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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Mountboard Minibook with Prima's Almanac Collection

Some of you may recall the brilliant Snazzy's Design Team projects created back in April with Prima's Almanac collection. Well, confession time, the Headmaster let me have a kit too....... providing a workshop project emerged, complete, and it did! Unusual in itself, but more still when I tell you I have taught it in the workshop three times now, which is three times more often than is normal for me.

I am still being asked about this workshop so, if you want to have a go, my finished size was 6"x 4", the pages are made from black mountboard linked by black cardstock 'hinges' and with the exception of the flowers, the pearls, pearl pins and swirls all the embellishment are simply elements taken from the 12"x 12" papers. The edge on the front was cut with Tonic Studios Simplicity Pattern Punch Dotty Border which is one of nine designs in stock now. (These punches are very easy to use as they are geared and will cut through 300gsm cardstock very crisply.)

I love little books that can be stuffed full of photos and mementos so this one is very heavy on pockets, flaps and other hiding places for both photos and journalling.

I added rub-ons from Kaisercraft so this is a project I didn't stamp on, it does happen lol!

Both this page and the facing one have flaps one which opens to the left,

and the other lifts upwards,

to reveal a space for photos and/or journalling.

These next two pages are both pockets

containing tags.

Again all the embellishments were simply cut form the papers.

For variety, I used white vellum for a couple of the pockets

which just gives a lighter feel.

For the final two pages I used the Tim Holtz Alterations On the Edge Pennant and Lace dies to make trimmings for yet more pockets,

and both hold more journalling cards cut from the papers.

For your guidance this is the sort of project you find on a full day workshop at Snazzys and they usually cost £30, generally with a free choice of colours/papers. There was lots of cutting and construction involved in the book, and the material costs were also fairly high as there are lots of layers and embellishments, but it was a beautiful project made from stunning products.

I try to include a new minibook workshop each month so if this appeals, checkout the workshop timetables. The July one is fully booked but if there is enough demand then I will repeat it.

Thanks for visiting.

Back soon xx