Tag: Dina Wakley

Art Journal, Art Journal Challenge, Darkroom Door, Dina Wakley Media, Quotes

Dina Wakley Show Us Your Media – January Challenge

Robyn Wood

For the last few months, Dina Wakley has been running a creative challenge based around encouraging us to get our fingers painty to fuel our creative spirit. The challenges are pretty open, with the main requirement being to use Dina Wakley branded products somewhere in the project. Dina provides inspiration in the form of a journaling prompt, quote etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For January, we were encouraged to create a project about being unstoppable…

I’ve had a little love-not quite like relationship with the Dina Wakley journal, the different textures seem to upset my process somehow, but over the past few months I decided I needed to just get in and use it without worrying how the pages turned out.  I’m beginning to really love it! Might even splurge on the new large size one Dina has released at Creativation.

I’ve created a page in my Dina Wakley journal and used the following –

  • Dina Wakley paints – umber, cheddar, fuchsia, black
  • Distress Oxide inks – various
  • Darkroom Door stamps – Compass Eclectic, Paris Postcard & Bold Arrows
  • Prima – imagery

You can find challenge entries via the hashtags of #showusyourMEdia & #rangerink Perhaps you would like to play along next month? Let me know if you do!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Art Journal, Darkroom Door, Darkroom Door Stamps, Darkroom Door Stencils, Mixed media

Darkroom Door Stencil Blog Hop

Robyn Wood

Recently, Darkroom Door released a brand-new product – stencils! I was lucky to be given a few to play with and have been creating happily. The stencils come in two sizes – small (4½” x 6”) and large (9” x 12”) and are lovely and sturdy, so perfect for anything you want to throw at them.

Make sure you stay with me until the end of the post for some exciting giveaway news, but first I’d like to share some of the projects I’ve created recently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The small stencils are perfect for cardmaking. I stencilled the small Darkroom Door Wildflowers using Dina Wakley black gesso over a sunset toned background created with Distress Oxides. The black images make a beautiful silhouette that can be accented with a brightly coloured butterfly and quote.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mesh Background and Texture stamps and ones I constantly reach for, so I was very excited to see these turned into stencils. The small one is so useful for adding instant texture to a background for a quick card or tag. It was easy to stencil into the background of the Darkroom Door Tulips Photo Stamp. A touch of pearlescent Gelatos to colour the flowers and I had unique, pretty card.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve also used small Mesh stencil for this tag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who could resist letting this little birdie have his freedom? I’m kind of in love with creating backgrounds and liquid to go into mini jars using Distress Oxide inks – can you tell?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although ‘small’ the smaller sized stencils are great for art journaling and the focal images make creating a page easy. I’ve simply stencilled the small Wildflowers using Dina Wakley black gesso across a drippy, messy background in my journal added a few words that kinda make sense and it was done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The larger sized stencils very versatile as well. I stencilled over a messy collaged background with the large Mesh stencil and matt gel medium to give a wonderfully textured effect for this page. Then a bit of colour and a sprinkling of stamped images and the page was complete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you played with Dina Wakley’s new Media Journal yet? I am loving the different textures of the pages and created this super quick page using Dylusions Ink Sprays and the large Darkroom Door Wildflowers stencil. The yummy watercolour paper soaks up the spray but quickly releases it when sprayed with water through the stencil.

Now it’s time for a giveaway!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be sure to visit each blog and leave a comment. Five lucky winners will receive 3 stencils of their choice! Winners will be drawn from comments left across all the blogs, so be sure to leave a comment on each blog for more chances to win! Comments received before midnight Friday 4th August are eligible to be in the draw. Winners will be announced Monday 7th August on the Darkroom Door blog and Facebook page.

Hop along to the other blogs here:
Darkroom Door: http://www.darkroomdoor.com/Blog
Teresa Abajo: https://thetamarisk.blogspot.com
Belinda Spencer: http://happyscrapspace.blogspot.com
Autumn Clark: http://sewpaperpaint.blogspot.com
Godelieve Tijskens: http://stampingmathilda.blogspot.com
Anneke De Clerck: http://somefiddlingonthekitchentable.blogspot.com

Thanks so much for joining me today and reading to the end, make sure you visit everyone else to see what goodness the other girls have created. Good luck!

Darkroom Door stamps used –

  • Sets – Wings, Wildflowers Vol, Discover, Steampunk, Fine Flowers Vol 2, Full Bloom Vol 2
  • Eclectic – Compass Eclectic, Robin, Mini Mason Jar, Paris Postcard
  • Texture – Mesh
  • Word Block – Wellbeing, Journey, Wilderness
  • Collage – Butterfly Post

 

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Art Journal, Art Journal Challenge, Darkroom Door, Mixed media, Quotes

Today is the Day!

Robyn Wood

Hi, Happy New Year! I hope the year has started well for you. Today I’m sharing an art journal page as part of the new  Colour Me Positive art journal challenge run by LuLu Art. The theme for the first week of the year is gratitude and I’ve created this page while reflecting on and celebrating the things I’m grateful for.

Robyn Wood Purple Salt www.purplesalt.net

There is something about the first week of the year. A chance to start fresh, a time to get started on that project, plan a holiday, tackle the completion of a long overdue assignment and any number of things. Don’t waste that time, those minutes of each new day, as you never get ‘today’ back!

Robyn Wood Purple Salt www.purplesalt.net

For me this time is a chance to celebrate my multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Time to reflect on the changes and blessings that came into my life 11 years ago which culminated in a dreaded, life changing diagnosis, one that forever altered the path of my family and I. It is a time for celebration because having MS has meant staying at home with my sons instead of returning to full time work. I’ve continued to volunteer in my community and participate in all types of groups and events and I firmly believe that my life is better for it. So far I’ve been lucky – only a few minor issues and one pretty major attack 18 months ago that I’m mostly recovered from. I realise that could change any day, I could wake up tomorrow and some part of my body might not work quite as well as today.

Long ago, an MS researcher mentioned that studies were showing that each year that passed without significant disability could mean another two of the same. If that holds, and so far it has, then I might get to the magic ‘three score & ten’ without a lot of neurological damage or noticeable disability. Here is hoping anyway!

A few years ago, increasing fatigue meant reducing my part time working hours. But having MS meant that I had to go searching for something else to give me a challenge, to help my brain retain some level of neuroplasticity. This is the magical bit of our brains that helps us grow new thinking pathways – important when you have a disease that affects cognitive function! I am a long time paper crafter, creating cards, scrapbooking, bookmaking and such but I needed something a little ‘more’. Thankfully I discovered the world of mixed media. It was pretty new and there was a whole gamut of new techniques to discover, learn and practice. Many years later, I’m still firmly in the grip of this wonderful form of art and I couldn’t be happier!

Robyn Wood Purple Salt www.purplesalt.net

Today is the Day!

Supplies:

  • Darkroom Door stamps – Poppies & Butterflies sets, French Script Texture, Bingo Numbers Eclectic, French Script Background
  • Dina Wakley stencils – Essentials, Halves, Spinners
  • Faber-Castell Whipped Spackle
  • Acrylic paint, paper napkin, washi tape, tissue paper
  • Liquitex – matte medium, gesso
  • Words – Ali Edwards Old + New Story Kit

Edited to add: if you wish to read another perspective on living with a chronic illness, check out my friend Bree Hogan and her article ‘Who knew I would ever feel grateful for having a chronic illness‘

Art Journal, Backgrounds, Gelatos, Mixed media, Tutorials

Take a Moment

Robyn Wood

 

Smell the flowers - Robyn Wood 1

Today I’d like to share an art journal page that I created for LuLu Art using some self-carved stamps. Late last year, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer did a challenge to carve a stamp every day and I found it very inspiring and my fingers have itched to give it a go. You can find her posts here or do a search on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #carveDecember to find lots of inspiring images from other people.
As you can probably gather from my blog, I love my commercial rubber stamps! I won’t be letting them go any time soon but this project was a great inspiration starter and I know I’ll be doing more.
Stamp carving is a perfect skill for when you have that ‘I just need….’ dilemma during a project. Check out the little collection I made during my carving stint –

 

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A word of warning – stamp carving tools are sharp! Keep the blade pointed away from you, work in a well-lit area and go slowly until you get a feel for the rubber. I actually learnt to carve timber as a teenager so found it all came back very quickly but the process is really simple – and lots of fun!

 

Smell the flowers - Robyn Wood 2

Pop over to the LuLu Art blog to find out a full list of supplies, which as usual are available from this magical, online store!

Thanks for stopping by. Don’t forget that there is a LuLu Art Facebook page to share your creations or just stop in for a chat. As always you can follow me on Facebook here.

Art Journal, Gelatos, LuLu Art, Mixed media, Tutorials

Becoming a Butterfly

Robyn Wood

IMG_7746

Last week it was my turn to share a project on the LuLu Art blog and I’ve chosen to use a set of brand new Dina Wakley stamps to create an art journal page. I tend to love anything insect themed so these were perfect for the page I had in mind.

IMG_7724

This page caused me to muse on the theme of transformation and what it can mean to each of us. It can be learning a new skill, taking on a new challenge, making new friends or making a major life change. Often, we don’t realise how big the change is until it is well past.

Here is a list of the supplies I used, don’t forget that you can find them all online in the LuLu Art store.

  • Dylusions – Creative Journal
  • Watercolour Paper scraps, Strathmore
  • Dina Wakley Stamps – Scribbly Insects
  • Dina Wakley Stencil – You Can
  • Gelatos – various colours for butterflies
  • Ranger Distress paint – Squeezed Lemonade, Mowed Lawn, Spiced Marmalade
  • Dina Wakley Heavy Body Acrylic – Night, Ruby, Turquoise
  • Ranger Archival Ink – Jet Black, Watering Can, Monarch Orange
  • Pearl Ex – Macro Pearl
  • Non-stick craft mat
  • White Sharpie
  • Matte Medium
  • Tissue paper

RW Sept 14-2

Thanks for joining me again today, I love inspiring you to create something different and to give you some ideas on interesting techniques to try. Don’t forget to comment below with a link to your blog if you try something similar or have a project you would like to share with me.

Art Journal, Backgrounds, Copics, Darkroom Door, Gelatos, Mixed media, Tutorials

Compendium of Curiosities 3–Paint Marbling Challenge

Robyn Wood

Wander

In the world of papercraft the name Tim Holtz certainly causes you to pay attention, the man is always coming up with something new and interesting, often totally amazing!  Following on from his previous two books, Tim has released another – number 3 featuring a whole extra world of techniques and information.  As for the previous two books, Linda Ledbetter is running some challenges, based around various techniques that are described within the book.  The first cab off the rank is ‘paint marbling’, a technique I’ve done heaps of times but never into my art journal – so here goes for a project with a difference!

I used Distress Paints in Peacock Feathers and Squeezed Lemonade to create the initial background in my A4 sized, hardbound journal. Having the extra space to do it was great, although a little awkward to control.

WIP 2

Next came some torn strips of dictionary paper and some stencilling. I used a new Dina Wakley stencil and sponged each part of it with Archival inks – I didn’t want the colour to move in the next steps.  I drew around the outside of the shape with a paint pen to define it a little.

I added a few swipes of texture paste through the dot fade stencil and got onto Copic colouring my butterflies while that dried.  I had stamped the various Darkroom Door butterflies onto plain paper so I didn’t get too much ‘bulk’ – made blending a little difficult but it worked.

WIP (4)

I also stamped a stacked set of butterflies onto some pale green tissue paper & Copic coloured them.  Once they were adhered onto the page, the tissue paper almost disappeared.

WIP (3)

Extra colour and shading was added with Gelatos, watercolour crayon & sponged ink.  I added a few dribbles of watercolour crayon using the Ranger spritzer tool – more on how I did that in a later post!

WIP (2)

I hope you liked learning how I created this layout. Perhaps you would like to join in the challenge? You can find out more info on Linda’s blog here.

Wander full

Supplies used:

  • Darkroom Door Collage Butterfly
  • Darkroom Door Wings stamp set
  • Darkroom Door Wildflower stamp set
  • Darkroom Door Discover stamp set
  • Ranger Archival ink – Forget-Me-Not, Chrome Yellow, Manganese Blue, Jet Black
  • Momento ink – Tuxedo Black
  • Tim Holtz stencil – Dot Fade
  • Dina Wakley stencil – Mod
  • Copic markers
  • Copic multiliner
  • Liquitex texture paste
  • Liquitex matt medium
  • Liquitex gel medium
  • Liquitex Paint Pen – Brilliant Blue
  • Neocolor II watercolour crayon – Azurite Blue
  • Ranger Spritzer Tool
  • Gelatos in blues & yellow