New Infusions from PaperArtsy.....

Yes, you can now see all the new colours and lots of artwork if you head on over to the PaperArtsy Blog.
Meanwhile here's a step by step to show you how I made my Flower Tag:

 

For this project I'm using a Stamp Positioner as I want to overstamp my image. Ink up with VersaMark:

Sprinkle on the Infusions - I've used Sleight Blue, In the Navy and a touch of Golden Sands:

Rub them into the stamp:

Spritz about 3 times:

and stamp. I love this bit - it's always great to see the detail you can get even though you're using a watercolour medium:

Add details in black - I coloured the eyes and round the features and face - to add definition:

Next for the background. Using a JOFY stencil I sprinkled Violetta and Golden Sands through the stencil and spritzed:

So it looks like this:

Then I flipped over the stencil and stamped with it on another piece of card:

You get two quite different effects:

Just repeat over and over to create a background. You can also mix the two techniques on the same background:

I added a bit of stamping in Sleight Blue :

Then finish off as you please!

                                     

Thanks for looking!

Helen

Rice paper....

Over on the Craft Barn blog the theme this week is rice paper - it's actually like printed mulberry paper and is great for decoupage techniques.
I made a canvas:

Head on over to the blog for the step by step instructions.

Thanks for looking!

Helen

PaperArtsy new launch - Kay Carley 05,06,07

Over on the PaperArtsy blog you've got a week of new product launches - exciting stuff!
I was lucky enough to get to play with the new Kay Carley stamps which are just beautiful and here's a video of the new products:

Below you can see the samples I made in more detail. This first one uses EKC07 with the lovely bluebells. I've stencilled the background first, then stamped the flowers in paint and finished with some cut out flowers stamped in grey. I didn't use black as I thought it would be too harsh.

This sample has a more shabby chic feel to it - the background is crackled to look like peeled paint. I wanted the flowers to look as if they were growing up and old wooden door. I've stamped with paint again in the background, quite watery this time and then added painted flowers over the top. This uses EKC06.

This wall hanging uses EKC05 and I've gone for a soft focus, watercolour effect, building up stencilling and stamping in the background. That tiny flower you can see is really useful and is typical of the attention to detail that Kay brings to her stamps.

The glossy touches are made using Ranger enamels.

Those were my main samples, but I couldn't resist a couple of 3D ones using a mixture of the stamp sets! Firstly a framed montage:

And finally this wooden heart that I thought was just crying out for some bunches of flowers:

Many thanks to Kay for choosing me as a wingman and to Leandra and Mark for all the supplies.

I hope you've enjoyed the new product launch of Kay's stamps - don't forget to keep on looking on the PaperArtsy blog all week as there are more lovely things to see.

Helen

Bleach again...

This time I've used a very different type of stamp, some of the new Zinski Art ones, ZA06. These are a much more open design.

In both these samples, I've coloured with Brushos:

In this one I've white embossed over a blue/green background and then coloured the embossing with Promarkers. I've also added stamping in Archival inks which is left behind when you apply the bleach:

Thanks for looking!

Helen

Get the bleach out...

No, not for cleaning but for painting! I'm doing a class with bleach on Wednesday at The Craft Barn.
This is an old technique but I really enjoyed it. I always find it fascinating to see how the colour reacts with the bleach - why is it that blue almost always leaves something behind?
I used some of the new Lynne Perrella stamps, here with Prima Color Bloom sprays:

and here with Distress inks on glossy card - not used bleach on glossy card before but it takes the colour out beautifully:

Tomorrow I'll show you some of the other things I made.

Meanwhile if you want to come and join the fun, here's the link.

Thanks for looking!

Helen

Art Journals again...

Here's my second art journal that I made using That's Crafty! stamps, journal etc.
I have to admit this was my favourite as I had such fun making the birds and the fat cats!

The front and back covers use a lot of texture created with the Dinky stencils and gesso plus I just love that bird stamp:

Then I got creative with the Treena set and some iron paste:

and then made my cats (rather fat ones I have to say!) using the Bentley set:

You can have a lot of fun with these!

Which sets do you think I used to make the fish?

Thanks for looking!

Helen

That's Crafty Art Journals....

That's Crafty have just launched some new art journals and acrylic pieces which they showcased on Hochanda.
There is a journal set which comes with whiteboard pages and jump rings supplied. I loved the fact that the pages were made of board as it means you can throw product after product on them and they don't warp or buckle..Also, the A4 size gives you loads of room to paint, stencil, stamp to your heart's content.
In this first one I followed a vaguely floral theme using some of That's Crafty new Motivational and Inspirational stamps as well as their Girls collections:

The little 'Enchanted" label on this layout uses one of the acrylic shapes sprayed with Pentart Mirror Mist - fantastic stuff. I've got an article coming up in Craft Stamper showing various techniques with this product.

Thanks for looking!

Helen