The Creative Life and Authentique Paper

Hi Lifers!

Today I am super excited to be joining with one of my favorite paper companies, Authentique Paper.

I have loved them since I first laid eyes on them and last October when their social media person asked if I would like to be a Guest Designer, I of course jumped on it! I had a blast working with their Halloween line.

Then at CHA this past January they asked if I would again, I was so excited, especially when they asked me to use their new Classique:Elegant line.

Want a sneak peek?

Want more?

Hope on over to Authentique's Blog for more pictures, details and more projects featuring 

Classique: Elegant. 

Thanks for stopping by and remember...make your art intentional...not an afterthought. 

XOXO,

KERI

My Day...with Authentique Paper!

Jazzed...Excited...Freaked Out...Stoked...Ecstatic...

All these describe how I feel today.

I have the HONOR of being the featured Guest Designer today for on of my favorite companies Authentique Paper.

If you are a follower of scrap companies, you know that Authentique has only been around a few years, but has really made a SPLASH in a short time. Their patterns and colors are versatile, while the texture and weight of their paper makes them VERY easy to work with and do all types of crafts. Their stickers sheets (they call them "details") comes with words, alphas and every kind of embellishing sticker combo you would ever need!

For this guest spot, I was sent their "Thrilling" Collection. Full of a variety of oranges and vintage images, it was a lot of fun to play with.

For the complete post, head on over to Authentique Paper's Blog.

Here are a few more pics that didn't make it into the post and a quickie tutorial!

First UP... 

My "Thrilling" Shadow box

The "shadowbox" is actually a fake. It's just a chunky 12 x 12 canvas, turned backwards!

The frames and bow are made from dies by Vicki Chrisman for Accucut and the bottles are 7Gypsies.

Everything else is just paper, glue and Authentique Details Stickers.

Here is a couple of new closeups!

NEXT...

"Any Excuse to Dress Up" Mixed Media Canvas

I really wanted to do one piece that was just crazy and fun. 

I started out by making a 5 Origami Dresses from the Authentique 6 x 6 pad from the "Thrilling" Collection.

My original idea was a little different, but when I decided on this 20 x 10 canvas from Hobby Lobby, I decided to narrow my dresses to just 3.

Here is where I found my tutorial for my dress: Origami Dress Tutorial. It was my favorite out of all the ones I checked out.

A little tip here...during the step where you are folding up to make the bodice, flip the project over to make sure your bodice is all enough for your project. Mine was not and I actually cut the tops off my origami dress and hand-cut new ones.  Took some time...don't make my mistake! LOL. 

All of the dresses are set on a stack of corrugated cardboard scraps to give them height off the canvas.

Here is a close-up of all three dresses:

It's hard to tell in picture, but for the Peacock Dress, all the turquoise you see on the skirt is bling that I bought at Hobby Lobby. The fact that it came in long "sheets" of 10 x 60 helped fill the skirt in pretty fast. 

This skirt is made of layered ruffle ribbon, loose bling and some additional ribbon. The heart on the shirt was made with Modeling Paste and a Heidi Swapp Stencil.  

This is my favorite! Think: Couture Bride of Frankenstein. She's got her pats and spiderweb's that are covered in glitter glue, tons of loose feathers make up her skirt, along with a "diamond" waistband and orange birdie for good luck. 

For the background, I Modged Podged paper from the "Thrilling" Collection, before splattering and painting it up with glitter glue, acrylic paint, Tattered Angels and Modeling Paste colored Black through a Heidi Swapp Stencil.

Lastly....

"Monsters in the Trees"

Here is a quick tutorial on how to make this background:

1) First...paint you wooden piece with acrylic paint. I actually added a little gloss medium to my 2nd and 3rd layers because I decided I wanted more gloss. You can see the difference in the finishes:

2) I used a Forrest Stencil from Crafter's Workshop (it's one of my favorites!) The size is 6x6, so it was perfect for my 5x7 piece. 

3) The medium I used for my background is Viva Inka Gold in Gold and Silver.

4) Starting with my silver, I used a putty knife to draw my rub over my stencil. I would then occasionally grabbing a little of the gold as well. Continue this process until you have covered your whole stencil. 

5) Carefully remove your stencil and your done! Inka Gold is very good for this technique because it is so thick that it doesn't seep under your stencil. As you can see, all of the edges are very crisp.

I didn't go all the way to the top because I knew I was planning a big collage of elements up there. Once my elements were in, however, you'll see that I went back in at the very top and added a little bit more with my stencil. It made the piece more "finished." 

It has been "Thrilling" being a guest designer for Authentique Paper and hope I get to do it again sometime.

Remember...you can go here-Authentique Paper Blog-for more pictures and the full blog post.

Until next time...stay creative!

XOXO,

KERI

New Obsession!!

Lately...I have been OBSESSED with playing with mixed media on canvases!! It is so much fun just being free and trying random techniques until you get what you're looking for.

Some of you might remember my first piece I need last month, featuring Authentique's Curiosity Line.

After this piece, I came across another Authentique Line that I had forgotten I had...Celebrate!! I am in LOVE with the little couples that Authentique features on a lot of their papers.

Next up on my new found obsession is Glitz Design's Color Me Happy. Who doesn't LOVE their bright, fun colors and playful patterns and elements?

And lastly, another...more unusual collection from Glitz Design...Birthday Wishes designed by Glitz for Echo Park's Photo Freedom line. The colors are fantastic, with a mixture of vintage browns and charcoals with BRIGHT pinks, yellow and aquas.

This is the first time I've added some 3-D elements like Prima Flowers and a lace stamp by Teresa Collins that I stamped on a coffee filter, cut out and draped it so it looked like real lace.

I especially love the words on this on....ENJOY YOURSELF AND PAY THEM NO MIND. How true this should be for all of us! Do what you love...and ignore the those who don't support your dreams.

Until next time...keep dreaming and keep creating.

PS....Be watching in just 10 shorts days as I spend 4 fabulous days in the Summer Home of Creativity...Summer CHA 2013 from Las Vegas!!!

Trying something NEW!!

I have always LOVED the look of mixed media artist Christy Tomlinson, but my "let's make a plan" brain has always been completely intimidated by the need to "JUST LET GO AND CREATE!" that her style requires. (Anybody else feel that way?)

I tried a few times, playing on canvases, but never made a project that I felt was complete so I got a little disheartened and stopped trying....figuring maybe it just wasn't for me.

Then I got some great advice from an online community. One of the participants said that if you want to start in mixed media, start by watching videos of artists who inspire you. Simple advice right? I was like "DUH!....Why didn't I think of that?"

So I spent some time on good ole' YouTube searching for Mixed Media tutorials and to be honest...I watched some that just totally didn't interest me, but I also found so many that I just "OOed and AAhhed" over. They had me saying things (out loud!) like "That's a great idea!"..."Oh that's why that didn't work for me."....AND "I can do that!"

That last one..."I can do that!"...was freeing because watching other people do projects start to finish took some of the mystery out of the PROCESS...because...if you've ever looked at a mixed media piece (like Christy Tomlinson) there is so much going on and sssoo many layer, it is so hard to figure out where to start. Watching a few masters in action gave me a chance to break the process down into manageable pieces instead of concentrating on the end project as a whole.

Wanna see what I am up with?

I used Authentique Paper's "Curiosity" paper line (aren't the colors fabulous!?) for the background and also my inspiration for the title. The rest was just building layers and trying not to THINK too hard about the end product. After each layer, I would evaluate and think "Is it done?" "No?" "What does it need? More light? More Dark? Does this spot or that area feel vacant?" It's a process.

Here are a few closeups!

Love using Bubble wrap for easy dots!
 I also used a  Tattered Angels Screen with my  Tarnished Silver Glimmer Mist.

I mixed some Black Acrylic paint with some modeling paste
and, using an old credit card, scrapped it across another Tattered Angels Screen.

No project is complete without Washi, right?

I love this little picture from one of the Authentique Papers that peeks through the background.
 I feel like that girl is me because SSOOO many time I sat at my studio table,
 head leaned on my fist, just staring at the canvas. The word hidden under it says "imagination."

This paper was my favorite from the whole line...I think adding the little people  to the project
 gives us the reminder of childhood and how much fun it was to discover and learn NEW things
...back BEFORE we became adults and had so many responsibilities. 

And last, but not least...trying NEW things and having that CURIOSITY requires being FREE...FREE of others expectations...FREE of your own expectation....FREE to MAKE MISTAKES.

I am so excited for all I've learned and the boundaries I feel I've pushed in my creativity.

I challenge each of you to take one thing (creative or otherwise) that is out side of your comfort zone and face it head on and take a  NEW adventure this week in YOUR Creative Life.

Until next time friends.....