Creative Artiste #129 August 2026

 ....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 love using deep photo frames to make shadow boxes for home decor projects. I've used this one to make an underwater scene.

The frame is 8"x 8" (20 x 20cms) and came already in deep blue. 

 I used Paper Clay and some sea themed moulds from Katy Sue Designs to create my elements. I also used a wonderful MDF mermaid and bubbles from Samantha K Gifts.

1. I ripped up a cardboard box to create a background to fit inside the frame and placed the elements inside to decide on the arrangement.

2. I glued the cardboard together using Prima 3D Matt Gel and gave everything a coat of white gesso.

3. I used DecoArt Fluid Acrylics Vermillion and Hansa Yellow Medium with water to colour the elements. I used gold acrylic to paint the mermaid and bubbles.

4. I glued the cardboard to the base and dabbed on Burnt Umber and Purple Passion Acrylics. I used water to move the paints around and blend them.

5. I added some Bright Purple acrylic to the cardboard structure.

6. I then added Teal Fluid acrylic to the base and cardboard, using water to blend it. 

7. I replaced the base inside the frame and glued some Prima Art Stones mixed with 3D Matt Gel along the bottom.

8. I dabbed the Art Stones with Burnt Umber acrylic and dried everything well.

I placed the golden mermaid in the centre and glued her in place with 3D Matt Gel.

I dotted the seahorses, shells and fish around the scene and used 3D Matt Gel to glue them in place. 

I finished the frame with some old netting across two  corners.

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 

August challenge. 

I have entered this project in the following challenges:

https://mixitupchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/07/miucb-84-anything-goes-optional-shape.html

https://lovetocraftchallengeblog.blogspot.com/2026/07/ltccb-93-and-ltccb-92-winner-and-top.html

https://classicdesignchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/07/classic-design-challenge-07-2026-julaug.html

https://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.com/2026/08/a-perfect-time-to-craft-open-challenge.html

Creative Artiste #111 December 2024

  ....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've made a festive wreath to show you.

The base of the wreath is a 7.5" (19cm) wooden embroidery hoop. I made all the snowflakes using a Stamperia snowflake mould with Hearty Soft Paper clay.

I prepped all the pieces before assembling the wreath.

I first gave the hoop and the snowflakes a coat of white gesso. Once dry I diluted some DecoArt Prussian Blue Fluid Acrylic with plenty of water and painted the hoop and snowflakes. 

The next step was to cover the hoop with DecoArt Crackle Paste and let it dry.

I then wrapped a battery powered string of little lights around the hoop.

Finally, I painted the snowflakes with DecoArt Glamour Dust and sprinkled them with a fine white glitter while they were still wet so the glitter would stick. I added some silver Tim Holtz metallic droplets to the centres of the snowflakes.

I arranged the snowflakes around the hoop and glued them in place with Heavy Body Gel, overlapping them to cover the hoop and lights.

I arranged some plastic pine branches, some mini pine cones and a few little metal bells on one side of the hoop and fixed them with Heavy Body Gel. I tied a bow with wide white ribbon and added some more of the branches, bells and a cone to cover where the battery pack for the lights is attached.

I finished by tying a ribbon onto the hoop to be able to hang it up. 

The wreath looks so pretty when it's lit up from the back.

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 

December challenge. 

It remains for me to wish a fun festive season to you all, however you celebrate!

I have entered this project in the following challenges:

Creative Artiste #96 August 2023

....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 created something a bit different for this month's inspiration. This is a 'Book Nook'. It's a small scene designed to nestle in a bookcase.

And as one of my daughters has always been obsessed with miniatures and books, this seemed like a perfect gift to make for her birthday.

The Book Nook was made from a kit designed and sold by CoolKatzcraft. The kit comes with all the panels and pieces in precision cut MDF. Also included is a mini LED lightbulb.

I assembled all the pieces and glued them into place - apart from a small removable section which gives access to the mini LED light positioned above the reading bench. 

The kit is called the Book Nook Intrigue Window Reading Nook and measures approx 6"x3" (15 x 7 .5cm) when assembled.

 I used a Tim Holtz brick stencil with some texture paste on the outside walls. Once dried, I painted the gaps between the bricks with DecoArt Fluid Acrylic Titan Buff. I then repositioned the stencil to protect the gaps whilst I painted the brickwork with DecoArt Fluid Acrylics in Quinacridone Gold, Yellow Iron Oxide and Diarylide Yellow.

I then turned to the inside and patiently used  DecoArt Acrylics in Grey Sky and Sunny Day to paint the walls, floor, window frame and shelves. I also printed a small photo of our local Pembroke Castle to use as the view through the window. I painted curtains on a piece of card and stuck that on the back of the photo and  mounted them behind the window frame with a piece of acrylic from the kit.

I made the bench cushion seat by covering a small piece of foam with felt and stitched some scatter cushions from felt. The small table was made with paper clay, painted in Yellow Iron Oxide acrylic, and an old bottle top. The slice of cake and plate are also made from paper clay.

I sourced miniature decorations from my stash, including a clock, cup and saucer, binoculars, jars, a wicker heart and a trumpet. I glued them all in place. I made the fruit bowl with apples and the basket of oranges from paper clay and painted them using fluid acrylics.

I had the most fun creating the tiny books. There are 75 of them and they are all less than 1" (2 .5cm) high. There are two sizes - paperbacks and hardback/albums. Some have paper pages, some are thick card and some are blocks of MDF supplied in the kit. The covers are either patterned papers I've die-cut or card I'd painted before die-cutting. CoolKatz sell the dies to create the book covers and pages.

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 

August challenge. 

I have entered this project in the following challenges:

Creative Artiste #68 February 2021

Thank goodness it's Friday! That means it's nearly the weekend and I can have a break from home schooling. Give me adults to teach and different mediums to work with any day of the week rather than a child with math and literacy work to do. I've earned my weekend off !

 Meanwhile ....

.... Welcome to first challenge of 2021 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 December. Your projects were all wonderful 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 have made an altered box to inspire you.

This box started out housing a rather yummy Camembert and is made from thin wood. I first used black gesso all over both the top and bottom pieces.

Once dry, I used some texture paste through an old hexagonal stencil on the outsides and gessoed in black again. I then stippled some orange, brown and black acrylic paint over the outside surfaces.

I made the wings with Hearty paper clay and a Prima mould. The cogs are layered die-cuts. I painted the embellishments with turquoise acrylic paints then lightly stippled with brown acrylic. I did the same with the glass beads.

Lastly, I dry brushed the embellishments and the edges of the box top with gold acrylic paint and glued everything in place with matte gel.

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 February challenge. 

I have entered this project in the following challenges: