Friday, December 10, 2021

Holiday Whimsey

 Happy Friday!

I really don't know where the weeks go. This one, like all the others, flew right by. Time slow down a bit please! Christmas is only 2 weeks away. I guess I need to write my cards and wrap my gifts. Smile.

Today I have a whimsical fantasy page for Valerie's When One Door Opens Another One Closes challenge at Art Journal Journey. I am also linking up to challenge #78 at Creative Artiste Mixed Media challenge blog.


I used to have a couple of mushroom house rubber stamps, and in my various cleanings and purgings, I had passed those along.  The memory of them however inspired this page. I began by drawing this giant mushroom house with a Sharpie on a sheet of watercolor paper.

I used paint, markers and stamps to create the basic house. While the paint dried I took a sheet of snowy scrapbooking paper from my stash and glued it down onto some watercolor paper. I then painted the bottom white to make it the snow covered ground.

I attached the mushroom house to my background paper. Then I drew in the chimney and used some Stabilo pencils to create the smoke. If you aren't familiar with Stabilo pencils, when you wet them they get all smudgy.

I then used both  very watered down white paint and only  slightly watered down white paint to add some accumulating snow onto the house.  I also added some details such as the die cut and glittered Christmas lights around the mushroom cap, as well as some die cut winter branches in the base of the window box. I also drew in the details around the door and window.

I added the little trees, a vintage Santa image, and then used paint and Stabilo pencil to make the little stone walkway.  Finally I stamped the quote and added it to finish my page. 

That's all for today. Have a great start to your weekend! And thanks so much for visiting my blog too.




18 comments:

CJ Kennedy said...

Cute mushroom house though I could do without the snow. Warmup coming this weekend!

sirkkis said...

What a creative idea! I'd like to see this kind of mushroom in the forest ;)
Have a wonderful weekend, my friend xx

R's Rue said...

So cute my friend.

Annie said...

Proof that Santa delivers Christmas joy to every house. How fun it might be to live in this festive mushroom house. I enjoyed reading about all the techniques you applied to create this mushroom house to bring to life your memories of rubber stamping with them prior to your cleaning and purging of them. Very cool looking snow on the ground. Even the mushroom cap roof is decorated with lights and ornaments. Greenery on the window sill. Fantastic details!

Valerie-Jael said...

Hi Erika, thanks so much for another wonderful page for my challenge. I love the mushroom house, it takes me back to my childhood days, and you painted it all so well. Thanks so much! Have a great weekend, hugs, Valerie

Angie's Recipes said...

That's a fun and beautiful mushroom house! I love esp. how you did with the ceiling and window.

kathyinozarks said...

I noticed for me about a year after retirement time just flew by-not sure why. but I was a telephone operator with the phone co and our life was ruled by the clock-by the exact second-we had to plug in and out of the computer at the exact second I didn't watch the clock for years afterwards haha.
I love your doors challenge page-so sweet and perfect for Christmas too hugs Happy Friday Kathy

Shari Burke said...

I love that! It would fit right in with the fairy/leprechaun house village in a nearby town! well done!

DVArtist said...

Well done for sure. Have a nice day today.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

What a fabulous way to celebrate Christmas. Your mushroom house drawing is fabulous and Santa is very vintage. Thanks for this absolutely adorable take on Valerie's theme at Art Journal Journey, too.

craftytrog said...

I love your toadstool house Erika! You created a wonderful Christmas scene on this page.
Have a great weekend.
Alison

Jeanie said...

I adore red mushrooms. Can't resist them. They are fairy houses. I know this.

Jyoti said...

This is so cute! I love red mushrooms. Lovely Post dear! xoxo
Allurerage 
Thetrendybride 

Iris Flavia said...

When I was a kid The Smurfs were a big hit, they all lived in such houses :-)
Love that this one has an oven and is likely cozily warm!

pearshapedcrafting said...

Yes Time flies by so quickly in the UK too! I absolutely adore thai Erika. Good to know that the occupants are keeping warm too, Hugs, Chrisx

Anne (cornucopia) said...

Fun piece. I love it.

Neet said...

What a delightful journal page this is Erika. I wish i had thought of a mushroom house as I love them and yours is so pretty.
I love how you have built this page up and yes, I know Stabilo pencils. I think they are so useful and you have demonstrated them making smoke from the chimney which has given me an idea for something i want to do for someone.
A lovely page full of fun and Christmas all rolled into one.
Hugs, Neet xx

Andree said...

A wonderful collaged page of Christmas magic. A beautiful background sky of snowflakes, a gorgeously festive mushroom house centrepiece and fabulous little added details.
Thank you for joining in with our December challenge "Anything Mixed Media Goes" at Creative Artiste Mixed Media. Christmas wishes to you x