That's the most wonderful kind of comment to read - I'm so happy to hear you're inspired to have a few minutes of fun yourself. Thank you for letting me know.
I found another video Alison, I have been trying to spread them out. But I decided I can just go back and rewatch them. These make me want opaque crackle paste and all I can find in my stash is clear crackle finishes. They do not do the same with stencils at all. You do such beautiful work and are so inspiring. Thank you!!
Quite right - clear crackle glazes are a whole different kettle of fish (as are the two layer "weathered paint" types of crackle medium). I do plan on a Craft Supplies Deep Dive with various crackle mediums at some point, but life has simply been too busy lately. I'm just back from a busy working trip to the UK - without internet for much of that time, which has been really frustrating - so I'm just starting to catch up with everyone's lovely comments. Hope you are having a great week.
That's wonderful feedback to read, thank you so much. Yes, I love diving in for those final close-ups... so worth it to catch the details and the textures.
Happy you enjoyed it. In case you didn't know, you can also now see the video with the next steps, collaging over the top of these backgrounds. Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment.
So fun to see you make these awesome backgrounds. Good idea to torn the washi tape and put the torn parts on the outside 😎 can't wait to see the next steps 😃
This is lovely. I’ve gone off (I got inspired midway!) and found paper and cardboard. I really enjoyed this, and the best thing is that’s it inspired me to do more than just watch! Thank you!
Brilliant - that itch to start creating even before the video is over is wonderful to hear about!! So happy that you're having your own few minutes of fun too. Thanks for watching, commenting and playing!!
Oh, that's the best feedback - that you are inspired to play and have a few minutes of fun yourself. And yes, get the art toys out to play - that's what they want to do! So happy you found your way here, and thank you so much for watching and commenting.
Happy to help... so many fun things to do with crackle! There will be more here in the future - I love the stuff! Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
I have just found your channel and absolutely love your style. You explain as you go and don’t rush. I was into mixed media a few years ago and then transitioned to Junk Journals. I have forgotten how much I loved to do mixed media and so glad I found you to watch and inspire me to get back into it. My mind is running in all different directions after seeing this video and one before. So glad I found you.
That's wonderful to read, thank you. I know what you mean about how our creativity runs in cycles - first exploring one kind of way of making and then the next, and the next... But it's lovely that you were reminded of your love for mixed media - no reason you can't combine it with the junk journal making! Thanks so much for watching and for your lovely comment.
Absolutely - have an adventure, make some experiments, above all have fun and play! Happy you love them, and thank you for taking the time to let me know.
You are a joy to watch Alison! Blue makes my heart happy and I’ve noticed lots of lovely shades of blue in your creations here on TH-cam. The stencil you used here reminded me of tiny hydrangea petals. Thanks so much for sharing 💕
Thank you so much for such a lovely comment, Niki - I'm so happy you are enjoying all of it so much. And yes, blue is usually at the heart of things somewhere for me (blues and greens in spring and summer, blues and browns and rusts in autumn, blues and whites and greys in winter!). It's a heart & soul colour for sure. Love the thought about the hydrangea petals!
Funnily enough, that's next on my list to film for an occasional series digging a bit deeper into various mediums. I'm afraid Distress Inks and Oxides are coming first, but crackle will be after that!
@@w0rdsandp1ctures Sounds great 👌🏻. I'm interested in both. I did a lot artwork with both but there is always something to learn or remember. And every artist has it's own way and tipps and tricks, that is so cool and inspirational. Give one medium to different artists/ makers and it comes out with such a variety and diversity. It's amazing. Thanks for your tutorials, I enjoy it very much 😊🙏
Love these!! I might need to purchase Faded Jeans, I didn't realize how pretty that color was. I really appreciate the close ups at the end, of both your work and the supplies you used, thank you.
I love Faded Jeans - both in the Oxide (which you see here) and in the Ink (which is a little darker in tone)... it's a lovely colour. So happy you enjoyed the video, and thank you for taking the time to let me know.
So happy you enjoyed it - the next episode is live now too, with some collaging over the top of these backgrounds. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
Hello Alison! I LOVE your videos and I was inspired to have my own few minutes of fun that turned into a couple of hours of fun! =) I played with my Distress Sprays and your PaperArtsy Fodder Berry Edition stamp set. I experimented with the idea of creating two of each color way to coordinate together like in your Tag Box. It was my first time actually playing with the Distress Mica Sprays that are awesome! I also found the perfect Levenger Tin that will hold a series of cards that are 3 1/8” x 4 3/4” that I made up 25 of them using 14 pt Manila file folders. Today’s play was inspired by your nature color way. Next week I’m going to use bright colors and quirky florals for the card project. Thanks for inspiring me to play… It feels SO good!!! Have an awesome week! 🙂❤️👍
Oh, how wonderful! I love how those minutes can turn into hours without us noticing... that's when you know you're in a creative flow state!! Great to hear you had a lovely time with the Mica Sprays. I'm not usually much of a one for sparkly stuff, but there is really something subtle and special about them. Do you share your work on Instagram, or anywhere? I'd love to take a look at your cards if you do... either way it sounds as though you're having a great time, and that's the most important thing. Thank you so much for letting me know - it makes me so happy to know the inspiration here is taking flight!
That's wonderful to hear, thank you - I'm always so happy when people are inspired to play. I've only recently started to add videos regularly here, so there's plenty more to come!
I am three months late again haha. I like the colors you used here, they are gorgeous! These can also be a reference to a good painting on canvas! You truly inspire me. If I may, I will use the color palette you used here in my ATCs next time. ❤
Use away! I'll be happy if you care to share where the inspiration came from if you're showing your work, but mostly happy to have offered inspiration in the first place. And no worries about lateness - the videos aren't going anywhere (I hope!!). Thanks so much for watching and commenting (and for checking in about the colour palette)... much appreciated.
Thanks so much. There is already a video with me using some of my stamps on a gel plate, as well as me watercolouring the Printed Tissue (which is of course full of my botanical sketch stamp designs!) - I'll add both those links below in case you haven't seen those. But yes, I have got more planned using my own stamps too. Stamps and gel plate here - th-cam.com/video/Ooqn-7DoXVI/w-d-xo.html Printed Tissue watercolour here - th-cam.com/video/AMisrNYVfRo/w-d-xo.html
That's the great thing about this stuff... you can apply the inspiration to any crafting you enjoy doing. Have fun playing in your journals. (This is a technique I use all the time in my journals, as you'll see when the first episode of Books, Books, Books lands this coming Wednesday!)
I never thought that I could create mixed media pieces and your instructions are so easy to follow. Thank you so very much for sharing your time with us!
I'm genuinely thrilled to hear that... I hope that you will enjoy diving in to mixed media and playing. There is endless fun to be had in just exploring what the different mediums can do - and you end up with lots of lovely artworks along the way as a bonus!! Thank you for watching and for your lovely comment.
Ok. This is my first time here…what a delightful project. I love the color palette, the techniques, the elements and of course your voice and accent….fair warning…I’m a serial commenter, during these inspirational videos, so nice to meet you 😅 and yes, I subscribed immediately 🙂
Very happy you found your way here - welcome! - and it's great to be in conversation with you! I've only been adding videos here regularly for a couple of months (I've been around on my blog and on Instagram for a lot longer - still working out what works here on TH-cam) so there's plenty more to come. Thank you so much for watching, subscribing, and (serially) commenting - much appreciated.
I know what you mean... I quite often add some extra glue to make sure it's fully stuck down, and sealing it with some medium is a good idea to make sure other things stick over the top!
I like the Glass Bead Gel as well as the Crackle Paste. I try to get the refills for Tim Holtz’s ink pads, this way I can add a drop or two from the refill bottle to the pastes if I am looking for all over color.
Yes, I love using the Distress refills for tinting other mediums too (as well as just for the little glass bottles with the droppers, which make me feel like an old-fashioned chemist or even an apothecary when I'm using them!! Thanks for your company on this creative journey.
That's great - welcome on board! I've only recently started to add videos here regularly, so there's plenty more to come. Many thanks for watching, commenting and for subscribing.
Absolutely gorgeous. I love all the texture, and the fabulous colour combinations and the spattering. Great use of the text background too. I also really like the way you ripped the washi along the length. Never seen that done before, and it really improves the look of it - one of the things I've never liked about it is too many straight edges lol! Really lovely work. New subscriber!
Thank you - and welcome - so happy you found your way here. I know I used to see you on my blog! I've only been adding videos here on TH-cam regularly for a few months, so there's plenty more to come. Yes, I've always torn my washi tapes... I much prefer the random rugged look. Happy you love the panels - I've now posted the video of what happens to them next. Thanks so much for watching, subscribing and taking the time to leave such a lovely comment.
Thank you Alison!! Your work (play) (Perhaps it’s play-like work?) is very inspiring! Just watching makes me want to grab some supplies, buy everything else out there, and begin playing too!! Never liked the applications of crackle paste that I have seen in the past but today I saw its use as pure added texture and that is very good!! 💕 Please tell us why you work in multiples, and how you use them…in a jj all on the same page, on a wall hanging, together, or separately? TYSM! Sorry if you’ve said before but I am still very new to your channel and trying to absorb it! Donna 😊😊😊
So happy to hear that you feel inspired to play - I really hope you will, and have lots of fun when you do! I love crackle, and use it in lots of different ways, but through a stencil is one of my favourites, I think. Why is a difficult question with creativity. It's how my creative imagination fires. I suppose originally it just emerged, almost accidentally. When making backgrounds, there's often mop-up ink or paint left, so I use it on another tag/paper scrap/envelope. So then I've got a pair or three or four with similar colours but varying patterning, and then my creative brain just wants to keep them in conversation with each other. If you watch today's episode, with the next stages of these panels, you'll see the main reason why I now deliberately create multiple backgrounds... it's a kind of visual poetry, using repetition and variation, balancing the elements across the panels - repeated imagery but in varying positions, varying the images but echoing the placement. And it's not accidental, of course, because repetition and the rule of three and changing the order of words are all key rhetorical tropes in dramatic writing and poetry, and that's where my creative journey began. (I'm called Words and Pictures for a reason - more of that at www.alisonbomber.com or watch the Books, Books, Books introduction video for an outline.) That's already a really long answer, so just quickly on what I do with them afterwards... you could certainly use them in a journal (though you'd probably have to leave off the twigs in that case - they'd get crushed). You could frame them as a quartet or in four individual frames. You can use them as card toppers. But for the most part, it's the process that interests me, not the final display, so usually I keep mine in little crates or boxes around the studio, to flick through in the future for inspiration or just for pleasure. If you take a look at some of the Shorts on my channel, you'll see some of what I mean in the tag crate videos - here's a quick example: th-cam.com/users/shortsC2b0fhr2EGQ Very happy to hear you are enjoying what's here on the channel - I've only been sharing here for a few months, so there's plenty more to come, but also years more of inspiration and creativity on my blog and on Instagram. Hope that answers all your questions for now!! Have a great weekend.
Hello Alison! I’ve watched these 2 videos in backwards order, but like you say, “no matter”! It is so fun to watch you play, but I don’t think I’m quite ready to play this much! I notice that you mix Dina Wakley paints & TH distress paints. Did you buy these for the color that they are, or to try out both types? For instance both have peacock as a color, I don’t have any DW products, so I don’t know if or how they differ? Is the consistency different, or do they dry differently? And what is heavy body acrylic paint? I hope you don’t find my pesky questions a bother! It’s my style to try to understand as much as I can BEFORE I jump in! Well I don’t usually jump, I cautiously wade in…! Haha! Thank you, I love your style & enthusiasm! Hope you’re having a good week, our temps are crazy hot! Erica❤
No matter, indeed! Distress Paints, as you may already know, have very particular water-reactive qualities which make them unlike any other acrylic paint - so that's step one. The Dina Wakleys are definitely thicker than the Distress Paints, and also come with the fine tip applicator, which can be really useful for certain techniques (or you can just unscrew the lid if you want more paint out). My most-used paints are the PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics... which have a chalky matte finish, compared to the slight glossiness of the Dina Wakleys. I have both fluid acrylics and heavy body acrylics by Golden (as well as some in between). Fluid speaks for itself - very runny; heavy body paints are very thick (some brands are almost like texture paste) so are useful for textural applications. So yes, every paint is different. Each will suit different styles, different techniques, different people, create different effects, whether alone or in combination/contrast with other paints. But I don't think you can ever really understand fully before you leap in. Any knowledge I have is gleaned from playing, experimenting, trying out various brands/formulations/textures... and that's an ongoing process. If I ever thought I was done learning, then I'd be done with this whole shebang! So I'm going to counter your cautious wading with the thought that it's only paper and paint, not life and death... what have you got to lose by making some crazy experiments?! You don't have to show anybody those if you don't like them... and you might just love them! You have a great week too. Things are a little TOO busy at the moment - with my stamp launch, other deadlines, a series of visitors, and a quick flit to the UK - but I'm looking forward to a slightly quieter July!
They always give things a lift. As you saw, the one I used for the white paint is just a cheap craft brush that's got all splayed out and is in bad condition. But the first Faded Jeans Oxide spatter (using the watery mix on the mat) was just with the Ikea children's brush I was using at that point, because that was what was in my hand. And then the later layer of Faded Jeans dots was spattered direct off the end of the spray nozzle. So there's no one answer to that.
No, as I say at the beginning - and in fact had to cut and come back the next day - you have to give crackle time to work on its own. Heat drying will give you basic texture paste, no cracks. Happy you like them - collage layers in next week's episode!
These are lovely. I may be looking for something that doesn't exist. Say i'd created a tag, using ink pads for background, stamping up in ink. Is there anything I could then put over the top to give it a crackled look? Thank you 😊
It definitely does exist... you want DecoArt Media Crackle Glaze (GLAZE not paste or paint, both of which also exist in that line - here are all three so you can see what I mean shop.decoart.com/decoart-media-crackles ). It provides a clear topcoat that will crackle like craquelure on a painting. Other brands have similar formulations, but I've found the DecoArt to be the most reliable. The size of crackle is related to how thickly you apply it... the thicker the coat, the larger the crackles. You'll need to experiment to find out what you prefer. But if you've used Distress Ink (or other non-permanent inks) you may find that it won't stay put when you add the crackle. You could try a layer of Distress Micro Glaze first to seal the inks before applying the glaze. It's pretty much the only thing you can use to seal Distress Inks without the inks moving. If you've used permanent inks, then you can just go right ahead with the glaze. Hope that helps. I'm planning some crackle videos soon, which will definitely play with the various products. Glad you enjoyed these.
Glue. Any acrylic glue will do. It was probably the Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue, or Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium, or maybe Liquitex Matte Medium... those are the three which are usually closest to hand. Not a glue stick, I guess, if that's what you've tried in the past and failed with. I pretty much never use a glue stick - I think they're basically useless unless all you're doing is sticking thin paper to thin paper, and I don't really do that.
It honestly is simple and do-able... as long as you're not aiming for something in particular - that's when pressure and expectations and disappointment come in. If you're just playing and exploring and experimenting, then what's difficult about that? And I'm very much about the process... that's the joyful part for me. Any nice results are just a bonus! And it's much like that quote used in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: "Everything will be all right in the end... if it's not all right then it's not yet the end." Just add another layer! Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
Thank you! I've been "struggling" creatively for awhile, but when I see one of your videos, I am inspired to "play"
That's the most wonderful kind of comment to read - I'm so happy to hear you're inspired to have a few minutes of fun yourself. Thank you for letting me know.
I found another video Alison, I have been trying to spread them out. But I decided I can just go back and rewatch them. These make me want opaque crackle paste and all I can find in my stash is clear crackle finishes. They do not do the same with stencils at all. You do such beautiful work and are so inspiring. Thank you!!
Quite right - clear crackle glazes are a whole different kettle of fish (as are the two layer "weathered paint" types of crackle medium). I do plan on a Craft Supplies Deep Dive with various crackle mediums at some point, but life has simply been too busy lately.
I'm just back from a busy working trip to the UK - without internet for much of that time, which has been really frustrating - so I'm just starting to catch up with everyone's lovely comments. Hope you are having a great week.
These are gorgeous! I just love everything about them. A few easy steps and et voila!! Thank you 💙🩵🤍
So happy to hear that - thank you so much for watching and commenting.
Luv the zoom in u do at the end of ur videos. Also enjoy how u describe texture, color, structure you cover it all!
That's wonderful feedback to read, thank you so much. Yes, I love diving in for those final close-ups... so worth it to catch the details and the textures.
I love love love these ! 🤍🤍🤍
Thank you.
Absolutely beautiful!!! Love it! Thank you for sharing🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Happy you enjoyed it. In case you didn't know, you can also now see the video with the next steps, collaging over the top of these backgrounds. Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment.
You are the master of color. I love them all.
Thank you - as you now know, it's really nature who is the master of colour, but I'm happy to be a master apprentice of hers!
So fun to see you make these awesome backgrounds. Good idea to torn the washi tape and put the torn parts on the outside 😎 can't wait to see the next steps 😃
Thank you - yes, it's something I've always done, just to avoid those very straight lines! Next steps are coming this weekend, so not long to wait!
These are so lovely 🥰. Thank you
Happy you like them - thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Gorgeous, cant wait for the next part ❤
Not long now - it's coming this weekend! So happy you like them, and I hope you'll like where they end up going... I do!
Beautiful backgrounds and gorgeous texture, Alison! I always enjoy your content.
Thank you so much - very happy to hear that.
I’m in love! 😊💚🇦🇺xxx
Happy to hear that... thank you for watching and commenting!
stunningly beautiful! looking forward to seeing your final collages
Thank you so much - part two is coming up this weekend so you haven't got long to wait!
Beautiful demonstration. Thanks for sharing ❤
You're very welcome - happy you enjoyed it!
Beautiful textures and that colour palette is very special 😍
Thank you, Victoria - as always, I'm led by nature, and she never gets it wrong!
Beautiful results. Thanks so much for sharing ❤
Thank you - I really had so much fun with these!
This is lovely. I’ve gone off (I got inspired midway!) and found paper and cardboard. I really enjoyed this, and the best thing is that’s it inspired me to do more than just watch! Thank you!
Brilliant - that itch to start creating even before the video is over is wonderful to hear about!! So happy that you're having your own few minutes of fun too. Thanks for watching, commenting and playing!!
So glad to have happened upon you🥳Causes me to be inspired to use my art toys. Love Tim and Seth products.
Oh, that's the best feedback - that you are inspired to play and have a few minutes of fun yourself. And yes, get the art toys out to play - that's what they want to do! So happy you found your way here, and thank you so much for watching and commenting.
That IS yummy texture! Thanks for sharing!
One of my favourite things to do, so I'm sure you'll see variations on this theme in the future too! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Beautiful rich depth and texture. I can almost smell the old garden statuary.
Exactly that... I just had to pause to take some time with that old mossy stone before covering it up!
I love the "What if " philosophy. It's my mantra too. I love watching you create, it's so relaxing. Fab panels ! ❤
I really enjoyed this video and love the results. Great inspiration. Thank you!
Happy to hear that... tomorrow you can catch the next episode with me collaging over the top! Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
Oooh, I love that!
Thank you - yes, these really made me happy as they unfolded.
Just love these! Absolutely stunning!
Thank you so much. Collaging over the top in next week's episode!
I love these backgrounds ❤
Thank you... me too! It's one of my favourite ways to create a background, and I love how these ones turned out.
I love this color pallette.
Thank you - there's no escaping blues and greens this time of year... in nature, or in my work!
Now I know one way to use crackle paste. Thanks!!@❤❤❤
Happy to help... so many fun things to do with crackle! There will be more here in the future - I love the stuff! Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
Yess! I am fan of that crackle paste, even when I don't use it often enough. I really should.
It's a great shortcut to fabulous texture!
Gorgeous backgrounds, thank you for sharing
Happy you like them, thank you. I've now posted the video with what happens next too!
I have just found your channel and absolutely love your style. You explain as you go and don’t rush. I was into mixed media a few years ago and then transitioned to Junk Journals. I have forgotten how much I loved to do mixed media and so glad I found you to watch and inspire me to get back into it. My mind is running in all different directions after seeing this video and one before. So glad I found you.
That's wonderful to read, thank you. I know what you mean about how our creativity runs in cycles - first exploring one kind of way of making and then the next, and the next... But it's lovely that you were reminded of your love for mixed media - no reason you can't combine it with the junk journal making! Thanks so much for watching and for your lovely comment.
I love watching you play. It’s very inspiring! Thank you!
That's so lovely to hear - thank you for taking the time to comment.
I love these! I need to be more adventurous and just make some backgrounds like this to have on hand!
Absolutely - have an adventure, make some experiments, above all have fun and play! Happy you love them, and thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Great few minutes, thanks. Gobbit what a wonderful word.
Happy you enjoyed them... and I'm happy you like the gobbets of texture paste!!
These backgrounds are gorgeous! Thank you for the inspiration! ♥️
You're welcome - very happy you enjoyed it, and thanks so much for taking the time to let me know.
Thank you for sharing
You're welcome - thank you for watching!!
I love this color pallet so much! These are my happy colors. And the muted blend. Perfect!
Thank you, mine too... at least at this time of year. No escaping the blues and greens in nature or in my work.
I love how these came out. So much gorgeousness.
Thank you - yes, I had a lovely time with them!!
You are a joy to watch Alison! Blue makes my heart happy and I’ve noticed lots of lovely shades of blue in your creations here on TH-cam. The stencil you used here reminded me of tiny hydrangea petals. Thanks so much for sharing 💕
Thank you so much for such a lovely comment, Niki - I'm so happy you are enjoying all of it so much.
And yes, blue is usually at the heart of things somewhere for me (blues and greens in spring and summer, blues and browns and rusts in autumn, blues and whites and greys in winter!). It's a heart & soul colour for sure. Love the thought about the hydrangea petals!
Thanks for the minutes of fun. I would really like a video where you talk about or use all the different crackle pastes you have mentioned ✨✨✨
Funnily enough, that's next on my list to film for an occasional series digging a bit deeper into various mediums. I'm afraid Distress Inks and Oxides are coming first, but crackle will be after that!
@@w0rdsandp1ctures Sounds great 👌🏻. I'm interested in both. I did a lot artwork with both but there is always something to learn or remember. And every artist has it's own way and tipps and tricks, that is so cool and inspirational. Give one medium to different artists/ makers and it comes out with such a variety and diversity. It's amazing. Thanks for your tutorials, I enjoy it very much 😊🙏
@@TheWhimsicalDesk That's so true - we each have our own ways to play!
Beautiful! TFS.
Happy you enjoyed it!
So beautiful!😍 I thoroughly enjoy your color palette 🎨. Splatter away my friend! I cannot wait to see the collaging part 2. 🙂
Thank you... nature is usually my colour guide, and she never gets it wrong!
Love these!! I might need to purchase Faded Jeans, I didn't realize how pretty that color was. I really appreciate the close ups at the end, of both your work and the supplies you used, thank you.
I love Faded Jeans - both in the Oxide (which you see here) and in the Ink (which is a little darker in tone)... it's a lovely colour. So happy you enjoyed the video, and thank you for taking the time to let me know.
So interesting! TFS! ❤
Happy you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
I really look forward to your minutes of fun..such inspiration!!❤️❤️
Thank you for that lovely comment!
Love your backgrounds Alison; I look forward to seeing how you finish them/use them. Thanks for playing with us ❤
Thank you... you'll see them getting finished off next week. If possible, I had even more fun with that next stage!
Whatever you make, always turns out amazing. Love your work💜💜
this is gorgeous....TFS
So happy you enjoyed it - the next episode is live now too, with some collaging over the top of these backgrounds. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
Absolutely beautiful! Love watching your creativity at play.
Thank you so much - what a lovely comment.
Just beautiful
Thank you!
So gorgeous
Thank you very much.
Love this background, saw the finished video first but needed to know how you created this background. Thankyou.
Glad you came back to see the beginning! It's one of my favourite techniques for backgrounds. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
Hello Alison! I LOVE your videos and I was inspired to have my own few minutes of fun that turned into a couple of hours of fun! =)
I played with my Distress Sprays and your PaperArtsy Fodder Berry Edition stamp set. I experimented with the idea of creating two of each color way to coordinate together like in your Tag Box. It was my first time actually playing with the Distress Mica Sprays that are awesome! I also found the perfect Levenger Tin that will hold a series of cards that are 3 1/8” x 4 3/4” that I made up 25 of them using 14 pt Manila file folders. Today’s play was inspired by your nature color way. Next week I’m going to use bright colors and quirky florals for the card project. Thanks for inspiring me to play… It feels SO good!!! Have an awesome week! 🙂❤️👍
Oh, how wonderful! I love how those minutes can turn into hours without us noticing... that's when you know you're in a creative flow state!!
Great to hear you had a lovely time with the Mica Sprays. I'm not usually much of a one for sparkly stuff, but there is really something subtle and special about them.
Do you share your work on Instagram, or anywhere? I'd love to take a look at your cards if you do... either way it sounds as though you're having a great time, and that's the most important thing. Thank you so much for letting me know - it makes me so happy to know the inspiration here is taking flight!
Love these beautiful backgrounds. Can’t wait for the colllage video.
It's coming up next week, so not too long to wait! Happy you love them... I certainly do, you can probably tell!
I love your color palette!
Thank you... I'm generally following nature, and she never gets it wrong!
love it!!!
Thanks so much.
I just recently discovered your channel and I am really enjoying how you create and describe your methods. It is really inspiring me to play. ❤
That's wonderful to hear, thank you - I'm always so happy when people are inspired to play. I've only recently started to add videos regularly here, so there's plenty more to come!
Nicely done ✅ great color palette
Thank you very much - I always love nature's colour tones.
I am three months late again haha. I like the colors you used here, they are gorgeous! These can also be a reference to a good painting on canvas! You truly inspire me. If I may, I will use the color palette you used here in my ATCs next time. ❤
Use away! I'll be happy if you care to share where the inspiration came from if you're showing your work, but mostly happy to have offered inspiration in the first place. And no worries about lateness - the videos aren't going anywhere (I hope!!). Thanks so much for watching and commenting (and for checking in about the colour palette)... much appreciated.
Great ideas
Thank you - one of my favourite ways to create backgrounds, so I was just having fun!
Lovely backgrounds. So beautiful up close. I'll take some orange yellow & gold. It's Autumn here in Aus.
Thank you... and yes, of course! My colour palettes always shift with the seasons. In autumn, I can't do anything but autumn colours!!
So absolutely amazing, I'm in love with these creations, so very inspiring dear Alison 👏👏👏😍❤️
Thank you - I really had a lovely time with these backgrounds, and with the follow-up collaging, which you'll get to see this coming weekend!
Gorgeous ❤
Thank you so much!
These are beautiful
Thank you!
I absolutely love to watch you work.;) I believe I’ve found my niche and I very much enjoy mixed media.;) Beautiful work. Thank you!
That's great to hear - thank you so much. Happy you're enjoying the mixed media world.
GORGEOUS!!! I love the colours and textures that you've created here ❤
Thank you! I really had a lovely time with these (and with the follow-up collaging too, which will be coming up in this week's episode!!).
Great backgrounds Alison - I'd love to see some videos of you using your own stamps x
Thanks so much. There is already a video with me using some of my stamps on a gel plate, as well as me watercolouring the Printed Tissue (which is of course full of my botanical sketch stamp designs!) - I'll add both those links below in case you haven't seen those. But yes, I have got more planned using my own stamps too.
Stamps and gel plate here - th-cam.com/video/Ooqn-7DoXVI/w-d-xo.html
Printed Tissue watercolour here - th-cam.com/video/AMisrNYVfRo/w-d-xo.html
@@w0rdsandp1ctures Yes I’ve watched those too - well all your videos actually lol! I find them very soothing
Thank you for some great ideas for my art journals! 😊
That's the great thing about this stuff... you can apply the inspiration to any crafting you enjoy doing. Have fun playing in your journals. (This is a technique I use all the time in my journals, as you'll see when the first episode of Books, Books, Books lands this coming Wednesday!)
I never thought that I could create mixed media pieces and your instructions are so easy to follow. Thank you so very much for sharing your time with us!
I'm genuinely thrilled to hear that... I hope that you will enjoy diving in to mixed media and playing. There is endless fun to be had in just exploring what the different mediums can do - and you end up with lots of lovely artworks along the way as a bonus!!
Thank you for watching and for your lovely comment.
@@w0rdsandp1ctures 😊 you are very welcome!
Beautiful
Thank you... you can also see the next stages of collaging over these backgrounds in the next episode, if you're interested.
Those are works of art for sure!
Thank you so much... and not even finished yet!!
Beautiful texture. Thank you for sharing.
Happy you enjoyed it - thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Ok. This is my first time here…what a delightful project. I love the color palette, the techniques, the elements and of course your voice and accent….fair warning…I’m a serial commenter, during these inspirational videos, so nice to meet you 😅 and yes, I subscribed immediately 🙂
Very happy you found your way here - welcome! - and it's great to be in conversation with you!
I've only been adding videos here regularly for a couple of months (I've been around on my blog and on Instagram for a lot longer - still working out what works here on TH-cam) so there's plenty more to come.
Thank you so much for watching, subscribing, and (serially) commenting - much appreciated.
@@w0rdsandp1ctures 🥰🥰
so very pretty, love crackle paste,, I would have to go over it with some gel because I never trust washi tape. lol
I know what you mean... I quite often add some extra glue to make sure it's fully stuck down, and sealing it with some medium is a good idea to make sure other things stick over the top!
I like the Glass Bead Gel as well as the Crackle Paste. I try to get the refills for Tim Holtz’s ink pads, this way I can add a drop or two from the refill bottle to the pastes if I am looking for all over color.
Yes, I love using the Distress refills for tinting other mediums too (as well as just for the little glass bottles with the droppers, which make me feel like an old-fashioned chemist or even an apothecary when I'm using them!!
Thanks for your company on this creative journey.
genial ❤❤❤❤❤
Merci!!
Just found your channel and subscribed! Absolute fun!
That's great - welcome on board! I've only recently started to add videos here regularly, so there's plenty more to come. Many thanks for watching, commenting and for subscribing.
Gorgeous backgrounds - looking forward to seeing what you do with them (although it almost seems a shame to cover them up!)
It's okay - there's still plenty visible... you'll see next week!!
💜💜💜
Thank you.
Fabulous 💚🩵🤎
Thank you.
Absolutely gorgeous. I love all the texture, and the fabulous colour combinations and the spattering. Great use of the text background too. I also really like the way you ripped the washi along the length. Never seen that done before, and it really improves the look of it - one of the things I've never liked about it is too many straight edges lol! Really lovely work. New subscriber!
Thank you - and welcome - so happy you found your way here. I know I used to see you on my blog! I've only been adding videos here on TH-cam regularly for a few months, so there's plenty more to come.
Yes, I've always torn my washi tapes... I much prefer the random rugged look. Happy you love the panels - I've now posted the video of what happens to them next. Thanks so much for watching, subscribing and taking the time to leave such a lovely comment.
@@w0rdsandp1ctures You’re most welcome!
Thank you Alison!! Your work (play) (Perhaps it’s play-like work?) is very inspiring! Just watching makes me want to grab some supplies, buy everything else out there, and begin playing too!! Never liked the applications of crackle paste that I have seen in the past but today I saw its use as pure added texture and that is very good!! 💕 Please tell us why you work in multiples, and how you use them…in a jj all on the same page, on a wall hanging, together, or separately? TYSM! Sorry if you’ve said before but I am still very new to your channel and trying to absorb it! Donna 😊😊😊
So happy to hear that you feel inspired to play - I really hope you will, and have lots of fun when you do! I love crackle, and use it in lots of different ways, but through a stencil is one of my favourites, I think.
Why is a difficult question with creativity. It's how my creative imagination fires. I suppose originally it just emerged, almost accidentally. When making backgrounds, there's often mop-up ink or paint left, so I use it on another tag/paper scrap/envelope. So then I've got a pair or three or four with similar colours but varying patterning, and then my creative brain just wants to keep them in conversation with each other.
If you watch today's episode, with the next stages of these panels, you'll see the main reason why I now deliberately create multiple backgrounds... it's a kind of visual poetry, using repetition and variation, balancing the elements across the panels - repeated imagery but in varying positions, varying the images but echoing the placement.
And it's not accidental, of course, because repetition and the rule of three and changing the order of words are all key rhetorical tropes in dramatic writing and poetry, and that's where my creative journey began. (I'm called Words and Pictures for a reason - more of that at www.alisonbomber.com or watch the Books, Books, Books introduction video for an outline.)
That's already a really long answer, so just quickly on what I do with them afterwards... you could certainly use them in a journal (though you'd probably have to leave off the twigs in that case - they'd get crushed). You could frame them as a quartet or in four individual frames. You can use them as card toppers.
But for the most part, it's the process that interests me, not the final display, so usually I keep mine in little crates or boxes around the studio, to flick through in the future for inspiration or just for pleasure. If you take a look at some of the Shorts on my channel, you'll see some of what I mean in the tag crate videos - here's a quick example: th-cam.com/users/shortsC2b0fhr2EGQ
Very happy to hear you are enjoying what's here on the channel - I've only been sharing here for a few months, so there's plenty more to come, but also years more of inspiration and creativity on my blog and on Instagram.
Hope that answers all your questions for now!! Have a great weekend.
❤💙💛
Thank you.
🧡🧡🧡
Thank you.
Hello Alison! I’ve watched these 2 videos in backwards order, but like you say, “no matter”! It is so fun to watch you play, but I don’t think I’m quite ready to play this much! I notice that you mix Dina Wakley paints & TH distress paints. Did you buy these for the color that they are, or to try out both types? For instance both have peacock as a color, I don’t have any DW products, so I don’t know if or how they differ? Is the consistency different, or do they dry differently? And what is heavy body acrylic paint? I hope you don’t find my pesky questions a bother! It’s my style to try to understand as much as I can BEFORE I jump in! Well I don’t usually jump, I cautiously wade in…! Haha! Thank you, I love your style & enthusiasm! Hope you’re having a good week, our temps are crazy hot! Erica❤
No matter, indeed! Distress Paints, as you may already know, have very particular water-reactive qualities which make them unlike any other acrylic paint - so that's step one. The Dina Wakleys are definitely thicker than the Distress Paints, and also come with the fine tip applicator, which can be really useful for certain techniques (or you can just unscrew the lid if you want more paint out). My most-used paints are the PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics... which have a chalky matte finish, compared to the slight glossiness of the Dina Wakleys.
I have both fluid acrylics and heavy body acrylics by Golden (as well as some in between). Fluid speaks for itself - very runny; heavy body paints are very thick (some brands are almost like texture paste) so are useful for textural applications.
So yes, every paint is different. Each will suit different styles, different techniques, different people, create different effects, whether alone or in combination/contrast with other paints.
But I don't think you can ever really understand fully before you leap in. Any knowledge I have is gleaned from playing, experimenting, trying out various brands/formulations/textures... and that's an ongoing process. If I ever thought I was done learning, then I'd be done with this whole shebang!
So I'm going to counter your cautious wading with the thought that it's only paper and paint, not life and death... what have you got to lose by making some crazy experiments?! You don't have to show anybody those if you don't like them... and you might just love them!
You have a great week too. Things are a little TOO busy at the moment - with my stamp launch, other deadlines, a series of visitors, and a quick flit to the UK - but I'm looking forward to a slightly quieter July!
Ohhhh! Love these. It’s amazing to me how much difference the white splatters make. What kind of brush do you use for splatters? Hugs, treen 💕💕💕
They always give things a lift. As you saw, the one I used for the white paint is just a cheap craft brush that's got all splayed out and is in bad condition. But the first Faded Jeans Oxide spatter (using the watery mix on the mat) was just with the Ikea children's brush I was using at that point, because that was what was in my hand. And then the later layer of Faded Jeans dots was spattered direct off the end of the spray nozzle. So there's no one answer to that.
@@w0rdsandp1cturesthank you so much. I’m watching this video again and then go on to the next one. Enjoying these so much.
Beautiful, love all the layers! Will the crackle paste have the same effect if you heat dry it or do you need to let it air dry? Thanks
No, as I say at the beginning - and in fact had to cut and come back the next day - you have to give crackle time to work on its own. Heat drying will give you basic texture paste, no cracks. Happy you like them - collage layers in next week's episode!
These are lovely. I may be looking for something that doesn't exist. Say i'd created a tag, using ink pads for background, stamping up in ink. Is there anything I could then put over the top to give it a crackled look? Thank you 😊
It definitely does exist... you want DecoArt Media Crackle Glaze (GLAZE not paste or paint, both of which also exist in that line - here are all three so you can see what I mean shop.decoart.com/decoart-media-crackles ). It provides a clear topcoat that will crackle like craquelure on a painting. Other brands have similar formulations, but I've found the DecoArt to be the most reliable. The size of crackle is related to how thickly you apply it... the thicker the coat, the larger the crackles. You'll need to experiment to find out what you prefer.
But if you've used Distress Ink (or other non-permanent inks) you may find that it won't stay put when you add the crackle. You could try a layer of Distress Micro Glaze first to seal the inks before applying the glaze. It's pretty much the only thing you can use to seal Distress Inks without the inks moving. If you've used permanent inks, then you can just go right ahead with the glaze.
Hope that helps. I'm planning some crackle videos soon, which will definitely play with the various products. Glad you enjoyed these.
@@w0rdsandp1ctures thank you so much for that information, I know what i'm looking for now😊
What did you use to stick the paper to the cardboard?
Glue. Any acrylic glue will do. It was probably the Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue, or Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium, or maybe Liquitex Matte Medium... those are the three which are usually closest to hand. Not a glue stick, I guess, if that's what you've tried in the past and failed with. I pretty much never use a glue stick - I think they're basically useless unless all you're doing is sticking thin paper to thin paper, and I don't really do that.
You make it all so simple and doable and yet you achieve great depth of colour and texture. I love your work. 🤗🇨🇦🤗
It honestly is simple and do-able... as long as you're not aiming for something in particular - that's when pressure and expectations and disappointment come in. If you're just playing and exploring and experimenting, then what's difficult about that? And I'm very much about the process... that's the joyful part for me. Any nice results are just a bonus! And it's much like that quote used in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: "Everything will be all right in the end... if it's not all right then it's not yet the end." Just add another layer!
Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
Alas! Has paper garden closed? 🥲🦋🌿
It looks like it, yes... how sad.