Junk Junk Boat


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Nǐ hǎo!
According to my Google search, that is ‘Hello’ in Chinese.  So, what does that have to do with my post?  Let me give you a bit of background info. 

I am so super stoked about this month’s theme at Mixed Up: Recycle/Upcycle!!  (Excuse me my dear former English/Journalism professors, I know a writer is never, ever supposed to use multiple exclamation points...but come on...we are talking UPCYCLE!!!  See, I can’t help myself because recycling junk IS MY THING!!!!) 

And then, someone in the art world that I very much admire, both personally and professionally, paid me the utmost compliment with the label #queenofjunk!!!!! (Okay, I promise, I’ll cool it on the punctuation mark frenzy).

Now the pressure was on.  What would the so-called #queenofjunk create?  It came to me right away:  a Chinese Junk boat made from junk.  I have since found out from family and close friends this is another random example of trivia my brain has stored, rather than useful, possibly life-saving information.  A Chinese Junk, from the Javanese 'djong' meaning ship or large vessel, was used for transporting goods on rivers and seas beginning in the Han Dynasty and is still in use today.  

My Junk boat started as an unusual serving dish that I had picked up at a thrift store quite some time ago.  Pop over to the online classroom at Mixed Up to see how I transformed this junk store find into a Junk using junk!

See you there, 

Leslie

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Poseidon's Pearl


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I recently was asked to be a Guest Ambassador for Sandra Evertson's Relics & Artifacts!  Of course I said 'absolutely'!  I love Sandra's product line and was thrilled and honored to be creating among so many incredible artists who are a part of the Relics & Artifacts Tribe!

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I was inspired by the Mythos Collection of Resin Blanks and knew I had to create something with them and the ornate wood ostensorium.  The result was Poseidon's Pearl, a mixed media assemblage.  I hope you enjoy this piece and I would love it if you stop by my muse at Relics & Artifacts.

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BeetleBot - An Artful Days Creation


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Today I have a whimsical little steampunk piece to share with you featuring treasures from Artful Days.  When the Mixed Up Online Classroom asked me if I'd like to play with products from the Artful Days Shop, I leapt at the chance. Not only does this shop carry some of my favorite products like Lindy's and Prima, but they have a section called 'Treasure Trove' which has a fabulous variety of goodies, including the star of my mini canvas: a detailed little robot beetle! 

Head over to Mixed Up for my full tutorial.  And while your at it, grab my Artful Days shopping list and treat yourself to a wonderful collection of artsy goodies!

Leslie

 

Chain Reaction


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You've heard the phrase, 'like a kid in a candy store', well, that's what I felt like when I happened across the new blog Art Playground. I was exploring this creative playground and feasting on artsy eye-candy when I noticed that they were having a challenge.  It has been quite I while since I've participated in a challenge and I wished I had the time to play along with this one. Alas, I had already made a pact with myself that I would start and finish - no matter how many weekends it took - my 'Spring Cleaning'.

So of course, I began making my project for the challenge. (Spring comes every year, right? 2019 will be my Epic Spring Cleaning Extravaganza.)

I mean really, how could I resist? The colors, the focal point theme and the inspiration equalled a great challenge in my opinion.  

Wanting to use a large diamond shape for my focal point, I cut one out of a rectangular piece of chipboard.  I set aside the scraps for the corners of my canvas. The diamond piece would serve as a stage for an old rusty faucet handle that I had in my stash.

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I covered an 11 x 14 canvas with corrugated cardboard and applied DecoArt Chalky Finish paint and paint spatters.  To achieve a cohesiveness between my background and focal piece, I stenciled a diamond harlequin design with modeling paste. 

Art Playground's May Play Color Scheme is a combination I love to use in my pieces.  I set out colors from Lindy's, Tattered Angels, Ranger and Seth Apter and had them all playing on my playground. I love seeing how different combinations react!

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Next up was building the composition.  I placed my focal piece in the center and arranged the scrap chipboard in the corners.  I added my largest embellishment, the old rusty faucet handle, to the center of my diamond. I continued building the composition with smaller embellishments, concentrating most of them to the center right of the diamond. 

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Last up was adding a few extra details including my 'chain reaction' chains that I attached through rivets that I had pre-punched in my chipboard.

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As I stated above, the inspiration for this piece is the May Challenge, May Play, at Art Playground.  If you haven't visited their blog yet, then stop that silly Spring Cleaning and head over there now :)

Product List

DecoArt:  Gesso, Modeling Paste and Crackle Glaze mediums; Chalky finish acrylic paint in 'Rustic', 'Vintage' and 'Primitive'

Lindy's Stamp Gang:  Flat Fabio Sprays in 'Greased Lightnin' Green', 'C'est la vie Cerise', 'Ocean Breeze Blue' and 'Sandra Dee Sepia'; Starburst Sprays in 'Time Travel Teal', 'Green with Envy Green', 'Ponderosa Pine Olive', 'Shabby Turbine Teal' and 'Steampunk Sepia'

Tattered Angels:  'Camel' Glam, 'Bronze' Glimmer Mist and 'Coconut Shell' Glaze

Seth Apter Emerald Creek Baked Texture Powders:  'Ancient Amber', 'Vintage Beeswax' and 'Patina Oxide'

Ranger:  Tim Holtz Distress Ink in 'Vintage Photo', 'Stormy Sky', 'Pumice Stone' and 'Clear'; Tim Holtz Rust Effect Distress Powder

Prima:  Heavy Body Gel, Art Stones and Elementals Harlequin stencil

11 x 14 canvas, chain, rivets, chipboard and miscellaneous findings

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Mixed Up Mag Blog Hop


Well hello there and welcome!  I am so excited you stopped by my blog and I hope you are enjoying meeting all of us on the Mixed Up Design Team!

As part of the MuM Blog Hop, each of us is sharing one of our favourite makes for Mixed Up and a sneak peek of an upcoming project.  Originally I had planned on sharing my very first MuM piece, The Virus, but instead I chose one very dear to my heart (no pun intended) called The Lock & Key.

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I love taking bits of this and that and creating something totally new, like cardboard becoming a brick wall or picture hanging wire becoming rusty barbed wire.  If you'd like, visit the archives at Mixed Up Mag to read my tutorial and the story behind Lock & Key.

And now for the sneak peek I promised you.  Are you ready for a little steampunk?

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I had so much fun creating this whimsical steampunk piece.  I can hardly wait to show you the project in full coming soon to Mixed Up Magazine

I am so fortunate to be a part of MuM and to design beside an amazing group of creative souls. Make certain you visit everyone's blog to be in the chance of winning the Grand Prize (Whoop Whoop!!!)  Below you will find the Hop List, and remember, the Mixed Up website has loads of mixed media projects and tutorials including these and many more to spark your imagination to create!

 

Hop Rules:

Visit each designer by clicking on their name below and leave a comment on their blog for a chance to win a fabulous mixed media prize!

The draw is open internationally.

The draw closed 31st May 2018 at midnight GMT.

 

Mixed Up Magazine

Leslie Lineberry (YOU ARE HERE)

Riika Kovasin

Erica Evans

Debs Wainwright

Carol Fox

Corrie Herriman

Nikki Killinger

Fiona Potter

Mags Woodcock

Lisa Taggart