Showing posts with label backgrounds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label backgrounds. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

'Just a little Something, Something!...and get your Freebies'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes


Howdy and Welcome!

Thought I'd share this digital piece from my archives. I love the color orange. Orange makes my soul smile.

'Floor Tiles on Steroids' -  
architectural building floor mosaic digitally enhanced by Mary Lou Haynes
Photograph by D. C. Daruszka
Used with permission from the photographer
ca. 2009

 
I used 2 software products on this piece:
  • Microsoft Digital Image Editor
  • Adobe (PSE) Photoshop Elements
 
 
YOUR TURN
 
Do you ever use digital image editing software? If so, which products? What are your top  3 favorite things about them? Top 3 gripes about each product?
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
MORE GOODIES
 
'Refractions Series 2015 - Semi-Precious Gems'
 
Hybrid - Paints, Photography, Digital Image Editing
by Mary Lou Haynes
Copyright June 2015
  • For more Freebies, search this blog, keyword 'Freebies'. You have my permission to use this original artwork 'Refractions Series 2015 - Semi-Precious Gems' for your personal use, but not to sell in any form.
  • For Mixed Media Retreats, search this blog, keyword 'mixed media'.
 
Thanks for stopping by. Please become a Follower and comment. I love to see your comments! Come back soon.
 
Peace,

Monday, June 15, 2015

'Freebie! and - It's Official! I'm a Celebrity! Well, sort of....Art Journal Class I'm Teaching!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

'Globe on Steroids' -
architectural building sculpture digitally enhanced by Mary Lou Haynes
Photograph by D. C. Daruszka
Used with permission from the photographer


I'm in the newspaper! I'm officially a celebrity!
well, sort of a celebrity...One of our local newspapers here in Chicago, featured an article about me and the mixed media Art Journal class I'm teaching next week at the Beverly Arts Center in Chicago, IL.

We'll be using all sorts of goodies, including washi tapes, scrapbooking paper and doing all sorts of techniques including: collage, frottage, laminating, doodling and more!

Would love for you to join us if you are in Chicago, Illinois the week of  June 23 and June 25, 2015!

Click here for the article.

Click here for the workshop info (Adult Mini Camp by Mary Lou Haynes) scroll to bottom of page.


Meanwhile, here's a freebie background I created. This is a black-and-white version of an excerpt from a tangle/doodle I drew in one of my sketch journals. You have my permission to use this in your artwork - for your own personal art, but not to sell. Enjoy!


 'Moisture on Mars (BnW)' -
by Mary Lou Haynes
 
Please become a Follower and comment. I love to see your comments. SPread the word about the fun Freebies you find on my blog! Come back soon.

Peace,
LuLu

Sunday, January 6, 2013

'My Top Ten Pix of Twenty Twelve! Art Journals, Tips and More!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

Happy New Year!

Here's a peek at my fave pix of the past year, plus a few tips - enjoy!


 'Top Twelve + 1 and
Timely Tips of Twenty Twelve Review!'

Full Frontal Fan

Interesting composition I created for this background spread -
light, glowing middle within dark borders around the edge.
 
I practiced doodle 'stacking' on left page
using a gray pigment chisel tip marker
(writes over everything  just like a Copic alcohol marker,
but no stinky fumes)
 
Just love the color gradation (spray ink), stencil,
 and gold (my acrylic paint concoction) that I painted on the back
cover of  father's day brag book / altered book / art journal!

P.S. Spray ink and paint are VERY messy.
I use a store bought spray box to protect my studio somewhat -
but it splatters everywhere if I'm not careful...
Reminder to myself!
This image is also layered behind the lovely lass
on my blog banner above.
 
Top view Fan
 
 Printed pattern tissue paper!
 
Makes a great blotter on the art table.
This is Tim Holtz - comes on a roll like wax paper - various patterns.
Clean your bushes and test paints, medium, tapes etc.
When it's filled up and all grungy, tear it up and use in collage,
 backgrounds, art journal pages, altered books.
Makes a geat layer because it's translucent when glued down
with wet ashesive. Also use it with dry adhesive 
(run it through my 5" Xyron to take in travel supplies).
Easy peasy!


First prize I won in 2012 -
1st Place in a scrapbook LO contest!

Backgound page laying on a grid blotter.

This huge grid desk blotter was a gift last year.
That's more grid blotter in photo below.
When I used up all the blotter pages I switched to the
Tim Holtz tissue paper now on my table.

 
  Cheap 'watercolor' brushes.
 
The best travel tool for details with watercolor paint I found
are  kids watercolor brushes by Crayola.
They are refillable with your own watercolor paint recipes,
diluted arylics, paint glazes, India ink - or even diluted medium!
I found a cheap set of these brushes at Michaels.

Cheap plastic 'putty knife' from the hardware store!

Best tool for applying Yes! Paste -
I slightly trimmed the right and left sides of the putty knife
with Tim Holtz Tonic scissors so that the
 putty knife would fit down into the paste jar.
Putty knife is also great for spreading gesso and other texture medium.
Same concept as the plastic hotel key / old credit card - but
 I wanted a tool with a handle....

P.S. I use Yes!Paste mostly for laminating/gluing 2 facing book pages together -
Yes!Paste is acid-free/archival and makes the paper very stiff and
no wrinkling of paper. Buy Yes!Paste at Michaels.
 
 Lots of layers.
 
Tim Hotltz tissue paper, deli paper,
metal tape (from hardware store) that I embosed a painted with acrylics -
 over lined pages of a small, store bought diary/journal.
 
Great dimension - wow!

My first assemblage for a journal cover.
Collections of game tokens, dice, watch parts, 
foreign and vintage coins, keys,
calculator guts - all adhered with
soft gel medium - gloss (by Golden).
Outstanding tool! Papermate EAGLE ballpoint pen.
Great for writing over gook on art journal pages.
When ink is gone, this makes a great stylus for
scratching textures into wet gesso, too!

What are your fave pix on your blog? 

I would love to see your faves! Please leave a comment including a link back to your blog.

And if you're a mixed-media artist or art journaler, check out my Giveaway in sidebar!

Thanks for visiting - please come back soon!

Have a great art-filled New Year!

Peace,
LuLu

Sunday, June 3, 2012

'FREEBIES! Art Journal Page Backgrounds / Textures - celebrating 100 Followers in 2012!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

 
Howdy and welcome,

 
As part of the celebration for attaining 100 Followers of my blog , I'm offering this mixed-media collection of  backgrounds - FREE! FREE! FREE!

 
These FREE backgrounds are from my art journal (a giveaway prize) that I created using custom designer tape, custom labels, custom stamps, patterned scrapbook papers, die cuts frames, tissue  papers, painted wax paper, deli papers, custom embossed metal tape, copyright free images, Rollagraph stamps, Stampin' around stamps, printed tissue paper, Tim Holtz tissue paper, ink, acrylic paints, custom glazes and gessos (clear, black, white, custom tinted) using a wide variety of mixed-media techniques.

 
Yep! You read it right - these backgrounds are FREE for you to use in your artwork!

 
So...
how will you use these FREEBIES?

 
  • Will you create textures by printing a page for your art journals, altered books, visual journals and assemblages?
  • Or will you make image transfers by inkjet printing onto deli paper, copy paper or transparencies - and adhering with soft gel medium?
  • Or how about dishing up some digital layers by using these FREEBIES in Adobe Photoshop or in Microsoft Digital Image Editor?!

 
All I ask is that you:
  1. please give credit to  'www.lulu-too-beaucoup.blogspot.com' when you use these in your art work.
  2. please send me a link to your blog post of any work you create using these  FREE FREE FREE backgrounds. I'd love to see what specatacular stuff you come up with!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Small journal from Staples Office supply store - lined paper.
  • Pages glue laminated together for strength.
  • Pages 'under journaled' (a Pam Carriker term) with pencil resists (graphite and colored pencils).
 
Thanks for visiting - please leave a comment while you're here - and come back soon....My GIVEAWAY for 100 Followers Giveaway will start this summer 2012 - with fun and artsy prizes for one lucky Follower's creating pleasure!

Peace,
LuLu

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

WOYWW 03-28-12: Mad Scientist Experiments!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

Today while tidying up a bit for WOYWW this week, I unearthed a paper project in the nether regions of my craft table. I  had donned my mad scientist hat a while back and was experimenting by ironing freezer paper to the backs of some thin papers  - tissue, handmade, original blotter splats. So far, so good.

'Mad Scientist EXPERIMENTS'

Next, the plan is to adhere the rough side of 2 freezer papers back to back to create a sturdy substrate. When dry, I'll punch the pages with my Bind It All, then use the pages as backgrounds in art journals. This is a slow process for me - I like instant gratification with my experiments. But this project seems to be dragging on...

How about you? Have you tried ironing freezer paper to the backs of thin/flimsy  papers? What were your results? Have you tried ironing freezer paper to fabrics? Would love to see your results. Please email me or comment here with a link to your blog post if you've tried this technique.

Not shown: just got in a shipment from jetpens.com of white gel pens of various brands. So far, I'm loving how they write over all the various media in my art journals.

Thanks for visiting - would love for you to comment on this - or any - of my posts. And please become a follower while you're here. Giveaway for followers coming very soon!

To see more artist studios visit WOYWW here.

Peace,
LuLu

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

'WOYWW - 03-14-12: Art Journal Page In Progress'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and welcome,

Here's a peek at my still tidy workstation. This week for WOYWW,  I'm still playing in an art journal. There's about 6 layers of mixed-media on these background pages! I just LOVE texture!


WIP - Art Journal

Do you used mixed-media in your work? Do you like to layer? What are your fave texturing tools or materials?
Lotsa layers!

Thanks for stopping by - and would love for you to leave a comment on this post - or on any of my other posts. Please come back again soon - my Spring Giveaway for Followers is coming this month!

Visit more artist studios here!

Peace,
LuLu






Monday, March 12, 2012

'Water Brushes a.l.a. LuLu!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes


Howdy and welcome,

Have you seen the neat portable water brushes? You can find them in craft stores and online.

Last week, I saw a new water brush by Tim Holtz (Ranger). Looked like it would be a useful addition to my stash of art supplies - or would it???

Elmer's Paintastics!
Paint brush?! - or - water brush?!

At a cost of $10 for one brush, for a couple bucks more, you can buy a set of 10 brushes by Elmer's! I found a set of Elmer's Painsticks in my studio (bought the set at STAPLES office supply 2 years ago).

Just disassemble, empty out the paint (paint a quick backgound page in your art journal until empty) and fill with water. Or in my case, I fill with matte medium, or tinted acrylic glaze. Great tools for painting or embellishing in art journals on the road.

Pam Carriker talks about the water brush tool in her new DVD, too!

Have you ever used water brushes? Do you use them with water, as intended? How many different water brushes do you own? 
How many different solutions do you use in your water brushes? 
Do you fill them with water? Paint? Medium? Glue?

Another view of my main work station -
bright Northern exposure!

Would love for you to comment on this post - or please comment on any of my other posts. 

Shhhhhh! Can you keep a secret? My new Spring 2012 Giveaway is coming later this month!

Thanks for stopping by - come back again soon.
Peace,
LuLu

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

'WOYWW 02-15-12 Play Day in Art Journal (AJ)!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

This week I've been under the weather (flu - with fever and other gross symptoms). So I'm still playing in my Art Journal for WOYWW. Making more layered backgrounds and still practicing image transfers using mag photos and gel medium.

This book is the new 'mixed-media book' from Strathmore I bought last year at Michaels - with a coupon. This book is advertised to be useful for wet media, but I'm not impressed. The pages were too thin for my purposes. So I glued 3 together to use as my substrates. The texture is fine, the pages were just too thin for the abuse I give paper in my art journals.




 Mixed-media journal (Strathmore),
cover has a couple of my custom
embossed/painted metal 'flags'

 AJ spread,
below dried-out red ink
cartridge for rolling stampers,
needs to be re-inked

AJ spread with leaning stack


What books do you use for your Art Journals? Have you tried the Moleskine watercolor paper books? Love them - but not cheap! Soon I hope to make some books from scratch using watercolor paper from pads I've got around the studio.

Happy Valentine's Day, too. Since I'm sick and hubby works 6 days a week we plan to celebrate on the weekend. We exchanged cards and he gave me a a box of chocolate covered strawberries to cheer me up - they were tasty!

Thanks for stopping by. Would love for you to comment on this post - or any of my other posts - and become a Follower while you're here visiting. Here are more artists studios to visit for WOYWW!

Peace,
LuLu

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