Floral Frenzy at Stamps and Stencils

Hi everyone, well it's my turn to host this months challenge over at Stamps and Stencils and as I LOVE flowers and June is a month when they burst forth right, left and centre  the choice of theme was easy. FLOWERS, stamped, stencilled, handmade, premade as long as they are centre stage on your project and you've included some stamping or stencilling then we want to see your mixed media projects. I've opted for a vintage route this month and yes I've been using PaperArtsy infusions...again!

I started by using some infusions on card stock in blackcurrant and orange county, mixed with pearl glaze.

On this piece I applied the glaze it in a cross hatch pattern and I think I've also used golden sands as well.

I've applied Finnabairs 3D gloss gel through a stencil on this and you can see the colour starting to absorb

On this one I've used gold paint as a base, very loosely brushed on and this time I've added sage in to the mix.

It spreads out differently on a gloss or non absorbent background, and I've stencilled more gel on top.

I die cut some tattered floral flowers from the card and covered a piece of hardboard with some Prima paper I had from a Finnabair workshop

A wash of gesso and some light molding paste

Starting to layer up scraps

Some more gel and gesso and then a little clear crackle paste...it's all about the layers

Once dry, drips of prima blooms in Peony and Tea stain and some Lindy's stamp gang sprays.

Stamping, dry brushing...

archival ink around the edges and a few micro beads.

assemble the flowers

 a few embellishments

and it's complete.

I hope you'll be inspired to join in and please hop across and see some fabulous inspiration from my teamies.

I'm entering this in a couple of challenges, firstly Anything but Cute which is celebrating it's first anniversary...really, where did the time go? It's the first time I've been able to join in and as the theme this month  is 'Celebrate your style' it fits perfectly...'experimenting' and although I have quite an eclectic style, vintage and Finnabair style is one of my favourite comfort zones.

The second challenge is over at Our Creative Corner, where we are getting messy, well if you'd seen my hands after playing with the infusions and gel and paint and my creation isn't a clean and simple one, I'm hoping it qualifies for 'A Beautiful Mess'.  Sadly it's also their  last challenge for the time being so I wanted to join in.

As always thanks for stopping by. Ruth x

Finnabair workshop

Just a quick post from the weekend as promised, to show my finished 'ARTifact'. Of course it was a fabulous workshop, I was in great company and in seventh heaven learning from Finn...again! No info re any products used or how to, can only urge you to attend if you ever get the chance. Thanks for stopping by.

'Shine'

Hi everyone, I've managed to have a bit of play time today and just went where the creative muse took me. I stayed within my comfort zone at first and decorated the front of my small Finnabair journal, which has been naked for far too long!

No step by steps today, but I have used a few Finn products including 3D transparent gel, doily stencil, mechanicals, Primary elements and then some Lindy's Stamp gang sprays that I picked up at the Port Sunlight show the other week. I was hovering around the PaperArtsy stand where my lovely friend Sue Carrington was demoing and doing a brilliant job! I also managed to catch up with some bloggy friends face to face, including Chris, Anne and Lesley. It was so lovely to meet such creative ladies.

One of the other products I picked up from the PA stand was Art Basics graphite texture paste which I had a play with and created a couple of monochrome journal pages. I've been inspired by some of Marta Lapkowska's You tube videos and fancied doing something monochromatic...but with a bit of 'Shine'.

A journal is for playing and experimenting in ...so that's what I did.

I used a couple of grey pages from the journal and applied some of the paste through a stencil, now I wasn't sure how it was going to dry but I'd seen Marta sprinkle glitter on to gels and just sprinkled a little and I mean a little silver glitter on...not that it needed it, it really does sparkle.

I layered up all sorts of white/grey scraps and I've used a Crafty Individuals image I had. I've used crackle glaze, warm grey silk glaze dribbled down the pages, glamour dust and a few micro beads are scattered or splodged here and there.

I then found my H2O's which I haven't used for forever and splattered some of that on as well, hope you can see the shimmer. Finally some black stamping. I stopped at that stage not knowing whether I've finished it or made a mess...but I've experimented and learnt from it.

Anyway when it's grey and black like today, a little sparkle and shine is always welcome,

Hope you're all happily creating out there, thanks as always for stopping by.

Catch up part 1...

Hi everyone, I attended a Finnabair weekend workshop last November and thought it was about time I shared the pictures of what I'd made....if only because I have some pics from a much more recent Sue Carrington one which I'll be sharing in the next post!

I won't be explaining how they were made but hope you enjoy seeing the end results....she has some new workshops for this year and I'm looking forward to going to one of them in May (yes just one this time)....just love her work, I find her so inspirational...and she is such a great teacher.

I've left my favourite till last.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by.

Deconstruction?

Hi everyone, I wasn't able to join in with the last topic over at PaperArtsy so I was determined to do something for this one. There has been some wonderful inspiration on the theme of 'Deconstruction' or it could be Reconstruction and Repurpose. I set myself the challenge of making something out of stuff I might otherwise throw away....there is beauty in the ordinary.

Regular visitors will know I love Finnabair's projects, where she uses all sorts of metal embellishments and trinkets. I decided to create a  'canvas' of found 'trinkets'... using frescos and treasure gold.

I decided to use stuff from the little scrap tub that sits on my desk which has half bits of flowers and petals and leftovers from other projects. There were some buttons from an old slipper and tiny pieces of lace, some grunge paper flourishes from an experiment with rusting which didn't work.... I wasn't allowed to use my jars of buttons or rolls of lace and only leftover scraps of paper

I also have a box with old lids, bottle caps, insides of a tape runner, tyvek 'outcuts' which I raided and a coke tin and tea bag paper from the kitchen!...you get the picture.
Photo heavy now with Step outs

 Greyboard base with chosen papers

Grunge paste through a doily stencil

A wash of chalk fresco

Sorry blurred photo, this is heating the tyvek oucuts, which ended up in the base of the upturned lid.

Building up the layers....having faith at this stage, though it looked very deep.

Chalk and then stone fresco.

Of course frescos cover up beautifully.

Some cornflower blue and cobalt archival stamping to tie it together.

I've used treasure gold in white fire, onyxite and sapphire.

Hope you don't mind...just a few more detail photos

Hope you enjoyed looking at  my entry for 'Deconstruction'. I so enjoyed making this. Thanks as always for stopping by. x