Perella House

Happy Sunday everyone! I managed to get a couple of hours in my shed today...seems like ages!! I have had quite an eventful couple of weeks and not in a good way. I am recovering from a very nasty abscess on the root of my tooth which was joined by a gum and bone infection all I will say is no food no sleep and PAIN!! And to top it all I missed my Angel class with my lovely crafty friends...so was not a happy bunny.

Anyway I am on the mend and will do my angel at home as soon as I see Sam and get my supplies. So I thought I would have a go at the paper artsy challenge which is our house. It had to be something simple as my shed is in a terrible mess and I can't find anything. you can pop over and see all the great projects here

So I basically had a little wooden house which I used some grunge paste on to give it a bit of texture..then painted it all with black gesso. I wanted to stick with black and white...no colour so I got out some of my favorite Lynne Perella ladies and stamped then on white card. I cut them out and stuck them into the little openings in the house. I used card to try and have them at all different levels. There is a door at the bottom which the piccies doesn't show up..

I added a resin clock again painted with black gesso and when it dried sanded it back so you could see some of the white underneath..

And there you have it quick and simple


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mono printing

I had time for a little crafting over the weekend in between work shopping..cooking..cleaning and cutting the grass...and what lovely weather we have had!!! long may it last!!

I was very envious of some of my crafting pals who were able to attend Happy Stampers in Port Sunlight on Saturday...what a lovely place that is and a great show!

Leandra and Emma did a couple of quick periscope before it got busy and they were showing us a technique scraping the paint onto your surface using a scraper/old credit card or something like it.

I thought I might like to have a go....so using layers of mermaid..blue oyster..caramel..chalk..tango..beach hut and hey pesto fresco paints I made my background.

Onto this I stamped in cornflower blue archival with a crackle stamp some script and one of the small stamps from one of my new hop picks

I cut my piece up to make a background and smaller piece which I stamped in black archival again from one of the new hot picks I painted the flower and added some hightlights with a white shaprie. This was then mounted onto black card..added to the larger piece and onto a card blank.

I am going to enter this into the Paper Artsy topic 9 challenge which you can go and read all about here as usual some lovely work.

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white space in black

Another entry for the PaperArtsy challenge..white space...you can check it out here. I loved the black page on the blog, that was my inspiration..

I did a simple journal page spread...painted firstly with black gesso and then little black dress fresco acrylic. I then added some texture with black modelling paste.
 I cut a frames,heart and wings from different dies. The heart was coloured with barn door distress ink and then clear crackle over the top. the wings were painted with little black dress and clear embossed and the frame with pewter fresco.the sentiment is from one of Finn's stamp sets. Once it was all stuck onto my page I added some perfect pearls and treasure gold to bring out the texture...oh and some black lace to balance it a bit more....

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White space in Green

Topic 8 over on the PaperArtsy blog this week is white space...you can read all about it here


I started off with a piece of smooth white card and painted it in sage green fresco paint. I stuck some tissue paper across the middle of the card scrunching it up before it dried. Then some Tim holtz tattered flowers an assortment of flowers from my stash..and some sand balls. When it dried I painted it all over with the sage green..then dry brushed it with snowflake...stamped happy birthday in black archival and done....

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powertex sculpture

I have been having another play at a powertex sculpture...this time using an armature instead of half a barbie lol.

I have to say I so enjoyed this and I love him!! It would take me ages to walk through everything but I basically made the armature and bulked him out with some tin foil the wrapped him in masking tape.

Next I played around sitting him on the paper mache books until I was happy with him. I made some trousers and jacket just roughly sewing them into shape and off I went. Dipped it all in powertex and dressed him...I added different bits of his clothing in stages and when he was dry I added a few different colours of treasure gold.

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A little play time

Seeing as the weather has  started to look like spring really is around the corner I have found myself wanting to be out in my shed more and more.
So I have had a little bit of me time this week after an extremely hectic weekend with the grand national on Saturday and Ally Pally on Sunday a bit of relaxation was definitely needed!!

Firstly I was playing around with a beer mat...one of a few knocking around in my shed and decided to make a little book. I painted it black and added a layer of crackle glaze then chalk fresco paint. When it had finished cracking I rubbed a bit more of the chalk off to age it some more. Then I rubbed in some quin gold around the edges and stamped some script in black archival.
I painted a piece of weathered clock die and stuck it into the corner. The picture is a domino download from etsy..I cut it out and mounted it onto some black shiny card..I stuck it on with silicone glue so that it could be slighly raised and the filigree piece could be slotted just underneath it. I added some paper roses with some tiny gold beads over them and parts of the front cover. I used some sticky embossing powder to add some foil.

 the back was done in the same way...

For the pages I just used some prima paper. I used some grunge paper for the spine and tied the pages using a dark twine. I can't decide whether to add a closure...will have to think about it

I also started another powertex sculpture which is a work in progress...but we'll save that for the next blog post

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Altered playing cards

Short and sweet today....I am in a group that have different swaps most months and this months theme is playing cards. We had to make 9 but I ended up making 10...here they are all finished and waiting to go to my swap partners...

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barbie gets all dressed up!

Happy Sunday everybody! Still waiting for the sun to make an appearance here today...it's trying but not quite...
I had another play with my powertex yesterday...love that stufff..it is sooo addictive.

It was barbie who got the treatment...I must admit to cutting her in half and just using the top half of her body. I used one of those meat bashers to stand her on I secured it with masking tape. I gave her a bit more shape with some foil and more masking tape and painted the whole thing with black gesso as part of the doll was plastic and powertex won't stick to plastic.

So out came the bronze powertex and I soaked strips of an old linen scarf . I wrapped it around her body and draped the last piece over the stand. I added a looser weave fabric over the top to give it a bit more texture.I made her a hat with a piece of card for the rim and fabric for the top part. I cut a small flower out of fabric and added that to the side. She also has a scarf made by twisting the fabric and just dropping it over her shoulders. I painted it all with the bronze powertex making sure her face and hands where covered.

When she was dry I dry brushed some lindy's magicals over her in blues and greens. I used olive bronze treasure gold on the base.

I found it very hard to take any decent piccies as she is so dark but hope you can get a good idea what she looks like. I am very pleased with her and will be entering her into the paperartsy challenge which you can read all about here.

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Fabric Stiffener

The current topic over on the PaperArtsy blog is fabric stiffener. when I saw this I thought woo hoo as we had discovered Powertex on a trip to Glasgow last year and I love the stuff!! Very messy but great fun.You can pop over to the blog and have a look at all the wonderful pieces here. I had to try and make time to do a piece. So killing two birds with one stone my daughter wanted me to make something for a birthday gift..so out came the poweretex.

I had an ikea frame had been knocking around in my shed for a while...just waiting to be altered. I used ivory powertex. I soaked some white muslin making sure all the cloth was covered and then manipulated it to open up the weave a bit more. I placed it all over the frame. I added more across the top, the corner and down the side just letting it drape. I also added some paper decoration..which I dampen and dip into the powertex..it kind of falls to pieces but adds a lovely tattered look.

Next I cut some tattered flowers from my tim holtz die and laid them on..using different fabrics on the different layers. I find if you leave it to dry for a bit you can then manipulate the flowers with a bbq skewer. I also tore off some strips of cotton fabric and wound it around my fingers to make some rose buds. I added some more powertex in little puddles and dropped in some sand balls. When everything was dry I sprayed some tattered angels gold and a little bit of heirloom gold perfect pearls.
Lastly I added some gold gems randomly and a touch of brass treasure gold on the balls.

I do apologize for the picture...although it is lovely and sunny it is very awkward trying to take piccies of a mirror..

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Art Dolls

Happy first day of spring everyone!! I had an hour or so to go out to my shed today so thought I would join in with the PaperArtsy art doll topic. I wish I had had more time for this topic but have had a hectic week at week due to the Cheltenham festival and no staff!...so sometimes working in 3 different locations in one day..and I have woken up this morning with a lovely cold...oh joy. Still 4 more days at work then 10 days off!!

Anyway you can pop over to the PA blog just here there is some lovely work from all the designers.

I only had time to do a tag but got the chance to use a set of my new stamps from paperartsy..a birthday gift from my lovely friend Helen.

I started by painting a tag with sage frescos and adding a layer of crackle glaze...when that was dry I added chalk fresco..quite thick for big cracks. I stamped the doll stamp directly onto the tag and added embossing powder to the crown I stamped her again on smoothy card and cut out the body then again the heart. I painted the dress in chartreuse and the heart with claret. I added feathers at the back and some jewels on the crown.

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Domino swap

I am in a small group where we have swaps for mini art...I love mini art. This time around we are swapping dominoes. I actually have mine finished before the deadline!!

I decided to make a domino book. I started off by covering both sides with a patterned tissue paper and when that was dry put on a thin layer of decoart clear crackle glaze. When that had dried I rubbed in some quin gold and wiped it back off just before it dried properly so it went into some of the tiny cracks...and they are tiny!!

                                           This is the back

Next I cut and scored some card from one of the prima collections (sorry can't remember which one) I used distress inks on the back and stamped some random stamps...on the front I stuck in some chit chat stickers.

 I attached the book to the dominoes with a strong glue and left it to dry....now what to do about the closure?? I added about 3 layers of embossing enamel and a resin bird onto the front..then remembered I had this kind of metal mesh..so decided to make a belly band. I wrapped it around the domino book and just twisted the ends together...done and ready to send off to my swap partner who ever that may be..just hoping they will like it.

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Everything Art

Like many of you I went straight online and bought the everything art set of stamps..really love them!! Today I thought I would have a play with them using portfolios again...

I was having a little chat with Leandra on twitter this morning and she mentioned how the Tim Holtz crayons disappeared into the grunge paste when you zapped them with the heat gun...well that got me curious as to whether the portfolios would as well...and they do!

So I started with a tag..scribbled white all over it and using Leandra's corner corner side technique I used green and orange to cover the tag. I then took the slate grey portfolio and scribbled it over the number stamp in my new set. I stamped it onto the card...it left a kind of ghost print...zapped it with the gun so it would all melt into the tag. Next I used a stencil I got in Paris with the grunge paste and let that dry..then put the stencil back over with a bright pink crayon...zapped it and it seemed to suck into the grunge paste. Next I took a separate piece of card and stamped the lady on it..using that as a guide  I scribbled stripes of the colours I had used on the tag next to it..zapped it and then stamped the image onto that and tore around it. I stamped the quote and february onto the tag and stuck the image on using foam tape so that it was slightly raised..dragged black archival around the edge and added some silk ribbon....

I am going to enter this into the paper artsy challeng 'wax' here

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Waxy playtime

Well here's another project for the topic over on the paper artsy blog just here. This time I've been using beeswax. This is inspired by Lin Brown's piece here..although this is nowhere near as good lol!!

I have done many workshops with Lin and have learnt an awful lot from her and enjoyed every minute...so if you ever have the chance to take a class with her jump at it!

I started off with a piece of greyboard about 6" square. I painted it with vanilla and honey dew frescos. Then a thin layer of wax...I added some torn pages from a book and another layer of wax..heated it up to fuse.

Next I used pan pastel through a stencil and heated that to fuse...some lace and buttons adding layers of wax in between. I dropped some seed beads onto it too. I painted 3 circles of greyboard and using a layer of wax fused some tissiue with stamped Lynne Perellla images.. these were added using more wax.

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I ran a portfolio around the edge and smudged it with my finger then heated it to fuse in with the other layers..some gold leaf randomly around the piece. Lastly I stamped some text in black archival and again heated it.

When it had completely cooled I buffed it up with a soft cloth leaving a nice soft sheen.


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more portfolios

I had another play with my portfolios yesterday..sat in front of the tv with my journal...There have been some excellent projects this week over on the paper artsy blog pop over and have a look here..Leandra has put up some great videos and examples for you to see.

I used purples..peach and red portfolios to do my background I stamped a bold diamond stamp down the side using archival ink then added stamped images on tissue randomly over the pages..I zapped it with a heat gun so the the wax would disappear into the pages..(very weird).

Then a hand written quote (not very neat I might add).."Doing what you like is freedom..Liking what you do is happiness"...so true...Finally I added black around the edges with my black big brush pen.

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A waxy journal page

Another new topic kicked off this week over on the paper artsy blog...Wax..pop over and have a look here.. I am off work at the mo so brought in some stamps and my portfolios..gelatos and neo colours from the shed to do a journal page. I don't have beeswax at the mo waiting for it to arrive,,

I love my portfolios and Leandra did a great blog post on them sooo long ago..you can read it here.

I started off covering most of my pages with the white..I find it helps blend the other colours nicely..

I just kept adding colour and blending them together until I liked it so far..then I zapped it with the heat gun...it just sinks into the page and no more wax!! I then stamped some random stamps in a couple of wendy vecchi archival inks. I stamped random PA stamps and Teesha moore onto tissue and tore around them...stuck them to my pages with matt medium making sure it didn't seep out of the edges as I wanted to add more wax crayon. I blended in some more portfolios and gelatos then again zapped it with the heat gun. I then added some black to the edges and blended it in..a quick zap the added more to the top and bottom so it would drip..When that was dry I coated it all with matt medium. I will probably journal on this page but it will probably be a private one..so will finish it later.

I forgot how much fun portfolios are!!

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Heart hanging

Don't faint but post number 3 coming up!! This second challenge over at paper artsy has everyone reaching for their crafty supplies..My 3rd piece is a heart hanging.

I started off with a heart from some bunting I picked up cheap in sainsburys. I painted in little black dress..a coat of crackle glaze then when that was dry a coat of vintage lace. I wiped some of the paint off before it was completely dry.
 I then painted some claret and london bus over the top again wiping it back before it dried properly.

I stamped a mini stamp in black archival and then added 3 coats of embossing enamel over the top..I dropping some tiny silver beads onto it before the last coat cooled. Added some black ribbon and finished. the photo doesn't do it justice..it is really lovely and shiney..bringing out the cracks and stamping.

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Heart Canvas

Do you believe it more than one blog post on the same day!! Well I have been having a play today out in my shed..and really enjoying myself I might add. I have another piece for the paper artsy challenge hearts which you can go and check out here..some lovely stuff I can tell you..

Well here is my second entry a tiny little canvas I found in my stash. I used the back of so it is more of a frame. I gave it all a coat of gesso then painted it in little black dress. I then gave it a coat of white fire..new fresco colour..love it!!
When that was nearly dry I wiped it back with a baby wipe then added some bead gel and left that to dry. I painted a little mdf filmstrip frame thingy with the white fire and stamped it with a small script stamp in black archival. I cut a tiny heart out in greyboard using a die and gave it a coat of little black dress then some crackle medium. I dabbed on some white fire and although it didn't really crack it left a nice texture. I rubbed bourgainvillea paint over it then wiped it back. I also added the bougainvillea to the frame. I then used thick enamel embossing gel on the heart to give it a nice shine and stuck the filmstrip frame and the heart into the canvas. I touched the bead gel up with white fire TG and a little bit around the edge of the frame to tie it all in..

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All you need is love

As the Beatles once sang 'all you need is love'..or so they say....My second entry for the PA challenge is a journal page. I had had a play with the background weeks ago but didn't have a chance to go any further...no time!!. So I thought I would finish it off with some hearts..You can find the link to all the lovely projects here

The pages have layers and layers of frescos..decoart paint and different mediums and archival ink pads.

I cut 3 hearts from a docrafts die in the lovely tissue paper my pressie from Chris was wrapped in..stuck them on the page with matt medium allowing them to crinkle a bit.

I used various background stamps with black archival and stamped the love in the bottom right. I had to hand write the rest so not very neat! I went around the edge of the hearts with black portfolios and smudged it a bit and then lightly went over the tissue heart with my white big brush pen..not sure if you can see it properly. I finished by edging the page with little black dress and black pitt pen.

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Do what makes your soul happy

I can't believe it been so long since I last blogged!! Need to get my act together for 2016...

The 2nd topic over on the paper artsy blog is hearts and I was determined to do a piece this time..so went out to my shed very early this morning to put the heaters on ready for this afternoon. You can pop over and have a look at all the gorgeous projects all the designers have done..all different and all beautiful..go make a cuppa and have a browse here.

I started off with a frame I had stripped the canvas off of..and painted it with snowflake fresco. My lovely birthday pressie from Chris was wrapped in some gorgeous tissue paper so I used that to wrap the frame in and gave it a coat of matt medium.

I then cut out a Tim Holtz heart die and used it as a template on some corrugated card. I also cut a fancy frame and some wings  from some of Tim's dies. I painted them all in snowflake then pewter frescos. The heart I painted black then dry brushed some pewter paint, and some decoart quinn gold.

The frame I painted pewter dabbing on the paint thickly then dropped some black frantage on and heated it.

I added some quinn gold to the frame and wiped it back then stuck some fabric on to kind of form a background. This was sprayed with some Lindy's stamp gang in a pinky colour. then frantage over the top. I wiped all around the edges with black archival. I stuck the frame and heart onto the frame and added the quote which is one of my favs!! A few touches of pewter treasure gold and done!!
I must say it is better in real life than in the piccie..the light is dreadful..

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