Creative Squad

My Fire Burns Bright – Shilpa Nagaonkar

  

Hello my friends during this busy holiday season! Today we have a lovely art journal spread from Creative Squad member Shilpa Nagaonkar. This will be Shilpa’s final project with the squad and we thank her for her brilliant work and we wish her all the best in 2018 and beyond! Today, Shilpa is using my Circle Drive and Van Vorst ArtFoamies and my Santa Fe stencil, along with this month’s theme – My Fire Burns Bright – Creativity is a passion that can come from deep within the heart and soul of the maker. Sometimes this fire gets ignited by an event or an influential person in our lives, and other times it can be ignited by a love for a material or just simply the enjoyment that comes from making. What makes your creative fire burn bright?

Hello Everyone,  Hope you are enjoying the beautiful art by the Creative Squad this month, we are making with the theme – “My Fire burns Bright”.  My everyday life has great impact on my creative journey. … and that keeps my fire bright. I have a journal page to share with you today, in which I have created an abstract city scape as I was thinking about my previous home. .. so here we go…

Here was my process:

To start with I applied various layers of acrylic paints in greens and blues.. I have used Dylusion paints here.

I stamped beautiful texture using Nathallie’s Circle Drive stamp set and blue acrylic paint, randomly on the surface.

Further I created stencil texture with Nathallie’s Santa Fe stencil and paints.

For creating my imaginary buildings, I adhered dictionary papers on card stock and colored them in pink and red acrylic colors. I stamped the beautiful Van Vorst design on it using Black Archival ink. Next I cut them into building shapes and adhered them on the page.

I used a white Gelli roll pen to add more details, I also wrote create, inspire and love with black pens to finish my journal page.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Thank you Shilpa – I just love this happy color combination and the mix of patterns! In addition to dictionary paper, Shilpa used the following supplies (some are affiliate links):



Play along with us too: I love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next  “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

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Nat

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  • Sue Clarke

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    Thank you for the step by step tut Shilpa.
    Great and inspiring colors as well.

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My Fire Burns Bright – Jennifer Gallagher

  

Happy Tuesday and Happy Holiday Season from the Creative Squad! Today we have a beautiful art journal spread from Jennifer Gallagher to lift us up and brighten our day. Jennifer is using my Exchange Place and Valley Road foam stamps and this month’s theme: My Fire Burns Bright – Creativity is a passion that can come from deep within the heart and soul of the maker. Sometimes this fire gets ignited by an event or an influential person in our lives, and other times it can be ignited by a love for a material or just simply the enjoyment that comes from making. What makes your creative fire burn bright?

Creativity is one of those things that can burn brightly or die down occasionally. We all need to be inspired and recharge our artistic batteries now and again. New ideas and a fresh perspective can be all it takes to start a really exciting artful adventure. So this month our creative squad members are all taking a look at what keeps their creative fires burning. For me, it really is multiple things. First, I find that creating just for the fun of it is key. As a working artist, I often lose track of this. But finding time in my schedule to make things for myself, or just for the heck of it, really keeps me balanced. One way I do this is through art journaling. My art journal is a place for artistic experimentation and self-expression. Second, I find that seeking out new ideas and inspiration from my fellow artists is what really keeps me going. One artist in particular, for me, brings both of these ideas together. Recently I have been very inspired by Tina Walker. Tina’s art journal spreads are bright, bold, and fearless. I really admire her work. I had her in mind when I created this journal page.

I do not journal per se, but I do use quotes and phrases to express myself. I find it hard to find the words to add to my pages so quotes or lyrics really tend to fit the bill. On this spread, I used our creative squad theme to literally say it for me. Just between us, I struggle with hand-lettering. I tend to avoid it at all costs! However, one of my goals this year has been to write in my journal and be at peace with the quality, or lack thereof, in the hand-lettering. On this page, I just went for it!

I started by brayering out the yellow paint on my gelly plate to use it as a stamp buddy for my artfoamies. I used Nat’s Exchange Place Artfoamie, pressed it into the paint, and applied it onto my art journal pages for a cool background.

After the paint dried I used my Dylusions large journal block to pencil in a few places that I would later add my text.

I used my mini-blending tools to apply my red dylusions paint to those penciled in spaces. I then did the same with the vanilla custard around the edges to get a nice blurred edge look to the red sections.

While that paint was drying, I used Nat’s Valley Road ArtFoamies to stamp out what will become several suns I will place on my journal pages. I stamped several of them onto a large sheet of white paper. I then cut around the edges of the shapes, revealing a sun shape.

I applied the cut paper suns, did a lot of doodling, and wrote in my saying.

I love this journal spread. I hope you will find it as a source of inspiration for your own creativity.

Thank you Jennifer – I love your thoughts on inspiration and sometimes just letting loose and having fun with artmaking. So true! Jennifer used the following supplies:


Play along with us too: I love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next  “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.
Nat

Comments (1)

  • Sue Clarke

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    Jennifer, the perfect colors for an inspiring message!
    Happy Holidays,
    Sue

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My Fire Burns Bright – Josefine Fouarge

  

It’s Tuesday and time for a post from my Creative Squad.  Today we have a beautiful art journal page from Josefine Fouarge that shows how sometimes you just gotta go with your gut and create! Josefine is using my Midtown Foam Stamp Set, Toledo 9×12 stencil, Art Deco Wallpaper stencil, and a few of my cling rubber stamps along with this month’s theme: My Fire Burns Bright – Creativity is a passion that can come from deep within the heart and soul of the maker. Sometimes this fire gets ignited by an event or an influential person in our lives, and other times it can be ignited by a love for a material or just simply the enjoyment that comes from making. What makes your creative fire burn bright?

Welcome to the December Creative Squad topic “My fire burns bright”.

I don’t know why, but my first thought when I read this theme was sunrise. Instead of trying to analyze it, I decided to just go with it and create a scene using the Midtown foam stamps. I stamped three of them onto my art journal page. One of them is actually supposed to be standing up, but I think it works out pretty well laying down.

Next up I created some simple masks for the houses to cover them while I was working on the background. I used a yellow paint for the first layer. Then I added some texture using the Art Deco Wallpaper stencil. In order to blend the orange colors in, I used my brush in a dapping motion. I mixed the paint with water, so it was a little easier to blend them as well.

For the night sky I decided to use the Toledo stencil and a few darker shades of red and blue. After I was done, I felt that the background was too bright, so I sprayed gesso over it. That helped blend the two areas together a little more and made the skyline pop again.

Now on to the finishing touches. I started by stamping Nat’s Star Tag stamp and Cross Circle stamp all over the page. I added more dimension by “hiding” them behind the skyline. For that effect, I covered the house with my mask and stamped over it. When I removed the mask only the partially stamped image stayed on the page.

To make the sun even brighter, I outlined the skyline with two different shades of yellow using my Liquitex ink pens and blended the ink out with my finger. My scene was all set, it just missed a little extra – the U.S flag stamp on top of one of the skyscrapers.

At the end the page needed a frame and a sentiment. I started with adhering the “hello sunshine” acetate piece to the middle of the page. Then I drew in a scribbled border and some random text.

The fires are now burning bright on this page, introducing a new day for whomever lives in that city J

Thank you Josefine! In addition to her art journal, Josefine used the following (some are affiliate links):



Play along with us too: I love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next  “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

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My Fire Burns Bright – Marsha Valk

  

Welcome to December and a new post from my Creative Squad! Today we have a series of gorgeously layered pieces from Marsha Valk. To create such lovely backgrounds, she used my Downtown foam stamp set, my Amsterdam stencil, and a variety of my cling rubber stamps. This month the squad is using a new theme for inspiration: My Fire Burns Bright – Creativity is a passion that can come from deep within the heart and soul of the maker. Sometimes this fire gets ignited by an event or an influential person in our lives, and other times it can be ignited by a love for a material or just simply the enjoyment that comes from making. What makes your creative fire burn bright?

My creative fire ebbs and flows like I’m sure yours ebbs and flows too. We all need new input now and then, to spark creativity, get new ideas and to try new supplies or old supplies in a new way.

Nat’s Creative JumpStart always hugely ignites my creativity. And by that, I mean not only the event in January, but also the brainstorm and preparations I get to do as one of the featured artists(!). It’s so much fun creating something extra special just for CJS!

In January I attend the online event and watch all of the videos together with all of you. I always find new artists to follow (or take classes from), and I take notes of what supplies, techniques or ideas I want to try myself later in the year.

One artist that inspired me in particular during Creative JumpStart 2017 was Mystele Kirkeeng. It wasn’t until recently though that I purchased a couple of her Wonder Paint episodes. In these recorded studio sessions you get a chance to look over Mystele’s shoulder while she paints, explores and plays. Mystele uses all kinds of supplies in her beautiful art, and that lead me to unearth stuff from my stash that I usually never use.

She prompts me to ask myself questions about what attracts me to specific art or supplies and reminds me that it’s OK to work on loose scraps and sheets of paper just for the sake of creating, layer after layer after layer.

Two of these ‘loose sheets of paper’ started out as Gelli Prints, the other two are cut from paper I used to clean my brayers and brushes. On top I scribbled, stamped, heat embossed, collaged, painted, scraped, sprayed, splattered, made marks and doodled and I pretty much used anything that was within reach.

The results are super messy, colourful and highly textured pieces of paper that I immensely enjoyed making!

If you want Mystele to ignite your creative fire too, then you are in luck because she’s one of the 31 featured artists for Creative JumpStart 2018!

I cannot wait to see what she has cooked up for this edition of CJS. Join us and register for Creative JumpStart 2018 here!

Happy December!

Thank you Marsha! It’s not only a pleasure to see this super juicy series of yours, but it also makes me grin to know that CJS is doing what I always hoped it would: inspire artists of all levels to feel a renewed sense of creativity :)  Marsha used the following supplies (some are affiliate links):



Play along with us too: I love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next  “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

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Each Day is a New Adventure – Shilpa Nagaonkar

  

Hello and welcome to a post from the Creative Squad! Today we have some super colorful tags from Shilpa Nagaonkar to brighten your day. Shilpa used my Mini Batik Pattern 2 foam stamp and my Mesa Verde stencil for lots of layered pattern goodness. This month the Squad is working with the theme: Each Day is a New Adventure – Be adventurous this month and try something new in your art-making! Use a new tool, medium, or technique that you’ve been meaning to try for too long now. Go on a new adventure TODAY!

Hello Everyone! My teamies have shared beautiful projects with this month’s theme – “Each Day is new Adventure” and now it’s my turn today. I love to try new techniques in my mixed media work. I am using Nat’s beautiful stamps for the first time these days, and that itself is an adventure for me… but today I’m going further and using a Gelli Plate for the first time…

Here is what I did: I applied acrylic paint to the Gelli plate using a brayer.

I stamped on the Gelli plate several times with the Mini Batik Pattern 2 stamp.

Then I pressed copy paper onto it and I got my monoprint/ Gelli print.

I did this same procedure using 3 different colors – Lemon, Cheddar and Magenta.

You will find in the pictures, I got several backgrounds.

After that, I cut out tags from the gelli printed papers and adhered them on white card tags. For my next layer, I applied blacksoot distress ink through Nat’s Mesa Verde Stencil randomly on the tag.

I also cut out hearts from the same gelli prints and adhered them on the tag. and they are ready :)

Nat’s ArtFoamies and Gelli plate are a perfect match! I am sure going to make more monoprints with them…

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Thank you Shilpa for a fun combination of color and pattern! In addition to some white copy paper and glue, Shilpa used the following supplies (some are affiliate links):


Play along with us too: I love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next  “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

And join me tomorrow, Wednesday November 29th for a little gossip from my studio! I’ll be on Facebook Live chatting about all sorts of fun NEW stuff. You’ll have to join us to see what all the excitement is about ;)

 

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  • Deleted User

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    These are beautiful, Shilpa!

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Each Day is a New Adventure – Jennifer Gallagher

  

Hello from the Creative Squad this fine Tuesday! Today we have a super creative way to dress up some storage boxes with Jennifer Gallagher. Jennifer is using my Mini Batik Pattern 1 foam stamp and my Batik stencil, as well as this month’s theme: Each Day is a New Adventure – Be adventurous this month and try something new in your art-making! Use a new tool, medium, or technique that you’ve been meaning to try for too long now. Go on a new adventure TODAY!

I am so excited to be back with you again this month for another creative squad post. This month our team is focusing on new artistic adventures. Each day really is a new adventure! Keeping that theme in mind, I decided to try something I have always wanted to try. I have always wanted to decorate a few pre-made paper mache boxes for some decorative storage. I figured this was the perfect time.

I began this project on my 8×10 inch gelli printing plate. After selecting several shades of blues, greens, and oranges, I decided to go with a Batik design. (Color list: Sunbeam, Nectarine, Laguna, Key West, Cool Blue, Parakeet, Black) Lucky for me, Nat has a great Batik stencil and set of Batik foam stamps. I used my 9×12 inch Batik stencil and gelli printed multiple pages on white paper.

I picked through my gelli-printed papers and chose my favorites. I then used my large Dylusions journal block and a black fine tip sharpie and drew alongside the outside edge of the journal block. I saved a few sheets of batik paper for another step.

Then I cut along the drawn lines. These strips will eventually be glued down the paper mache box in alternating strips.

While I had my gelli plate out, I thought it would be quicker to use it instead of a stamp buddy. I brayered the black paint out in a small spot. I then pressed my Mini Batik Pattern 1 foam stamp onto the black paint and pressed the design on the paper I had reserved earlier. I continued this design all along the paper. I then cut the papers into strips.

I painted the inside of both containers and their lids with Dylusions paint. One box I painted with cut grass and the other with vanilla custard. Let the acrylic paint dry before moving on.

Using matte finish mod podge, I glued the strips down to both of my boxes while alternating the colors and patterns. Patience during this step is the key to a nice finished piece. Do not try to glue too many at once and allow sections to dry before moving on. I also glued down strips to the top of the small box. Using the leftover paper, I cut out all of the x’s. I then arranged them on top of the large box top. Once I had them arranged how I wanted, I glued them down too.

After gluing down all of the strips to the containers and their lids, and allowing them to thoroughly dry, I decided to add some final details. Using black Dylusions paint I added some fun designs to the interior of each container. I also did some dashed lines alongside the strips on the outside.

I hope this post has inspired you to try something new. I am very happy that I did! Be sure to comment and let us know how you intend to try something new. See you next time.

Thank you Jennifer – I love your colors! In addition to white paper, Jennifer used the following supplies (some are affiliate links):




Play along with us too: I love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next  “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

Nat

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Each Day is a New Adventure – Josefine Fouarge

  

Hello my friends and welcome to a project by my Creative Squad! This month’s theme is all about trying something new, so today we have an art journal spread by Josefine Fouarge who is trying out some spray paints for the first time. She rocks my Batik Pattern 1 foam stamp, Mini Batik Pattern 3 foam stamp, and Santa Fe stencil along with our theme: Each Day is a New Adventure – Be adventurous this month and try something new in your art-making! Use a new tool, medium, or technique that you’ve been meaning to try for too long now. Go on a new adventure TODAY!

Welcome to a new Creative Squad post. This month’s topic is “each day is a new adventure” and we are trying new techniques. For me that means working with spray paints. I got a few sample sizes during a shopping spree at a local art supply store and never had the courage to try it.

Thanks to this topic I finally did and I really like the result. But let’s start at the beginning. I used the Santa Fe stencil to create the first layer of the background and sprayed some yellow and pink paint all over it. Yes, these are definitely messy.

Usually I create one sided pages in my art journal, but there was so much paint left on the stencil that I turned it around and created a negative impression.

Then I started decorating the background even further. I used yellow and red Liquitex acrylic paints to stamp some more patterns around both pages. The Batik Pattern 1 was partially stamped at the edges of the page and the Chain Link stamp at the inside of the border.

Then I went a little nuts with the leftover paints. I added a few marks using the Cross Circle stamp and I blended the red and yellow around the edges of the page.

The pages needed a little more contrast, so I decided to paint something with a contrasting color. The Jade Impasto paint was perfect, so I thinned it down a little and stamped parts of the Mini Batik Pattern 3 into the middle of one page. I have always seen a face in this stamp, so I tried to create one. Well, it turned out as an alien :)

In addition, I outlined a few of the patterns on both pages with the same Jade color. Still not finished, I stamped a few Star Tag stamps, the Mailbox stamp, and added some handmade marks. Now I was happy and finished my page with a feeling of success.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my little experiment :)

Thank you Josefine – love your page! In addition to her art journal, Josefine used the following supplies (some are affiliate links):



Play along with us too: I love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next  “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

Nat

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Each Day is a New Adventure – Marsha Valk

  

Hello from the Creative Squad! Today we have a fun art journal page from Marsha Valk.   Marsha uses my Mini Batik Pattern 4 foam stamp, my cute little Star Tag stamp , and my Torn Layers stamp to create a colorful page with this month’s theme: Each Day is a New Adventure – Be adventurous this month and try something new in your art-making! Use a new tool, medium, or technique that you’ve been meaning to try for too long now. Go on a new adventure TODAY!

Liquid watercolour Ecoline has been around forever. It’s a staple you can find in every Dutch school art room, and it’s very likely that the first time I ever used it was in kindergarten. I was very excited to see that Royal Talens was releasing Ecoline brush pens and I bought three or four colours the moment I could get my hands on them. I always intended to buy more, but once I had them, I couldn’t find a good use for them besides brush lettering, and I forgot about them.

Fast forward to last week. Ecoline brush pens were back on my radar, and I treated myself to a big set. With no intended purpose, just for play. Then I read this month’s n*Studio Squad theme… And it was the perfect excuse to break in my new pens!

Start with drawing some doodles with masking fluid. Leave to dry completely.

Apply Ecoline to the paper. Ecoline works just like watercolour, so you apply it straight out of the pen or from the bottle with a brush. Or you can wet the page with a brush first and then apply the Ecoline to let it spread. Wait for the Ecoline to dry.

Colour the Mini Batik Pattern 4 ArtFoamies stamp with an Ecoline brush pen and stamp the pattern on the page.

You can get multiple images from one layer of Ecoline if you lightly spritz some water (from a distance) onto the foam stamp in between stamping.

Rub away the masking fluid once the paper is completely dry.

Take a separate sheet of paper and use a pencil to draw a girl.

Use a China Marker or a crayon to add a couple of white stripes to the hair. The grease in the marker will create a resist when you apply Ecoline over it.

Add some interest to the girl’s outfit by stamping a couple of stars on her sweater with the Star Tag stamp and a permanent stamping ink.

Use masking fluid or post-it tape to mask off any areas you do not want to be stamped.

Then use the Torn Layers stamp to add texture to the sweater.

Finish colouring the girl with Ecoline and Ecoline brush pens. Add details with a black waterproof fineliner. Use a black ballpoint pen instead if you need to draw over the China Marker.

Cut out the girl and adhere her to the background page.

Happy November!

Thank you Marsha – now we’re super excited to try the Ecoline brush pens on my foam stamps too! In addition to her art journal, Marsha used the following supplies (some are affiliate links):




Play along with us too: I love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next  “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

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Colors Are My Friends – Shilpa Nagaonkar

  

Happy Tuesday my friends from the Creative Squad! Today we have an art journal spread from our new member Shilpa Nagaonkar, using my Mesa Verde stencil and my Park Blvd foam stamp. Shilpa is working with our theme: Colors Are My Friends – Let’s kick off the new Creative Squad with a celebration of color! What are your favorite, go-to signature hues? Let’s go bold and bright this month and use color to ring in a new season of inspiring projects!

Hello Everyone, super excited to share my first post on Nathalie’s N*studio blog :) As you are aware, the Creative squad is using the theme “Colors are my Friends” this month. Ahh… colours are inspiration to me…especially bright ones! Orange, yellow, pink and red are my  favourites … so I chose them for today’s journal. I get a lot of inspiration from our home garden too. Winter has just begun in India and beautifully colored flowers are blooming in our garden. .. here comes my garden theme journal spread with lots of colors.

I started by applying modelling paste through the Mesa Verde Stencil. I let it dry completely.

I used Twinkling H2O watercolors here, in greens.

When the green colors were dried, I outlined the stencil design using a gelli roll pen.

On another paper, I stamped designs with Nat’s Park Blvd foam stamp using acrylic paints in yellow, pink, orange, and red.

I cut them out to use them as flowers. I applied silver glitter paint in the middle of all my flowers.

I arranged them all with diecut leaves on the pages. Lastly I colored the leaves with watercolors and created splatters with black ink.

Thank you Shilpa for this beautiful homage to your garden and your favorite colors! Shilpa used the following supplies (some are affiliate links):




Play along with us too: I love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next  “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

Also, please drop by and join me for a Facebook Live Kaffeeklatsch tomorrow afternoon. I’ll be chatting about Inktober and playing with ink throughout the month of October, I’ll recap my workshop retreat in the UK, and I’ll tell you about some fun adventures I had with graffiti in Birmingham, England. Come say Hi and join in on the chat!

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