Elegance

It is time for the first challenge of 2017 at Stamps and Stencils and this time Ruth is our hostess and is calling it Swirls, Whirls and Flourishes. She describes it this way:

"It may be January but this months challenge is nothing to do with winter, this month I'd like you to usher in the New Year by creating any mixed media piece you like as long as somewhere you include a swirl or a whirl or a flourish and some stamping or stenciling, of course!"

I thought I would make an art journal page in a new Spiral Water Colour Pad that I got a couple months ago. When I got going on it though it turned out looking more like a layout but I am pleased with it.

I started by giving the page a coat of Liquitex Gesso.  Next I added strips of torn paper but after the project was done and I had covered it all up I was questioning why I bothered.  Then I used Golden Light Molding Paste and the Tim Holtz Flourish Layering Stencil to add my flourishes.  I dabbed more of the paste on between the flourishes for added texture.

Next I added lots of colour by spraying Shaded Violet, Tumbled Glass and Worn Lipstick Distress Spray Stain on randomly.  I painted over everything with some white shimmer eye shadow from the dollar store that I mixed with water - a little difficult to see in the photo but looks great in real life.

I used Jet Black Archival ink to add some stamping with the crisscross stamp from IndigoBlu's Rugged Edge set and IndigoBlu's Script stamp.

Next I added lace from my stash that I dyed with some Shaded Violet Distress Ink.  Then I mounted the image of the elegant lady that I found online on a couple scraps of Graphic 45 paper that I distressed.  I added flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, some die cut leaves and a heart and key that were created from Martha Stewart Crafter's Clay and all coloured with Shaded Violet Distress Ink.  I also added some large seed beads from the dollar store and a couple buttons from my stash.

Finally I made the sentiment on my computer, distressed the edges and inked them with more Shaded Violet DI.

I am going to enter this project in the following challenge:

Mixed Media Monthly - Put A Stencil On It