Remedy for a wintery day...

... a wintery day in JUNE!!  The heating has kicked in and I'm wearing a cardigan and socks! (and other clothes obviously but those noted are the NOT usual clothes for JUNE! in the UK!)... what is going on!!

Aaaanyhoo as a tonic to the dismal weather I sketched, stamped, painted and doodled this summery journal spread in my large Dylusions journal.

Stamps: in background, flower from JOFY77
Paints:  Cerise, Butternut, Snowflake, Stone, Caribbean Sea, Hint of Mint.
Pencils:  Faber Castell Polychromos


Thanks for stopping by

ALBOTAT: Do It Now

A spread in my small Dylusions journal to 'document' what I've learned from the events of the past 18 months and that is to..

'do it now' 

ie don't put it off 'til tomorrow because you never really know whats going to happen tomorrow do you - whether its good or bad... so {try to} do it now, today... free up tomorrow by doing it today.

 This spread started off like this...

... a sketched page that had been in there a while and I wasn't sure how to progress it - but the empty space in the bottom left hand corner was perfect for adding words to!

This was a relaxing spread to create - lots of sketching and pencil colouring (Faber Castell Polychromos), the black pen I used is a Posca.

Craft Stamper Magazine, July...

.. available in all WHSmith shops and independent craft stores now (and online if you'd rather get your creative fix that way!).. and I'm happy to have a project in there this month...

Its a really lovely summery issue - you won't be disappointed!

I've almost run out....

... of masterboard to play with...  Using the panel I created:

2 12x12 scrapbook/journal pages
3 cards (14x14cm)
1 canvas panel...

... and I'll finish with a fairly simple card - a piece of masterboard  in the centre with flowers added covering/matching the flowers on the panel and spreading over the edges.

I mounted one of the flowers on 3d foam to add depth and interest, and a bit of bling- always nice to have a bit of bling:

Hope these projects have inspired to you make a masterboard and create projects with it.

xx

When paving becomes pretty...

... our garden patio has paving slabs - they came with the house & I quite like them - its like ordered crazy paving... I like the straight lines and the simple design - & I often look at them, see patterns and how it could be translated into a art/craft idea...

(that's Bertie by the way, doing that 'pay me attention' thing that cats do!)

... inspiration from the paving slabs gave me the idea for this:

.. another project created using the masterboard I created for this and this post over on the PaperArtsy blog.   It is a canvas panel (PaperArtsy has a nice range of these that can be found here) which I rough painted with Chalk, Snowflake & French Roast Fresco Finish paints (go here to see the range).
I wanted this project to be less 'pristine' and so I coloured the edges of the board (with Frescos) and all the edges of the cut out patterned paper/card squares/rectangles (with Distress Inks).
I played around with the layout and combination of papers, flowers and shapes.... I moved them about A LOT!! but there comes a time when you have to walk away, have a cuppa, come back, STOP FAFFING with the project and stick the pieces in place!! lol

Tomorrow I'll have another project for you using the masterboard - oh yes I still have some pieces left to play with!

I hope you're having fun with the masterboards you've created.

x

Masterboard Madness....

... over on the PaperArtsy blog tonight with the second part of the masterboard project.  You can see it here

Over the next few days I'll be blogging some other smaller ideas using the remaining bits of the masterboard...

xx

Spring has sprung....

.... over on the PaperArtsy blog where my project this month is a lovely floral masterboard to welcome in Spring...

xx

Just wondering how....

.. this DoCrafts Gorguss girl would look combined with my stamps... buying DoCrafts stamps is not something I normally do but I couldn't resist this one:

- I could see the possibilities of using her with my stamps - she's a nice size & stands alone ((nothing round her- some images in the group had animals)) and so could be placed in amongst my flowers..

.... I stamped the image on a piece of scrap Smoothie that was on my desk - I just wanted to see how she stamped out.. but then I kept going 'how would it look with flower stems', and 'what about leaves'  - by the time I'd finished I created the panel!
I was just playing - the Gorjuss image is quite cute (a bit of cute now & then can't do any harm can it) but I kept the colour relatively neutral & tried to dampen down the cute with the corrugated card but don't think it distracted much :o)  

But I don't mind  - she makes me smile.

I can see several more of these being created!  too cute..!  The co-ordinating papers (sorry, couldn't resist those either) are quite dark - greys, purples & reds- maybe I'll make a 'gothic' one.

x

oooh I do like to be beside the seaside Part 1

.... It felt quite seaside-ish sitting at my demo table at The Craft Barn on Saturday surrounded by beachy images, stamps and samples... It was a lovely day- time to chat with customers about the new stamps, Fresco Finish paints and whats coming up in the next month or so (taps nose in I've-got-a-secret-type way).

But, note to self, DON'T FORGET THE CAMERA! doh because I did forget my camera so, for some of the samples I made on Saturday, the only photos I have were taken on my phone - apologies in advance:

Started the day with a book cover.
I love using the Stix2 Stamp Masking sheets for masking off images - such good thin surface to stamp futher layers over.. Paints used are Nougat, Beach Hut, Elephant, Haystack (lightened) Baltic Blue, London Bus and of course last but not least - Tinned Peas.

Then a wooden thermometer - the photo of the whole piece wasn't quite in focus so here's the detail shot: The letter are corrugated card board die cut using the Sizzix/Tim Holtz 'word play' die.  The hut image was stamped onto scrapbook papers (my minds eye) which was then painted with Baltic Blue and detail added with Aquarelle pencils (faber castell).

Next it all got a bit shabby chic - this is an idea I've had right from when I was designing the stamps - I wanted to be able to paper-piece the images together - creating an almost patchwork effect:  Created using My Minds Eyes papers (a 6x6 pad - love these pads - 12x12 sheets shrunk to 1/2 size - perfect!) with a bit of Claret & Elephant Fresco Finish (bit of Tuape and Nougat on the canvas board base) (canvas measure about 5x7 cm):

... and this is the mini23 version: again with scrapbook papers and this time each roof is coloured using the Aquarelle pencils:

... and every day at the seaside should include a bit of sandcastle building:

This card - lovely and simple card, coloured using the Aquarelle pencils as part of a demo to a customer - it makes me smile - lovely bright sunshine colours...

I'll have a couple more samples to show you tomorrow.....

x

Introducing Agatha - My She Art Girl!

 I recently took Christy Tomlinson 'She Art Girl' online class.  I love how she builds up layers of background, and creates these 'art girls'.  My one, Agatha, is created on recycled mount board (6x12in) - I'm proud of the fact I didn't use a pattern - I just drew her, cut out the pieces and stuck them down - normally I would make sure the everything was symmetrical (like her dress and body shape) but ooh no this time I just stuck the bits down!  Very liberating.

I really like her boots! - she was going to have slouch socks too but, ahem, I forgot to stick them on before the boots! oops - nevermind - I'll just use them on another Art Girl.

 I like the fact that she doesn't have a face - if the face is wrong it can spoil an image - so best to leave it off. :o)

I thought I'd show you Agatha and her sketch - it helped to sketch it out so I could see where everything would sit on the canvas and how/if it would look balanced (I reeeeaaally like the sketch! - its just pencil on a board - I might sketch over it in pen & keep it...)

I've got spray paints & cartidge paper and I'm not afraid to use them.. Part 1

.. & not afraid to make a mess either!  Embracing the 'throw paint at it' approach. 

I mentioned before that I gave up my studio space and everything there had to come here which meant a big sort out was needed.  I have been sorting out, throwing out and its been a really worthwhile experience - I've rediscovered all kinds of things -
lots of things to alter
lots of babywipes
and lots and lots of card blanks!
but more importantly lots of inspiration!!

Its a win win scenario - more space, more inspiration!

So lots of masks were rediscovered (while putting away the ones I already had)(putting things away - how novel lol) - I was distracted from tidying up to quickly cover a page in my sketchbook:

I really like how the scrap paper looks when you move it away from the project - love that big clean space with the colour around it.
Then one thing lead to another:  I left the sheet on the desk and used it while playing with more stencils and masks... (I've been looking at the work of Roben-Marie Smith of PaperBag Studios, Christy Tomlinson, Dyan Reaveley (Art from the Heart), and Dina Wakely and how they use colour and layers in their work. I don't want my work to be as colour heavy as theirs but I enjoy the free-ness (is that even a word?!) of what they do.)
This was definitely a 'throw-something-at-it-and-see-what-happens' page - just playing with the masks - positive and negative versions of...

added a bit of detailing around the edges - this silver pen is FAB - a Faber Castell Indian Ink pen (Christy Tomlinson got me onto those)

 .. bit of 'journaling' - saying: I made this, its mine and I 'own' it (ie it came from me and I should stand by it...)

The sheet is quite big (a2) and so I decided it was going to be more useful to me cut down to postcard size than an A2 sheet! So now I have yet more postcards waiting for.. erm.. something.

For the curious ones of you out there- this is the cartidge paper I'm using (rediscovered in the move - yay!), Windsor & Newton.  Its a really nice weight to work on - doesn't get soggy too quickly...

(smaller pads are available lol)