Silhouette

I had a spare hour this afternoon and after one of Marta's videos on YouTube, I  decided I would give a silhouette project a try.

I started with a seven inch square base which I taped down to the work mat and I applied several shades of blue acrylic paint (I used DecoArt but any acrylic paint will do) to form my background... and then once that was dry (and I had no patience so used a heat gun) I began with black acrylic paint and a fine brush using Marta's video tips as a guide.

I tried really hard not to think too much as I was working and soon became engrossed in what I was doing... and it was really  relaxing. I spent a lot more time on the tree than I expected but it was all good fun. I definitely will try this again and will of course try to develop it further...but for today it was an hour well spent.
Until next time
Cxx

Any Excuse... for a Tag swap...

The recent heatwave has kept me out of my craft room and I was itching to get back in there and make something...anything...

And my something was this tag which will be used as part of a swap on UK Stampers.

Its actually quite large...I started with a mixed media background piece that measured 18 x 8 cm and when I was done with the background I liked it as it was and decided not to trim it down.

After  a base white gesso, I used a couple of shades of blue acrylic paint (DecoArt media line) and left it to dry.

Then I stamped over that using black archival ink and a variety of stamps...small text is a Finnabair stamp, other background stamps are from a set by Nathalie Kalbach for  Stampendous and the characters are stamps from Viva Las Vegas Stamps.

I painted accents on the characters before fussy cutting and adhering them to the tag, after which I added some glossy accents to eyes, beak and buttons.

Ink sponged around the edges and then the tag was mounted onto Kraft card and an eyelet added with my cropadile.

I was quite pleased with how it turned out and hope that the swap recipient will like it when it lands on their doorstep.

Until next time
Cxx

Fathers Day

Every time my birthday falls on a Sunday, I share it with Father's Day and this was one of those years... and this was the very simple card I made for my Dad.

When we were kids my Dad had a Chevy for a while. It was a huge American car and couldn't be parked outside the house because it blocked the road so he had to drop us off and drive round to my uncle's place to park there.... It all seems silly when I say that but at the time we loved that huge monster car... and so when I spotted a retro stamp in my collection it seemed the right one to celebrate my Dad on Father's Day.

Until next time
C xx

Arty Birthday to me

Yesterday was my birthday and my amazing hubby presented me with a bag of arty  goodies as part of my presents. I said I would like some of the new Finnabair impasto paints and he opened a bag in the shop at the craft retreat in Coventry and included what he hoped would be my favourite colours...and he added some gorgeous metallics and some waxes, a couple of stamps, some chipboard embellies and some really cute metal hearts. What can I say, he did good!

I haven't opened any of them yet because we have this awful heatwave and I prefer to create in comfort...and in the knowledge that the paint won't dry on my brush, but as soon as temps return to normal I will be camped out in my craft space up to my elbows in painty stuff.

I do not do well in extreme heat so may hibernate until this passes... so until next time,
Take care
Cxx

Applied creativity retreat

It hardly seems possible that it is  already two weeks since I attended this fabulous event in Coventry. Six three hour workshops in two days it was full on creativity and such fun...and we came away with six fabulous completed projects.

The tutors for this event were three amazingly talented and beautiful women... Marta Lapowska. Anna Dabrowska (aka Finnabair) and France Papillon...but if you know their work you would probably recognise their style in the projects we made.

                                                                                                                                                                            Day one started with Marta and a vintage project, followed by Anna's lady assemblage piece and ending with France and what should have been a decorated egg candle holder in a basket, but the temps in the venue affected the plaster and many of us had failed projects... but we are all artists and we made something out of nothing... and I came home with a bag of plaster to have another go at home.

Day two began with Anna and this amazing book, followed by France and the abstract circles  project and ending with this very pretty floral piece with Marta.

I loved all of the projects...and although each technique involved was demonstrated by the tutor, we had free rein with a wide variety of products,  choice of paint colours, stencils designs etc  and style interpretations... so although we each did essentially the same project, the range of results was astounding.

We picked up loads of hints and tips and came away with lots of products to try at home. It was an amazing weekend and I am so glad I went.

Until next time

Cxx