Blue Rose PaperArtsy style!

If you haven't seen already do pop over to the PaperArtsy blog to see how I've used the gorgeous new Chatsworth papers from PaperArtsy, 

I wont go into detail on what I did as this is all on the PaperArtsy post, but I will say look out for more roses on this blog soon!

The Chatsworth papers really are the must luscious papers to play with high quality thickness, no warping, subtle shabby layered colour and designs and double sided so you get more card for your bucks!

Start saving your pennies!

Hugs 
Jo
xx

Funny how things change

Well, I felt the need to immerse myself in some art this weekend, just painting and gluing and sticking and stuff. No real plan just seeing where the flow took me.

I've been reusing canvases lately, as my work evolves what I first started doing no longer appeals and rather than chuck the canvas away I'm just using it again, taking off the embellishments leaving any texture already there and either slapping some gesso on or adding a layer of Grunge Paste.

This one was originally pink. I added a layer of Grunge Paste that I'd mixed with some other grainy texture paste and once that was dry stuck some Prima flowers down with either Glue and Seal or Claudine Helmuth Matt medium (the pots look the same and they pretty much do the same thing!). To cover up the pink (mostly).

I added a a layer of Fresco Nougat and then Vintage Lace just to give a neutral background with loads of texture.

Next I added some of the new Lin Brown paints starting with Chartreuse all over and then Tikka in places to catch the texture and the edges and finally Chutney on the flowers. It looked quite earthy and springlike especially with the bits if pink you could still see showing through.

What next?

Stamping, but which stamps?

I rummaged through the stash and found one of Darcy's plates that I hadn't used  (very remiss I know but better late then never) and this was a good opportunity.So looking at the stamp plate I started to move into a more grungy steam punk way of thinking which meant getting all the Frantage embossing powders out. 

Well the cogs on the plate were itching to be used. So I tore a scrap of card painted it in Eggplant and then started adding Frantage embossing powders just sprinkling them on to mix the colours up. Once I was happy with the colour and texture I added two layers of clear UTEE. On the second one before it had cooled I stamped the cogs into it to get an impression (don't forget to stamp the stamp in Versamark first so it will release). 

I'd got some PaperArtsy hearts cut from grunge board in one of the WIP (work in progress) otherwise known as SNF (started not finished) project bags and  I knew I wanted to use one of those. So the heart had all sorts of Frantage melted on it including bronze glitter.

Once the stamped in UTEE had set I added some Treasure Gold ending up with Onxyite and then stapled the heart to the card using a load of alcohol stained staples.

To mirror the large heart I stamped the small heart over some tissue paper and then painted the back in Vintage Lace and Tikka. I then ripped this into pieces  and randomly glued down on the canvas in the gaps between the flowers and on the edges with Satin Glaze.

Oh it was beginning to look good. 
 
It needed something else. Eyelets to mirror the shape of the cogs and add another texture. Once these we're added I glued the card to the canvas.


As these were a light brown I got my alcohol inks out and dripped some copper on them and then that got  me thinking about the rest of the canvas and I started dripping more alcohol inks (cranberry) on the canvas, around the card added blending solution and let it drip and flow.

Oh, oh, oh it was looking even better.

Finally added some more Treasure Gold on the canvas edges and then walked away from it as it was finished.

It really is a tactile piece that needs to be touched, stroked and moved around in the light to see the different textures . I want to play more with stamped UTEE and my alcohol inks and my Frantage powders and flakes so expect to see some more texture pieces in the near future!

Hugs
Jo
xx

PaperArtsy Reveal - New Lin Brown Ecletica stamps, paints and stencils

Well, I have been a really lucky girl because I've had the chance to play with Lin's new products for PaperArtsy before they are released.

I have to say I was really excited about the new paint colours they are really my kind of colour palette, earthy neutrals. All four of the limited colour range are devine, Tikka is a lovely base colour as is Chutney. Seaweed is very different and transparent and Chartreuse is a great wash.  They work really well with the oranges and browns in the fresco range and mixing with Old Gold gives a great metallic sheen. 

They also work really well with  a number of Treasure Golds as well, win win all round.

The stencils that Lin has designed really complete the leaves and flowers of her stamps and can be used to great effect to make backgrounds, as under layers for die cut flowers or with grunge paste.  I'm really looking forward to playing more with the dahlia stencil and I know Lin has some great techniques to show you.

These are some of the samples I made:

This one was designed to be a card. It had a base of Kraft card roughly painted in Brown Shed and then a the top layer was the lovely Smoothy card from PaperArtsy crackled glazed with mixture of Tikka and Snowflake.  The circles were sponged using Chutney.

 

This one is a #8 sized tag with Seaweed as the base with Chutney on top. I used one of the new Lin stencils with Sage and Chartreuse and the text stamped in Chutney.  The leaves were stamped and cut out and layered over the top of the vine stamp.

 

This one has the lovely dahlia stencil in Chutney and again a background with Seaweed and Chartreuse.  The text is one of Lin's new word stamps and all of them are gorgeous fonts and sentiments.

 

More leaves using Mark's new designs for Lin's die cuts and another one of those gorgeous text stamps.  This tag uses the complimentary Autumn Fire and Pumpkin Soup to make the background along with Tikka.

   

 

And finally and 8x8 with the gorgeous tulips.  I photographed this late in the day and you can see some shadow but I think it works as it shows the depth you can get layering the tulip petals with the 3 part die (got lots more ideas for these tulips, expect a field of them!)

 

Pop over to the PaperArtsy blog to see more great designs using Lin's new products, you'll love them, I did.

All Lin's new stamps will be available via your local stamp store in the coming weeks for PaperArtsy Trade customers to order. Initially shops will be able to order direct from PaperArtsy next week online (wholesale website only) or in person at the Craft Hobby and Stitch International Trade Show, NEC Birmingham, Feb 16-18. PaperArtsy is stand A42, situated as usual in the back left hand corner of the main hall, with a handy coffee cart nearby.  Shipping of all new products starts immediately after the trade show ends: Wednesday Feb 19th, 2014.

Jo
xx

Blue butterfly

Hello everyone, it's Monday morning (again) and still dark, mind you it is only 6.30am so I suppose it's still allowed to be dark!

I cant believe it's February and almost the middle of February. Don't ask me where January went because I just don't know, I reckon I lost it down the back of the sofa.

Anyway, one of my aims this year is to use stuff that is lying around, finish up work in progress and frankly use some of the enormous stash I have before I start buying more.  I sort of failed on that as I spent just a little bit at Stamperama yesterday on some of the new PaperArtsy stuff, new Frantage embossing colours and some leather offcuts.  

Yes leather, I can't wait to have a play with that.

This make has to be one of the quickest and longest I've ever completed. The square canvas had been half completed and lying in a pile of other half completed things for a while.  So I fished it out along with the ATC and tag combo that had also been made a while ago and put in the pile.

Looking a the canvas it's been painted in neutrals and had some gold flakes added in the centre.  Then some Grunge Paste through one of my favourite stencils and I think some Gloss Glaze added over the top of the gold flakes. 

The ATC was painted browns and has Walnut Stain round the edges  and stamped with a PaperArtsy mini stamp. 

So to finish it off it needed to have something else on top of the ATC tag layer, so rummaging through the stash I found this lovely wooden butterfly.  I painted it in Brown Shed (I think this is one of my new fave colours) and a little bit of South Pacific and then using Bonding Powder added some blue foil.  Oh my did my heart sing as the foil went on and added that tiny bit of shabby grunge sparkle.

To tie in the canvas with the blue butterfly I dry brushed some South Pacific on in areas around the edge and over the Grunge Paste dots. A bit of Brown Shed just to frame the canvas,  a spare bit of hessian and Crunchy Waxed Kraft paper under the ATC and done!

Well its starting to get a bit lighter now, various shades of inky blue appearing in the sky, but as yet no yellow stuff and more importantly no wet stuff!

Hugs

Jo
xx