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 

I am creating 4 tags using #8 size manila tags by Ranger.

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!!!