a Distress Oxide tag for PaperArtsy

You'll also find me over on the PaperArtsy blog tonight, discussing the combination of Distress Oxides and PaperArtsy Fresco Acrylic Paint.  Click here if you'd like to know more!

JOFY Stamp Launch January 2017

What an absolute honour it is to have been asked to be one of Jo Firth-Young's Wingmen for her new stamp launch, alongside the fabulously talented Keren Baker.  This is a long post as I'm sharing four projects, one for each stamp set!

It has been so hard keeping it a secret from my stamping buddies but the day is finally here so I can share the projects I've made with these wonderful stamps.  Jo Firth-Young and Keren Baker are also sharing their amazing samples over on their blogs, so don't forget to hop over there for more inspiration.

JOFY 49

I just love this poppyseed-like flower, and those tiny ones are itching to be stamped on stickers and in my planner. I also really like Jo's handwriting and love the effect you get when repeat stamping it until all the ink has gone from the stamp.  It makes for a great textured background.

To make this tag I used Paper Artsy Fresco Paint in Turquoise, Zucchini and Hyde Park and placed small blobs of each colour on a mat. I added water to each 'blob' with a paintbrush so that I could 'smoosh' the tag through the paint.  I use this technique a lot with ink and wondered if it would also work with paint..

.. it did!  And makes for a fabulous watery background.

After repeatedly stamping the word 'wildflowers' with Archival Cornflower Blue I used the same ink through stencil 038 JOFY.  I then set this aside whilst I made the flowers.

 

I coloured some paper using Paper Artsy Fresco Paint in Bougainvillea and Cherry Red, smooshing it around with a baby wipe, before stamping the word 'wildflower' with Archival Magenta Hue.  I also created some green paper using Paper Artsy Fresco Paint in Zuccini and Hyde Park in the same way.

I inked up the whole of the written phrase with a black Versafine and stamped it until the ink ran out to create a black and white paper.

I then stamped and fussy cut the flowers as shown.

After layering the flowers on the tag I added some shading using a simple pencil.

And finished off the tag with a snippet of pink paper and the word 'wildflowers'.

JOFY 50

Jo's stamps often make me want to add stitching to my projects and this set is no exception.

step 1:  Paint a strip of card with Paper Artsy Fresco Paint in Zuccini.
step 2: Take a slightly thinner strip of card and stamp flowers using the black Versafine ink pad.
step 3:  Paint between the flowers with Paper Artsy Fresco Paint in Turquoise and paint the flowers with Bougainvillea, using plenty of water to give a watercolour effect.

step 4:  Using a deep red embroidery thread, add french knots to the flowers.  Use a green thread to add tiny stitches as shown.  Use the end of a paintbrush dipped in Paper Artsy Fresco paint in Zuccini to add tiny dots of green.
step 5:  Layer these two pieces as shown and add stitching with a sewing machine.
step 6:  Stamp three butterflies using a black Versafine inkpad, cut out and add to card.  I worked out where they would go then stamped them on the card so I didn't need to cut out the antennae!

JOFY 51

For this next stamp set I got out my gelli plate.  That sunflower is a fabulous size for journal pages and although I've made a card for this sample, I'd love to repeat this in my journal.

I started by adding a couple of blobs each of Paper Artsy Fresco in Coral and Vanilla to the gelli plate and combining them with the brayer.

I then stamped the uninked sunflower on the plate, lifting off the paint.  Once the paint was dry on the gelli plate I brayered vanilla ink over the top before taking a print....

.... then overstamping it with the sunflower in Paper Artsy Fresco in Coral.  This formed the background for the card.

I coloured some paper using baby wipes and Paper Artsy Fresco Paint in Coral, Bougainvillea and Turquoise and stamped the sunflower on it with black Versafine ink.

I stamped the sunflower again, this time on paper coloured with Paper Artsy Fresco Paint in Vanilla. I only used the middle of the flower so didn't need to colour to the edges.

After cutting out the sunflower I added the Vanilla coloured middle and enjoyed painting the small circles.  One of my favourite techniques (that I learnt whilst working at a paint-a-pot place!) is to add tiny dots by dipping the wrong end of a paintbrush into paint - they come out perfectly!

Finally the leaves just needed stamping onto the background with black Versafine ink (this means that the fine lines are still present when you add the green leaves) ...

the background mounting onto white card, leaves stamped onto green painted paper and added, and the flower and words added as shown.


And finally (and thanks so much for hanging in there with me for this long post, hopefully it's been worth it!) these stunning flowers..

JOFY 52

This set contains one of my favourite images - that tiny scribble at the top of the set!

It makes for the most amazing backgrounds, and I used this effect for the flower on this card and throught the stencil.

I used my gelli plate again for this card, putting Paper Artsy Fresco paint in Turquoise on one side, Snowflake on the other, and blending them with my brayer.

Laying stencil 042 {by JOFY} on the gelli plate first I then laid a piece of card over the top and picked up the print through the stencil.

 

Now for that favourite stamp of mine, stamped repeatedly over a small area, then the flower stamped over the top, cut out and shaded with a soft pencil.

I used it again on the gelli plate, laying down a couple of greens (Zucchini and Hyde Park) in Paper Artsy Fresco paint, then lifting off the paint with a clean stamp.  I then stamped the flower in black Versafine ink.

I laid the stencil back over the now dry gelli print and stamped through the stencil with the scribble stamp using Archival ink in Cornflower Blue as shown, before stamping the flowers in black Versafine ink.

I added the fussy cut green leaves and the flower head using a pritt stick..

... before finishing off the card with the words and some splashes of paint over the top of the flower.

I really hope you've enjoyed seeing how these projects came together as much as I enjoyed making them!   Don't forget, there are more step by steps to more projects by the fabulously talented Jo Firth-Young and Keren Baker, and all the information is also on the Paper Artsy blog.  I'll leave you with the video showing all the samples together:

Making Marks

My goodness, I knew it had been a while since I'd blogged, but April?!!!  My internet presence is much better over on Instagram which is, well, pretty instant when it comes to sharing photos!

I have been using a LoT of PaperArtsy images lately and their latest challenge really caught my eye (I've been challenging myself to making my own marks rather than always using stamped images, as well as allowing myself to use stamped images to make marks as that's what I love and part of who I am!!), followed by Roxanne's (or 'By Bun' as I know her as I follow her on Instagram and love her work) wonderful step by step post today.  I don't have vintage photos in my stash but instead decided to apply her principles to a stamped image to see where it took me!

 I started by adding some fresco paints to my paper with my fingers.  I watched a fantastic video by Roben-Marie Smith this morning which also influenced this piece, starting with finger painting!

I added some splashes of watercolour ..

..followed by some sprinkles of PaperArtsy infusions.  I love how the colours merge and fleck.

I selected an area I really liked and wanted within the flower petals .... and missed!!  It's that splashy bit to the left of the numerals 487!!

I painted around the flower image with Snowflake fresco paint (I didn't have the same colours as Roxanne) which picked up some of the blue from the Infusions.  At the time I really wasn't keen on this but seeing it again now I'm not sure why!  I carried on though, telling myself it was a learning experience!

I added some yellow fresco paint, stencilled with some distress crayons, and stamped with Snowflake paint...

... and then got so involved I forgot to take any more step by step photos!!  There's lots more splashing of watercolour paint, some mark making with fresco paint and distress markers, some stamping and finally lots of collaged stamped images.  I had a great time rediscovering PaperArtsy stamps I've had for a long time!

I'm linking this to PaperArtsy's 17th blog challenge, 'Making Marks'