Tissue Paper Background

Back again so soon as I've been having more fun with tissue paper.

This time I thought I would make a background but loved it so much I've just left it in all its prettiness!

I started by choosing blue, lime green and yellow Dina Wakley heavy duty acrylic paint - I gelli-printed through several different stencils, bubble wrap and cardboard onto white tissue paper to get several prints. 

These were then torn into strips, along with a beautiful butterfly tissue paper (I love this, especially as all the tissue paper is free, from gift wrapped items bought in various shops). Plus card with a bold lettering on it.

Once I had adhered all this paper down into my little Watercolour Journal, I sat and looked at it....the colours are SO pretty.... I got a little stuck as to which direction to go, the age old problem of not wanting to ruin it!! Well, I have given myself permission to just leave it as is... no need to mess anymore!

Challenges entered:

paperartsy.co.uk/topic-tissue-paper

Thanks for visiting, Rachel

Tissue Paper Challenge

I recently purchased a small journal, it's called a Seawhite Watercolour Travel Journal. I saw some gorgeous posts from Clare Lloyd and noticed that she had used a similar book - same dimensions and paper weight just Moleskine instead. As my local art shop sold a Seawhite version, A6 size and at a great price (under £10) I thought I would have a go...

and I LOVE it!

It takes mixed media quite happily as you can see from my tissue paper background (blue leaves from a paper napkin.... all good for entering into the Paperartsy challenge which is to use tissue paper.

I added some watercolour, bubble-wrap printing.

Stamped some little star shaped flowers from a Kay Carley stamp set.

And created some flowers from a much loved Ellen Vargo stamp set.

Challenges entered:

paperartsy.2018-topic-19-tissue-paper

creativeartistemixedmedia.44

Thanks for visiting, Rachel

Artist Trading Coins

I've never made any of these new craze of the moment coins but I can see why people are finding them very addictive! 

I started off by randomly laying down paint onto some card in different colours that took my fancy at the time, they just had to be bright. I cut out some 2.5 inch circles, I have no dies for ease so they were just hand cut and so aren't actually perfect circles! 

I chose a flower from the Jofy set 64 to act as the main feature and stamped this flower several times onto some plain card. Then using a bubble stencil, I stencilled different colours onto each coin.

Adding a flower onto each coin was the final stage, I chose not to colour them fully as I thought the white flower really popped against the colours.

I had the idea of displaying them with the discarded cut off flower pieces onto black card and I really like the effect, I shall stick them into my journal like this too I think.

Competitions entered:

paperartsy.-topic-15-artist-trading-coins.html

theartisticstamper/septembers-circles

craftstamper.take-it-make-it-challenge-september

Thanks for visiting, Rachel

Echinacea

 I haven't made art for ages, basically because the sun has been shining for so long and I've been living in my garden. In the south east of England, which is where I live we haven't had rain for 2 months, its turned our gardens a straw like colour and I've definitely had enough of watering my flowers for a lifetime! Some of the plants have thrived though, especially it seems the roses, their blooms haven't been drenched and so they seem to have lasted for longer.

I love Echinacea's, although I'm not able to grow them in my garden, they don't seem to like heavy, wet clay soil! But I decided to have a go at painting them.

One of my favourite blog sites to look at is the Paperartsy blog - it is always so informative and full of new ideas. At the moment they have a competition with a colour scheme - mint, sage, claret and gold - I thought those colours would tie in perfectly with the flowers.

 I used a variety of watercolours and acrylics and even mixed some Paperartsy red acrylic paint with a tiny bit of black to make variety of claret colours.

I added a heavy amount of crackle glaze mixture to the heads of the 3 flowers and seem to have got a good crackle - I think my problem usually is that I don't lay down a thick enough layer.
The background has been stamped using some sage paint dabbed onto one of my favourite Ellen Vargo stamp sets.

Competitions entered:
paperartsy2018-topic-13-colour-mint-sage-claret
thatscraftychallenges2018/close-to-nature-challenge
countryviewchallenges2018/july-in-summer-garden

Thanks for visiting, Rachel

SPRING CHERRY BLOSSOM

I created a journal page with the very beautiful Jofy 32 stamp set - I love the cherry blossom out at this time of the year (who doesn't?) and decided to use some bright colours to make the page pop.
The flowers  were stamped onto various gelli-printed pages. I used both my lime coloured paints from Dylusions and Paperartsy and in the centre some Zesty Yellow for the background. I didn't realise that the colours fitted in with the split complimentary colour scheme over at the Mixed Media Challenge and as I've never entered that challenge, I thought I'd have a go!
The words were an alphabet stencil placed on my gelli papers, more fussy cutting and then adhered onto the page.

Challenges entered:

thatscraftychallenges.going-round-in-circles

creativeartistemixedmedia.challenge-37

rubberdance.rubber-dance-april-challenge.html

mixedmediamcmixed-media-monthly-april-challenge-47 - pink and green and yellow



Thanks for visiting, Rachel

Postcard III

I have made yet another postcard size picture - this size is so good to work with, maybe I shall have to incorporate all my postcards into some kind of book?
Anyway, I used distress inks to colour the background, pink, orange and yellow -adding a dandelion style stamp that I hand-carved - first attempt and I have to say, easier than I thought it would be, delighted with the result.
I can't even remember where the flower stamps that make up the main picture came from, I've lost the packaging - anyway I thought this made a bright spring like picture - unlike the snowy view outside at the moment!

Challenges entered:

thatscraftychallenges/spring

countryviewchallenges.march-postcards

rubberdance.march

Thanks for visiting, Rachel

Postcard II

I originally cut two postcards out of my watercolour card - making postcard 1 from the first piece and I have now made a second postcard. I used the same watercolours and neo-color crayons for the base.
But this time I added some stamped Jofy 'spongy' flowers and Kay Carley butterflies.

 I added some embossed flowers in the background, which you can just about see here.....

I like the bright colours, which always put a smile on my face and remind me that spring is only round the corner.....

Challenges entered :

thatscraftychallenges.spring-into-action

stampotiquedesigners/march

countryviewchallenges/march-postcards

Thanks for visiting, Rachel x

POSTCARD 1

Over at the Country View Challenges blog they have a 'postcard' challenge. I've never made anything in a postcard size - 6" x 4" and thought it would be fun to try.

I cut a couple of pieces of watercolour card to size and using my WInsor and Newton Cotman set, I splashed around a few bright colours. I added some similar colours from my Neo-Colors crayons too.I stamped various background stamps, including hearts, crosses and words.
Using an Artistic Stamper Lesley Matthewson stamp I stamped the central flowers and painted them various colours adding a basic, hand-drawn rectangle (hopefully looking a little like a vase). I stencilled some green circles using a Paperartsy stencil.
I added some black stitching around the edge to finish off.

Challenges entered:

countryviewchallenges/march-postcards

theartisticstamper-march-stencils-masks

simonsaysstamp/wednesdaychallenge

Thanks for visiting, Rachel x

Just Read - bookmark

I really enjoyed creating this bookmark - I love the reduced pressure you are under when making a bookmark. It seems ridiculous to talk about pressure when making art is supposed to be an enjoyable, relaxing hobby to have but when making a stand alone piece of art, it is so easy just to throw it away if you are not happy, as opposed to making a journal page in a treasured journal!
Anyway, I started by painting a pink background with acrylic paint and stamping through various stencils to give interest. I embossed the clusters of little circles with a silver powder, they look really shiny in real life.
I adhered some blue tissue paper in places. Using a separate piece of card I coloured in the Stampotique Prom Queen with a Derwent Inktense blue pencil, plus some glitter on her hair and boots and she was done. I then had to meticulously cut her out - plus the hair!!
I have just now received a Stamp Platform and so will play around with techniques so I can stamp straight onto my intended card, hopefully using this device will help me get a perfect stamp imprint without all the fussy cutting.

Challenges entered:

stampotiquedesignerschallenge.february

countryviewchallenges/february-anything-but-cute

simonsaysstampblog.wednesdaychallenge-make-background

Thanks for visiting, Rachel x

Just Maybe?

I've made a journal page that has a valentine theme.

It was initially bred from a love of another journal page that Anneke De Clerck did but her page had a ballerina as the main feature. I found another little beauty with this girl from the same artist, just photo-copied and added to my page.

I made a lovely bright background with various paints and then added some hearts from a stencil by The Crafters Workshop 416S, some circles made from a lid, the arrows were made from a stencil I made myself and the flowers were stamped from a beautiful stamp set by AALL & Create.

I really loved this little girl, I love the painterly (is there such a word?) look of her and I think she fits into her background well. She also has an air of ..... so which boy will I choose... oo la la!! 

theartisticstampercreative/februarys-roses-are-red

rubberdance.february-challenge

simonsaysstampblog.wednesdaychallenge-make-background

thatscraftychallenges/i-heart-you-challenge

Thanks for visiting, Rachel x

Love is in the Air

So I have created this Valentine's card, not sure whether I will give this one or another that I have made yet......

.....created from a concoction of mixed media, I actually love all the bright colours clashing with each other.
First I hand drew a heart shape from paper, once cut out I then used the template, placing it over my white card I painted, dabbed and stamped!  I used circle, heart and word templates and then used my hexagon stamp here and there.
My black lines came from the end of an old credit card in my black Dylusions paint, the lid is nice and wide so makes it quite easy to do this - although I have had to throw the pot away now, it just ended up going very gloopy, almost dry, I was quite upset as I use black a fair bit so I looked it up on the internet to see if anyone else had had this problem.....yes, and the solution...is to spray the pot with some water after every use!
I used my free Love stamp that came with an old Craft Stamper magazine, such a beautiful stamp and attached this on the top over some torn paper with hexagons on (came from the inside of an envelope!)
A bit of scribbling with a black pen around the outside and finished.....

Challenges entered:

thatscraftychallenges-heart-you-challenge

rubberdance.blogspot-february-challenge

countryviewchallenges.february-anything-but-cute

stampotiquedesignerschallenge.february

Thanks for visiting, Rachel x

FInd the beauty in every day

Just finished creating a picture that I am happy with. Using a bubble stencil I managed to create a busy background for my Jofy stamp flowers. 

Great feeling when you create something you are pleased about.......

Challenges entered:

thatscraftychallenges

countryviewchallenges2018january

craftstamper.blogspot2018/01-challenge-january

Thanks for visiting, Rachel

A Flowery ATC

A Flowery ATC

I haven't really tried making ATC's before, to such an extent that I didn't even know what size they were supposed to be!  Each of these ATC's measure 2 1/2 " x 3 1/2" - which apparently according to the Paperartsy blog this month is the set size.

I really enjoyed making them - this has to be the best way of making art for someone that is slow at making decisions (hands up that's me) - I seemed to fill them up before I realised, such a little space to work in!

I really enjoyed building the layers - using paint, stencils, stamps and a bit of doodling and finished off with the beautiful Jofy 32 flower stamp set.

I will enter them into the Paperartsy competition and then maybe go off and add to my collection now.....

Paperartsy - blog.paperartsy-topic-1-atcs
Rubberdance - rubberdance/forever-stamping-challenge
Artistic Stamper - theartisticstamper2018/01/challenge-anything-goes
Craft Stamper - craftstamper.2018challenge-january
Country View Challenges - countryviewchallenges2018/january-anything-goes

Thanks for visiting, Rachel