PAPER - STAMPS - COLOR: April 2016

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Spring - greetings from the sun..

Using up a monoprint- covering up the areas around the flower with white acrylic paint - that's the story behind this card.

These are stamps from Inkerbell Stamps.

I am entering this in the challenge on
1. Stamplorations - Stamps and Splatters
2. Country View Challenges - Spring

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

"White space" for Paper Artsy ...

yes... I am guest designing at Paper Artsy - for their themed challenges.
The theme this fortnight is 'white space'.

I’ve made a box from cardboard (to fit the envelopes and cards), and used the same technique on the outside of it, as I’ve used on the six cards inside it. It will make for a nice and unique gift!

White space can be dramatic; highlighting the focal point of your project! I always try to add a lot of contrast, as that is what ART is about, isn’t it? Without contrast, there will be no expression in your project. What better way is there to add contrast than (a lot of) white space?

If you'd like to see the step-by-step of this and more photos of the 6 cards,
go see the Paper Artsy blog!
Lots of other beautiful and inspirational examples of white space there too!

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

12 tags of 2016 - April

My tag for the April challenge in the 12 tags of 2016 from Tim Holtz!

I've matted the tag onto black cardstock- gives it some more definition!

... pssssst - and to be honest, the backside of the tag was not clean after all the messiness, so this way nobody will ever know that!

As you might notice, I've used white paper as base for the mosaic.

LOVE the technique..

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Hello spring!

I have a step-by-step tutorial on the TCW blog today....

... featuring a similar technique with 3 different takes.

Some sneak peeks here:

See you there?!

I am entering this in the challenge on

1. Country View Challenges - spring

2. A Vintage Journey - spring is in the air

Saturday, April 16, 2016

We need blue skys and blue flowers..

.. not these blurry rainy days.

I used a piece of wallpaper to create this card.

I am entering this in the challenge on

1. TIOT - moodboard

2. Country View Challenges - spring

3. A Vintage Journey - spring is in the air

****

STAMPS USED:

37.290.N

07.954

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Playing with Nuance...

I decided to use some paper with a gorgeous texture
and experiment on them with water and/or gesso.

By playing I have a lot of backgrounds now, to be used in future projects.

LOVE the vibrancy of the Nuance powders. By adding water before or after squirting the powders onto the paper, you get different effects.
Also, when applying gesso onto the card stock, will also affect the end result.
And of course the type of paper will also affect it.

This is the watercolor paper I've used. Deep puddles, the gesso will fill it.

It's a soft paper, so the water does tend to soak into the card. That was also the reason I decided to experiment with using gesso on some backgrounds.

Dry paper, and mist with water to make the colors blend.

Wet paper, and then add the powders, and mist with water again to make colors blend.

Scrape gesso onto cardstock, and while wet add the Nuance powders, and mist with water to make the colors blend.

PS: the gesso will make puddle in the structure of the paper.

Scrape gesso onto the cardstock, leave to dry. Stamp the background soap bubbles stamp. Add the Nuance powders, and mist with water to make the colors blend. Also - while wet - add some extra colors to the circles, to make some new colors as it all blends while wet.

Heat emboss the background soap bubbles stamp with white embossing powder. Add the Nuance powders, and mist with water to make the colors blend. Also - while wet - add some extra colors to the circles, to make some new colors as it all blends while wet.

Scrape gesso onto the cardstock, leave to dry. Heat emboss the background soap bubbles stamp with white embossing powder. Add the Nuance powders, and mist with water to make the colors blend. Also - while wet - add some extra colors to the circles, to make some new colors as it all blends while wet.

I am entering this one in the challenge on Paper Artsy - resists.

****

The end result - beautiful background paper!

LOVE the new soap bubbles stamp!

I will do more experimenting on glossy paper,
and maybe on some other types of paper, maybe kraft, too?!

See you next time! Happy crafting...

*****

Magenta products used:

48.016

MNU009

Saturday, April 9, 2016

An altered box...

I have a tutorial up on The Crafter's Workshop website today - how to alter a wooden box, this time I've used an empty cigar box.

A sneak peek... for the full tutorial, go see the TCW website.

PS .... #TCWStencillove is the keyword on social media for TCW stencils.

Friday, April 8, 2016

Reminder for TIMI challenge - spring FLOWERS!!

The TIMI Challenge for April 2016 is "Take A Technique... . Spring Flowers".

Use stamped flowers anywhere on your project, or even real ones! Cover your art with flower embellishments, or make a flower shaped creation. Go crazy (or minimal if that's your thing!) with the florals... and don't forget to include stamping somewhere too!

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