Hi there! My eight blog post for PaperArtsy was published on Sunday and it was for the topic "Splosh". You can see my post here (link) and the topic introduction post here (link). The idea was to use "sploshy" mediums or otherwise go with a bit uncontrollable way of creating art.
I chose Infusions as my medium. Well, at first I thought about watercolors, but why use those when you have Infusions. My meaning was also to encourage to let go and just craft. Like I write in the blog post: "You may have noticed by now that I'm not a precise crafter. I hardly ever use a ruler and craft more "on the go" than plan ahead. I also love surprises and work around them. To me not being able to control everything is a joy and a much needed way to loose myself into the project. So, the idea behind these cards was to let the wet mediums do what they want to do, but still end up with something nice and presentable. It was also my way of trying to show that you don't always have to color inside the lines."
The color layers in the cards are done using Infusions, masking fluid and colored pencils. The flower is colored before stamping, which is a great haphazard way to do it. I also added some Fresco Finish splashes to these cards in white and Metallic Glaze. The cards needed a bit of white and that also reminds me of falling snow. So even though they are flower cards, they are spring flowers raising their heads from the snowdrifts.
If you want to see a step by step version for these, please visit PaperArtsy's blog (link). The materials are also listed in there along the post.
Thank you for stopping by today! Wishing you a pleasant Wednesday. Stay safe everyone!
Hi there! The weather here in Finland is anything but autumn like, but still I'm grabbing these following three posts from the drafts. The posts consist of two projects and steps to create elements for them. They all were made for Craft Stamper, but the magazine seized publishing before these could make it to the magazine. So, I decided to wait a bit with them and now share with you!
I'm sharing these steps photos today and the two projects on two following days. The other project is a card, which you actually can see on the top there and other is a canvas style piece. Both of the projects have the elements you can find step photos here underneath!
Thank you for stopping by today! Have a great week!
Berry branches
Step 1. Make the stems and branches of the berry branches using wire. Cut a length of wire, manipulate it into a twig with one or two branches going over the form twice. Twist the wire lengths together for a sturdier twig.
Step 2. Use a thinner wire and wrap it around the twig. Use the same wire to add the berries. Thread the wire through a glass bead. Before pulling the length through the bead, add some embroidery thread inside the loop and a drop of glue to the hole in the bead. Pull the wire through, locking the bead in place with the embroidery thread and glue.
Step 3. Trim the embroidery thread shorter to resemble currants or the like. Then use black gesso to paint the branches.
Board pieces
Step 1. Apply some Paper Texture paste using a silicone brush to a sheet of cardboard or chipboard. Go for an uneven application. Let dry or use a heat tool carefully to dry.
Step 2. After the first Paper Texture layer has dried, add another layer using a wood pattern stencil. Again, let dry of use a heat tool carefully to dry.
Step 3. Paint the board using diluted black gesso, changing the amount of water you add to the paint. Add some brown areas using a brown ink and spread it using water. Go for a varying layer.
Step 4. Cut the board into long pieces of various thickness. Use a sturdy knife and a metal ruler.
Step 5. Add some Matte wax "Old White" to the raised areas of the boards. This acts like old, weathered paint.
Step 6. Finish the boards by adding brown ink around the edges to highlight the form. Ink the ends after you've cut the boards to a proper length.
Moikka! It's again the third week of the month and that means another set of posts for the Seth Apter Creative Team. As before, I'm starting today on Wednesday and continuing through Thursday to Friday. You can find Seth Apter's site here (link) and more about the Creative team here (link). I've included a list of products to the end of the post with links to Seth's own store.
This time I decided to tackle stamps. As I got so much lovely, enthusiastic feedback from the first series of posts with the art journal process, I followed that partially with this series, too. But this time the steps are a bit different. I start by sharing several easy ideas with stamps in this first video, hopefully inspiring you to go outside the box, and then built with those or onto those in the following video. The third day then shows the process of the finished page with the elements I've created in the course of the two earlier days.
In this first video I show some ideas how to use stamps to make collaging or layering material and one technique which is a ready embellishment. I create some patterned cardstock and tissue paper and stamp on top of transparency, too. Most of these techniques are more to do with trying to inspire with the materials and mediums than actual technique. Kind of, maybe, open your eyes to mediums and surfaces you might not have tried before.
I hope you were inspired! Tomorrow I'll then start working on the background for my page and also build layers for the transparency elements.
Thank you for stopping by today! Wishing you a lovely day!
Hello, dear one! On Wednesday I started a new series of posts for the Seth Apter Creative Team. This time I'm concentrating on Izink ICE and gift giving. It's a gift of both techniques but also the projects I made for these posts. More about that a bit further down in the post. You can find Seth Apter's site here (link) and more about the Creative team here (link). I've included a list of products to the end of the post with links to Seth's own store.
Today is all about texture! But first a reminder of the Facebook live happening tomorrow, on Saturday December 19th. If you have any questions about the techniques, projects or just want to hang out, please feel free to join me on Seth Apter Creative Community Facebook group tomorrow!
Ok, back to the ideas with ICE. Like I said, today is about texture. I hinted yesterday that the second project shared a clue on today's topic. You could see the impasto styled technique there as well as a stenciled and then heated layer! I'm showing both ideas here - minus the heating. If you want to go back to see the texture of the yesterday's project, here's the link (link).
While the video is just a couple of minutes long, I still managed to ram four ideas in there. First there's stenciling, then there's impasto styled texture, next up sgraffito and last add-on. Some new terms perhaps, but techniques are really easy. Impasto means heavy layers of paint (Wikipedia link) while sgraffito is scratching or mark making (Wikipedia link). You can see the techniques below in video form.
While the red version of the projects was almost done in the video, I added quite a few layers to the other one after filming. Like I've been saying throughout the posts, the videos only show the technique ideas while the posts show the finished pieces. If you want to see the whole process, please join me tomorrow for the Facebook live where I not only make one more project from scratch but also will raffle the then six projects as belated Christmas gifts. Or early, depending how you want to look at things!
Thank you for stopping by today, I hope you have liked the series! Wishing you a pleasant weekend and maybe we'll see tomorrow during the Facebook live!
Hi again! Yesterday I started a new series of posts for the Seth Apter Creative Team. This time I'm concentrating on Izink ICE and gift giving. It's a gift of both techniques but also the projects I made for these posts. More about that a bit further down in the post. You can find Seth Apter's site here (link) and more about the Creative team here (link). I've included a list of products to the end of the post with links to Seth's own store.
Yesterday I shared two ideas for the use of ICE - collaging and acrylic skins. Today I'm adding two more techniques to the mix. Today is all about image transfer and glazing. You can see the finished pieces below. As you can see, I used also one of the acrylic skin embellishments here in the other project. Like in the previous project, the base is the same die cut Mixed Media Board with collage on top. There's also the same elements that follow through the series - "Mini 45" stamp, "Timeless" stencil, washi tape and metal embellishments.
You can see the finished two projects above. Like in the first video, I just show the technique ideas on it and then share the finished projects in the posts. So the techniques I'm showing are just a part of the project. They can be used in an embellishment - like the acrylic skin or as the first layer - like collaging, but what they have in common is the use of Izink ICE. Underneath is the video with the two ideas for today!
I was so pleasantly surprised how well the ICE worked in an image transfer! While there seemed to be a few air bubbles left and some of the printed image was lost while rubbing, I seldom have had such a good transfer so easily! And on top of the good transfer you get the tweak of color!
Talking about the tweak of color, glazing with ICE is super easy. They are an acrylic gel glaze, after all. In the video I show a couple of ways to use it, although both involve working on bigger surfaces. But what I mention in the narration, you could use a small brush with the product as well and just highlight a small segment of an image using the glaze. Glazes are also really handy making transitions more subtle as they add just a hint of color. By varying the thickness of the layer you get either more or less color, more or less translucent or opaque look.
I'm not sure if you have noticed that I also hint from the upcoming techniques in the projects I share. Like yesterday there was some glazing with Snowball on top of the collaged raven and today this second piece gives a hint of what I'm sharing tomorrow.
But I also said yesterday that I'd be explaining a bit more about the gift giving aspect today. So, while the techniques themselves might feel like a gift, I'm actually giving the projects I've made for these three posts away. They will definitely not make it for Christmas, but you could consider them as Christmas gifts anyway, just arriving late. I'm raffling the projects in a Facebook live happening on Saturday, December 19th, and before that also making a sixth piece. I'm showing some of the techniques then and maybe adding on a couple of more!
The live will happen at the Seth Apter Creative Community Facebook group. The giveaway of the projects will be open to anywhere around the world, but remember that there might be some postage restrictions happening. Like when I'm writing this, post from Finland to Australia isn't moving, so I can't post the projects to Australia, at least not right away.
During the live you'll be able to see, how I added layers to these pieces as I can explain them if you wish and also if you have any questions, I'll be able to answer them.
Thank you for stopping by today! Please be back tomorrow for a couple more ways to use ICE!
