Wednesday 30 September 2015

Vintage Gloves for PaperArtsy Wearable Art Challenge


Over on the PaperArtsy blog the theme is Wearable Art which really appeals to me. I decorated some vintage gloves a while ago and was really pleased with the outcome so I decided to have another go, this time with a recent Hot Picks stamp release. The gloves are genuine vintage delicate white kid, made in France according to the label. I stamped in Archival Coffee and painted the flowers with Frescos, adding Satin Glaze to make them more translucent so that I didn't cover any of the stamped detail. I used Hey Pesto for the leaves and stems, Zesty Zing for the centre of the flowers, and Autumn Fire and some highlights of Bougainvillea for the petals.

I hope you like!

I am entering the challenge which is here.

Monday 28 September 2015

Wood and Canvas Clutch Bag for PaperArtsy - Wearable Art

Over on the PaperArtsy blog it's a theme I love - Wearable Art. What could be better than making something you can wear to match or decorate an outfit, or give to a friend as a gift that they can wear and show off?! I had a great time decorating one of those pliable wood clutch bags you can get. I used the glorious new Lin Brown floral stamps and Limited Edition Fresco colours. Here is the finished bag:-

The step by step and products are over on the PaperArtsy blog here, but I've added some extra photos below. Here is the blank bag. I took the clasp and elasticated strap off and cut a rectangle of canvas with craft knife and metal edge ruler.


Put bag on its end to cut the oval side bits out of canvas sheet.


Cut them out.

Gesso the whole thing to help the glue stick.



Lightly cover shrink plastic with Prof Plum.


Stamp Poppy with StazOn and Paint.


Shrink and mould the layers.


Brayer tissue with the paints and draw round the bag and cut out.


Build up the design, starting with the leaf stencil and Granny Smith.


Build up design with new Lin Brown stamps.


Use gel medium to line the bag with the tissue.



Decorate the prepared canvas in the same way.



Use the flowers from the Bloom and Grow stencil with a mixture of Captain Peacock and Teresa Green.


Mix Professor Plum with Captain Peacock for a luscious Mauve!


Here I wrapped the canvas around the bag to see how it was looking to position my final stamps of the flower and the wording.



I stamped the Poppy in Little Black Dress for a nice strong black so the stamens stood out, and then painted with a mixture of Prof Plum, Captain Peacock, and Satin Glaze, with some highlights of Bougainvillea. I used some Zesty Zing in the middle.


Here's a close up of the bag showing the Poppy Anemone and the Shrink Plastic clasp.



I hope you like my bag and I hope you will join in the Wearable Art challenge - I will be joining in myself as I've got loads of ideas - just hope I don't run out of time!

Friday 25 September 2015

Birthday Cards with Brushos for PaperArtsy Challenge

It's an important birthday week for me, with four of my most favourite people having birthdays, Julie Ann, my two much loved brothers, and one of my oldest friends, Elaine. Over on the PaperArtsy blog the theme is pigment powders so I decided to experiment with Brushos which I have only got out of the box once since I bought them! For the first card, for John, I used the Lin Brown leaf stencil and mixed the Brushos with modelling paste. I added Brown and Yellow to Leaf Green and once it was dry it acted as a resist to the colours I added over the top so there is a cream shadow around the edge which I quite like. I stamped Artful Blooms and Flora and Fauna from LB01 and 02 in Captain Peacock around the edges. I also used some splatters of Fresco London Bus mixed with Tango, and Zesty Zing. For texture I wanted to use up some Terra I have had in the cupboard for ages so I used it through the Hot Picks numbers stencil and through my favourite Is it Art stencil. Well, I cannot get them clean! Has anyone got any ideas? I have tried my usual tricks with Fairy Power spray and Deco Art Brush Cleaner but it is not budging at all, even though I was fairly quick.
 
For a focal point I have stamped two of the flowers from Lin Brown Eclectica 01 onto black card and cut them out. I layered the panel onto a turquoise card blank I got at Ally Pally on Saturday. I had a fab time by the way. There is a great write up on Helen's blog here. I met so many lovely people, that was the best bit, and PaperArtsy had put so much work into their stand with new products, make and takes, and superb demonstrators. Such a great atmosphere and I have felt so much better for having a day out.


For Elaine's card I used the same leaf stencil and Brusho colours, but this time used with Golden Heavy Modelling Gel. I really like this effect! It holds its peaks like Grungepaste but gives a translucent effect which is a bit different. A nice change. I stamped text with Snowflake onto a piece of Chatsworth and used the other stencils as before. I used the same LB flower stamp as my focal point, and made some shrink plastic flowers for the centres.



I am entering these cards into the PaperArtsy Pigment Powders challenge with is here.

Thursday 10 September 2015

PaperArtsy - Launch Night for new Sara Naumann Eclectica Stamps

 
 

All this week on the PaperArtsy blog, the gorgeous September 2015 releases of stamps and new paints are being showcased, and tonight is the turn of delightful Sara Naumann and two new plates for the Eclectica line. I very nervously offered to contribute some samples for tonight, which I have not done before. I was outside my comfort zone as I normally gravitate towards dimensional items, and samples are normally flat so that they can go onto display boards at shows if needed. We were given a colour theme for the same reason, and Sara chose Guacamole, Glass Blue, Mermaid, and London Bus. Absolutely loved this colour choice! Her new stamp plates are Christmas themed, but can be used at other times of the year, and as with all Sara's ranges, features plenty of useful text and fonts. Here's the video with everyone's samples for today's launch.


For this first sample, a 5 x 7 inch canvas board, I started off with the Guaca at the bottom for the grass and blended into the Mermaid and then the Glass Blue at the top for the sky. I used the text and numbers in Snowflake on the background and Glass Blue through the new Hot Picks numbers stencil. I embossed the bird on a branch (love him!) in black and added Guacamole grungepaste grass and drips at the bottom. I did some Limelight drips for the stalks of the flowers which were made with the snowflakes from the set stamped in London Bus onto book text, and I stamped some individual leaves from the leaf sprig, also on book text to complete my quirky flowers.


 
For this sample I made a grungy background by covering a piece of 6 x 6 inch grey board with PaperArtsy script tissue, brayering it with a mixture of the colours knocked back with chalk, and then stamping a selection of the stamps. I stamped the leaf sprigs onto card painted with Guacamole to make little trees with Christmas present pots stamped with the Snowflakes, and added the Time for Reflection wording in a stamped frame. I think along with the bird, this leaf sprig will probably be my most favourite from these two sets!


This card is very minimalist for me! I started off with a white scalloped card base and added a blue mat as my 'Glass Blue' layer. I embossed the bird in black and gave him a blue gem eye. I added London Bus splatters and some twine with another of the buttons I made for the quirky flowers, and finished off with a rub-on saying 'Hallowe-en'.


As soon as I saw the leaf sprig within the Christmas set I thought of using it as a wreath. I think it would frame or provide a border for any of the wording in the sets. I again used a 5 x 7 inch canvas panel as I love the texture when you brayer on it. I brayered all the colours we were to use, and knocked them back until they were quite pastel, then used the Snowflake in Glass Blue. I used the LB leaf stencil with the Guacamole. I black embossed the wonderful Dickens' quote from 'A Christmas Carol', and added in some of the resin flowers PaperArtsy sometimes sell at the shows, painted with London Bus.


Huge congratulations to Sara on the gorgeous stamp releases. It really put me in a mood to make my Christmas cards and that is saying a lot for me! They are such versatile and charming stamps. I would love you to go over and see what Keren, Alison, Wanda, and Sara herself have made with the stamps. Thanks for looking!