Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Mixed Media Art Journal with Mandy Russell


I love using little bits and baubles in my art and I truly feel quite fortunate for how abundant they are in this world.

Mandy Russell, Stitched Abundance Art Journal, OOAK Artisans

Tiny buttons, gems, and plastic animals are a few of my faves which I've incorporated here in this sweet little stitched collage. There is no glue used here to hold things in place, just a needle and thread. Hmmmm, is it still a collage if there is no glue? Whatever it is, it's easy! And adorable!



Mandy Russell, Stitched Abundance Art Journal, OOAK Artisans








Simply gather a piece of 140 lb. watercolor paper, few pieces of trim, a small collection of tiny buttons, a few gems with holes, and some skinny feathers. A small main image, or focal point, is important too. My little deer tag I found at The Chelsea Market in NYC recently. But you can use anything you'd like.



Mandy Russell, Stitched Abundance Art Journal, OOAK Artisans







Begin by adding a heavily pigmented, warm-color wash to your paper. I leave a small margin of white space around the edge- it's nicer that way! For this piece, I used Quinocridone Nickel Azo Gold and Opera Pink. These are Daniel Smith watercolors and are oh so worth the pennies...


Mandy Russell, Stitched Abundance Art Journal, OOAK Artisans







Once this is dry. draw two lines intersecting in the lower left quadrant as shown. Rub using your fingers (yes, your fingers!!!) a small amount of Nuvo Embellishment Mousse along the lines, concentrating most where they intersect. I used the color Peony Pink. This stuff yields a metallic sheen and is perfect for building up a layered background.


Mandy Russell, Stitched Abundance Art Journal, OOAK Artisans








Next, use a sewing machine and stitch your two pieces of trim over the drawn lines. Just remember to use a long stitch length and don't back stitch as that will simply leave a hole in your paper! If you don't have a machine, you can hand stitch the trim.


Mandy Russell, Stitched Abundance Art Journal, OOAK Artisans







Lay out the feathers in small bundles as shown, so that they radiate into the larger quadrants. Machine stitch the feathers one group at a time, close to the trim intersection so that the main image will cover the stitching. If you hand stitch the feathers, use washi tape to hold them in place first.


Mandy Russell, Stitched Abundance Art Journal, OOAK Artisans





Next hand stitch your main image in place as well as any buttons or gems that you'd like. I keep my bits and baubles clustered around my main image and my trim lines but the world is your oyster here, stitch away! A few bits of advice here; don't pull too hard as you could rip through the paper, use button-weight or heavy duty thread, and try to tie two loose ends together in the back as a way to secure your stitches, as opposed to knotting the end of the thread, as knots tend to pull through paper.








Mandy Russell, Stitched Abundance Art Journal, OOAK Artisans






I then wrote a little quip about abundance and thankfulness but that's optional for sure. A stamp would be sweet that says something Thanksgiving related... I hope you enjoyed this "deer" little stitchy project and I can't wait to share the next one with you!! ~ Mandy

You can see more of Mandy's creations online!


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