines with your ruler and Art GRIP colored pencils.

Stamp your designs in a way that is pleasing to your eye. I like to use un-mounted rubber stamps on canvas, this way I can wrap them around the canvas sides, and press into the canvas firmly.

Use the embossing powders for the butterflies and a few scrolls around the edges for depth and interest.

Work back into your piece by darkening some of the scroll work with the tip of the brush pen and the colored pencils.

Accent with the glitter embossing powder and mini rhinestones.