Christmas Wishes

I didn't want my last post of the year to be such a sad one so I have decorated this chirpy Christmas tree which was a wooden box which contained M and S truffles last Christmas. I have used lovely JoFY bauble stamps from PaperArtsy and Fresco paints. Thank you so much for the kind comments I have received; it means so, so much to me.

Christmas, I hope, will bring me healing quiet and rest and freedom from responsibilities for me to come to terms with what has happened. I hope you all have a very happy, peaceful, and relaxing Christmas, surrounded by those you love.

RIP Big Davy

My Beloved big brother David died on 20 November 2015.

Looking up at him adoringly in my Pixie hat, knitted by Mum

He had to have what everyone else was having!

What a heartbreaker!

He played flute, sax, and guitar

https://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2015/11/25/remembering-big-davy/

Colour Block Christmas Tree - Abstract Art for PaperArtsy

Over on the PaperArtsy blog I am delighted to have my attempt at a piece of abstract art with a colour block Christmas Tree made out of wooden blocks from old rubber stamps.

Thank you so much for looking!

Japanese Faces Fan for PaperArtsy Faces Challenge

Over on the PaperArtsy blog, the theme is Faces. Definitely outside of my comfort zone by several planets! Wearable art was much more me. I totally commend my lovely friends and fellow bloggers who have had a go and shown such talent and spirit. There was a brilliant intro to the topic where Leandra featured lots of lovely people, many of whom I know and admire, and I would love it if PaperArtsy brought out some more face stamps from amongst the clever people out there that folks like me could use in our crafting. For now I am entering the challenge in a rather desultory way, with this fan, using Japanese faces from the wonderful Lynne Perrella range (022 and 023 and Asian plate 4), using Fresco paints and some Gloss Glaze for a lacquered look.

Silk Scarf for PaperArtsy Wearable Art Challenge

I decided to decorate a huge plain white silk scarf which Petra kindly gave me. I brayered on lots of colours of Fresco, and then knocked them back with Nougat.  I then decorated the edges with the chequerboard stamp from Lin Brown's new set in Bougainvillea.

I chose the colours mainly to go with this chunky necklace from Boden although it is more red in it than pink.

I had a lovely colourful workspace afterwards! You can see the Costa coffee my friend kindly brought me whilst I was 'working'! I've got the best friends ever!

I'm entering this scarf into the PaperArtsy Wearable Art challenge.

Floral Espadrilles for PaperArtsy Wearable Art

I decorated these espadrilles for the PaperArtsy Wearable Art Challenge. The apron was a bit of a trial run. I used solely the new Limited Edition Lin Brown Fresco colours, some of them mixed to obtain extra colours, and Lin Brown floral stamps.

These aren't very seasonal but they fit well and I will definitely wear them next Spring/Summer and am looking forward to making some to match other outfits. They were very quick and easy.

I am entering them into the challenge which is here.

Apron for PaperArtsy Wearable Art Challenge

I've been wanting to make myself an apron for ages and with a Lin Brown class coming up and the Wearable Art theme over on PaperArtsy, it was the push I needed. I knew it needed to be washable so I used a fabric medium mixed in with the Frescos, which I had never done before, a Liquitex one.

I used Lin Brown stamps, new, recent, and slightly older floral and text stamps. It was easier than I thought and I will definitely do a more ambitious design and use a better quality apron next time - I just used a cheap one as I didn't want to mess up one of the £10 heavy weight ones. The only thing is, I preferred my design before I added on and painted the poppy as it looked much more delicate. Less is More, Lucy!

I am entering it into the challenge here.

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.

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!

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.

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!

Stencilled and Stamped Flowers Pencil Box

 I needed another case for pencils, pens, and brushes and thought I would decorate one for the PaperArtsy 'Flowers' challenge. I used the strong tissue they sell and brayered it with Tango, Tangerine, Caribbean Sea, Banana, and Hey Pesto, knocking it back with Buff. I then added stencilling in the same colours with JoFY and Lin Brown flower and leaf stencils, and stamping from JoFY's recent French releases and the latest Lin Brown stamps, which are gorgeous, using Wendy Vecchi archival inks to match the paints, including the new Tiger Lily colour, which is lush!

I painted the sides of the box with a mixture of Tango and Tangerine because it would have been difficult to get the lid on if I had covered the whole thing with the tissue, so I lined it instead. I had planned to decorate the top with the lovely JoFY chipboard flowers, stamped with the matching stamps as shown here, but I have only placed them on as I decided the box would have too much handling and stuff shoved on top of it. I also really liked the stencilled tissue. The flowers won't be wasted, of course!

I am entering this into the PaperArtsy flowers challenge.

Broderie Butterfly for PaperArtsy and New Stamp Releases and Samples

I'm retyping this blog post as for some reason it has deleted itself, so please accept my apologies if it turns up in your feed again, but I would rather everything stays on my blog as a record of things I have made. It's probably ok for me to put the whole picture on here now and not just the sneak peek but if you would like details of how it was made, hop on over to the PaperArtsy blog here. It was inspired by a present of an embroidery hoop from my dear friend, Petra.

So this is a good opportunity to say, do hop on over to PaperArtsy anyway as there are some absolutely gorgeous samples all this week, showcasing the new release of luscious new stamp collections! Thanks for looking and have a great weekend!

JoFy Stencilled Card for PaperArtsy Stencil Challenge

I made this card to go with the presents for Mum's wonderful carer. I used a background of Chatsworth paper and stencilled Grungepaste through the Art Is stencil and the new Hot Picks numbers stencil, then mixed some with Brusho in Lemon through a Crafters Workshop hexagon stencil and the mixture from before through the leaf stencil ELB 002 and grungepaste with Brusho in Orange through the JoFY Bloom stencil. I painted some of the Eclectica chipboard pieces and used stamps from the two new JoFY French sets 35 and 36. I finished off by stamping the scallop from JoFY35 twice onto some of the Chatsworth I still have left that I transferred onto canvas and used it to trim the bottom of the card, with a row of flat backed pearls.

I am entering this into the PaperArtsy stencil challenge.

Hessian Stencilled Canvas for PaperArtsy Stencil Challenge

 

Over on PaperArtsy the challenge theme is Stencils which is great fun! I used a hessian canvas which I covered with gesso and transferred some pieces of Thorndon Hall using the gel medium transfer method so it looked like the picture above. When I was at the Craft Barn demo day a few weeks ago I bought some Brushos. I was desperate to try them but of course they had to sit acclimatizing in my craft room for a little while! I thought it would be great to try mixing them with Grungepaste as the colours looked so vibrant and, being dry, I thought they would keep the paste firm. I really liked the way you get a strong colour rather than a pastel colour from the white of the paste. I started off with Leaf Green for the leaf spray from the ELB002 stencil but I didn't like this colour at all! Really bright! So I added loads of colours in desperation and in the end added some Brown. I also used an Art Is stencil with Snowflake paint for a bit of script background. I used the two sizes of flower from the ELB003 stencil with Grungepaste and two shades on them, some Purple and some Scarlet. Then I used Brown for the Secret Garden from ELB004.

I finished off with some JoFy stamps on shrink plastic in matching colours and a flatbacked cotton reel - love these!

This canvas is going to be a little extra present for a very special person who has a birthday on Sunday; my wonderful dear friend and sister of my heart who looks after my mum.

I am entering this into the PaperArtsy stencils challenge, and Countryview Challenges June Challenge which is Shabby Chice.

Vintage Powder Compact for PaperArtsy Hidden Things Challenge

 

On the PaperArtsy blog the theme is 'Hidden Things'. This really inspired me and I have loads of ideas but not enough time! The idea I would have done for their blog if I hadn't done the Russian nesting dolls was a vintage compact. You know how they used to have a hidden section which clicked open, to keep the powder puff separate from the powder. I thought that would be perfect for a little hidden image once I had got rid of all the powder and stuff, and it could then be a handbag mirror, with a vintage feel.

Here are some photos of the brass compact I bought on ebay which is extremely tarnished.

The front has a pretty rose design but you can hardly make it out so I sat in the garden and spent half an hour rubbing it with Treasure Gold in Brass.

This is the front of the compact after the Treasure Gold treatment.

Under the hidden flap is one of the beautiful Liz Borer designs. I embossed it onto cardstock painted with Nougat and then painted it with Frescos. Then I covered the whole thing with Glossy Accents. I am entering this into the PaperArtsy challenge 'Hidden Things'.