This moment, textures.

It being the period between Christmas and New Year and the roads and pavements covered in snow, seems the ideal opportunity to play.
Yesterday I started to play with bits of paper and textures. First I covered my page with Fresco Toad Hall.
Next, I tore up pieces of script, lovely old map with gauze backing, music, shiny paper and glued them down with matte medium.

I scraped on some Grunge paste and pressed objects into it for texture,fork, bottle top etc. I sanded it back, added more layers and worked on it until it looked weathered.
I mixed some gloss medium with some fresco Tikka and French Roast and rubbed it into all the nooks and crannies with a piece of kitchen roll. Finally, or so I thought, I scribbled with crayons and pencil.

I was really pleased with my work. It reminds me of books that I had or my parents had that, at some point I have scribbled in or written my name.

Anyway, this morning I looked with fresh eyes and decided that it needed a focal point. I messed about for ages and eventually decided upon some flowers which I aged and stuck down with masking tape.

Even more pleased now.

Heres the finished piece.

And the photo that my son took. Cant decide which is best.

3UP stencils

Hi everyone. Sorry, but I forgot until now to blog my entry. that long since I did it too.
My project is called by Dina Wakley, reduction stencilling because you wipe away some of the paint or crayon.
After gessoing the page, very important, I layed down blocks of portfolio pastels and fresco paints.

I then laid the hearts stencil over and removed paint etc with a baby wipe.
I layered it by adding more paint through the stencil and stamping script through the stencil.
I drew the hearts through the stencil and cut out manuscript shapes.
because it was my practise piece, I scribbled on it and messed about. I liked the messing about and kept it! I finished with a Sara Naumann sentiment.

Here is another version as I was experimenting with colour.

Thanks for looking and thanks to Paperartsy for the opportunity!

Neville

Another playday and decided that I wanted to experiment with the alcohol background that Wanda gave us.
I started by gessoing and then layering colour onto my background.

Next, as advised by Wanda, I got everything ready for the next stage. I did the bottom half first and discovered that my paint was too watery and the effect of the alcohol didn't work. so I dabbed coloured alcohol ink into the surface instead.

However the top half worked as my paint wasn't as watery.

Next, I printed some feathers onto some mop up paper.

I stamped an "Ellen Vargo fence" in the background and stamped some of Darcy's flowers. Stamped Neville and assembled my page. 

Just wrote a message in white pen to finish.

It's a bit of fun and I enjoyed playing. Thanks Wanda!

Need to blend in.

This morning I had a play with one particular Lynne Perrella Stamp from LPC008.
I overlapped my stamping and used a variety of colours.
I cut out a few of the shapes and decided to incorporate it into a journal page.

I started by scribbling blocks of Derwent Inktense colours onto my page.

Next I overlaid a couple of stencils and rubbed through with a baby wipe.

I dabbed some PA fresco Chartreuse over it to unify the colour.

Next, I dabbed watery Fresco Snowflake into the centre panel to highlight my image. I also randomly stamped script from ID07 and some diamonds.

I mounted my stamping onto black card and attached some antique ribbon that I bought from a second hand market. I wrote my thoughts onto black card and assembled my page. Quite like it! 

Thanks for looking!

Renaissance lady.

I have many influences in the work that I do, and sometimes one or two combine and I produce a little bit of art that I can see other peoples' art in.
This piece is influenced by Sam, and her beautiful Lynne Perrella stamping; Alison Bomber and Jo Myhill with their textures and Julie Ann with her imagery and story telling. There are probably many other influences as I absorb ideas from other people too!

I started by painting a 8"x8" canvas and gluing some fab backing paper that Finnabair gave to me. It is covered in texturised patterns.
Next, I stamped and heat embossed some texture on the sides of the canvas.
I then spent a couple of days arranging bits of card, paper, saved stampings, lace, hessian etc and leaving it for a while.
My main image is a Lynne Perrella stamp from LPC009 which I had previously stamped onto deli paper.
I wanted to include loads of texture and also to try to weave a story into my art, like Julie Ann. Never could be as good a storyteller but, my version.
I layered some old book paper, tore and painted and stained some corrugated card, added hessian and gold lace.
I wanted to show a contrast between finery and rough materials.

So, this is the Lady Marguerite, probably of French origin and of the renaissance period. (Out of my depth already)
She had noticed that some ladies had their portraits painted with symbols which denoted their lives and personalities.
Lady Marguerite wished to convey that although she was a lady of considerable means, she could appreciate both the finer things and the most basic things in life. She enjoyed both writing and exploring books and also enjoyed beautiful jewellery.
The bee symbolises the importance of communication, balance and union: the butterfly of the ability to accept changes.
She saw the importance of having an open mind in which to explore, examine and enquire.
Above all, she thought that it was important for women to stand out from the crowd and show their strength.

Thanks for looking!

Alison's Cheesecloth.

Boxing day and have found time to have a play this evening. Alison Bomber's textural project has been calling me for some time so I had a play.
I already had something printed out from a previous challenge of Liesbeths' and used this as my base.

I tore the stamped image into pieces and inked the edges to age it. Next I scraped grungepaste thickly onto my page and embedded the images into it.

I distressed my cheesecloth by slashing it and arranged it over my images, adding more Grungepaste.

I also Pressed Grungepaste through a stencil onto the cheesecloth which gave a pleasing finish.

Next I added aged manuscript paper and bits of stained lace.

I pressed Distress ink through a script stencil around the edges and sprayed some of it with Mica Sprays.

I added a sort of bow that was just hanging around and some hardware and then rubbed various colours of Treasure Gold into the surfaces.

Here is a detail of the Grungepaste through a stencil and Highlighted with Treasure Gold.

As usual, knowing when to stop was a problem as the fumes from the TG took hold.

I thoroughly enjoyed this textural experience and will play again in this style! Thanks so much Alison, your work is outstanding!

Journal Cover

Busy time of year but still wanted to recreate a version of Emma's journal cover.
I followed her instructions with watery, translucent fresco colours but as the surface of my book cover was shiny I sanded it first. I used the colours illustrated and because the background was shiny, I scraped the paint away!

Next, I stamped images from ELB01 with archival.

Like Emma, I splattered paint..Zesty zing, grunge pasted flowers adding Marlin to paste, added Glossy accents to the flowers and white pen around all the flowers. I painted flowers and added a sentiment.

This is my lovely notebook that Darcy gave to me when we met up at Darlo! Was white, and now a myriad of Paperartsy products!. thank you Darcy for a lovely day out and thank you Emma for the inspiration! 

Fireworks!

On a roll today with my third blog.
I was looking at Julie Ann's beautiful artwork and she recommended that we look at the challenge on Unruly Arts. I had no idea what RAQ stood for, so was already intrigued.
Theme fireworks and a colour scheme was suggested.
I actually put an apron on this time as I decided to blow inks about with a straw.
I worked on Daler Rowney mixed media card and just sprayed Dylusion inks and blew them about a bit. While the ink was still wet I sprinkled same colour glitter and glued a few little stars.
I wrote my words onto some mop-up paper and mounted them onto black. So, another piece of work done , to be entered into the mentioned challenge. Thanks Julie Ann, you fired me up again!

Liesbeth Tin

This is the third Tealight holder that I have made this week. This one was inspired by the chunky ATC by Liesbeth Fidder.
I started by following instructions of gluing vintage paper to my tin. I used manuscript. Next I gave it a wash over with Snowflake.
The tricky part was applying grungepaste through a stencil onto the curved surface. If I had thought, I could have used Lucy's technique of tissue paper but have only just remembered!
Next I stamped with Olive Archival, some fir trees around the base. It was beginning to look like a landscape, so I painted a wash of Ice Blue and Sky, to create a sky.
I rubbed Treasure Pewter over the Grungepaste snowflakes.
I didn't carry on with adding printed images like Liesbeth as there was no room!
I sealed over my tin with Metallic glaze and added a bead trim.

Thankyou for inspiring me Liesbeth and forgive me for going way off track!

Here are my trio of tins.

Lin's Tin

I looked back through the challenges for this month and decided to carry on with my tin theme as I have recently adapted a sweetcorn tin into a candle holder.
I loved the techniques involved in Lin Brown's pencil tin and set to work following her instructions. I sanded my tin, added Snowflake, mixed Hint of Mint and Evergreen and sprayed and stamped.
Mine was very messy as the tin is rounded and the paint ran quite a bit. But I carried on and finally stamped snowflakes with Olive Archival. My snowflake is a stamp from one of the Jofy collection.
I sealed it all with Metallic Glaze and added a bead trim.
Yours is much neater Lin, but I enjoyed playing!

Here is my family of tins.

My friend Helen's book

I saw a couple of books recently by Kelly Rae Roberts and they inspired me to have a go myself. I wanted to make a present for my old, but not old, job-share partner.
I used a mixture of techniques, starting with some She Art papers and a few cut outs. Stamping, drippage, washi tape, sewing on lace, Jofy stamps and above all, the influence of Clare Lloyd faces and the way that she taught me to combine fresco paint with crayons etc. So here it is!

I did this in one evening, because that is what I do! Thanks for looking!

Christmas decorations.

As some of you know. I go a bit potty when it comes to decorating the house for Christmas.
Here are a few pics.

The main tree.

The kitchen tree.

Kitchen dresser and over the cooker.

Kitchen window and wreath hanging in kitchen

Porch into kitchen.

Curtain in porch.

Dining room.

Stairs.

Hall.

Living room fireplace.

Have left out the front and back doors and bits and bobs here and there. Happy Christmas everyone! xx