Cracking the Metal

Over at the PaperArsty blog this week they have Suzz as the guest designer.  She's been playing with the metal card.  To see the technique, hop over to the blog here.

It is amazing and the lines and cracks you can see along the bottom half of the atc is where the metal is showing through as it's caught the light.  I stamped the image in black stazon and hi-lighted some areas with a white Posca pen and mounted onto red card.

A Happy Tag

Over at Stampotique this week Kaz wants us to show her a bit of happy.  So what could make me happier than firstly making a tag, using a combination of texture paste and puff paint through a stencil and just watching it evolve - the texture is fabulous.

Then painting it with the fabulous PaperArtsy freso paints.  Stamping some of my favourite Stampotique images and using my distress ink markers to colour them in.

Layers Upon Layers

Sandra our Creativity Venture leader has set me an extra personal challenge for this month.  This was the brief -

Avoiding the squares

Create a tag 

Using a quarter of each part of the tag to create something different 

Top left - Must consist of three layers

Top right and bottom left - Must consist of two layer

Bottom right - must be one layer   

Theme, medium and technique your choice. Size and shape of the the tag is also your choice. 

Have fun

Sandra has created these personal challenges to make us think outside the box, so rather than just do layers, I took a different approach.  For each section of the tag, I used the relevant number to represent the layers of paint, the number of times I used a stencil and finally the number of layers for stamping.  

So using the techniques show cased on the PaperArtsy blog from the last couple of weeks and a huge #12 tag, I set to it.

Top Right - l Layer

Paint layer - snowflake fresco paint

Stencil - Harlequin using mushroom fresco paint

Stamping - image and words stamped directly onto the tag

Doodling with black Posca pen

Top Left - 2 Layers

Paint Layers - Haystack and Hey Pesto

Stencils - Reverse of the above harlequin and small circles in mushroom

Stamping - image stamped onto acetate, bunting stamped directly onto the tag and another layer added over the top using 3d foam

Doodling with a white Posca pen

Bottom Right - 2 Layers

Paint Layers - Baltic Blue and Limelight fresco paints

Stencils - small circles in mushroon and alphabet in haystack

Stamping - image stamped directly onto tag, second layer using a white Posca pen and the clown hat

Doodling with a black and white Posca pen

Bottom Left - 3 Layers

Paint Layers - Brown Shed, Autumn Fire and Claret fresco paints

Stencils - Reverse of the alphabet, reverse of the small circles, bubble wrap in Guacamole

Stamping - image stamped onto acetate, back coloured with snowflake fresco paint

Doodling with black Posca pen

Seeing Stars

Over at Simon Says Stamp and Show this week they are also asking for stars.  I used my really useful Queen Tag stamp from Hampton Art and created this layered tag.  The row of stars are from the TH Rock Star stamp plate.  They were stamped in white versamagic ink and outlined with a white Posca pen.  I doodled around the outside of the bottom layer with a black Posca pen.

This is a close to show the individual layers.

It's all in the Stars

Over at this weeks PanPastelUk challenge they are asking to see 'stars'.  So I decided to have another play with my PaperArtsy paints and stamps and incorporated some of the fab technqiues the guest designers have been show casing over on the PaperArtsy blog.  I absolutely love this stamp from the LP #5 plate.  I used a #8 tag.

For this one I used a #10 tag which is much, much bigger but the image is huge!!  It's from the LP #10 plate.  

I can't begin to tell you how many colours of fresco paint I used to create the background.  I basically just kept layering them up until I got what I liked, then I sanded back.

Primadonna Wooden Canvas

Well not quite a wooden canvas!!  In fact, two pieces of wood 3.5" x 2.5" glued together to make a piece 3.5" x 5" for PaperArtsy technique #4 by Linda.

I created the background as per the technique, but used slightly different colours.  I also used different images as I don't have those either!!  As you can see, because of the ridge where I glued the wood together it didn't quite stamp properly.  I painted the bright gold wings with baltic blue paint and then swiped it off with a baby wipe to make them look more grungy and fitting for the piece.

After I'd used the white Posca pen I took out my black one and filled in the gap where the ink had missed the wood on the main image.

Clock Canvas Collage

Linda is back with her third technique of the week over at the PaperArtsy blog, which you can find here.  

Using my new clock stencil and texture paste I created the textured background.  I lightly sponged eggplant, claret, baltic blue, beach hut, pansy and nougat onto the canvas.   I stamped the images and words from the Ink and the dog, Clocks #3 plate onto tissue paper, cut them out and glued down with Mod Podge.  I swiped a black stazon ink pad over the canvas to pick up the texture paste.  I went back in with the paints and used a black Posca pen to hi-light the words.  I stamped the TH chicken wire in blaze red stazon and the script from the Ink and the dog background #2 plate in ultramarine stazon.  I edged the canvas with black paint.  Finally I added some watch parts to embellish.

This week the theme over at Out of a Hat Creations is clocks.  My canvas fits perfectly so I'm entering it into their challenge too.

PaperArtsy Tags

After I'd blogged my PaperArtsy tags here Leandra left me a comment and a challenge to do one using a snowflake background. She also listed loads more info about the paints and why they did what they did.  So here is my kraft tag with a base of snowflake fresco paint.  I used all the same colours and techniques as in the original post which you can find here.

Having read my mini master class in the comments Leandra kindly took the time to leave, then intrigued by what Helen did with her make, I did a black tag too.  Again using exactly the same colours and techniques.

These are the two images side by side.  Left is the black tag and right is the kraft tag painted with snowflake fresco paint.

Just in case you'd not realised, all the images are from my new stamp plate LP #10 which I won in last weeks draw.  Hence the reason I tied the keys on as they are from this plate too!!

So come on, what you all waiting for, get crafting and link up here.

Trio of Tags

It's the second technique from Linda Cain over at the PaperArtsy blog, to check it out, click here.

I've been experimenting again, this time I used from left to right, a kraft tag firstly painted with snowflake paint, a black tag and a kraft tag.  I just had to take a photo of them because look how well the black covered!!  I did have to improvise with the colours though as I don't have vintage lace or sky. I used mushroom on the middle tag and a mix of beach hut and nougat on the other two.

I also don't have any of the stamps used so again I improvised.  The main image is from the Wings #3 plate of the ink and the dog.  I die cut the Sizzix primitive hearts from the metal card and stamped the image in black Stazon.  The background script stamps are from Urban Snapshots, Young Love #4 plate.

Again the main image is Ink and the dog, Vintage Nudes #3 plate.  I also used the checkers from this plate and stamped the backgorund in blaze red stazon along with the script from the Backgrounds #2 plate.  The X is from the Word Play die, painted in nougat and stamped in red stazon with script from the LP 03 plate.

The background script is the same as the tag on the left.  The main image is from the At Home #4 plate, Ink and the dog collection.

Instead of mounting them all separately on black card and then sticking them together, I stuck them all to a large piece of black card, leaving a bigger gap on each side of the middle tag, cut them out and scored down each side of the middle tag.

I am also entering my tag trio into this weeks Stampotique challenge as their theme is 'Love'.

PaperArtsy Tags

Over at the PaperArtsy blog we are on the third week of the guest designers.  So pop over here to find out who it is and see the technique used to make the above tag.  

I've been experimenting again, hence the two tags.  I've used the same colours of Fresco paint on each tag.  The top one is on kraft card and the colours came out darker.  In fact the haystack and limelight were almost swallowed up.

And this one is a manilla coloured tag done in exactly the same way.  As you can see the colours came out much brighter.

I've put them side by side so you get a better idea of the colours, but I actually like both of them for different reasons.  I had great fun mixing and matching the stamps from the mini's, ink and the dog and LP sets.  In fact, I'd forgotten just what I did have!!

I'm also entering my tags into the Anything But A Card challenge, which has the theme of tie it up.

And look what I have to add to the collection.  I won this set in last weeks PaperArtsy draw, so what you waiting for, all you need is some PA stamps and Fresco paint, if you don't have them check out the on-line store here. You don't have to follow to the letter, just use the technique and improvise!!  Above all, have fun xxx

Inspiration for the New Year

Over at Stampotique this week they are asking for us to use our New Year's resolutions as inspiration.  I don't actually make them as I never stick to them, but LAST year I wanted to try and meet up with as many on-line crafty friends as I could, but due to my accident which took me out for 6 months, this limited my chances.  However, I did manage to catch up with Sue, Neet, Emma, Tracie and Clare.   I did manage a few craft shows and 2 workshops at AftH too.

This year I am hoping to go to Ally Pally in April so should meet a few people there!!  Watch this space!!

AJ Anything Goes

Over at Art Journey this month they have a free theme.  The only stipulation is to be in with a chance of winning the 10 Euro Gift Cert is to use AJ stamps.

This is another piece of my gelli plate background, never ending isn't it!! I stamped the images from the Grunge AJ plate and used black and white Posca pens to doodle. 

Most Useful Stamp

Over at Out of a Hat Creations this week, they have a brilliant challenge.  For me the choice was very easy.  Not only is this my most useful stamp, but it is one of my favourites - it's so versatile.

You can see it's well used.  I think it must be the blackest wooden rubber stamp I own!!  I also think it was one of the first stamps I ever bought!!  Great buy!!

This is the image stamped as a whole.

This is why it is so versatile, it's great for inchies, especially that face on a 1" piece of stampbord with a coloured background and scratched into.

The tags can be cut into individual tags and used together or separately.

And it makes a great decoupage image.

Don't know if you can see the depth you can achieve.

I've mounted all the tags and then the face again.

And the stamp and the circle from the two smaller tags.

I know I've been asked the name of this stamp before so here it is.  I do believe it's now discontinued, but if you get the chance of getting your hands on one, don't pass it up!!!

And finally I mounted it onto a piece of black card.

Frazzle Chillin' Out

Fraz chillin' on the settee

Then he heard the camera click, looked up and opened an eye!!!

 

Then he sat up to find out what he was missing!!!

Wax Scrapings

This PaperArtsy technique is part of the same one in the previous post which you can find here.  I blended the Artbar colours (A11) blue, (A13) cyan, (A02) yellow and (A18) kiwi for the background.

This is a close up of the main image with the wax scraped away in certain areas.

***Edited***

This tag won me a prize over at the PaperArtsy blog.

I chose the LP Collection #10 stamp plate.

Washed Out Script Tag

Played along with another of the PaperArtsy techniques Helen is showcasing which you can find here.  I used orange (A04), red (A05) and yellow (A02) Artbars.  I also did the scraping thing on the  image at the top, bottom and the hat.

This is a close up of the script stamping over the image.  I was going to go back in with a black pen and touch up the main image, but I quite like how it came out, so have decided to leave it be.

As you are quickly finding out, my LP stamp sets are limited!!

Let it Snow

I received this gorgeous card from a Twitter friend over in the USA.  I won't share what she has said inside but she has written some very kind words - thank you Susan.

Unfortunately the photo doesn't do it justice, but it's nearly dark and snowing a blizzard outside, so not much natural light.