Family holiday

For both pages I started with plain white cardstock. I used stencil then held it down and took my Versamark pen and drew inside the stencil to get the image. I did one at a time so I could heat emboss and get the pattern I wanted. I used rose quartzes. I also edge my page with vintage photo (rangers). I got 3 different pattern pages to back the picture. I used a flower stencil and with Distress strain - picked raspberry, I added my 2 flowers. with scraps of the same backing paper I cut out banners to make bunting for the top right hand corner and thread it with lilac ribbon. I cut 3 butterflies of different sizes  and then placed a diamanté brad into it to hold them in place. I place rhinestones in place to add a bit of glam in both corners of the photo. the flowers are the final touch of elegance.  

 

 

 

Started the same - white card stock but this time I placed the stencil over the hole page and then sprayed with Tattered Angels, glimmer mist - Sea Glass. I then used blue paint on my chevron stamp and stamped randomly in the centre of the page. I then used kiwi mesh and stuck it on the right side of the photo and backed the photo in matching paper as the top photo (white & black paper) 

 

when it came to embellishing I tried to use a very little of what I had done at Finnibair's class.

So, I used the gears in the top left hand corner as well as lace flowers and then layered with the zip, button and bits. Used 2 x paper clips on the picture. Again layering with flower lace with gears, brads and clock pieces and then a paper clock which I then in turn sprayed with Mediterranean blue.

 

I did enjoy exploring new colours with these pages as well as new aspects of my layouts!

 

Enjoy you scrapping!!

XXOO 

A touch of Africa

 

Every year my Mom sends me table clothes with different paintings on. They all have an African theme and I do love them as they keep me connected to both my family back in South Africa as well as the country of my birth.

So I decided to do a canvas of one of the pictures... first I needed to make a stencil of the items I wanted which was the African man and lady. I then chose a Zebra and as well as the African pots.

I bought Zebra printed serviettes ( x 10) which I used for the edges of the canvas.

I measured 11cm in from the edge of the canvas and drew a pencil line all around the canvas. I then drew 1cm in towards the edge - that 1cm that I had just measured, I painted black as my boarder around the canvas and my edging of the Zebra stripes. I put masking tape down to get my white boarder. this helped me with my lines. It was important to see that they where straight.

 

The centre ... well I mixed a moss Green (Jo Sonja's Artists' colour) with Green Deep (Chromacryl) 

but I kept thinking it wasn't the colour I wanted but the more I applied it to the canvas I began to love this colour. Once the paint was dry I took of the masking tape. I then taped down the stencils of the figures where I wanted them and sponged the paint on through the stencils. My first attempt I did my African figures in Burnt Umber (Chromacryl) but when it came to the grass I did it in raw Umber (Chromacryl). I really didn't like the picture so out came the gesso and I covered the picture and re-did the background colour with the same greens that I had mixed before (helped that I had over mixed) but added colour to my African Figurines and the pots. What I loved about the change is not only did it brighten the picture but it seemed to bring it to life!

Yes less is more so this time I did less grass under their feet and did a Zebra in the bottom left hand side but only half the Zebra so that he doesn't draw your eye away from your African people.

 

 

 

 

Had a blast, hope you enjoy!

XXOO

Santa Book

"Deck the halls with bells and holly...tra-la-la-la-la" Christmas tree is up and decorated  and the fake snow is in the window sills.   
Yes I know I been a bit quiet but doing my Xmas book has taken a bit, actually a lot of running around and heaps of cutting....

I found an old hard covered dictionary and measured 1.5cm from the spin and drew my square on the page. I took a metal ruler and my Stanley knife and started to cut through the pages until I reached the back hard cover of the book. You need to make sure that you are cutting to your dimensions or when you are finished it will be skew!
I then chose my backing paper (as you would with any layout) and glued it down before gluing the pages down. Once the cover and background paper was glued. I 3D  the Christmas tree - I used a lot of foam tape to make sure that there would be NO sag at all with the paper tree. I then glued down the buttons in the places on the back cover as  I wanted them. Once I as happy with the layout of the back cover I started to stick the pages down. It took slow work to make sure not to tear apart. Once the pages are glued together leave it to dry for at least a day or so.

Whilst waiting I went to a boot maker and got strips of leather from browns to blacks and he had heaps of different shades but the charcoal black was the final colour that I settled on for the belt on the covered. I also got the gold buckle at this store and was rather happy with my decision. The warehouse was selling a really cheap Santa hat which I was going to cut for the base of the front cover. It wasn't easy to find Red velvet for the cover to finish Santa's suit, but Global fabric's had just what I wanted!! I then stretched the red velvet and glued it down on the inside of the cover. I cut the belt to size and then fit the buckle and made the hole and glued down the buckle in place as not to move once on the book cover. Then chose the spot where I wanted the belt and glued it down. I made sure the belt went around the back of the book as well.

After it was all dry I put red  fine glitter on the page edges. Once the glitter had dried I put a layer of modge podge. The Christmas lights I thread it through red wire which I then cut holes in the top of the book and placed in and glued in place so as to stay in place. The chair .... well - it had a mind of it's own, I put glue on the feet and held it down and got all giddy with delight as it was glued in place only to fall over ... I re-glued the chair about 4 times before it stayed in place!! Santa well he just did what I wanted - Glued his feet and he stuck to the book pages!! Gotta love Santa for doing his job...The glue has dried and his on my mantle for all to see...My boys love my book and me I'm rather stoked it work!




Merry Christmas to you all
XXOO

 

Family - Cousin

For our Creative craft challenge we had to do "texture", and the more you get to know me you will realise since discovering this wonderful art form called texture...well, I'm totally hooked! How can you not love how it changes ones pages... So what I did was took a pattern page that I liked but didn't love and used gesso and with my Heidi Swapp 12' x 12' stencil I created my background and dried it. Once dried I've cut out my own stencils of the giraffe and it's spots which I then used coloured gesso and placed my image on the page.Once dried I used my sprays to colour the background. To enhance the colours I added two dots and let it run down the page - one was purple the other red. I then randomly placed kiwi mesh & copper strips. I then used VersaMark and rubbed it in random spots so I could add the embossing powder. I covered the whole page with the embossing page and then just dusted off the excess and heated. When I was heating I loved the way the gesso bubbled in some spots adding to the effect. It then come to doing the embellishments - I backed my picture and added a gesso butterfly and whilst wet added the rhinestones. The 2 butterflies on the side I heat embossed and then added blushing rose powder to enhance its colour. On the wing tips they both have Diamond dust.
The chipboard bird is also heat embossed with liquid platinum, the same colour on the background heat embossing.  

I did enjoy the texture added to this page and most certainly would love to try this in my journal!
Hope you give it a go....
Hugs
Joan XXOO

Products I used


Twinklets - Diamond dust
Rangers embossing powders - liquid platinum
                                                 Rose. Quartz
Rangers liquid pearls - White opal (even thought I used white it changed colour to pink on the butterflies!!)
LuminArte' - Blushing rose powder
                      Burnt Umber in a spray
Tim Holtz - Vintage photo distress inks and re inkers
Tim Holtz: Adirondack color wash - Red Pepper
                                                            Purple Twilight
Dylusions - Squeezed Orange
                    Dirty Martini
                    White linen

Trip To The Moon

Well it most certainly has been awhile... And yes I have been busy - crafting!! That's oh so more important than housework or Xmas shopping!! So part of the Creative dreams art journal swap was I had to do a journal and the theme was "Anything" ... It certainly does leave it open to a whole world of possibilities but I have had this idea in my head for a while to do a scene for the movie "Hugo" so I do hope I could I can do it justice... I got the picture and printed it and then did a mirror image so I could have the same on the other page of the journal.

I started with music paper and covered the back, once dry I painted with lime green and white. And then before it dryer I sprinkled glitter over the page. Once dry I used matte medium over the page. I then glued down silver stars randomly and stamped music notes over the back of the page. I then found the middle of the page and stuck down my moon, making sure that they where level on both pages. Again I used matte medium once it was all stuck down. With my cuttlebug I cut out 4 film strips. I used a lady stamp and an Eiffel Tower then drew in the building. I stamped he clouds with cloud paint and drew around them with a silver marker.

I did enjoy doing this page it most certainly was easy but had additional techniques which I wanted to try and enjoyed!!
Thanks for stopping by hope you enjoy XXOO
Joan

Eggshell Dairy

Being in New Zealand I have learnt MANY new techniques! both from YouTube, classes and friends I have gained in the scrapping, mixed media industry, I have learnt to play with different textures and something I have tried is eggshells...Yes, eggshells I have done both art journaling with it and I have tried it on a cover which I'm going to share with you today... But if you aren't a patient person then this isn't for you or you need to do it whilst working with another project on the go! It's really a rewarding project when it's finished as the textures are delightful - I loved the look and so love the feel!! So get your patience on and lets get started... You going to have to start to collect eggshells so.


Next time you have eggs keep the shells the more you keep the better I always keep every eggshell, leftovers can always be thrown away when you are finished but once you enjoy the technique you wont throw the left overs away! And like me you just keep collect, my husband cooks and he knows not to even throw 1 shell away or it cause the roof to come crashing down on him...LOL!  Once you have your eggshell, under slow running water peel the membrane of the egg off but be  VERY gentle as not to crumble the shell. Peel it slowly so as to try and keep the membrane peeling of the inside of the shell. If you are struggling then gently ruby it with the water and you will feel it crumble away in you hand until all the membrane is clean from the shell.  Then you have to leave it to dry for up to 6-8hours. You can also leave it up to 4hours(sometimes quicker, my tumble dryer was going and I found it seemed to speed the time up) in a hot window sill with no moisture - you will need to keep lifting them from the plate so that they don't stick to it.

 

Once the eggshells are dry you can use a good PVA glue on the cover of your journal and start to  place it over the cover. at this point you will need to crack the shells to ensure that it is "flattish", you will also place the eggshells cracked dark side up. Let it dry. It is important to let it dry.Don't use a heating tool as the eggshells tend to lift. I do mine just before I go to bed and when I get up I mod podge it!

 

 Apply a thick coat of Mod podge matte over the eggshells. leave to dry. Make sure that the glue is dry as if it isn't dry the eggshells will move whilst applying the mod podge. Don't use a heating tool it will bubble and the eggshells lifts. The thicker your mod podge the better as at this point you will be creating a good barrier for both the eggshells and the paint we will be putting on. Mod podge dries quickly I put it on before taking the kids to school and when I got home I found it was almost dry ...90% so I chose my colour to paint and went ahead and painted.

 

I decided on a Brilliant red - Reeves acrylic. You will need to apply the paint thick over the shells. This takes REALLLLLY long to dry once again you can't use your heat tool due to bubbling. Let it dry over 18hours - yes that is how long it will take and yes that is how thick the paint will need to be. remember eggshells are porous and the absorb is high. Once the paint is dry and if you want a gloss finish you can apply a gloss mod podge for your shine. You can then draw, write your possibilities are endless! I decided to stamp a bunting on paper cut it out and stuck it on then went and added my flower with leaf's and heat embossed my butterfly. I finished my dairy with the ribbons on the binding to add colour and femininity for me....Love it!!!

 

 

Loved doing this project hope you enjoy the challenge and try it next time you do a page or a journal!!

 

Cheers for know:)

Things with wings

I joined an art journal swap group to help with my journaling.... Okay I have only been journaling for 3 months but I thought what better why to learn than throw myself in the deep end give it a go... Youtube is a dream at teaching new tricks and loving pinterest  for my Quotes and ideas for journals to learn from. This idea was a pinterest idea - Birgit Koopsen. I loved the colours and how calming the effect is was.

Applied a layer of gesso a backing but thicker where I wanted it to have the cracked effect. Left to dry over night.

 

 

I blended two different blue tones - Cloud & Aquarium (MS)

used Meadowlark (MS) with Wedding cake (MS) as my back colours.

Used Indian red oxide (Jo Sonja's' acrylic) for the earth tone. 

With bubble wrap I have white acrylic and just added depth to the pages.

I then took may washi tape and cut it to the size and strips I wanted.

I stamped butterflies and the flowers with my stazon.

My large butterfly is chipboard. I sprayed that with Dylusons purple and then applied clear heat embossing. Then applied versamark and used LuminArte powder - garmnet and re-heated.

Applied some glue and added diamond dust for sparkle!!

Stamped the tail and added black rhinestones...

 

So loved how the page come out!!