Beside the Seaside

Hello I have a paper project to share today. 

I took a small canvas to create a keepsake for my Uncle's 60th birthday. I reversed it and covered it in a layer of book pages. When dry I gave it a coat of gesso and added some stencilled paint and a touch of blue distress ink. 

The reversed side gives the perfect nook to create a scene and for this I chose to recreate the seaside. I cut lots of waves from different coloured blue papers and used some of my shell collection to create a seabed. I could have used some photo editing software to colour the ring but for ease I coloured it using promarkers. Washi tape makes very simple bunting with some bakers twine and for the last finishing touch a pinwheel.

.......beside the seaside, beside the sea.

This Moment Canvas

Hi. Crafting time has been in short supply this week. It may have something to do with  Pinterest ;-) 

However I did find time last weekend to do some creating with friends.

I used one of my many canvases and created a background with book paper, paint, sprays and stamps. I had no real idea about what was going to appear on my background and then I remembered the This Moment Camera I downloaded for the Silhouette.

I cut the image from plain white lightweight cardstock which looked much better after a bit of inking and stamping. By happy coincidence the camera apperture framed the sprayed dots perfectly. A bit of doodling and paper flowers were the final addition.

And if you're wondering about Pinterest I think I'm going to find it invaluable for keeping all my favourite things in one handy place. Things like the tutorial for making the napkin flowers

Source: dana-made-it.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Happy pinning

More She Art

Hi, time to show you the other two backgrounds with their addition of a She Art girl.

 

This girl was added to the paper background and has wings. I think she merges with the background a bit too much and her neck is too long but pretty sweet all the same. I had a go at a different hairstyle with her too.

This girl has the painted background with the addition of punched kraft butterflies. Her hairstyle seems pretty similar to my first one maybe that will just be my 'style'. Unfortunately because my mod podge is the lustre type it has a reflection from the flash.

I feel quite proud of what I've achieved this week. I hand cut all the girls and their outfits 'freestyle' no templates involved. It's quite liberating making it up as you go along.

Let's see what next week brings.......

Getting creatively messy

Hi

This week marked the start of the She Art workshop taught by Christy Tomlinson. I signed up  after thinking about it for ..........mmmmmm let me see all of five minutes. Apart from the very reasonable cost it looked like just my kind of thing. If you missed it this time round you can still sign up for the next workshop being launched on 11th April. If you like mixed media or just getting messy this could be for you.

In the class the techniques are taught on canvases but I had some mount board offcuts that I'd had lying around for a while so I thought I'd start on those and if I mucked up well it doesn't matter, it's all a learning experience.

This is my first attempt and I used old book pages as the background and created a bit of texture with a doily. The little trees you may be able to see is in fact printed toilet paper. I used some pearlescent medium on this one which gives a slight shimmer.

The next one was created using only paint. I added some butterflies punched from some kraft paper used as packing in a parcel and I think using bubble wrap could turn out to be one of my favourite techniques. Whenever I use paint I always seem to choose this bright pink/red colour combination.

The last uses scrapbooking paper as the background which is toned down using paint and stamps. I literally just went to my scraps drawer and pulled out what was to hand.

Finally this is my very first attempt at a She Art Girl. 

 As the first week is not yet finished and there are another two weeks to go I may well be boring you with more of my attempts.......plus it could get addictive.

Love Is in the Air

It's nearly Valentine's Day or should that be St. Valentine's Day? Either way I don't go in for all the manufactured rubbish that you can buy while filling up at the petrol station or doing your weekly supermarket shop. However, it is a good excuse to make this altered canvas. I suppose it's only slightly altered, it is still a canvas afterall, but I've used it the other way around. It's covered with book pages (yes, it's that book can you see Foo Tang anywhere?) and then has a layer of gesso painted over the top. The edges I distressed a bit with metallic silver paint. As I've used the reverse of the canvas it creates a 'nook' that I have then been able to mount a small calico pillow that I made giving a 3D look. I transferred the image onto the natural calico using a photocopy of the photo and acrylic gel medium. I then machine stitched around the edge and filled it with stuffing and finished it by hand stitching small red seed beads around the edge.
I used more of the paper roses I've been making inset around the edge and added a small ladybird button. The heart was one I made at the UTEE workshop I went to recently and I added the cut out wings and a pretty button. Quite minimal but I like it.
This is another paper rose but I've been experimenting by adding some florist wire and tape to make them into proper roses. This one has added sparkle with stickles too.

I may make a card but if I do I don't think it will feature the cherubs of a Victorian Valentines like the one below - it will be something much more simple. I do know that we will be tucking into M&S Valentine's Dine in for Two, will it be romantic probably not but very yummy - Coquilles St Jacques, Steak and Chunky Chips (well, you have to give a little), Summer Berry Hidden Centre Desserts not forgetting the Rose Cava and box of chocolates.

Whatever you do Happy Valentines Day.