That's Crafty!: Just Because by Amanda Pink

Hi Everyone,

This week I have created a mixed media panel that I used to make a handmade card. The panel could also be used in other ways such as a journal entry, a book cover, a piece of wall art, maybe set within a larger surround and framed- lots of options.

I am sorry but this week I don't have any process/step by step photos - I got so caught up having fun with the creativity that I kept forgetting about the camera !!!

So with a 'no show' for the process photos here's a 'talk through' of my creativity with a few close ups of the finished card beneath.

The background was cut from a larger piece that was created 'earlier' (so to speak) after a session using Seth Apters Aladine Izink dye sprays - in effect, a 'mop up' monoprint from the bottom of the corrugated box I use when spraying inks.

I stamped the panel with AALL & Create's Scripted Circles stamp designed by Bipasha BK graduating the colour of stamping from blue on the upper part of the panel to green on the lower. I used Distress Archival ink for this (Faded Jeans, Peeled Paint).

Then it was time to stencil the textured daisies and for this I used Tim Holtz Distress Matte Texture Paste with That's Crafty's Dinky 'Daisy' stencil. I started by stencilling the full daisy design in the centre of the panel and then moved the stencil around the panel to stencil parts of the daisy design around the sides.

The paste needed to be dry so I used a heat gun on this occasion (I don't usually with texture pastes) to speed things up.

Once dry, the daisies were ready to be coloured and I worked with paints from several different companies/designers: DecoArts Media Fluids (Raw Umber, Quin Gold), Tom Holtz Distress Paints (Mermaid Lagoon) and Dina Wakley Heavy Body Acrylics (Cheddar).

I repositioned the stencil over the central daisy and using stencil brushes applied the paints one at at time to the texture paste, gradually building up layers of the various colours. When happy with the centre daisy I then repeated the process on all the surrounding part stencilled daisies.

I was really pleased with the 'rusty colour tones' of the textured daises - love how they turned out!

With the addition of some black outlining and white highlights the daisies came to life and some black fineliner circles drawn on the background using Creative Muse Designs Circle of Circles stencil helped bring all the elements of the design together.

Here's the few close ups:

After mat n layering the panel and adhering to a handmade card I thought little more was needed other than a few words so added a simple sentiment 'Just Because...'