I don't know about you but shows brings out the demon spender in me. It doesn't matter whether its paper, fabric or food, it encourages impulse buying. You are so caught up in the throng, the loveliness of everything, the "oh go on buy it, baked beans all month won't be so bad" that you come home with bags of goodies that sit in your craft room "for a very long time not being used".
I remember one Good Food Show my husband and I went to years ago and having got "tipsy" with the free samples by midday, impulse purchased a new oak refectory style dining room table. How could we resist it was beautiful and such good value. It was due to be delivered on Christmas Eve and I was cooking Christmas lunch the next day. So not only the panic of will it get delivered (it was handmade in Wales) I had no idea whether it would fit through the front door or even in the dining room.
It was (delivered) and it fitted (in the dining room), but it took a long while to ease it through the front door but we got there.
This birdhouse from PaperArtsy was another one such purchase (no I didn't live on baked beans, it was spaghetti hoops). But inspired by Michelle's work this week on the PaperArtsy blog I thought I'd do something with it this weekend.
I started off with quite a few layers of Fresco Toad Hall, this really is a lovely green not too khaki and not too yellow. Next I gave it a crackle layer and topped that with Sky Blue. I gave it quite a heavy rub with sandpaper and removed bits of the blue and crackle layer. If you sand it hard enough you can get quite big strips of the top layer to come off, the crackle acts like a rubber resist.
Next just started lots of layers of paint to add to the depth. I used Inky Blue, Brown Shed, Snowflake, sometimes full strength and sometimes watered down.. Wiping back and sanding to get the feel I wanted. Finally I stamped some script in Snowflake.
On a scrap of Kraft card I used Desert Orchid and Ruby and Sapphire Treasure Gold and then stamped in Plum Archival with the this heart stamp With the spare ink left on the stamp I just randomly stamped over the birdhouse to use up the ink and add a random contrast colour.
Finally paper and fabric flowers and buttons to add another layer of texture and interest. I also painted some wooden beads to act as feet.
The roof was really fun to do. I gave the metal a good sand and then added layers of Brown shed, Inky Pool and Toad Hall. I didn't want a thick opaque cover so just lightly sponged on the colour. I also added some rusting powder on the edges, the vinegar I used to activate the powder ran in places so added some interesting streaking. Finally I stamped this numbers from this plate and used Frantage aged black embossing enamel it's quite thick and has some gold / coppery larger balls in it which tend to sit on top of the black.
It wasn't quite what I envisaged as in you can't see any crackles, but I like it (and so does the cat who insisted on making sure it was positioned right for me to photograph, which meant his tail, face got in the way of the first photo's).
hugs
jo
xx
Those that follow me on Twitter (I love it it's like drinks down the pub with the girlie's gassing and laughing) know that I was intrigued by the reference to "metal cracks" At the time I hadn't read the PaperArtsy blog post on Suzz using metal card and crackle
So this is my interpretation.
The double wooden arch I 've had for ages and by chance found the other day whilst rummaging. First off I cit the metal card to size and put a layer of crackle glaze on. I was very patient (ready for bed actually) and left it to dry overnight. I painted the double arch in quite a few layers of Hyde Park Fresco giving it a sand in between.
Next day (my crafting always seems to happen over a number of days) I painted the metal in Fresco Guacamole. Oh my the cracks appeared beautifully. With the spare Guacamole I lightly brushed that over the arches.
Concentrating on the arches I added some Inky Pool, panicked a bit as it covered up the green , wiped it off with a baby wipe and stopped panicking! Added some stamping of the owl and the numbers from this PaperArtsy plate and some copper embossed swirls from this PaperArtsy plate.
On the reverse of the arches I decided to try some tissue paper stamping. Used the winged lady from this PaperArtsy plate, added some Inky Pool paint on the reverse and stuck down adding a layer of glaze over the top. One dry I could still the tissue paper so dabbed on some Hyde Park to blend it in a bit. Added some copper Treasure gold around the edges, panicked again as I was a bit heavy handed gave a bit a of wipe and also sanded which softened it up and took aways some of the excess (more shabby distressed than opaque of colour).
Back to the metal card. I added a thin wash of Fresco Holly to dirty it up a bit added some Shabby Copper Frantage embossing powder around the edges, bit of Walnut Stain and finally some stamping in Aquamarine Archival using this numbers mini from PaperArtsy. The butterflies were stamped in Black Archival and Inky Pool added to colour in the wings. The little tag stamps from the same plate were also added. Once stuck down the metal card still didn't quite stand out so I went round the edge with a dark grey Oil Pastel just to add some shadow. On reflection I think I should have edged the metal in black embossing powder, but hey they look ok.
I really really like this and I think I will take to work so it can remind me when I slogging away doing long days, getting stressed that the reason I work is so I can make lovely things like this.
hugs
jo
xx
There may be a moral to this story, there may not (it's also a long post - sorry!).
I really enjoyed painting and distressing three tags in the style of Lind Cain valentine trio. They had lots of colour on (Moonlight, crackle, Eggplant, Dusty Orchid, Limelight and French Roast and lots of sanding and then stencilling, stamping and finally the three metal hearts.
They looked good and rather than join them together in a triptych like Linda, I wanted to put them on a canvas. So quick nip out to HobbyCraft (plus Sainsburys they are virtually next door to each other) and a long oblong canvas purchased.
You know me I have to put texture and layers EVERYWHERE, so I scraped some texture paste over the canvas and then used a dot stencil over the top of that in areas. Left it to dry (gosh horror I think I did some housework in between).
I used Kaiser Eco paint (hiding away in the bottom of the paint stash) in eggshell all over and followed that with slate slopped on, all random and messy it's not like painting walls is it! Finally added some weathered wood (a blue grey) Anita's acrylic (why no Fresco - too precious to cover this whacking great canvas)
Added some of the many sewing stamps from PaperArtsy I have - really big background images in plum archival, left it to dry a bit and then gently smudged some of the ink with a baby wipe. Added in some edge of a credit card lines as well.
Tissue tape - I have quite a few rolls as I assume many of you have as well, so put different strips on top and sealed them with some Ranger Glue and Seal (had it yonks and not opened it). On top of that I put some Mermaid. Some Treasure Gold on the dots and it was all looking fab.
Then I laid the tags on top to gauge positioning. But they just sort of sat there, perched, floating but not really looking at home, not anchored. It needed something else so I added some corrugated cardboard along the length of the canvas covering the tissue tape and stuck the tags on top.
Nope still looked wrong, still needed something else to bring them together. Rootle rootle through stash - ah lowers. Yep they worked as they linked the three tags together and covered the gaps. Glued them down and then thought - they need a bit of colour, I could spray them "carefully" to avoid the tags (I do talk to myself when I'm crafting, not out loud - just in my head like).
Disaster! I over sprayed they all went soggy and the wrong colour, heating with the glue gun warped the metal hearts as well and softened the hot glue sticking everything down. Stomp, stomp, stomp, grumble, grumble, grumble.
So the next day after letting it all dry out overnight to see if would improve (it didn't) I started to rip the tags off thinking well I can just repaint the canvas and use for something else. The first two came off with the corrugated but then like a beautiful butterfly emerging from a caterpillar the last one looked lovely with some of the cardboard. It looked at home, grounded and let the eye focus on it.
So I left it. I added some Pea coat over the tape and the right hand side of the canvas and now I'm really happy with it.
So the moral? Don't be afraid to rip it it up and start again (sneaky eighties reference there)!
hugs
jo
xx
I have to say a BIG thank you to PaperArtsy and Gillian for their inspired play along tutorials. The simple pleasure of thinking; gosh I haven't played with xxx for ages or ummm, what would be my take on that idea?
So Helen's playtime with Portfolio Pastels and sandpaper has been one of those gosh I haven't played with that product moments.
In the week I made the tag. Painting the tag white first really does help to give a neutral starting point. I used all the browns and just scribbled them on with some dark red and them rubbed with my finger to blend them. Gave it a bit of heat to sort of sink it into the tag but because it had been painted first it didn't sink all the way (you know what I mean don't you?). I then used a sanding block to lay into it, it just immediately lightened it, scratched it back to the white and really gave it a worn distressed look. Heated it again just to set it.
Added some harlequin stamping from Letters 5 plate with Archival Magenta Hue (I was patient and let it dry and I think because I'd heated it it set). I did rub some of the ink of at the edges with a baby wipe. I then stencilled over the top with Claret and French Roast Fresco, let it dry and gave a light rub with a sanding block. Finally added some alphabet stamping from Words 3 in Archival Blue Violet.
Taking advice from Twitter I decided not to add anything else to the tag, it really did / does look great on its own and I didn't want to hide any of it with further stamping or embellishment. So it could have just ended up pinned to my noticeboard in my craft room (there are a lot of tags pinned up on that board), but I wanted to make SOMETHING with it.
So today (Saturday morning) as we are covered in a good blanket of snow and there was no way I was going to venture out in it, I decided to think about finishing of various projects including this large tag.
I had a root around trying to find a background big enough to take the tag. Decided against a fabric background (another idea for another tag!) I found a large IKEA frame - perfect.
On some Kraft card I brayered Nougat over it, not too heavy and not all over I still wanted to see some of the Kraft at the edges. Scrubbed over some Claret with both a stencil brush and some foam. I didn't want a heavy layer so made sure I took off most of the paint on a baby wipe before adding. I then stencilled Claret through the bingo stencil and French Roast through the dots stencil. I kept sanding with a sanding block between layers to soften everything. Scuffed the edge of the card and added Walnut Stain to frame it and then adding a further frame by stitching round the edge in brown thread. Added some pink and claret sari silk and then added the tag over the top.
The frame was painted in Nougat with bits of Claret and French Roast dry brushed on and some stamping in Claret (basically spritzed the semi dried blob on my craft sheet with water and used that) using the numbers mini stamp 22.
I really had fun playing with Portfolio Pastels again and I'm glad I followed my instincts (and the lovely advice I got) and didn't add anything else on top. Instead I added it all underneath! There is another Pan Pastels tag or two waiting to have SOMETHING done to them as well. This time I will stamp on them!
Hugs
jo
xx
It's been a busy old week on the work front with new services being implemented. Some already being successful (24/7 opening of the library and yes there were students in all night), some with teething problems requiring me to reassure project teams that everything will be OK, stick with it, don't change anything, problems are good as they identify how we make it better.
Sometimes work for me can have a tendency to take over and I find myself not having any energy to do anything else apart from work, eat and sleep especially in the evenings. This year I am going to try really hard to make time to create even if it's the smallest amount of time.
This week (and I really mean this week, a bit here, a bit there) I've been working on this.
I really do love layers and texture, so the things you can achieve with the gorgeous products from PaperArtsy really make me happy.
I wanted to try and recreate a plaster fresco wall type of thing with Terra paste and Treasure Gold. The idea was to spread some Terra on a tag, not all over but in away to suggest a crumbling fresco. Let it dry, paint it, add Treasure Gold and then an image on top.
As you can see it didn't happen because i couldn't resit stamping into the Terra with a PaperArtsy mini text stamp (mini 74). It just gave all these fantastic crevices and raised bits that when it was painted (Fresco Eggplant) and Treasure Gold (White Fire, Classic and Onyxite) added, it caught the light beautifully. I edged the tag in some Frantage Embossing Enamel in Aged Black, the bigger grains and touches of copper just gives a different finish which I love.
I really added a LOT of paint layers to the canvas that it sits on. Started off with Haystack, Butternut and Pumpkin Soup, just adding and drying until I got the distressed soft look I wanted. Added some stamping again with the Mini 74 and the diamond stamp from this set (Letters 5). Did some bumping through a circle stencil with Eggplant and Brownshed mixed together with Mocha Mousse and a smidge of Chocolate Pudding over the top. Stamped this mini flower (mini 69) in maroon archival. Gave it a good blast with the heat gun to make sure it was all set and dry.
I knew I wanted to add some fabric but wasn't sure how or what, so I left it alone for a few days pondering options as I drove up and down the M1 to work (I shouldn't say this really, but after 10 years of ddoing this journey it's a bit automatic pilot and good thinking time, one day I'm going to sail past my junction!). Last night it came to me, wrap some sari silk round the whole canvas rather than sit it on top. I sprayed it with some pinky silvery Glimmer Mist and some Walnut Stain to colour / distress it further.
Added the tag on top with some die cut paper flowers that had a bit of Treasure Gold added, some Frantage Glitter, brads and Walnut Stain on the edges. I also sprayed some more Glimmer Mist also letting it dribble in places.
If I'm still in time I shall link this post to the PaperArtsy blog.
I still want to do the original plaster fresco idea but the idea for a twig wreath is bugging me more at the moment, now where did I put my stash of twig wreathes (notice the plural there)?
hugs
jo
xx
Well, well, well, long time no posts!
December is always a bit of a funny month for me, dark long days, Christmas and happy families thrust at you in every direction. I tend to become a bit a Scrooge "bah humbug" in temperment. But now we've had the Winter Solstice which means the days are getting longer with more light (still a lot of rain though) and we have the promise of a New Year with new plans, new ideas and new (and sometime old) resolutions.
It's Sunday morning here in The Shires, the sky is devoid of any colour but I can hear the church bells ringing out over 2 miles away - simple things bring enormous pleasure.
After watching The Essex answer to Hollywood (or could it be Bollywood?) known as Hatman Productions, I've been inspired by Leandra's use of a brush with Treasure Gold - me I'd just been sticking my finger in it and putting it on! But using a brush, well it was a revelation - simple things again!
And this is what I made just to try it out like you do.
I scraped some Ferro onto a papermache frame from HobbyCraft, and stamped into it just to add some crevicies and more texture.
Then I painted over it with Fresco paint in Nougat, Mocha Mousse, Chocolate Pudding and French Roast.
Now for Treaure Gold, I used: Copper, AquaMarine, White Fire and Spanish Topaz, using a brush really did make it easier to put what you wanted where and to blend it better.
To fill in the recess I used some Frantage enbossing powder, mica flakes etc. I love how it bubbles up and gives more texture. I also added some coppeer green Frantage embossing on the frame as well.
I edged around the frame with a Ranger Black dabber, where I hadn't put Ferro it sank in really well and framed it nicely. The floweer was a fabric one that had some paint and Trearure Gold added and little bit of black as well.
I have big ideas now of how to use with some of my fabric collages, I have some really nice pictures of lichen and moss from Cornwall that I can use as inspiration. Good job I ordered some more colours from paperArtsy this weekend!
hugs
jo
xx
Those that know me in the flesh so to speak in the crafting world know I have a lot of flowers in my stash and can easily be swayed to purchase more. It's fair to say that I have a boxful, if they were real I could probably do half a dozen gardens at the annual Chelsea Flower Show. And to go with this boxful of blooms are three (large) glass jars of buttons and of course yards and yards of fabric.
Last weekend I stitched a most delicious cream concoction of fabric, just layering up the fabric to create oodles of textures. It was well "strokable" if you get my drift. I thought I'd do my usual and use on an A6 size picture frame but then thought, no I need to go big as I don't want to loose sight of of all cream delight when I start adding other stuff.
So big I went.
Off white paper had some Distress Inks added, water flicks and some spray inks to create a background. Some extra bits of fluff and fibres sewn on with some ripped up pages from old textbooks (I feel such a rebel mutilating a book in this way, seeing as I'm supposed to be a guardian of text in the day job).
Some stamping using some really nice large PaperArtsy stamps. Whilst the ink was still wet from the stamping I sprinkled pinches of embossing powder over the image, didn't want it all embossed just "bits" to continue adding texture.
On the fabric panel I added one of my photos. the panel was then sewn to the background and then I got that box of blooms out and those jars of buttons and armed with my hot glue gun just started sticking stuff down. After the gluing I did some light spraying - just to tone down some of the really vibrant pink and apricot flowers and added some Treasure Gold on the buttons.
Many of you will say - ah she's just copied the fab work of Finnabair. And yes I'd agree with you in terms of I find her work stunning and really inspiring but I wouldn't say it was a complete copy.
Right I need to be away as we have a christening to go this morning.
hugs
jo
xx
I remember one Good Food Show my husband and I went to years ago and having got "tipsy" with the free samples by midday, impulse purchased a new oak refectory style dining room table. How could we resist it was beautiful and such good value. It was due to be delivered on Christmas Eve and I was cooking Christmas lunch the next day. So not only the panic of will it get delivered (it was handmade in Wales) I had no idea whether it would fit through the front door or even in the dining room. 
This birdhouse from PaperArtsy was another one such purchase (no I didn't live on baked beans, it was spaghetti hoops). But inspired by Michelle's work this week on the PaperArtsy blog I thought I'd do something with it this weekend. 
On a scrap of Kraft card I used Desert Orchid and Ruby and Sapphire Treasure Gold and then stamped in Plum Archival with the this heart stamp With the spare ink left on the stamp I just randomly stamped over the birdhouse to use up the ink and add a random contrast colour. 
