Colour Perceptions - Grey

In the ongoing swap with ArtVentures the latest colour is grey, and as always, various shades and layering.

 I started by swiping the base cardstock with Pewter distress paint, then applied Tsukineko Flannel Gray Memento ink over it. The pewter acted as a resist so you can see a bit of sparkle when holding it up.

I used a copic grey marker to colour some computer paper and stamped the Do Crafts stamp in Tsukineko Versafine Smokey Gray, cut around it, and applied to the base. (In hindsight, I think I should have done something different as this piece doesn't really blend in and seems to be hovering above the lady).

I  printed an image in grayscale that I got from Elizabeth's blog, layered it on some cardstock, cut it out and attached below the previous stamped piece.

I coloured some cardstock with a lighter grey copic and stamped the Inkadinkado Ruler stamp with the Versafine Smokey Gray ink, cut it to size and applied it with double-sided foam tape.

To finish off my ATC, I rummaged through my stash of flowers and found some paper ones that I had for years. I had some silver and white ones. I coloured the white ones with the darker grey copic, attached them over the silver one. To complete it I added some tiny grey buttons from my button tin.

Mini Theatre

On AFTCM there is a swap where we create a mini theatre with a theme based on Edgar Allan Poe. I chose to do Annabelle Lee.

I used a piece of board that my hubby gave me for the base and cut out a Birds custard tin for the stage and the top. I covered the top and bottom with scrapbook papers. I printed off an image of a woman and a picture from one of our trips to Scotland.

I used embossing powders at the top of the board and incorporated the sea picture onto it. I then cut out the woman three times to make her 3-D. I added embellishments to the top, button, a seashell and a chipboard piece coloured with gold paint and gems added.

The sides are chopsticks which I painted and covered with ribbon. The bottom pieces underneath the chopsticks are pieces of a pencil. I printed a picture of Edgar Allan Poe and put a page pebble over it added a frame around it. I coloured a shell with gold paint and glued the framed picture in place.  I attached the shell  to the bottom stage piece. This almost made me give up as it kept falling off and I tried every glue in my craft room till it finally stuck!!

I attached the woman to the stage with a little easel and placed a couple of shells beside her. I had a wee bird but it fell off when I took the picture so that has been added back on afterwards.

I felt it still needed "something" so I decided to make some curtains. I took some cheesecloth and sprayed it with some Dylusions sprays and Tsukineko glitter spray. When it dried I attached it to the top portion of the theatre.

I was bored so thought I would make another mini theatre based on The Raven. I covered another piece of wood with some scrapbook paper that reminded me of vintage wallpaper. For this one I chose a different shape for the bottom. It is made from a small box and covered with some lovely ribbon that I received in a Secret Santa swap last year. I covered the top with some wood paper. Added a little piece of scrapbook paper to simulate a rug.

I took an old thread spool and painted it with a Krylon pen and added a little circle of the wood paper to the top to make a wee table. I printed off a picture of Poe's wife from Wikapedia and added it to the table, along with a little book and a teacup.

The images of the Raven are 3-D and coloured with artist grade pastels.  I added little piece of glittered tape to simulate a valance and added beads to each side. I put a little clock face on a die cut and placed it above the "valance".

The curtains are a piece of fabric that was wrapped around some flowers that I received for Valentine's day, held to side with some handmade tassels. 

I glued the beaded fringe to the top, then took a grunge die-cut stamped text on it with a white paint dabber and covered it with distrss stains. I put a bit of the white paint on a metal button and glued both pieces to the top.

I am not sure which one will go to my partner, but I enjoyed the challenge of creating something that I have never attempted before.



Mini Memory for Jackie

Jackie is the February recipient for the Mini Memory swap in the DCI group and she chose vintage with earthy tones and gold as her theme.

I took a canvas and gessoed it then added scrunched up foil, cheesecloth and added some embossing paste with a stencil. I painted over the whole piece with various colours of acrylic paints to attain the vintage look.

I printed off  a vintage picture of a woman from digitalcollagesheets.com and glued it to the canvas. In my stash I found an old picture frame, which I touched up with paint. I cut out a piece of acetate and covered the picture, then attached the frame.

Added some vintage buttons that my friend Annie sent me awhile ago, a piece of paper tape and some book corners to finish the piece off.

Inchie frame completed

I received the rest of my inchies the other day via Carol, who met up with some of the gals from OZ who passed them on to her.

I was in a creative mood today so I decided to finish up a couple of ATC's and work on my frame.

The frame is painted with gesso and blue acrylic paint, then sprayed with Tattered Angels glimmer mist. Unfortunately the "glimmer" does not show in the picture. After it dried I stamped my favourite corner flourish by Inkadinkadoo with Colorbox Goldrush pigment ink and embossed with gold embossing powder.

I colored the flourish piece at the top with purple acrylic paint then painted it again with
US Artquest Mica watercolour paints. Added a sun charm and a couple of gems to finish it off.

I then completed the other two inchies and the centre panel. The centre is done with Breezy Blue embossing powder as the base then sprinkled with purple and gold E.P., heated then stamped into it with a large background stamp. I then rubbed some metallic rub-ons over the top. The embellishment is an old button that I had in my button box.
The inchies are (top left-clockwise) Trizzy, Autumn, Carol, Me, Mel, Linda B, Me, Vicki, Chris, Rhonda, Lynne and Tracy. I am so thrilled to be the owner of these beautiful miniature pieces of art and to finally have them all in the frame.

Inchie swap

I have signed up for a swap on the Dream, Create Inspire group where we are using a frame from Blumoth Crafts. Eleven people joined the swap, and we create the inchies using a colour scheme and and in some cases a theme chosen by each person. We have two inchies, the centre and the frame to complete our own when we receive our inchies in the swap. I have decided to wait until I receive my inchies before completing the frame.

I coated the inchies with gesso then used Acrylic paints, Metallic Paints, Lumiere paints, Perfect Pearls, Pearlex, and some of my stamps and stamping supplies such as Smooch inks, and pigment inks to do the bases. On some I used molding paste, others I used papers and even some netting type paper.

The embellishments are scrapbooking pieces, old buttons, old pieces of jewellery, brads and other "doodads".

I am really looking forward to seeing all the tiny works of art that everyone makes and the completed frames.

Tim Holtz style

Sweetpea has just recently started a monthly swap where we use a style of various artists. Last month was Misty Mawn and this month is Tim Holtz. Luckily, I have a lot of the mediums he uses, and I signed up 3 times.

The first piece is AI (alcohol inks) on glossy cardstock, stamped with an archival black inkpad.

The colours of AI's I used were Wild Plum, Butterscotch and Stream.

The second technique was the Wrinkle Free Distress Inks on a tag. I used Worn Lipstick and Mustard Seed Distress Inks. I stamped the images from Stampington and Inkadinkadoo in Versafine Onyx Black, and added the little washer to one of the flourishes. The grungeboard key was painted with Old Patina Perfect Pearls.

The third technique is using Distress Embossing Powder. I stamped the image with Fired Brick Distress ink and embossed it with Vintage Photo Distress embossing powder. The Distress EP is totally different from others, and it only changes colour a bit when embossed and has a "sandpaper" feel to it.

I then coloured it with Old Paper, Tea Dye, Fired Brick and Old Burlap Distress inks. Finished it off by colouring the edges with Black Soot Distress Ink.

The Grungeboard embellishments were coloured with Peeled Paint and Fired Brick Distres inks. I attached the vintage buttons (courtesy of Annie Mackay) with some thin wire.