2020 Topic #21 Mini Calico Wallet with VI&D (by Jennie Atkinson)

  2020 Topic 21: Masterboards

I'm so glad that Jennie has experimented creating a masterboard on fabric. It shows how versatile the Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints are and gives a wonderful softness to this lovely softly stamped project. Spying her special mitre tool might mean that Santa gets a few requests for it this year too!
~ Keren.

Hi everyone, it's Jennie (Live The Dream) with you today sharing a textile project using a collection of Vintage Ink and the Dog stamps.

I love making masterboards using different substrates as I just love the total uniqueness of the process. Using calico is always an interesting outing as sometimes the material takes up the paint really fast and then another time it will just sit on the top and take ages to dry! My intention had been to cut the calico into ATC size pieces but I just loved the finished piece and couldn't bear the thought of cutting into it, so it became the cover of a mini wallet.

The days are quite grey and dull here now with the days shortening and so it is nice to sometimes recreate some summer warmth. I fell in love with all the wonderful new blue Frescos and they pretty well all fell into my basket ... and then I saw Rose ... how had I missed that one before? It was just a gorgeous compliment to those wonderful blues.

I love using the Gelli Plate to get colour on my substrate and calico is just as easy to work with as paper, although you do have to use a lot more paint to get a brighter colour. I have used four wonderful Fresco's: Cloudy, Chalk, Azure and Rose, along with Sara's lovely stencil which is becoming a huge favourite.

PS178

The stencil didn't work that well on the calico, but you can just see it here and there in places. It did take a while to dry (in fact I left it overnight) and then I was able to start stamping. I am a great fan of the smaller stamps within a set and these two VID sets have some gorgeous ones.

VID10

VID08

I generally start with some of the bigger stamps and then start filling around them with text. I used Archival Ink (Hydrangea) which looks quite grey on the calico. This was a second piece of calico which I did not use in the end, but you can see that my stamping on the Gelli Plate came out better than the stencil.

As I said above I couldn't bear the thought of cutting into the calico as it was all so lovely. I found I could just about fit the covers of the Eileen Hull Pocket Notebook within the painted area, so decided to make a small wallet. If like me you are an avid bookmaker it really is worth investing in a mitre tool - it really does save all the guessing!

Before glueing the covers I started stitching a little collage on the front cover using a lovely sentiment from Alison's Time Edition:

EAB17

 I kept the inside quite simple covering with some good quality printed paper and making a small pocket on the inside cover and a sleeve on the right hand side.

Both are handy to hold some tags and a little notebook. I really like having a little wallet like this to note down little ideas or technical bits of projects (particularly my knitting or spinning). It doesn't take up much room in a bag or on a desk, but can be very helpful to refer back to particularly as my decaying brain requires me to write down just about everything these days!

Drying time aside this was really quite a quick project to make and I think would make a lovely gift. The only thing I would suggest is that you try different weights of calico with the Gelli Plate. The calico I used for this project was quite heavy and had been washed so was quite porous. Some of the thinner unwashed versions sometimes dispel the paints. It is a cheap material to experiment with and I always have a stock sitting around waiting to be used. I even like it in its natural state.. and do iron it before you start.

As always thank you for joining me.

Jennie x

Blog: Live The Dream

2020 Topic #21 TOPIC INTRODUCTION : Masterboards

 2020 Topic  21 - Masterboards

Hi everyone, Keren here with an oldie but goodie theme; Masterboards! They have been around for quite a while (& dare I admit to never making one..yet!) They are a perfect way to do multiple projects (think batch card or journal page making) but also a way of producing seamless backgrounds that you can add to.

As you can imagine, there's no shortage of inspiration, it was being selective that was the challenge. For any who want some handy hints and tips on creating one of these beauties, we're swapping things around and adding a video from Leandra showing exactly what to do. Even if you're a pro, you're bound to be inspired!

We can hardly go any further without exploring the PaperArtsy blog and showcasing some majestic makes.

One of our designers who's no stranger to masterboards, is Jo Firth-Young, and the first photo shows her vibrant masterboard and the second, one of her projects that she created with it.

PaperArtsy Blog

PaperArtsy Blog

Next, we have Nikki Acton, and she contrasted creating a subtle masterboard with a bold and bright one.

PaperArtsy Blog

PaperArtsy Blog

Sue Carrington takes us through, step by step exactly how she creates her artistic masterboards.

PaperArtsy Blog

Then how about a light and delicate piece, ably created by Emma Godfrey? Then the second photo, with one of the sets of projects she produced from it.

PaperArtsy Blog

When you're preparing to make your very own masterboard, what tools might you need? You can actually use whatever you have laying around. This next artist used a plastic card, her fingers and a toilet roll to create this wonderful journal spread.

Mimi Bondi

Perhaps paint is less of your 'thing' and you love indulging in a little collage, Margarete Miller has some perfect examples and tonnes of inspiration. She's also filmed a video in the link to show you her process.

Margarete Miller

Most of us would probably plump for a substantial substrate to throw lots of paint and layers onto. Heavyweight Smoothy would be a great choice, but what about something different? Glossy cardstock?

Anita Houston

When introducing layers and colour, it could be easy for your projects to look full on. With a light touch and some bright colours, if you're lucky it might end up like this beauty of a sketchbook by Anneke de-Clerck.

PaperArtsy Blog

Once you've finished the main patterning, how might you add details. Here's a fellow white-gel pen fan, bringing highlights to her prepared page.

Peony & Parakeet

So what might you do with the masterboard once you've finished it? Here's a few ideas:

Add in a focal point and a sentiment just perfectly executed by this artist.

Kate Crane

If you have only a little leftover masterboard, how about creating unique business cards or perfectly sized gift cards?

House Revivals

Or go even smaller. Don't waste the smallest bits of your lovingly prepared masterboard. Procure your very own mini masterpiece!

Julia March

The obvious choice for many is to divide them up and use them as backgrounds for cards. 

Felix The Crafty Cat

Whether you create directly in a journal or trim your completed masterboard to fit in there, journals are the perfect place to showcase your artwork. Adding some pretty blossoms completes this Asian inspired double spread.

Bonjour Scrap

Last in the masterboard procession is a multi layered stamped masterboard. Sometimes you can go simple and it still looks wonderfully effective.

Mona Pendleton

All of these amazing examples have got me itching to create one of my own. I hope that these gorgeous examples inspire you to get painty and inky yourself.

If you want to create along with us while we explore this topic, please share your makes on our social feeds so we can follow along. Instagram @paperartsy or why not join us and post in the PaperArtsy People Group on Facebook. Make sure you tag us in your contributions, we love to see what you get up to in your creative world!

 

2020 Topic #20 It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas with JOFY (by Miriam Grazier)

  2020 Topic 20: Mason Jars

Miriam's wintery scene won't leave you cold, but is sure to warm your heart with the cutest of snowmen gathered around her decorated Mason Jar. She's right that they'd make wonderful gifts if they're as lovely as hers.

~ Keren

Hi everyone, it's Miriam with you today, and I'd like to share with you a mason jar that I have altered to create a Christmas decoration for the upcoming festivities. 

Every year I love to create a new decoration to add to my Christmas displays at home.  It feels more personal to me.  I also love decorations that light up.  So this was a win-win for me.

With a second lock down announced for the UK I wanted something positive to look forward to.  Now that it is officially November I have turned my attention to Christmas in the hope that we will be able to safely meet with our families and celebrate what is my favourite occasion.

I loved altering the mason jar.  Straight away I knew that I wanted to use some of the amazing Christmas stamps that JOFY has designed.  They are always so fun to use.  The hardest decision was deciding which ones to use.

I stamped the snowflakes directly onto the mason jar using Snowflake Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paint - the paint is so wonderful and is great to use on so many different materials, glass included.  In order to stamp onto the slippery surface I inked the stamp up with the paint and held it in my hand and pressed the jar into it.  This seemed to work really well for me.

If you didn't want to stamp onto the jar you could use some snowflake acetate and slip it inside the jar.

I stamped the images onto Smoothy card stock and then coloured them using Polychromo pencils.

The bottom of the jar was filled with cotton wool and some small glittered polystyrene balls.  I've had these in my stash forever and they were perfect for this.

It was at this stage I decided to add some lights to the jar.  I adhered the light switch to one of the snowmen using a glue dot.

I wanted to decorate the top of the jar and not leave it blank.  I added a small wood slice which I splattered with texture paste.  I then adorned it with small polystyrene balls and snowflakes from JM07.  I was so pleased with how this looked.  It really finished the ornament off.

I was excited for it to start getting dark outside so that I could turn the lights on in my mason jar.  I think I actually squealed as I was so happy with the end result.

The characters of the snowmen really made the difference to this project - they are so playful.

There are so many possibilities with mason jars and the festive season is the perfect excuse to create something unique.

I really hope that I have inspired you to create your own piece of festive decor.  It really did lift my spirits and give me something positive to look forward to.  I am planning on creating more to send to loved ones to remind them that they are in my thoughts.

Thank you for joining me this evening. 

Happy crafting!

Miriam

Blog: Miriam's Creative Dreams

2020 Topic #20 Winterland with ESC (by Noguchi Etsuko)

2020 Topic 20: Mason Jars  

Etsuko's creation really does look like a miniature world. Creating a diorama is an absorbing activity and she has really made something special. You can just imagine the forest in real life with the pine smells and the deer running wild. Using Infusions really brings the image to life.

~ Keren

Hi everyone, it's Etsuko My favorite things with you today, and I'd like to share with you my Wonderland in Jar featuring with Raquel's (Scrapcosy) beautiful Christmas stamps.

I love to create diorama worlds in jars, boxes and tin cans. Sometimes they create a mysterious world. Soon it will be a great holiday season at the end of the year, so I made a winter wonderland in a jar.

First of all, I prepared a five inches regular similar Mason Jar and applied glass beads gel to the whole, leaving an oval window on the front. It takes a whole day and night to dry, then I dry-brushed it with white gesso.

I used Raquel stamp set ESC07, fluttered with infusions The Sage, Olive Tree, Golden Sand and Sunset Beach on each Smoothy (Heavyweight) A4 white card then sprinkled with water. After papers dry I stamped with fir trees, hollies and reindeer.

Cut each material and attach it to make it look 3D using double-sided foam tape. I also added model flowers to it.

I stamped pine cones image on shrink plastic with Stazon Pigment Snowflake, and after they shrink I painted Fresco Pistachio from the back. I added beads to the pine cones and connected them with hemp twine to make a jar necklace.

Put the fir trees and reindeer elements in the jar. The cut holly was shaped and attached to the hem of the oval window with red embellishments, and the pine cones necklace was tied around the jar of the top. I painted Smoothy (Heavyweight) A4 white card with Fresco Evergreen, embossed with off white powder using ' Best Wishes for the Year Ahead' stamp, cut around words and make the banner, and attached to the lid painted with Evergreen.

Take a closer look inside through the window.

I put on the candle and approached it.

Other than the fact that it took all day and night to dry, it wasn't too difficult and finished smoothly. Why don't you make one of those jars to put lights in and place in the yard?

Thank you so much for visiting. Have a wonderful winter day.

Etsuko xxx

Blog: My favorite things
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