Workshop: A Cover Up....

.... at Birds in the Barn, Marks Tey on Saturday 26 November 2016.

Here's information for those of you booked on the workshop:

You will need to bring with you an old hardback book that will be up-cycled into the new journal/scrapbook/album - ideally the book should be around 5x7inches (13x18cm) with a 1in (2.5cm) spine.... older books work better for this project because of their construction.  (If you can't get one before Saturday we will have some spares for you to use.)

If you are planning to use this workshop to start an album with a particular theme or to store photos of a particular event then please bring some of the photos with you - FYI we are working to a 6x4in page size so bear that in mind if you are printing photos to use.

I'm excited about this workshop (can't wait to see what is created from old books!) and look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

x

PS This workshop sold out on the day it was released so Janet has added another date:
Sunday 11th December
if you missed out on the original date I hope you can join us on this one.

Lovely day...

... at The Craft Barn for the Extravaganza!

I demo'd: stenciled, stamped, painted, chatted/laughed while demo'ing - putting faces to names, meeting lovely new people - sharing/talking ideas & inspiration... lovely to see everyone.

I mainly demo'd my flower stencil - PS009, with stamps, paints and detail pens... showing how the four flowers can be layered up to create different combinations of flowers ... (I'll show examples of this later in the week...)

The panel below shows the flowers detailed with all kinds of doodling - once you start doodling its hard to stop! (put the pen down & move away from the page! lol)

The Craft Barn sells all the products I demo'd (obviously! lol) and so, as an add-on to the weekend, the links given in this particular blog post will direct you to the Craft Barn store.

In the shop they sell really useful/versatile/inexpensive kraft/natural covered notebooks in different sizes (HERE)- the covers are a lovely surface to paint onto - & I created my demo projects onto these (I think they'd make great little presents..)
Here is the A5 size book -

The cover is painted with Dusty Teal Fresco Finish, with circles stamped in Pearl Glaze (using EEV06 stamp set) - I like this glaze because it is subtle on the background - catching the light now and then without creating an overwhelming pattern.  The large flower is created with stencil PS009, small flowers are stamped in Chalk using images from stamp set JOFY23, and the letters are from JOFY21.

Here is the A6 version - similar design but with smaller dots in the background than the A5 notebook and less flowers...

I really like the contrast of the Pearl Glaze and the Chalk Matte paint.

I created a really quick sample when asked about a stencil - definitely less-is-more - and I really like it - a card that could be used for so many different occasions - love the colour and the simplicity of the design - stencil is PS007 painted with Dolly Mix and Amethyst, the stamped images are from stamp set JOFY24.

So that's what I did on Sunday - thanks again to all of you who came along - these are always great weekends with lots of different styles, products and ideas being demonstrated. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did!

I'll be back a The Craft Barn on the 29th June for a Die Cutting Masterclass workshop - hope to see some of you there....details can be found on my teaching page (press the button under the main title at the top of this page) or go direct to the Craft Barn page - here,


xx

The Artistic Stamper....

.. is where I am happy to be teaching my 'book of blooms' workshop on 21 June..

We'll use JOFY stamps & Fresco Finish paints to create adorable (even if I do say so myself lol) floral inspired books.
There are still a few places left so contact the shophttp://www.theartisticstamper.com/workshops.htm to book your place...

Hope to see you there.

x

Happy Valentines's Day!...

.... card made for Mr JoFY...

I love the contrast of the elements on this card - the grungy painty background against the solid black of the traditional (with a modern cut) silhouettes - softens the look but the pink/orange brightens up the kraft.  The 3 hearts are one of the word blocks from JOFY05.  And the Italian book text heart - that's cut from a page from a book I bought on our honeymoon... aaaaw bless  :o)  its all in the detail! lol

I 3d mounted the silhouettes to make them pop a little bit more.

Happy Valentine's Day to you all.

x

ps - 3rd post of the day! phew!

ACP Week 2, part 2: can you ever have too much bunting?!

NO, you can never have too much bunting! & bunting doesn't have to be mean lines of triangular pennants:

This is a trial bunting line I've just made for a shop valentine window display - oh yes: christmas is over & Valentine's Day is just around the corner..... just saying! lol (next it'll be Easter!)(I'd lay money on some of the supermarkets having easter produce in already!)
The bunting needed to be a big'n'bold(ish) as it will be seen from a distance - so no fine detail - but I couldn't resist some book text!... but it still looks dainty doesn't it - I think this is because the hearts are hanging at different points on the shape, the colours & the spacing... (if all the hearts had be sewn across the tops it would look too regimented, don't you think?)

All sewn onto string for hanging..  not only does this bunting make me happy but it makes me come over all romantic!  :o)

Today I deviated from the grey theme (I was multitasking)(unless we count the book text as dark grey?) - back to the strict(ish) plan tomorrow when grey will be back with a different accompanying colour and theme.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

x

Christmas... part 4...

The temperature is definitely dropping, and all the leaves are falling off the trees (which is keeping Mr JoFY and his newly acquired leaf blower busy)(can't get my head round that - he's basically hoovering the garden isn't he! lol) so Christmas is on its way - confirmed by hearing 'last christmas' by Wham! played in a shop - that's how I know its christmas!

Here are the last of my Christmas samples. First up is another Cabinet Card pennant:

 this time I embossed the pennant (made from mount board) with the Sizzix 'starry night' embossing folder (see this post for more details.. or just scroll down - its in 'christmas part 2'), coloured with distress inks, distressed with water, added a bit of bling with 'frosted lace' stickles - gotta love those for subtle accents of sparkliness!  'frantage' embossing powder around the edge and I covered the big iron work star (under the rosette) with the same - love that embossing powder! So much so that I applied it to the edge of the rosette too - blinging it up!  It is christmas!!

So the pennant is a bit distressed but the next sample I made is more shabby chic but without much shabby! lol 
This sample is just.. erm.. well.. hhmmm.. pretty, yep its pretty.  I wanted to do something with the rosettes other than sticking them onto something and so I made a hanging decoration:

The main rosette (slightly larger that the die made rosettes- this one's made using a Martha Stewart scoreboard) is made out of Tilda double sided paper - such a pretty spotted paper - lovely soft blue. Its topped with a book text rosette & another ironworks star/snowflake (I'm getting a lot of use out of these dies aren't I lol)

On the other side of the rosette is the pretty rose print, all the fixings of the rosettes are hidden by another rosette, and a Martha Stewart snowflake - bought last year & I still love it!
All blinged up with stickles and a self adhesive gem!

Pretty!

This is the decoartion from the side showing the layers of rosettes:

Once our tree is up - scheduled for the weekend - I'll take a picture of it on the tree....

I'm off to watch my youngest nephew in his Nursery's play - he's 3yrs old and very cute - I may require tissues....  Its all getting very christmassy!!

Wrap up warm and have a nice day..

PS before you go - maybe you could help me - I'm putting together a 'christmas alphabet' any suggestions for the letters v-z??  Please leave any suggestions in the comments! Ta muchly in advance  :o)

PPS - Just a reminder: 100 followers or over on this blog by 2012 and there will be a give-away!! 
I'm just going to mention this every so often, not every post, or it'll start to sound like nagging! lol

Oh be still my 50s design loving heart!!....

Sanderson's have a FAB.U.LOUS 50s designs range!! I've resisted looking because I wasn't thinking about decorating, but now I'm starting to and some/one of these designs will be cropping up somewhere in our home - even if its just as cushions (the Festival print (below) would great on our black leather sofa!)....
here's some eye candy for you so that you know what I'm getting excited about:

 

I wish this blog had sound  - you could hear me happy clapping and squeeling a little - LOVE these designs!  I really like the 50s surface designs.

Which is probably why I like this artist so much (her lino prints are delicate & gorgeous!) and find her work really inspirational:

And why I reeeeeaaaally like Claudine Hellmuth's 'Creative Layers' stamps... the combination of foam & clear rubber stamps allows you to create the slightly offset lino/screen print look of 50's illustrations..LOVE..LOVE..LOVE!!
This is the first tag I created using the Dwelling stamps set... keeping it quite simple (but not completely simple: two colour on the foam).. The tag was created with Sticky back canvas stuck to a chipboard tag and stamped using PaperArtsy's Fresco Finish paints (LOVE these!) which went really nicely onto the canvas (another surface they'll work on, but I don't know how stable they'll be for washing (I'll ask PA) so maybe just use them on decorative items for now....)

Little book of things with wings.....

Another ArtsyCraft sample.. and the last... a little tag book (gotta love the tags!) ... measures 12x6cm.... using distress stains, Paperartsy stamps, Tim Holtz embellishments, Claudine Hellmuth canvas.....

The bindings on this book are Tim Holtz 'Hitch Fasteners' - cute little things! and great for binding a slim book.. & also on this book they work really well becuase they something to hold onto while you flick through!

I really enjoy making things like this - they're quick (-ish) and such a cute little size.. maybe I should work up to making bigger things which I do try to every-so-often but I'm much more comfortable making smaller things...

Page fronts:

Page backs:

The samples of work I've shown over the last week have been quite simple, 'quick & easy' - I do make more comples things - honest guv'

Have a great day

A good read & excuse to get painty ......

... like I need an excuse to get painty! lol

I love it when a flat brown parcel arrives on the doorstep with the word 'amazon' on it!! Always exciting - aw come on - its nicer than a bill!! (anything is nicer than a bill! lol)
Yesterdays parcel contained this book - LOVE IT!!   'How to..' ideas on adding / drawing faces & other images onto mixed media backgrounds... .....lot of mixed media painty stuff too

I don't really 'draw' but this book made me feel that it wouldn't be too scary to have a go at drawing a face on a canvas or the like... .
Lots of nice samples too.... good for journaling techniques 
Liked it a lot.... so if you don't hear from me for a few days/weeks its because I'm reading/working through the book! (& also 'cos I'll be up to my ears catching up on 'stuff' I couldn't do between Christmas and last week... )

Hello Blog Hoppers!!

Hi, I hope you're enjoying your hop around the 'lilypads' of the Banana Frog Design Team. 

As our theme for this 'hop' is Flowers, and because its Spring (!?) I've created a cute little daisy themed book, measuring 3x3inches.

I used the 'Super Dreamy' set of stamps for the flower motifs and 'willing race' for the words.

I start with a plain white sheet (12x12in) and use a couple of ink colours to create the background  - this involves brayering (horizontally and vertically), stenciling, masking and of course - lots (and lots) of stamping. I really enjoy building up layers like this - the end result is unique - it would be really hard (impossible) to create the exact same design again.  That's the fun of it!  The 12x12 sheet is then scored, cut and folded to create a 'maze' book.

This photo shows that the images are not seperate to each other - they sometimes overlap - and when an image is masked off and another is stamped over the top layers can be achieved to give a sense of depth - like this orange circle and black daisy.

The Super Dreamy images have several variations of the daisy which makes it a great set for layering up and embellishment.


Some of the page spreads:

The book has pages that are glue together creating  little 'pockets' and so I made some tags to go inside - perfect for journaling or notes.

Thanks so much for hopping by - please comment if you'd like (or become a follower):  I love to know who visits my little space on the www!!

Enjoy the rest of the Banana Frog blog hop - your next stop is Michelle and you can find her lilypad HERE! 

Snow or no snow we are going....

.... to Birmingham this weekend for the Stitches trade show.... its going to be good - hopefully lots of new exciting products to be looked at - i'll try and take lots of photos.
Saturday morning is going to be spent at the 'Ranger-on-the-Road' workshop - Suze Weinberg, Claudine Hellmuth and Tim Holtz - how good does that sound!!
I also received this morning a copy of Tim's new book - I haven't had a good look through but from my quick flick - its looking quite inspiring.... v hard not drop everything to go and play with ink, stamps and powders (oh my!)