Many Happy Returns

A couple of weeks ago it was a friend, Lewis', birthday.  Lewis is a cat lover and so I knew exactly what stamps to use for his card.

I started off by creating a masterboard using Fresco Finish paints, stencils and gesso.

I cut this up and layered it onto black card.

I die cut a Tim Holtz frame in black and adhered this to the centre of the card.  I added crackle glaze to the frame but unfortunately you can't see it very clearly in the photo.

The cat was stamped and coloured.  It was then cut out and adhered into the middle of the frame.

To finish I added blue gems to one corner.

I really enjoyed making this card!!

Journal Swap

For the next page of Darcy's journal she asked me to create a page using my favourite song words or poem.

Anyone that knows me will know that I am a huge Robbie Williams fan.  And one of my favourite songs is 'Come Undone'.

I spent a couple of days trying to think about how I could transform this into a journal page..... then it hit me!  I had some zip ribbon in my stash - and that this would be perfect.

I started by adding torn music tissue paper onto the journal page.

Next I brayered various Fresco Finish paints onto the page in Blues and Snowflake.

Following this I added lots of stamping and marks.

I then added the zip and more tissue paper (as seen in the photo above).

Next I started to add a black music border around the edge. 

I used a Carabelle Studio stencil to add the Title of the song.

You can see the difference between the first 2 photos.

To finish I gathered my paint pens and started to add music notes, splatters and doodling, as well as adding some of the lyrics around the page.

This is my finished page - very different to the first photo!

I enjoyed creating this page for Darcy and hope she likes it!

Thanks for looking.......

Mark Making In My Mini Journal

I wanted to craft in my small journal and thought I would continue with the mark making theme.

I brayered the page using Guacamole, Mermaid and Buff. 

Next I used a Paper Artsy Ink and Dog mini brickwork stamp and stamped around the page in Shadow Grey Archival ink.

Next I stamped, coloured and cut out the pussycat (how cute is this image).  I glued this onto the bricks.

The Tim Holtz stamp was stamped in black Archival.

I used a mini JOFY stamp and stamped around the edge of the page.

After this I went to town with mark making!  I drew lines around the border and quote.  I added marks to some of the bricks.  I drew scribbles, splatted paint and I squiggled.  As well as adding words that describe what the quote means to me!

I found doing this page very therapeutic.  It was great fun.

I am submitting this to the Paper Artsy mark making challenge.

Mark Making Using Tracy Scott Paper Artsy Stamps

The topic of the fortnight over at Paper Artsy is mark making.  The examples of different types of mark making are fabulous. 

I have recently bought the new Tracy Scott stamps and Prima watercolours and so set about having a play with them.  I decided to add some mark making to my play!

I started off by creating a layered paint background so that I could practice some of the techniques that I learnt.

I then stamped the largest stamp in Tracy's sets and filled the blank space in using the others, including adding a border.

Next, I started to colour and shade the images using Prima watercolours. 

Once this was dry I set to work with various paint pens to create my 'marks' - this includied line drawing, squiggles and writing.

I really enjoyed this so I decided to play some more!

This time I stamped the mages in Archival ink.  Once heat set I randomly painted around them in watercolour and painted inside the images.

Once this was dry I took out my paint markers and doodles and made marks around the page. 

A very simple page but I like the burst of colour and the way some of the marks make the images stand out more.

So..... this is my submission for marking!  Thanks for looking.....

Mixed Media Mash-Up With Seth Apter

Last week I attended a Seth Apter workshop that had been planned by Paper Artsy.  It was such an amazing day.

I thought that I liked to layer, but I have never layered so much in my life.... I kept thinking it wasn't going to work but did! 

I won't go through all of the techniques used but took some photos throughout the day to see some of the stages of my project.

This was my first second layer (first being Buff Fresco).  We were so lucky that we were able to use the new Seth Apter Fresco paints - I am hooked - totally amazing colours!

I thought I had lost it at this point!

Then more layers were added...

This is a close up of the previous photo:

I thought that at this stage I was happy!  And that was it.... but Seth said that 'More is More'...

I finished most of the project during the class. This is a photo of us all with our 'almost finished' pieces....

At home I finished off using paint pens to outline and add marks to my project.  This is the final work...

I am delighted at how this turned out.  I learnt so much during the class.  Thank you so much to Paper Artsy and to Seth for such an amazing day.  It was a blast - and I can't wait for the next one!!

Thanks for looking.......