Craft Stamper Project ... Making Wishes On Stars

Hi everyone,

If you haven't already, make sure you get yourself a copy of the January 2018 issue of Craft Stamper. There's loads of gorgeous projects in it ... and this ...

Enjoy!

Craft Stamper Project ... I'm a Believer

Hi everyone,

I'm so excited to tell you that you can find a mini book project from me in this months Craft Stamper magazine. There's loads of other lovely stuff in the magazine too ... so go and grab yourself a copy!

Enjoy!

PaperArtsy Blog Post - Topic 4: Architecture, Windows & Doors - Garden View

Hi everyone,

Tonight you will find me over on the PaperArtsy blog with a project using my brand new stamps. I'm just loving these flowers overstamped with a Mini, or coloured with Infusions and Fresco Finish paints. And the Metalline Violet WOW! Embossing Powder - is just gorgeous on the words. And don't get me started on the WOW! Celebration Sparkles!

Why not go and take a look...

Enjoy!

PaperArtsy Blog Post - Topic 20: Squares & Grids - Three By Three

Hi everyone,

Tonight I have a step-by-step wall art project over on the PaperArtsy blog... go and check it out!

Enjoy!

August Workshop #1

May Workshop #2

May Workshop #1

April Workshop #1

Today ... A Work In Progress - Part 2

Hi everyone,

I'm back with part 2 of my "word of the year" project.  This is where I go up to last time, and you can find Part 1 here.

So here we go... first up I stamped and heat embossed the word "today" (this is an old Technique Tuesday set - I love it because the letters are outline and huge). I then painted inside the letters with PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Gold paint.

Holding the sheet up, I then sprayed quite a lot of Tarnished Brass Distress Spray Stain at the top of the page - I let it drip down the page about halfway, before laying it back down on my table. I left it for a few moments and then blotted off the excess liquid.

Next I wanted to add some texture. I stenciled the dotty circles using Ranger's Texture Paste, and the chickenwire with Dreamweaver Translucent Embossing Paste. I knew the Dreamweaver paste would go completely see through when it was dry, whereas Ranger's paste would stay fairly white (but still show hints of the colour underneath).

I painted some of the Crazing Distress Collage Medium over the circle stencils and onto blank areas too. I then went a little crazy with Tim Holtz's splatter tool and PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Little Black Dress paint. I {heart} the effect.

I added some Distress Crayons over the circle stenciled areas, and blended the colours in with a wet wipe. I think it was probably a bit too wet, as the colours merged into one to give an overall purple effect. But I still like it. In the picture below you can see the Crazing Collage Medium - I may still go over this again with the crayons  and work them in with a damp finger instead..

My final steps for this part was to add some spots with some white paint and the wooden end of a paintbrush, and ...

... some squiggles with my favourite Sharpie Extra Fine White Paint Pen.

Here's another close up ...

That's it for now ... but there will be more to come ... look out for Part 3 coming soon.

Enjoy!

Today ... A Work In Progress - Part 1

Hi everyone,

At the start of this year I decided not to set New Years resolutions (after all, I never stick to them!), and instead I chose a word to focus on for 2016.  My word is TODAY.

I've found that it's really helped me to focus on what I want to do - every morning I will think "what do I want to achieve today?" and change that answer into a statement (or two) - "Today I will ...".

In January I brought myself an IKEA Ribba frame - one of the big ones with room for a 12"x12" picture - with every intention of creating something for it to represent my word of the year. Well weeks have passed, and it seemed like such a big project that I never could find time for. Until today. I've decided to start it - afterall, I don't need to finish it in one day do I?  So this is Part 1 of my journey - I have no idea how it's going to turn out - but what's the worse that could happen eh?

I started with a sheet of PaperArtsy 12"x12" Heavy Smoothy, and added some pieces of scrap patterned paper. I then covered it with a layer of Dina Wakely Clear Gesso.

Next I wanted some colour and pattern ... so I stenciled some circles and a sun-ray with Archival Ink Pads - and also the year. (I don't mind if the year can't be seen at the end of the project - but I felt it was important to include it).

Now for some colour. I scrapped various PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paints over the page (Caribbean Sea, Chalk, Limelight, Tango and Bougainvillea).

I then added more Chalk with a brayer to knock the brightness back (just a tad).

I stencilled some text in random areas, and painted thicker areas of Chalk to add more "white space".

I then sanded pretty much everything. I wanted some of the patterned papers to peek back through the layers, and I love the effect of this text piece with a resist effect on it (I think it was a Prima paper).

And that's it for Part 1. Hope you'll join my for the next installment...

Enjoy!

March Workshop #2

March Workshop #1

February Workshop #1

Because She Chooses To See The World In Bright Bold Colours

Hi everyone,

I spent a lovely day yesterday with Emma Humphreys and we played in our art journals. A couple of the pages I can't share just yet (new stamps alert!), but this one I can ...

I really wanted to use this quote (it's a Donna Downey stencil), and the brown splodges were already on my pages (a mop up from another page when I was playing with Bistres),

I stuck some music book text down and then added a few more splodges with PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Limelight and Beach Hut paints.  I then stenciled the quote and stamped the circles from my PaperArtsy stamp set EEG15 using a Jet Black Archival Ink pad.

I coloured in the circles with the same paint colours, plus Eggplant (they're all translucents - so you can still see the stamping through them - yay!). To finish I stamped a PaperArtsy Mini text stamp in the big circles, added some scribbles (randomly and around the circles) with a HB pencil, some dots with the Eggplant paint (using the wrong end of a paintbrush), and some details with an Extra Fine White Sharpie Pen.  Done.  It was such a quick page to do - think it only took me 20 minutes!

Enjoy

PaperArtsy Blog Post - Topic 22 Masterboards - Let Us Read Good Books

Hi everyone,

Tonight it is my turn on the PaperArtsy Blog with a masterboard that turned into bookmarks. I enjoyed making these so much and was sooooo excited by how they turned out!

Go and check it out ... you'll find all the instructions over there.

And NEW stamps too ...

I'm so pleased Leandra decided to release these as an early Christmas present to you ... I don't think I could've kept them secret until January! They are available to buy here.

Enjoy!

Stars In Their Eyes

Hi everyone,

It's been a little while since I've posted a project ... in my defence I have been very very busy working on top secret (and very exciting) PaperArtsy stuff for 2016!

A couple of weeks ago it was my nephew's Birthday ... so of course I had to make him a card.   He's seven, and in his own words "all grown up now" ... so I decided a mixed media type card might be the way to go ... paint and embossing powder ... stencils and stamping.

As I had some of the background sheet left over ... I made a couple of extra cards too.

Don't they look fab together...

And here's a close up that better shows the clear and gold embossing.

Enjoy!

November Workshop #1

PaperArtsy Blog Post - Topic 20 Triptychs - It Is Not In The Stars

Hi everyone,

Tonight over on the PaperArtsy Blog you'll find my post for the Triptych topic.   I loved making this project - and it's in my favourite colour scheme at the moment!

Enjoy!

More art journal shenanigans...

Hi everyone,

Here's another page I created recently in my art journal.   It's inspired by Roben-Marie Smith.

And yes, neon pink paint is becoming my favourite.

Love the details the white extra-fine Sharpie pen gives.

Enjoy!

October Workshop #2