Creative Artiste #130 September 2026

Back to school and back to rainy weather. Ugh!!!

On the plus side that leaves plenty of time for crafting now. Yay!!!

So ....

 ....Welcome to a new challenge at

Creative Artiste

Creative Artiste is a monthly challenge blog for everyone who likes to mix their media. So, as long as you like to use various mediums on your creations, we'd love to see you enter the challenge.

A big Thank You to everyone who entered the challenge last month. Your projects were all wonderful and our winners have been announced on the blog.

Our theme is always
"Anything Mixed Media Goes"
We have opportunities to be a Guest Designer for all our winners.

Back at the beginning of July I attended a weekend craft workshop with 3 fabulous tutors. There were four classes and it was pretty intense. A heatwave at the time didn't help either, but, I actually ended up creating one of my all time favourite projects. 

The project is a wooden board and measures just under 12"x 8" (30 x 20 cms). The class was taught by Anna Dabrowska aka Finnabair and was the last one on the Sunday afternoon.

When I first saw the project created by Finnabair, I thought it was just a large piece of rice paper stuck on the board with some embellishments added. Easy! But it wasn't at all. In fact there are only five little strips of rice paper that I added to the project. The background is all paints, inks and textures around a printed image I transferred.

The main lesson in the class was how to transfer a printed image onto a chosen substrate. There were several images we could choose from and I fell in love with this one, such a beautiful young woman. I actually messed up the transfer and was so upset I wanted to give up there and then, I was hot, tired and frustrated. Anna encouraged me to carry on and gave me a few helpful tips.

Part of the process was to create depth with background stamps, texture through a stencil and with scraps of paper.

Always great fun in Anna's classes is creating interest with embellishments and learning how to layer and balance the groups.

The final step was to use paints on both the embellishments and background to tie everything together.

To finish I darkened the edges of the board with black ink.

This project went from being a near reject to a treasured piece of art hanging in pride of place next to me. I will forever be grateful to Anna for encouraging me to carry on.

And, because I very nearly gave up on finishing this project, but ended up loving it, I have named it "Perseverance".

Now it's your turn to have fun and create your mixed media projects. You can enter the challenge as many times as you like. A full list of the rules is on the challenge blog. For more inspiration please visit the Creative Artiste Challenge Blog to see the fabulous mixed media projects created by our multi talented team.
Remember to have fun crafting and enter your "Anything Mixed Media Goes" creations in our 

September challenge. 

I have entered this project in the following challenges:

https://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.com/2026/07/a-perfect-time-to-craft-open-challenge_01035597380.html

https://mixitupchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/09/miucb-85-anything-goes-optional.html

https://lovetocraftchallengeblog.blogspot.com/2026/09/ltccb-94-and-ltccb-93-winner-and-top.html

https://tolanythingbutacard.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-outlawz-anything-but-card-september.html

Creative Artiste #115 May 2025

 ....Welcome to a new challenge at

Creative Artiste

Creative Artiste is a monthly challenge blog for everyone who likes to mix their media. So, as long as you like to use various mediums on your creations, we'd love to see you enter the challenge.

A big Thank You to everyone who entered the challenge last month. Your projects were all wonderful and our winners have been announced on the blog.

Our theme is always
"Anything Mixed Media Goes"
We have opportunities to be a Guest Designer for all our winners.

I have used some pieces of thick board to create a multi layered project with some products left over from a recent craft weekend.

I've used some thick laminated board for the base and layers. The base board measures 12"x 7.5" (30 x 19 cm).

1-3. I used Cadence gold Relief Paste through a sunflower stencil to cover the base and left it to dry. 

4. I then used a mix of DecoArt acrylics and water to add colour to the base.

1. I cut up more board for the layers.

2. I designed and printed a paper using images from Art House Whimsy. I took a  paper from Shabby Neutrals Collage Collection and overlaid some PNG flowers from the Muted Elegance Autumn Flowers collection.

3. I glued the images to the boards with soft matt gel. 

4. I dabbed some gold Cadence Relief Paste on the images with the side of my palette knife.

1. All the elements, apart from the wooden gears, string and the two large metal flowers, were leftover from the craft weekend in January with Finnabair.

2. I cut up the business card from Finnabair and added some of the smallest elements to the metal flower dish.

 3. is a badge with a fabulous sentiment.

4. I used Prima gold gilding wax as a highlighter on the metal pieces to finish.

Now it's your turn to have fun and create your mixed media projects. You can enter our challenge as many times as you like. A full list of the rules is on the challenge blog. For more inspiration please visit the Creative Artiste Challenge Blog to see the fabulous mixed media projects created by our multi talented team.
Remember to have fun crafting and enter your "Anything Mixed Media Goes" creations in our 

May challenge. 

I have entered this project in the following challenges:

https://mixitupchallenge.blogspot.com/2025/05/miucb-77-anything-goes-optional-paper.html

https://lovetocraftchallengeblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/ltccb-86-anything-goes-ltccb-85-winner.html

https://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.com/2025/05/a-perfect-time-to-craft-open-challenge.html

https://classicdesignchallenge.blogspot.com/2025/04/classic-design-challenge-04-2025-aprmay.html

Creative Artiste #92 April 2023

 Wedding #1 was a great success and our beautiful baby daughter is now a married woman! Our little princess was the lovely Flower Girl and led the way for her auntie down the aisle proudly and perfectly. It was a lovely day and we all had a wonderful time. Now we have to prepare for Wedding #2.  

But, before that....

 ....Welcome to a new challenge at

Creative Artiste

Creative Artiste is a monthly challenge blog for everyone who likes to mix their media. So, as long as you like to use various mediums on your creations, we'd love to see you enter the challenge.

A big Thank You to everyone who entered the challenge last month. Your projects were all wonderful and our winners have been announced on the blog.

Our theme is always
"Anything Mixed Media Goes"
We have opportunities to be a Guest Designer for all our winners.

Finnabair released an online collage class through Everything Art way back in 2017. It was called Imagine. Although I bought the class, I never got around to doing it. Recently I found it on my computer and read through the class instructions. I was inspired to follow parts of the class to create this canvas. I won't tell all the class secrets though, and I have changed some of the processes.

I printed the free image from The Graphics Fairy and glued it to the canvas. I then created a textured background with lace. Some of the elements I used are resin flowers I made. Others are die cut flowers and leaves that I layered up. I also used leftover greyboard pieces from old Tando sets.

I protected the image with clear gesso and arranged all the other pieces around the face. The idea I had was that she was peeking out from the flowers. Once stuck down, I covered all the 3D elements with a coat of white gesso.

To colour the canvas I mixed Violet Brusho with some water in a spray bottle and sprayed it all over. After drying, I used white gesso to lighten the right side of the canvas. I dry brushed all the elements with white gesso to highlight some of the pieces and give a pretty frosted effect.

The canvas is dedicated to our little princess and I've called it "Flower Girl".

Now it's your turn to have fun and create your mixed media projects. You can enter our challenge as many times as you like. A full list of the rules is on the challenge blog. For more inspiration please visit the Creative Artiste Challenge Blog to see the fabulous mixed media projects created by our multi talented team.
Remember to have fun crafting and enter your "Anything Mixed Media Goes" creations in our 

April challenge. 

I have entered this project in the following challenges:

Creative Artiste #83 June 2022

 Happy Friday everyone! The Platinum Jubilee celebrations have begun in Britain and we were treated to a wonderful televised parade and a stunning RAF flypast from London on Thursday morning. I do love all the pomp and ceremony of Royal events but I'm glad not to be in those massive crowds. We still have a few more local celebrations over the next few days and have our fingers (and toes) crossed that the rain holds off.

But, before those events....

....Welcome to a new challenge at

Creative Artiste

Creative Artiste is a monthly challenge blog for everyone who likes to mix their media. So, as long as you like to use various mediums on your creations, we'd love to see you enter the challenge.

A big Thank You to everyone who entered the challenge last month. Your projects were all wonderful and our winners have been announced on the blog.

Our theme is always

"Anything Mixed Media Goes"
We have opportunities to be a Guest Designer for all our winners.

I made a project last month whilst doing an online class with Finnabair through Art Workshops. When I was tidying up my supplies I ended up creating this project following the same techniques I used in the class. I've called this canvas 'Mechanical Moon'.

I started by gessoing the 10"x 12" (26 x 31cm) hexagonal canvas.

I used white texture paste through a stencil featuring different sized cogs. 

I built up my composition using some resin cogs, stars and a moon that I'd made from Prima moulds. Once they were stuck down I added some Prima Art Stones and gave it all a coat of white gesso.

I used DecoArt Fluid Acrylics Prussian Blue, Cobalt Teal Hue and Quinacridone Gold with lots of water spray to colour the canvas, cogs and stars. The moon was coloured with Cobalt Blue Gansai Tambi pigment paint.

I finished by stencilling some hexagons with texture paste around the six sides.

And then I finally tidied up.

Now it's your turn to have fun and create your mixed media projects. You can enter our challenge as many times as you like. A full list of the rules is on the challenge blog. For more inspiration please visit the Creative Artiste Challenge Blog to see the fabulous mixed media projects created by our multi talented team.
Remember to have fun crafting and enter your "Anything Mixed Media Goes" creations in our 

June challenge. 

I have entered this project in the following challenges:

https://mixedmedialovers.blogspot.com/2022/06/challenge-14-mixed-media-lovers.html x

http://countryviewchallenges.blogspot.com/2022/06/june-2022-seeing-stars.html x

https://classicdesignchallenge.blogspot.com/2022/06/classic-design-challenge-june-6.html 1st place

https://mixitupchallenge.blogspot.com/2022/05/miucb-59-anything-goes-optional-3-d.html x

https://lovetocraftchallengeblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/ltccb-68-anything-goes-ltccb-67-winner.html Winner & Top Pick

Creative Artiste #82 May 2022

 Happy Friday everyone!

Welcome to a new challenge at

Creative Artiste

Creative Artiste is a monthly challenge blog for everyone who likes to mix their media. So, as long as you like to use various mediums on your creations, we'd love to see you enter the challenge.

A big Thank You to everyone who entered the challenge last month. Your projects were all wonderful and our winners have been announced on the blog.

Our theme is always

"Anything Mixed Media Goes"
We have opportunities to be a Guest Designer for all our winners.

I recently took an online class with Finnabair through Art Workshops and this is what I made.

The class was all about exploring our "Signature Style". I discovered that I like circles, turquoise/blues and cogs/gears.

I first white gessoed a 12" (30 cm) canvas and then randomly stencilled circles using AALL & Create #87 Totally Dotty stencil with soft matt gel.

I worked on my composition using empty ribbon and tape reels. I made some cogs and flat back beads with resin. I fixed everything in place with heavy body gel and gave it all a coat of white gesso.

Once everything was dry I used watered DecoArt Fluid Acrylics Prussian Blue, Cobalt Teal Hue and Quinacridone Gold  to colour the cogs and canvas. I also added touches of Pebeo gold wax to the beads and some cogs.

I coloured Prima Art Stones with Cobalt Teal fluid acrylic and used Soft Matt Gel to add them to random areas. I chose a Tim Holtz Paper Doll and placed her on a pair of resin wings I'd made and painted in pale blue acrylic. Lastly, I added the words around the top half of the canvas with a dark blue Posca pen.

I've called this piece "My Sanctuary" as it represents my happy place.

Now it's your turn to have fun and create your mixed media projects. You can enter our challenge as many times as you like. A full list of the rules is on the challenge blog. For more inspiration please visit the Creative Artiste Challenge Blog to see the fabulous mixed media projects created by our multi talented team.
Remember to have fun crafting and enter your "Anything Mixed Media Goes" creations in our 

May challenge. 

I have entered this project in the following challenges:

https://lovetocraftchallengeblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/ltccb-68-anything-goes-ltccb-67-winner.html x

https://mixedmedialovers.blogspot.com/2022/05/challenge-13-mixed-media-lovers.html x

https://mixitupchallenge.blogspot.com/2022/05/miucb-59-anything-goes-optional-3-d.html x

https://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.com/2022/05/a-perfect-time-to-craft-open-challenge.html

Creative Artiste #61 June 2020

I shouldn't have mentioned the nice weather we'd been having as, since then, it's been grey and chilly. Hopefully it's been nicer where you are and that it returns to more summery weather here. So, while we wait for the sun to shine again ....

.... There is a new challenge at

Creative Artiste

Creative Artiste is a challenge blog for everyone who likes to mix their media. So, as long as you like to use various mediums on your creations, we'd love to see you enter the challenge.

A big Thank You to everyone who entered the challenge in May. Your projects were all fabulous and our winners have been announced on the blog.

Our theme is always
"Anything Mixed Media Goes"
and we have opportunities to be a Guest Designer for our winners.

I started this project by making two panels after being inspired by a Finnabair video. I didn't know what to do with the panels once they were assembled so I created a base for them to make just one big (16"x 12"/ 41cm x 31cm) project.

The panels and base were created the same way. I started by gessoing some thick greyboard and then randomly stamping over it. Next, I used texture paste though stencils. Aall & Create's Tribal Lines stencil on the base and Dutch Doobadoo's Art Gears on the panels.
The elements are from various Tando Creative kits, my greyboard leftovers and whatever was to hand.

I die-cut the cogs from normal card and layered them up. They were then painted with rusty colours and added to the boards along with Prima's Artstones.

The frames were made the same way as the cogs and the wings are from paper clay in Prima moulds. (Thank you Pam!)

Once the panels were attached to the base I painted everything using DecoArt Fluid acrylics and water. The colours I've used are Hansa Yellow Medium, Magenta and Quinacridone Violet.
I finished with paint splatters and dry brushing with DecoArt Metallic Gold acrylic paint.

Now it's your turn to have fun and create your mixed media projects. You can enter our challenge up to three times. A full list of the rules is on the challenge blog. For more inspiration please visit the Creative Artiste Challenge Blog to see the fabulous mixed media projects created by our multi talented team.
Remember to have fun crafting and enter your "Anything Mixed Media Goes" creations in our June challenge.

Stay safe everyone!

I've entered this project in the following challenges:
http://moremixedmediachallenge.blogspot.com/2020/06/more-mixed-media-challenge-anything.html Top 5
https://mixitupchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/06/miucb-38-anything-goes-acrylic-block.html x
https://lovetocraftchallengeblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/ltccb-47-june-anything-goes.html x
https://sandee-and-amelie.blogspot.com/2020/06/sandee-june-2020-steampunk-challenge.html x

Creative Artiste #56 December 2019

Christmas prep is coming along nicely with most food, presents and cards sorted, so, I'm giving myself the weekend off to attend a Tracy Evans workshop in Lincolnshire organised by Art Workshops. But, before I pack up and go ....

....Welcome to my December challenge post for 

Creative Artiste

Creative Artiste is a challenge blog for everyone who likes to mix their media. So, as long as you like to use various mediums on your creations, we'd love to see you enter the challenge.

A big Thank You to everyone who entered the challenge in November. Your projects were all fabulous and our winners have been announced on the blog.

Our theme is always
"Anything Mixed Media Goes"

This is one of those projects that I've wanted to do for ages but never got around to.... until now!
It's an altered book based on another of Finnabair's projects. Anna calls it "Rusty Heart".

I started by hollowing out an old hardback book with a craft knife. I used an Aall & Create stencil with texture paste around the edges. After painting Prima's Flaming Heart in black acrylic I gave it a coat of DecoArt crackle paste.

I added small random black splashes, crackle paste and some DecoArt Quinacridone Gold fluid acrylic on the inside front cover. I painted the hollowed side with white gesso before adding cheesecloth and Prima Artstones.

I glued the pages of the book together and painted the sides with Quin Gold and crackle paste.

I painted the hollowed section with DecoArt Prussian Blue Hue fluid acrylic and added Quin Gold to the heart and base and sides.

The next step was to add some random text and clock stamping and drips of DecoArt's Payne's Grey. The Fleur de Lys was cut with a Sizzix Bigz die from thick card and painted with Payne's Grey and Quin Gold.

On the outside of the book I added some texture paste, metal and clay embellishments and cheesecloth. Everything was painted with black gesso.

Lastly I used DecoArt Americana acrylics and Prima's Patina Effect Pastes to create an old rusty look to the book covers.

Now it's your turn to have fun and create your mixed media projects. You can enter our challenge up to three times. A full list of the rules is on the challenge blog. For more inspiration please visit the Creative Artiste Challenge Blog to see the wonderful mixed media projects created by our talented team. Remember to have fun crafting and enter your "Anything Mixed Media Goes" creations in our December challenge.

 Have a fun weekend with whatever you've got planned. I'm looking forward to the Tracy Evans workshop. If I don't see you again before the end of the year:
 Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Creative Artiste #55 November 2019

This is my second post for today, please scroll down for my  Crafts Galore Encore post.

....Welcome to my November challenge post for 

Creative Artiste

Creative Artiste is a challenge blog for everyone who likes to mix their media. So, as long as you like to use various mediums on your creations, we'd love to see you enter the challenge.

A big Thank You to everyone who entered the challenge in October. Your projects were all wonderful and our winners have been announced on the blog.

Our theme is always
"Anything Mixed Media Goes"

This altered box is based on a Finnabair project. Anna calls it a "Galaxy Box". It features on her blog and in a Facebook Live video. A wonderful friend sent me a Graphic 45 ATC Book Box as a present and I couldn't wait to alter it following Anna's inspiration.

I started by giving the box a coat of black gesso, inside and out. Next, I used a bubble stencil with texture paste over the top and sides.

Once that was dry I fixed some Steampunk embellishments, random jewels and Artstones on the top and painted everything with black gesso.

Then I got out my Prima Finnabair Art Alchemy Metallique paints and sprayed them with plenty of water to move the paint around. I coloured the sides too. I added touches of Prima Finnabair Art Alchemy Metallique Waxes and splashes of white paint.

I created an insert for the box too. The background was done the same way as the outside and I used a couple of Olga Heldwein's Aall & Create stamps to go with the "Galaxy" theme. Some white splashes on the inside box flaps finished it off nicely.

Now it's your turn to have fun and create your mixed media projects. You can enter our challenge up to three times. A full list of the rules is on the challenge blog. For more inspiration please visit the Creative Artiste Challenge Blog to see the wonderful mixed media projects created by our talented team. Remember to have fun crafting and enter your "Anything Mixed Media Goes" creations in our November challenge.

 Have a fun weekend with whatever you've got planned. I'm hopefully going to relax.

I've entered this project in the following challenges:
https://lovetocraftchallengeblog.blogspot.com/2019/11/ltccb-40-november-anything-goes.html winner
https://mixitupchallenge.blogspot.com/2019/11/miucb-31-anything-goes-watercoloring.html x
https://bleedingartchallenge.blogspot.com/2019/10/october-challenge-anything-goes.html x