I am super happy to be scrapping this weekend with Shimelle. This is my LO from the first challenge ...
Here are a few close ups...
The tag in the LO above was made during the class I took online with Julie Fei-fan Balzer. Here is a link to her blog. Not my usual style but the challenge was to scraplift this page from Jaime Warren...
Shimelle also scraplifted the same page...
So, on to the next challenge!
I've made a scrapbook layout today, using some of the bits and pieces I've been making recently on Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's class 'Technique-a-Palooza. Julie is very inspiring and I have loved having a new technique e-mailed to me every day (for 30 days). Sadly the class is coming to an end but all the other students have made some really amazing stuff and been so friendly. You can click here to see her blog and go to our FLICKR pool here.
Techniques from the class that I used...
* watercolour crayon background,
* painted/textured foil
* handcut title,
* tag from brayered lace printing,
* dyed piece of lace,
* layered embellishments (circlular) have pop dots between the layers,
* Painty masking tape sample.
I also painted acrylic stripes on acetate and used them as journalling strips and the photo corner (top left)...
I'm still hoping to get more 'arty'. ;}
Here's a few pics of the embossed butterflies (made on the Cuttlebug machine) which I painted with acrylic paint and (once dry) scratched the detail with my fingernail to reveal the silver foil.
These two have a gloss coating and glitter added...
:)
Lace printing was lots of fun. I couldn't use the Adirondack colour wash spray ink that Julie used in class because I'm waiting for a web order (that I made over a week ago) to arrive. So I improvised and used glimmer mist...
After selecting a piece of lace, the first step is to soak the lace with ink. The lace itself is a 'mask' and made a nice effect.
Then you use a brayer to roll over the inked lace...
I tried another piece of lace to get another pattern...
Once dry, the lace itself can be used.
The only bit that wasn't so good was the wet technique...
You can see my FLICKR photostream here and the group photostream here.
I have also been embossing on foil tape (very cheap from the pound shop)...
The cuttlebug butterfly embossing images were just the right size for the tape... (Mum don't look at my nails...it's in the name of ART!!!)
I got a fair pile of foil tape pieces ready to add colour...
I wasn't too worried about going over the edge of the butterfly image cos I'll cut them out probably...
In the still wet butterflies below, you can see that a lot of the raised detail got lost. Well, when they'd dried (not shown) I used my fingernail to scratch off some paint in the raised bits and it has produced a nice effect. Also a few butterflies got a coat of clear gloss finish and some glitter (not yet photographed).
The other day I used gesso and stencils on a 12" square of paper. It took a while to dry, but I've now coloured it with glimmer mists (thickly sprayed then blotted off with kitchen paper). It weighs a ton!..
Here's Smurf colouring his own gesso stencilled tag...
Happy happy happy :)
I tried out a wax crayon resist technique today and Smurf (who's on half term) joined in too.
Before the watercolour was added...
...and after the watercolor was added...
Then we turned our attention to another technique called Gesso stencilling. I don't have any stencils as it's not something I've ever done, so I had to raid the chidlers supplies. Just smudge the gesso through the stencil, like spreading butter...
I like how raised the effect is and how crisp the lines are but not how 'literal' the images were... I much prefer a more abstract effect.
I decided to use a piece of 'waste' card which had had game board pieces in it...
Then I decided to use a map stencil of GB, in a fragmented way so that the finished effect would be abstracted...
It got pretty messy as I kept stencilling part of the coastline, then lifting it off and replacing it all over the show...
This is how it looks as it dries. I'm pondering what to do next. HHmmnn.
I'll probably paint it all white to make it accept some colour better.
Yesterday I added colour to the gesso textured tags that I made. I decided to try out three different media...
This was so much fun to do...
It seems a while ago now that we went to the 'Red House Glass Cone' museum with my parents, but I do want to post about it. We'd actually had bright dry weather all the week they were here until Thursday when it turned wet and yuck. I do so love an interesting museum on a rainy day, especially when you can dress-up as a Roman soldier...
There was some Roman glass on show but our boys were way more drawn to putting on the Roman armour (no surprises there then!)
Tiger-girl searched for hidden treasures...
In the original old glass cone building itself, Chef and Granda role-played the BOSSES while Tiger-girl and Smurf were the WORKERS.... Note how the Bosses get crazier and wierder as the shift goes on...!...
Yes, well, moving swiftly on.
The open-topped lift was a hoot too...
We know how to enjoy ourselves ;}
I have a very smiley face at the moment due to the news of Husb's promotion (whoohoo) and the messy fun I'm having on the 30 techniques class by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer (click to see her blog) AND being asked to be a guest blogger and post a crochet tut on one of my most visited blogs It's a Creative World. So. Big cheesy grins going on here Oh & it's half term next week too.
Tali, one of my fellow students in the class asked (in the forum) about the tools I used on the gesso technique. Here's a pic. which you can see are all 'found' or re-cycled stuff...
I made a scrapbook sized gesso piece on cardboard...
...a close-up...
Now they're all dry I'm looking forward to adding colour.
And I made a scrapbook sized sheet with water soluble crayons (a different technique)...
... I must say it has been wierd (but strangely liberating) to make stuff without a specific purpose or layout in mind. I know I got carried away making crochet flowers & trims for my scrapbook layouts and ended up with quite a collection of lengths, colours and patterns, so I don't suppose this is much different. The process itself has piles of happy-value without the product being the main thing. I really like feeling 'part of something' and posting pics on FLICKR.
I have signed-up for my first ever on-line class..woohoo! With Julie of Balzer Designs . Thirty days of techniques with paint, glue, ink etc. I am really enjoying how there's a new technique to try every day and a forum to join in with, oh and a Flickr Group too. I did have to purchase a few supplies ;) however who knows when they'll arrive with the postal strike. Julie has made a video clip of every technique and there's a pdf file of each one. IT'S DEAD GOOD!
Technique 1. was about glue resist and watercolour...I made a tag...
You had to usewhite PVA glue like a pen, let it dry overnight and it looked like this...
...getting ready to add paint...
...the finished tag...
I also had a go at technique 4. Which is drying on the windowsill. I made three tags and will add colour tomorrow when it's dry... Firstly I splatted Gesso onto a tag generously...
...then gathered up some 'found objects' to press into the Gesso... (the pink and purple items are some rubber leftovers after removing ink stamp alphabets)...
Ok then... pics of the tabs and gesso...
Yep, (incase you have not already guessed)...to quote Ronald Macdonald.."I'm Lovin' it!
