Mixed Media Explained & Our Next Challenge

 

Good Friday Morning Ladies,

It's that time of the week again, everyone is busy on Fridays getting the house together so that they can relax at the weekend, we have started going shopping on a Friday as we seem to waste atleast half a day going on a Saturday, it just free's up the whole weekend, not that we have anything planned of course!  It would be nice to go visit a National Trust house, I am so mindful of fuel these days though but if it wasn't that it would be something else to worry about,  we will see what the weather is bringing us before deciding. 

Now I wanted to do a simple explanation of Mixed Media as I know that when we have it as a challenge it fills some of you with dread, so I did a bit of research, in real simple terms it's just using more than one 'medium' on your card, so for instance Card, paper, ink, is infact 'Mixed Media, although true Mixed Media has extra bits like ribbon, lace, embellishments etc, I did find a simple guide though....

Pick Your Base:

This could be a card, journal page, tag, canvas, coaster, MDF etc

If using MDF you may want to prime with Gesso

Pick Your Background:

You could paint, add a paper of your choice, create an inky background by smooshing inks onto your glass matt and spritzing the laying your base piece into it or transfer the ink on a piece of cellapane or die packaging, you could spritz your inks too. Or add strips of an old book or dictionary.

Add some Texture:

Now this can be done many ways, you could use texture paste through as stencil, your could add buttons and paint over them, your could add some crackle paste, add strips of paper, micro beads, Emboss through a stencil, simply heat emboss.  Hessian?burlap or string.

Choose your Focal Point:

This can be whatever your favourite thing may be, a flower or spray of flowers, a topper, a photo with a die cut frame, a sentiment on a tag or label

Time to add some Embellishments:

Ribbon bows, flowers, gems, pearls, lace, buttons, shells, anything that you may have in your embellishment box.

Add Your sentiment:

If you didn't have your sentiment as the main focus of your piece now is the time to add some words, either on a little label or tag or stamp direct if you are brave enough.

Finishing Touches:

Now is the time to look at your piece and decide if it needs anything else, it could be some paint splatters (like Tracy Evans), or a corner embellishment, you may want to add shade around some of your embellishments or labels to make them pop, maybe add some doodling around the edges of your piece. Or metal pieces like the Tim Holtz clips or paper clips etc.

Now sit back and enjoy your piece of Mixed Media artwork. 

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Ladies I am not trying to 'teach granny to suck eggs' (whatever that means), I know that most of you know what Mixed Media is but there maybe someone looking in that doesn't, I was definitely confused a couple of years ago, to be honest this method above is what most of us do every time we make a card, however a little memory jogger never hurts does it?!!

Our Next Challenge

So in case some of you haven't guessed I thought it might be fun to have a go at  Mixed Media projects this week, or even Mixed Media style, I know that some of you have some fantastic stamps that do most of the work for you, like this one for instance.......

A lot of Tracy stamps have lots of layers of detail, all you need do is stamp on to a coloured background.  Some papers do too, like Stamperia or LaBlanche.

You can use whatever takes your fancy,  as long as you have fun! 😘

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I hope that you all have a lovely Friday,

Love & Hugs to all,

Sandra

xxxxxx