Topic 8 {Assemblage} Challenge Winner

Hello everyone, Leandra here today,  

We have just completed 2 weeks of wonderful assemblage posts her on the PA blog. Assemblage is simply the way we pull a bunch of objects together in a way that is pleasing to the creator. Even decorating a room is assemblage on a grand scale; colours, textures, shapes and layers all play a part in creating the overall look.

It seemed to be a topic that stumped not only you guys (participation was down on our usual) but also I got many email inquiries from the bloggers who also struggled to fix on what they might conjure up. They were looking for rules, and guidelines or a framework, and I guess it's that problem where sometimes, if the brief is too wide, then we don't really know where to start from.

Hey ho, we are moving onto to a new round soon, not every topic will tickle everyone's fancy!

So who won the Topic 8: Assemblage...

The winner of Found Objects is: Jane  from Dizzycrafter with her lovely post 'Rusty Cogs'

Email Leandra to claim your prize. sales@paperartsy.co.uk

Darcy is off for the next month or so, she is recovering from a major, planned surgery, so she on strict orders to not move, lift, wiggle etc...I think about the only thing she can do is listen to audio books and look at movies, but only that will happen if she is feeling up to it. We all wish her a very speedy recovery!!

We are taking a short 2 week, mid-year blog break. Those of you who follow us, will know we are finally coming up for breath after an unexpected crazy start to the year, and we need to catch up and re-group in readiness for the next round on the blog...as ever, it will be something a little bit different, so hold onto your hats, and we''ll see you back here on Sunday 4th June. That evening, at blog-o'clock, some of us will still be driving back from Doncaster at that time. If we get to see you at the Doncaster Dome, even better, we have lovely ideas and products to share with you all at the show too!!

Happy crafting!
Leandra

2017 #8 Growth {by Keren Baker}

2017 Topic 8: Assemblage

Throwing down the 'think outsode the box' challenge with gusto, Keren has used a very unusual substrate as her base for this assemblage! Take a look... 

Hi everyone, it's Keren with you today.

This Assemblage topic is something that I dived into with no real direction and no real clue about what the theme really entailed. This assemblage piece has ended up being possibly the favourite project that I've created to date.

I finally got my head around what assemblage means once I'd completed it (haha!). In my musing over a 'found' object I actually found a child's violin I'd been given years ago and had forgotten about. This sparked the whole project. I used lots of bits lying around my desk that were half started for other projects and inked up some JoFY sets too!

I loved everything about this - gathering unconnected items that fitted into the theme 'Growth'. As a musician, the only way to grow is to practice and repeat and immerse yourself into music. I guess art is like that too. The first sticking point was actually allowing myself to paint the violin! Wisdom would have said to actually sand it down, but I knew that the Fresco paints were good enough to handle my short cuts ;-). Once I'd painted two completely contrasting colours using Hyde Park & Smurf, I added Crackle Glaze before a coat of Chalk

I could have removed the strings but decided to avoid the hassle and simply moved them out of the way. Having unmounted flexible stamps were so useful when trying to stamp onto the neck. I'd previously coated the neck with a couple of layers of Guacamole and then I used the leaves from JoFY set 49

I wanted to change the leaves into flowers, so added a couple of colours plus some gel pen detailing and voila!

The quote is completely perfect for the theme and came from another JoFy set- 52. I was too nervous to stamp onto the violin as I didn't want to mess it up so I just used tissue paper instead.

I loved the idea of butterflies adding movement to the piece and had some white Stazon stamped on acetate that I attached in different areas. Without growth, the caterpillar would never transform into the butterfly so I used the butterflies from Hot Pick 1506

I wanted to add something that tied in the musical theme. I took some sheet music; a piece of Einaudi's 'Divenire' that I'd had to play for a friend's wedding. The culmination of the growth of their relationship was their wedding, so it tied in perfectly with the theme.

You can see a little glitter on the Grunge Paste that are pasted onto acetate. I used a Lin Brown 005 stencil . It does however peel off really easily and is very brittle on the acetate. Next time, I'd gently sand the acetate and perhaps add some Gel Medium to the Grunge Paste to add some flexibility.

I stamped and added the beautiful JoFY flowers and arranged them as if they were growing out of the F holes. The found wire spring and old beaded strings (for the butterfly antennae) helped finish off the details.

Creating Assemblage with leftovers was easier when I didn't overthink it. Taking an unloved instrument and re-purposing it seemed like a kinder act than simply recycling it. Deciding to cluster the main design elements in one area meant the piece didn't end up feeling so cluttered and incorporated my love of white space too. If you get the chance to upcycle an old instrument, do have a go. I'll be hunting out more old/broken instruments and I really recommend it- the sense of the instrument having had a previous life and wondering what music had come from it really added to my creative experience. I need to be brave and now drill a hole in the scroll so I can maybe hang it up in my craft room! 

Thanks for joining me. Do catch up with me over social media too,
Keren xx

Blog: Kerenbaker's Blog
Facebook: Keren Baker
Twitter:@craftstampink
Instagram:@craftstampink

Pinterest:@craftstampink

Wow, I'd be over the moon and totally buzzing with that piece Keren! You conducted your creativity like a true maestro! Fantastico! ~ Leandra

We always hope that you  learn something interesting from our blog. Our bloggers deeply appreciate your comments so much, so please take time to let them know you've been inspired! Why not join our challenge by blogging your interpretation of the current topic and link it here?

The current topic link Topic 8 (Assemblage/ 3D Crafting) will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, May 21st 2017, and the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

All links go in the draw to win a £50 voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store.

2017 #8 A Great Many Things {by Lauren Hatwell}

2017 Topic 8: Assemblage

On the PaperArtsy blog today, Lauren successfully manages to transform a piece of waste card into a rusted frame with little niches to explore, full of detail and interest....

Hi everyone Lauren here. It's been fairly manic at PAHQ with one thing and another, so it's been really nice to take some time to make something lovely, but inexpensive for my home. 

I've always been a forager. I love nothing more than to find a pretty shell, a cute little vintage button or a postage stamp with a nice picture on it. The trick is always finding ways to enjoy those little treasures and keep them in view rather than tuck them away in a dark place never to be seen again. Assemblage is the perfect way to achieve that, so I jumped at the chance to make something for this theme. My starting point was some cardboard packaging from a game and some greyboard (Ahhh Greyboard! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...)

My project today is really about creating a place to put my little finds so that I can see them and appreciate them every day. I wanted something I can add to over time, but I want it to be nice to look at in the meantime. I've used some of the things I've collected over the years, pulled together with some of my favourite PaperArtsy Hot Picks. 

I've used Hot Picks:

 HP1008

HP1602

HPXT01

HPXT06

  and Ink and the Dog Clocks 3

...to set the scene for my finds

It never ceases to amaze me what you can achieve with paper and paint. From this plain old packaging for game pieces...

...to this brushed metal effect

....to something a bit more distressed using Black Knight Infusions

I love the way something as simple as Grunge Paste and Paint creates the look and texture of rust here.

Ah the joy of creating something from nothing. The packaging is coated with plastic so would probably have ended up in landfill. It's great to be able to make something useful out of it rather than just toss it in the bin. I've had these little shells in a bottle in a drawer for years. It's so lovely to be able to use them and enjoy them.

I still love seeing the top layer of paint crackle as it dries. The effect is wondrous. I need more crackle in my life!!!

More Crackle? How about some Crackle Glaze for those little clocks...

Last but not least, I had to add my favourite little butterfly from HP1602. She's an absolute stunner and adds a hint of colour and delicacy to the final piece. She's becoming a bit of a signature addition to my projects. I think she might be my desert island stamp....

I have really enjoyed playing with textures to make something useful. I confess I am absolutely in love with this frame and already planning to make a couple more to go in my craft room or hallway. There are lots of ways you could change the look of the frames too.  I might at some point sprinkle some Emerald Isle Infusions to add a hint of seaside/woodland moss or I might add  more "wood" and "metal" for a more industrial feel. It's going to be fun collecting little bits and bobs for the apertures in my frame too. The next frame has larger apertures and I am already looking forward to foraging through my collection of HotPicks stamps for some larger images to set the scene for my photographs and treasures.

Thanks for joining me this evening. Hopefully you'll feel inspired to have a rummage and assemble your own piece of art for the challenge. 

Lauren Hatwell
Blog: Marvelous Mechanical Mouse Organ
Facebook:Lauren Hatwell
Twitter: LaurenHatwell @Bluebertie12

10 out of 10 for repurposing something totally useless! What a stunner, I love that you have left some of the niches blank and been selective about which ones to decorate. I know those infusions over metallic glaze have been a big hit for you at demos lately! The textures are gorgeous. Awesome idea! Thankyou! ~ Leandra

We always hope that you  learn something interesting from our blog. Our bloggers deeply appreciate your comments so much, so please take time to let them know you've been inspired! Why not join our challenge by blogging your interpretation of the current topic and link it here?

The current topic link Topic 8 (Assemblage/ 3D Crafting) will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, May 21st 2017, and the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

All links go in the draw to win a £50 voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store.

2017 #8 A Modern Cinderella Shoe {by Liz Borer}

2017 Topic 8: Assemblage

Liz Borer joins us this evening with a stunning creation, her use of colours, paint, and blending techniques are always beautifully considered; true eye candy. 

Hi there everyone , today my blog post is within the subject of Assemblages . Unfortunately I have been doing a lot of tidying and packing recently and couldn't find any of my stash to create what I had originally intended! So I was wandering around the house wondering what to do when I came across an old pair of my daughters boots which were looking very sad. I decided to do some three dimensional crafting starting with a boot (I did ask her permission first!).

Poor boot! It was badly scuffed and stained from salt, definitely seen better days. I will admit to painting the whole boot with an acrylic sealer before starting, which is why it doesn't look too bad. This wasn't because I didn't think the paint would adhere, I know it will, but to stop any stains seeping through.

So firstly I painted the whole boot with Mushroom Fresco Finish Paint and dried it. I used Grunge Paste through a stencil onto tissue paper because I wanted to add dimension to the background. Once dry the tissue is strong enough to hold the Paste but flexible enough to place onto curved surfaces. I apply it by painting a thin coat of Matte medium to the surface, applying the tissue paper and painting more matte  medium over the tissue. This adheres the tissue and if you paint gently it flattens any wrinkles. I find it easier to cut up the stencilled area and apply it in smaller pieces. I had intended to only add this to the boots heel but I liked it so much I added parts of the stencilled Grunge Paste all over the boot!

The whole boot needs repainting to cover the Paste and tissue paper. I then washed thinned Plum paint into the creases and along seams to add interest. Also l rubbed White Fire Treasure Gold over the raised areas to highlight the stencilled shapes.

Now for the fun part! I collect lace and trimmings from lots of places. The trimming around the top of the boot is a ribbon with beads hanging from it. I painted the ribbon with Plum paint and once dry attached it to the top of the boot then added more lace. 

Am I crazy to say that at this point I want a pair of boots like this ?!

I found some Grunge paper pre cut swirls, so l painted them with Squid Ink and embossed them before adding some Treasure Gold.

Here's a lot of embellishments that I have coloured with White Fire Treasure Gold. I have found that if I mix this with a little alcohol blending solution I can make a paint to used to colour any items .

I've gone rather over the top adding lots of embellishments and the painted swirls to the boot. The boot is on a block of wood which was painted with Squid Ink.

I love the finished boot ! I think I may decorate the other boot (maybe very steampunk) because I enjoyed making this so much. But, oh dear, yet another thing I won't be happy to throw away because an old shoe or boot can have a new life ....

Bye for now, Liz .

Oh Liz, this is fabulous, theatrical and magical; definitely fit for a princess, or any shoe lover for that matter. I can imagine a shelf full of amazing shoe creations, no more unloved shoes. The boot itself is wonderful but displaying it on the board with the lace doily and all the extras really does transform it into an art piece. ~Darcy

We always hope that you  learn something interesting from our blog. Our bloggers deeply appreciate your comments so much, so please take time to let them know you've been inspired! Why not join our challenge by blogging your interpretation of the current topic and link it here?

The current topic link Topic 8 (Assemblage/ 3D Crafting) will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, May 21st 2017, and the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

All links go in the draw to win a £50 voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store.

2017 #8 In The Garden {by Carol Fox}

2017 Topic 8: Assemblage

A whiff of summer arrives up here in the Northern hemisphere, and Carol is putting out a cheerful sign in her garden, just as everything starts to bloom....Perfect!

Hi everyone Carol here.

Lovely to be here on the PA blog tonight. I've chosen to share with you a garden sign I made for my front door in the summer, using an arrow that a neighbour made for me from wood I found on the beach and some soft drink cans. I spend a lot of time in the garden in the summer and I usually have a post it note stuck on my front door to direct people to the side gate when they call, this year I will be posh and have a sign pointing them in the right direction. Of course given the Chez Fox look with Fresco paints and lovely Zinski stamps to give it a bright garden feel.

Metal is a great way to add 3D to projects and metal cans are great to use, you can hand cut them as I have here, or die cut them and best of all they are free.

I love how my basic crackle using Fresco Finish Paints in Zucchini and Antarctic, gives a lovely back ground to my Stenciling done with Emma Godfrey's mini PM008 

and Bougainvillea. Sealed with a coat of Satin Glaze before I stenciled onto it.

When I stenciled my words using Little Black Dress I put a piece of masking tape along the arrow to keep my words straight, but when I pulled it off it took quite a bit of my crackle with it, but I just redid the crackle on the ruined bit, patched the stenciling and it looks ok, phew project saved; the wonder of crackle paint cannot be underestimated !!

I stamped all my images from Zinski Art 10 onto a piece of flattened drink can which I painted with Snowflake paint prior to stamping on, as you can see I taped this to the desk with masking tape to stop it curling up.

I now gave my images colour using various Fresco Paints and anything else bright laying around my desk, Gel Pens, pencils anything works on Fresco paints. I cut them out using a pair of small metal shears but do be careful of the sharp edges on the tin when you cut them out.

I just wanted to show this photo of them all sunbathing on my sunny window sill getting nice and dry before I assemble my item. As you can see I have added a couple of quotes from Zinski Art Set 08 onto my arrow. I sealed the quotes and words with glossy accents to make them pop off the arrow a little bit.

I assembled my sign using a hot glue gun as I wanted instant grab to get the look I wanted with my metal parts. I wanted to use the natural spring of the metal to add a 3D element to my item, which is why I choose to use metal and not card. I was very torn with the project between making this or some small metal lanterns from the drink cans, but I decided that these particular stamps were too large to work well on the cans as lanterns, that is a project for different stamps on a different day.

Carol x

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You have really pulled a lot of recent blog topics together perfectly Carol, re-purposing, found objects and re-configuring them to make something totally new. Thanks for showing us how to stamp onto the metal, and as Frescos are a UV stable outdoor paint, I am sure this item will look bright and cheerful for many summers to come! ~ Leandra

We always hope that you  learn something interesting from our blog. Our bloggers deeply appreciate your comments so much, so please take time to let them know you've been inspired! Why not join our challenge by blogging your interpretation of the current topic and link it here?

The current topic link Topic 8 (Assemblage/ 3D Crafting) will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, May 21st 2017, and the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

All links go in the draw to win a £50 voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store.

2017 #8 3D Buddleia {by Kay Carley}

2017 Topic 8: Assemblage

Kay brings a fantastic 3D element to her stamps with this idea, which must not only involve a fair bit of fiddly cutting, but a heck of a lot of patience! The results are certainly worth it, so if you've got some tiny scissors about, here's the challenge to get snipping!

Hi everyone Kay here.

Lovely to be here on the PA blog tonight. I've chosen to share with you a 3D picture of buddleia type flowers made using my EKC05 stamp set and co-ordinating PS058 stencil.

On EKC05 there are two tiny flowers which were included to be used either to add to the background of your piece or to add to the two large flower heads to create a 3D flower which creates such beautiful dimension. (I also designed my EKC02 stamp sheet in the same way with two tiny flowers that can be stamped out multiple times, cut out and added to the larger flowers.) I won't lie...........it really is quite time consuming cutting out lots of the tiny flowers but it honestly is worth it as it gives the flowers a more rounded appearance plus if you do your cutting out whilst watching some telly it's not too bad!

I always try to add 'layers' of colour, stamps etc... and I very rarely begin my 'creative journey' with just one solid colour instead I like to add interest to my background from the start by choosing a few different colours and applying them with a sponge as I like the 'random look'. Of course my paints of choice are the lovely Fresco Finish paints! 

Nowadays I like to 'map out' where I think my main imagery will sit on my panel before adding my background imagery as so often I have stamped/stencilled some background imagery and then ended up covering most of it up with my main imagery! Annoying!!!

Now that I know where my main flower heads will sit I can begin building up my background imagery around them. Here I used Snowflake and Caribbean Sea Fresco Finish and my brand new stencil.......oooohhhhhh!!!! (I like to add touches of white into my project to bring some 'lightness' into the finished piece but if you prefer 'drama' go with a darker colour instead.)

The wavy stem on this leaf stamp is just perfect to create 'flowing background imagery. I think that Snowflake is my 'must have' paint as I use this on practically every project! 

This is always the 'slightly scary' bit as black stamped imagery always looks a bit harsh against a pretty pastel background. You just have to keep your fingers crossed (and maybe toes as well - just to be on the safe side) that it will all look ok in the end!!! Sleight Blue Infusions were very lightly sprinkled and spritzed as a base to begin my multi-coloured flowers but there are  23 other colours to chose from :).

I like to give these type of flower heads texture by using a few different colours of Fresco Finish paint (Blue Oyster, Zesty Zing, Dolly Mix, Eggplant) applied with a small paintbrush in a dabbing motion and then I've found an embossing tool is a great way to apply perfect dots to flower centres etc...

Recently I've been combining dye-based/watercolour based ink with Fresco Finish paint as this enables me to add soft translucent colour over the top of the chalk based paint which I really like the effect of.

I nearly always take some time to apply 'finishing touches' to my project. In this instance these 'touches' consisted of using a circle die to add 'a hole', gluing all my cut out flowers and butterfly into position with Pinflair, stencilling the words with Snowflake paint and writing over the top with a black multi-liner, applying white dot accents with a gel pen, adding some rhinestones, matting and layering the panel to black and grey cardstock and of course applying touches of glitter glue! (Phew......just a few finishing touches then!!!!)

For me it is all these 'little touches' that make a difference to the overall look of the finished piece. See what I mean about how those tiny little flowers make such a difference to the flower heads ;).

I really enjoy creating projects like this with lots of 'layers' and 3D elements. I was working on a 7x7" Smoothy cardstock panel for my picture but the beauty of this stamp set is that you could make a much larger picture if you wanted which I think would look spectacular especially if you had lots of the large flower heads embellished with 'loads' of tiny flowers - it may take you a while though! Also a tall slim panel of these flowers arranged in a vase or jam jar would look good :). I really want to create a set of table mats using this stamp set when I have a minute along with some matching coasters using elements from EKC07 - I just need to find some time!

I really hope that some of you will be 'brave enough' to try adding the little flowers to create dimensional flowers in this way and if you are please let me know as I would love to see your creations :).

Love Kay :) x

Blog: http://kaycarley.blogspot.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaycarley.designer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carleycards
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kay.carley/
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/kaycwilson1/

What a beautiful idea Kay! I'm so glad you shared how to use the stencil to create the great layers, and the infusions add a pop of contrast too. So many gorgeous little dots of paint really seem to bring it all to life and those 3D flowers really are an assemblage of love! But what a stunning effect! Worth it for sure!  ~Leandra

We always hope that you  learn something interesting from our blog. Our bloggers deeply appreciate your comments so much, so please take time to let them know you've been inspired! Why not join our challenge by blogging your interpretation of the current topic and link it here?

The current topic link Topic 8 (Assemblage/ 3D Crafting) will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, May 21st 2017, and the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

All links go in the draw to win a £50 voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store.