Breastfeeding Week Art Journal Page

Hi,

Today I am sharing a page that highlights a cause that is very close to my heart - Breastfeeding. Did you know that 1st to 7th August is celebrated as World Breastfeeding Week every year? You may wonder why is there a need to celebrate and promote breastfeeding? Isnt it the most natural thing every mother does for her child? Sadly not. As per statistics published in The Times Of India Online Edition, only 42% Indian infants are breastfeed within 1st hour after birth, i.e. 58% are deprived of the benefits of early feeding & colostrum in India. Not only that, only 55% infants are exclusively breastfed for 1st six months (WHO guidelines). These sort of statistics for breastfeeding are found across the world in many countries and hence, the celebrations for World Breastfeeding Week. Breastfeeding is not luxury. Its birth right of every child who comes to this world. Its the best blessing a mother can give her child. Hence, I created this page around breastfeeding, as my small contribution to the celebrations this year. You can read more about World Breastfeeding Week by visiting here. 

Breastfeeding Week Art Journal

List Of Supplies:

• Little Birdie Mixed Media Journal
• Little Birdie 2 in 1 texture paste (used as gesso) 
• Lindy's Stamp Gang - Starbust - Baby Blue Eyes Aqua
• Art Anthology Dimensional Paint - Baby Blue Eyes, Blue Topaz
• Designs By Ryn - Fiddlehead set
• Concord & 9th Perfectly Penned Stamp set 
• Ranger Archival Ink - Cobalt
• Tim Holtz Mini Stencil
• Sakura Microns & Brush Pen
• Ranger Glossy Accent
• Silver Inka Gold 
• White card stock
• Palette knife, paint brush, glue, pencil

Breastfeeding Week Art Journal

Steps to create:

• Apply gesso on the art journal page and let it dry.
• Roughly illustrate a mom feeding a baby on the page. 
• Color the page using Lindy's spray. Instead of using it as a spray, I painted the page with a paint brush using Spray color as an ink. 
• Once the ink is dry, do 3rd generation stamping using Fiddlehead stamp and blue ink.
• Apply Art Anthology dimensional paints with help of palette knife and stencil.
• Once the dimensional paint is dry, rub silver Inka Gold over it.
• Color the illustration of mom feeding a baby with black pens and add Glossy accents for dimension.
• To finish the page, stamp (or write freehand) the sentiment and adhere to the journal page.  

The theme at Art Journal Journey this month is "Count Your Blessings" and there can be no bigger blessing than Breastfeeding. I was lucky to be a breastfed child too. Entering my art journal for the challenge here: https://art-journal-journey.blogspot.com/2018/08/count-your-blessings.html 

Please share this page & spread the knowledge & importance of breastfeeding.

Love,

Dr. Neha Sanwalka Rungta

Crafty Flirtations 

Quick & Simple Christmas Cards

Hi Friends,

As crafters, we often get presented with opportunities where we can bring that extra smile & happiness to some.  I recently visited an old-age home in my vicinity that presented me with one such opportunity. As Christmas is around the corner, along with my friends, I decided to make & donate some Christmas cards for the elderly at old-age home. I didnt have any Christmas themed supplies, so I dug through my stash to create these beautiful cards

Materials Used:

• Ranger Distress Oxide Ink: Candied Apple
• Art Anthology Dimensional Paint: Brick (stone effect), Emerald (Gem Stone) 
• Ranger Red Geranium Archival Ink 
• iCraft Rose stencil
• Unity Sentiment Stamp
• Sequins from Mudra & Papericious
• Wink Of Stella 
• White Card stock, Acetate Sheet & Glue

Steps To Create:

• Make a triangle stencil from an acetate sheet.
• Cut and score card stock to create a 4 by 6" told folding card.
• Place the rose stencil on the card and over-lay a triangle stencil on it.
• Either blend Distress Oxide ink on the card or apply a layer of dimensional paint through the stencil to resemble a Christmas tree.
• If using Distress Oxide Ink, once the ink is dry, paint over using Wink Of Stella to add Shimmer.
• Stamp the sentiment using Archival ink.
• To finish the card, add some sequins on the card to resemble ornaments.

Hope you are inspired to dig through your stash to create cards. 

Love,

Dr. Neha Sanwalka Rungta 

It's The Seasons To Be Jolly - Art Journal

Hi Friends,

Art journal for me is not just a way of expressing my thoughts, feelings, moods but its also about trying different techniques that I have been meaning to try for a long time. As Christmas is around the corner, I made an art journal page with Ornaments as my focal points and used a few different techniques to create my focal points.

Supplies used:

• Ranger Distress Ink: Cracked Pistachio, Candied Apple, Wild Honey
• Cosmic Shimmer Mist: Meadow Lush, Blue Lime
• Ranger Archival Ink: Red Geranium, Jet Black
• VersaMark Ink 
• Art Anthology Dimensional Medium - Brick (Stone Effect)
• iCraft Stencils
• iCraft Floral Natura Paper Card stock 
• Snowflakes Stamp
• Concord & 9th: Sophisticated Script Stamp Set
• Ranger Clear Ultra-thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE)
• WOW Cherry Red Embossing Powder
• Ranger Glossy Accent 
• Rhinestones, palate knife, foam tape, yellow floss, circle cutter, heat tool  

Steps to Create:

Background: 

• Blend Cracked Pistachio ink on the art journal.
• Stamp snowflakes stamp (2nd generation stamping) using Red Geranium Ink.
• Spray the cosmic shimmer sprays at a close distance on random spots and let it dry .

Pre-preparation for ornaments:

• Cut 2" diameter circle from white card stock using circle cutter or a die (6 in number).
• Blend Wild Honey ink on the cut circles.
• Cut small small squares from card stock and colour using Candied Apple Ink.

1st Ornament from Left:

• Blend Candied Apple Ink on the prepared ornament through iCraft circle cluster Stencil.
• Once the ink is dry, apply Glossy Accent on each of the circles and keep it aside for drying. 

2nd Ornament from Left:

• Blend Candied Apple Ink on the prepared ornament through iCraft Stencil. 
• Once the ink is dry, apply a layer of Glossy Accent on the full circle.
• Once dry, reapply a second coat of Glassy Accent and keep it aside for drying.

Centre Ornament:

• Rub VersaMark Ink on the prepared ornament and sprinkle UTEE and heat set.
• Once the UTEE is evenly melted and hot, sprinkle another layer of UTEE and heat set again.
• Repeat the process 3-4 times to get a thick layer.
• Once happy with the thickness of the enamel, randomly sprinkle some Cherry Red embossing powder and heat set and while the entire enamel layer is still hot, stamp on it with Snowflakes stamp to give an embossed effect (Rubber stamps work the best for this technique and before stamping on hot layer of enamel, apply VersaMark Ink on the stamp to prevent any damage from Enamel).

4th Ornament from left

• Simply stamp some snowflakes on prepared ornament and heat set with Cherry Red Embossing powder.

5th Ornament from left

• Apply a generous layer of stone effect Art Anthology Brick Dimensional paste through iCraft stencil on the prepared ornament and let it dry.

Last Ornament:

• Splatter few drops of watered-down Candied Apple Ink on the ornament & embellish with a few rhinestones.

To finish all the ornaments:

• Adhere the coloured red squares and floss on the ornaments to complete them.

Finishing the Art Journal page: 

• Arrange and mark placement for your ornaments on the page.
• Using some water-down Candied Apple ink, create a shadow effect on the outer ends of markings (as the Candied Apple ink re-activates some of the green inks on backgrounds, it creates a subtle shadow for ornaments.
• Once the ink is dry, adhere the ornament  to the page with foam tape and give an uneven outline to the page with colour of your choice.
• Adhere the extra floss on the backside with glue.
• To finish, stamp the sentiment using Jet Black Ink and Sophisticated Script Stamp Set.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my Art Journal Page. 

Wish you a Merry & Bright Christmas :) 

Love,

Dr. Neha Sanwalka Rungta

Crafty Flirtations