For the Love Of Layers

Heello Dare.....working on Layer Love Lesson 4 with Julie Prichard. I am having a good ole time. Learning so much. Pretty soon I'm gonna have to stop saying I'm self taught, thanks to Julie, and Misty and Albie and Claudine and Fred and Leighanna and Anne and Dan and many more that I just can't remember due to menopause. teehee.
So here is my palette:

And here is where I deviated from instruction. Before adding the crackle paste, I thought it would be cool to have some sparkle and black flakes showing thru here and there.

Here it is wet.

Here it is dry.

Crackle paste.

Adding Paint.

Yummy crackle detail #1. "Vanity" crackle shot if you will. I couldn't resist, cuz I'm lovin it!!

Another Vanity crackle shot.

And WaLa, the finished background. I ended up flipping it upside down. For details join us over at The Land of Lost Luggage and get your Layer Learn On!!

I think there is just enuf sparkle, don't you?? xoSusan

PS oh crap now that I'm looking at it, do you think I need to get rid of that thick black line in the lower corner??? I like that it's darker and I don't want to loose definition but it does look like a line doesn't it?? comments?? hand holding?? talking me off the ledge???

Fred Mullett Swap

For the last swap at ArttechniquesATC's yahoo group, we are doing ATC's featuring the stamp genius of Fred Mullett. His stamp work is incredibly detailed and so realistic. I plan to take a class of his some day. I'm hoping he will be teaching at The Queens Ink in Maryland this summer.He mentions teaching there as a possibility on his web site.
I can see it now, driving down the day before, awesome blues CD's blaring, crab cakes for dinner, slumber in cheap hotel, wake up and get my Learn On!! Now who wants to go with me?? We will have a total blast. I have never taken a class at TQI but, Claudine Hellmuth is doing a day class for a Very Reasonably priced $75. I've already had the privilege of attending a class with Claudine at Art and Soul. The class at A and S was double the price. Which is OK. I am so sad to be unable to attend A and S this year. Damn belt tightening. I wish my actual belt needed tightening. Sigh. But I digress.
I have ONE Fred Mullett stamp, the sea urchin one. It is about 2 1/2" across, kinda big for an ATC. So, what to do?? I was envisioning a tropical beach with the urchins strewn about. So I started with this paste paper for background:

Cut it into ATC's. Need 4 for swap, made 7, cause well, mistakes happen!

Added some Goldens Clear Granular Gel medium:

It was a lovely day Friday and I was soaking up the sun! Next I added some mica powder:
Next I stamped the sea urchin onto some Shrinky Dink plastic I had laying around.
The sheets start out 8 x 10 ". I used several layers of inks, letting each one dry between stamping. Don't forget to clean the stamp between colors or you will muddy up your stamp pad:
Here comes The Worst part, cutting the Shrinky Dinks. Horrible. Never Again. The plastic cracks, chips and flys up into your eyes. I'm gonna try another brand. Any advice?? I figured the texture of the rough edges was ok for this ATC so I went with it.

The alternative was throwing a fit in the middle of the floor but I did not want to upset Buddy Guy, he was so relaxed on the window sill:

Here I am deciding arrangements of the urchins on the cards:
After adding a little more mica and glueing on some sand, here are the finished cards:


Well, there you have it. My Swan Song for ArttechniquesATC's. Comments?

xoSusan