New Year...New Start

Happy New Year!  I finally got a chance to spend some time in the Command Center this morning (wait...I think it's afternoon now).  I helped my sister clear out her office and it got me thinking...I need to do some purging myself.  So last week, I went through boxes and stacks and started tossing.  I filled four garbage bags and had three medium size boxes of stuff to throw away or donate.  Believe me, to everyone else, the room looks the same, but I see the difference.  I decided to throw out many of the items I was going to upcycle.  I have way too many, "I can do something with this" items.  But I did keep some...I'm not crazy afterall.  I found this cardboard boxtop (for lack of a better word).  It's about 9x7.  So, that was what I used for the base of my first of the year mixed media project.  I always have to look at blogs, etc to get a little motivation and found some great tips on Pinterest.

First tip:  when using materials for your project, swipe the remaining product on a page on your art journal.  For instance, I stenciled an area on my main project and then turned the stencil around and swiped it on a journal page.  See photos:

Tip Two:  Use a cylinder item and spray glimmer mist, etc in the center for a solid circle.  See photo:

If you look above the cylinder to the right, you can see the solid green circle.

Ok...now to the details:
As anyone who has played with mixed media knows, it's about layers.  So, I started with adding random pieces of scrapbook paper I have in my scrap pile.  My pink scraps were getting pretty full so I decided to use pink.  There really is no other reason.

Then I put white paint over everything.  Once that dried, I started rubbing Walnut Ink over it, but then thought I didn't really like it so stopped.  If you  look really close, you can see that the while paint created a crackle finish which was very interesting!

I selected four colors from my stash of acrylic paints.  For no reason, I selected Lavender, Marine, King's Gold and Too Blue.  Then started using these four colors to add excitement to the base.

I used random materials that I store in a box marked "mixed media".  These items include some of the ones pictured above.  Like bubble wrap, stencils, cardboard, toilet tissue tube, sponges, sticks, old credit cards, stamps, thread, pens, negative alphabet sheets, and other found objects.    That's the fun part!  Plus if you don't like what you see, you just cover it and start over again.

The photo below shows the journal page I am making using the same products so not to waste materials and the  object on the right is the main project.

I bought a Prima doll stamp (I finally found one with curly hair!) over the holidays and dressed her up for this She Art.  Here's the final project.  I set out thinking I would make something for my daughter's friend who is leaving to go back to school but I always fall in love with my projects and of course want to keep it.  LOL

I love projects like this.  I do not spend any money and use items I already have.

You probably noticed I mentioned an Art Journal.  I'm been thinking about starting one for awhile, and so now I finally did.  The page is not complete since it needs some sort of focal point.  I may create the doll again or not.  I haven't decided yet.

So...there it is.  My first project for 2015!  How do you like it?