2016 Topic 2: Hearts {challenge}

 2016 Topic 2: Hearts

Well hello everyone, Leandra here

It's time for Topic 2 of 2016 (yes already), and with Valentines day on the horizon, we thought this was a really good time to look at HEARTS.

Hearts seem to be an element we use in our crafting over and over, and often not in a soppy sense! They are easy to draw, whether short and fat, tall and skinny, and can look bright and colourful or shabby-chic or even rusty! What is your favourite? Scroll through the ideas below and try something different, maybe you might make a wall hanging, or perhaps a simple card to show someone you care.

Before we start, let's see who won the Topic 1: Transparent Art Challenge...

Hi, Darcy here. Happy New Year everyone, where is time going? onto topic 2 already. Despite the cold and dreary days you have all jumped into our topics again with great enthusiasm. It is encouraging for us knowing that you love the topics. Transparencies can be tricky but you rose to the challenge and with such variety. It was a treat to see old techniques such as 'caught in crystal' being revisited. 

The winner of Abstract Art  is: Pavla  from Pavla's Art

Email Darcy to claim your prize. Darcydotneedles@hotmail.com

Leandra back with you again, congratulations to this week's winner! How lucky for you!

Some of my earliest crafting projects I can remember involve hearts. I often use them as embellishments, I die cut them... you can make awesome flowers from hearts too, and they just seems to pop up on all kinds of projects in all kinds of genres and styles from steam-punk through to clean and simple. So there is endless things to explore within this topic using hearts.

Let's start with fabric. I do love a patchwork heart like this one below, just simple and gorgeous! Making this sort of fabric creation for me is the ultimate in relaxation. An amazing way to use up all those fabric scraps. Check out Kerryanne's tips and tutorial here.

I love fabric stuffed hearts too, have mnade them for years for gifts with lavender in them, or even Xmas tree decorations, and the lace ones are fab! There are lots of other off-white examples if you follow the link.

What about denim! Love these too, this would be a great class for teens (NB there are lots of other denim projects at the end of this link too)

This looks like a patchwork heart at first glance....

... but look closer and you will see woven strips, you could do this is a more shabby manner with torn strips too. Beautiful sewing, and in fact, it is actually a bag! Details here.

Also this heart garland concept is a cutie! This one uses felt in the layering, but it could be anything...not sure when i would use a heart garland, but i LOVE it...maybe a pelmet decoration in a bathroom? Pinking shears and a glue gun - you can do all of this without actually sewing!

Fancy knitting while winter is here? Wish I could, although to be fair, Courtney has been teaching herself to knit, so I'm sure I could figure it out, and maybe this is a great way to use up left over wool...

These ones I love too, sadly cannot find the pattern though, only the image. The detailing is so cool - is that a cable pattern? Maybe it is actually a knitted jumper re-purposed?

Another delicate lacey-layer over wire, really like the coat hanger aspect of this too!

Perhaps some of those on-sale Christmas left overs could create something similar to this below! See here.

Let's move onto Paper based ideas. 

It's a lot of fun to make embellishments, in this case paper layered onto laser cut wood shapes, or you can possibly cut your own (scroll saw/ balsa wood)? 

You can see that a heart made from scrapbooking papers can be delicate too, some serious edge distressing makes this look the part, see here for details...

I love this beautiful tag made by a blogger from Poland, see the details here...

Another vintage, delicate composition, see here...

...and a bright and cheery journal page from Tandi Art with doodled bits looks like fun to make...GO check out her blog form more gorgeous pages!

Wendy Vecchi is so very clever in the fabulous ways she uses archival inks and her delightful stamps. She weaves her magic to create awesome compositions like these below. Do take 5 mins to check out the step outs in her blog post, for the first project. She has jammed so many great techniques into this piece, and if composition is something you struggle with, then you can learn a lot from Wendy!

Here's another in Wendy's inimitable style...

And while we are on Ranger designers, here is a sample that Jilly M made with Dina's heart stamps that I found here. 

Here is a fun looking canvas, I think these guys taught it as a class... how awesome are the layers and colours!

Then there are these jewellery style hearts. I love these metal riveted charm type creations! It looks like she is using metal clay which is an amazing substrate to work with. I did a course about 10 years ago in this, you create the item from a clay, which when fired solidifies into silver, but now they have other metals too, it's a very clever process, and so much fun. Christi's jewellery looks amazing!

Check out her etsy shop here to see amazing items like this...

I am sure you will be able to incorporate this topic into something you create this week! i have only touched on a few on the endless possibilities! I think it'll be a journal page for me!.... Have fun!

Don't forget to follow my pinterest board if this topic pushes your buttons, you will see plenty more examples to whet your appetite there! 

I am really looking forward to seeing what you create over the next 2 weeks!

Leandra

Topic 2: Hearts PaperArtsy Blog Challenge

We'd love you to share your ideas and link up your creative response to our current blog topic. Take a minute to read the challenge guidelines below.

All links go in the draw to win a voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. The Hearts link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, Feb 7th, winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

PLEASE NOTE THIS CHALLENGE IS OPEN FOR 3 WEEKS - ALL WE BECOME CLEAR ON JAN 31ST!

1. The challenge is a for you to show how you are inspired by the current blog topic.

Your entry should contain:

- a mention of which post inspired you and why, and 

- a link in your blog post to that original post on the PA blog.

The whole concept of this challenge is 'play along with us'. You are encouraged to put your own twist on ideas you see on our blog, do your own thing - whatever grabs you!

2. The link you put on our linky page must lead directly to the specific post on your blog where you have explored the technique/ idea mentioned in point 1 above. Don't link to the home page of your blog.

3. We prefer your challenge blog post is created exclusive to our challenge, but if our topic fits perfectly with another challenge, then you may link to both if appropriate.

4. You are most welcome to use stamps/ products/ substrates you have to hand from a variety of companies, we do not expect you to exclusively use PA products - it's lovely when you do though!

6. You can enter as many times as you like. We don't want to restrict your creativity! 

NB. Link closes at 17:00 Sunday Feb 7th (London Time)

7. The winner of the random draw will receive a £50 credit voucher to be redeemed on the PaperArtsy Website. The credit voucher includes VAT and postage. We request that one of your purchases is an A5 rubber stamp. You can add any other items to your basket, but the final total should not exceed £50.

8. Each fortnight on Sunday, the winner will be announced at 19:00 (London time). In the same post, the link for the next fortnight will be posted. 

9. It's your responsibility to claim your prize coupon from Darcy. 

email: darcydotneedles@hotmail.com

Good Luck! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!