stamps, stencils and masks

This month's challenge theme, over at Art to the 5th, is 'stamps, stencils and masks' and this week's art challenge is to use stencils - made or bought.

I have tonnes of stencils, and love using them, so decided to cut some of my own for this project using stencil card from Hobbycraft.  I started by cutting out a leaf - which ended up as a mask rather than a stencil ...

...and then I didn't end up using it!!  Suspect there will be a 'mask' week sometime this month though so I'll likely use it then.

I took one of my plain pink gelli prints from last weekend and added Dina Wakley acrylic paints over the top with a baby wipe...

..and once that was dry, added some stamping using a circle stamp, and background script stamp from Lavinia Stamps with Eggplant Adirondack ink.

I cut out a simple heart stencil and sponged white paint through before adding a stamped flower (made using funky foam - sooooo easy to cut out!!)

I also cut out some tiny round rectangles in funky foam and stamped with these on my page using black ink.  There's some additional stamping on there too, along with pencil marks, some music paper and some gold paint.

I wasn't keen on my flower last night, and realised that I like layers on my pages rather than single (ish) pages.  I was going to stamp the flower out again onto music paper, cut it out and stitch it to the page but I had another look this morning and decided I like it after all!

Well, enough to live with it anyway!!  :)

tea bags on a journal page

I've really enjoyed this month's challenges from the Documented Life Project where the theme has been translucent papers.

The final challenge was to use tea bags or dryer sheets so I emptied out a teabag and trapped a leaf and some coloured papers inside using wax.

The scratch sheet from my recent play with my gelli plate had an excellent array of colours and texture, providing a number of options as the background for my tea bag.

I decided on the darker blue and stitched it to the page.

I have a fair collection of leaf stamps and chose these lovely oak leaves to add to the page.  This may or may not be finished - I might add some words cut out of a poetry book!

documented life project + gelli prints + glassine

I used one of my gelli prints (see previous post) as the basis for this page in my planner,

The DLP art challenge was 'glassine' so I'd used some of my glassine envelopes whilst I was playing with my gelli plate.  I added this to my page with a Pritt stick and was pleased with the effect - think I'll use this technique again.

As the leaf wasn't standing out as much as I'd hoped I added coloured pencils, then watercolour.

Stamping added some further interest - the word 'astonishing' seemed rather an apt description of the trees this autumn and came from a recent Paper Artsy purchase!

I still wasn't happy with my leaf though so cut a gelli printed leaf out and stitched it to the page before adding some gold foil.

I put the glue through a stencil which added a strange effect to the leaf but I think I can live with that!

more inkiness in my moleskine planner

 I finally got my photos sorted :) I can't remember where I saw the idea of using deli paper/greaseproof paper to cover the diary part of my journal but it is a fab tip!

DLP challenge: Under Paper

The above page is one of my favourites.. I just love how it turned out; it got a lot of inspiration from Robin-Marie's work

DLP challenge:  When not to Stop

The following week is when the diary part of my planner fell by the wayside...I was so exhausted post OFSTED!

It's not one of my favourite pages I have to day.  It was a real challenge, to just keep layering and layering...and challenge is good!

I often use a double sized piece of card/watercolour paper for these challenges, then fold them in half and use the DLP challenge on one side and Documented Faith on the other (although I've not been able to manage many of those)..

...but it's there ready and waiting!

DLP challenge: Layers you will love - cover up good stuff

Back to loving my pages again but this time ignoring the challenge prompt!  I completed this one whilst away in Saltburn and used some seaweed from the beach as a mask..

This was another double spread before folding it in half and adding it as a tip in.  I have to say, I highly recommend DLP, and the girls who run it are so generous in their time and energy - it is free!

That's all for today though folks, week 8's pages coming up in another post.  They were inspired by the Cardboard Crush workshop by the DLP team, Art to the 5th Academy; I can recommend it!

DLP DF weeks one and two

 Well I'm only a week behind in the Documented Life Project 2015 and Documented Faith but I'm very behind with sharing it with you here on my blog!!

I'm finding these two challenges easy to combine as I just add a tip in to my moleskine planner, following the DLP prompts in order to create the page then just fold it in half and add the DLP quote on one side and the DF one on the other!

I'm also managing to keep a diary!  Something I've always wanted to do but been rubbish at.

Above is the week one prompt and I'd already added the tip in with the snowflakes on one side so the two sides differ...

... which I like, but time-wise it's much less demanding doing both sides with the same background :)

I'm not a huge fan of gesso but did like the textured effect I got with it through my leaf stencil...

This time I added handwritten quotes rather than printing them out or stamping them - my challenge for the year!

some early spring cleaning!

I've been playing in a new journal  :)  I'd like to start including more written journaling so am practising!

It's also been my treat for finally sorting my craft room, not that it looks particularly tidy and organised in this general shot.  I used to have space in the cellar but once the kids moved out of the attic I got to move up there.  That was a few years ago and although I've blitzed it before it's never got properly sorted.

I'm forever turning these two tables around.  I have one for paper stuff and the other for stitching.  I have a sewing machine and an embellisher on there.

Last year my Mum bought me these huge boxes to keep my fabrics in.  Sometimes it takes a while to work out how best to organise things, but I think I'm there with them this time.

  

I bought the above mannequin for my corset and it's been standing empty for ages whilst I hunted for my corset, sure I'd seen it around somewhere.  It turned out I'd given it to one of the members of the corset swap a couple of years ago and she surprised me with it the other week :)  It still has space for work but I'm happy with it for the moment.

Around behind my paper workdesk is this lovely plan chest which was gifted to me by Paddy of Paddy's Stamping Place.  I use it as an additional workspace for my Big Shot and for working on other paper projects such as using Brusho.

I'm going to give the Documented Life Project 2015 a go, alongside Documented Faith and Take Me Deeper, this year.  I'm not great at keeping up with long term projects but a fresh start and all that!

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!  Thanks so much for all your support this year, Sarah x