Mixing It Up with Relics & Artifacts Ambassador Darlene Madden

I think the greatest gift my mother passed on to me was the ability to see potential, potential in the broken, battered, everyday items, as she always found a way to work her magic and make them beautiful. I remember as a young girl watching her take apart an upholstered sofa that definitely was worn, weary and weak in its current state.   When I asked her what she was doing, she told me that she was going to re-cover it with new beautiful fabric! I said, “Do you know how to do that?” She replied, “No, but I will figure it out as I go.”  Millions of staples and upholstery tacks later, she had pattern pieces to work with in order to guide her along on her “new and improved” journey.   I admired her “chase fear to the curb” kind of attitude in all that she did in her life.  I try to live that way everyday.

Speaking of everyday, I decided to do a special project for this blog.  Taking a few everyday items from my local dollar store I combined them with some spectacular pieces from the Relics & Artifacts collection, a self-imposed challenge of sorts.

Materials Needed:
Relics & Artifacts Coquille
Metal substrate
Acrylic paint
Trims
Filigree trims
Small glass vial
Map portion
Assorted mini beads and sea glass
Ribbon and wire to wrap handle on substrate
Adhesive
Stencil
Texture paste
glitter
Spray inks, blue, green.

Directions:

Apply brown acrylic paint to Coquille shells.  

Wipe off immediately with a soft cloth, leaving a nice aged patina to start creating with.

Using a blue acrylic paint, paint the metal substrate and let dry. Choose a watery looking stencil and use texture paste and spray inks to add some color on to the metal substrate.  Let dry.  

Add trim to the outside of the substrate for more texture and place shells and filigrees in place. Using a bit of white glue, add a touch of glitter on the waves for reflection and interest. 

Glue shells on with a strong adhesive and then embellish each one with treasures inside the shells.  Wrap rope handle with wire and ribbons and add a few beads to dangle at one ends of the handle.  

Let dry overnight and enjoy a watery feeling art piece made from simply Mixing It Up!!!!!

#RAScrapbook Challenge and a Mixed Up Feature with Relics & Artifacts Ambassador Heather Thompson

Back in July, a few of us at Relics & Artifacts had the wonderful opportunity to join in the Mixed Up Mag special scrapbooking edition. Many of you might have already sent this project, but still worth sharing. 

I also wanted to share some inspiration as Monica's scrapbooking challenge will be wrapping up at the end of the month. Hopefully, this gives your mojo a little nudge to submit your entries in our Relics & Artifacts Tribe on Facebook. 

This is a mixed media layout featuring the Mythos collection with an aged, crackle technique. The Relics are never too big to put on a page.  It just takes a little imagination.

With lots of texture and layers (I love my layers), a beautiful artistic page for some inspiration is born! Let's see your entries and don't forget to use the hashtag #RAScrapbook to be entered!

Supplies:
Relics & Artifacts Mythos
DecoArt Perfect Crackle
DecoArt acrylic paint
Flowers
Patterned paper
Chipboard embellishment

FAB-ergé Egg Shrine Workshop in Florida with Michelle Duke

Join the talented Michelle Duke for a Faux FAB-ergé Egg Shrine class featuring Relics & Artifacts by Sandra Evertson.  This workshop comes just in time for Spring, Easter, and Passover.  If you happen to be in southern Florida, why not stop by for a light lunch and some creative fun?

There are two opportunities to take the workshop.  February 23 or February 24 from 10:00am - 2:00pm.  A light lunch is included on both days.  

For more information, please visit The Duke and Duchess Designs or contact Michelle at duketimes4@bellsouth.net.

Space is limited so reserve your spot early!

Michelle Duke is a retired Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse of twenty years.  She began to pursue her love of creating pretty things and other artistic endeavors.  Her beautiful studio is located in sunny south Florida.

 

Dragonflies Introduce the Spring with Relics & Artifacts Ambassador Heather Thompson

As the days finally seem to be getting longer and longer,  I yearn for spring.  As these long winter days seem to just drag on in this frozen tundra, there is a glimmer of hope with more daylight and the signs of snow slowly, ever so slowly, melting away. 

I yearn to see my dragonflies.  From little ones to big ones, to brightly colored and plump ones, each one has a unique beauty about them. Whether it’s the flawless look of their wings glistening in the sun or the unusual, but oh so captivating markings on their body, their beauty is unsurpassable.

So as I sit and wait for the subtle hints of the changing of seasons, I know when I see my dragonflies that spring is finally here and I can enjoy the beauty around me.

Supply List:
Relics & Artifacts Coquille
DecoArt Acrylic Paints
Cat Kerr stamps
Iced Resin Opals
ICE Resin

Mixed Up Magazine Santos Cuff with RELICS & ARTIFACTS Ambassador Chrissy Colon

One of the biggest thrills of doing what we do is being published in major magazines.  I had such an opportunity to have this piece featured in the October/November 2017 issue of Mixed Up magazine.  Not only did I have the privilege of being published, I also had the distinct honor of this piece gracing the cover.  Talk about a "WOW!" moment!

I had this department store cuff which I bought on clearance, some awesome ColoriQue inks, and the perfect focal point to upcycle an item that was mass produced into something unique and one of a kind.  Of course, you know I do love my bead details!

For the full tutorial complete with photos along with loads of inspiration from other international artists, be sure to subscribe to Mixed Up magazine.  

Supply List:
Relics & Artifacts® Flaming Hearts Ex Voto II
ColoriQue Ink
ICE Resin
Cuff
Beads

Ol' Jack Frost with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Sherry Westfall Matthews

Oh, the weather outside is DELIGHTFUL!

I love the changing of the seasons and here in the South, it just doesn't feel like Christmas time until we see that first visit from ol' Jack Frost. Truth is, some winters, the closest we get to snow is a crisp, frosty morn where we wake to find rooftops glistening and our lawns looking freshly glittered.

That's when my holiday spirit kicks in and my inner kid peeks out!  Yep!  You could say that Jack Frost has a hold on my holiday heart. This is my tribute to the "Architect of the Flake".

From my rooftop to yours, Merry Christmas Y'all!

"It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. The crisp winter air if full of it."
-- John Burroughs, "Winter Sunshine"

Materials:
Relics & Artifacts® Figureheads 
Apoxie Sculpt 
Kroma Crackle
That's Crafty! Acrylic Upright, Arch  
That's Crafty! Dinky Stencil Snowflake background
Gel medium
DecoArt acrylics
snowflake confetti
bottle brush tree
buttons & beads in cool, frosty colors
bleach 

My Inner Child with Relics & Artifacts® Ambassador Heather Thompson

Some Days......

My Inner Child is all wrapped up in the cobwebs of warped visions, ideas, thoughts and feelings.

My Inner Child is the one that wants to sleep on the couch all day  and dream endless dreams.

My Inner Child, the one who wants to only eat the center of the Oreos and smile from ear to ear while doing it.

My Inner Child, the one who wants to walk through the gardens and pick bouquets of tulips and lilies with the constant smell of roses around me.

My Inner Child, the one that want to splash and dance in the puddles during a warm summer shower.

Some days.......we all need our inner child to come out more.

Supplies:
Relics & Artifacts® Persona
Creative Embellishments: Cobweb 6X6 Panel, Large Black Gears, Distress Square Stencil
7 Dots Studio: Dreamscapes Word Stickers. 
DecoArt Media: Modeling Paste, American Crackle Medium, Crackle Glaze, Ultra Matte Varnish,  Antiquing Cream Patina Fluid Acrylics Primary Cyan, Green Gold, Metallic Gold, Prussian Blue Hue, Titan Buff.
13@rts Black Gesso

What Is Style? with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Darlene Madden

"Style.  What is your style?" This question has been on my mind lately as I listen to comments regarding my work. I hear adjectives like "pretty," "gorgeous," and "blingy".  And while those are all lovely to hear as feedback, I had the thought, "What else is there?"

I see myself as a creative person whose job it is to PLAY and mix it up a bit when I create. That is exactly what I have done on this latest triptych.  I played, pushed, pulled, and auditioned elements and pieces that I may have passed by on a less playful day.  As a mixed media artist, I am grateful to have a studio full of interesting treasures, as my treasure hunting goes a long time back.

My starting point were the three legs from Relics & Artifacts® and the wooden base that my husband built. From that point the piece began to evolve and tell the story. As far as style goes, yes, I may tend towards pretty and more feminine works for the majority of my pieces but I do not want to get too predictable.  So I say, "Keep them guessing!"

Materials List:
Relics & Artifacts® Milagros
Wooden base
Metal heat tape
embossing folder
up-cycled belt
Vintage playing card
rusty nails
screws
wood branches
steampunk gears
Barometer gauge
barn hinge
cabinet pull
polymer clay
staples
acrylic paints

Jasmine the Garden Fairy with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Chrissy Colon

As Summer begins to bleed into Fall, I look at my darling garden fairy, Jasmine, as she sits so serenely on my shelf.  I realize how fast the year has gone by and, like previous years, I did not spend nearly the amount of time outside or at the beach as I promised I would do at the start of the season.  William Blake's "To Summer" seems to be an appropriate tribute to my most favorite season.

O thou who passest thro' our valleys in
Thy strength, curb thy fierce steeds, allay the heat
That flames from their large nostrils! thou, O Summer,
Oft pitched'st here thy goldent tent, and oft
Beneath our oaks hast slept, while we beheld
With joy thy ruddy limbs and flourishing hair.

Beneath our thickest shades we oft have heard
Thy voice, when noon upon his fervid car
Rode o'er the deep of heaven; beside our springs
Sit down, and in our mossy valleys, on
Some bank beside a river clear, throw thy
Silk draperies off, and rush into the stream:
Our valleys love the Summer in his pride.

Our bards are fam'd who strike the silver wire:
Our youth are bolder than the southern swains:
Our maidens fairer in the sprightly dance:
We lack not songs, nor instruments of joy,
Nor echoes sweet, nor waters clear as heaven,
Nor laurel wreaths against the sultry heat.

I look forward to next summer where I hope to sing more, play often, and embrace Summer's sultry song.

Note:  "Jasmine the Garden Fairy" was created for Mixed Up Magazine's June/July 2017 issue as part of the Creative Play feature.  Visit Mixed Up Magazine on Pocketmags for the full issue which includes a step-out tutorial on how to create your own!

Supplies Used:
Relics & Artifacts® Facia Familiaris
Retro Cafe Art Gallery Santos Doll
Retro Cafe Art Gallery Antler Cut-Outs
Apoxie Sculpt
DecoArt acrylic paint
Debbie Kerkhof of Xquizart "Hippie Chick" digital papers 

From the Tribe: Relics & Artifacts® Guest Ambassador Jools Robertson

We regularly invite members from our Facebook Tribe to be featured as guest Ambassadors here on the Muse.  This month, we are honored, humbled, and thrilled to feature Jools Roberston as our Relics & Artifacts® Guest Ambassador.  

I was always encouraged to be creative from a very young age, my parents said I was great as a child as I would sit quietly for hours drawing, painting and cutting up!  Nowadays, I work full time as a textile designer working on commercial interior projects and developing product collections.  I’m constantly being creative working with textures, design and colour, which I love.

In my spare time, I enjoy all types of arts and crafts and working with multimedia, particularly altered art using paint, die cutting, stamps, lots of colour, texture and experimenting with new techniques. I am also a design team member for DecoArt and Stampotique.

To connect with Jools, find her on her blog, Creative Journey!

I’m very honored to be Guest Ambassador for Muse using the fabulous Relics & Artifacts® products.  I love to use architectural detailing in my work and always use moldings to create interest and dimension.  I also like to use various media to create texture, working with colours and metallics to create depth and detail. 

I chose to use the wonderful Ostensorium's design as it is such a fabulous shape based on a Medieval museum piece. It is also referred to as a Monstrance which comes from the Latin word, "monstrare", meaning "to show". 

The Romans used this type of vessel to hold and exhibit an honored object so it was a perfect place to use the beautiful Regalis center piece.  Just look at those cherubs! I started to do some research into them.  Wow! I was blown away.  I was inspired by one that had a red center and liked the silver colouration and beautiful jeweled finishes.  Now you need to know that I have a thing about wings! So, although unconventional, it makes it unique and personal to my style.

Here's how I put my treasured vessel together.

Step 1: Once I had assembled the Ostensorium I applied a coat of white Gesso and allowed to dry.

Step 2:  Apply crackle paste to the surfaces with a palette knife, thicker in areas to create larger crackles. I allowed the whole thing to dry for a few hours. Once it was dry, I adhered the Regalis pieces in place with a strong glue.

Step 3:  The wings!  I cut the wings in 300gsm cardstock using the Cricut ‘Lovestruck’ cartridge twice.  Glue both layers with PVA glue and apply texture sand with a stencil brush to create more texture.  Leave to dry for a few hours.

Step 4:  It's time get centered!  Paint the inside with Quinacridone Red and darken around the edge with Quinacridone Magenta and Carbon Black.

Step 5:  Apply a coat of Silver Metallic fluid acrylic once the crackle medium has fully dried.  Apply a wash of Carbon Black working around the edge of the embellishment details.  Wipe excess to create a tarnished look and highlight the crackle.  

Step 6:  To highlight, use a dry brush with the Silver Metallic and then embellish with crystals.

Supplies:
Relics & Artifacts® Ostensorium 
Relics & Artifacts® Regalis
DecoArt White Gesso 
DecoArt Crackle Paste 
DecoArt Texture Sand
DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics:  Metallic Silver, Carbon Black, Quinacridone Red, Quinacridone, Magenta
Jewelled Embellishment 

Fractured Fairy Tale with Relics & Artifacts and ColoriQue Ink

Ambassador Rochelle Gaukel picks up our fairy tale answering and important question.  What happened to Cindy's lost shoe?

While Cindy was off on her escapades with Rocker Dude, she was unaware of what was happening back at the castle grounds. Cindy didn't know that Prince Charming had followed her out of the castle. He was right behind her when he saw her mount the carriage and head off. He was so mad that she got away without knowing her name or where she came from. As he looked to see which direction she was heading, a bird flew above him with something shiny in its beak. It was the black patent leather stiletto!! The bird dropped the shoe and as Prince Charming picked it up, he could see Cindy in the reflection of the shoe.

You see, the shoe was a magical shoe and showed the prince the future. He saw how happy Cindy was with Rocker Dude and how a future with him would not be possible. Cinderella was a wild child at heart.  He knew that such a free spirit could never be tamed.  The Prince was a bit of the old fashioned sort.  While he loved her wild spirit, he also knew this was not his "thing" as far as potential princesses go . So, he whistled for the bird to come back.  Because this is a fractured tale, the Prince also possessed the very fantastical ability to talk to animals.  He asked the bird to take the shoe to a faraway land where it could never be found again.

With a sentimental and amused smile on his face, he watched Cindy ride away in a cloud of dust over the horizon.

Supply List:
MUSE® Art Stamps Esperanza
ColoriQue Ink by Lisa Jimenez:  Verdigris, Black Diamond, Ruby Slippers, Snow Summit, Turquoise Mountain
Beads
Metal finding
Metal cage
 

Fractured Fairy Tale with Relics & Artifacts® and ColoriQue Ink: Cindy's Temptation

We are nearing the apex of our Fractured Fairy Tale collaboration with ColoriQue Ink!  Today, Ambassador Heather Thompson picks it up with Cindy coming to some realizations....and temptations!

Cindy ran off and lost her killer stiletto heel. She briefly glanced back, seeing the glistening shoe the foreground and the luxurious castle in the background. She stopped for a split second and thought to herself, “What if?  What if I stay?  I could have everything I ever wanted. Money, fame, no wicked sisters and a stepmother from hell."  She shook her head as if to shake those what if's from her mind, "Nope. Nada. Hasta la vista, baby! This chick is out of here!" 

Cindy jumped in her blood red three-wheeled carriage.  It was decked out with flames shooting out of the tailpipes, and a stellar set of wheels, perfect to the carry her away on her quest to find herself and to find true happiness.

Cindy pulled the clutch and revved the throttle.  A large ball of fire shoots out the tailpipe! She released the clutch and took off in a ball of smoke.  The smell of hot, molten metal permeated the air and as the smoke dissipated, Cindy is gunning for the horizon with the wind in her hair.

As she crested the hill, she slowed down and pulled up next to a broken down RV on the side of the road.  Standing there looking over a flat tire, she saw the dark and handsome spiked hair lead singer of the band from the night's gala. She looked at him and gave a coy wink and a secretive smile.  Before she realized what she was doing, Cindy motioned the rocker to jump on in. As he hoisted himself into the carriage, Cindy could be heard giggling and yelling, "HELL YES!" as she revved the engine one final time.  She and her Punk Prince took off into the night not knowing what kind of adventure they were destined to have....

Supply List:
Relics & Artifacts® Egg Shrine 
Relics & Artifacts® Regalis
Relics & Artifacts® Sol
ColoriQue Ink by Lisa Jimenez:  Black Diamond, Ruby Slippers, Snow Summit, Verdigris
Apoxie Sculpt

Fractured Fairy Tale Chapter 3 with Relics & Artifacts and ColoriQue Ink

Cindy has just arrived at the biggest concert of the ages after undergoing an introspective transformation.  Today, Ambassador Monica Downing tells us what awaits inside!

Cindy roared into the parking lot on her bike and parked right up front. She made her way to the doors of the concert hall. 

Once inside, she began weaving through the crowd. As she made her way toward the stage, she removed her leather jacket and revealed a beautiful pair of butterfly wings. Her wings open up in all of their bad ass glory and hundreds of smaller butterflies fluttered up to the enormous chandelier that hung over the crowd. 

The light seemed to soften as it shed a beautiful and ethereal glow directly onto Cindy. The prince noticed this magical woman immediately, and for him, it was love at first sight. 

However, not so much for Cindy as she had her sights set on the lead singer of the band. The prince was suddenly in front of her, determined to get her attention. Before she knew it she and the prince were swept into the craziest mosh pit and rocking out hard to the band.

All the while, the butterflies clung to the chandelier and like magical little strobe lights, their wings began to flicker, flash, glimmer and shine with the most epic light show any concert had ever seen before.

Supply List:
Relics & Artifacts® Flora
Relics & Artifacts® Chandelier Pendants I
Relics & Artifacts® Chandelier Pendants II
Colorique by Lisa Marie Jimenez:  Black Diamond, Snow Summit, Poppy. Pink Ice, Ruby Slipper, Honey Bee, Turquoise Mountain, Pacific Ocean, Wisteria, Avocado
Chipboard butterfly wings
Misc. Butterfly Stamps
Black and white ink
Embossing powder
Glitter
Leaves and flowers
Clear crystal beading
TONS OF FREAKING HOT GLUE

Fractured Fairy Tale: Chapter 2 with Relics & Artifacts and ColoriQue

We continue our Fracture Fairy Tale with Ambassador Sherry Matthews as she familiarizes us with the demented stepsisters.  For the previous segments, please be sure to catch on the ColoriQue blog as well as the Muse.

Cinderella had the meanest of step-sisters. You'd have to look far and wide for two nastier people. They treated her like she was their maid and took whatever they wanted of her few belongings. So it was no surprise that when the Prince's invitation to the Monster's Rock Ball arrived, the sisters began arguing over it.

"Me!" Anastasia screeched, "the Prince will LOVE me!"  Drizella ripped the envelope from her hands exclaiming, "Everyone knows that I am the most beautiful in the land!" They both mocked Cinderella horribly for wanting to attend. Their torture left her in tears. Somehow, amongst the tussling, a brooch fell from a secret pocket in the envelope. The sisters assumed the jewelry was a gift from the Prince. But BOY!  Were they WRONG!

Cinderella's fairy godmother had sent it. The gift was an enchanted brooch, intended to allow Cinderella's true beauty to shine through. Drizella and Anastasia, true to form, kept the brooch hidden for themselves.

On the night of the ball, Anastasia tried to pin it to her dress. Drizella was furious! She grabbed for it and tried to rip it from her sister's dress.  Suddenly, they both felt faint!  They promptly sat on their vanity bench, looked into the mirror, and to their horror, discovered the brooch's powers! 

The sisters were now conjoined! Individually, they had half the brain, half the personality, and none of the kindness that their step sister possessed.  The brooch itself was now rusted and crusty. It oozed the black of the sisters' souls.

Their dark sides were now revealed for all to see.

Materials:
Relics & Artifacts® Facia Familiaris
Relics & Artifacts® Rising Spirit I
ColoriQue by Lisa Jimenez: Black Diamond, Snow Summit, Ruby Slippers, Pacific Ocean
VerDay paint set
Apoxie Sculpt
EnviroTex EasySculpt Modeling Clay
EnviroTex Jewelry Resin
DecoArt Antiquing Cream
DecoArt Modeling Paste
Liquitex Gel Medium
Nail Art Jewels
E6000
Kraft paper
Cardboard faux book box
Scrapbook paper

"Once Upon A Midnight Dreary" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Sherry Matthews

So who's excited about our new Literary Hauntings Challenge?  I definitely am!  I've made "no bones" about the fact that I am frequently inspired by works of poetry and literature.  You might even say I've "pondered over many a quaint & curious volume of forgotten lore."

Add to that my love of Halloween and it's no surprise that I am a fan of Edgar Allen Poe. His words evoke imagery that rap, tap, tap on the door of my imagination!  This piece is an homage to Poe's The Raven.

Hope you will all join in on the spooky fun of our #RALiteraryHauntings Challenge!

Materials:
Relics & Artifacts® Ancient Soul
Relics & Artifacts® Troubador
VerDay Paint Set
Apoxie Sculpt
DecoArt acrylics
reproduction iron doorknocker

"Nursing is Like Gardening" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Heather Thompson

As many of you know, I am a nurse but also an avid gardener.  I enjoy them both immensely. During the summer months, I try to bring some cheer to work and I wear a real flower in my hair. Every morning after the long night shift, I pull my hair down and throw the flower on the dashboard while I unwind on my drive home from the crazy night I’ve just had.

This particular flower dried on my dashboard and it was just beautiful. Instead of throwing it out the window as I drive down the driveway the next night, I actually left it there to enjoy the beauty it had transformed into. Finally I decided that I just needed to capture it in time forever.

Since nursing and gardening are so similar, I wrote a small comparison and inspiration piece.

Nursing is like Gardening

Nursing is like gardening;
Everyday is a new day. Each day will bring new
Beginnings, new experiences. A new chance at life
To Bloom, blossom and grow.

Nursing is like gardening;
You will always have your pests.
Your frequent visitors, your difficult
Ones that are needy, that you don’t
Understand and never will. The
Ones that will present a problem
Around every corner and the ones that will never leave.

Nursing is like gardening
You will always lose some. No
Matter how hard you try and how
Much time and effort and heart you put
Into it. Some were just not meant to live.
For what ever reason, it was meant to be.

Nursing is like gardening;
Rewarding, hardworking, a learning experience,
Frustrating, fulfilling, distressing
Beautiful. From one end of the spectrum to the other.

Nursing is like gardening;
Worth every minute -the good, the bad and the ugly (and the stinky)

Enjoy every aspect and learn everyday. It’s
A good day when you can learn something new.
In every bad situation make it a learning experience,
And find something good with in it.
Nursing is like gardening.

Supply List:

Relics & Artifacts® Egg Shrine
Ice Resin
Spellbinders Designer Series Seth Apter Gridiron
Amazing Casting Resin
DecoArt Fluid Acrylics:
Phthalo Green-Blue
Cobalt Teal Hue
Ultramarine Blue
Titanium White
Americana Decor Crackle Medium

"Dreamer of Dreams" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Monica Downing

This piece, is one of my all time favorites. It started out with this really cool block my very sweet friend, Sherry Westfall Matthews, sent me. She actually sent me quite a few of them. They each have two circles drilled half way through the body of the block.

The head is from the Relics & Artifacts® set Facia Familiaris. Honestly, this was a huge challenge for me as I had not used any of the figure heads up to this point.  Once I covered the head with Iced Enamels and added some detail, everything else started to flow.

I decided to fill the holes with Ice Resin and some rub on quotes. This process was very time consuming due to the curing time of the Ice Resin, but it was so worth it. The block is covered in various papers front and back, then some stamping, embossing, and rub ons on the back.

She had to have butterfly wings because, well, she is a dreamer like me, and I have dreamed of flying with the butterflies.  A Dresden crown aged with the rust patina from 10 Second Studio VerDay kit and she was finished.

This piece is always where I can see it, she inspires me to keep dreaming.

For extra inspiration, "Dreamer of Dreams" can be found in the June issue of Mixed Up Magazine.

Supply List:
Relics & Artifacts® Facia Familiaris
Ice Resin Iced Enamels in Ivory
Ice Resin Iced Enamels Chartreuse
Ice Resin Iced Enamels Turquoise
Ice Resin
VerDay Patina Paint Kit
background paper by Cemerony
Stamps by Cat Kerr
Tim Holtz Rub Ons

#RALiteraryHauntings Halloween Challenge with RELICS & ARTIFACTS®

Every year, we do a Halloween challenge within our Relics & Artifacts® Tribe on Facebook.  This year, we are going to ratchet up our typical Halloween challenge a bit since we are all about the challenging, inspiring, and really stepping out of our creative comfort zones.

For this year's spooktacular, we are going to tap into literary history and provide our own interpretations that will be illustrated through our art. Art is also about exploring other realms and letting those artful realms inspire us. Often, a big inspiration for artists, aside from life, is literature.

With this one, please read the literary passages below. They are from two classic spooky, scary, writings by two authors who are almost synonymous with Halloween. The first is from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”. The second is from Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”.

Choose the passage that resonates with you and haunts your soul.  Create a piece of art using MUSE Art Stamps, resin, craft blanks, and whatever else calls to you that illustrates your chosen passage based on your interpretation.

Be sure to use #RALiteraryHauntings in your upload to be entered! When uploading your piece, please be sure to provide a brief background story on your interpretation and what about your chosen passage moved you to make you chose. Who knows? We might feature your piece and story on the Muse!

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“The Tell-Tale Heart”
Edgar Allan Poe

“Presently, I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief--oh no!--it was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me.”

***********************************************

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Washington Irving

“Certain it is, the place still continues under the sway of some witching power, that holds a spell over the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual reverie. They are given to all kinds of marvelous beliefs, are subject to trances and visions, and frequently see strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air.”

***********************************************

All submissions are due by midnight October 31.  You can enter your piece by joining our Relics & Artifact® Tribe on Facebook or by using #RALiteraryHauntings on Instagram.

"Live In Color" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS® Ambassador Rochelle Gaukel

When I think of Frida Kahlo, I always imagine her sitting in a garden full of colorful flowers, living her life in color.  She danced to the beat of her own drum and many didn’t understand her and her artwork.

Though disabled as a child with polio and then at the age of eighteen seriously injured in a traffic accident, I believe art got her through her painful medical problems she suffered through her whole life. Art heals.

Many of her paintings were self portraits, using bright vivid colors inspired by the Mexican popular culture. These same bright colors were also reflected in her clothing and in the flowers she painted.

“I paint flowers so they will not die.” --Frida Kahlo

So, let’s live life like Frida, in full color, dancing to our own song, dressed in a frock with all the colors of the rainbow!

Supply List:

MUSE® Art Stamps Pangaea
MUSE® Art Stamps Introspective
MUSE® Art Stamps Namaste
Acrylic Paints
Crackle Medium
Dark Wax
Silk Flowers
Glass Glitter
Soldered Shrine
Glass Knobs
Vintage doll eye

"Dreamer" with RELICS & ARTIFACTS Ambassador Sherry Matthews

"So come with me where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever." ~ Peter Pan

All you poets and artists
With your creative vibes
Musicians & Makers-
You are my tribe!

Congratulations my friends!
You've earned your wings!
For each of you is
a dreamer of dreams!

You're braver than brave!
That's truer than true!
All you thinkers of things,
This medal's for YOU! 
~Sherry Westfall Matthews

Materials:
Relics & Artifacts® Ancient Soul
Relics & Artifacts® Medallion
DecoArt acrylics
E6000
Jewelry making supplies
Word tile