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Cogs, Wrinkles, and other Mixed Media Fun

Hello crafty and inspiring friends.

I know there has been radio silence from the kitchen counter, but I am here hiding in my craft room/office doing way too much overtime at work and not enough crafting!

I have managed to get up a bit earlier and do a few art journal pages this week in-between work and dodging bad weather (we had multiple tornados in our area Wednesday and we actually left our house for better shelter).  

First, I did Mike Deakin's Mission Impossible Art Journal challenge.  Three main colors,  5 main ingredients, and a machines/gears/cogs main focus for the challenge - be sure and check it out because his challenge announcements are so darn cool!  

All my stamps are DRS Designs and I used ithe ink/spray/smash ink technique for the background and the squares plus some copper embossing and lots of distressing.  Cogs/gears/key are from Amazon, and I tucked in a Tim Holtz paper doll.  Love the words - so many deeper meanings....

I have so missed the **Art*Journal*Journey* challenge and all the regulars (some of the nicest people in the world - literally).   The March theme is a single flower proposed by Sheila (Orange Esmeralda).  I combined it with the Splitcoaststampers.com Inspiration Challenge which is Penguin Random House's Pinterest Board - I picked Frida Kahlo's biography HERE.  

Warning, this is the harder parts of my life.  I listed some of the big things that impacted my wrinkles other than lack of sleep, sun, genetics, age, etc..... but there have been many blessings and good things that have happened in my life as well - many more than the negative things listed here.  I guess my next page needs be a giant smile and I need to list the things that have brought me joy!


Last weekend, I made this fun journal page casing the Featured Stamper, Ana-Karin - LayerofInk.


Super fun to make - lots of distress crackle medium, water coloring and fussy cutting!

All three of my projects are done with stencils but I am linking the last one to Try it on Tuesday which is bring on the stencils. 

Hope you have all been doing well.  Thanks for stopping by and visiting - I so appreciate it!

Hugz


Comments

  1. cotnobMarch 21, 2021 at 5:05 AM

    It certainly looks like you have been having some mixed media fun Nancy, three wonderful projects, I love the dimension you have created.
    I hope your weather improves, we have had a very settled period here, not that we ever get the extremes that you do.
    Take care.
    Pauline - Crafting with Cotnob
    x

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  2. AnnieMarch 21, 2021 at 6:17 AM

    Life cannot be all fun and games and art. But they help to get us through the rough patches. Your journal page of your harder parts of life is so inspiring. Badges of Courage is perfect. Well done.
    I really love your page for Mission Impossible challenge! So unique and inspiring. It reminds that I have an old inchies project that I haven’t finished and now I’m inspired to get back to it. Your art is all inspiring! Fabulous last journal page too. I’m definitely a new follower of your work/blog.

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  3. Elkes LebensglückMarch 21, 2021 at 10:32 AM

    these are wonderful impressive pages!
    Greeting Elke

    ReplyDelete
  4. My name is Erika.March 21, 2021 at 3:45 PM

    I heard about those tornadoes on the news. Thankfully you must be OK. You may not have had a lot of art time lately, but you definitely haven't lost your muse. These are all so wonderful. You have used a lot of great texture and images too. You should link the last one up to Try It On Tuesday and the stencil challenge. It would work perfect. Thanks for joining us at AJJ. We've missed you but glad you are back. Hope all is well besides tornadoes and work. Hugs-Erika

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  5. ChristineMarch 21, 2021 at 8:30 PM

    Wow totally in awe of your pages, love all the shimmer and shine on the cogs and those wrinkles are awesome :) Your mice and mushrooms is so fun ♥

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  6. sheila 77March 22, 2021 at 3:15 AM

    Hello Nancy. First of all thanks very much for the Single Flower you made for the AJJ challenge. You have certainly had some hard times and I hope the next piece you make will show the happy and joyful times.
    I love the cogs piece you made with the great choice of colours and small squares and all the decoration on them including that fantastic key. I wonder what treasure it was made to open. I'll have to check out this challenge site, it sounds like fun.
    And your third piece is really beautiful and strange with the interesting quote. Great fussy cutting, and the mouse and the rabbit are so sweet and heart-warming.


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  7. nancy littrellMarch 23, 2021 at 12:06 AM

    Wow...Three amazingly artsy detailed textured creative Art Journals, my friend. We all have our well deserved wrinkles, which makes us appreciate even more our Blessings:-) TFS your beauties. Love and Hugs....Nancy L P.S. you need to delete forever and NOT open the comment in script foreign words.

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  8. Bleubeard and ElizabethMarch 23, 2021 at 3:59 AM

    Sorry to read about the tornadoes that hit your area. Tornado ally seems to be shifting. It used to be right in the middle of Kansas. So glad you are safe, at least.

    You created three incredible mixed media gems. I love the use of cogs and these blocks with cogs in each. Your quote is so true, too. It's a wonderful show of mixed media.

    Of course, I had to admire the Frida inspired wrinkles. That single flower in her hair was wonderful, and I agree with the aging, etc. Thank you so very much for sharing this with us at Art Journal Journey. We've missed you.

    Your final mixed media entry is also lovely. You are so good at fussy cutting.

    ReplyDelete
  9. pearshapedcraftingMarch 23, 2021 at 10:02 AM

    Tornadoes must be quite terrifying, especially if you have to leave your home! I'm pleased you were able to get these lovely pages finished! Your lovely courage page with the beautiful flower - what trials we have to go through to earn our wrinkles (and in my case white hair) I love the way your last page is summed up by the CS Lewis quote. Thank you for entering at both Art Journal Journey and Try It On Tuesday, Chrisxx

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  10. MarjutMarch 25, 2021 at 1:58 AM

    Wonderful pages. Thank you for joining us at Try it on Tuesday.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Tracey@HotchpotchcreationsMarch 26, 2021 at 2:15 AM

    You say there has been radio silence but you have been very busy in the background Nancy, all three stunning display's of your marvellous creative mind. I used to watch Mike on Youtube a few years ago, I love his passion for Steampunk, that's a great page using the inchies/Twinchies (?) and well matched embellishments. Your Jane Davenport face holds your wrinkle badges tightly, I just say is another achievement in life ticked off hee hee.. I really love the composition of your last page, those Die cut TH tree's really are magical. Thank you for sharing this spectacular trio.
    I hope you are keeping well and that this weekend brings creativity your way, take care Tracey xx

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  12. Let's Art JournalMarch 27, 2021 at 10:23 AM

    Such beautiful pages! Love the cogs and gears and the way you used the embossing powder - gorgeous 😀. Of course the stenciled crackle paste caught my eye too,it creates a lovely backdrop for your magical page! Thanks so much for joining in the fun at Try it on Tuesday! Hugs, Jo x

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  13. NeetMarch 28, 2021 at 8:57 AM

    Nancy, I love your MD page - what fabulous squares you have on there. It is really effective and I loved it as soon as I saw it. Then I came to your face/portrait and was intrigued to see what you had written on the labels. Oh Nancy, I had no idea you had gone through so much, but then how would I, I have not been on here (AJJ) for long. Some of the labels really tore at my heart but what a fantastic idea it was. That certainly is a way to chronicle a life. I just hope things are much better nowadays. (But I DO think it is a fabulous piece of art).
    So nice to have followed it with a bit of lighthearted fun as in your third piece. I love texture and you have certainly used texture here. The mushrooms and trees are great shapes rather than being 'real' but the viewer knows exactly what they are and I love how you used your colour on them. That would look lovely on the wall of a child's nursery. It really does need to be displayed somewhere.
    Thanks for a very interesting blog post.
    Hugs, Neet xx

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  14. craftytrogMarch 29, 2021 at 4:32 AM

    Hi Nancy. Good to hear from you again. Sorry to hear about the tornadoes, and you've certainly had a bumpy road throughout your life. Your 3 pieces of art are amazing, I love them all.
    Take care,
    Alison xx

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  15. JD/ JillMarch 31, 2021 at 7:46 PM

    Nancy, 3 amazing pieces, and I can certainly see how you put yourself into your art...some of this had to be very difficult for you to make. (But these show that you certainly are a strong person...and an inspiration to all of us)...God Bless you, Nancy and keep you well. Hugs, Jill

    ReplyDelete

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