Monday, May 26, 2014

Fish Sticks, Crab Sticks, and More‏


New Goodies!

Happy Saturday everyone!
A few weeks ago we announced our Merfolk Art Swap and Ocean goodies, and I guess you could say we're still dreaming of the sea. I'm completely in love with our new "Fish Sticks" and "Crab Sticks" (sorry, couldn't resist!) beautiful kits reminiscent of antique biology specimens! We have several new coordinating goodies as well! And of course they all go great with our Ocean Goodies from the past few weeks too.



Art Time! 

Some of you may recall me saying that I wanted to make an ATC with our Crab Cut Outs that said "Not Enough Art Time Makes Me Crabby". Well, that idea translated into something more grand! I've always been intrigued by antique entomology and biology specimen displays. And certain taxidermy pieces. However, I think I'm too chicken to have any actual pieces in my home. I'm very happy with my new Faux Crab Specimens! The Fish Sticks are awesome too, but the crabs were still calling my name! So I got to work...



First, I covered the areas I planned to paint with bright colors with Gesso. This step isn't required, but it will definitely make your colors pop and go on nicely with one coat. I had plans to create an Ombre look, so I need things to go on nicely with one swipe of the paint brush!


I decided on Hot Pink, Orange, and Red to create a lovely summer Ombre, perfect from my crabs!


Starting at the top, I layered on some pink. I used quick upward strokes.


I didn't clean my brush all the way. I simply wiped it with a dry paper towel. You want the colors to blend a bit, so no need to clean completely. You want to work fast, so the layers don't dry and some blending occurs. Orange went on second.


And then finally the red. I did the same technique on my base, working from the outer edges in.


So much fun! It looks like a crab popsicle!


Once my paint was dry, I stenciled the pieces with our new and fabulous Fish Scale Stencil. The pattern repeats, so it's super easy to line back up and cover a large area. I used Bronze VerDay Paint and a soft brush to "stipple" the paint onto the pieces through the stencil. I purposely stenciled just the bottom half of the crabs, fading a bit toward the top.


To finish things off, I inked my edges, painted the sticks with Bronze VerDay Paint, and painted my numbers and letters with Aqua paint for a pop of color. I glued it all together and done. My reminder to make more art if I'm feeling crabby :).



The new Crab Sticks and Fish Sticks also coordinate nicely with our Seahorse Shrine Kit from last week!


My other favorite new goodie is our Wave Stencil! I didn't have a chance to use it in my art project, however I did use it on our new Home Page image and I love it! It's definitely next on the list to try.



Inspiration By Gigi Butterfly!

With all this crab talk I simply had to share the AWESOME Dress Form Doll by Gigi Butterfly. Gigi is an accomplished painter and she creates breathtaking masterpieces. This was her first art doll, and I think she did an amazing job. Gigi used real crab shells which she collected from the beach. What a great way to use those treasures and make a piece special!



Merfolk ART SWAP!

A few weeks ago we announced our Merfolk swap and I'm already seeing some amazing pieces of art popping up! But don't worry, you still have lots of time to buy your Merfolk and play along. And the folks are still on sale in honor of the swap!



Mermaid Inspiration By Bonnie Ashurst!

These stunning Merfolk by Bonnie Ashurst were the first to arrive on the Boardwalk! I adore Mr. Mers sporty outfit and check out Mrs. Mers fish purse! The latest fashion trend? Great job Bonnie!



Mermaid Inspiration By Kimberly Heil!

Next up Kimberly Heil's fantastic duo made a splash! If you look closely, they both have the most wonderful tattoos! I'm loving that driftwood background too. Wonderful Kimberly. Dive in everyone!



Inspiration By Monica Downing!

Time to switch gears a bit (see what I did there? ha). This super cool Steampunk Heart Mixed Media Canvas piece is by Monica Downing! I adore so many things about the piece. Her colors pop, and the quote is so perfect. This piece makes me want to break out a canvas and some of our Chipboard Pieces, which is not something I generally think to do (the canvas part that is). So stunning and inspirational Monica!



Inspiration By Linda Cain!

Design Team Member Linda Cain has created this drop dead gorgeous Steampunk Santos Cage Doll. I would love to see this gal in person. Just look at that amazing texture, and all those fabulous embellishments! If you're like me, you want to know more about Linda's process, and you can find just that along with more cool photos on Linda's blog. Check it out here!



Merfolk Art Swap!

Come join us!

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