A Birthday Card in the making

Well hello, here it is February 29th.   Yep a leap year in 2016.   So in celebration of this every four year even I will post one more entry.   No giggling now about the extra post.   I don't know if they celebrate Leap Year but today we will celebrate it.   You do wonder about the birthdays on the 29th of February, do the people just celebrate on the 28th or just really really not ever age on these odd years.  I have always thought of that.    Our beautiful granddaughter's birthday is the 28th so she squeaked by on the month, getting to celebrate every year.

I wanted to make a different birthday card for her and I did make a 12 x 12 card of sorts.  Some of you when I put the teaser up of what I was going to do wanted me to show them how I made it.   So I thought ok I will show how the card is made and in my different way tell you how I did it.    Now I don't represent any company or am not a designer for anyone except myself, but I do use Golden and Daler Rowney products.     So lets go see what I did .

 First I gathered goodies I thought I might use.  I am a blessed lady let me tell you because a lot of these pretties were given to me.   Even to the point of the computer part on the right.   We were getting  my computer out of the hospital and they had a stack of these what evers.   You know me I asked what are these?   I cannot remember what they said but they game me several.  I had more treasures to add to my collection.   All right I am straying but back to the story here, I gathered some pretty goodies and I am not ever sure what I will use so I always gather to much.   Even to the point of scraps of paper and pieced of good ole plastic parts of snow flakes ( they are awesome by the way ). 

 

 

 

I set the goodies aside and then gathered my 12 x 12 canvas and used some Golden molding paste ( Grandson gave me a giant jar of the wonderful stuff ) and applied it with a stencil.  I did use a bubbly looking stencil, Granddaughter does live in Hawaii you know and there are "TINY BUBBLES" there.  Sorry just reminds me of the song  "TINY BUBBLES" .   

 

 

 

 

I chose a photograph of Granddaughter that someone has taken of her that I always loved.  The photograph help set the scene.   I started adding goodies to the canvas, layers and layers of the goodies went on the canvas.  I glued it down with Golden Gel Medium.  That stuff I do believe will stick an elephant down.  No really it has stick ability like crazy.   After everything dried I gave the whole kit and caboodle  a good healthy coat of Gesso.       

 

 

Guess I could have left it like that and it would have looked like a blizzard or something but nope kept on going.  I glued fish, and octopus, sea glass, the computer whatever at the bottom and just stuff.  Good stuff and was ready for the fun step.  Not that it all wasn't fun but adding the color is just like icing on the cake---yum.

 

 

I used some Golden paints watered down and then the Daler Rowney  Acrylic artist ink.   I didn't have any thin liquid anything to go on here so I just put some of the Artist ink in a little spray bottle and tadaa I had spray ink.  I just try to use what I have, but I still have a lot of things.   I am going to have to live to be 200 years old I do believe to use all of it.   LOL can you see me in my art room just creeping around with paint all over me saying I have to use all of this  "stuff" .   

 

 

After all was dried I then went back in and added a few diamonds and some pearls to glam it up some more.   It is an awesome photo isn't it?  I have always like it and thought she might like one of herself.   Orange and blue are opposites so it worked perfect.  I always try to use opposite or complementary colors. The colors just work better and sing to you when they are opposites or complementary.     

 

 

 

 

Here you go the Princess's birthday card.  

 

Thank you for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today.  

 

 

XOXO

Annette

 

A Little Challenge

Hello and February?    Some parts of the US  they are having one heck of a snow storm and I hope all are warm and toasty.   I will not say what our weather is here the last few days, y'all might throw rotten eggs at your computer screen.  So  just be safe and hope you enjoy this post from me.   Hugs.

A challenge, you know sometimes we have a challenge for ourselves.  Some of them, hummmmm not sure about and you say what am I doing why is this so challenging to me?   You know the ones I am talking about.   Even like when I was making the "slip covers" for our comfy chairs, during the process I thought NOOOO why am I doing this.   Did I bite off more than I could chew?   Well I kept on plodding along, although wishing I had an air powered staple gun, and finished them.   They were suppose to be slip covers and kind of are but ended up stapled to the frame so they were semi reupholstered.   Now that was a challenge to me and I would do it again.   Oh I could go on and tell of some challenges I won't do again but nope going to stay positive.  Right?

On Facebook, I know some are on there with me, there was a challenge to work on one painting for 30 days.  I thought ok, I have not ever ever ever spent that long on a painting.   EVER!!!!   It should be fun and see what my muse comes up with .   Will she leave me hanging and make me finish this on my own?   Will she say you started it Annette so go for it?    Nope she hung in there with me.    I am not going to post all 30 day but will post a few of the days and then of course the day 30.   Of course with some of Annette comments   : )


Day 1, now this was just pure fun splashing and splashing colors, my favorite colors by the way.  One thing I learned though is that I did to much for the first day.   Now if I do another 30 day challenge I will hold the horses at the beginning.   Remember I was not use to working so long on one painting. 

 

 

Day 2,  can you tell the brush and the paint and my muse were having a blast?  I was putting swirls and pretties all over this.   Now I did remember to take a large file photograph just incase I fell in love with a day and then could print it off and play with it that way.  At least sensible Annette was thinking in there somewhere. 

 



Day  4,  the eyes emerged.   When they did I thought wow I love these.  I did take them after our granddaughter's eyes.   Finished?  Right?   It was only day 4 people.  Day 4 and only 26 more days to work on this painting, I could have signed it and been quite happy.    

 

 

 

Day 7, oh the days are flying by ( right, this is only day 7  ) and I am struggling here.   I am trying to make her and the painting last.  Should I just paint over the eyes?  Should I just zero in on one eye and have feathers as eyelashes?   I have done that before, but no just keep on trucking Annette  your muse will help you.  Well all I had to say is she better get herself out here because I was sinking.  AND only after day 7

 

 

 

Day 9, oh the agony, then I added texture aka tissue paper to the painting here and there and some darks and doings.   

 

 

 

Day 19, whew, the days are flying by now.  The hair and someone chose to do a whole face and added greenery.   I, not my muse , decided to add sort of faerie wings to her.  I love the airiness of them and one sweet friend reminded her of a beautiful bird.   She has a head piece now and looks a little poofy, well she is from Texas and we are known for big hair aren't we?   

Day 27, now remember I told you I would not post all the pic.  Sure don't want you going to sleep here and drop your coffee or whatever in your lap.  The headpiece grew as did the foliage and the hair.   Now I am looking her face rounded out and she needs a little sculpting there.  Maybe she got tired of taking so long in getting painted and ate to much chocolate?   They are now saying it is good for you now, well today anyway.    I am also wishing now that I had not painted her on the back of a 16x20 display print.   Remember I use to be a professional photographer and have some display prints to paint on left.  Most area ancient photos, like the kids in them are probably grandparents by now. 

 

 

DAY 30  I AM DOING A HAPY DANCE AND DOING CARTWHEELS.   Oh I don't know how to do cartwheels, but you get the picture.  

 



She is FINISHED.    Of course I had to add glitter and some gold leaf and a little faerie appeared, her face shape changes, highlights were added everywhere, I darkened the bottom so she didn't look like her head was floating.  I do wish some of the other background was showing but we all know it is still back there underneath it all.   It is fun how changing the shape of her face made her look so different, same eyes though.   I am pleased at how this challenge came out and after I lick my wounds might just do another one.  

 

 

I do have another step by step of a project coming after Sunday,  it is a gift and the person has to receive it first. 

 

So there you go, my 30 day challenge.   I hope you enjoyed the journey with me and thank you for  stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world.

 

XOOX

Annette