It's been a while

I've not had the urge to craft for a very long time (over a year maybe) but when a friend suggested we do a group swap I wanted to join in. I went with something I'm comfortable with, mixed media and a box canvas.

Layers of acrylic paints, sprays, stamps and stencils were all used to make this piece.

My umbrella

I was a naughty DT member last week and didn't get around to doing my post for Clare Curd Crafts . With a big inspection coming up at work I was working long hours and the week flew by, but today is my much needed day off, and what better way to de-stress than a few hours crafting.

When I want to totally relax crafting I go to my paints and  a canvas, todays is 7x5 inches in size. 

I have to apologise as there are some photos missing to the process of creating a mixed media canvas, but when I get going I forget to take pictures....oooops sorry :-/

I started with a good few layers of my chosen paint colours and when I was happy with the blending and the paint had dried I moved onto stamping.

I built the stamps up in layers (the secret to depth on a piece is lots of layers) I also used some spray paint.

I then added some texture using texture paste through some sequin waste and when it was dry dry rubbed some paint over it.

Now this is where I got carried away and forgot to take photos. I drew a template for the umbrella and then transferred the pieces onto my patterned paper, cut them out and stuck them to my canvas using ModPodge.

 Once the umbrella was stuck down I stamped and added my quote. 

The next step is optional but I like the effect it gives. Using either a black maker or black paint, whatever you are comfortable with, draw around the pieces of teh umbrella and blend the colour in. This will make the pieces pop and give some dimension to your canvas.

My final step was to apply some white rub ons for extra interest.

The items I used from Clares shop are as follows

My Mind's Eye Kate and Co. OXFORD LANE 6 x 6 paper pad

and 

My Mind's Eye Kate and Co. OXFORD LANE Stamp Set

I've also used the Raindrop set of stamps from Designs by Ryn.

It's getting closer!!

 

It's hard to believe that in three weeks the big day will be here! It only seems like a couple of weeks  have gone by since summer!!

 

My piece for Clare Curd Crafts DT blog this week is a mixed media wall hanging, and with Christmas been so close I made it a little seasonal.

 

 

I used a piece of mount board as my base, and firstly covered it in tissue paper to get some good texture. This was then coated in a layer of gesso, and then lots of layers of acrylic paints. Some stamping was added and some bubble wrap-applied paint.

 

Then I added some areas of Flitter Glu and Mega Flakes in Royal Peacock

The small snowflakes and the robin are from the Winter Critters stamp set

 

 

My girl is paper pieced and then paint added to give some depth.

 

 

 

How cute is that robin

 

 



 

 

 



Getting into the spirit



Every time I see this advert I get that warm, fuzzy, Christmas is coming feeling, and I think it's sort of inspired my piece for this weeks DT spot over on Clare Curd Crafts, only I've used a fox and a hare, no bears here.

 

 

I've used a 5x7 canvas board as my substrate, and applied layers of acrylic paints and sprays to get the desired background effect.

 

The trees and animals ( how cute are they) are from the Winter Critters set, by Crafty Impressions and the Santa and reindeers are from the Here comes Santa set, by IndigoBlu

 

If you are in the market for some new Christmas stamps, have a look over on Clares shop as she has some real beauties on sale.

 

~x~

 

 

Brown paper and string!

I'm taking part in a Christmas ornament swap over on a Facebook page.

 

Now that my ornament has been received I can show you what I made

 

 

The ornament is made from a layer of paper mache, covered in brown paper, layers of gesso then acrylic paints and stamped images, finished off with some altered embellishments and a piece of string to hang it by.



A Sprinkle of Imagination Monthly Challenge

I get stuck in a rut when crafting as I have a bunch of 'go to' colours that I tend to use, so when I saw the colour pallet of this months challenge over at the Sprinkle of Imaginations blog I wanted to have a go as they are colours I wouldn't automatically go for.

 

 

I've made a small mixed media panel, about 4x4 inches in size.

 

It's a really grey day here so the lighting is terrible so I've found it difficult getting a true likeness of the  colours, but I hope they are close enough to the brief :-/

 

Those little water droplets are from a new set of stamps I treated myself to from Designs by Ryn. I love most of her stamp designs, they stamp fantastic, very crisp and clear, and the customer service is first class!!

 

 

Like the Phoenix she rises

I bought some old but gorgeous stamps from a friend who was having a craft clear out. She has always had a really good eye and a knack at tracking down stamps that are a little bit unusual and different. So when I saw she was selling this stamp I jumped in there quick as it is one I've always loved.

 

The stamp does have a cat on it but for my purposes I cut the cat away when I was cutting the image out.

 

 



Now she is a little saucy, and not to every ones taste so I will warn you there are naked breasts (only in rubber stamp form) in the following pictures.

 

 

The piece is on a mountboard base, about 12inches in height.

Layers of acrylic paints, stamping ink and alcohol ink and gilding flakes.

 

The bee is symbolic of the Empress and feminine energy and I thought it went perfect with this piece.

 

 

 

 

A special canvas

I love having a whole day to play at my craft table and today I got cracking early on a canvas, I showed the background in an earlier post here

 

 

Here is the completed canvas, which I am hoping will be auctioned off to raise funds for the Miscarriage association

 

 

The whole canvas is done in acrylic paints and then embellished.

 

The quote I found online and thought it was so perfect for the theme of this canvas.

 

 

 

 

The heart is a 3D polystyrene heart that I cut in half and then applied a coat of gesso, a few coats of paint and then a bit of silver leafing and some clear micro beads for texture. 



Work in progress

I'm having a lovely morning making a mixed media canvas, here is a sneaky peak of it so far

 

 

~x~x~



what a day

It hasn't stopped raining (not just a gentle downpour but rain of epic proportions) here all day and with today being my day off I didn't want to waste the day doing nothing so I put on some well loved tunes and set about creating a canvas

 

 

I used layers of acrylic paints, stamping, some bits of paper, texture paste and Dylusion sprays.

 

The bird is a Donna Downey foam stamp that I stamped in acrylic paint. I applied stamps, gesso and rub ons to my birds before attaching them to the canvas with home made mod podge.



Tin swap

My lovely friend Louise (better known as Zuzu in the crafty world) is hosting an altered tin swap on her Facebook page.

 

 

I've never done an altered tin before but I have done many swaps over the years, so I decided to join in.

 

My tin is a small one, and once had mints in it from a well known department store, but now it is unrecognisable as the same tin.

 

 

The whole tin was sanded and covered in gesso, then layers of alcohol inks, acrylic paint, spray ink and UTEE were added, along with some stamping and stencilling.

 

The heart embellishment is one I made from papier mache.

 

Inside of the tin was treated the same as the outside.

 

The birdcage I made from some wire I had in my stash.



Three little birds

It seems I can only make a couple of clean projects before I'm hankering after something a little bit more messy and so I gave into the urge and for my DT project for Clare Curd Crafts this week I went for it with this canvas

 

 

 

The canvas was covered with a layer of tissue paper then after a good coat of gesso I added layers of paint, Dylusions sprays, stamped images, which included the star stamp from the Crafty Impressions Explore set of stamps, stencilling and rub ons.

 

 

 

Then my birds were cut from some lovely but very old Basic Grey papers.

 

 

the final touches were outlining and adding fine detail with a fine tip black pen and an Inkssentials white pen

A bit of what you fancy

Good morning, well I hope the weather is a bit better where you are, because it looks like autumn is well and truly here today in Birmingham. It's wet , grey and quite chilly, a total comtrast to last week when me and hubby headed to Somerset for a couple of days, wonderful blue skies and lovely warm sunshine.

 

I had to make a birthday card for my Sister today, and I fancied something feminine and a bit shabby chic, this is what I came up with

 

 

the hearts are made from a sheet of decorative paper I made myself using layers of acrylic paints.

 

and those gorgeous crocheted ribbons are a bargain I picked up last week in The Works, only 99p a pack! they were white but I've tinted them with ink, and the flower ribbon, also 99p, is a much softer shade of cream, so I also tinted that.

 

 have a good Monday x





And now for something completely different

 Good morning you lovely crafters. Well it's Thursday so that means it's my turn over on the Clare Curd Crafts DT blog

 

I don't know about you but sometimes I can it a bit scary to try new things, whether it's a new food, a new activity or a new crafting technique. A great way around the crafting techniques one is to have a go at an Art Journal. A small personal book of art work where you can try new colour schemes, new ideas and techniques, share them if you like or keep them to yourself.

There are loads of fantastic examples of Art Journals online, there is no right or wrong way of making one, do I use a ready made journal or make one myself. Do I stick to one theme throughout or something different on every page. The list is endless and as I said there is no right or wrong way about making one, it's your journal, your choice!

 

I've had an Art Journal on the go for about a year now. I don't often do pages in it but I do enjoy it when I do as I'm creating something just for me, where nobody else's opinion matters.

I have decided though to share a couple of my pages that I've recently made with products from Clare Curd Crafts

 

 

My journal is one I made myself and all the pages have been coated with a good layer of Gesso, an excellent primer. I the let loose the Dylusion sprays, see I told you I LOVE these sprays, such a great selection of colours and they are so vibrant!!

Once happy with my background I started on the rest of the layers, bits of sprayed paper stuck down, stamped masking tape, you could use washi tape, Clare carries a great selection, rub ons, stamps, make sure you use a permanent ink pad if you intend on putting more sprays over your stamped images. Finally I added some little details in a black and white pen.

 

As I said there's no right or wrong way about doing an art journal, most importantly is you enjoy the process.

 

 

 

The quotes I used are from an old set of stamps by IndigoBlu, Clare has a fantastic collection of their newer stamps in the shop

 

I love that although I've used the same sprays on both the pages but in differing amounts, how it changes the whole look of the final piece.

 

This page I mixed some of the Dylusion sprays with some gesso to change it from white to blue.

 

 

 

 

Items I used from Clare Curd Crafts

 

 

Dylusion sprays - Dirty martini,  Funky Fushia,  Lemon Zest & London blue

 

Inkssentials White Pen



crafting for the fun of it

Today I have managed to do some crafting just for me, I've really enjoyed it, a total de-stress, heaven :)

 

I made a mixed media piece, 12x12 in size. I used lots of mediums, acrylic paints, Dylusions sprays which are available here , oil pastels, Pitt artist pens, gesso and texture paste.

 

 

just lots of layers of paints, inks, stamping and texture, no plans, just a pretty nice way to spend a morning :)