A Mixed Media Holiday with Finnabair

December 9, 2021 | by Jen | In Prima Marketing Inc

Share via:

Jen Farooq

What is your favorite part of the holidays? Is it the holiday lights twinkling in elaborate displays? The frosty weather that is just inviting you to sit by the fire with a hot drink? Or are you looking forward for the chance to see loved ones and spend time with them? Everyone has something different that they love about this time of year.

The joy of mixed media is just how much an artist’s style can shine through. It is so open-ended that when you ask an artist to create something for the Holidays featuring Finnabair you get such a wide range of projects! I love how unique each creation our Design Team made. They truly have let the holiday spirit inspire them ❤

This year I decided to decorate the whole apartment with my own decorations. I love sweets, so I made my own advent calendar filled with my favorite candies. To decorate the base and candy bags, I used Christmas transfers that look beautiful and are very easy to use. –Iwona

Watch the process on Prima Instagram account!!

Products Used:

964559 ART ALCHEMY – IMPASTO PAINT – POPPY RED 961374 ART BASICS – HEAVY GESSO – WHITE 655419 DECOR TRANSFERS® – XMAS TAG 654962 DECOR TRANSFERS® – CLASSIC CHRISTMAS

Emilia Tapolia

Hello Prima and Finnabair friends,

I made vintage-themed Christmas or Holidays tags that are easy and quick to create, with a cup of coffee and some Holiday cheer.

I used Prima’s Memory Hardware self-adhesive chipboard tags, but you could also create ATCs or greeting cards if you like. Also, as it is 6^th December and we celebrate Independence Day here in Finland, I wanted my tags to be very Finnish vintage ones, but you could use Prima scrapbook paper and ephemera, and even soft pastels if you like. The idea is the same!

Here’s how I did it.

First, I took the protecting layer off from the tag and pressed a vintage book sheet onto the tag and cut it to the right size. Next, I added a lovely dimensional layer with Finnabair Irish Tapestry Stencil and Modeling Paste, and let it dry properly. The wonderful Icing Pastes in colours of Gold, Silver, or Pearly White would go perfectly with the festive theme, too, but I wanted my layer to be subtle vintage-looking one. (If you don’t have any stencils or pastes, you can skip this part, of course.)

After the paste had dried completely, I added a thin layer of white Heavy Gesso to the tag. This is for priming purposes, but also for making the background to be a bit softer looking and the vintage text not so visible. (The book I took the page from, was about the love life of lobsters in the 1880’s, after all.)

A word about the priming just in case if you are not familiar with gesso. If you are using scrapbook paper and your colour theme would be pastels or other soft, clear colours, you might not need this part at all, especially if you are not going to add paint over the tag. But as I am using vintage paper that is a bit fragile and will absorb everything immediately, I wanted to prime it. A layer of gesso will make sure that I can control how the paint will react with the background I am painting. You don’t need a thick layer of gesso, just a thin coat will do. (If you watch the tutorial video about these tags, you can see it: I painted one tag without priming it with gesso and two with gesso, and the result underlines my point very, very clearly.)

After letting the gesso dry, I mixed Finnabair Impasto paints Pitch Black and Dark Chocolate to create a vintage looking, dark and warm brown, and with a very wet mix and a very wet brush, painted the tag all over, and then wiped most off with a baby wipe. This step makes the stencil pattern to rise up from the background so, so prettily, and makes the whole tag look lovely vintage.

Next step was the fun decorating part. I used Finnish vintage papers (printed versions), with coffee dyed doilies, and botanically dyed lace, but the choices are endless. You could use die cuts, ephemera, trinkets… I attached the papers with two sided 3D tape and glue.

As the final touch, I added some Finnabair Golden Dragon Effect Paste here and there, with Vintage Gold Metallique Wax around the edges, and sprinkled some Impasto Snow White paint all over the tag.

Here’s the link to my tutorial video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Mbk0qzrEC4

Wishing you magical, inspired, and sparkling Holiday moments,

Emilia

MATERIALS USED:

-# 961374 https://www.primamarketinginc.com/product/art-basics-heavy-gesso-white-17-fl-oz/ -#964658 Impasto Paint Dark Chocolate – # 964528 Impasto Paint Pitch Black -# 964511 Art Alchemy – Impasto Paint – Snow White -#968359 Art Extravagance – Golden Dragon Effect Paste -#963958 Art Alchemy – Metallique Wax – Vintage Gold -# 994563 Memory Hardware self-adhesive Chipboard tags

“Today is all about Mixed Media Christmas with Finnabair. I created a mixed media Canvas featuring the gorgeous Christmas in the Country collection by Frank Garcia and lots of Finn products of course. I added some ‘candy cane’ stripes (this idea was inspired by Zhanna Rozanova) to my canvas with the Poppy Red Impasto paint. I adorned the rest of my canvas with lots of beautiful Prima flowers, stickers, glitter, siic and pearls.” – Tanya

Product List

995232 Christmas in the Country Collection 12×12 Sheet Most Wonderful Time of the Year 967802 Art Alchemy Metallique Acrylic Paint Dragonfly 964559 Art Alchemy Impasto Paint Poppy Red 968953 Finnabair Stencil 6″ x 9″ Bindweed Wallpaper 968588 Finnabair Mould 5″ x 8″ Grungy Frames

I love creating journals and junk journals, so I decided to make Christmas journal. I used amazing Christmas Sparkle moulds and mediums from Finnabair. Journal is a great way to keep warm Christmas memories. –Wiola

Watch the process on Prima Instagram account!!

Products used:

#997861 Christmas Sparkles collection silicone mould #962500 Art Ingredients – Mica Powder Green – #967390 Art Alchemy – Acrylic Fluid Medium # 961459 Art Basics – Heavy Gesso Black – #968991 Finnabair Stencil – Documented Piece #963040 Art Basics – Super Heavy Gel – #966423 Art Alchemy – Impasto Paint – Victorian Green – #964559 Art Alchemy – Impasto Paint – Poppy Red #964528 Art Alchemy – Impasto Paint – Pitch Black – #967222 Art Alchemy – Liquid Acrylic Paint – Burnt Sienna – #964016 Art Alchemy – Metallique Wax – White Gold

Are you already decorating your home for Christmas?

I’m just getting started! In the shop, I saw a mint-colored candle and candlestick in rose gold and thought that my Christmas table decorations should look like this. I will definitely show you the finished decoration later! And today I’m only sharing a small part of my Christmas decorations with you. –Marina