Stunning Mixed Media Art by Gloria Stengel and Gini Williams Cagle

Steampunk Mixed Media
Time Flies

Time Flies by Gloria Stengel

I decided to create a canvas art piece this month, using some mixed media techniques. I wanted to alter something small, for a starter project, and this 4x6 canvas board was perfect. 

I learned that the key to a successful mixed media project is to allow everything to dry between layers! While I waited for my canvas layers to dry, I created my other embellishments, such as the clock and the wings. I also altered the flowers and the metal items. 

Here is a quick run-down of the order of steps for creating the layers:

1. Prep the canvas board by painting with white gesso
2. Add tissue paper using gel medium
3. Add second layer of tissue paper and gel medium
4. Create tissue paper "lumps" using gel medium
5. Cover all tissue paper with a layer of white gesso
6. Add two coats of blue paint (custom color)
7. Use modeling paste and stencil, then "color"  with Smooch Spritz
8. Add modeling paste "smear," then stamp and rub with mica powder
9. Glue on micro beads, add mica powder, Smooch, and Smooch Spritz to areas of the canvas
10. Add sticker letters
11. Add wings and clock
12. Add other elements

You can see, this takes a long time, with lots of drying time between each step!

One of my layers is a strip of modeling paste, which I added with a putty knife. I stamped the Numbers image with black ink onto the DRY paste. Once the ink was dry, I rubbed the paste with mica powder. I love that it looks like old plaster. 

The wings are chipboard, painted with white gesso and then embossed with several layers of white embossing powder. I then added a layer of Watermark ink and buffed the wings with mica powder. I stamped the Art Warehouse Grunge image onto each wing for added texture.

I stamped the clock image (Art Warehouse Clock) onto cardstock with Watermark ink. I then embossed the numbers with silver and gold embossing powder. I embossed the clock hands with black pigment ink and clear embossing powder.

I rubbed chalk ink onto the paper to "grunge" it up, then I buffed the powder off the embossed numbers. I then rubbed the edges of the clock with Watermark ink and brushed mica powder onto the ink. I buffed the image one last time before attaching it to the project. I used the same technique to add mica powder to the die cut "cog" behind the clock. I brushed the black cardstock with silver mica powder.

I added one of my signature embellishment groups: flowers, gears, and a tiny light bulb. I also added some tiny micro beads. I sprayed the flowers with Smooch Spritz BEFORE I added them to the canvas. The blue flowers were white, but I sprayed them with Sea Breeze Smooch Spritz and the black flowers I sprayed with Vanilla Shimmer.

I created a "lumpy" canvas by painting over tissue paper. Most of my lumps are hidden under the other items that I glued to the top, but you can see a bit of it here. I added some metal items, which I "antiqued" with white paint. My favorite part is the fact that the knob fit perfectly into the hole at the bottom of my metal keyhole. So Steampunk-y!

I used some glue to add micro beads to the very edge of the canvas. I added some sticker letters to spell out my title. 

Here is a close-up of how I used the modeling paste and a stencil to add some raised numbers. You can see just a bit peeking through. I "colored" them with Smooch Spritz once the paste was dry. 

I hope you had fun looking at my little altered Steampunk canvas! I had a ton of fun making it!

Supplies needed:

Hampton Art stamps:
Numbers (PS0531)
Art Warehouse: background (PS0713), Clock (SC0218)

Hampton Art supplies:
Embossing powder: gold, silver, clear, white

Clearsnap ink/paint:
Smooch Spritz: Sea Breeze, Vanilla Shimmer
Smooch: Silver Fox, Illuminate
Colorbox Chalk: Blackbird, Toffee, Gray Whale
Colorbox Pigment: Black, Silver, Bronze
Top Boss: Watermark

Other supplies:
Canvas: Dick Blick
Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts
Gears, key, knob: Tim Holtz
Light bulbs: Sky Blue  Pink
Keyhole: Graphic 45
Micro beads: unknown
Other ink: Staz-On Jet Black; Viva Inka-gold Copper
Paint: Apple Barrel Cobalt Blue; Making Memories Dusk, Grapevine; Martha Stewart Beetle Black; Folkart Whicker White
Mixed Media: : Liquitex Modeling Paste, Gel Medium, Gesso
Mica powder: Pearl Ex Antique Silver, Copper; Cosmic Shimmer Silver
Chipboard wings: Maya Road
Stickers: Graphic 45 French Country
Die templates: Spellbinders Large Classic Inverted Scallop Circles, Standard Circles Small
Stencil: Crafters Workshop Mini Bingo
Tissue paper: craft supply
Cardstock: black, white
Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L 3D foam squares; Ranger Glossy Accents

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I love trying new techniques and creating mixed media explorations.  

Time Is Precious by Gini Williams Cagle

A week or so ago, I had finished the base of this canvas –  it was covered with embossing powders, pastes and sprays, but had no final decorations added to it. I decided to add some steampunk elements to finish it out. ~Gini

Crumple tissue paper and run through Xyron 5” Creative Station to apply adhesive to the surface.  Tear pieces of the paper and lay onto the canvas.  Cover the entire canvas this way.  Paint a layer of gesso over the tissue paper and allow to dry. Rub the watermark ink over the high spots of the canvas and heat emboss with the dark blue powder. Spritz with mists. Randomly stamp the watermark ink across the canvas and sprinkle with the light blue powder and heat emboss. Mist again.  Use a stencil template to apply embossing paste in a diamond pattern. While wet, sprinkle with embossing powder, and heat set immediately.  This will cause the embossing paste to bubble some. Add another layer of mists and more random embossing powder.   Stamp the sentiment and the clock onto tissue paper with watermark ink, and heat emboss with a black powder.  Glue onto the canvas and spray heavily with the mists and allow to air dry.  Die cut the Steampunk elements and rub with the watermark ink, and heat emboss 3 layers of powder.  Apply to the canvas.  

Supplies

Stamps

Hampton Art / 7gypsies  Time is Precious (PS0742), Distressed Clock (PS0679)

Ink

Clearsnap  Top Boss – Watermark ink

Other Supplies

WorldWin Cardstock

Cheery Lynn Designs  - Gardenia Strip Die (B339); Clock ( B357); Pocket Watch(B362)

Lindy’s Stamp Gang Embossing Powder  (Hydrangea Blue Mauve; Twilight Blue Slate, Desert Moon Turquoise, Midnight Pewter Obsidian), Moon Shadow Mists (Buccaneer Bay Blue) Starburst Mist ( Blue Hawaiian Blue)

Dreamweaver Black Embossing Paste

TCW stencil

Gesso

Tissue Paper

Canvas

Xyron Mega Runner