Hi everyone! It's August, which means there is a new mood board challenge in the Reneabouquets Artists With an Edge Facebook Group.

In case you are new to my blog, we do a mood board challenge every month in the Reneabouquets Artists With an Edge Facebook Group. Everyone who enters a new project using items from Reneabouquets, gets entered into a chance to win a Reneabouquets prize package at the end of the month.

Here is the kick off project that I made for this months challenge.

I have used a photo from free google, from Stella de Libero.

I took the colors from the moodboard, and added things around the page that looked "beachy."

I wanted to get a summer feel for the moodboard, so I picked a beach type. I take a lot of sunset photos, just of the clouds because I can't see the horizon from my yard. I used the colors from the moodboard, and added things around the page that looked "beachy."

To make this page I applied texture paste with a stencil onto watercolor paper. I put the layers under the photo together, starting with taping on card stock under the image to make it stronger. Below that is a layer of watercolor paper, and at the bottom is corrugated cardboard.I tore off most of the paper from the surface of the cardboard, and painted it with gesso. I put layers of foam core board between everything, to add dimension. After I had the page all put together, I added Shimmerz Paint to the background watercolor paper, by spraying on water, then painting fast with a 1 inch flat brush. You can blog off excess, it's way easier than most people think to make backgrounds. Later I painted on white Higgins Ink, to cover areas where it looked too busy with all the textural things, or if there was too much color. I also splashed the page with the white ink. I also scribbled some Derwent Inktense Watercolor Pencil on a piece of paper, brushed water on, and painted the left side of the page with it. I used a lot of water, I put some on the gear chipboard on the right side too. I was experimenting to see if the page could stand some black, to balance the darkness of the photo. It wasn't easy to make a good balance here with all the detail I add. I painted on a lot of white ink on the bg, and also on many of the textural things. I clipped the edges of the watercolor paper to a piece of 12 by 12 cardboard to prevent warping.

I picked out Beautiful Board, applied gesso with a cosmetic sponge, then painted it with Shimmerz Paints, and when dry, topped it with a thick coat of Clear Rock Candy Crackle Paint.You can also see gold mica powder,and Prima White Gold Wax. The Bboard at the top left was inspired by some drawings I sent Renea,I think they're so perfect. The Bboard on the right also has some Blu My Mind Shimmerz Inklingz on it. If you hold a brush with paint next to the crackle, it gets soaked right up.

To add visual interest I added micro beads, glass glitter,metal glitter,distress glitter,seed beads,glass beads, pearls, Swarovski crystals,rhinestones,pressed flowers and leaves,lichen, strands of gauze,tulle, small pieces of iridescent wrapping paper,gold mica flakes,gold leaf,tiny pieces of gold lace, cork, shells,metal from Reneabouquets, Tim Holtz, flowers from Prima, and bling and metal from my stash.

I edged the photo, watercolor mat, and corrugated with Prima Wax, and black ink. Ink is really easy to use, it's cleaner and easier to control than gesso, You just put a little on your brush. With gesso you need to add water, and it's just not as clean as ink.

To put gesso on the corrugated, I used an inexpensive flat brush,vs a round watercolor brush,and one of the same few every time, because it can really ruin brushes unless you clean it right after you use it.

Can you see the Vintage Cream Mica Flitter Flakes at the bottom right of the dress in the photo? I thought they fit the beachy theme well, the inside of shells are iridescent sometimes.

To make a "beach", I spread a little glossy accents on and poured on burlap colored embossing powder by Tim Holtz.I pretty much did it after I'd glued on the charms and things. The item under the key is a piece of abalone shell. My final step was rubbing on some silver mica powder all over the background. I get the big jars from Hobby Lobby. The gold mica powder though is a small one from a local scrap store, because the color is lighter.

Thank you so much for looking, and have a great week!

If you would like to join us for this months challenge, you can find the event here...https://www.facebook.com/events/2323947427851855/

Challenge Rules

1. Create a NEW project (on or off the page) that features ANY product carried in the Reneabouquets.com store or the Renebouquets Etsy Shop

2. Your project can be any style.

3. Add your project to the Reneqbouquets Artist with an Edge May Mood Board 2019 event by 12:00 am May 28th, 2019. Check back on the 30th to see if you have won the random drawing.

(Drawing is done on Facebook live or unedited video to ensure fairness)

4. Challenge is open to U.S. Residents and International

5. Have fun!

And now...I get to show you the prize package!!!