Mixed Media Projects

Vintage Photo Fun

| Christina Lorraine Young (a.k.a. seena)

At the end of a family dinner a while ago we got to talking about old photos. Out came the envelopes and boxes of faded photographs, followed by screams of delight at seeing family members locked in a time warp of different hairstyles, fashions and locations. (The first pic features my dear mother-in-law… what a cutie!)

I’ve been having some fun scanning them in and adding sayings that I’ve collected over the years. I think they’d make great greeting cards – what do you think? Anything you’d change, add or delete?  I’d love your feedback!

If adventures do not befall

we didn't realize we were having fun sometimes a best friend is

Bargain Birdies

| Christina Lorraine Young (a.k.a. seena)

I was perusing some thrift store shelves recently and came across this box of manilla envelopes. So cool! For $3 I felt I couldn’t go wrong. No sooner were they on my desk then they started calling to me. Why I was inspired to put birds on the cover I don’t know, but I love the result!

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The tree branches and trunk were created using the edge of a Distress Ink pad. I’m really happy with the tree bark bits left un-inked – it adds dimension. I knew I wanted to add some collaged leaves, so the stamped birdie images are just a place holder for the bird cut-outs coming up.

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I restamped the bird images onto pages from an old dictionary and used distress inks to bring the birds to life. They aren’t ready to be glued down, though, because these birds need some shade and I want them in the foreground, not the background.

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Here are my “leaves.” I used Distress Inks (once again!) in various greens to colour another dictionary page. Then I had fun ripping up the paper into leaf like shapes.

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Golden’s fluid matte medium makes sure everything stays in place as I divvy up the shades of green for more visual interest.

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It’s starting to look a little more tree-like. Don’t worry, those birds aren’t going to fade into the background!
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Here there are, these beautiful birdies looking sharp amidst a shady tree. 20140724_17245120140724_172430

It makes me so happy to look at this little scene! I think the blue bird is my favourite. Which one is yours?

I have about 25 envelopes left… any ideas for what to do next?!20140724_172411

“Happy”ness

| Christina Lorraine Young (a.k.a. seena)

This page has been staring at me for a while, unfinished. I kept thinking I needed to add something to all that blue space, but every time I sat down to do it something stopped me. I finally realized that I liked the page just the way it was. I was itching to add some hand lettering when it was “finished” the collage, but no sooner did I put signo pen to paper then out popped the sentiment below. I do realize happiness isn’t spelled with a “y,” but took some artistic license before the hyphen. My journal page, my rules! I may go in and add some shadowing to the letters, but I’ll see how I feel. By the by, that picture of the coffee is one I took of my actual cappuccino in Sorrento, Italy a couple of summers ago. Doesn’t it look delicious?

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Just Wandering?

| Christina Lorraine Young (a.k.a. seena)

I made my own art journal using hot press water-colour paper and it’s wonderful to work in. The video tutorial, by the wonderful Teesha Moore, is on my Youtube channel. I find that higher quality acrylic paints (Golden, Tri-Art) are easier to write on because my pens don’t get caked up in paint so they write fluidly on the acrylic background. I’d love it if you’d leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Warm Embrace

| Christina Lorraine Young (a.k.a. seena)

I was inspired by the lyrics of a Billy Joel song (his version, not the Glee update) when thinking about Joanne Sharpe’s “Whismy Grid” lettering. This finished piece feels kind of ethereal to me, as though stars are lighting up the figure’s dress.

I was careful to sketch things out in soft pencil first, lest I make any errors. I did a LOT of erasing!

I could have stopped here, but I kept challenging myself to add more detail.

Derwent Inktense Pencils were used to shade the half circles. And my Signo white pen got a workout.

Before and after: