Letters - Art Elements Theme Reveal

Can I just tell you how much I love the monthly Art Elements Theme Challenge? One of the team members selects a theme, anyone with a blog can participate, and you're welcome to use any medium you want to embody the theme. It's brilliant! This month, Jennifer Cameron chose to inspire us with "Letters" as the theme. We could take that any way we wanted, and I did - in the form of two projects.

Let me start with the one I finished first - an art journal page.
I used a fairly large mixed media journal for this project and layered on a collage of an actual handwritten letter and Tim Holtz Tissue Wrap in the Postale pattern. And with those two things, I had included letters in two forms. Done! Ha, not really.

I used several brown spray inks to add the color and water to take some of it away.

Letters were stenciled and stamped on with Distress Oxide ink.

And, I added washi tape with letters and words on them in a few spots.

Finally, I  used hand-lettering to create a phrase I thought was appropriate and would finish up my overabundance of letters.

I remembered to record my process since this Letters Art Journal Page was created specifically for this challenge.
It's always fun to get messy in the art journal!

The next project was actually started months and months ago when I made the small tin box. I'm not even sure how long ago it was. At the beginning of January, I picked it back up, deciding it would be a good Valentine project. But, this was as far as I got.

When I saw this month's Letter theme, I decided that it would be a good opportunity to finish the little box, especially since it was a vintage hand-written love letter that was cut for the hearts. So, I began by gluing down the first heart with mod podge.
This not only secured the paper but also helped to seal it for the steps to come. 

A metal punch was used to create two holes at the top of the box. I applied more mod podge to the outside edges of the box before sprinkling in some silver German glass glitter (from Ice Resin). Once the glue was dry, I wrapped the outside of the box in packing tape.

The packing tape helped to contain the Ice Resin that I poured in a thin layer into the box. After the resin had dried for a few hours and was still tacky, I placed another one of the hearts (a smaller one) on top of the first. This one had been edged with Staz-on black ink but not sealed. When the resin was cured, I slipped headpins into the punched holes - through the tape - before the holes were covered in the second layer of resin.

Once the second layer was cured, I added a final black-edged heart. This one was sealed with mod podge (though some of the resin has seeped into it) before getting stuck onto the other hearts and sealed under a third layer of resin. 

For now, I'm letting the third layer be the last one as I like that this thin layer lets some of the edges of the last heart poke up a tiny bit. Once I was sure this layer was dry, I removed the tape and created simple loops with the headpins. Then, the piece was transformed into a necklace with the addition of some ball chain.
And, I REALLY love it!

I should tell you that the red portion of the tin was the outside of it while the inside portion was a distressed silver.

There's absolutely nothing perfect about this necklace, but I think that's the charm of it. 

I know that the letter portion of this reveal is pretty weak, but I did highlight that handwritten love letter in an unexpected manner.

At least it was unexpected for me. 

Before you start (continue) hopping to the other participants' contributions, I want to thank Jennifer for the amazing, inspiring theme as well as the team at Art Elements for allowing me to participate along with them. I needed this! Now, here's the list.

Guests: TammyKarinKathyEvie and BethDivyaHopeAnita

Art Elements Team: ClaireLesleyJennyCathyNikyJen

I hope you find some inspiration in this hop!
If you have any questions about either of my projects, please don't hesitate to let me know. I'd be happy to help. 

21 comments:

  1. I love your heart pendant that you created. It is perfect for a Valentines Day gift or to add pop to an outfit year round. Thanks for sharing how you made it too. Well done!

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    1. Kathy, Thanks so much!! The pendant definitely has a Valentine's vibe, but I do believe that love should be celebrated all year and hearts aren't just reserved for one day. I'm glad you see it that way too. I couldn't resist sharing the steps to create it as I was sure someone else might benefit from my learning along the way. 😃

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  2. Wow! I just love how the necklace came out.

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  3. That art journal cover is fabulous and I enjoyed the video. The tin pendant with the layers is wonderful. All the elements are combined to perfect imperfection.

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    1. Tammy, Thank you! I'm so glad to be getting back in the creative groove. The past several months really sucked some life out of me, but I'm hoping to fill the rest of this year with as much creativity as I can pack into it! I hope you do too!!

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  4. I love your art journal page! I really did want to create some sort of mixed media or journal page with this theme. It never seems to be enough hours in a day. That heart necklace is so sweet! I love how you created depth by doing thin layers of resin and embedding a heart in each layer. So clever! And I love how you created the box out of recycled metal. Well done!

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    1. Cathy, You are too sweet. Thank you! There really are never enough hours. But, at least we all get the same number of them! This was the first time I'd really played with creating resin layers. I knew it would take a while since I had to wait so many hours for each layer to cure. But, it was worth the wait in the end I think. And, yeah, the metal box was loads of fun to create and great practice for making more. Thanks again.

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  5. I like the fact that the Stayz on bled and the resin seeped into the paper heart. Adds an element of age and patina IMO. I am thrilled with the myriad art journal pieces this month - yours included - because its so nice to see a peek into others books. And I am heartened that the practice of keeping an art journal is staying steady, or even on the rise... So - hats off to you! For page and pendant!

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    1. Jenny, Yes, I liked that I was able to get even more age from the love letter with the seeping. Some of it was planned and some was unintentional but worked out fine. Art journaling is becoming more and more a part of my life and a huge part of what I enjoy watching others do online (I watch a ton of videos!) I think you're right though - more people are enjoying the process. And, it's so therapeutic, I think that's fantastic! Thanks for your kindness!

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  6. I loved watching the video on the process of you creating your own story! It just amazes me how you can take a blank piece of paper and make something that is so gorgeous!
    The heart pendant is so cool! Thanks for sharing how it was done. I love it and how imperfectly perfect it is!

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    1. You are too kind! There's something so freeing about throwing a bunch of supplies at a blank piece of paper and transforming it into something else. You should go for it too!
      I'm glad you like the imperfection as well. I don't like anything that's too precise.
      Thanks so much!

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  7. I am so glad you were able to make the challenge this month. I always love seeing what you’re up to. I love your journal page. It turned out great. And the necklace is awesome! I love the layered hearts from the letters in the resin. What a special piece.

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    1. Jen, I'm glad you were able to squeeze me in the hop too! It was good to finish a project I had started as well as bust out a journal page. Thank you for inspiring me to do both!!

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  8. The necklace is really cute and reminds me of Susan Lenart Kazmers's lockets layers with resin. The jounrla looks like one written ages ago, forgotten in an attic and found again.

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    1. Divya, Oh, I love Susan Lenart Kazmer! What a compliment to remind you of her work. Thank you!! I adore the imagery of finding the journal page in an attic. Making things look old and worn is definitely my jam and joy. So, I guess I achieved that! Thank you!!

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  9. Hope your necklace is super cute but I just love your journal page...so much depth and interest and it has that wonderful look of something old and romantic. great job.

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    1. Lesley, First - sorry for replying so late. Your comment somehow got buried in the wrong folder in my e-mail. Yikes! I'm so pleased that you like my pieces. I had such a good time creating them and getting back into the swing of things. I appreciate you taking the time to drop by.

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  11. Your journal page is a veritable feast of letters, Hope, and I absolutely love it! And layering the hearts in your pendant is a really clever composition - I especially like how the unexpected resin seepage adds to the vintage aura of the piece.

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    1. Anita, Thanks so much! I like that you see that oopsie (the resin seeping) as an accent. That helps a lot! I appreciate your kind words on both of these pieces. It was a lot of fun getting back into the groove of creating as well just letting the ideas flow.

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  12. Using a handwritten love letter is a gem! I love reading (and watching) about your journaling but the necklace is the one I fell in love with!

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Thanks for stopping by! It means so very much to me. I love to hear what you have to say.

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