Masterboards & Masks

Yesterday was my turn on the PaperArtsy blog - you can read the post HERE.  

Well, I finished painting the boards but I couldn't quite leave it there.....!

I mounted the black gesso'd panel onto heavyweight mixed media paperstock, stamped over the flower in black Archival and then embossed in Copper - but only the parts of the image on the black panel (otherwise the stamping would be lost).

I like this so much - with the added construction lines it reminds me of a vintage wallpaper design in the planning stages.

Thanks for popping by... 

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)

Just playing....

I bought Kelly Rae Roberts' 'take flight' book a while ago - great book... & yesterday decided I was going to make something - nothing in particular - just something - just play around and see what happened and I took my inspiration from the book & made a mixed media panel.

Started with this:

I added pretty much every type of medium I had at my disposal and made this.  I cut the panel into 4 and accented each panel with different colours of pencil...

I really enjoyed making this - kept thinking ooh I'll add this and then worried about what if went wrong... so what?! - paint over it and try something else - its only cardboard & paper covered in ink & paint!
(and if its really terrible I'll keep it to myself and not tell anyone! rofl  but I quite liked it (well, liked it a lot actually) so I thought I'd show you....)

In case you're wondering what I used here is the roll call:

we are memory keepers scrapbook papers

watered down acrylic paint (blue - horrible, babywiped that straight off - though it did stain a little)

watered down acrylic paint - white

Glimmer mists over a flower stencil

Pearfect Pearl mists

CraftyNotions Shake'n'spray

CraftyNotions Opaque white

masked circles

stamping & embossing in white

Stamping & embossing in pearlescent green

colouring pencils - blue, black, green, white,

Phew that's a lot of stuff - could have used more...
and there still time......

but maybe i'll save that for the next masterboard.....

Thanks for popping by... I'm off to tidy my poor neglected craft room.

Getting all 'loved' up over at Banana Frog

Its my Project of the Day over on the Banana Frog blog.. go take a look - I've got something ready for Valentines day...
Bev (Queen of the lilypad) has asked me to stay on as a Design Team member for another year - yay! (that was my big news) and I'm hopping with happiness to do so! (get it? ..HOPPING.. banana FROG.. oh never mind)
Go take a look.....

Hello Blog Hoppers!!

Hi, I hope you're enjoying your hop around the 'lilypads' of the Banana Frog Design Team. 

As our theme for this 'hop' is Flowers, and because its Spring (!?) I've created a cute little daisy themed book, measuring 3x3inches.

I used the 'Super Dreamy' set of stamps for the flower motifs and 'willing race' for the words.

I start with a plain white sheet (12x12in) and use a couple of ink colours to create the background  - this involves brayering (horizontally and vertically), stenciling, masking and of course - lots (and lots) of stamping. I really enjoy building up layers like this - the end result is unique - it would be really hard (impossible) to create the exact same design again.  That's the fun of it!  The 12x12 sheet is then scored, cut and folded to create a 'maze' book.

This photo shows that the images are not seperate to each other - they sometimes overlap - and when an image is masked off and another is stamped over the top layers can be achieved to give a sense of depth - like this orange circle and black daisy.

The Super Dreamy images have several variations of the daisy which makes it a great set for layering up and embellishment.


Some of the page spreads:

The book has pages that are glue together creating  little 'pockets' and so I made some tags to go inside - perfect for journaling or notes.

Thanks so much for hopping by - please comment if you'd like (or become a follower):  I love to know who visits my little space on the www!!

Enjoy the rest of the Banana Frog blog hop - your next stop is Michelle and you can find her lilypad HERE! 

testing testing one two three...