Eyes and Dina Wakley style.

I watched a video recently of Dina Wakley demonstrating her new range of products and was immediately struck how much up my street her style was. Bit of spontaneity, bit random and lots of fun. So this is my second go at her style.
I started by gessoing my double journal page.
Next I applied fresco paints with a palette knife randomly.
I rubbed off some paint through stencils with a baby wipe and also stippled through stencils with sponge. I cut out hearts from book pages and rubbed them in paint. I also drew through the heart stencil with black pen. I stamped through the stencil also.
I attempted to copy my original brush drawing of a girl straight onto the page but wasn't happy with it , so I cut out my original work and glued it over the top.
A bit of writing, squiggles and it was finished!

Pam Thorburn 2 Autumn Walk

Having enjoyed having a go at Pam's first challenge I couldn't wait for her second piece and it didn't disappoint. The colours, textures and layering on her Autumnal Scrapbook page are beautiful and I studied each step carefully before having a go myself. (Unusual for me not to go crashing in!)

I found a set of small photos from about 5 years ago of a family walk up in the Lake District. It was late August and although not quite autumnal, nevertheless very beautiful.
I decided to make a 12x12 piece and once again, PaperArtsy papers are perfect and strong enough to cope with layers. I chose a newspaper style background and brayered fresco paints onto it. Like Pams' I left the top corner free for some breathing space.

I was trying for a landscape effect and next used a PA script stamp in 2 colours to give the effect of movement on the water.

Next I stippled paint through a tree stencil and then, because I wanted some different texture I scraped shavings of wax crayon in blues and greens and ironed over them ( covered with parchment paper). Overdid them a bit, wanted a more speckled effect.

I sprayed the wax area with watered down fresco mix of snowflake and sky and started to build up some stamping. PA birds in trees, cow parsley etc; mounted 3 pics onto black paper and started to build up the page.

I wanted to add a bit more dimension so, inspired by a book by Angie Lewin I cut out some teasel shapes, drew on them, sanded them a bit and glued them on slightly raised up. I stamped one of Lin's new sentiments and glued some wooden letters which I mounted on black card. I die cut some leaves to link the photos and inked around the frame.

I am thrilled and surprised with this page as it has raised my game a bit!

Thanks Pam once again for providing me with excellent stimulation!

Pam Thorburn Scrapbook1

I have done a bit of scrapbooking before but having looked at Pam Thorburn's beautiful page featuring Lucas, it was like looking with fresh eyes. Her work is exciting and inspired me to have a go.
What to do? I had a look through my photographs and after much deliberation decided to try to do it justice with my daughter's wedding pic. Quite fitting as it is their 4th WA this week.

I didn't think that corrugated card would suit a wedding and remembered that Pam said that she would look forward to seeing our backgrounds. So I looked for something that suited the beautiful castle where the wedding took place and the beautiful landscape surrounding it . There it was, Paperartsy card stock; bought recently from Wirksworth. Lovely architectural background and trees, so I combined the two. I used Tim Holtz washi tape, used a thin wash of Snowflake fresco and also used Snowflake through the stencil. Then I applied Grungepaste through a stencil.

For obvious reasons, I chose the word Joy and Grungepasted through the stencil.

I built up some layers by applying Pewter fresco paint with a palette knife and by spraying fuchsia Dylusion ink, which matched the colour theme of the wedding. I rubbed Treasure Pewter into the Grungepasted areas.

I then had to drag it back from the brink of disaster as it was looking very messy and too pink.I stamped two sentiments from Squiggly ink Crowns and Castles, rubbed treasure Pewter into a doily; added ribbon left over from the wedding and loads of Leandra's Petaloo flowers which I dumbed down with Snowflake. Added Wendy Vecchi flowers and Finnabair metal embellishments. As usual, I threw the kitchen sink at it. 

Finally I Distress inked around the edges with Black Soot which seemed to balance out the photo.

If I did it again I would tweak it a bit, but as we all say, it's a learning process. Thanks for the inspiration Pam Thorburn.

The Lurve Pig

Hot of the press is my Lurve Pig and as usual I am shaking!!!
Can't explain why I get so excited but heart is going like the clappers without aerobics.
I galloped off to my stash of boxes etc after I had seen Jo's fabulous birdhouse creation and there was this papiermache pig that had been waiting for attention for a couple of years.
I set to with watered down fresco paint after applying gesso and rubbed with baby wipes and applied more paint until I was happy with the base. I used Chocolate Pudding, Mocha Mousse, Very Berry and Blood Orange. Forgot to mention that between layers I drew hearts with my grandsons wax crayons.

I stamped some lips on tissue, coloured with blood orange, applied to pig and glazed them. I stamped some of Darcy's hearts and cut out assorted tissue hearts. Also as I was getting brave after wine I started to doodle with my new felt tips. Then the trusty Treasure Gold was dry brushed on. Spanish Topaz and Ruby.

I was really pleased with the effect that the Treasure Gold added.

I didn't want to spoil my pig by giving it a face. Sometimes it imposes a character that you don't want, so I found a pair of Wendy Vecchi lips, Blood Oranged them, added TG and made a pair of eyelashes from Crunchy Wax Kraft Paper.

Next I cut out hearts from Grunge Paper, painted with Blood Orange, stamped with Darcy's stamps and fried in the UTEE. I attached a bit of broken necklace so that they will dangle.

Finally, I cut some hessian, printed with Darcy's hearts on Crunchy Wax Paper and assembled my shining pig. Deliriously happy. Might not be the tastiest pig in the world or the most tasteful pig in the world but its MY lurve pig and I love her!!

Just goes to show that not all the loonies are locked up yet.

Finally, big thanks to Jo for her talent and inspiration. xx

Ellen Vargo Abstract cards.

Just wanted to start off by saying how excited I am to have been introduced to Ellen's work.
Her work is so fresh and vibrant and I want a piece of that.
I always get excited when I am crafting and I can honestly say that this time the excitometer nearly blew a gasket. I haven't used my brayer in such a gung-ho way before and because I am Mrs Messy this technique really suited my style.
First I chose the following frescos and inks.

I just went for it and brayered in horizontal and vertical lines. not very accurate but learning as I went. I messily stamped with PA numbers in fresco paint and PA script in archival coffee.

I sort of thought that I had lost the plot by this time but stuck with it. nothing to lose! I tore some sheet music,glued it and knocked it back with watered frescos.

I stamped with a PA clock stamp in Snowflake. Wasn't convinced but followed the Ellen route; chopped them up, stamped a couple of PA images in Black Archival and BINGO, think that this is when the plan came together. (Knew all along that it would ) .

By this stage I was really pleased with them and decided not to cover them up with large sentiment on paper so stamped directly onto 3 with Lin's new stamps and onto sheet music with the fourth. Inked around the edges with Vintage Photo distress ink and sat grinning at them.

This is my favourite one. Thankyou so much Ellen, you are a star!

Cant stop grinning. Will develop this technique.

Copying Lin's Tag

I have been fascinated by the tags that Linda Brown made a few days ago and this is my third attempt at producing something similar.
I covered a tag with some duck egg blue fabric and printed some of Lin's flower stamps in Snowflake fresco.
Next I watered down some fresco paint and gave it a thin wash, blending the colours.

Then I used Snowflake again through a flower stencil and when dry, moved it across a fraction and applied Beach Hut. 

I then gave the whole thing a thin wash of Limelight and dotted Limelight as seeds inside the background flowers.

I stamped the sentiment and stamped script through the stencil.

Finally I went round the edges with Beach Hut and Vintage Photo distress ink and threaded wool and ribbon.

More or less a copy of Lin's but thats how I am learning. x

Another girlfriend for PAMM !

Really enjoyed making a stuffy to join PAMM and PAGG.
PAGG might be the gorgeous girlfriend but my PAGI could be his bit on the side. Not as innocent as he looks.
I really wanted to call her Gwendoline Ivy, after a dear Great aunt of mine. She was a feisty old thing and loved the colour purple. So I planned it with her in mind.
Made it in 52 mins from getting out fabric and machine. I am a messy sewer, so this project suited my tastes. Didn't stop to pin anything just went for it. Only thing that I pinned was her hair.

SO, here is PAGI PaperaArtsy Gwendoline Ivy.

More tags with Lin's sentiments!

I ran out of time last night and went to bed with visions of new tags running through my head, so…..
I got up early to have another go, this time trying things that I remembered in the night.

I covered tags with cotton fabric and painted them with fresco Vanilla. I also restricted myself to 1 stencil, 1 sentiment, a few neutral fresco paints, distress and archival ink and a few embellishments. No kitchen sink this morning!
I stencilled my flowers with Irish Cream fresco and stamped the sentiment randomly with Brushed Corduroy distress. Then I gave it a thin wash of Vanilla fresco to knock it back a bit.

I continued to work with the stencil using both distress and archival ink, trying to build up layers.

When I was reasonably happy, I stamped the sentiment onto tissue and glued it down, distressed the edges of the tag, added lace sprayed with fresco paint and flowers.

I wasn't too keen on my orange tissue paper so I had another go with something more neutral.

Learning all the time by practising!

Linda Browns New Quotes!

As some of you have gathered I was fortunate enough to win the first challenge draw in January and received, before general release Lin's beautiful new stamps.
I had to keep quiet, but can now 'show and tell"
Linda blogged her stamps recently and showed some beautiful tags which are fabric based.

So, I couldn't wait to have a go and ploughed on in my usual chaotic way, paints, stamps, inks, paper, glue etc all scattered about in my wake!
I started by covering a PA tag in cotton fabric, glued with Claudia Hellmuth and proceeded to scrape fresco paints across it with a palette knife. I used Lake Wanaka, Limelight, Toad Hall and Hey Pesto.

I stencilled flower heads through in Limelight 

This is when I lost faith in my work and threw everything at it. Lilac spots, little circles, swirls and Peeled Paint Distress inks around the edges. Typical me again, chuck the kitchen sink at it.

I stamped Lin's sentiment "Take a moment to embrace today" and heart stamp onto green tissue paper and glued them to the tag. punched holes, threaded ribbons, attached a flower, Distressed the edges in Black Soot and…….I think that I rescued it.

Box inspired by Julie Ann !

It was such a lovely surprise to see that Julie Ann Lee was Leandra's new guest designer. I have always thought that her work is brave and innovative.
So here is my interpretation of her fabulous creation.
I started with a small box made from heavy card and gessoed it to give it a base. I painted it with French Roast and some taupe, sanded a bit and then Grunge Pasted the lid with an overall pattern.

I added more French Roast and some Little Black Dress to the lid and then did some magic with good old Treasure Gold.

I mixed Space Cadet with Pewter for the sides of the box and attempted to crackle them but it didn't work so I attacked them with a palette knife and added more Treasure Gold. 

I made a feather from sheet music and distressed inked and treasure gilded that too and did the same to a Prima parchment flower.

For the inside, I printed out the poem If, and aged it and glued it to more sheet music, added a ribbon and rolled up.

Aged a cardboard key and attached to heart and ribbon and stamped and made a watch with fob aged by treasure gold added to chain from Claire's Accessories.

I made a silk fabric base for the box and popped in the objects, painted two feather butterflies and attached them in and out.

So here is the finished box. made me very excited and have loved making it. Thanks Julie Ann. x

Dina Wakley and acrylic paint!

This morning I watched Dina Wakley from Ranger demonstrate her new range of paints, stencils and masks.
It was what the Americans call  "awesome" and I wanted to play straight away.
I have our own Leandra's fresco paints and a smattering of stencils etc , so I had a play.
First I spread some Mermaid with a palette knife, then a splurge of Limelight and was already in the groove. I stencilled some butterflies with Rose and Snowflake and did the reverse by wiping off paint through a mask. I added Eggplant and gradually built up and took off layers until I was happy.

I left it for ages and had a good think about what to do next.

Eventually I chose some Chocolate Baroque stamps, Butterfly Dreams and added them to my creation.

It looked a little thin, so I plucked up the courage to write on it myself which is a brave venture for me. So after Feel Free and some squiggles, my project was complete.

Hope that someone looks!

Helen Chilton's Hot Picks!

Loving the inspiration from Helen's latest challenge.
I hadn't seen the technique of lifting off waterlcolour with a baby wipe before. There should probably be a book entitled 100 ways with baby wipes!

I haven't got any portfolio pastels yet so I had a scribble with Inktense pencils. Played for ages with different colours and ended up going back to my first practise piece.
I only scribbled in the middle and dragged the colour through the leaf stencil out to the edges of the paper.

I then stamped in black archival using Hot Picks 1205 and the ink blot stamp as a surround. think that the ink blot will become my signature stamp.

Finally I went around the edge with Black Soot distress ink.

Thanks Helen for a fab idea.

Valentine Card !

I loved the simplicity of Joanne Wardle's valentine card  and needed to have a go myself.
I admire the minimalism of her style and this is so far from anything in my life that I set myself the challenge.
My style in most things is why skimp when you can chuck everything including the kitchen sink at it!

I chose a square, linen effect card base and stamped Paperartsy lady from Vintage ink and the dog ID07 in Frayed burlap distress ink. I messed up her hair with a watery wash.
Next I stamped Darcy's beautiful scattering of hearts in Frayed burlap and the sentiment like Joanne's from Hot Picks in archival black.
I would have liked to stamp the splatter but don't have it in my collection yet.
I painted the hearts, cheeks and sentiment with Victorian Velvet distress ink and a little Crushed olive on the stems.
The sparkly heart is there to cover a mark from black ink when I stamped the words….typical me, Mrs Messy.
Never mind, Mr Messy will think that it's ok.
Thanks for looking.