Guest Workshops with THE Hels Sheridan

Last weekend we were fortunate to have the 'amazeballs' Hels Sheridan as a guest in Snazzys Studio. We all had a fantastic weekend, demonstrated by the ladies who booked for her next weekend with us even though we don't yet know what she will be sharing! Of course we do know that much fun will be had and loud laughter will be heard along the way. Think we'll pass on the exploding heatgun trick though ;0)

This time around she taught two workshops, Saturday's was called Melt Pan Magic....

 

.....and this was her beautiful workshop sample - I sooo wish you could see and feel all the wonderful texture in this piece.

 

Hels covered techniques with paint, stamping on tissue, layering on with beeswax, faux porcelain roses, moulds from Mold n Pour and custom embellishments with UTEE and Clearly for Art. So many very useful hints and tips along the way. All the ladies made beautiful canvases .....

 

 

 

 

 

On Sunday Hels shared her Paperblocked Canvas techniques which may have little influences from other artists she admires, but it is absolutely 'Hels' in the whole, everything she creates is just so recognisably her. I'm not going to share her workshop sample though, as only those here on the day got a sneeky peek of what will be her next DT project with Snazzys new Anna Dabrowska DT kit, the rest of you will just have to wait until later this month over on the DT blog.

 

Just to whet your appetite, here are some of the completed works of art from Sunday's workshop

 

 

 

 

 

These were so much better IRL than they appear here in my dodgy photos. The metallic look of the spritzed flowers was stunning, and Hels' tips and advice on doing this removed the fear of spraying with black ink for everyone.

 

Hels will be back at Snazzys on 1 & 2 June so if you fancy joining in with the learning and laughter next time, watch this space for details of the workshops on offer then.

 

I'll leave you with the new Snazzys DT kit for March from the very talented Anna Dabrowska's (aka Finnabair) debut collection with Prima, Sunrise Sunset - our DT have used two of her collections, Dreamer & Wonderland from 7 Dots Studio in the past and created wonderful pieces. This time round will be no exception I'm sure.

 

 

 

Do pop over to the DT blog and checkout the team's latest makes with this new kit and if you take the time to leave a comment, (the teamies do appreciate it), you could win the A4 Sunrise, Sunset paper pad.

 

Also, a little bird tells me there will be a challenge this month where you can win one of these.

 

 

Lots to look forward to!

 

Thanks for visiting, back soon with details and images of April's workshops in the studio xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Remember this?

Last time I said I would come back and share my finished 'for instance' using this paper. Better late than never........

 

It was a sheet of 12 x12 paper from Anna Dabrowska's Dreamer collection for 7 Dots Studio which I used as the starting point for my 12x12 art journal style canvas for a workshop at Snazzys last Sunday week. I simply tore out shapes from the paper allowing the design on the paper to suggest how I used it.

I painted a 12x12 canvas randomly with three colours of acrylic paint, which turned out darker than I planned so I added a layer of gesso to knock it back a bit. I then added some texture paste through a stencil and some sticky back canvas rings (I drew round the circles on the stencil to get these).

A liberal spritz with Dylusions Ink Spray which I encouraged to run, some white paint circles (stamped with the lid from the paint), some text stamping also with the white paint, and some stamped words in die cut frames to finish.

So.....

 

 

 

...and here's the finished piece, with some charcoal shading around the distressed, inked paper and canvas pieces to add definition.

 

 

Soooo not me really but I have hung it on the wall in the studio and it's growing on me.

 

During the workshop I created a second canvas, using another paper from the Dreamer collection as my starting point, but with a completely different feel.

 

 

I used the grid in the paper as a frame for my pieces and allowed the painted background to show more with inky splats and stamped script to make it more interesting. From there I played with the idea of sqaures and rectangles in paper, sticky back canvas, plastic (coloured with alcohol inks), texture paste and some torn tissue tape again with some charcoal shading.

 

 

In the next canvas Jane really made fantasic use of the paper she chose which was from Prima's Almanac collection.

 

 

She partially cut out each of the pieces from the background curling, distressing and inking the cut edges to show snippets of her painted, stamped and inked background behind.

 

 

With the addition of some stamping from several Darkroom Door stamp sets the finished piece was simply stunning.

 

Andy, who was spending his birthday with us (and even supplied the cakes!) created a beautiful study in subtle blending and elegance featuring paper from Prima's Engraver collection (which is also featured by Snazzy's DT this month over here where you still have a few days to leave a comment to be in with a chance of winning a DT kit of your own just saying!).

 

 

You can pop over to Andy's own blog here to see some thumbnails of all the lovely details - grab yourself a cuppa though, you will be some time as you won't be able to resist scrolling back through his fabby projects.

 

We had a great day and I am planning another similar day in April so, if anyone is interested keep an eye on the Workshop Timetables on the main Snazzy website.

 

Before I go, due to a cancellation we have two spaces on each of this weekend's (16/17 March) workshops with the fabulous Hels Sheridan. Here's a couple of thumbnails of the samples and you can find all the details on the March Workshops page of the main Snazzy website here.

 

 

Thanks for visiting. Back soon xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home and Dry

Hello there.

Thought you might like to see what we made in last Saturday's workshop. This was the 'for instance'.

 

 

Now, in my studio the workshop sample is known as the 'for instance' thanks to a lovely lady from the Gloucester Egg Craft group who, during a workshop I taught for them many moons ago when I was waffling on trying to explain to the group that they didn't have to make their version a copy of my sample, cut to the chase with 'Ladies, it is just a 'for instance'' and my workshop 'for instance' it has been ever since!

 

We started by adding a layer of colour to a 8" x 20" canvas, just a splodgy background using three or four colours - if you find it ends up brighter/darker than you planned just add a gesso layer to tone it down.

 

Then we stamped a 12x12 piece of white tissue, ours came between sheets of Bazzill Plastic Paper but you can use one layer of a tissue or packaging tissue too. The idea is to stamp in layers covering the whole piece. The piece I used on my 'for instance' is stamped in Versafine Vintage Sepia but I have one done here with one layer in brown and one layer in black so the idea is clearer. The stamps are mostly from this month's DT kit from Prima's Engraver collection.

 

 

We then tore up our stamped tissue and added it to our canvas with matte medium....

 

 

I felt the sepia ink on mine was too dark so I just added a swipe or two of gesso on a baby wipe to knock it back a bit.

 

The houses were made using different paint techniques onto grunge board in plain and several textures, one with a embossed copper roof heated until the copper turned the colour we wanted. Everything was then assembled with Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue, embellished a bit with Prima Say it in Crystals, metal keys, Ideaology Hitch Fasteners etc and voila....

 

 

And here are a couple who didn't copy the 'for instance' lol!

 

 

 

Great colours, but I didn't manage to capture just how pink Victoria got her copper roof to go.

A good days work I think.

 

Now this Saturday, 2 March. I am doing my Steampunk Phantom for the very last time, for the ladies who missed it due to the terrible snow in January, including the lovely Lesley from Snazzys DT who I haven't seen for way too long. (Soo excited, but it is a bit daunting having one of your own DT coming to your workshop lol!)

 

 

 and on Sunday I have an Art Journaling style canvas project with lots of paint, ink, sprays, sticky back canvas, stamps and much more..

 

 

...including a sheet of 12x12 paper from my favourite Dreamer collection from 7 Dots Studio designed by the multi talented Anna Dabrowska aka Finnabair - more on that subject next week ;0).

 

Then on Wednesday 6 March I have a Clean & Simple card making class using beautiful neutrals from Studio Calico's Classic paper collection and Hero Arts Stamps.

 

Next Saturday 9 March in the morning I have a pretty hanging made again using Prima's stunning Engraver papers and embellishments - if you want some serious inspiration with this collection pop over here and have a drool.

 

 

and in the afternoon I have a Pan Pastel workshop using them to make stunning backgrounds with stamps, masks, stencils and texture paste.

 

 

Busy week in the workshop.

 

Back soon when I'll show you how the AJ style canvases turned out xx

 

 

 

 

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