Luminarte Blog— Vibrant and Brilliant

Artzy Gurlz II Mixed Media Art Retreat and Joanne Sharpe Create in New Jersey are having fun with Lumiarte!

ARTZY GURLZ consisted of three wonderfully talented artists: Jill Walker, Betsy Roberts, and Marah Johnson facebook.  Tonya here, I had a blast at this years ARTZY GURLZ Retreat! I met other creative people, and learned new techniques with all different types of mediums using Radiant Rains Misters, Twinkling H20's, and Primary Element Artist Paints.

The RETREAT was in the beautiful mountains of Southeast San Luis Obispo County just 30 minutes from downtown San Luis Obispo.

Check out the pictures from Artzy Gurlz II

Photos courtesy of Christine Long

.

.







Betsy, Jill and Marah blew me away with all their secrets tips, techniques and knowledge in mix media collage building.

 .

.

.



.

.

.

.

While we were being amazed with the ARTZY GIRLS crew, Joanne Sharpe was Journaling it up at the CREATE in New Jersey!

 Joanne here, ...well, that was fun!!!

Photos courtesy of Joanne Sharpe

.

Home from a 6 hour drive from Somerset, NJ.  Create, New Jersey is now just a memory, and what a creative flurry it was! I taught four, full classes in 48 hours. Exhausted? Can't be, I am always so grateful that this is my "job". Art is my living, and my living is art! What could be better than an art retreat?
Making art, teaching art, making art and meeting the best art friends for life. I am in awe when my students are empowered to be fearless in their creativity. It's incredibly rewarding.

Here are some of my fabulous students with
their works in progress. I missed getting photos in every class because my iphone was in my music speaker playing my eclectic assortment of tunes while everyone was working. Dancing to the beat of the iphone, paintbrush and spray
inks, it was magical!

So now it's time to pack back up for Art Unraveled in Phoenix! Looking forward to that steamy good art retreat, my first time in Arizona!

.

.

.

.

.

We made One Page Wonder art journals and art friends forever!!!

Thanks for stopping!

 

 

Introducing LuminArte Silks Acrylic Glaze - Part I by: Judi Kauffman

I wanted to share this artical from Scrapbooking.com because it inspires me to try new projects with the Silks-Acrylic Glaze and it gives you so many different medias to use them on. Enjoy!

 

.

 

.

What a treat to be able to introduce Silks Acrylic Glaze from LuminArte to Scrapbooking.com Magazine readers. Your cards, collage, mixed media projects, journals, jewelry, fabric art, home decor, scrapbooks and other projects are about to take on a whole new look! 

Silks is a new product developed by colorist extraordinaire Leslie Ohnstad who also invented Twinkling H2Os (iridescent cake watercolors), Primary Elements Artist Pigments, Radiant Pearls, and Radiant Rain. As Leslie likes to say, "It's all about shimmer, shine, and sparkle!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's get started with answers to the most frequently asked questions: 

Why do Silks appear to be lit from within?

Silks refract light, just like a crystal, thanks to the secret mix of mica and other proprietary mineral particles. It's nearly impossible to describe how the colors look in person, and equally difficult to do justice in photographs - you're going to have to see for yourself (and the sooner the better!).

.

 .

.

What are the color options?

Silks come in 1-ounce, wide mouth jars and there are currently 35 amazing colors (the list is at the end of this article), though anyone familiar with Leslie knows she never stops inventing new ones.

 

.

.

What surfaces are suitable for Silks?

.

It's a long list! Silks are suitable for a variety of surfaces, both porous and non-porous: Paper, wood, pre-washed fabrics, papier-mâché, canvas, gourds, silk and silk ribbon, terra cotta, paper-clay, air-dry clay, air-dry polymer, leather, faux leather, and more. 

How about drying time? 

Silks have an extended open time to make them easy to use. They dry faster on paper and other porous surfaces, more slowly on non-porous surfaces. Thinner applications dry faster than heavier layers. Climate conditions are a factor as well. Silks are fully cured after 72 hours.

.

.

.

. 

Do I need to coat or seal my finished projects?
.

It is not necessary to coat projects like greeting cards, scrapbook layouts, or items that are purely decorative. Once projects have cured for 72 hours, you can protect and seal them with water-based polyurethane, a spray sealant, or a 2-part resin coating.

. 

  

.

Is it okay to layer Silks? How do I apply them?

Yes! Because Silks are a translucent glaze rather than an opaque paint, they are perfect for creating brilliant semi-gloss layers - you can see some of what is beneath. You can layer Silks over Silks to create depth. You can also layer Silks over flat acrylic paints. 

Silks can be applied with brushes, rubber stamps, sponge applicators and other painting tools. They're compatible with stencils and work well for mono printing, rolled out or otherwise applied to the Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate, too. Use a brush that is sized for your project - wide for broad strokes, fine for details. Or use a brayer if you want even wider swaths of color.

Allow Silks to dry between colors to keep the glaze layers distinct and create depth, or blend the colors while still wet if you prefer that effect.

 What about clean up? 

It's easy and fast (water and mild soap are all you need). But like any acrylics, don't let Silks dry on brushes, stencils, brayers, or other tools.

.

  .

How should I store Silks?

Wipe the rim of the jar before storing so lids won't stick. Store the jars upright in a box or on a shelf, at room temperature, away from direct sunlight and high heat or extreme cold.

Anything special I should know when using Silks on fabric?

Natural fibers work best (cotton, linen, silk; smooth, tightly woven lightweight wool). Pre-wash fabrics that have sizing in them, dry and press so you are working on a smooth surface (unless you want intentional crinkles and wrinkles!). If a fabric is called "dye-ready" you can skip the pre-wash. After painting with Silks, let the project fully cure for 72 hours, even if it is dry to the touch long before the time is up. Then heat-set the color in a hot dryer, or iron on the back (or use a press cloth and iron from the front).

TIPS FROM DION DIOR 

Designer/teacher and Silks expert Dion Dior has graciously provided some tips to help you get started with Silks, along with the photos that accompany this article. Dion teaches the popular online classes, A Taste of Silks and Mastering Twinks (Twinkling H2Os), at www.dreamingcolor.com.

  1. Add contrast and detail to a project by using a permanent ink fine line pen to outline some or all of the areas in your design.

  2. Get to know Silks before starting a project. Experiment with colors on paper first (both light and dark color backgrounds) to get a sense of how Silks work alone and in combination. I recommend heavy watercolor paper or mixed media paper.

  3. Experiment with washes or paint color swatches directly in your journal. Make notes so you remember how you achieved a particular effect.

  4. Start by painting a simple subject like a flower, leaf, or sunburst, or a random pattern.

  5. Use Silks to accent selected areas within a painting rather than using Silks for the entire painting.

.

 

.
For example, the wings of a dragonfly. 

  6. Like any paints, Silks colors can get muddy if you mix too many together.

  7. Remember to clean your brushes before you put them away.

DREAMING IN COLOR

To learn more about Silks and other LuminArte products, to view tutorials, check out project ideas, class schedule, ask questions, find a store locator guide or make a mail-order purchase, visit Dreaming in Color at www.dreamingcolor.com (reminder: the word "in" is in the company name, but not in the web name).

WHAT'S NEXT?

Look for lots of project ideas and more tips about LuminArte paints in upcoming issues of Scrapbooking.com Magazine. 

Follow Dion Dior's blog at http://www.diondior.blogspot.com

.

   

. 

SILKS COLOR LIST

• Black Ice: Black with green, blue, red violet, and gold crystals
• Blue Flame: Intense blue with tinge of violet and blue shimmer
• Carmen: Dazzling red with red shimmer and red glints
• Coral Berry: Luscious coral with tint of pink and lilac shimmer
• Emperor's Gold: Royal antique-gold with gold shimmer
• Fern: Relaxing medium green with green shimmer
• Fire Opal: Metallic red-copper with little dazzling diamonds
• French Lilac: Lavender with a violet-blue shimmer
• Ginger Peach: Burnt yellow-orange with gold-copper shimmer
• Guatemalan Green: Luminous green-teal with green-blue shimmer
• Harvest Sol: Autumn orange-red with lilac shimmer red glints
• Honey Amber: Warm gold with green-red shimmer and bronze glints
• Ice: Clear glaze with the finish of little dazzling diamonds; top glaze or mix to tint
• Jasmine: Hot violet in violet-red shimmer
• Key Lime: Bright chartreuse with green and gold shimmer
• Mallard: Vivid green with blue undertone and green shimmer
• Nutmeg: Spicy brown-red with gold and copper shimmer
• Olive Vine: Earthy green-brown with gold-red and bronze glints
• Oyster: Mix in colors to lighten with iridescent pearl shimmer
• Periwinkle: Pale blue-violet with blue-violet shimmer
• Pink Azalea: Shimmering pink with violet-red pearl
• Pink Grapefruit: Soft pink-coral with gold and red shimmer
• Pixie Pink: Delicate violet-pink in red-lilac crystals
• Pomegranate: Deep antique red-violet in red pearl
• Rich Cobalt: Deep cobalt blue in blue shimmer with glints of violet
• Silver Bells: Rich metallic silver
• Sky Blue: Lovely gentle blue with blue shimmer
• Snapdragon: Regal violet with lilac pearl
• Solar Gold: Bright Gold with rich golden pearl
• Spicy Tomato: Hot orange-red with red-gold shimmer
• Stargazer: Lustrous blue-violet with green shimmer
• Sunburst: Bright and brilliant yellow with golden shimmer
• Teal Zircon: Bright blue-green in turquoise pearl
• VaVoom Red: Cool ruby red with hint of violet-red and lilac shimmer
• Watermelon: Fresh-cut watermelon pink with red and lilac pearl  

Thanks for checking in and a Big Thank You to all the artists sharing their projets that they created with  our Luminarte products on the Luminarte Facebook Fan page! I am so inspired when I see new projects, techniques, and ideas with our Twinkling H20's, Radiant Rains, Primary Elements Artist Pigments and the Silks.

Silks Giveaway on Craft Test Dummies. Enter Now!

Win TWELVE prize packs of Silks Acrylic Glazed!! You could be one of the 12 LUCKY winners. Today, is the last day to enter!

 “Silks” Acrylic Glaze by Luminarte are amazing….shimmery, smooth as…yes, SILK, translucent, layerable- what’s not to like?

                                                                  Photo by Dion Dior

Who wouldn’t want to play with these! Aren’t the colors absolutely scrumptious???

So here’s the BEST news…. Lovely Leslie from Dreaming Color is offering TWELVE prize packs of Silks! Each winner will receive a gift of 5 assorted Silks colors, valued at $35.00. Can you believe it??

To enter, you MUST leave a comment on Craft Test Dummies post (scroll all the way down to the bottom) and let them know how you might use Silks acrylic glazes. THEN use the RaffleCopter Widget for additional entries. AND you can tweet daily for extra entries!

Go - ENTER NOW

Good Luck!

 

 

Enter today!! Giveaway for Dion Dior’s online class - A Taste of Silks

Sign up while you still can for Dion Dior A Taste of Silks! This is such a great learning opportunity for anyone who is curious about the Silks Acrylic Glaze. You will want to take this online class and right now, Dion is doing a giveaway for one FREE spot in the class and a $40 coupon card from Luminarte.

Dion here, I'm so excited to officially launch my new online workshop A Taste of Silks. This wonderful new 2-week class begins May 18th, 2012.

aa

Silks Acrylic Glaze are a new product from  Luminarte. They are beautiful, shimmering fluid acrylics that are so versatile they can be used on almost any surface. For a sneak peak into this class, take a look at my new video.
aa

 

To celebrate the official launch of this class, I am thrilled to announce a Silks giveaway--you could win a place in this fabulous class, along with a $40 coupon card from Luminarte. Simply leave a comment on my blog Dion Dior & More telling me what you love most about the video, and why you'd like to learn about acrylics.

For a second chance to win, simply share this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, then go to my blog, Dion Dior & More and leave a second comment with a link to your share. I'll be randomly drawing a winner next weekend, so don't forget to include your email address so I can contact you when you win.

Registration is now open. For more information, or to register, please click here.

Good luck and thanks for checking in. xx

Primary Elements Artist Pigments and polymer clay by Marti Wills

Lets set aside some time to be creative. Remember, if you are creating with Luminarte, share it on the Luminarte Fan Page. We have Marti Wills sharing a super cool technique with our Primary Elements Artist Pigments on polymer clay. This can be used with so many of your projects or as jewelry.

Marti here, I discover simple techniques using polymer clay, Luminarte Primary Elements, and stamps to make gorgeous clay tiles.This video tutorial from FaveCraft.com by Marti Wills shows you how to create cool designs on your polymer clay using Luminarte Primary Elements Artist Pigments.

Materials:

• Polymer clay - white, black and/or glittered works best but experiment with other colors
• Pasta machine or clay roller
• A variety of rubber stamps and/or texture plates
• Luminarte Primary Elements powders

 

 

Thanks for stopping!

 

Twinkling Class Giveaway! Enter today!

Hello everyone, I wanted to keep you posted on an online class from Dion Dior called Mastering Twinks. Her class is a must if you use our Twinks because she teaches so many things about color and not to mention all the tips, tricks, and techniques with them. Right now, Dion Dior is giving 2 FREE spots in her Mastering Twinks class and a set (6) of Twinkling H20's. Details below and Good Luck!

Mastering Twinks, an online class that takes you into the shimmering, dancing world of Twinkling H2O's begins its second run in less than two weeks.  Twinkling H2O's are shimmering, glistening watercolor paints, created by color extraordinaire Leslie Ohnstad from Luminarte. They are laced with mica minerals and have to be seen to be believed. There are over 200 incredible colors and they come in a variety of pot sizes and sets. 

 

In Mastering Twinks, I introduce you to the world of twinkling, luminescent watercolor paint, and take you on a shimmering journey through tricks, tips and techniques for getting the most from them. This three week class is pdf based with a private online forum for sharing and discussion. But beware, they are addictive!

Here's what some of the participants of the first run of Mastering Twinks had to say:

"Thanks Dion. I love the Twinks and love the abundance of information
you are sharing with us."

- MV 

"Thanks so much for a wonderful class and for the wonderful 'book' that you prepared. It is a
treasure. The only thing better would be to have you living next door to me or vice-versa."

-Sheila

"Dion, Thank you for the incredible information you have provided to each and every one of us. I
think you have a terrific book in the making. I also think there was a great deal of talent in this class."

-Pat

"I had so much fun playing with Twinks in this class! Normally, I'm not much of a stamper but the
lovely Twinks made it so much FUN!!"

-FFY

"Dion, I love this class. Especially when loaded onto an iPad so I can enlarge the
diagrams and not have to admit to needing reading glasses!"

-Jacqui

 

To celebrate this second run, I will be giving away two spots on Mastering Twinks along with a special collection of 6 mini pots of Twinkling H2O's.  To go into the drawing please leave a comment on my blog Dion Dior  telling me why you would like to take this class. For a second chance to win, post about this giveaway on your Facebook page, and/or blog and leave a second comment on my blog Dion Dior with your link.  I'll be randomly drawing two winners next week.

For more information on Mastering Twinks, or to register, click here.

Thanks for checking in xx

Twinkling Lotus Flowers by artist Dion Dior and our Winner from our Weekend Giveaway!

Thank you so much for all your comments over the weekend. Our Winner is just starting to express herself artistically. Congratulations to .......................Karen Borusiewicz!

We hope our product's will help you create a beautiful gift for your mother for mother's day and please share it with us on our Luminarte Fan page! If you could send an email to citonya@comcast.net with your shipping address so that I can get your goodies sent out to you, I would appreciate it. Thanks again for all the comments and we will be doing this again before the end of the month, SO STAY TUNED to our blog!

Speaking of Mother's Day Dion Dior is sharing a beautiful journal page that any mother would be proud to receive as a gift. Enjoy.

It really was a joyful trip down under, we took a little road trip to take in some of Australia's best views. We just found a lovely spot and stayed there for a few days enjoying the pool and beach fun.

We made our way back to Grandma's house and spent our final week in Australia here.  Autumn is slowly descending on the Southern Hemisphere and our beach days where numbered, but our wonderful vacation was not over till the fat lady sings...so to speak!

In the meantime, it's back to my sketchbook. I have so many pages to share, and this was one I did sitting in my mum's backyard. She's a wonderful gardener (something I did not inherit), I'm not really sure what they are, but they looked a bit like lotus flowers.  Either way, they called out for Twinkling H2O's. And given my "Mastering Twinks" class begins again on April 13 through LuminArte, I'm immersing myself once more in these exquisite, shimmering watercolor paints. It feels like home!!  Registration now, and you can click here for more information.

Thanks for checking in. xx

A shimmering garden by Marti Willis

Hi everyone!

Marti here, I am so excited to be sharing with you on the Luminarte blog!  Today I have a fun piece I did on a block of wood.

I had SO much fun with this one!  I began by adhering an irregular piece of a book page to the wood.  I painted over it with Silks thinned with a bit of water - Fern and Sky Blue.  I stamped with some bubble wrap and very light blue acrylic paint and then I stamped the leaves with a Dyan Reaveley stamp and dark green Staz On.  I used a small paint bottle to trace and make my scallp border from another book page.  I cut it out and painted it with a very thin wash of Icy Iris Primary Elements.  I doodled a bit with a black pen and adhered it to the board.  I added Gliittered Skittles for a bit of bling.

I stamped my flowers in Black Archival Ink (Hero Arts stamps) and then painted them with Silks Glazes.  For the flower centers I used Sunburst Primary Elements.  First, I mixed a bit of the powder with water and Gum Arabic and painted the centers.  Then, to add texture, I mixed more powder with Liquitex Glass Bead Gel Medium and piled it on to the centers with my pallette knife - I LOVE the effects I can get with the Primary Elements and the variety of gel mediums available to work with - a match made in heaven!

I will be teaching a Mixed Media workshop locally in Baltimore MD that will feature several Luminarte products on May 19th as part of The Outlawz Rodeo.  You can sign up on my classroom page!  haere is a sampling:

Thanks so much for dropping in!

Announcing our Giveaway Winner and Luminarte classes at The Paper Niche in Florida

Yeah! It's the weekend and some lucky viewer is the winner of a EXSTENCIL and set of SILKS! I have printed the comments off from the last post and all your names who answered the question are entered. The winner wrote, "She used the terrific - TWINKLING H2O'S on top of silks acrylic glaze", Congratulations to Delene Brown!

WHOOhoooo to Delene Brown! If you could email citonya@comcast.net with your shipping address so that I can get your goodies sent out to you, I would appreciate it. Thanks so much for all the comments and we will be doing this again before the end of the month, SO STAY TUNED to our blog!

Marah Johnson here, I am soo excited to be venturing across the country to my dear friends at the Paper Niche. We have planned an incredible weekend of creativity for you, and a little birdie told me there are a few seats left. If you love to get your fingers full of paint ink glitter and glue...these are the classes for you

 Starting with Friday Night March 30th and nice leisurely class creating an amazing Niche Altered Book.

we will be carving out a Vintage Book to create this magical scene in side....loads of twinkling H2o's, silks, and other goodies will be used to color and tint your book to your arts content.

I love the vintage text book background

                
Saturday we are doing an artist trading card class....this was a HIT at CHA

A Compendium of ATC's

Marah taught this Class at CHA to 75 very happy students....This class will stretch your imagination, will push a boundary, or two and will teach you to embrace your inner and outer artist. you will leave class with at least 6 ATC's and a few started for you to complete at home. In this class you will learn a unique technique for creating faces in your artwork, explore found poetry and dabble in some watercolor exercises.

please bring-

Lots of curiosity and Energy :)

1/2" wide water color brush

a few detail paint brushes

black journaling pens--a few thicknesses would be great

white pen

glue stick

gel matte medium

optional-black ink pad for swiping edges

baby wipes

Also on Saturaday we are going to do a drawing and Doodling class. 

 

Learn the Art of Whimsical Drawing

Were you the kid who doodled on your shoes and book bag? have you ever looked at a whimsical drawing and wished you could create that...have you ever wanted to try your hand drawing a face, a bird, a flowers.Join Marah for a fun guided drawing and doodling class. She will help you gain comfort in your drawing skills, show you a few tricks and techniques. You will go home with a handout of jump starts and ideas. Please Bring a composition book for notes...and a sketch book if you choose to work in your own "Art Journal" Marah will provide plenty of paper and paints to bring your masterpieces to life.

Class Supply List---

Composition book or sketch book

Pencils---Soft lead #2 preferred

eraser (gum or kneaded...NOT pink)

black permanent  pens (several sizes) zig, sharpie etc

white pen

fine point paintbrushes---for detail work

Marah will bring the MAGIC....

The Paper Niche
8970 W. State Road 84
Davie, Florida 33324
954.577.0999

Thanks for visiting and happy painting this weekend!

Erin Reveals her Sneak Peak and a Special Luminarte GIVEAWAY today!

WIN FREE PRODUCTS today!

Have you tried our EXSTENCIL from Creative Imaginations? You could WIN a set of SILKS and an Exstencil. Simply, go to DREAMING IN COLOR  and watch the Silks Acrylic Glaze video. Come back to this post and in the comments, answer this question: What was used on the SILKS?  That is it! We will announce the WINNER this FRIDAY! Good Luck!

In the mean time, artist Erin O'Neill Argueta has done a altered mix media piece for us today. This is a great project for this weekend. I love the gesso and stencil combination with the painted flowers. Enjoy!

Hi, Erin here, on Monday I gave you a sneak peak of my first project.  Now, it's time to reveal the project and tell you a bit about the piece and the products I used to create it.

I started with an 11"x15" sheet of Canson 140lb Watercolor paper.  I gesso'd the page, then added layers of vintage dictionary that were "smudged, buffed and sponged" with various inks.  On top of this, I added some diluted gesso and more inks.  I used a variety of tools to create depth: sponges, brushes and rags to layer on the inks. I added a torn piece of Monarch Cherish Varnish Paper to the lower right corner of the water color paper.  I painted a wash of Cinnamon Stick Twinkling H2O to add depth to the embossed paper.  Then, I stamped off the edges with the "Islamic Border" stamp from Rubber Stamp Plantation.  With my background complete, I started to mold the stencil.

I used Golden Hard Molding Paste, the Paint it! Monarch Stencil (12x12) and a painters spatula. 

You can see here that the dimension is very subtle, but by using the molding paste I have achieved a look that resembles Italian relief.  The diluted gesso allows the text from the dictionary page to be visible behind the molded stencil.

For the flowers, I stamped the Medium and Extra Large Tiare Stamps from Rubber Stamp Plantation and then filled the flowers with Silks: Vavoom Red, Carmen and Coral Berry. The center of each flower is a "dot" of Solar Gold Silks. The stems and leaves were hand-drawn and filled with Olive Vine Silks.

For an added "pop" I outlined some of the flowers with a Pitt "B" pen.

And, here is the completed piece:

Image taken with another camera in a different light:

Thanks you for checking in and remember to go to  DREAMING IN COLOR  and watch the Silk Acrylic Glaze video. Come back to this post and in the comments, tell us what was used on top of the SILKS? We will announce the WINNER this FRIDAY! Good Luck!