Im really enjoying making a mess like this!

Heres a before photograph before I added the layers of paints and inks:

Here is what it looks like now:

For the swap we have to use magazine papers to create post card art, I was tempted to do the magazine scrunchie backgrounds for this but in the end decided to go for this grungy option instead.

The postcards are created using various layers of printed tissue paper and netting taken from bags of oranges which I glued down onto the card and added  layers of spray inks and paints till I liked how it looked.

The heart cut out centrepiece was created from magazine papers which I concertina folded into small squares and then folded it in half again so I could cut out a half heart shape using scissors to reveal a complete  full heart.

Highlights where then added using black and gold markers until I liked how it looked, I added a bit of vajazzle style bling using faux rhinestone gems to make a border on the right hand side.

Before Picture:

Finished Postcards :

They started out as offcuts from a sheet of non stick cooking mesh which I bought from the pound shop; if you dont know what cooking mesh is, this is what it looks like below:

I had offcuts because the sheet was too big for our oven so I trimmed it down, I didnt want to throw away the offcuts incase I could use them in some way in a future project and I am happy to say that day finally arrived!

I started out by drawing a basic heart shape template for the mesh which I then used to cut up several heart shapes from the mesh itself using scissors. I then glued the mesh shapes onto a sheet of printed tissue paper using ordinary craft glue and left them to dry overnight. At this point this is what the hearts looked like:

Next I sprayed over the hearts using Radiant Rain Colourwash Sprays in a nice pink and purple reddish colour, while the ink was still wet I poured clear embossing powder over the top of the entire heart and heat set it, then added another layer of embossing powder to give it a thicker texture and left it to cool down.

Once cooled I used scissors to cut the hearts out again and you can see some of them below:

All ready to be used on my artist trading cards – I have no idea what Im doing next so *watch this space*

I did this piece on a sheet of thick acrylic board, I love working on that as it is pretty study and can withstand all the layers of embossing powders and media.

This piece started out as a scrap sheet to test my radiant rain dabbers and getting them working for the first time, Ive had the dabbers a while now and just never got around to using them so finally I decided today is that day I use them. Funnily enough for some reason I had always assumed they were like metallic acrylic paints before I bought them like those ranger paint daubers and they arent at all! In actual fact the Radiant Rain daubers are pure colour concentrate which is a dream to use and transparent just like ink – I thinks Im in love with them!!

Anyways after testing the dabbers on the piece of board I decided I wanted to do something to it and use it somehow in a mixed media background of sorts.

So I took some white pva glue and dribbled some dollops on the surface, while the glue was still wet I got some blue, pink and gold mica powders and sprinkled it on the glue.

Next up I grabbed the heat gun and blasted the glue and mica powders till they started bubbling and making a gooey texture, I liked that but wanted more so I started sprinkling on various colours of embossing powders – white pearl, pink pearl and clear and melted them to make lots of  uneven layers on the surface.

While the embossing powder was still hot (but not liquid) I used hot fix foil transfer and pressed it in the raised embossed areas to get a shiny effect which I then heated again to make it go all distorted.

Finally I started throwing on strands of angelina fibers onto to the surface and shredded pieces of fusible film and they stuck to the embossing layers and disorted even more.

I really enjoyed doing this because it was just creative play; throwing things onto a background for the sheer hell of it, its been a long time since I did anything like this and Ive missed it.

Close Up Of Texture:

The link for the class is here:

http://joannezsharpe.blogspot.com/p/online-classes.html

I am a late starter in the class so I am very behind, but I dont let that put me off because the class is available for me to download and refer to at my leisure Creative Play is the fun part of this class.

Heres a couple of practise letter pieces Ive been working on in my practise book – no finished artwork yet as Ive been poorly with the dreaded fibro.

Heres a couple more doodles of Drusilla and Petal I did showing their Sassitude:

Anyway here is Petal my second cartoon character (you can see Crystal at the end)

This is Crystal Tips the cartoon which must have been in my subconsciousness when I was doodling:

This is the first character I doodled, her name is Drusilla, she seemed to fall off the end of my pen and she oozes that sassy attitude and takes no messing from nobody! Her hair is a perfect kingfisher blue carefully styled with a rinse and set, of course no self respecting girl must be seen in public without her heart shaped lipstick and a string of pearls.