Ombre blooms....

When I'm designing workshops options/ideas get discarded along the way (because they're not quite suitable for the event etc etc etc)... and this canvas was one of them... I'd painted the backgound (I love an ombre background!) and the flower stem (grunge paste through stencil PS131) and it sat propped against the side of my desk for a while... and then I caught it with my foot one too many times and I picked it up again to work on it....

This is a 50x20cm canvas... which is quite large (!!)... (for me anyway!)

I stamped scribble flowers randomly along the bottom area of the canvas using Pearl Glaze - I like how it catches the light but doesn't crowd the area.

The top edges are filled with dangling leaves and tendrils.  The gold spots are created by running glue dots around the edges and laying foil over the top...

Here are the stamp sets I used:

I think the canvas might need some butterflies or something but for now I've reached the 'put the paint brush down, move away from the canvas' stage of the project.

I'm saying its done... finished.

Thanks for stopping by

Yesterday was a GOOD day!

A good day for many reasons including..
* It was beautifully sunny
* The roadworks on the M25 were finished - no more crawling along in traffic at 50 miles an hour!!  (yes I am that easily pleased)

* but most of all, after a break of NINE WEEKS!, I taught a class - and that makes me happy!

I was at The Craft Barn to teach a card & tag class - using all things JOFY & PaparArtsy - to a lovely group of ladies... paint, ink, stamps, stencils, grunge paste - we used them all!

(nb: the tag looks small - its actually big - 10.5x21.5cm, size 10)

We used stamp set JOFY23 which has flowers and a vase - yes, its a vase (sometimes mistaken for (and used as) a dress - which I can understand lol)...
The vase is quite tall and when filled with flowers is even taller, so a tall card is needed such as this DL sized card (10x21cm) below.

This card was created using lots of scraps of scrapbook paper - LOVE using scraps and papers this way.

Don't worry if tall cards aren't your 'thing' - here's a quick card I made during yesterday's class showing that the vase could be made smaller & used on a smaller card (13.5x13.5cm:

All I did was cut off about 2-3 cm off the bottom and draw a couple of lines across - similar to the ones that are used on the image.
... the photo doesn't really show how much smaller the vase is so here's the 3 versions together...

It was a lovely day at The Craft Barn - that has some very nice new products (couldn't resist some new sprays and paper pads) - go check out their website where you will also find details of the annual Extravaganza!!

I'll be there on Sunday demo'ing all things JOFY/PaperArtsy.. hope you can come along - its a fabulous crafty inspirational weekend.

I'm looking forward to it very much - its good fun!

Weekend in Warwickshire....

... teaching workshops at Pink Tulip Creations ... such a fun weekend with lively groups of 16/17 inky painty peeps - they might not have been inky painty when they arrived, but they were by the time they left!

Learning about Fresco Finish paints, including the yummy new colours! and creating a canvas (full photo is here)...
It was a great weekend - the shop was full of lovely stock, nice airy classroom area... and lovely people - thank you Sheila and the team!  Look forward to seeing you all again in October!
Brace yourselves- I'm bringing Christmas!!!

On the way to dinner I saw some 'proper' gypsies camped at the side of the road - Romany Gypsies with round topped wood caravans - and countless ponies (all in v good condition) - that was a treat for me to see but apparently quite common in and around Warwickshire ... its times like that I realise what a townie I am!  Our 'gypsies/travellers' in Essex come with 4x4s and permanent caravans! Not quite the same thing!

I have also rethought my relationship with the satnav - we were getting on well... until on the way home it took me OVER the M40 (the motorway I arrived in Warks on) and across the country to the M1!! and its queues of traffic!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY! WHY WHY WHY!!  stupid machine! lol  but I was home in time for Downton Abbey so that's OK! lol  (so, Downton Abbey - anyone else spend most of the episode trying to remember what had happened to everyone at the end of the last series? lol no, just me and mrjofy then! lol)

Tick Tock...

... is the Canvas Workshop I'll be teaching at The Artistic Stamper on Saturday (7th Sept)..

There are still a couple of places left so if you fancy a day of inky, painty fun then come and join us - contact the shop to book a place.

xx

An Old Seadog's Sanctuary....

I started this project many many months ago... I planned to make this 'Beach Hut' (or Portaloo as they're affectionately known) from PaperArtsy into a Scrapheap Hut... I gathered together tires from toy cars, I covered the roof in scraps of metal 

I stamped the walls in Sky Fresco Finish and washed with French Roast... (I LOVE how the walls turned out - the hut looks as if its been created from boxes found in a skip or washed up on a beach)

... it was all taking shape & looking good.... and then I was distracted by other things and it has sat on a shelf since then... niggling at me each time I walk past... 

....until today... when it became 'An Old Seadog's Sanctuary'.... I can just imagine a gnarly old fisherman or sailor (cross between Capt Birds Eye and the uncle from Only Fools & Horses) sitting outside on the wood smoking a pipe...

This shabby little retreat was inspired by several things- a display at Birds in the Barn, the Dungeness home of director and artist Derek Jarman and a bag of shells I brought home from Mexico (last April, that was STILL on my desk  waiting to be put away - sometimes it pays not to be of the 'tidy' variety! lol)... all those elements look lovely against the dark background of the hut...

 ... and a phrase from JOFY16 which is available in shops now ( www.birdsinthebarn.co.uk have JOFY16 and mini23 & 24 in stock)

 ... pleased that all the little bits and pieces around the hut are found or rescued - shells from Mexico, the Portaloo was rescued, the gravel is from a flower or candle vase... OK the wood is a bit of a cheat - Artemio sells boxes of 'driftwood': lovely smooth pieces of wave worn wood ... I have some sea-worn glass pieces but I have no idea where (!) when they turn up (probably when I'm looking for something else) I'll add it to the composition.

... but for now I'm happy with it.....

I'll have some more projects to show you this week made with my new stamps and on Saturday I'll be demo'ing them over at The Craft Barn, South Nutfield.

I don't think we could have been more inky painty...

.... than we were today in my Fresco Finish workshop at Birds in the Barn... but just to make sure I'll do it all again on Sunday with another group!...

The group created a selection of tags using various surfaces, paints, glazes, JOFY stamps, & pastes...

... which were then all tied up nice and safe in a cardboard wrap:

Looking forward to running the workshop again - and if you're coming on Sunday its advisable to bring an apron!... just sayin!  lol

:o)

A lovely time was had.....

..... at Crafting Time on Sunday by me while teaching my 'Grow' canvas workshop to 13 ladies willing to get inky painty.

Using JOFY stamps, Fresco Finish paints, Grunge Paste and stencils they created lovely canvasses (20x20cm) - here are a couple of snapshots, - sorry there aren't more but my other photo's weren't up to much - not in focus, bad lighting - not my best photography day.

 Liz did a beautiful job of painting the flower heads - they look so round and juicy!

I think this is Jackie's - the 'mermaid' Fresco Finish was an unusual choice for the petals on this flower and really pop off the page - love it!

I'm looking forward to going back to Crafting Time soon. Keep an eye on my Workshop/Classes page for dates.

Anyone fancy a JOFY-painty day?....

... if so there are still a few places left on my class at Artistic Stamper this coming Saturday...

Contact the shop to book your place - I look forward to seeing you!

A Crafty Day at Colemans....

... is what I had on Saturday... Its called Colemans Warehouse but I'm not sure that does it justice! Soooo many great craft items under one roof ....

It was a really enjoyable day.... & a busy, creative day (judging by the amount of paint and ink that was on my hands!)  Thank you to all the lovely people who came and watched my demos - with JOFY Stamps- thanks for the lovely comments, & the PaperArtsy Grunge Paste (whats not to love about that product!) and the general 'oooh'ing and 'aaaaah'ing at the reliability of the Crackle Glaze!  it works I tell you... every time!

Speaking of Crackle Glaze & JOFY stamps:

The crackle on this wooden block (liked these blocks a lot) has been painted on in areas rather than all over to demonstrate that its possible to do that - you don't have to crackle an entire surface...
The flowers are painted with Fresco Finish, stamps are from JOFY12

This smaller wooden block is a perfect size to use with a Mini stamp - Mini10

Towards the end of  demo days I seem to create what I'm going to start calling 'scoop up' creations - items that I make from all the bits that are left on the desk:

Gotta love a tag!  especially a corrugated cardboard tag, with flowers and a button - the second button of the day!  I only used two buttons all day - very restrained for me! lol

Look at the size of my demo desk!!! I laughed when I saw it - now that's what I call a demo desk! lol - lots of space to spread out and get messy on.. ahem not messy - no, creative on...

Its lucky the desk was this big as I took lots of samples with me and I'm always happy to do that- items that have previously been posted here on the blog.  But, I hope that the people who watch demos, look at and photograph the samples understand that as a demonstrator I make and show samples not to have them copied but to provide inspiration that hopefully acts as a springboard for their imagination, so that they can go home and create their own projects.

* * * * *

I'll be returning to Colemans on the 30 August for the demo day, and on the following day (01 September)(duh, sorry to state the obvious! lol) I'll be running 2 card making classes - JOFY Florals in the morning and Christmas Cards, yes Christmas Cards(!) in the afternoon.


aaaanyhoo - back to the studio - things don't design themselves do they! ...

Enjoy your day

Mostly I am here....

.... but today I can be found over on the ever-so-inspirational PaperArtsy blog... head on over and take a look at the project I made.....