Friday 28 March 2014

Vintage Images Cogs Canvas for Crafty Individuals


I wanted to make something that used most of the new stamps Crafty Individuals recently brought out so I decided to make a chunky canvas. I painted it with Fresco paints in Green Olives, Butternut, Yellow Submarine, and Tango, and used the new script stamp CI 406 . I then cut some canvas board pieces to fit the other stamps, the vintage car, the steam train, the 'phone, and Wishes, and painted the pieces with Inky Pool, Sky, and Beach Hut. I highlighted some areas with white pen. I then rusted some die cut cogs, and also some of the metal corners you can now buy from Crafty Individuals under their Must Haves section.

Sunday 16 March 2014

Mon Ami Pierrot - Inspired (Loosely) by Julie Ann Lee for Paper Artsy


This week has been the turn of the sweetest Paper Artsy Guest Designer of them all, lovely Julie Ann Lee! The last couple of times it has been Julie Ann's turn I don't seem to have managed to join in so I was determined to have a go. She has the knack of looking at the world around her through an artistic eye and bringing her interpretation to us, this week in the form of a series of three canvases featuring the Green Man. She said she was worried we might be scared of masks as some people apparently are, and the Green Man can be rather gargoyle-esque, but it certainly hasn't put anyone off judging by the number of amazing challenge contributions. What a talent to be able to inspire people in that way!


Well, I love masks, bring it on, I'm not scared at all! I am scared of men with beards, but that's to do with the fireman in Trumpton! I decided to go a bit off piste and do a Pierrot mask rather than a green man, for the very simple reason that I have had my Paper Artsy Pierrot stamps for some time and haven't used them, and this seemed a good opportunity.

I ordered a couple of ceramic masks from ebay which looked like the ones Julie Ann had used, and as she said, the Frescos went on like a dream. I used a coat of Snowflake first off, then the eyes, a scull cap, and tears with Little Black Dress, and lips with London Bus. I painted a chunky 6 x 6 canvas with French Roast, then added Crackle Glaze, then a mixture of Pansy and Lilac and Eggplant. I embossed the Story of Pierrot wording in black ep (I used plates 3 and 4), and also the Pierrot image. I stamped the remaining images from the plates and gold embossed onto green Chatsworth paper. This bit I wasn't happy with, I wish I hadn't used green. I mounted these pieces onto black cardstock, including the Pierrot on the Promenade wording.

Then I mixed grungepaste with Old Gold and puff paint and smeared it through a distressed harlequin stencil as I associate harlequins with Pierrot, and sprinkled with gold ep before heating with a heat gun. I then added a bit more gold with Brass Treasure Gold and also used some round the edges.

I gave Pierrot a white ruffle using the Tim Holtz rosette die and added lots of mauve feathers as I also associated feathers with masks. Wasn't sure I liked this bit either. I then added my remaining images here and there, and some pearls as I felt it needed lifting with a bit more white.

Do have a look at Julie Ann's Green Men if you haven't all ready. I am entering this week's challenge which is here.

Friday 14 March 2014

DT Project No 3 for Snazzys - Featuring Kaisercraft Art of Life

Over on the Snazzys Design Team Blog I have my final make for this week using the beautiful Kaisercraft Art of Life kit. Here's a sneak peek:-

I would love you to pop over and see it there, and if you leave comments on all the posts using this kit, you will be in with a chance of winning all the products we have used!

Wednesday 12 March 2014

DT Project No 2 for Snazzys - Featuring Kaisercraft Art of Life

Over on the Snazzys Design Team Blog I have my second make for this week using the beautiful Kaisercraft Art of Life collection.



I do hope you will pop over to the Snazzys blog to see what myself and my teamies have been making. If you leave a comment on each of the blog posts using this gorgeous kit, you stand a chance of winning it for yourself!

Monday 10 March 2014

DT Project No 1 for Snazzys - Kaisercraft Art of Life


This is a sneak peek of my first project for Snazzys this month, using the Kaisercraft Art of Life kit. I'd love you to pop over to the Design Team Blog to have a look! If you leave a comment on all the blog posts using this kit, you will be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win all the products we used! This has been my favourite set from Snazzys so far; it is absolutely gorgeous!

Saturday 8 March 2014

Lin Brown Eclectica Stepper Card Inspired by Sue Carrington for Paper Artsy

Thank you so much for the encouraging words on my altered bottle and clay flowers on the Paper Artsy blog. I'm still pinching myself as I'm always being inspired by the amazing artists on the blog, so it seemed very strange and wonderful to have a piece of work on there myself. Today I'm back to being 'inspired by', this time a beautiful card by Sue Carrington where she featured some of the amazing new stencils and Chatsworth paper. It was such a well executed design and having a go myself I struggled to do such a lovely piece as Sue had made. I was taking the paper and stencils fresh out of their packets so it was a case of getting used to new products. I decided to make a large (8 x 8) stepper card.


This is the card opened out a bit flatter:-


This is the inside:-


This is the inside a bit closer:-


I'm looking forward to having a bit more of a play with the new paper and stencils! I'm entering this into the Paper Artsy challenge which is here.