Super MEGA Ocean Theme ATC swap ...AND some really great deals!

I haven't posted in awhile, but that just means I've been busy creating. One of my new favorite activities is parusing the endless bins at our Goodwill Outlet to find art supplies and treasures for pennies. Literally pennies. They charge fifty cents to a dollar twenty-nine a pound for different types of things. Clothing and textiles, books, old records, 8-tracks, organization bins, ribbons, strings, old briefcases, knock off purses...(It was my first hope at a Kate Spade purse, I should have know by the glued on label it wasn't real, but the find in hopes of value was worth it.) This last trip I went with my husband. It's relatively easy to save money and only spend $10 for bags and bags of new things to play with. 

My husband found an old flat strainer with a handle and was like "hey, you could used this for your art right?" Um, could I EVER! The pic on the right is using Dylusions spray ink and it keeps the tiniest patterns without running together!

My husband also found me a handful of Prismacolor double tipped markers that worked (6-8) of them. 

He also suggested I use a metal organizer for paints to add an artistic pop of color, not knowing it was for K-cups. Either way win-win and it spins! Old books, sheet music, old letters handwritten things just tossed out. It was a fun day the 2nd time for $7. They rotate all the stuff within a day also, so you can find really great things.. oh and furniture! 



Crazy fun. I suppose I'm a little off track and should write two posts, but who are the blogger police here anyways?? 




I participate in quite a few different type of swaps, but my recent favorite is the MEGA ATC swaps. I had seen this one and wished I had joined but it was closed. Ocean theme. Hm...so many possibilities. I was able to jump in anyways and the gears in my brain were smokin' with ideas.

 I created the backgrounds with a Gelli plate. I have to admit I didn't use it much at first, but I do now! I used some blue acrylic paints of different values and just covered the plate. I used a soft edged tool and removed some of the paint in the shape of waves. I made this pattern all the way down the plate and printed my papers...I loved it! I wanted more texture so I used some lighter blue colors and used the same smooth tip tool and drew curled waves this time. I printed them over the blue straight waves. EVEN BETTER!! After the waves were dry, I used a piece of tulle wadded up to pick up colors of orange, pink, and green to imitate coral at the bottom. I used a metallic green to create the seaweed. 

Great for an ocean theme background, but what was my main focus going to be? I love octopuses/octopi, but I went with jellyfish for a couple of reasons that you'll see in the techniques I used. I painted the yellow tops of the jellies, and hi lighted them with white gesso. The tentacles were squiggly white gesso drawn over with a watercolor red pencil. 


Here's the fun part.  I used Mod Podge dimensional magic on the bodies of the jellies. It applies itself as a cloudy liquid and dries as a clear, shiny, dimensional pieces on the project. This makes the jellies glisten and have a more dimensional quality. 

What's next? I used a stabilo marks all pencil in black just under the bottom of the jellies to give them depth from the tentacles. Last but not least I used the bejeweled stickers to represent water bubbles above the seaweed. 

 I decided to start getting more "official" with my ATC's and actually filled out a trading card info piece that I attached to the back of them. In total I 
completed 13 of these. I sent 12 in the swap..ooops one extra, and I always keep one for myself. Hope you enjoy them!