A Lovely Dream: Art Quest Design Team

It was a dream that started like any other.
It started with babies asleep.

And they dreamt of US Art Quest Mica Flakes and Mermaids.

The kit is great because it comes with different colors and types of Mica. A little goes a long way so many, many projects can be made with them.

In the dream a drawing was glued down to wood with PPA glue.

Color and texture was added.

The kit comes with the cutest scooper.
Scoop out flakes and scatter them around a glued surface.

Clear mica flakes were used and scattered around, even on her face. The flakes are delicate and are translucent so you can see what is under them.

You can paint over some of them for pronounced texture.

And then the babies dreamt of the beach.

and like how dreams go unusual things pop up.

"What the hell is that?" Finney thought.
"Should we get closer?" asked Gigi.
"Why of course!" said Miss Blu,
"Only spectacular things could come from a car like this!"

The closer they got the more they presumed this was some sort of a xmas car as it was covered with angels and fake snow and things of that sort. Ornaments hung from its interior. A fabulous car indeed!

And seeing as this was a good time to look cute and
wave at the camera, Miss Blu did just that.
But in her dreams she really wishes someone would help
her pick out better clothes.

After a few more moments of looking at the San Diego sky, Finney Glitter Sunshine Magic, Gigi Rainbow Sparkle ,and Miss Blu, drive home. (It's a dream, so Gigi drives).

And look who is waiting on the porch for them! It's Kaptain Kitty!

Miss blu told Kaptain Kitty about the Mermaid and the Castle Car and the beach and the drive home and Kaptain Kitty says, "Phew I'm glad I'm a home body and stayed on the porch!"

So let's learn about new products shall we! I am going to teach you how to make this bookmark using Suzi Stamps and some wonderful tools from Art Quest.

*Attention! Woo Hoo it's another BLOG HOP. Hoppity Hop on over to all the Art Quest Design Team Members, leave a comment on their blogs, and your name will be put in to win The Draw & Gild Kit that we have used for this challenge! You must LEAVE A COMMENT ON EACH DESIGNERS BLOG by 11:59 EST, Sunday, June 27th. The drawing will take place on Monday, June 28th.

Sarah Anderson

Supplies:
Petite Doll Suzi Stamp from Unity (not available yet so use another stamp or you can hand draw a doll onto watercolor paper)
Watercolor Paper
Staz on Ink Pad (once dry it wont wash off if you paint over it)
Draw and Guild Kit
Card stock
Scrapbook paper
Sand paper
Prismacolor colored pencils (creamy, my favorite brand)
Paper Punch
Fabric

Directions: (click on photos to make them larger)

1) Stamp a Petite Doll image onto watercolor paper. Staz On ink will allow your image to not wash off when you paint over it. If you don't have a stamp of a girl then draw a girl with light pencil.

2) Pour the Duo Adhesive into the pens reservoir and draw with the glue anywhere you want gold leaf and mica powder to stick.

3) IMMEDIATELY wash the tool under warm water and use soap. Never let the glue dry inside your tool. Blow into the reservoir to make sure it is empty. Do this every time you use the tool.

4) Put Mica Powder onto the glued lines where you want mica powder.

5) Put Gilding Leaf wherever else there is glue and you want it to sparkle. What is nice is to mix up the leaf so that there is gold, bronze, and silver in your project. Makes it less predictable.

6) Rub off excess leaf and mica powders from your project and behold what has stuck to the glue!

7) You could leave it this way. If you stamped with white ink over dark paper the gold would shine even more brilliantly. Think of all the different kinds of paper you can stamp on. I need to, of course, take the girl a step further. Being a mixed media artist it is no fun unless you get to play with lots of stuff!

8) Cover project with Clear Gesso. It will seal what you have done and also create a new ground that you can draw and paint onto.

9) Close up of that. Paper will ripple a little. Let dry completely before you add colored pencil. To keep your paper from excessive rippling do not add water to your brush.

10) Brush around the gilding with watercolors.

11) Further your painting with acrylics and Prismacolor colored pencils.

12) Although the gliding is still there you may want to add more if some areas have become too dark. And you can! That is what is fabulous about this tool. It is a necessity if you layer to have tools that will work over things. Let your painting dry then fill the reservoir with the Duo Adhesive and think about the areas you want to embellish. I want her upper eyelid to be shiny and gold. And more gold on her heart. (Clean out gilding tool the minute you are done with it.)

13) Add gilding leaf and mica powders to where you want them.

14) I love the dreamy look of mixed metallic next to shabby darker moody colors.

15) Copic markers are fabulous because they write over most everything. You can darker the area around lettering with these markers to make the gold pop even more.

16) Adhere decorative paper to card stock with PPA (Perfect Paper Adhesive) It is a little heavier than matte medium but not sticky like Mod Podge. Because it is NOT TACKY when dry it is the perfect glue to use inside journal pages!

17) Rough up edges with sand paper.

18) If you like a shabby look you can rough up the edges of your painting too. I encourage rips and tears!

19) With PPA glue adhere painting to covered cardstock.

20) Viola! Pretty pretty shabby shabby sparkling goodness!

21) If you want it to be a Tag or Bookmark, punch a hole through the top and add strands of torn fabric. Knot in any old fashion. The messier the better. A great gift for any occasion!