Creatively Messy

Hello everyone!  I'm excited to join Susan's team as a guest designer over the next few months!  Susan and I met a few years ago when she flew out for ScrapFest and I immediately loved her gentle nature and kind soul.

For my first project, I thought I'd better come clean right from the start and let you know that I am NOT a tidy artist.  Whether it's scrapbooking or mixed media, once I get going and there's paint and gesso and paper flying, it gets pretty ugly.  I have been known to reduce my huge 3'x5' work area to a 12"x12" spot, with product piled all around me!

However, my only saving grace is that once a project is over, I have to clean everything up and put it all away before I can start my next project.  The neat freak in me (and she's a VERY tiny part!) needs to have order before the creative me takes over.

So when I came across this quote, I knew that I had to use it to create a canvas for my studio.  Here's the finished result:

creative minds are rarely tidy

Supplies used:  Artist's Loft canvas; Susan K. Weckesser patterned papers; ModPodge; DecoArt paints;  Pink Paislee, Christy Riopel and Deja View masks/stencils; Stephanie Barnard Sprays by Clearsnap; Susan K. Weckesser/Unity Stamps (A Little Bit Washi); Memento, Versamark and Stampin' Up! inks; calligraphy pen and india ink.
There are really a lot of layers on this canvas!  I forgot to take photos as I went along, but here's a brief description of my process:  
I started out by ModPodging torn pieces of patterned papers to the canvas.  Once dry, I stuck my fingers into some coordinating paints and dragged them along the surface, to just add some texture and colour. 

Using the washi tape stamps and ink, I laid down some more texture by randomly stamping bits of the stamps all over the canvas. 

I then took Christy's stencils and pounced some paint randomly all over the canvas.  I used Pink Paislee's vintage doily mask (by Christy Tomlinson) and laid it over the sun pattered paper in the corner.  I sprayed it with the yellow Clearsnap mist, carefully removed it and then spritzed the pink and orange mists on a few spots on the canvas.

Lastly, I added my quote, using India ink and a calligraphy pen/nib set from one of the Donna Downey classes I have taken.  I freehanded the first part of the title, and used the Deja View alpha stencils to lightly outline the "TIDY" part - and then went over it a few times, freehanded, to make it messy. 

A few drops of ink from the dropper and there you have it!

Thanks for looking!
Sue :)

Welcome Guest Designer Sue Sykes

We would like to welcome a very special Guest Designer, Sue Sykes.  Sue will be our Guest Designer for March-May and we are excited to have her as part of our team.  Please welcome Sue and read a little bit about her. 

“Hi everyone! Thanks to Susan for asking me to be a guest designer. My name is Sue Sykes. I live in Southwestern Ontario with my best friend and husband of 15 years, Gary, and our son, Connor (13), and 8 year old daughter, Aili (rhymes with Riley!). 

I consider myself blessed to be published in several scrapbooking magazines, including a cover layout. I have been a contributing writer/designer/blogger for Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine for nearly 8 years and am honoured to be part of such a great team.  It's how I got to meet Susan – she is such a sweetie!!

To date, I have written over 25 articles, including two feature articles. I also manage the Tuesdays With The Team blog entries and the new blog feature, Share Your Space!! When I’m not writing or designing, I love to spend time with my family, bake cupcakes, read and paint!”

You can see more of Sue’s beautiful work at http://www.kewl-beans.blogspot.com/.  

We can’t wait to see what you create here too!

Create to Live March Challenge

I was just tickled to see this challenge created by Susan Weckesser this month, especially since it is our birthday month.   Yes, I think I’m going to find a reason to celebrate everyday this month.  So HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Susan.  I’m so honored to not only work with you and celebrate a birthday month with you, but especially that I can call you my friend!  (pssst, you can hop over to Susan K Weckesser's Facebook page and wish her a happy birthday today, March 2, too)

How many ways can you Celebrate the Everyday this month?  We don’t need a birthday or special occasion to celebrate.   Look for the little things in life and find a reason to celebrate the TODAY, the MOMENT, the TRIALS, and the TRIUMPHS!

This challenge is for you to use the color and message themes in the picture above.  Take some creative liberty here to create based on how this picture makes you feel.  What does it inspire in you?  What creative ideas jump out at you first?

Create a project to share with us based on this picture above.  Write a blog post and share your project.  Come back here and link-up your blog post in the challenge submission in our sidebar to your left.  After you post your project, make sure to tweet about it, share it on Facebook and Pin it as well.  I’d love to see little ‘blooms’ of inspiration this month all over.  Use hashtag #createtolive when tweeting or pinning so we can find and share your posts too!

Your project can be a layout, a card, a mixed media piece, or anything you create using this picture as your inspiration.  Using Susan K Weckesser Inc products are not required, but are ALWAYS welcome.  :-)

Our prize package this month is a great starter set of Susan K Weckesser Inc stamps and stencil and a happy set of Faber-Castell Mixed Media Aquarelles & Ink.  
So, pull out your supplies and play along - And don't forget to submit your blog post with our sidebar submission Inklinkz widget!

and now for our Create to Live February Challenge….

…… Winner was randomly chosen and notified by Inlinkz Random Picker….

…. and…..

“Below is a list with the winning links:

1 .Buffy Esser”

Thank you for playing, Buffy, and we love how you used this challenge to share your special memories.  Hugs, girlie!   Let us know if you did not receive your notification email! 

Imagination- By Erika Taylor

Hello everyone and welcome to another project blog post using Susan Weckesser productshttp://susiebeestudios.com/susan_k_weckesser_incproducts. Erika Taylor here today to share with you a layout I created using some of my favorite Susan Weckesser papers.

For this layout, I used a lot of distressing which works beautifully with these strong papers. I did a bit of fussy cutting on the whimsical flowers and added some May Arts ribbons and Art Institute Glitter for some texture.

 Here you can really see the sweet flowers and how cute they are for this little princess layout I created of my daughter meeting Ariel for the first time. Loving the pops of color for sure.

The soft palette of the backgrounds on Susan Weckesser papers are perfect for such a feminine layout don't ya think? Now here is the finished layout filled with whimsy and sparkle. Just what a little girl needs for using her imagination.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I would love to hear your thoughts on the layout, and if you have any questions, I am here to answer them. Thanks again

Until next time

Toodles

Erika Taylor- design team member for Susan Weckesser

Spring Means Getting COLORFUL with Mixed Media

I LOVE Spring! The birds singing, the fresh air and the wonderful bright new colors popping up everywhere! So, to celebrate I couldn’t resist but to make a canvas that was filled with LAYERS and different colors.

I started my canvas by using acrylic paint to create my background.

I then worked on my tree. I had so much fun building this up. I first used acrylic paint and then I put a layer od Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint over it. When the crack was not quite dry I worked in pearlescent teal and orange based acrylic paint to create  bark like texture. I then melted on coat of bee wax mixed with a little of Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Ink and rub some tea stained Mica fragments from Stampendous into the edge of the canvas.

I tore out a ‘birdie’ shaped image from a old book page and used Helmar’s decoupage and paste to put it on the canvas. Using Shimmerz paints I colored in my little guy. Isn’t he cute!

 

I LOVE my little hearts!!! I resined them with Susan Lenart Kazmer’s Ice Resin. I used my Susan K. Weckesser  Inc. co-branded Unity Stamp company : a little grunge love - hearts and stamped onto some old paper. I really like how Ice Resin effect the appearance of the paper.

I also stamped my Susan K. Weckesser Inc. stamp: SMILE, from the set Insta-cute onto some tissue paper and then decoupaged it onto the canvas.

Now I am already for spring…..as long as we don’t have anymore surprise snow storms! *grin*

Paint yourself some spring today, it will put a smile on your face for sure!

I am loving all the entries for February’s Create to Live Challenge! You have to take a look if you haven’t. Some really beautiful work there!!! AMAZING!!!!

If you haven’t entered yet you have a couple more days…. Read more about the Create to Live Challenge HERE!

 

Have a AWESOME DAY!!!

hugs,

Susan xo

Technorati Tags: mixed media,©SusanK.Weckesser,stamps,Unity Stamp Co. Ice Resin,Tim Holtz,Ink,color,canvas,recycle,acrylic paint. stamping,bee wax,crackle paint,mica

Home...

Hi! Jennifer here this lovely Monday morning..hope everyone is doing great!  Just looking back at all the great post and items the Susan K Weckessar DT have been making they are all so wonderful!  Last night I got my scrap on and gathered a few items together...

A few pieces of paper from Susan, an old road atlas, a bit of washi tape, twine, a few embellies, a wooden tray and a wooden home sign that I got from M's craft store. 

First I took two kinds of washi tape and put it around the edge of the tray.  I used a black polka dot on the inside and a ruler one on the outside.  I mitered the corners by pushing the tap in and cutting it with a mat knife.

Next I cut a house and two flowers from the Susan K Weckesser paper and put pop dots on the back of them.  I also cut out some letters from her Live Love Create paper as well. 

I also tore out a map from the Atlas.  I chose one that showed the cities that I have lived in since I was born or places where I spend a lot of time and consider them home.  I pasted the map in the back of the tray using a tape runner. 

I layered all the elements on top of the map including; the house, flowers, letters and "home" wooden sign. 

To the map I also added red dots with pop dots (craftwork card candi) and strung twine between them. 

The map shows:

Toronto is where I was born
Peterborough is where I lived when I was growing up
Brooklin is where I live now
Ottawa is where my family lives and where we will retire

Here are a few close ups of the finished tray..

The dots and twine linking the places....

The details around the house.....

The hearts coming out from the chimney....

I have enjoyed this week playing with the great paper and documenting my "homes" over the years!  I hope that you will take some time and make something that documents those places you consider being you home or homes!

Have fun this week, take care and HUGS from me!

Jennifer



I Have Chosen to be Happy

Hello friends. JJ here today, to share an art journal page with you - and show off a stamp that is not just for your instagram pictures.  :)

I started off with some paint and stencils, then I added some texture with the "Splatter it" stamp. 

Then I fussy cut some clouds from Susan's papers, and a few hearts, and collaged them to the page.

I stamped the frame from the "Insta-cute" stamp set, on the background and on one of the papers, which I collaged to the page as well. Repeating a stamp on both the background and the foreground helps make the elements tie together.   I finished up with a little bit of doodling and shading.

Supplies:
Live in Color patterned papers
Insta-cute stamp set
Splatter it stamp


Thank you for visiting!

JJ Sobey, Susan K Weckesser Design Team Member