Icy Abstracts at PaperArtsy featuring Seth Apter stamps

 

Hi!

I am over a PaperArtsy this evening - sharing these Icy Abstractions! It's meant to be a Christmas theme but got very carried away with joy of the paint!

Nikki xx

Getting Merry and saying goodbye!

 

Hi everyone - it has been some time - I have turned into a reluctant blogger! Today sees our final challenge at A Vintage Journey.  I know, very sad - but the craft world seems to be moving away from blogging into the instant social media world! For me, I hope this changes - I find most (not all!) of social media quite toxic and find I am using it less and less. I feel it creates more harm than good - but that's just me! 

For our final challenge we have created on the theme of Merry Little Christmas - ATC's to celebrate this wonderful time of year. I created some inky backgrounds with Distress inks / oxides and added some background stamping. The stamps are a combination of Sara Naumann (PaperArtsy) and Tim Holtz.

I have combined stamping on some painty backgrounds with stamping and fussy cutting on book paper.

Can't beat a few splatters to finish off! The designs originate from a recent Tracy Evans workshop I did. Tracy was one of the original AVJ DT! 

Our final make is another ATC to say goodbye!

This time a gelli print background with a fussy cut bird from Tracy Evans (AALL and CREATE).

The words say it all - I cherish my 6.5 years with AVJ -  a wonderful experience and some fabulous friendships made! But we must focus on today - even in Covid times - and adapt as we can to what is 'in the now'.

Love and hugs to everyone at AVJ, past and present, and the wonderful followers of our blog.

Nikki

xxxx

A little numerical journalling

 

It seems ages since I have I have joined in one of the challenges at A Vintage Journey. This month the theme is Numbers - hosted by lovely Annie!

"Numbers is our challenge theme for this month and we would like to see them being a focal point in your entries. You can use stencils, die cuts, fussy cuts or rub ons, rust them up, use texture paste or paint them, the decision is yours as long as the numbers are prominent. Just remember to create your project in one of our preferred styles: vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk."

I decided to a create journal page with lots of numbers. My background was fun - a combination of collage, stamping, stencils, washi, paint etc. 

I die cut some flowers in black card and added numbers to these too before dry brushing over the surface as the black was a bit - black! I wanted the quote and clock to have a little more prominence!

I don't know why but I have really lost my mojo during the pandemic - when it would be a great opportunity to craft. This was a fun way to just be free and play.

Nikki

Booking binding Seth Apter style for PaperArtsy

Hi everyone. I am over at PaperArtsy this evening with a book using Seth Apter stamps and  PaperArtsy paints. For more details and pics visit the PA blog - if not here is a little video!

Nikki xx

Mandala Plaque for PaperArtsy

 

Hi - it's another redirect post tonight as it is my turn over at PaperArtsy. I am playing with stamps by Gwen Lafleur and embossing powder for the current topic - 'Fused'.

Nikki

Grunge Paste Texture Tag

It is a new challenge at A Vintage Journey today hosted by Amanda - called Tag You're It! Who doesn't love a tag!

Having said that, I made hard work of this and if time had been on my side I would do it all over again! I wasn't sure where I was going and my journey was one of lots of getting lost down side roads before arriving worn out and slightly shabby!!!

I love experimenting which is what I was doing - so now I need to do it again missing out all the extra steps I have tried to cover up!!!

I started with an MDF tag and a light coat of paint before adding Paper Artsy Grunge paste through a stencil at the top and created circles for flowers with the paste. I then used my palette knife to create grasses, also with the grunge paste.

I allowed various colours of paint to dribble over the surface and added some with a brush. The flowers being a different colour. 

Once dry I sanded it all back to reveal the Grunge Paste in white. In order to get a little more focus around the flowers I added pens and crayons and paints (and tried to remove each!) - so it became a little muddy! In the end I added some lines with a black pen and added glossy accents over the flowers - a step I will definitely omit next time!

Nothing wrong with the lovely quote from one of Alison's PaperArtsy stamp sets though! 

Not everything works perfectly but that's how we learn!

Nikki

xxxx

Birthday Lines

Hi everyone. Today I am over at PaperArtsy once again to share on the current topic of Lines. I am showing how I used various lines in this card to build the composition.

Do pop over to see lots more.

Nikki

Skype Craft - Ken's Houses

Hello! It seems like a while since I have posted on here. I have been doing some online classes during the lockdown period but either haven't got round to taking photos to share or haven't finished them!!! Still crafting just not finding the motivation to blog.

However a week or so ago I had another Skype Craft session with Alison Bomber and Brenda Brown - actually it was across 2 sessions as we chatted so much we didn't finish the first time (and we had to allow Alison's crackle to crackle!)

Brenda's lovely husband Ken has been busy and cut us all some wooden houses - so we all worked on the same substrate.

I painted my houses with Summer Sky Fresco paint and then randomly coloured on Tim Holtz printed tissue paper (on the back). Having added this to the substrate I added some book page scraps, some drips and some leftover stamped card. I also added some extra paint highlights to help with the colour composition.

I stamped a quote (an old Tim Holtz stamp set) on some painted card and found some leaf and butterfly embellishments that I painted and stamped on.

The sides - that you cant see too well are also stamped.

Pleased with these - so much so I have them in my living room - to remind me to challenge myself occasionally!

My lovely friends have both excelled themselves with their designs.....you can find all the details on their blogs.

Brenda - details here

Alison - details here

Nikki xxx

Eileen Hull Tiny Book with PaperArtsy Stamps and Paints

Hi everyone - tonight it's a redirect post over to the PaperArtsy blog where I am sharing this Tiny Book made from recycled packaging (Eileen Hull die) using PaperArtsy Paints and stamps.

Nikki

xxx

Tag Friday - it's a bright one!

We have a Tag Friday at A Vintage Journey today.  I am still in my bright colour phase, following a couple of Dina Wakley online classes!

This time though I have used the new face stamp from PaperArtsy / France Papillon. I had great fun using these for a recent post for PaperArtsy - and Lilly (as FP calls her) was still on my desk.

You can see details here.

The Dina influence is evident - but great mix and change styles!

The face is stamped on tissue paper, coloured on the reverse before adhering to the loosely painted background on the tag.

I hope everyone is keeping well during these difficult times. As some know I am struggling with the isolation of living alone, working at home and the gym shut. But art remains a great outlet for my frustrations.

Nikki xxx

Collage, Faces, Eyes and a bit of fun

Tonight I am over at PaperArtsy sharing some slightly strange collages I have make with new stamps by France Papillon - now a designer for PaperArtsy as I am sure you know.

Do head over to see my weird creations!

Nikki

xxx

Isolation Skype Craft 4 - Journalling Dina style

Hello and welcome to our 4th Isolation Skype Craft adventure - where Brenda Brown, Alison Bomber and I craft together over Skype. This version was another - do as you please, rather than our original rules based projects. As always just lovely to craft in the virtual company of  crafting buddies.

What is good about this project is I have finished something. It seems recently that I keep starting projects and not finishing them. I blame all these Facebook workshops - I have done a couple and both are unfinished - despite them being great projects.

I did a Dina Wakley workshop last Saturday evening and my Skype craft was Sunday morning - so you can see what inspired this page!

I followed alot of the process I had done on the workshop but in my journal instead. I love Dina's free style, mistakes are ok, letting things happen. She has a great eye for colour and composition though so I am not fooled it is easy as she makes it sound!!!

Compositionally this went a bit wrong.... spotted it? I do not like where I have positioned the face on the RHS - the masked tag is sticking out of her head! HOW did I not see that - LOL.

The masking on the silhouette figures worked a bit better - I like these. You can see all the layers here. What I failed to maintain is much white space - something I am working on - but must have got distracted by the conversation!

As you would expect wonderful projects from Brenda and Alison that you can find here:

Alison

Brenda

Nikki xx

Isolation Skype Craft 3 - the mini version

Hi everyone and welcome to the third Skype Craft post of Isolation! Alison, Brenda and I met virtually for just an hour last Saturday. Well it was probably an hour of crafting, maybe a little longer chatting. This makes a change from our normal marathon sessions!!!

It was just an excuse to catch up really - we didn't have any rules - we just did what we wanted while chatting. Alison has put the idea of a trio of ATC's into my head so this is what  did.

My background was created with PaperArtsy Chalk paints and a couple of circle stencils. I brayered paint over the surface and then placed a stencil over to remove some - just gives a subtle effect. I then added a paler colour back through the stencil with a sponge and finally a darker colour by stamping with another circle stencil.

I stamped these wonderful leaves (PaperArtsy, Lin Brown) with versamark and heat embossed with  a vivid green powder.

A few words - PaperArtsy stamps by Alison of course!

----------------------------------

Check out Alison and Brenda's posts too! 

Alison

Brenda

Until next time!

Nikki

xxx

Making Waves at PaperArtsy

It's a very fishy week or so here! If you missed my Skype Craft last week using another PaperArtsy Fish stamp set you can find it here.

But tonight I am over on the PaperArtsy blog - for our Under the Sea theme - using stamps from Scrapcosy.

See you next time.

Nikki

'Out of limitations comes creativity' - Isolation Skype Craft 2

Hi everyone - how are you doing in these strange and difficult times. There are just a few things keeping me from going insane - exercise, craft and chocolate!

Saturday saw the second Isolation Skype Craft with Brenda Brown and Alison Bomber. Skype craft - crafting with friends over skype - is something we have done occasionally over the years but never twice in a few weeks! You can see Isolation Skype Craft 1 - here.

Usually we take it in turns to give an instruction to the others but this time we changed the rules and restricted ourself to limited supplies. We each got to choose 3 paints, 3 inks, a stencil, a stamp set, pre selected die cuts and an item recently purchased (bit of a wild card this one - as it could be a second stamp set / texture paste etc)

Here is my selection:

Now we all thought at first it seemed alot but then all panicked so allowed ourself an extra ink based product and paint:

There was still some good humoured stressing over limited supplies so I suggested we work with what we have and any point you could play your joker and use one more item (and the others could use it too)

So as the phrase goes -Out of Limitation Come Creativity - I made 2 tags using one of Gwen Lafleur's stamp designs from PaperArtsy.

Stamping the little fish in the backround with Chalk Fresco acrylic before smooshing some distress ink over.

Stamped with one of the circular stamp images in a mixture of ink and paint to make my patterned background here,

My JOKER was played - I needed my white posca pen!

I had 3 backgrounds made so die cut circles out of the tags to layer them up. Goldfish bowls maybe!

------------------------------------------

As always we all came up with very different designs, had a lot of laughs along the way and after 4 hours finally finished!

Here are Alison and Brenda's sneak peeks!

Alison

Brenda

Happy crafting everyone - hopefully we can craft together again soon.

Nikki xxx