Art Room Sign... MeSsy pLaY

Hi, it's Joy here, *waving madly* at everyone!!!! It’s time for some

MESSY play. This project is just about letting yourself go… and only doing a little bit of creating at once…

say for 15 minutes… then putting it down and coming back to PLAY a little bit more. You have to stop to let stuff dry, but it will also give you time to let your CREATIVITY do leaps and bounds while you see what directions this project takes you. And it can be ANY STYLE. Do what YOU like. And please leave me a link so I can see it. :0) Materials You can do this with ANY MATERIALS – there are NO RULES for messy play :0) But I will let you know what I used just for fun…. Small canvas board Scraps (I used painted hearts (oils but any will do) as things to add to your sign.) Queen of clubs (face and hair) Traced stamps and images for wings and dress Artgirlz crown Artgirlz and Blonde Moments rubber stamps Clear embossing powder Glossy accents Brilliance ink. Versamark ink Microbeads Glue (I like thicky sludgy mod podge or gel gloss, but use what you like)

PAINTS – Use any acrylic paint (something thick to give you texture). Also metallic paints are good for highlighting. I used twinkling H20s, lumieres, acrylics (Ranger), Stewart Gills, watercolour crayons.

Melting pot – wax, UTEE (or both) Paper (to be painted)

Ribbon

Hole punch

Baby wipes to clean stamps and your fingers…

Cling film technique – Collage Discovery Workshop – Beyond the Unexpected

The Messy Play Adventure Preparing….15 minutes or so…. PAINT your sign (canvas board or card – anything sturdy) first. Just do one layer – one or two colours. Also PAINT your paper in varied colours. You’ll make BEADS out of it later. LEAVE it all to dry. FIND your scraps. I chose previously painted hearts. Any thing you like will do – paper, images, leftover pretty things… Whatever calls out to you. GATHER your favourite stamps and paints and set them in front of you for inspiration. Adding…Part 1… 15 minutes… Everything should be dry now. :0) ADD some more layers of paint to your canvas. I used watercolour crayons (colours dipped in water – GREAT FUN!!!!)

to streak colours and draw hearts (not visible in the final canvas). I think used thick acrylic paint and cling film to create texture in various paints. This technique is described in detail in Collage Discovery Workshop. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Collage-Discovery-Workshop-Beyond-Unexpected/dp/1581806787/ref=sr_1_13/203-2622484-6921513?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181495295&sr=8-13.

Now is also the time to cut and ROLL your paper to make beads (use your glue). Leave everything overnight to dry. Adding… Part 2… 25 minutes. Start adding images and texture. Stamp and emboss… Put your main image on and colour with paint, ink, markers, anything you like. Squish it, make dots, make swirls, use as many colours as you would like. Paint over things, add in paper, just PLAY. I added the queen and hearts at this stage and some stamped words (“dream it, see it”- Artgirlz http://www.artgirlz.com/ and “Create, Play, Enjoy” – Blonde Moments http://www.blondemoments.com/ ). If you use paint – leave it overnight again.

Adding… Part 3 – 20 minutes. This is all about adding LAYERS and building up images that you like. I then stamped over my scrap hearts and embossed them with gold brilliance ink. I added more embossed (Artgirlz) stars and moons over the painted board. I used clear embossing powder on everything. You can keep going until you are happy. And the best part is if you don’t like – you can work over it. :0)

Adding… Part 4 – 20 minutes. More texture…. I have to confess that this was an accident. I wanted to use UTEE, but I couldn’t get my wax out of my melting pot. So I added UTEE and flex to the wax and melted it all together!!!!! I inked my stamps with Versamak at the same time. I used my melting tool spoon to pour bits of wax on the canvas, and then I put my inked stamps in and pressed…. When I took them out, I gently highlighted them with metallic paints. Beads… 15 minutes.

You can add as much as you want. :0) When you’re done with your sign, make two holes in the board to string some ribbon through. Weave your beads through the ribbon, and tie it off. You know have a dedicated art room (or other) messy play sign to lift your spirit.

We hope you're all enjoying reading our blog and picking up some ideas for projects of your own. Leave a comment for us today or tomorrow for the chance to be entered into a draw to win a *fantastic* kit from the fabulous ScrapaGoGo!!