Paperfic Melbourne 2017

I cannot remember the last time I attended the Paperific Expo, it is at least 13 years as I have know my husband that long and I haven't been since I have know him. Last month I was able to go, but it was a little different to what I would normally have done. Normally I would have picked a day, and gone, this time was there for four days and working. Thursday was set up day, got there around 1130 as I had to go after I had dropped my children at school. I was really excited but also nervous as I was meeting Kylie and Darryl Powell who own and run Shop and Crop Scrapbooking. I had spoken to Kylie on the phone and had conversations on facebook and messenger but never actually in person. Its a bit hard when I live in Victoria and she lives in NSW. I also meet the fabulous Donna who is also on the design team.

The weekend was a fantastic, I had an absolute blast. For the weekend I got to talk and meet lots of people, selling products that I love and on the Saturday and Sunday I got messy. I played with Expo Kit No. 4 instead of making a scrapbooking layout I create a canvas. Here is a sneak peak, if you would like to see the complete piece please pop on over to the Blog.

Happy Creating

Stitching

Ever since I can remember I have been doing something creative whether it be mixed media, making cards, cross stitch, painting or drawing. Today's prompt for the Artsy Circles is stitching. So I combined my past love of making crosses with my current love of making mixed media and produced my Artsy Circle for the facebook group Soul Sisters.

I started out with my gesso covered circle. I prepared 6 circles, really should get some more cut and prepared because I am having so much fun.

The next step was using my stencil to create the circles. Once the texture paste dried I then stitched the crosses. I only had two size needles at hand, one was a tiny cotton needle and the other was a tapestry needle. The tiny needle was just too small and the stitching would have not really shown up. The tapestry needle really was too big but I decided to use it any way. I was really disappointed with the holes that it left but as you can see they don't show up on the final piece its just more texture.

Next I added my colour

My final layer for the circle was the gesso, I originally applied it with a palette knife but before it was dried I wiped it away. To apply the gesso I used my fingers.

products that can be found at Art and Soul Studio are listed below
marabu art spray - red orange and lemons

Happy Creating

Choose To Shine

I am really enjoying creating the Artsy Circles, I think I am stepping out of my comfort zone, still no idea what my style is but that's ok, I don't need to know.

So the prompt for today is Butterflies. I love butterflies, along with tulips they are my most favourite things. In saying that you would not believe the trouble I had creating the circle for today. First I was looking for something that I thought I had thrown out and in the end I had just transferred it to another draw, 1/2 an hour I spent looking and then it wasn't right. Secondly, after I realise that what I thought was a good idea and it wasn't I then spent ages going through all my stamps and stencils to find what I did have.

Finally I created a circle that I am really, really happy with.

I started off with a piece of heavy water colour paper that I put through my bigshot with a circle die that has a diameter of 10.4 cm, which I then put gesso on both sides.

For my background colour I mixed clear gesso with Frank Garcia artisan powder and applied it with my palate knife, making sure that I had texture and not just an all over colour.

Making sure that the gesso layer was dry with my archival ink and stamp I added another layer.

It is all about layers, through a stencil I added some paint in a contrasting colour.

Next I added white gesso to just tie it altogether, then I got out my stabilo all pencil to grunge it up.

Ok so this is where I forgot to take photos as I was very involved in my creative process. Once I made it grungy, I then stamped the butterflies all over the surface making sure that they were going in different directions and that I had some flying off the page and flying on to the page. I then scraped another light layer of white gesso over my stamping. Using my stabilo all to grunge it up some more. Finally I added my white circle, embossed the image, used my stabilo all to grunge it up again. Lastly I added the three quotes.

products found at Art and Soul Studio
archival ink - jet black
art alchemy acrylic paint - black berry
Frank Garcia - artisan powder - french sage
kaisercraft stamp - sketchy

Happy Creating

The First Step In a Journey

I am really excited to share with you this project and tutorial.

This project and tutorial is an Arsty Circle. It is a project that has been created for the Art and Soul Studio online store and Soul Sisters facebook group. Arsty Circles is loosely based on the ICAD challenge which is created and run by DaisyYellowArt. ICAD is basically where you create art every day on an index card.

The Artsy Circles for Art and Soul is where a prompt is posted in the Soul Sisters facebook group every Thursday and Sunday, you can play along or just see what others create.

The only request that we have is that the shape of your substrate is a circle. This circle can be any size, so if your mojo is overflowing you could have a huge circle but if you are struggling maybe a 1” circle is all you want to use.

The reason we chose a circle is because a) it’s different and b) Our mantra (see pinned post) is all about a circle of women.

There are no rules other than you must have fun. The first prompt is Red.

Here is what I created

My circle that I am using is 10.3cm in diameter, the only reason it is that size is because that was the largest die that I had. I could have created a bigger circle if I got my silhouette cameo out of the cupboard, but that just seemed too hard.

My  first step was to cover the back and front of my circle with gesso, I applied this with a palette knife, as I am not a fan of brushstrokes. Using my heat gun I made sure that it was completely dry before I found my favourite stamp Script from Kaisercraft and stamped all over the surface of my circle. I didn't worry about where I was stamping I was just making sure it was covered.  Around the edge of my circle I coloured with my Stabilo All and then activate it with a water brush.

 

Once my I was happy with the black watermarks I made sure it was complete dry I then added bright red paint with my palette knife. I didn't want the paint too thick and I also didn't want it to complete cover the surface. Because I am too impatient I used my heat gun to dry the paint then with an Inktense pencil I added three lots of three triangles (which I activated with water), with my black paint pen I added three lots of five crosses and then lastly I with my white paint pen I added dots to the red paint.

The last thing I added to my Artsy Circles was a word sticker.

products used that can be brought from the shopinktense pencil - deep blue
dina wakley media heavy body acrylic paint - ruby
timholts idea-ology - clippings stickers
kaisercraft stamp - script

Happy Creating

Follow Your Dreams

Currently I have 5 bound art journals being used and 2 just patiently waiting for me to break them out, but I really love using mixed media paper or heavy watercolour paper that I have cut up myself.  Having all these different size journals and paper lets me just follow my journey where ever it leads.

The art journal page I am sharing with you today has a little story behind it which I hope you don't mind me sharing with you. It started out as a page painted with black gesso, then letter stickers stuck down. Once this was all dry I added colour with my Twinkling H2Os, which were pretty in colour but the design was ugly. I put it aside for another day. That day final came and then after many, many, many layers of thick gesso, texture paste, I was able to cover the old page up. My piece of mixed media paper that is 21.5 cm x 21.5 cm now weighs 64g. The same size and kind of paper with nothing on it only weighs 13g, that's a lot of product to cover something up.

Much happier with the new page

products used: mixed media paper, art basics heavy gesso - white, lindy's stamp gang sprays starburst - tiffanylou blue, blue hawaiian blue, lindy's stamp gang sprays flat fabio - tilt-a-wheel teal, tim holtz collection layering stencil - stripes, uni pin fine line - black 0.1, kaisercraft rubons - dreams, indigoblu stamp - limor circles, dina wakley media stamp - textures

Happy Creating

Stay Curious

For the second day running it is raining here, yesterday I got soaking wet doing the grocery shopping this morning I am sitting in my craft room listen to the rain and the washing machine. Today I thought I would share with you some mini canvas panels that I have been working on.

All three I started on retreat, one I actually finished there, the second one I finished last week while I was completely something else and the third one is still not finished but thought I would share it with you any way.

The panels (pack of 5) were purchased a couple of years ago and they have sitting there waiting for the right time. I took them away with me on retreat because they are little (10.2 x 10.2 cm) and were easy to drop in with all the other stuff I took away with me.

This panel is from a combination of a couple of the classes I took on retreat The Way Things Fall (which I haven't shared with you yet) and Fear Nothing.

products used: canvas panel, book pages, artbasics heavy gesso - white, dylusions paint - melted chocolate, kaisercraft stamp, tim holtz idea-ology - small talk.

This panel was one that I was just playing with, no plan what so ever, then again nothing of mine is ever planned.

products used: canvas panel, lindy's stamp gang spray flat Fabio - pop rock purple, orange creamsicle and ruby red slipper, artbasics heavy gesso - white, book pages, the crafters workshop stencil - 12x12 butterfly collage, donna downey signature stencils - mini number repeat, texture paste, tim holtz idea-ology - small talk, archival ink - jet black, cardstock - black, stampin up' dies - butterflies thinlits, dina wakley media heavy body acrylic paint - tangerine, dylusions paint - black marble.

 The third and final panel that I have been working on is incomplete, not sure where this one is going. Love the background, it reminds me of moss.

products used: canvas panel, book pages, artbasics heavy gesso - white, lindy's stamp gang spray flat Fabio - merry-go-round green, lindy's stamp gang spray starburst - black orchid silver & sea grass green, the crafter workshop stencil - mini tiny circles, artbasics texture paste - white crackle.

Happy Creating

Mixed Media Magic Retreat

Two days ago I came home from a long weekend (4 days) filled with creativity. Thursday afternoon I arrived and from then on the weekend was jam packed with creating, laughter, food and friendship (new and old).

The retreat was organised by Cindy from A Scrappe Tiger , thanks Cindy. Now on retreat you can do as much or as little as you like, we had options of doing classes, and I did 6. Four extremely talented artists took the time out of their schedule to come and share their talent, knowledge and creativity with us and they were Fiona Paltridge (blog), Louise Nelson (blog), Michelle Logan (blog) and Cindy Porter (blog).

I am not going to share with you today any of my class work that's for another day. Please bare with me as I need to tell a little story behind my art work before I share.

When the class list came out, there was a couple of classes that I decided not to do and one of them was by Fiona and it was called "The Way Things Fall", after reading the description it still didn't really tickle my fancy. Then I gave myself a kick up the bum and a talking too. Fiona is one of my most favourite artists (which I am lucky enough to be able to call a friend) so why would I not do her class. So I did and I have to say oh my I LOVED that class.

When looking at the class requirements is said that we could bring special trinkets or findings that we had stashed away. I knew I had plenty of those, who doesn't.

 

Are you wondering what it is, it does look a bit strange. It is a piece of paper that has cotton string wrapped around and inside it. Then they have been put into a rust bath. When I was talking to Fiona about these pieces of paper (I had two) I worked out that they have to be at least 13 years old. I have been married 11 yrs this year and I know that I created this before I met my husband. They have gone through 5 moves and finally I was able to use one of them.

Hope you are still with me to actually see my art work.

I thought it needed something else but I didn't want to add anything else to it, and two very wise women told me, "if I think it's finished then it is". "Its your art work, doesn't matter what others think", "Now you just need to sign it" which I am yet to do

A close up of some of that yummy texture

products used: art basics heavy gesso - white, paper, cotton string.

Happy Creating

Letting Go or Control

People art journal for many different reasons, whether it be to release their emotions, trying a new technique or to do something creative. Sometimes I sit down in my chair and wonder what I am going to create but lately my creativity seems to just flow. I believe the reason behind this would be the art journal prompts that members from the Wanderlust class are receiving. They seemed to have opened up a dam inside of me.

The prompt this fortnight is "Sometimes what you're most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free". It didn't take me long to know what I am most afraid of and if I do it, it will set me free. Letting go of Control is a big issue for me. Whether it be in what I am creating, a situation I am in or just life in general. So hopefully by creating this page it will give me a big kick up the butt in times that I haven't let that control go but I need to.

Not only were we to be inspired by the quote but also a video from Kasia about composition building. Yes there are rules in composition building and they are very helpful but we were also encouraged to break them, not all of them but some of them. I love breaking rules.

Well if you have got this far reading I thank you and I hope that I can inspire you with my journal page. Its not very often that once I start creating I know what I am going to do but this time I did and it turned out even better than what I had imagined in my head.

I love how when using Lindy's Stamp Gang Magicals 

that you don't need to use a lot to get such a big impact

Products Used: lindy's stamp gang magicals - orange creamsicle, gesso, mixed media paper, bakers twine, tags, chipboard, black cotton thread, x-press it tripletac glue

Happy Creating

I Have Been Keeping a Secret

Since the end of November I have been keeping a secret and I am now able to share it and I am really really excited.

I have been lucky enough to join the design team for the challenge blog Show Us Your Stuff.

Show Us Your Stuff is a blog devoted to all things Handmade. You can enter a layout, project life page, card or Off The Page but it must have at least one handmade or hand dyed embellishment.

Shall I share with you the first challenge of 2016?

This mood board is so gorgeous, so much inspiration can be had. What caught my eye was the red and white umbrella, the sand and the blue of the sea.

And this is what i turned that inspiration into

I had so much fun creating this card and it actually turned out the way I pictured in my head and that doesn't happen very often.

Products used: Art Basics - Heavy Gesso,  Faber-Castell Pitt artist pen big brush - Cobalt Blue, Nougat, Deep Scarlet Red, Faber-Castell Gelato - Blueberry, Cotton Candy, Snow Cone, Silver Ice, Faber-Castell Glass Bead Glitter Gel, Lindy's Stamp Gang Magical - Cafe au lait, Tim Holtz - Idea-ology Small Talk. Everybody has there favourite adhesive mine is Express It TripleTac Glue.

My hand-made embellishments are the umbrella that I drew and fussy cut out of corrugated cardboard and then painted white with gesso and red with my big brush pen. The thongs are are hand drawn and cut out using cardstock then I found a piece of patterned scrapbooking paper to give it the pattern.

Please remember to follow the link at the top of the post to visit Show Us Your Stuff to see who else is on the amazingly talented team and to find more inspiration for the gorgeous mood board.

Happy Creating

Adventures with Color Bloom Spray Mists

Just recently I finally gave in an brought the Color Bloom Spray Mists from Prima. My will had been strong until I put my name down for a class that is happening in November. In the class the sprays will be used. So me being me I needed to know what they were like and what they did if you would like to read what my ramblings were then please pop on over to Off The Rails Scrapbooking

Products Used: Color Bloom Spray Mist -  Soft Teal, Brush Chrome, Deep Teal, Tangerine, Summer Sky and Cobalt. Mixed Media Paper, TCW Stencil - Mini HalfTone Circles, Clear Crackle Paste, Clear Gesso, Texture Paste, White Gesso, Matte Gel and Gloss Gel.

Clear Crackle Paste

Clear Gesso

Texture Paste

Gesso

Matte Gel

Gel Medium

Gloss Medium

Gloss Medium

I have created some really yummy back grounds that I cannot wait to use for mixed media cards.

Happy Creating

Butterflies and Gold

The challenge this month over at The Mixed Media Card Blog is all about Butterflies with gold as an optional element. Well obviously with my love of butterflies I couldn't go past this challenge.

I am not one to throw things out and in fact if I have left over paint, ink, etc I usually find a journal page or a piece of mixed media paper to use it up on. That's what the background of this card started its life as. I had created another project that used pink paint so I mopped it up with my mixed media paper and in the draw this piece sat until last night.

Pink is not one of my go to colours and I wasn't enthused about using this background but it was there so I used it. To cover up most of the pink I used my palette knife to apply a thin layer of gesso over the surface. I thought to myself this is something that I can now work with.

Just recently I had seen some printed tissue paper that was black with white as the accent colour. I thought it to be quite unusual because normally it is the other way around. To use that as inspiration I found a white doily, cut it in half and painted it with black gesso, I then gently sanded it to give the black paint a distressed look. I added further white detail with my white Gelly Roll pen.

Using my black archival ink and Prima - Old Town stamp, I set about giving the background some depth before I stuck down my embellishments. Deciding this wasn't enough I used some texture paste that I mixed with Viva Precious Metal Colour - Orange Yellow and stencilled it through my The Crafter Workshop - 6x6 Mini Cofffe Splotch. I thought adding the Viva Precious Metal Colour to the texture paste it would come out a pale gold colour. I was mistaken, once dry it was a mustard yellow colour which was not nice at all. By this stage the texture paste was dry and was not going to be removed without destroying what I already had done. So out I pulled my container that held my trusty Faber-Castell Big Brush Pens and coloured the texture paste.

Once I was happy with my background I gave it some more rough treatement by using my distress tool on the edges of the paper. I stuck down my doily, gauze, my stamped and gold heat embossed image from the Prima Rust & Dust Set and finally my butterflies.

My butterflies were created by painting Viva Precious Metal Colour on normal white cardstock then using my Martha Stewart Butterfly punch. To finish of the butterflies I rubbed my Blood Orange Gelato over the top and went around the edge with my big brush pen.

Happy Creating

Collect Beautiful Moments

I am a very quiet crafter, I like the silence around me. I never normally have any music going, the very odd occasion I turn it on but it doesn't last long. So going on retreat was quite an experience with all the noises around me, but in saying that I am very good in tuning it all out. You have to do that when you are a mother to a 7 year girl and 5 year old boy (as I am typing, they are beginning to argue). While taking in all the sounds which included laughter, talking, machines I picked up my art journal to create a page.

Products Used: Art Journal, Black Gesso, White Gesso, Masking Tape, Stampin' Up Butterfly Punch, Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch, Stabilo - All, Faber-Castell Pitt Pen: Big Brush Cobalt Green, Tim Holtz: Idea-ology Small Talk.

The Small Talk from Tim Holtz was just the perfect quote to add to my journal, because that is exactly what I was doing.

Happy Creating

Playing Around

I had this idea in my head that I wanted to do but first I thought it would be a good idea to trial it first. Did it work how I wanted it to? No where close, but I am reasonable happy with the canvas. It's not something that I have done before. And it's probably not something I will do again. I am glad that I gave it ago though.

I always say to myself that Art is an adventure and you never know where you are going to end up, just enjoy the journey along the way.

Products used: 10 x 9.5 cm canvas, watercolour paints, gesso, texture paste, Faber-Castel Pitt Pens

Happy Creating