Technique School at Stamps and Stencils!

Hi everyone, over at Stamps and Stencils this month the theme is ... 

The lovely Autumn is our talented host this month and here's what she wants us to do...

'This month we want you to play teacher and share a favorite process or new experiment.  Document your findings with at least one process photo.  We can't wait to see your technique tutorials and new ideas!  Remember to use stamps or stencils or both! '

I've recently had great fun making envelope journals so thought I'd share a short video on how to assemble one (apologies if I sound a little quiet towards the end...think my family would say I'm muttering again!)

Brief step outs now and lots of photos...brayer any paint on before assembling....and yes the paint is called London Night NOT London Fog as I said in the video...oops!

I used crackle glaze underneath snowflake and chalk paint just to add a bit more texture.

I used a 'bump' stencil technique to create a shadow effect with the Seth Apter stencil, squid ink underneath gold fresco paint.

I wanted a contrast to the almost aubergine tones and chose chartreuse adding little flecks in. I used a Lin Brown stencil here and of course a little gold had to creep in too..

Stamped skeleton leaves and lace

Love this motif

Book text and UTEE

Lace, skeleton leaves and journalling

The final pages

I really hope you're tempted to join in and share a favourite technique..you only need to show one process shot....for even more inspiration please hop across and see what the rest of the DT have created but whatever you're doing...have fun! R x

New Eclectica Seth Apter stamps at PaperArtsy

Hi everyone, well over on the PaperArtsy blog tonight it's my turn to share what I've been making with the fabulous new Seth Apter stamp release. I made a mini envelope journal and a card.

There are 2 new plates ESA05 and ESA06 and I absolutely love them. Hop across to see all the details,  process shots of how I made the journal are below.

These are money envelopes and I brayered them before assembling. Julie Fei-Fan Balzer has a great tutorial on how to make them so here's the link

Once assembled I added touches of metallic fresco.

Grunge paste and paint through stencils before decorating. Here are the 5 pages

First pages

2nd spread

Pages 5 & 6

7 & 8

The final pages....

...and a monochromatic card

I've enjoyed working with Seth's previous releases, exploring his style and using his paint techniques; in the process my own style is evolving . I'd never have imagined creating something like this a year ago but love where these stamps have taken me.

Follow your bliss! R x

Tags, Bags and Boxes at Stamps and Stencils

Hi everyone, it's November already and we are fast approaching the festive season. Cec is our talented host for this months challenge and she has kept that in mind with her choice of this months theme.  'With Christmas coming up and the gift buying underway, we are going to need something to wrap them in.  Let's make some mixed media tags, bags and boxes that will be as treasured by the recipient as the gift itself.  Don't forget to include some stamping or stenciling.'

I had a lot of fun with this one and opted for quick and easy techniques that are hopefully effective. It's a photo heavy post as I created variations on the colour theme to include other occasions, hope you enjoy...

I started off altering a small Kraft bag but then decided to decorate a gift envelope and different sized tags for Christmas, a Birthday and as a Thank you.

This is the step by step for 'Thanks'  but I'll explain the variations along the way. Firstly brayer some chalk fresco roughly over the background, it will dry in no time.

Next brayer a little copper, gold and caramel fresco in places.

A few scraps of masking tape and a little stamping in black, sepia and plum archival and the background is created in minutes

I think these colours go so well together.

To finish the bag, I applied some die cut book page leaves and a ready made flower was 'frantaged'... shabby white embossing enamel melted over it.

The sentiment was stamped on painted book text and I added some stamped leaves.

For the envelope I added plum and sepia stamped images, the sentiment embossed in black and wiggly lines around the outside....super quick.

The tags are a mixture of the techniques and stamps already used and sticking to the same colour palette creates cohesion.

Next it's Christmas

A claret fresco paint background, crackle glaze and chalk paint top coat.

A gold snowflake has been 'shabbified'...aged with ink and paint. Stamping in plum archival and white frantage (I know I keep using it but I just love the effect a little sprinkling gives to to a project)

The crackle just transforms the tags

The last one is for a Birthday and is super quick.

The background is just white gesso scraped on with a credit card...

Add a die cut, sentiment and frantage...job done.

The die cut started off as cream paper which had been lightly brayered with paint  and stamped as in the first step. You can see a little of the torn paper added to the bottom of a tag.

The trio displayed in all their glory.

These were all such fun to make and genuinely quick and easy. I now have a lovely stock, especially useful when you are on the last minute...

Hope you'll join in with our challenge and for more inspiration pop across and see what gorgeous makes the talented DT have made. x