Welcome to our August guest ...

Please welcome our delightful guest designer this month, Jodie King with her wonderful take on our challenge for August.

I really love the inspiration artwork this month by Joshua Miels.    Even though it has a definite mixed media feel to it, I’ve interpreted this into my clean style by including lots of layers.  The challenge this month is black and white plus one, and I’ve followed the artwork closely by using blue.  A monochromatic layout isn’t something you usually see in project life spreads, and I was lucky this week that my photos worked with this colour palette really well.  I’ve also interpreted the visual string elements in the inspiration piece to include stitching and some twine in my layout.

Hi, I’m Jodie King and I live on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland.  Our kids have grown up and left home in the past couple of years, but we see them as often as we can.  I’ve been paper crafting in various forms for around nine years, starting with card making and moving into 12x12 layouts and project life, and more recently into planners and travellers notebooks.  My current favourite format and “must do” each week is my 6x8 project life album, I adore all the little stories and memories that PL allows you to record before they fade with time.

Blog:  http://jodiemking.blogspot.com.au

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jodie.king.779

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/heartpeonies/

Here are a few more examples of my project life spreads ...

Remember ....

You still have plenty of time until the end of the month to upload your own take on this challenge.  All details are on the blog sidebar. We'd love to see what you can do with our inspiration this month.

Our August mid month reveal ...

Welcome to our mid month reveal.

This month we feature this striking artwork by Joshua Miels called Illustrations.  

CRITERIA - Black and White PLUS One (any colour)

And some lovely inspiration from our second team ...

KAT

I was inspired by the faces to make a pocket page about my children.

KAREN

My inspiration came from the face within the painting.

TONE

The title is: Big catch. The photo is of my son with his big catch of fish, the first time he is fishing

KRIPA

I imagined the girl in the painting talking to herself and decided to make an art journal page with a message for myself - 'I am Enough'

ANNA

I was inspired of the design and as you see I went for the turquoise + b&w colors.

JANE

As you can see I loved the use of blue with the black and white.

Now it is your turn, we'd love to see your own interpretation. You have until 11.55pm on the last day of the month to submit your entry.

July winners / August tutorial ...

I will be announcing our July winners shortly but first I would like to introduce you to our Tips, Tricks and Techniques for August brought to you by team member, Maria Shakhova.

Mixed-Media Style Artist Trading Card: Step by Step.

Today I will share a step by step tutorial on creating a multi-layer background with a very interesting effect. The demonstrated technique can be used even for small objects, like ATCs.

1. Let's start with creating a background by placing rubber stamps with some text onto cardstock. 

2. Now let's add a transparent medium gel using "bricks" stencil.  Then add some white embossing powder and apply a heat gun to melt the powder, but be careful to not scorch the gel. Mixing the gel and the powder produces an interesting effect - the powder covers the stamps, while the gel remains transparent.

3. Add blue splatters/drops with spray. 

4. Glue the paper pieces and the masking tape. Apply gesso through the mask.

5. Apply distress ink.

6.  Cut out the cards and add embellishments. Your ATCs are ready!

Hope you are inspired to make use of the technique in your creations. Looking forward to seeing your work and don't forget to enjoy the process!

Maria   xx

now onto our July winners .....  thank you to everyone who took the time to join in with us last month.

Our main winner for is Kylie gW with this delightful page.



Kylie is a digital scrapper so in lieu of a physical prize I am happy to offer a voucher to the digital store of her choice.

Our random draw winner is #3 Dale with this creative card.

Prize donated by Karen McLaughlin

Congratulations ladies.

Could the winners please contact me on jjjustjane@bigpond.com with their postal details. You have until the announcement of the winners for next month to do so. Don't forget to grab our winners badge from the sidebar. 

Our Creative Team highlight from last month is Tracey with this amazing layout.  She will receive a little surprise something from me.

Please don't forget to enter this month's ARTastic challenge. All the details are in the left sidebar. Remember you have until the end of the month to submit your entry.

Say hello to August ...

This month our inspiration comes to you from Joshua Miels with Illustrations.  I love this painting - so many possible ways to interpret it!

CRITERIA - Black and White PLUS One (any colour)

A little about Joshua Miels ...

Joshua Miels is a contemporary portrait artist who looks to capture the vulnerability of people and the emotions that people try to hide from others. Spending countless hours adding layer upon layer of paint Joshua produces artworks that are not only striking, but deep and powerful. Painted predominantly with oil paint, each piece begins with a subject, but with a large amount of experimentation, each art piece takes on its own journey from start to finish. The pieces challenge viewers to draw upon their own emotions and personal experiences.

This year we are putting the ART back into ARTastic and our main prize each month will reflect that - this month featuring some pretty products from Kaisercraft.

And as always a lovely prize pack for our random draw winner ...

Donated by Maria Shakhova

And now some beautiful inspiration from the first of our team ...

EVELYN

I was inspired by the scribbly painting, I wanted to copy it a little bit with some stamping.

TANYA

MARIA

I made ATCs about my city. I was inspired by the color of the picture and the abstraction.

HELENE

I used black and white with gold/sand. Those colors are perfect to make a summer feeling.

ELAINE

This painting reminded me of this photo, so I knew I had to use it. And I couldn't go past using teal with black and white. I mixed mist in with gesso to help create my background. Lots of little elements to surround the photo as the faces are surrounded in the painting.

JUDY

 I have used green, black and white and was inspired by the blended effects in the painting.

TRACEY

From the moment I saw this art inspiration I wanted to try a photo transfer so I could in bed it in the background paint effects. I had the photo copied onto ordinary paper with a laser copier. It must be toner ink not cartridge ink for it to work. I then covered the front of the image with heavy gel medium and stuck it face down onto the layout. Wait for it to totally dry, then wet the paper and rub off. I have used acrylic paint, inks and house paint on the back ground with some stamps both in Ink and Paint.

Over to you ......

Please upload the DIRECT link to your actual entry with the link tool on the LEFT by 11.55pm on August 31st, 2017.  We'd love to see your new paper, digital, mixed media or off the page entries. Why not try doing a pocket page spread?  Please no back-dated submissions.  

 Please note:- You may combine our challenge with a sketch challenge only - no other combining will be accepted.  Please include our inspirational picture and challenge details on your blog post as well as provide a link back to us at ARTastic  ... and don't forget to tell us how you were inspired by our challenge.  You may enter more than once in any month as long as each submission is with a different creation.  International entries are very welcome. 

Please call past on the 8th for our announcement of the July winners and our ARTastic 3T's - Tips, Tricks and Techniques for August. 

July highlights ...

Some sweet layouts this month but there is still time to play along with us.  It truly is a simple challenge - just use pen on your work.

Here are just a couple of layouts that have caught our eye during July ...

Kylie gW

how delightful is this !

Jannike

proving that simple can be just as effective ...

There's still time - come and join in our challenge.

Welcome to our July guest ...

Please welcome our lovely guest designer this month, Carol Deal with her gorgeous layout inspired by our artwork for July.

I have added pen to the layout by way of the pink and yellow arrows on the background. I love the way this turned out and adored making the arrow for the bottom of the photo.

  

Hello, I am happily married with 3 grown up children and 2 gorgeous little granddaughters and another one on the way, due in September.

I live in the beautiful area of Lake Macquarie, NSW with my hubby and pug dog, Charli Girl.

I started my scrapping journey in Feb 2012 at the insistence of my BFF and since then it has taken me on a very interesting journey. 

I have entered numerous online challenges and have actually won some. I have been published several times in the Australian Scrapbook mags and was commissioned to do a 4 page spread for Australian Scrapbooking Ideas.

I have been on several Design Teams and I am currently serving on White With 1 and Nini's Things.

I have taught at a local scrapbook shop, which I loved, so much that on the 3rd June, 2017 I opened my very own little scrapbook shop with my hubby in Swansea, NSW.  I am loving this chapter of my scrapbook world and have been lucky enough to have been given the most amazing support from everyone in the scrapping family. I love to go to retreats so that I can recharge my " mojo" and have met some amazingly talented ladies along the way.

My motto has always been " be true to yourself" and it's something that I try to follow, in life, in art and with everyone that I meet. My hubby, Pat has been my biggest supporter and I must say my biggest enabler and supporter.

Blog;  https://carolscrapping.blogspot.com.au/

My Little Scrapbook Shop; https://www.facebook.com/The-Scrapbookers-Confetti-Box-441502069519071/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/cazza_deal/

Thanks, Carol Deal

Remember ....

You still have plenty of time until the end of the month to upload your own take on this challenge.  All details are on the blog sidebar. We'd love to see what you can do with our inspiration this month.

Our July mid month reveal ...

Welcome to our mid month reveal.

This month we feature this delightful artwork by from Robert Klippel called Abstract.  Our criteria this month is a very simple one - use pen on your page in some manner - easy right?

CRITERIA - Use PEN on your work

And some lovely inspiration from our second team ...

KAREN

Lots of pen work and I have done a little tutorial for you all on my BLOG.

KAT

For this challenge I made a card featuring some fun patterned paper that matches the combination of watercolours and pen lines and multiple direction in the artwork. I added extra pen work to the handmade rosette, the envelope and on the inside of the card.

TONE

 I have used a pen around every paper and round the stars. At this age Daniel used an eyepad ... that's why his eye does not show.

ANGELIKA

I was inspired by the look of colour on black lines so I used that technique to make the teacups by watercolouring over pen. I also liked the combination of golden yellow, pink and blue/green, so I made sure to use those colours.

EVELYN

I was inspired by the straight lines and the geometric mood of the picture. I used a photo from the 18th birthday of my daughter she celebrated at the end of June. Her biggest surprise was to get her own little car! She was so happy! I used a square stencil and surrounded some of the squares with a red pen and did some doodling in there too.

KRIPA

I've used the colours in the painting and for the pen work, outlined the pattern paper and the title with black pen. I'm very inspired by the stunning CAS layouts that Anna Uhras makes and tried to make a CAS layout. Quite obviously, I miserably failed CAS and reverted back to my usual minus extreme messy!  I also have a video tutorial up on my BLOG.

JANE

To me it was all about using the colours from the painting to create my page.  I then used black pen to outline the base paper and all the individual pieces and also used a stencil to add some extra embellishment to my page.

Now it is your turn, we'd love to see your own interpretation. You have until 11.55pm on the last day of the month to submit your entry.