Workshop: Nature Blocks....

Hi

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you've been keeping well.

I've updated my teaching page and I wanted to let you know about a workshop I'm running this Saturday (14th September 2019) at The Artistic Stamper, Faversham, Kent.

This is the Nature Blocks workshop - its a gorgeous project of 3 wood blocks decorated with the latest release of JOFY stamps (you can see them HERE ) and we'll be working on all four sides of each block so you can move them around and rearrange them to your hearts content - there's never a wrong side!

What nicer way to spend the day?! 3 pieces of wood, your chosen colours, JOFY stamps and stencils (bit of Kay Carley in there too), PaperArtsy paints, tips and techniques on how to get the lovely (and surprisingly easy) ombre paint effect shown in the photo above, lovely lunch provided by Jennie (owner of The Artistic Stamper), good company of fellow crafters.... all resulting in a lovely project! (the project would/could also be a lovely present for the gardener in your life! (should I mention that, ahem, Christmas is only 106 days away)(no? is it too soon to talk Christmas?  oops)

That sounds to me like a day well spent!

If you'd like to join me in this workshop the deadline for signing up is Tuesday evening.. so don't delay.

To book a place go to www.theartsiticstamper.com or call the shop on 01795 597757.

Look forward to seeing you!!

Demo Day at Birds in the Barn....

Finally getting back to the blog! ... here are the cards/samples I created for a demo day at Birds in the Barn (Marks Tey, Essex) earlier in the month.  I really enjoyed using Kim Dellow and Zinski Art's stamps and stencils/masks to create masterboards, cards and panels.

 Lots of cutting out, paper piecing and layering up the flowers...

It was nice to use embossing powders again - the white embossing gives the masterboard a lovely delicate fresh look.

Stamp sets used were PaperArtsy EKD05, EKD06 and ZA08

#365Challenge.... 01-07 March

Hello there!

A new month means a new book for my #365challenge.  This month's book is made up of an abandoned 'journal' I found in a box (while I was looking for something else.... isn't that always the way!), the pages are 16.5x12cm... I really like the book's colour scheme so am happy to use it this month AND it means I'm using up the stash - win win!

I wasn't even put off by the liberal amount of yellow in this collection of papers! Its 'Brook' by Crate Paper, I really like the patterns and the slightly retro designs.  I teamed it with plain pages of dark grey, buff/kraft and white.

This month I'm 'framing' each of my pages to get photo continuity through the month. Marion Emberson, of Sugar&Spice Crafts & WOW! Embossing, used this frame on the WOW! retailer day - such a nice, interesting & inexpensive frame... originally it was white but I painted mine (Slate, Fresco Finish) grey  (we seem to paint a lot of things grey in our house!.... its the new black lol)

01 March:  I wanted to set myself 'goals/aims' on the first day but didn't necessarily want them on show so I stamped (in white ink) a pattern all over a sheet of vellum, cut it to size and attached it with wood print washi tape to the main page... cute way to disguise images and text you don't want seen...

and I also doodled onto the stamped images...  (I used stamps from EKD05, PaperArtsy)

02 March:  I doodled flower heads onto this cute flower print paper, and because I wanted to retain the print I painted a 'fade' over it so the paint (Chalk, Fresco Finish) is more opaque on one side of the page than the other - done by painting over in layers (drying between each layer).  The grass and stems were doodled on when the paint was dry.

03 March:  The word 'focus' always seems to be on my 'list of words to live by this year!' Always and this year is no exception - but this year I am actively doing this... not being swayed/ distracted by the things around me. (big white flower is from EKD05, again! Such a great set of stamps!)

04 March:  This page was created when I was experimenting/playing with the new Distress Oxide paints... that page was as dark as the frame when I started applying the ink - look how opaque they are! Really interesting inks. The background black images are from EKD05 (yes again!... they're on the desk - I can't help reaching for them!)
The 'flowers' are created with a die from a French company called SimplyGraphic.

05 March:  Today's question in the Flow Calendar (yes, I'm still considering those when creating my pages) was 'What can you not throw away?'  Corrugated cardboard!! love it! its so useful and easy to get hold of  - this page was made out of a box that tins of cat food came in.. :o)  Always happy to help with the recycling! lol

The sparkly splats were created using WOW! Mint Macaroon embossing powder - such a pretty colour.

06 March:  I'm getting ready for a demo day at Birds in the Barn, Marks Tey, Essex this coming saturday (11.03.17) and this is one of the samples I made in readiness for that.  Demo'ing paints, stencils and stamps (Kim Dellow's designs).  If you're in the area please come along, its free and runs from 10-3.30.

07 March:  Flow Calendar question of the day: 'What countries would you like to visit?'  For this page I cut up the atlas that formed the cover of February's book.... attacking the stash!  its a book that keeps on giving lol

So that's week 1 of March done... I'll try and post a page a day on Instagram, and a weekly round-up here on the blog... that's the plan... fingers crossed.

Thanks for popping by - if you have any questions pop them in the comments.

x

The freedom of going LARGE!!

Recently I had the urge to make something BIG!  Usually my projects using my stamps are quite small - and I always lean towards making small things (my C&G tutor would testify to that) but I just wanted - no, needed, to make something big.. or lets say bigger - going really LARGE is something I will have to build up to.

So I attacked the stash and pulled out some 6x6in patterned paper and cut 3 circles of different sizes - yes I cut them.. by hand.. with scissors.. not die cut.  You might wonder what the big deal is but for me if its a circle I like it to be accurate and round so normally I would die cut it  - but not this time!! This time I was liberating myself from neat and accurate - the piece would be 'better' if it things are not 'accurate'.. more organic...
I didn't have a plan - I was just going with the flow... making BIG JoFY flowers - they're my flowers so they can be any shape I choose - in the same way as if you were cutting out flowers/shapes they would be any shape you choose!

So three lovely circles, and 3 leaves later (I drew the leaves before I cut them out... I can only improvise so far! lol) I chose a board canvas to work on - 12 x 9 in - might not sound big to you but it is for me... all that white space.. but I embraced the space lol - painted it in shades of blue - Lake Wanaka, Inky pool and Blue Oyster.  Then I stuck on the 3 circles, shaded around the edges, drew stems, added the leaves.. a bit more shading and voila:

At this point (without any of the white pen work you can see) I liked it but kept thinking it was missing something - needed something 'more'.. but not too much.... (JoFY-ing it up as my OH calls it)... so I got busy with the white pen....

Now I love it - the simplicity, its joyful and the colours make me smile - luscious and ... well, juicy! ... especially the deep pink flower on left..

and now I want to go even bigger!!  which is good because I 'need' to make a firescreen for the new fireplace in lounge.. (40x90cm!)..... watch this space...

x