January 2025 - With 3 Things: Mirror Image Stamping {by Nikki Acton}

Hi friends, Nikki (a2a.craft) with you today for another 'With 3 Things' challenge post. 

This feature on the PaperArtsy Blog is where 3 bloggers are sent 3 items in the post. Typically we will receive a stamp, a stencil and a couple of Fresco Paints. This year everyone will receive identical products in the post.

We have no clue what PaperArtsy HQ is going to send, the whole idea of this challenge is to do something crafty in our personal style with these 3 items. We are allowed to bring other PA products into the mix if we feel it is necessary.

So let's take a look at what I received from PA HQ! This month I received PaperArtsy stamp set HP1007, stencil PS103 (by Darcy) and Fresco Acrylics in Niagara Falls and Gold Rush.

Today I have made 6x6 inch cards using the items above plus some archival ink. I enjoy working with limited supplies, I find it saves me being indecisive!

I did not have a plan when I started but reached for the images that appealed to me and started to experiment.

I was drawn to the mask and stencil of the flowers. Having both elements allowed me to sponge the flowers through the stencil, but then also use the mask to stencil the area around the flowers.

I used both Niagara Falls and Gold Rush.

I wasn't too happy with the result of the Niagara Falls on top of Gold Rush - but I'm glad I kept it - it came in handy later!

I grabbed my gel plate next and started making some backgrounds, which I didn't end up using! I also used the bird silhouette stamp on HP1007 to create a mirror image of the stamped image. There is a short video here of how to do this. It is very simple - brayer paint onto the gel plate, place the stamp on the paint, gently press before removing and stamping onto scrap paper. Then pull a print off the gel plate.

A plan was now emerging so I also stamped the bird stamp in the same paint colours directly onto PaperArtsy Smoothy Cardstock.

I now had mirror images of the bird. Time to put all these elements together.

First I cut my stencilled flowers into strips and fussy cut the birds.

I used Ranger Archival Ink in Watering Can to randomly stamp 2 of the other stamps from the set onto Smoothy card. I also cut a circle and frame from one of the gel prints - but didn't use this one in the end.

I combined the flower strips to make a background and used the Niagara Falls / Gold Rush combined stencilled paper to cut my frame and create a border. 

I gave the birds a little eye punched out of scraps.

 and then I put it all together.

There were lots of bits left over so I made a second one with a slightly different composition.

This was fun! I always enjoy using a gel plate and the mirror imaged birds made me happy!

Nikki

Blog: Addicted to Art

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January 2025 - With 3 Things: A recycled paper carrier bag {by Floss Nicholls}

Hi friends, it's (Floss) from floss_workshop.art with you for another 'With 3 Things' challenge post. 

This feature on the PaperArtsy Blog is where 3 bloggers are sent 3 items in the post. Typically we will receive a stamp, a stencil and a couple of Fresco Paints. This year everyone is getting identical products in the post. 

We have no clue what PaperArtsy HQ is going to send, the whole idea of this challenge is to do something crafty in our personal style with these 3 items. We are allowed to bring other PA products into the mix if we feel it is necessary...I didn't this time...

So let's take a look at what I received from PA HQ ...

• Hot Picks rubber stamp set HP1007
• a Darcy Marshall stencil PS103 and 
• two acrylic fresco chalk finish paints: Gold Rush (one I haven't used before but now that I have used it, it may fast become my latest favourite colour fresco paint!) and Niagara Falls.  

The blue and white packaging bag on the right is what I grabbed to include in this photo with the supplies as I knew that I was going to use it with these lovely products!

You know I'm a big fan of recycling card, books and papers in my art and so I deconstructed the packaging bag to decorate the inside of it so that I was able to make a gift bag.  Here is one side

...and this is the other side...naturally there are two folded sides to allow it to be a box shape bag...you'll see the details of those as I explain my workings.

I started by playing on my paper sheet that 'protects' my work space...this paper invariably becomes part of my art as it's where I doodle ideas or play with colour when I'm thinking.  So I started stamping the square part clock image and liked the way that if I used it in 'brick' fashion I could create a spiral.

I then tried rotating the same stamp 90* in a square...I liked both ideas and thought they'd look ok as feature designs on the front/back of the bag, so started looking a colourways.

I needed to incorporate the stencil design and so rolled out fresco chalk finish Gold Rush acrylic paint onto the gel plate and rolled Darcy Marshall's lovely tree design over that.  

I took a couple of prints using copy paper and rice paper too.

I then inked up the Hot Picks stamps and printed them onto my gel plate using Ranger Archival black ink pad.  After I had waited for that to dry I sponged colour over the designs on the gel plate and let that dry too.  

The beauty of printing the stamps onto the gel plate rather than onto a sheet of paper (or whatever you are working on directly) is that you can add colour behind the image. I added the Gold Rush over the bird legs so that it looked like the birds were standing or dancing on sand.

Naturally I mixed both Gold Rush and Niagara Falls together and created a beautiful creamy green colour.  I made several plain sheets of colour so that I could collage the bag. 

I made quite a few bird images as I thought these would look pretty cool down the sides of the bag.

The next step was to lay the packaging bag out open and start looking at positioning the plain collage papers I had made and the designs that I had printed using the HP1007EZ stamp set

I found that by folding each section before I glued anything down was a good way to check the design for each panel individually.

Rather than putting the large designs central in the front/back area of the bag, I thought it could be fun to have the little birds peeking their little faces round the corners...so I moved the big design over to accommodate that thought.

I originally was going to leave the birds with colour blocks behind them but I decided to fussy cut around the bird shape and then tear around the Gold Rush 'sand'.

I glued the seam after I had folded the bag following the original fold lines so that the bag could fold down flat after it was reconstructed.

It was at this point I decided it would be fun to have the birds opposite each other so that the tails would meet at the inside side area of the bag.

I used the stamping platform to position the birds directly opposite each other.  The stamping platform allowed me to make sure the whole image of the bird was stamped leaving no gaps.  I thought this would be the safest option as the birds were being stamped over the seam of the bag.

I also used the stamping platform to add the feature words.

I printed the block of text onto the plain sheets of Gold Rush and stamped the little cars on the gel plate and pulled the print using a half and half mix of Gold Rush and Niagara Falls onto rice paper.  This created some fun labels to add to the bag.  I toyed with the idea of using them as gift tags for the bag...

I used them on the large faces of t the bag instead...

...they fitted nicely onto the side too... 

The rice paper was not only great for printing onto but it was a good substrate to cover the repurposed packaging bag to give it strength but not be too bulky. 

I particularly like the subtlety of the tree behind the collage design and how I had mirrored the image as a reflection.  I do like how the birds are peeking around the corner of this side too!

This project has made me think of how I could create more of these but also how fun they would be on fabric...I hope this project has sparked some creative thinking for you too and that you've enjoyed what I have come up with using my surprise supplies...until next time...

take care, 

Floss 

x x x

Blog: blog...my new years resolution is to add more!

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Oh! I nearly forgot...I created the base for the inside of the bag too...It strengthens the base inside...

2024 - Year in Review - Topics 7, 8, 9, 10 {on the PaperArtsy Blog}

Greetings from PaperArtsy HQ,

It's the final look back at some highlights from 2024 on the PaperArtsy Blog. Today we review Topic 7: (Gel) Printing, Topic 8: White and the designer focus for Topic 9 was Alison Bomber (EAB). 

The theme overarching these topics was Nature and its treasures: shapely leaves, delicate flowers, bold berries. We encouraged our bloggers to incorporate this theme into their posts too.

Speaking of challenges, this year we also introduced the concept of 'With 3 Things' where bloggers were sent 3 things and challenged to do something. For example, a paint or colour item, a stamp or stencil. Sometimes the stamp might be a bit different, but similar so that the bloggers more or less were using the same things.

We are so fortunate to have such wonderful bloggers who share their stunning ideas with us each month. I am really looking forward to appreciating what awesome talent we can all learn from in the year ahead!

Topic 7: (Gel) Printing

Spontaneous, fun and scrappy. Gel printing took the crafting world by storm a few years ago and is a now a favourite process for many crafters. We thought this topic would be a great opportunity to celebrate it, but also share with you all the other forms of printing that historically preceded it. The topic intro post takes you through many techniques, from Relief Printing, to Intaglio, to Monotype, including Gel Printing. You can find there not only varied eye-candy but also lots of educational links to try them with supplies you already have. We hope you give a try to something new!

For out bloggers fabulous projects, let's start with this quirky mini book by Mi Mii. Like a lot of you we love a fun play session with the gel plate, creating loads of yummy printed papers, sure, you can create some pretty dodgy prints along the way, but once armed with some simple techniques, success and confidence quickly grows. Then comes the question of what to do with them. Mi Mii's answer: lots of collaged scraps for dynamic pages. Check her original post HERE for the full process!

In an other style, how about these fresh flowers by Martha Ponsanesi (@CraftingMartha). Gel printing does not have to be complicate or layered to be effective! Nor are you limited to paper as Martha shows with her fabric-printing. Follow Martha on her journey to turn plain fabric into a 3D garden with simple techniques and sunny colours in her original post HERE.

We love when our bloggers try on a new technique and take us on the journey with them. This time Floss Nicholls explored collagraph, mixing it with stamps, and the results are... enlightening! As you can see, she experimented quite a bit so give her original post HERE a read to learn all about collagraph, and maybe level up your gel printing game.

Our designer Kate Crane also joined in the gel printing fun (she includes it quite a lot in her art) for example with alcohol inks. She has shared several of her favourite techniques, not just in her original post HERE, but also in a video on Facebook in the PaperArtsy People group.

Topic 8: White

It is not the first time we pulled the 'White' trick on our blogging team. It often pushes them outside of their comfort zone and always helps us learn something new. This time around, we did not limit the topic to an exclusively white project, but advised the team to think of all uses of white: overlays, resists, washes... They did not disappoint and each gave their own interpretation of white.

Our first pick is this dimensional frame by Victoria Wilding. She did go down the mainly white route white while adding a beautiful contrast with 'kraft' colour. Genius! She uses white in a lot of different techniques so be sure to check her original post HERE to appreciate them all.

Ellie Knol used white as a fantastic texture builder in this nature inspired hanging trio. Many layers went into those yummy backgrounds; can you spot the lace? Go to her original post HERE to follow along her creative process and see the transformations!

Take a look at these jugs of flowers by Floss Nicholls. She is a lover of colour so this was an interesting challenge for her with the white restriction in place. She used white as an overlay, letting some of the colour beneath peak through, for some amazing effects! You can join her in her exploration in her original post HERE.

For her part, Ann Barnes worked with white as a focal, giving it a leading role in this floral and moody journal spread. While at first glance, you would not call it a 'white project', I love how the white definitively pops when paired with darker colours. In this project, Ann played with pattern building in many ways, all detailed in her original post HERE.

Topic 9: Focus on EAB

Alison Bomber goes by 'Words and Pictures' on most of her social media and it couldn't be a better description of her stamp collection with PaperArtsy. A lover of words, she started designing stamps in 2017, going on to create beautiful sets of carefully curated thematic quotes. In 2022, she added some of her delicious sketched botanicals to the word stamps, as well as some ephemera for versatility. You can learn all about her journey and inspiration, as well as how her passion for theatre and craft entwine. It's all in her interview in the topic intro post.

That month the 'with 3 things' parcels did contain some of Alison's wintery stamps and Jenny Marples made a beautiful mistletoe accordion book with hers. We love the contrast between the delicate greenery and the deep grungy background. Be sure to check her original post HERE to discover the other panels!

We really could not leave out this fantastic decorated fan by Keren Baker. So delicate and elegant! If you give her original post HERE a read, you will see this was as finicky and time consuming as you might expect, but the result is incredible, and functional!

I also loved how Nikki Acton (a2a.craft) managed to mash her personal style and Alison's designs in this sunflower wall art. As explained in her original post HERE, everything did not go smoothly but the piece speaks for itself. I love the transition from cut to stencil petals! 

Finally I hope you didn't miss this amazing diorama by Mags Woodcock. She truly brought Alison's designs to life! These berries look dangerously delicious! This is a quite involved project so head to Mags' original post HERE to fully appreciate her work.

Topic 10: Gilded

To finish the year, we wanted an open topic that could fit the festive season but also stand alone. 'Gilded' can be any form of gold and metal: embossing, paint, wax... As long as it is opulent, lavish and a little bit indulgent. Who does not like some shine? 

First is some actual gilding, using flakes, by Liesbeth Fiddder de Vos for this Art Deco inspired star book. The sample mailers create the perfect intricate windows for the golden ladies to peak though. Visit Liesbeth's original post HERE to see all the pages!

For her part, Etsuko Noguchi prepared for the end of year celebration with these sparkling decorations. It is a whole set with acorn garlands and ornaments. The baubles are shakers and light up - super fun! Be sure to check the original blog post HERE for all the details.

Inspired by Klimt, a master of in the use of gold, Riikka Kovasin (Paperiliitin) made these gorgeous cards. I love how they are definitively a series but still differ slightly, giving each it own identity. Which one is your favourite? Head to the original blog post HERE to see the details of all of them.

Finally, this is outside of the 'Gilded' topic, but for the last 'with 3 things' of the year, we wanted to give our bloggers and readers a little taste of the new year in advance. So we went with pink and hearts to hopefully spread little love ! I loved this practical and cute present box by Victoria Wilding. Would you be happy to receive this, even before knowing what is inside?

Well, this was an amazing year for our fantastic bloggers, full of beautiful and creative projects. For those of you going through winter, I hope it gave you your recommended dose of colour and joy. 

For those 'down under', enjoy a crafty summer and send some sun our way! In addition to health and love, we wish you all a creative and fruitful year for 2025, full of motivation, inspiration, lovely crafty supplies and fun play sessions!