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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