Michelle G Brown | Mixed Media Art

Creative Medium by Imagine Crafts

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This article is written by Ann Strecko Koeman

I recently had the opportunity to try working with “Creative Medium”, a new line of products by Imagine® Crafts. I can honestly say that it was a pleasure and I really do intend to play (ahem, I mean work) with these products more.

First of all let me briefly explain that these products are “a creamy paste that produces a bold metallic” or “iridescent dimensional effect” on various backgrounds. The “Medium” can be applied with a palette knife and used on a variety of surfaces such as canvas, card stock, acrylic, plastic, ceramic, wood, and glass. Note that a “Surface Compatibility Chart” is available to download from www.imaginecrafts.com.

The Medium can be made interesting by using DoodleStix™, palette knives, and other mark making tools. The medium can also be sprinkled with glitter while it is still wet. When dry it can be stamped and coloured with pigment or solvent inks (such as StazOn®, Brilliance®, and Memento Luxe®) . The time for drying is short and does vary depending upon how thick the layers are. I found the product to take between a few minutes for a thin coat and up to half an hour for a very thick coat. It is recommended to let the product air dry to obtain optimal results. I concur that when using thicker layers and trying to use a heat drying tool the outcome is different than letting the product air dry.

I got to work with the Creative Medium in metallic in the colours; Copper,Silver, Bronze, and Gold. I did try and was pleased with the results of using the product on light and dark surfaces. When I tried the product on a flexible surface such as paper I was pleased to see that it was flexible , and did not crack or flake, when I manipulated the paper. I also found the product to adhere well to all hard surfaces and left a very smooth like finish when dry. I would almost compare it to a leathery feel.

The Iridescent Mediums I got to try were the; Pink, Blue, Purple, Chartreuse, Green, and Turquoise. I enjoyed watching the medium transform itself from a plain looking whitish paste when wet to beautiful shiny colours when dry. The effect is more apparent on darker surfaces. However, using the same product on lighter coloured surfaces gives a “mother of pearl: effect which is very pretty.

Due to my own sensitivities to smells I was pleased that the product produces very very little odour and I found it pleasant to work with. The “Doodlestix”, also from Imagine Crafts are silicone-tipped tools used to create texture, manipulate mediums and enables the artist to add details. I really like these tools and found the tips to be very flexible and easy to clean. The “Palette Knives” are just the right size and clean up easily as well. I was able to clean off both sets of tools with a damp cloth and even a baby wipe.

Note: that it is recommended (and I agree) that when using any tools especially stencils and intricate stamps that you clean them before the product dries on them.

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Ann Strecko Koeman lives and works in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two sons. She blogs, writes about and makes things every day from her home based studio and office

You can see more of Ann’s work and find links to her other published posts, and videos at annmakes.blogspot.com

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Disclosure: These products were supplied by Image Crafts for the purpose of review. All opinions are that of the MixedMediaArt team. Some links on this page may be affiliate links and any purchases help to support the ongoing work by MixedMediaArt.
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Filed Under: Review Tagged With: creamy paste, Creative Medium, Doodlestix, Iridescent, metallics

Collage Bubble Fix

By MMA Team 1 Comment

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This article is written by Vicki Ross

What is a Collage Bubble? We all get ‘em, we all hate ‘em, but what are you gonna do with ‘em?

Simple, really. I worked with an xActo knife so many years during the pre-computer paste-up graphics days that I would wear mine behind my ear like some people do a pencil. Really!

So, suffice it to say, I have pretty good knife skills. This short video will explain my way to fix bubbles in your collage work. You don’t have to fix them, but if they seem problematic with what you intend the finished product to look like, you can fix in a few short minutes.

Because of the aforementioned knife skills, I did not use a cutting mat under my page. This striped paper is wallpaper, probably washable, and pre-pasted. However, with a generous coat of matt medium on both the wallpaper and the journal page, I still ended up with bubbles (note: not all the wallpaper I experimented with did this). SO, even though you are cutting just through the wallpaper, you might want to put that cutting mat under the page.

I’m just sayin’.

All images © V.N.Ross

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Vicki Ross is focused on sharing her journey to art and how life events can shape us through creativity. www.Axully.com Vicki has always been involved deeply in the creative arts, from professional soft crafts publications (knitting/crochet/needlework) to French Hand-sewing, stencilling to macramé, oil painting to encaustics. Whatever your leaning, she believes in the healing power of creating.

You can see more of Vicki’s work at VickiRossArt or via blog posts at Axully – Solid. Useful. Beautiful

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Filed Under: Mixed Media Collage Tagged With: Art Journals, Bubble Fix, collage, matt medium, Mixed Media

Radiant Neon Amplify! Imagine® Crafts Product Review

By MMA Team 1 Comment

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This article was written by Martice Smith II

Looking to add a little extra oomph and intense color to your mixed-media creations? If so, you might want to try out these awesome, easy to use product by Imagine® Crafts. They’re called Radiant Neon Amplify! Writers and I recently had the opportunity to play with them.

I received eight beautifully vibrant, colors: Electric Yellow, Electric Coral, Electric Orange, Electric Blue, Electric Purple, Electric Green, Black, and White.

These paints are so versatile and I had such a great time playing with them. I always like to push the boundaries of an art supply, just to see how much I can do with it. So, today, I’m sharing a few techniques, anyone can do – no skill-level required!

Here are some of the ways I played with the new Radiant Neon Amplify! Writers:

1. I used them on my 8×10 Gelli Arts – Gel Printing Plate. I wrote in scribbly letters to create a graffiti look.

2. Drew simple shapes, straight from the paint bottle + introduced another color. Use the paints like watercolors!

These are water-based pigment inks, meaning, I can water them down a bit. Doing this allowed me to paint with them as if they were watercolors. However, they did appear to mimic the look of soft and chalky pastels rather than radiant, neon colors. To get the neon effect, just keep adding layers of the same paint color.

3. Use them with a stencil + a foam pouncer to add a textured border along the edge of a page in my art journal.

4. Add dimensional texture.

The instructions say to shake bottle vigorously before each use. One thing I discovered while shaking the product was, after I removed the cap, the paint would ooze out of the nozzle before I was ready to paint! Ooops! Oh well…that glob of paint was applied in another area.

This means I had to be extra careful when adding smaller details, like dots.

Other facts to know about the Radiant Neon Amplify! Writers:

Drying time: Dries within minutes, depending on how much paint you squeeze out.

Dimensionality:

I like to retain as much dimensionality as possible. After drying, I was surprised to see how well these Radiant Neons held up! My art journal is packed with many different material and I was worried that it would flatten out over time. I was glad to see that that hasn’t happened!

Paints are flexible when dry – they will not crack due to heavy handling.

Texture:

Very smooth to the touch. The texture stays round, even in my journal. It hasn’t flatten out over time.

Vibrancy of color:

Strong and very bright on both light and dark colored surfaces, which I love!

Maintenance + clean up:

The Radiant Neon Amplify! Writers have a NO clog tip but I do recommend wiping the tip before placing the cap back on.

Store them upright to prevent paint from oozing out of the nozzle.

Applied too much paint onto your page? No problem! Take a wet paintbrush and gently lift the color from the page. Use a paper towel to dab excess water.

I hope this review encouraged you to try new techniques and to especially incorporate the Radiant Neon Amplify! Writers from Imagine® Crafts into your next project!

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Disclosure: These products were supplied by Imagine® Crafts for the purpose of review. All opinions are that of the MixedMediaArt team. Some links on this page may be affiliate links and any purchases help to support the ongoing work by MixedMediaArt.

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Martice Smith II is creative director of Martice Smith II – Illustration & Design Studio, based in Missouri and owner of Uneek Art Boutique. She established herself as a freelance Illustrator and graphic designer after receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree. Specializing in mixed-media illustrations, Martice’s love for fashion, typography and wildlife are infused with a combination of traditional and digital art techniques. Discover more tutorials on her blog www.uneekart.blogspot.com!

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Filed Under: Review Tagged With: Imagine crafts, painting, pigment ink, review

Handmade Greeting Cards with PanPastels

By MMA Team Leave a Comment

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This article is written by Michelle G. Brown

It’s the time of year again when I need to whip up some handmade greeting cards for Mothers Day. As I have such fun playing with this Versamark resist and PanPastels technique, I thought it would be prefect for this year’s cards.

Materials for Handmade Greeting Cards

– Strathmore Mixed Media or Bristol paper

– Large stamp here I used Hero Arts Hexagons S5667

– Versamark ink

– Pan pastels 280.5 Orange , 680.5 Bright Yellow Green and 580.5 Turquoise

– Range of Sofft Art Sponges

– Stencil L238, designed by Michelle Ward, by Stencilgirl

– Spray workable fixative

– matching coloured card

– Archival ink Black

– 2-sided tape

Instructions for Handmade Greeting Cards

1. Remove a sheet of Mixed media or Bristol paper from the pad

2. Using Versamark ink, stamp large stamp image around paper

You can just see the design here

3. Place the stencil over the stamped card and secure with masking tape

4. Using a light circular motion with the sponge, add a little orange PanPastel onto the card, going over the stencil.

Then the magic happens – the stamped pattern appears!

5. Add the green and blue. Keep adding color slowly until you are happy with the result. You can blend the edges between the colors to fade out any sharp lines. I like using the lighter color (the green here) to blend the transition between the colors.

6. Carefully remove the stencil

7. Spray with a workable fixative.

This step isn’t mandatory but I hate stuff rubbing off, so I live using this spray. It only takes a few minutes to dry.

8. Find matching colour card to be the base of your card. Here I have chosen an orange, a green and a blue. This card is 210mm x 148mm, folded into A6 (148mm x 105mm)

9. Using my paper guillotine, I cut the colours background to fit onto the card (138mm x 95mm)

10. Stamp greeting with black ink and edge the background card. Set aside for a minute or two to dry.

11. Use 2-sided tape to stick the two layers together.

I also had a play with a few other colors and mixed and matched the greetings and background card.

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Michelle G. Brown is passionate about mixed media art and enjoys sharing her knowledge and techniques with you to allow you to express your own creativity. Michelle understands that many of us have an inner need to create. By learning a few basic techniques the amazing world of mixed media art is accessible to everyone!

Michelle lives with her husband and two boys in Melbourne, Australia. When she is not creating or on Facebook, she’s at karate training. Just to make sure she’s properly busy, she has also adopted the From Picture to Page Scrapbooking and Papercrafts Show

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Disclosure: Some of these PanPastels were supplied by Colorfin and some were bought with our own money. All opinions are that of the MixedMediaArt team. Some links on this page may be affiliate links and any purchases help to support the ongoing work by MixedMediaArt.
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Filed Under: Greeting Cards Tagged With: Mothers' Day cards, Pan Pastels, Thank you cards, versamark resist

Michelle G Brown | Mixed Media Art

Creative Medium by Imagine Crafts

Collage Bubble Fix

Radiant Neon Amplify! Imagine® Crafts Product Review

Handmade Greeting Cards with PanPastels

Materials for Handmade Greeting Cards

Instructions for Handmade Greeting Cards

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