PaperArtsy

Friday, 25 September 2026

Shades of blue with NEW Tracy Scott Products {by Nikki Acton}

Hello everyone

Nikki here with you today and I'll be showing you how I created these floral cards using a stamp set and stencil from the new release from Tracy Scott.

I selected the coordinating stencil - PS535 and stamp set - TS110 from the recent release by Tracy Scott along with three Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics - Azure (FF187), Blue Oyster (FF99) and Midnight (FF123).

I decided to create some monochromatic cards using different elements of the coordinating stencil and stamp set, knowing they would work well together. Different shades of blue Fresco Chalk Acrylics were used in varying ways to create contrasting layers.

I wanted to create the card background with different patterns, so created some masks to allow me to do this. I cut a circle from some copy paper, keeping both the circle and paper without the circle, to allow me to mask different areas.

I began by placing the 2 circular masks along the opposite edges of some white card and used PaperArtsy stencil PS535 (by Tracy Scott) and Fresco Chalk Acrylic - Azure to stencil this area.

I carefully masked the painted area with the other paper mask - revealing only the white circles. For one card I sponged Fresco Chalk Acrylic - Blue Oyster into this area.

I then gently sponged (using a sea sponge) Azure over the top to give a mottled effect. Once dry I stamped one of the flowers from PaperArtsy stamp set TS110.

For the second card I used the mask in a similar way, but just stamped the floral image.

With cardmaking it is often beneficial visually to add a matt layer under the main layer to frame it before adding to the card base. I often use some of the paint or imagery I have already incorporated onto the card.

For one card I needed a darker layer for my matt - so used Fresco Chalk Acrylic - Midnight and sponged some watered down paint around the edges of the matt. By watering down the paint and using the sponge it gives this watery mottled effect.

For the second card, I needed something more subtle - so added stamped images of one of the flower stamps.

With the background and matt layer finished, it was time to focus on the flowers.

I began by stamping several of the images in Ranger Archival ink - Jet Black.

I used PaperArtsy Fresco Acrylic - Midnight to colour the flowers. I used the wet on wet technique, to get some variation in the the depth of colour.

First I added some water to a small amount of paint on my craft mat. I first 'painted' the area to be coloured with water - staying within the lines. I then added some watered down paint to this wet area and allowed it to move a little. I added extra paint or removed some if it was too wet. The paint should only stay in the wet area.

Wet on wet is usually done with watercolour paint - so the results are a little different here as we are using acrylic paint with different properties.

I fussy cut the flowers and leaves and began arranging them on my cards. The larger flower is made up of the leaves shown above.

I added a greeting to both cards using PaperArtsy Eclectica³ Mini 18 (by Emma Godfrey). I was looking on my messy desk for some bits of card to stamp onto and found a scrap I had brushed with some paint.

I love how this came out - a complete accident. The partially painted element sits over the darker matt later, and the blue part of the greeting over the white card.

Thanks for visiting the blog today.

See you next time, Nikki.

Instagram: @a2a.craft

Pinterest: nikacton

YouTube: @nikkiacton797

Wednesday, 23 September 2026

Japan Journal Art with EPA {by Jenny Marples}

Hello everyone, Jenny Marples here with you today and I'll be sharing the fun I've been having with the new Eclectica³ PaperArtsy collection, with ideas for how to incorporate these designs into your own art journals.

Here is the amazing new collection - I use all three A5 stamp sets and all three stencils throughout this blog post to show ideas for combining them in your projects.

You'll discover as we progress that I get carried away by the possibilities and end up making a number of different pieces for my Japan Art Journal.

Let's get started with some paint action and two of the stencils. Use a brayer to layer up some neutral colour paints, working from lightest to darkest. I've used 'Nougat', 'Eggshell', 'Caramel' and 'Truffle' Fresco Finish Chalk Paints, though any contrasting neutrals will work for this.

The 'eagle-eyed' amongst you might spot some stencilling buried beneath these layers - my first attempt failed so I just added more paint on top and ploughed on - don't give up on disasters!

Now add some colour into the mix with 'Cherry Blossom', 'Wisteria', 'Spring' and 'Blue Smoke' Fresco Finish Chalk Paints applied through the PS539 stencil. Make sure the colours you choose are deeper shades than you need because we are about to lighten their look.

To get a more subtle look gently brayer a light coat of 'Chalk' Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paint over the whole background. Then apply more of this paint through the PS540 stencil between the coloured 'arrows'.

It's a subtle pop of colour that will become a useful contrast to the neutrals.

Now let's get into some stamp action. The stamps in set EPA05 are ideal for this technique. Try stamping into a fresh layer of wet paint on a gel plate. In this example I've used 'Taupe' Fresco Finish Chalk Paint. Work fast and make sure to wipe the paint you remove from your stamp every time to get a crisper finish.

'Pull' your print using a contrasting colour to make this reverse stamping stand out - I went with the 'Chalk' Fresco Finish Chalk Paint. As you can see from the pile of prints you can experiment with lots of different combinations of stamps/paints, in this case all in a neutral colour palette.

You can also stamp directly onto the gel plate using your permanent inks and then add a layer of contrasting paint as I did with the examples at the top of the photo.

So now we've got lots of stamped and stencilled backgrounds it's time to move onto the focal points.

Where do you start when you get a new stamp set? I like to get stuck in with the ink and stamp the designs a range of surfaces. Try repeat stamping and layering the designs with different colour inks to provide a contrast with your backgrounds. Here I've used stamps from sets EPA04 and EPA06

And here's more repeat stamping, this time on paper that has been given and aged looks by spritzing and splattering diluted 'Just Walnut' PaperArtsy Infusions.

Here's a final idea for using your stamps - creating pictures. What can you see when you look at this image from stamp set EPA06? Maybe a pile of books? Possibly the bricks at the corner of a building?

I immediately saw skyscrapers and trialled a couple of alternatives using personal travel photos as a reference. The one with Mount Fuji won so I used the second idea as a mask, cutting into the paper by following the lines at the uneven edge of the design. Use paler neutral inks as you work upwards/backwards and try stamping with either end of the design to get a less 'repetitive' look. Then apply some translucent colour (in this case watercolours and some 'Snowflake' PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Paint) for depth and contrast.

You'll see in the finished photos how I used different stamps to come up with another picture.

A quick heads up before we look at the finished pages that I used an older Lynne Perrella stamp set LPC021 to create a couple of focal points for my Japan Art Journal.

This is where you layer up those backgrounds and add the focal points on top, in this case using Grunge Paste through words from the PS541 stencil.

I added extra stamping and stencilling to the picture of Mount Fuji; the pink stencilling represents the direction we were travelling in when I saw this view and the stamping reminds me of the Shinkansen train we were on.

The journal page beneath again combines the stamped images with the stencilling, again using the coloured background to offset the Grunge Paste word on top.

Opening up the smaller Mount Fuji page reveals more colour with one of those Lynne Perrella images and a couple of the tags. I love how you can combine the words in stamp set EPA04 in many different ways.

More pages now, again combining one of the Lynne Perrella ladies with stamping and stencilling. Don't the different graphic designs play with one another so well when you use pieces of them layered on top of each other.

Think about using just one word from a phrase: this one is from stamp set EPA06 and is a nod to the tradition of transforming worn/damaged fabrics into useable pieces by employing hand stitching. Underneath, the worn look of one of the stamped gel prints adds an extra contrast.

Finally the second 'stamped' picture I promised earlier; I've combined two designs from stamp set EPA06 as part of the Noren curtains that hang outside restaurants in Japan, one from stamp set EPA05 to create the edge of the tiled roof, and the word 'explore' from stamp set EPA04.

Let's take the chance to look at some of the details like using a fine tip pen to add wonky lines alongside your stamping and drawing to give it a loose, 'urban sketching' look.

See how the splat stamp from set EPA04 emphasises the darker areas of splattering, whilst the Grunge Paste stencilling softens and blends the transition between the pink background and stamped panel.