Woodland Gnome Hideaway

     Mixed Media Mania!  I love mixed media and I love to recycle in my art.  Hi!  This is Joyce Shaulis here today to show you how to make a cute gnome woodland hideaway using an ostrich egg shell and Susan's fabulous mini POP inks and her adorable gnome stamp set. 

To begin, I used the mini POP ink from Clearsnap, in Mystery and Susan's co-branded stamp set,
What's up Gnomey?  I stamped out multiple pieces on white cardstock.

For the background of the hideaway scene, I smudged Ice ink on a half of sheet of rice paper.  I then smudged Sky over top of the Ice.  On the other half of the rice paper, I smudged Fresh ink and then Cocoa on top of that.  Neutral or white tissue paper could be used as well if no rice paper is available.

 

 

I then used the mini POP inks like watercolors.  I pressed the ink pad onto a foam palette and then I was able to paint with a watercolor brush.  For this project, I used Ice, Sky, Fresh, Cocoa, Mystery, and Shimmer. 

  

Next, I brushed Decou-Page on the inside of the ostrich egg and smoothed out the inked rice paper.  I overlapped to cover all areas.  Wrinkles give a nice textured affect.  I then brushed overtop the adhered paper with more Decou-Page.

 

 

Using the back side of the "Live in Color" scrapbook paper, I cut small pieces in geometric shapes approximately 3/4" x 1/2".  I used modeling paste and a palette knife to smear small sections of paste and then I directly adhered the cut paper pieces.  I applied the paste about 1/8" thick or less.  I covered the whole exterior of the egg with the paper mosaic.  I allowed it to dry overnight, then I coated each paper piece with the Decou-Page.  I let this dry and then I sprayed the whole exterior and interior with a matte acrylic spray. 

  

 

 

I cut out all the gnome stamped and painted pieces.  I edged them all with the Mystery ink.  Then with hot glue, I glued wood picks to the back of all the pieces for stiffness, allowing about 1/4" of the pick to stick out from the bottom. 

  



 

 

I stained three wood balls with Ice, to be used as feet for the egg.  I adhered the balls to the bottom of the egg with modeling paste.    

 



  

 

 

With natural items like bark, wood, alder cones, acorns, I started hot gluing them inside the scene working from the back to the front. 

  











 

  

I continued to decorate the woodland hideaway, adding natural pieces and putting in my gnome.  I used reindeer moss and glued all around the edge of the egg, adding acorns and the painted leaves. 

 

 

 

I glued in the painted mushrooms and flowers.  I then embellished with tiny dried straw flowers. 

 





 

 

I hope you enjoyed my mixed media piece.  I am sure you can be creative and find other items to use for a woodland hideaway if you don't have an ostrich egg available.  Thank you for visiting and feel free to leave a comment. 

 

 

Joyce Shaulis     Susan K. Weckesser Creative Design Team Member

 

 

Susan K. Weckesser Products: 

 

What's Up Gnomey?  https://www.unitystampco.com/

Mini POP inks https://ww.clearsnap.com/  Mystery, Kiss, Fresh, Shimmer, Fresh, Cocoa, Sky

Live in Color  scrapbook paper

 

Other Products:

Decou-Page https://decoart.com/

hot glue and glue gun

rice paper

empty ostrich egg

3  1" wood balls

straw flowers

modeling paste

acrylic matte spray

nature findings: wood, bark, acorns, alder cones

 



 

Time Capsule

I recently lost my grandmother, so I decided to create an art piece in her honor. I created a time capsule with an old photo of my grandmother with her two twin daughters my mom and my aunt.

I created it from a making tape roll that reminded me of a clock's shape. I covered it with SKW patterned papers on the inside and out and also created the backing of the capsule.
I stamped the little SKW house stamp on white cardstock with archival brown ink. Then I covered the roof with clock's parts to compliment the time capsule theme. I colored the rest of the house with colored pencils. I cut it out and attached it to the capsule with a folded piece of cardstock.

I added felt green trees and my grandmother's photo which I cut.

I created grass by using double sided tape and green flower soft. Then I added embellishments like the picket fence which was sprayed with a copper spray, chipboard bicycle and chipboard birds on the top. I finished the capsule with colorful flowers.

This was fun and sad to create but I'm really happy with the result.

Have fun creating!
Einat

"Home is where the heart is" canvas

Hello dear friends, Einat Kessler here with a mixed media canvas. Directly from the CHA show I wanted to share with you the project from the amazing workshop Susan and I taught at the show.

Start with a 6"X6" canvas and paint it with teal, yellow and green acrylic paints. water your brush and blend the colors to create a more uniform background. Then add patterns using the ever so fun Susan's stencil using distress ink and a blending tool.

Stamp the house stamp on white cardstock and then color it with Pan Pastels. I like to use a baby wipe as my brush. it has a really nice wash effect and you have more control of the areas you color.

Color some white paper flowers in the same technique. Stamp the canvas with some washi tape stamps from the "A little bit washi" stamp set and a sun from the "Fly away" stamp set. Use permanent ink so it will stay on the canvas and not smear.

 

Cut some flowers and butterflies from the Beautiful Daydreams patterned paper and write the title on a white cardstock. Assemble your canvas, adding the house and all the embellishments. Add little swirls using the number 9 on the stencil in different directions. To finish the canvas add some distress ink and Pan Pastel to all the edges of the canvas.

Have fun creating!
Einat

Let it Snow double frame

Hello crafty friends, Einat Kessler here with a project to warm your hands ! Now that winter is here and some places are already snowy and white you probably have fun photos of playing in the snow, building snowman or making snow angels. Here is a great idea to display these photos in a double chipboard frame!

Start with stamping a piece of thick transparency with a snowman from the Let it Snow set. Use a permanent ink like StazOn to make sure it will not smear. Emboss the snowman with white embossing powder. I used an embossing markers to make sure I only emboss the inside of the snowman and not cover the black outline. Cut around the snowman shape.

Stamp two clouds as well. I embossed one cloud with teal, grey and sparkle embossing powders and covered the other one with white paper.

Then cover the bottom of the chipboard frame with cheese cloth to create your snow.

Add a little light blue color with color spray or Pan Pastels.

Adhere the snowman and clouds on the frame and add rhinestones.

to finish the frame stamp Let it Snow on the frame. Stamp the sentiment from the same set on a white piece of cardstock and cut it in a cloud shape. Adhere it to the frame.

Now all you need to do is go outside, have fun and take a picture of it!

Have fun creating!
Einat

Faith

Hi dear crafty friends! Einat Kessler here with a new project to inspire you.
This week we are celebrating Hanukkah, the holiday of light and faith. Many of my non Jewish friends have been asking me what exactly is this holiday? Well...it's a miraculous story of faith, courage and light.

The best way to tell this story is first to share with you a card I made that summarize everything you need to know. 8 burning candles and the word faith are Hanukkah in a nut shell. I created this card from bright patterned paper which I then colored with Pan Pastels in fiery colors: yellow, orange and red. Before coloring I cut 8 candles out of kraft cardstock and layered them on my card as a mask. Then I colored around them creating a white candles image.

Then I colored the cardstock candles with the same colors. I added the word faith from Susan Weckesser's Painted Sentiments stamp set and the number 8 with Susan Weckesser stencil.
I adhered the candles to the card with 3D foam tape and my card was ready!

How does the card tell the story of Hanukkah you ask? Well...here's the story...

In 175 BCE, Antiochus invaded Judea.  The second temple in Jerusalem was looted and services stopped, Judaism was outlawed. Antiochus ordered an altar to Zeus

Without Faith the revolt could not have succeeded, the temple would not have been freed and God would not have given the Jews the miracle of the oil. This holiday of light was created because of the faith that darkness can be overcome!

Thanks for stopping by
Have fun creating!
Einat