a Michelle inspired piece for Paperartsy

The oh-so clever and talented Michelle was the Birthday GD yesterday at Paperartsy and went to town with Fresco paints and Jo Firth-Young stamps.

Both pieces were so gorgeous and I couldn't wait to have a play - I started last night and carried on this morning before leaving for work - nearly making myself late in the process!  I finished it tonight when I got home.

I used the back of a much smaller frame  than Michelle used, as it was all I had to hand.. I also painted straight onto the back, without basing it with snowflake fresco first.   I used various colours - and didn't make a note of them..

 I added some crackle same as Michelle did (it didn't work first time, think the crackle layer was too thick) so painted over it and started again...

 Then added some Grunge Paste through the reverse chickenwire stencil, and snowflake paint in criss-cross patterns using an old credit card (I love this and covered 2 journal pages with the mopped up paint... can't wait to finish them now!)

Then added some stamped images from the Jo Firth-Young plate 15 and some of the flowers/leaves from 12 and 14, straight onto the frame.

Thanks so much Michelle, you really really inspired me, like you I love the background before the stamped images even go on top.... I too nearly left it alone!!

Paperartsy Challenge- It's all about the Hearts

This week, the incredibly talented France Papillon has finished her semester as GD for the Paperartsy blog - you have to catch her posts, they are fabulous as always....  I have made a tag based on her first project of the week.

For once, my crackle actually crackled!!

 I used Blood Orange as the base layer, and Snowflake over the crackle layer.

The sentiment is from HP1203

I used a Maya Road chipboard heart which I covered in Grunge Paste - I am getting towards the end of my pot, and it's gone quite stiff, so I just added one single thick layer, not three like France.

I used the ball chain from the chipboard pieces, to make the pattern in the GP.

I coloured it as France did, using a baby wipe, with Blood Orange and Stone, blending and dabbing.. I filled the holes with French Roast. Then I remembered to sand it, and re-painted the holes...!!

Thanks, France, for some more gorgeous projects this week - I hope maybe to find time to tackle another one!!

WOYWW - the new stash reveal! 14.8.2013

Morning all!! Hope you're ready for a feast of new stash.... as promised I had a big old splurge on Sunday just gone at the Stamperama stamp show in Stevenage...

I travelled with my friend Lin and met up with a load of other friends there... a great day was had by all! (check the post here if you're interested)  This is a really lovely, small, stamp-oriented show held twice a year (February and August) and I love it!! If you're ever able to get there I heartily recommend it.

Anyway, the stash... some of you saw this picture on Sunday

stamps (the wooden ones were a complete steal - £1 each - someone was obviously clearing out/closing down!)
Some of the Paperartsy stamps were brand new, never seen before designs...
paints, embellishments, and wooden 'stuff'
and what looks like sheets of white paper (top left) is in fact EZ mount for the unmounted stamp sets!

you can see some of the bargain wooden stamps here better, the "desk on the floor" shot! Not quite sure where I'm going to store them - my wooden stamp drawers are quite full...but I'll find a hole for them (before you all offer to "help" me!!

Hope you all have a great week - as always I failed to get round many of your desks last week, sorry! I'll try harder this time...

Just realised I've got all the way to the end of this post without telling you why I'm showing this  - it's for What's on your Workdesk Wednesday, check out the link at Julia's blog here 

Garden of Dreams

When Leandra was demonstrating at Stevenage on Sunday, my mate  Lin and I were enthralled by the way you can mix the metallic Fresco paints with translucent Fresco's to make the most scrummy metallic shades... so I had to have a play.

The London Bus mixed with Old Gold didn't work too well because I added too much of the red...but if you do it right, you get a great copper colour ... but the other shades are yummy! I used Pewter and mixed with Eggplant, and another lot with Hyde Park and Beach Hut (this was the one Leandra showed us)
I added some torn book pages to my journal page and slapped the paint on randomly....

 Then added some Grunge Paste through part of the Mini Punchinella stencil, and added another mix of paint - this one is Pewter mixed with South Pacific.. I think that may be my favourite so far!

 Then I started adding some stamps - some of the new Paperartsy minis

 and this morning before I went to work I stamped the flower and leaf from the new Lin Brown plate on white tissue paper and cut them out leaving a tissue border..

Tonight I painted on the reverse, with Blood Orange and Hyde Park respectively, and glued them to the page, with matte multi medium

I stamped 'garden of dreams' (from the Lin Brown set) on a piece of dried out baby wipe, and glued it over the leaf.

Despite using my daylight bulb, you can't really see the metallic shimmer in the paint too well, but do try it - it is a fabulous technique...we were trying to persuade Leandra to do a video on this, so fingers crossed!!

Stamperama - Funerama!

Well I have had a very tiring day but lots and lots of fun!!  Met up with lots of people once again - Lin, Alison, Carol, Kirsten, Rachel and her mum Janet, Sue (great to meet you!) Jo (also great to meet you) and some new people too!

First off you want to see the stash ..... not much.... (lying through my teeth)

 most of my day was spent watching these lovely ladies!! working their magic

 this is Lin in full flight - fab new stamps!!

loads of Lin's samples

 one of Leandra's

 Leandra's

 Lin's

and the main man, Mark - till magician!

and Leandra made this beauty - and gave it to me - thanks Leandra!!!



*** Edited for Sam who couldn't click on stash pic - some close ups!!

sorry about my awful carpet and the tatty rug!

Create Memories - Journal Page

More leftover paint on a journal page started this one off!! 

 I was trying to drip some gesso down the page, but thin though my tub of gesso is, it wouldn't drip far, so I used my gelli plate comb (not that I have a gelli plate!) to drag the gesso down the page.  Then I did the same from the bottom up, to meet in the middle.

Stamps are Dylusions, in cobalt archival.

Next to my favourite prim poppies die, (need to cut some more in black and white!) which I glued on.   Then the hunt started for some large single word stamps... luckily I remembered these (the Artistic Stamper) - perfect! 

TIO #147 - waste/rubbish, chipboard and male

It's Silvia's choice of recipe at DragonsDream Tag It On this fortnight - and she has requested Waste (or rubbish), chipboard and male theme. Don't forget you need to use at least one real stamp on your tag, and have fun!

I have been making a secret project for something and had need of sandpaper. So the used sandpaper is my waste element - I die cut "umbrella man" by Tim Holtz using it, and then added some distress ink.

My tag background is my stamp - it's the large number collage stamp also by Tim Holtz stamped in Chipped Sapphire distress ink, and Iced Spruce applied over and round the edges.  I sprinkled some water from my fingers allowing it to wicker a bit before drying, to give an appearance of raindrops. (they don't show up in the picture very well).

I took some chipboard letters to spell out rain man (didn't have room for umbrella, lol!) and painted them black.
Hope you have fun with this challenge - good luck!