Friday, March 17, 2017

Organic Scribbles Inspired Art


"Life is a succession of moments.
 To live each one is to succeed."

Corita Kent, Artist

It's Week Two of my series Creating Dina Wakley Inspired Art.
This week I am playing with one of her latest stamp sets...




To be honest I just wasn't too sure how to use these stamps.
I was trying to come up with all sorts of creative ideas...
in the end I just let go and had so much fun! 
I can already tell this will be one of my "go-to" sets.

My first project is a page in my Dylusions journal.



See all those delightful scribbles
 on the lower left side of my page?

Another journal page...this time in
 Dina's new Mixed-Media Journal.




This time around I tried out the kraft paper...nice and sturdy so you can add so many layers.
On this page I chose to just 
and more scribbles. Other Dina stamps 
used can be found here and here and here.

Of course I had to create a couple of tags...they are always my favorite!!
Tags are a great way to "warm-up" when I am just not sure what I want to do.



The scribbles make this tag more visually interesting. LOVE it!!
And look how well Dina's Silhouettes go with it.
That's a Quote Chip by Tim Holtz in the center.

My second tags using Scribbles along with a Paper Doll from Tim Holtz.


And lastly I created a 6x6 canvas...


Dina's Stars and Phrases look perfect with one of my Angel Girls.
The pink tape with stripes is her Media Tape I painted myself...

And using one of her Scribble stamps I stamped around the edges using her Turquoise paint.


I invite you to watch my Organic Scribbles video on YouTube...
be sure and watch in full screen to see everything perfectly.



Thank you for stopping today!!

Friday, March 10, 2017

Abstract Blooms Inspired Art


“We have to continually be jumping 
off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.” 


Ever since I began creating nearly 10 years ago my whole world has expanded. From my Art friends on Facebook to women whom I've met face to face at Art Retreats...I feel so BLESSED to be a part of the Creative Community! 

I have several Artists whom have inspired me through the years...Kelly Rae Roberts, Melody Ross and Dina Wakley. Each one of these women (mostly without them knowing) have encouraged me to keep on making messes and bare my Soul through my Art.

The next six weeks I will be sharing FIVE projects each week using one of my favorite Artists products...Dina Wakley's latest Stamp Sets from Creativation. Along with her stamps I will be using her paints, stencils and her latest Mixed-Media Journal. It is AMAZING!!!

This week's Set is called "Abstract Blooms" 


This page was made in her journal on the heavy duty mixed-media paper. It also features several of her older stamps along with BLOOM from "Abstract Blooms". 


The lime green washi tape is one I created 

This set is so versatile...
The circles are from the Bloom set just with the leaves cut off.



This sweet 6x6 canvas reminds me to keep taking chances!!

I LOVE to create tags...Ranger's #8 tags are the PERFECT size...



If you look on the left side of the tag you will see Dina's Media Tape and more Blooms stamps!! Those girls are the new Paper Dolls from Tim Holtz!!

As soon as I saw this sweet little Bloom 
I knew it belonged on a 4x4 canvas.

These gorgeous colors are from Dina's Paints...they are SO SMOOTH!!!


 This will be going to a friend!!

And finally today another tag...
Here I used lots of Dylusion Sprays, Dina's Fractured Circles Stencil and more Blooms inspiration!!

 

Watch how I created all of these projects in my Weekly YouTube Video Series..."Creating Dina Inspired Art"...



Thank you for stopping by!!

Join my Facebook Community

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Creating a Small Canvas


Here is my latest YouTube video.

I hope you enjoy.






You are welcome to join our community on Facebook.

Have a GREAT day!!

xoxo

Monday, March 6, 2017

Creating Dina Inspired Art


“Everyone has been made
 for some particular work,
 and the desire for that work 
has been put in every heart.” 
— Rumi

The moment I found mixed-media art is the moment I KNEW I found my Calling. I have always felt deep in my Heart my Truthteller gently nudging me to encourage other women.

To inspire them to be everything they can be. 

To uplift them with motivating stories, quotes and Art as a pathway to healing and loving themselves again.

The minute I saw Dina Wakley's Art I KNEW that not only was I an Artist...but it was okay to TRULY be 100% ME.
I could be as messy...
as colorful...
as unstructured as I wanted to me.

I didn't have to know how to draw or what color to use and where.
I could just put paint on paper and CREATE.

To say I have a bit of an obsession with Dina's work and products is perhaps a bit of an understatement.
With each new product launch I am giddy and can't wait to start playing. This attitude along with her inspirational products is what moved me to start my next Blog and Video Series...

 "Creating Dina Inspired Art by Leslie Ackman"


Each week beginning Thursday,  March 9th I will be highlighting one of her stamp sets along with her new journal, Making Marks tools, paints, washi tape and Dina's Media Boards. 
We will begin with Dina's Abstract Blooms stamp set...

Purchase them here


Here is a sneak peak of what you can expect...


For this particular post 

Using Dina's paints in Blushing, Turquoise and Fuchsia I scrape paint on each tag...


Here is what they look like after adding stencils and ink...


Her Fractured Circles stencil is my new FAVORITE!!


For added texture using a palette knife I smeared Stucco Paint by Martha Stewart through one of Dina's stencils.


I just LOVE how it looks!!


Next I decide what stamps I will use on what tag. 
For the Abstract Blooms stamp set I decide on the tag I created without using stencils...


Instead I made my own Marks
with a bit of white paint and small tipped paintbrush.
I stamped the flower onto old book paper with Stazon Ink 
then cut out and glued onto tag.
I stamped the word BLOOM along the left side of tag, while stamping another word from her set GROW onto pink painted paper then cut out and adhered to tag. The final touch were the two ribbons at the top.

Another new stamp set by Dina is this one...

Words in Faces


This is the first of her scribbly faces series I have bought and am loving them!!!

First I stamped onto the back of the packaging...


...and cut out.

I chose to use Stay Strong...


Once glued on tag I knew it wasn't finished...

So I dripped blue ink from the top using my spray bottle (a tip I learned from Dina!),
painted my girl with Neocolor crayons,
and added three words from Tim Holtz.


Still it needed something else so I finished her with a heart and stamped the words HOLD ON from Dina's set and added a small pink butterfly on top of the tag. I love it!

The third stamp from Dina I used is Homage to Frida.



I absolutely ADORE these stamps!!!!!

Using my tag with texture paste on it I added one of the Frida stamps I had stamped on the packaging again and cut out...


She needed color, too so I using my Neocolors and water again I did just that. Aren't those orange flowers so pretty in her hair?!

I finished by adding black to my stencils with a black Fude Ball pen and words from Dina's set...paint your truth spill your story. LOVE that!!!! I can see myself using that one a lot!

My last tag for today is probably my favorite...I adore the messiness of it.All the drips and drops and smudges.

The Fractured Circles was used along with Dina's Turquoise and Fuchsia paints.


The stamp is from Abstract Blooms. Instead of ink I used more of Dina's Turquoise.
The cute girls are from Tim Holtz's NEW paper dolls! I am in love with these!!!

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek of what's to come and JOIN ME Thursday for MORE Dina inspired art and a video!!!


Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Mixed-Media Affirmations


“In life, finding a voice is speaking and living the truth. Each of you is an original. Each of you has a distinctive voice. When you find it, your story will be told. You will be heard.” 



We ALL need reassurance in life.
We need love and acceptance.
And we need those things not from others...
but from OURSELVES.

Welcome to "Mixed Media Affirmations".
I am so Happy YOU are here!!



So what's an Affirmation??

According to Dictionary.com...

something that is affirmed;
 a statement or proposition that is declared to be true.

I invite you to join me for the next
 31 Days as we take time to create daily 
and declare to ourselves that WE matter.
That WE are worth every 
effort we put into 
bettering ourselves.




This class is not about creating a masterpiece...
It's more about creating YOU.
Giving you a positive mindset 
to last well into the Summer.
It's about taking 10 to 15 minutes a day
 to create and meditate 
on that day's Affirmation.




All you need for this Challenge is...

*31 index cards
*pens
*acrylic paint or water colors or crayons

**If you want to add more please feel free to do so.
-washi tape
-stamps
-stencils
-stickers
-etc.



Are you ready??

Go here to find ALL 31 Affirmations.
Just highlight the page, Copy and then Paste into a Word or MAC document.
Print!

I would LOVE for you to share your cards with us!! If you do please use this hashtag...
#encourageupliftinspire


If you any questions please leave a comment here or in our FB group...