PaperArtsy 2 UP challenge Monday July 10th

So, I applied to take part in Paper Artsy's 2UP challenge, and I got selected (aargh). I would be using Paper Artsy Infusions and Ink & the Dog stamps (what was I thinking). So PANIC. I loved infusions and had done a journal page using them after viewing this You Tube video by Vicky Papaioannou. 

 But this was all I had done and having never done a design piece before, the pressure was well and truly on. I didn't think I would be able to find the time to do this, but we had a fairly decent lead time, so I started experimenting with Infusions to see what I could do with them.

These are all my experiments, I tried it with everything, water (of course), gel medium, paint, crackle glaze (didn't work), metallic glaze, pearl glaze. I loved the effect on the paper towel from mopping up and using it over white embossing. Using it in paint was great for a varied effect and could be built upon with a wash of infusions on top when dry as well. Such a versatile product.

My most successful experiment, was this tag, I used the Tim Holtz DI pick-up effect with the Infusions and water, and added more layers until I was happy. I loved the dots of colours and the blue river of colour. I then used some background stamps from Words 4 and Man of Numbers 6 to gold emboss around the edges. I liked the richness this added, I then looked at adding various images to the tag. So I'd found my look, now to apply it to something else.

   

I started with a Slide Mailer and base coated it in white acrylic paint using a Catalyst scraper which gives a nice smooth finish. I then placed my Dutch Doobadoo mask on top, sprinkled infusions in Blackcurrant & Jade (love this colour combo), sprayed with water and removed the mask (oooops) it leaked underneath, but I quite liked the happy accident and decided to go with it.

 

After drying, as I loved the shape on the on the mask so much, I decided to highlight it by adding some Paper Artsy Grunge Paste through the mask in a random swipes, once dry I stamped in versamark using Word Plate 3 and Man of Number Plate 6 and then heat embossed in gold around the edges. Even though the Grunge Paste had picked up some colour from the layers below, I used Treasure Gold in White Gold & Aquamarine to highlight the shapes and to blend in with the background.

   

I loved the way the treasure gold changed the heat embossing on top of the Grunge Paste.

 

Once my outside cover was done I played with ideas on how to decorate it using stamps ribbon and metal trinkets. I used Mystery Plate 3 from Ink & the Dog  stamped in Staz-on on some cotton, I then trimmed the cotton down and frayed it on all sides, the metal coins I altered using Treasure Gold to match the colour scheme, and I found this beautiful ribbon in my stash, I tried various options before deciding on the final placement of these items.

 

Moving inside, I used white acrylic paint and blackcurrant and jade infusions to create a background, when this was dry I dry brushed a mixture of infusions and water to create depth and contrast. I used a wet wipe to remove some colour through the mask and added colour elsewhere.  The insets were painted in a mix of gel medium and infusions, but after much umming and aahing, I decided to cut up my original tag and place these in the inserts instead

 

Now I knew what image I wanted to use from Wings Plate 3, so I created a background to stamp on using white acrylic paint and infusions, I painted it horizontally to contrast with the vertical strokes on the mailer

I then stamped in Rangers Archival Ink on the background and using various bits of paper from my experiments, I paper pieced the wings and pedestal.  Stamped the word Illusion (didn't realise until I had finished, how close it is to infusions!!!, I should have tried to manipulate it, oh well hindsight is a great thing) on fabric

I also stamped some images from Mystery Plate 3 onto fabric and then played with arrangements before sticking down. The mobile comes in handy for this as I take pictures of each version so I can look at them together and choose which one I want to use.

 

 

So here it is my finished project, I am very proud of it and hope you like it too.

A view of my desk at the end of this challenge

and the products I used

Thank you very much Leandra & Darcy for giving me this opportunity, I enjoyed it so much and loved stretching myself to create an original piece.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this post and about my journey and most of all I hope you like my piece.  I just ask that you please leave me a comment letting me now what you thought.

Testing testing 1 2 3

Been playing this weekend making my own font, I'm sure its not super original but its all hand drawn and I kept working them to get the look I wanted and the repetition of certain styles to make it cohesive. I really enjoyed it and then had  a little colouring session.  I was desperate to use my prima watercolours but they are still in the post, grrrr. So I went ahead and used tombow pens, inktense and prisamcolor instead.

Testing is for a scheduled publish, my first attempt.

Wanderlust 2016 ( #wanderlustclass)

I was lucky enough to get this year long class for my christmas present and I have been learning and creating ever since.

You can still join in, and here's the link to Everything Art.  Wanderlust 2016 is a fab class and has nearly 1500 members to-date.

(It is run by Katarzyna Krzyminska and Jamie Avery who take turns with other designers to create lessons and share knowledge on even the most simple things like paintbrushes and there purposes, because I never took art at school this is knowledge I'm sadly lacking in and love what I'm learning. They also own The Artist Trading Post.)

 Week 1 was creating a page in our Wanderlust Book, I followed Kasia's techniques to create a page with a word that describes how I was feeling, loved the fingers in the paint technique. I amy have overworked it a bit, but its all part of the learning.

Aside from the main course we also had a mini zentangle lesson with Beckah Krahula which I have dabbled in before, not too successfully, but learnt lots and created these. I even tried making my own tangles and will be exploring this further as Week 6 is a full lesson by Beckah.

Week 3 Another Kasia lesson on composition, I absolutely loved this lesson and learnt so much, here are a couple of photos showing the stages of my creation, using Kasia's techniques

Week 2 was the fantabulous Kate Crane and I have spent ages on this and its still not finished, but thought I would share the stages so far

journal pages created, tried to use different colours from Kate and it becomes a bit experimental in places, but I persevered and think it will all come together in the end.

decided to fill with stampotique stamps, started by using a lot of background stamps on the inserts and am then working on filling them with the right stampotique characters, and this is where I'm at, some pages nearly done, just need some words, on others I have lots of work to do. Loved loved loved this lesson, might be because I love love love Kate Crane.

Cover pictures, followed Kate's technique and then added my own spin

and open pictures, showing some of the added pages with a less busy background, but that wont last. Ha Ha Ha.

So this is what I have been doing this year so far, and of course I've been doing a little bit of purchasing of essential goodies as well, this Monday is going to be tough though, as Stampotique are releasing new stamps.

Sorry its photo heavy but I had a request to put this on my blog and I have, which is a miracle in itself.

Please add a comment as I love to hear what people think of my art.