Thursday 26 November 2015

Paperartsy - topic 22 Masterboards

It's time for the last blog challenge topic of the year from Paperartsy - Masterboards - as you know I love making these, and had spent much of Sunday making them and turning them into Christmas cards. Sadly I didn't photograph any of them in the making, so would need to have another go (hurrah!) so I could enter the challenge. As always there was a fabulous video by Leandra to get us in the mood

But first, I'd like to say a big thanks to Paperartsy (and random.org of course) for the prize draw I won for the last challenge.  I have still to choose my goodies!

So, tonight, I have made another masterboard and even persuaded the computer to download the photos from the camera... eventually!
 I used shades of purple - starting with Eggplant, then Lavender and Moonlight, and a little Bougainvillea for some pink pop

I added a bit of Snowflake, as I wanted to be able to stamp on top.

Think there must be something on the underside of my craft sheet, that needs cleaning as I got lots of little dots where the brayer rubbed over the paper!
then I took some archival inks and some stamps - used Magenta Hue, Hydrangea and violet, and some circles (the large is a JoFY,the small joined ones are one of my fave SN plates) then some scratchy squares by Ellen Vargo.



took the Merry Christmas from HPXM08 and stamped it in black across the page, staggering the lines.
unfortunately the second row I managed to rotate the stamp for the first impression, so rather than throw the whole thing away (my first reaction) I embraced the imperfection and made it part  of the design..

It was looking a bit dark so I took some heavy white gesso, I was going to splatter it but it's too heavy, and wouldn't flick, so as I have an old toothbrush in my penpot, I used that and just dabbed the gesso over it - think it looks a bit like snow falling, don't you?

i'll make this into Christmas cards soon.  In the meantime I'm entering the Paperartsy challenge "masterboards" 

Wednesday 25 November 2015

WOYWW 338

Well, here we are again!  Time for another WOYWW 

I think, unlike Samson, the hair cut didn't affect my strength and I spent most of Sunday making Christmas cards, to the end result that.....
I have a very impressive pile of cards (although some need the greetings inside stamping and some need something else on front.. possibly, if time allows!) but ...49 done!  (not all on Sunday, obviously; I don't work that quick!)

My favourite masterboard technique is the reason I got so many done - even though I have no in progress pictures, I was just concentrating on doing as much as possible.

Since then, Paperartsy have announced their last challenge of the year - for, you guessed it, masterboards  - so I'll do another batch. The link takes you to a great video that Leandra filmed to help you if you've not done much "masterboarding".  Now, I'm off to pick my winnings for the randomly picked prize for their last Abstract  challenge (for my Paris journal page) ...

it occurred to me you may like to see the cards a bit closer, so I've laid them out for you.
and as you can see, I didn't do all masterboards, lots of different colour combinations and designs too (I get bored easily!)

Wednesday 18 November 2015

WOYWW 337

Welcome to another WOYWW (already, it was only just last Wednesday!) Christmas card production didn't really get off the ground at the weekend - look:


 so I cut up one of the masterboards and stuck them to some card blanks.. still need to have some finishing touches to them..
and then it stalled!
maybe this weekend... but I am having a long overdue haircut (my hairdresser has been off on maternity leave and Saturday is her first day back working.. hope her scissors are sharp!)




On the left of my workmat,  is the journal page I made at the weekend, for a challenge, but  in tribute to the Paris attacks
In case you didn't see it, I've put in here too.

Hope to see lots of your crafty workspaces over the next few days.  Head for Julia's Stamping Ground for the links.




Sunday 15 November 2015

Paperartsy 2013 - 21. Abstract

Good morning, and welcome to another challenge from Paperartsy - Abstract.  A wide open challenge to stretch the mind... but the awful tragedy in Paris on Friday night is the starting point for this journal page.

I was talking to my friend Sam on FB last night and it turns out that the sites of the restaurant and rock concert attacks were really close to where we stayed in Paris when we went to Version Scrap last year  - I had thought the streets looked familiar on the news, but then there are lots of streets like that all over the city. It makes it all so much more real, when you can completely relate to something like this.

I have no step by step photos, this came together really fast this morning.... hence, it's not my finest work, but it just had to go down on the page.

I started with red white and blue, the colours of the French flag (and our own of course)

the raindrops stencil represent the tears we shed for all who have lost loved ones  (not just in Paris, but anywhere) due to such dreadful attacks.

the sentiment is from Dina Wakely's hearts set, and the eye, is by Limor Webber for Indigo Blu



Mark and Leandra's daughter Courtney was in Paris at the time, but safe and is now back home, for which we are all grateful.

Entering this to the Paperartsy Abstract challenge 

Wednesday 11 November 2015

WOYWW 336 I should be making Christmas cards...

Hello and happy Wednesday, fellow deskers.  If you're not sure why I am sharing a picture of the mess that is my workspace today, check Julia's here

well as the post header says, I should be making Christmas cards... I'm not.. not right now anyhow.. I did move the masterboards that I've made (a couple at the WOYWW crop the other week, and one I did earlier at home) to the workspace to try and encourage me.. so far it's not working..  I had better stay in all weekend and get on with them!

So short and sweet from me this week, to make up for last time!  I'll see you at Julia's!

Sunday 8 November 2015

#20 - Triptychs for Paperartsy

We are closing in on the end of the Paperartsy Triptych challenge - another couple of hours - and I have decided to enter this journal page I did yesterday, even though it's not a traditional triptych in the sort of icon style you normally associate with them; I do like the use of trios in art.  There were some fabulous posts over the fortnight starting here


I started with torn book page under a coat of Beach Hut Fresco, and some blue Bistre which I spritzed so much several of my pages fell out of my journal... some sticky tape and glue later the journal was back intact and I could carry on.. I stencilled grunge paste through part of a Crafters Workshop stencil and stamped the Dina Wakley hearts on white card, before deciding on the direction they should take over the pages.. "follow your heart" is from an Invoke Art words set.. I then dripped some Ecoline ink along the top edge of the journal and spritzed it again as it dripped down my pages.

Wednesday 4 November 2015

WOYWW 335 Full of crop photos!

So, we went, we ate cake and chatted, drank some tea (or coffee) and chatted and ate more cake... then there was lunch and more cake... a normal WOYWW crop, on a lovely warm sunny autumn day in Burbage
Some crafting even got done!  Hopefully I'll be forgiven this photo-rich post

 I travelled "light" and compact with some supplies.. always hard to know what I'll want to use, always end up taking too much of the wrong thing, and forget that one ink pad or stamp set...
 the hall looked fabulous ready for a quiz night.
Kyla made use of the stage to lay out her quilt for pinning..
 I did some work on a journal page, and also made some masterboard backgrounds for Christmas cards, although I seem to have forgotten to photograph those, and this post is already long enough  so I'll leave them for another time!
 a crowd gathered round Dolores' (Cardarian) beautiful quilt helping her work out how to do something or other (as you know I'm not a seamstress of any kind!)
It is truly gorgeous, Dolores!
Kyla busy pinning her quilt layers together
 Chief cook LLJ and Mary Ann catching up with a good natter.  Shaz's hat suits you Jan...
 Diane and David, Fiona all working away.
 It was wonderful to see Shaz (and Doug) - Shaz, you looked so much better than I feared you would after your ordeal. Hope you had a safe journey home.
From the bottom, Lizzie (you are no newbie now and it was lovely to meet you) Cindy, Doug, Shaz, Margie and Debbie
 Couldn't miss grabbing a pic of Shaz in her witch's hat.
 Diane, Dolores and David - great to see him actually crafting with us!
Fiona and Lisa Jane
 Cindy (who very kindly gave me a lift each way) doing some paperfolding making Christmas decorations
 Debbie and Julia having a good chat (told you there was lots of chatting)
and Kyla, now trying to sew her quilt together!

Thanks go always to Jan for the fabulous lunch, (and Fiona for the now traditional lemon drizzle cake!) and to all of you deskers for making such a great occasion.

Let's do it again soon.... lol!!