Creative Gym - Exercise #1

Hello, Mixed Media fans!
We are really excited to present our brand new exciting challenge!

In the months to come, we will be doing some really great art exercises. 'Cause you know, creativity is just like a muscle - you need to be using it regularly, practise, bend and stretch. :)

The plan is that every month each of our fantastic Design Team members is going to design a special challenge.

Every month it will be different, every time it will give you a great opportunity to get some art workout.

So if you feel stuck or if you feel like you need some practice or... simply feel like having some fun - join us in our Creative Gym!

This month's challenge is designed by Tusia who came up with a really simple color scheme - it may seem basic but you will see in a moment the enormous possibilities it creates.

So here's your task:
1. Use black
2. Use white

3. Use grey

4. And - add one more color of your choice.

You can create any kind of work - scrapbooking, art journals, cards, tags, paintings, drawings, collage - anything you feel good at.

And here's a funny story - as you will see below, most of our Design Team - without consulting each other - went for black+white+grey+ pinks ... Soulmates? :)

Of course, you can use any color you want - it may be your favorite one or the one that you seldom use - maybe it's worth trying out? Experiment! Play! Exercise!

We'll be waiting for your submissions 'till November 19th and yes, there are prizes. :)

I had an idea for this scrap from the first moment I've heard about our October challenge.

It's a perfect opportunity to combine my three favourite things - "Illumination" collection, color pink and glitter. :)

My work is not very complicated - a small black and white photo from a special moment, some stencils, a little bit of pink glitter (actually I've mixed three different kinds of pink glitter ;) ) with glossy gel medium, some white splashes and some embellishments.

It was a great pleasure to make!

Materials from Mixed Media Place:

For this creative challenge I chose pink for the additional color. I think pink goes very well with all shade of white, black and gray.

To prepare my layout I've started with priming my page with gesso. After it dried, I've used Kasia's stencil and molding paste to create some texture. Don't you think that stencil matches my children's photo well?

Next, I sprayed the background with glimmer mist and used the same stencil. Color from the mist perfectly highlighted the stencil's pattern. Then I glued some pieces of paper from 7 Dots Studio collection and the photo. I painted them with acrylic paint, highlighted some of them with strong clean shades of white, black and pink.

Finally, I sprayed the whole work with gray tone glimmer mist.

Materials from Mixed Media Place:

Here is my take on black + white + grey and ‘pink'.

I had so much fun creating my last tag for Mixed Media Place I thought I would just keep on going because using the Art Basics Gesso and Gels make it so easy. The little photo is my beautiful, free spirited, “hippy” daughter.

I started with a large (9.5 x 22cm) chipboard tag. Painted it with Art Basics heavy white gesso. Used a spot stencil to emboss with black embossing powder. Used a Vintage Vanity Honeycomb stamp to emboss up the sides with white embossing powder. Added some washi tape up the sides. Next added some fussy cut tissue flowers, adhered with Art Basics Soft Matte Gel.

I added half a Prima die cut doily also adhered with the same gel. Misted the tag with Picked Raspberry Distress Stain. Added some stamps from the Prima Vintage Vanity range.

The Sunrise Sunset vintage trinkets and all the other metal embellishments are coated with Art Basics heavy clear gesso and then sprayed with Prima Vintage Coal Color Bloom mist. They are all adhered with Art Basics 3D atte gel. Lastly, I added a few leaves and flowers, some Prima gems, a Prima Lace Sticker and some black ribbon.

Materials from Mixed Media Place:

This Creative Gym challenge for me had to be black + white + grey + pink. I love colors in general, but my favorite at the moment is pink. I've made 3 almost similar ATCs making the word XOX.

I wanted to add lots of texture to the background so I've used some 3d circle stickers in various sizes and some Mechanicals. After adding all the texture, I painted the background with chalkboard paint. I then used the Primary Element mixed with water to add some pink and grey color to the background.

I really wanted to use the Mica Flakes on this project, and Granite was so perfect in color. I used Magic glue to attach the Mica to the background. I also added one identical bling to each ATC and finally a letter X O X.

Thank you for looking.

Materials from Mixed Media Place:

For my part of the challenge I decided to go for black + white + accents in red.

I started my background with a very thin layer of white Gesso. I then added some black Gesso with a stencil and finished with some random stamping.

In order to give some light to the black leaves, I covered the paper with a mix of Soft Gloss Gel and Art Sugar. The small roses were colored with a Twinkling paint the same red as the flower in the photo. 

After glueing some papers, the photo and the flowers, I finished my background. I added some Fragments that I glued to my layout with the 3D Matte Gel. 

I added some splatters with diluted Gesso. And I decided to add some Glass Glitter and to do that, I also used 3D Mat Gel. But Glitters fixed themselves to the splatters of Gesso and I liked the result.

Materials from Mixed Media Place:

I really love turquoise so it wasn't a hard decision to choose the color I would use together with black, white and grey. I love blues and turquoises so much that my crafty friends even occasionally joke about my "surprising color choice" if I'm making a blueish-turquoise project.

I used turquoise only in my background to make the area of the photo pop. All the patterned papers and details are otherwise within the monochromatic color scheme.

Materials from Mixed Media Place:

I absolutely love turquoise and royal blue. And I love wandering - especially in a forest.

To create this layout I used the newest 7 Dots Studio collection - Thoughts Keeper and media from Mixed Media Place.

Materials from Mixed Media Place:



So what do you think?
Are you feeling inspired? :)

But before we invite you to join in, we'd like to announce the winner of our previous Sting inspired challenge.
And this person is...

... Marina Syskova ...

with this wonderful melancholy journal spread:

Congratulations!!! Please, get back to ask to claim your price at: store(at)mixedmediaplace.com

And for the rest of you, our lovely mixed media fans, we higly recommend visiting all the links sent to our challenge - each piece is exceptional and moving and we are really grateful that all of you who decided to share your art with us!

And now it's time to do some exercises... :)
Let's go black, white, grey and ... which color will you pick? :)
You have time until November 19th. Simply add a link to your work using the inlinkz tool below.

One work chosen by our DT will be awarded a prize (a discount coupon to be used in Mixed Media Place store).