Christmas at PaperArtsy

I am over at PaperArtsy this evening with some Christmas cards featuring stamps by Sara Naumann.

Nikki

Christmas Greetings!

Hi! Today we welcome a new challenge at A Vintage Journey and a wonderful Christmas (or not!) theme of Star Light - Star Bright. Our host is the lovely Julia - here is her description:

This month we are asking you to to create with stars. Fill up the dark winter sky with them or use one really big one as your central focus. Stencil them, stamp them, emboss them or die cut them. Make a card, make a star box, make a canvas, create a journal page - remembering to create in the vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial or steam punk styles.

A couple of weeks ago Brenda (Bumblebees and Butterflies), Alison (Words and Pictures) and I had another of our Skype crafting sessions and we decided to to each create a project for this theme. For those that haven't seen our previous Skype Craft - we
all connect up via Skype and take it in turns to chose a step which we all need to follow. Sometimes we work on the same substrate but this time we each chose our own.

Brenda kindly recorded the steps - so I have added a quick summary of what I did to each of the steps.

1. A - Use paper to start the layers. - I covered my substrate with black and white patterned paper

2. B - Use the monoprint method to add any colour medium of your choice - I used watercolour card to transfer white paint randomly across the surface (it was too black!)

3. N - Add a wash or washes of a colour medium - I added blues!

4. A - Use a stencil any way you wish. - I used a star stencil, added versamark and added Baked Texture to the surface before heat embossing.

5. B - Use asemic or dynamic writing to add a layer of visual texture. - I took a silver metallic pen and scribbled! It is there if you look for it!! As it is silver it shows up when the light catches it.

6. N - Add a bit of texture. I added more Baked Texture around the edges of the plaque.

7.  A - Determine and prep the focal point of the design. I die cut my 'Christmas' several times and adhered together before using the same embossing powder again. Texture was added to the 'Happy' (a precut greyboard piece) before paints sponged.

8. B - Find elements to bring the composition together. - Stars - more stars!

9. N - On one or more of the elements use two different mediums of the same colour. I went for my blues and silvers on my die cut stars and 'Happy' - using embossing powder, foiling and glitter!

10. A - Add some words - Well I was ahead of the game now - already did that!

11. B - Add some sparkle - Ditto - so I cleared up the glitter I seemed to have got everywhere!

12. N - Assemble and add whatever you need to finish off your design. - I added Snowtex around the edges and on the words to enhance the winter feel.

It was a fun day!

If you havent already head over to AVJ for lots more Star Light, Star Bright Inspiration.

Nikki

Coffee Time - Guest Designer Frilly and Funkie

Hi everyone. I am thrilled to be Guest Designer today at Frilly and Funkie. The challenge this month is 'In the Kitchen'. I decided to include a kitchen theme as well as using a kitchen item - salt.

My panel is around 6inches square with a slight recess and frame. I decided to work directly on the frame but worked on measured heavy card stock for the central area. For both I started by creating some texture using stencils and texture paste and allowed to dry. For the centre panel (card) I added watery washes of Deco Art Media paint in Quinacridone Gold and Paynes Grey - allowing them to merge together a little and then sprinkled salt on, leaving it to absorb the moisture and pigment before wiping away once dry.

I also used the same technique on the border with 2 blue tones - but with less salt to create a more subtle effect. I also dry brushed gold paint over this surface to reflect the colours inside the frame.

I die cut the tea cups (coffee in this project!) from Tim Holtz’s Tea Time Bigz die and sponged with blue paint. before returning to my stencil and added gold paint. I added blue archival ink around the edges of the cups to make them stand out a little more.

I reached for the quirky quotes from Tim Holtz Snarky Small Talk and decided this coffee one was perfect! A little sponged paint toned down the white card.

I think there are days when this quote is very appropriate for me!

Nikki

xx