PAPERARTSY TOPIC#4 IMAGE TRANSFER

I have struggled for the longest time with image transfer so I was really pleased to get an opportunity to sort out my issues with it for a piece on the PaperArtsy Blog tonight. While I was researching the process and trying to work out where I've been going wrong I had an idea....

 Check out the PaperArtsy blog to find out how I finally managed to crack this really useful technique using one of my favourite PaperArtsy products. I am so pleased with the results.

Lx

HOTPICKS RELEASES AT PAPERARTSY

More exciting releases at PaperArtsy for you tonight and they really are SO great. Mr PaperArtsy has really outdone himself and I feel so privileged to have been part of his team of Wingmen alongside several of my crafty heroines....

Lin Brown, Helen Chilton and Kaz Hall (links to their blogs are in my side bar AND on the PaperArtsy blog).

Here, just to tempt your tastebuds a little before you head off to the Blog for the FULL reveal, are some pics of my own samples. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed playing with these stamps. They are just great. PURE PAPERARTSY!

The first new set is HP1601 and I have to say it's one of my absolute favourites. I love the little houses, which reminded me of houses in Amsterdam. The sentiments in the set are really great for a whole host of things. The square Home Sweet Home stamp is one of my favourites so I've used it on both my projects

I loved the little row of doors from HP1605 so I used those as a background and then knocked them back with a very thin coat of gesso before adding some crackle glaze

Check out that crackle! I used DecoArt one step crackle and I was really pleased with the results.

There's that sentiment stamp. I love it. I left the MDF heart it's natural colour and just stamped the sentiment over the heart in red. I stamped the letters with the house images and then glossed them with glossy accents.

The sort of steampunk light is from a selection in the PaperArtsy shop. It was a wrench to let it go I can tell you...

Next I made a little framed scene using just two stamps - the little row of houses

...and there's that square sentiment again. It was really handy for stamping the frame and I even used it as a background inside the frame.

Next up is HP1602 which is one of those all singing all dancing plates of stamps you can turn to on the hurry up just KNOWING you're going to get a complete project out of it. So many really great elements in this one. We all loved the beautiful butterfly and the washi tape strips. The collaged flower is gorgeous and I love the handwritten ledger stamp too.

Here's what I did

 Just a joy to colour. I added some crackle glaze to the butterfly and just contented myself with layering the lilies up for the second card.

Bit of a washi tape frenzy going on here. I had to have it inside and out... I love it! Extra brownie points Mr P
 

Now for something a little bit kooky. I love this little lady. She is BRILLIANT! Really really classic PaperArtsy and the number stamps with the set are just so cool too

 Love that sentiment. It's SO funny. I used the numbers to make sort of clouds. They're meant to look like they are twisting in the air so I did one side upside down and one side the right way up.

Ha Ha! I love her. So many possibilities....

....and last but not least is this gorgeous Remembrance stamp. It is SO beautiful. I think if I hadn't been on a deadline I'd still be making things with it I'm sure..

So you probably noticed I was rather taken with the poppy... Isn't it absolutely gorgeous. I loved colouring it in. I used Copics and Prismacolour Pencils for both cards. I love the way the petals curve upwards in a cup shape. It looks great however you use it. I LOVE IT!

 I pinched the small poppy from HP1605 to make a small arrangement

 Never, in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few...

That's me then folks. I hope you've enjoyed my samples.

Do please go and check out the full Periscope video and the gorgeous samples by Helen, Lin and Kaz

You'll also find an EXTRA surprise at the end of the post concerning the super talented Clare Charvill. Can it get any better!?

Have a great weekend.

Lx

NB: The gorgeous MDF door hanger and heart are from That's Crafty's own range

LIZ BORER FOR PAPERARTSY - NEW RELEASE

What a busy and exciting few weeks it has been! MORE new pre-Stitches releases from PaperArtsy and I feel so lucky to have been able to make samples for two of the new collections.  A big thank you to all the designers who have entrusted their hard work to me for some of their samples. It is such a privilege to be allowed to work with everybody at PaperArtsy. STILL pinching myself and STILL loving it. Thank you all so much.

Emma Godfrey and her team  did a fantastic job with their samples for Emma's gorgeous new stamps yesterday. Every single one is now on my wish list... uh oh! Check out the PaperArtsy Blog if you missed it. Just gorgeous! Honestly...

Today Leandra and Mark have revealed not one but TWO exciting new collections. The first is from Liz Borer. What a lovely lady Liz is and SO talented.

You can find a catch up from Leandra's Periscope introduction this morning on the PaperArtsy Blog. You will be blown away by how beautiful the images are and believe me when I say they are an absolute joy to work with. I can see so many uses for them... Journalling, cards, tags, embellishments. They are stunning!

Here just to give you a taste before you head off to the PaperArtsy blog are two samples from me.  I've used Copics and Prismacolour Pencils to colour them in and paint for the substrates themselves. I was so pleased with how they turned out and I hope you like them

I HAD to add a couple of Jo Firth Young's gorgeous little bees to complete the picture. They so sweet aren't they

My next sample was this one

For this one I married the flowers from plate EEB08   with a lovely Hotpicks stamp. I used Fresco paints for the background and my favourite combination of Copic Markers and Prismacolour Pencils for the flowers and the lady. I even added a cheeky slick of glossy accents to her lips. A girl can't go out without her lip gloss can she :oD

Thanks for popping by. Please do go to the PaperArtsy blog to see everybody's fabulous work. You won't be disappointed.

Lx

A BIT OF DALI ART

I saw these lovely Daliart Henna Flower and Henna Butterfly stamps  the other day and I HAD to have them. I can think of lots of things I'd love to do with them, but I started off with an acrylic tag, some alcohol inks, a bit of embossing and some crackle glaze. 

I think I'm going to be playing with these a lot. They're SO pretty!

Lx

A LITTLE BIT MARY JANE

Morning all. I hope you had a good weekend. Here's a little crafty morsel to start off the week....

While I wasn't consciously thinking Mary Jane Chadbourne when I started this  project, I can see it has headed, well and truly in that direction (though clearly not a patch on Mary's own fabulous work, it goes without saying..).

I started out with this tag clutching a handful of cool chipboard tags and shapes, some Dinky stencils and a box full of great stamps by PaperArtsy. If you look closely you can see one of Emma Godfrey's new larger word stamps, Darcy's wings from one of her new sets, zig zag's from one of Clare Lloyd's early releases and chimneys (yes I did say chimneys) from Darcy's fab steampunk buildings set as arms (YES! ARMS!) Don't you think the tops of the chimneys look like frilly cuffs :oD  Oh! And I used the stars from that set too. I used one of Lin Brown's bird wings for the beard. I thought it looked a bit like a pharoah's beard... and the hands are from a Lynne Perella Christmas set. No one was safe :oD

Have a great week.

Lx

A BIT MORE FUN WITH DARCY'S NEW RELEASE AND A REMINDER

Afternoon everybody. I can't believe Release Week at PaperArtsy is nearly over (sniff..). It's been amazing hasn't it. Don't miss the last of the new releases tonight at 7pm. Lots more exciting news still to come.

While we wait I thought I'd share with you something I made using Darcy's new stamps.

I'm hoping he looks like The Green Man. I confess I am rather pleased with him.

Have a great weekend.

Lx

NEW PAPERARTSY RELEASES - DARCY WILKINSON

Evening all.  Much excitement this week as Darcy challenged me to find one of my quirky characters using her new release of stamps. Well I didn't have to be asked twice and this is what I came up with...

BIRD BY DAY AND NERD BY NIGHT! This caped crusader is standing by to protect Tilly Tomato Head and maybe even win her heart. Not sure what I'm on about? Well head off to The PaperArtsy Blog  and check out Darcy's launch post to see her fantastic new releases. There are stamps AND there are stencils. Yes! STENCILS!. You won't be disappointed... "Fly you fools" :oD

Lx

ANOTHER LITTLE PAPERARTSY/SIZZIX MASH UP TODAY

I was lucky enough to make some samples for Jo Firth Young last year and I was really taken with the stamp sets she released (remember the ones with Clarence the Caterpillar and the lovely herringbone pathway. As ever, the minute I saw them, my wierd Bluebertie brain starts working overtime and before you know it I'm seeing fish and sparkling underwater plants. I pulled out a lovely acrylic tag, some Fresco paints in my favourite blues and greens and a sea horse die from Sizzix (are you seeing a pattern here :oD) and I made this

This is a bit of a JOFY-Fest actually because I've used the honeycomb stamp from Jo's Beehive set for a sort of fishing net

The little fish are actually just the tops off a couple of what Leandra lovingly calls The Blobbys (LOL) in collection 38 (the same release as Clarence but the other set).

I've gone a bit crackle crazy lately and I was really pleased with how the seahorses turned out.  I've added just a touch of White Fire Treasure Gold and it really gives them a lovely shimmer

Seahorses, in case you didn't know it, are very difficult to spot. They are teeny tiny in real life and are camouflaged to look like their surroundings. That's why I've used all the same colours I've used on the rest of the tag (what an ANORAK!? Honestly, I do wonder sometimes... ;oD).

I really love how the weeds turned out. I used two shades of green Fresco Paint, crackled them and then added some glitter glue in blue and green and they really do sparkle. A LOT of fussy cutting but it was worth it...

So that's my project for today. I hope you enjoyed it.



Lx

A LITTLE BIT GOTHIC

Morning everybody. All this grey weather is making me a feel a little bit gothic so I thought I'd share this little project with you today.

It's a mixture of all my favourite products from my favourite companies really. The gorgeous window stencil, brick wall stencil and acrylic arch shaped tag are from That's Crafty.  I used stamps from PaperArtsy for the cobwebs (HotPicks Halloween) and the grafitti on the walls (HotPicks again) and the die cuts are Tim Hotz for Sizzix. OBVIOUSLY I used Fresco Paints to stencil on the brick. They're perfect for acrylic surfaces. 

Alcohol inks on the back of the acrylic tag for the stained glass and then gloss gel medium (I used Golden) through the stencil. When it's dry and has gone clear you put Crackle Glaze (a staple item in my kit bag) over the top for some cracks and to add to the feel of stained glass.

 I cut the iron railings and black card and just rubbed some Pewter Treasure Gold over the top with my finger before buffing it back a bit.

 Look what happens when you put the tag by a window. Let there be LIGHT!

Have a great day all. Don't forget to swing by the PaperArtsy blog for the next round of exciting releases this evening. I can hardly wait.

 Lx