2015 #4 It's a Mash Up Shadow Box {by Clare Lloyd PA Signature Designer}

2015 Theme 4: Miniature Art

Hi everyone Clare here, joining you this evening with a mini shadow box project which is ATC sized.

I started by stamping a frame from EEG03 ...

twice onto Heavy Weight Smoothy Card. One frame was cut out and the other I stamped with elements from EEG02...

and ECL04 ...

using either Black Archival Ink or Fibralo Water Soluble Pens.

Then the cut out frame was triple embossed using Versamark Ink and Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel and while the third layer was still molten I stamped back into it with the frame image to create some texture/dimension.

Next I splashed a quick coat of Buff Fresco Paint onto Heavy Weight Smoothy card, once dried I stamped my couple image from ECL05 ...

and coloured it in with Fibralo Water Soluble Pens. 

Finally it was time to assemble everything together and create a few embellishments. I just cut around the outside edge of my stamped frame to make a background panel. The UTEE frame and the couple image were layered up using Double Sided Foam Pads. The heart was stamped from ECL05 and the circles from ECL04, coloured/stamped as described above and then I curled up some black wire to suspend them on. As a finishing touch I stamped the little tab from EEG03 and added words from EEG02. 

It was ace using Emma Godfrey's new stamps as they have that modern vibe I love and they work really well with my girl faces too. Just  a super simple way of creating a shadow box mini art project with minimal construction. Do hope you will give it a go, why not add a photo or turn it into a fridge magnet.

Find more from me on my blog clarelloyd.blogspot and see what is on my craft/art table right now on Instagram HERE. 

Awesome mash-up Clare. I love how smoothly your stamps work with Emma's. The UTEE frame is a great effect, really love that texture on it too! Can't believe how many details you can fit into a mini piece of art, very striking! ~ Leandra

We would love you to join in with challenge #4: Miniature Art. If you are inspired by any of our guests who blog with us over the fortnight, then please join in and link up your creativity HERE. 

All links go in the draw to win a voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. The Fresco Paints link will close tomorrow night 17:00 (London Time) that's Sunday, March 8th, winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

2015 #4 PaperArtsyOPolis {By Helen Chilton}

2015 Theme 4: Miniature Art

Hi everyone Helen here, joining you this evening with a post about creating miniature art. I've used some old ribbon spools (three different sizes) as a base for my tiny metropolis on a hill, stamping in black on glossy card over a multicoloured stamped background. The stamps I chose were from the new Lynne Perrella collection .

Cut a strip of glossy card and stamp the buildings repeatedly in Yellow:

Repeat with the Pink and Blue until whole piece is covered. This is a good way of creating a background that co-ordinates perfectly in both colour and image. Repeat on back of card. 

Stamp a long row of buildings about a centimetre from lower edge:

Add highlights with a white pen or with Snowflake paint and a cocktail stick:

Score along lower edge of buildings and snip up to score line to create flaps. Cover base of spool in double sided tape and curve row of buildings round, sticking flaps underneath:

For top spool (actually a bit of tube), stamp and colour as before, this time using the building from top of the long stamp.

To finish off, build the spools up one on top of each other. Make a sign for the top (I used some pre-printed letters stuck on some of the background card and die cut as a banner), stick to some painted bamboo skewers and add a bit of wool to decorate.

And there you have it, PaperArtsyopolis! It's fun to make something totally crazy every now and then!. I like the 3D effect of winding the buildings round the spools and building up the layers. Of course, you could make yours much higher or wider - how many streets can you make? This would also work with flower stamps to make a tiered garden. Whatever you choose, just have a go!

Helen

The creativity and thinking behind this project is nothing short of genius Helen. Lynnes wonderful designs lend themselves perfectly. The added white accents make the project come to life and the different textures to the finishing touches are lovely. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

We would love you to join in with challenge #4: Miniature Art. If you are inspired by any of our guests who blog with us over the fortnight, then please join in and link up your creativity HERE. 

All links go in the draw to win a voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. The Fresco Paints link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, March 8th, winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

2015 #4 Stars and Moonlight Peg Doll {By Julie Ann Lee}

 2015 Theme Four: Minature Art

Hi everyone! It's Julie Ann here from Magpieheaven. I'm thrilled to be at PaperArtsy again using Sara Nauman's magical stamp plate ESN13 with Shrink Plastic. The current theme, so brilliantly introduced by Leandra last night, is Miniature Art, and what could be better when you're working in miniature than to have a material that shrinks down to create perfectly co-ordinated embellishments?

Step One:

I began by lightly sanding a sheet of Shrink Plastic with horizontal and then vertical lines to give it some extra 'tooth'. I then painted with a slightly watered down coat of the new Blue Oyster Fresco Finish paint. This was the ideal colour for the project. Often the lighter shades of fresco paint dry darker than they look wet, so check the label for the true colour. Blue Oyster looks gorgeous. 

TIP: I've found that you have to get the consistency of the paint right with Shrink Plastic - too thick and it could flake off! Don't be shy to add a few squirts of water from a mini-mister to thin down your paint before you apply it to the shrink plastic. 

Step Two:

In the photo below, you can see how I used PaperArtsy dies to cut the shapes I wanted to embellish my peg doll. I cut out several to play around with - the moth, the songbird, the heart and a leaf from a flower die - any I don't use I can keep for future projects. At this stage you should also punch any holes you're going to need to attach your shrink. I didn't need them for this project so I was ready to stamp once my plastic was cut to shape.

Step Three:

I stamped the book text star from ESN13 onto some more of the Shrink Plastic and then cut carefully around the impression with precision scissors. Once the plastic has been coated with a layer of Fresco Paints you don't have to use StazOn ink on the shrink any more because you have coated the plastic with chalk paint. As you know, it's always best on chalk paint to use archival ink, but Brilliance black Pigment ink is also suitable. It seems with frescos they are not fussy about which ink you use - the stamping always comes out beautifully, even with oily inks designed for fine detail. I find the best way to stamp onto Shrink Plastic is to lay your piece paint side down onto the inked stamp and press in gentle circular movements. You will be able to see the stamping through the plastic when it is ready to lift off.

TIP: If you need to cut out a stamped image, waft your heat gun very gently over the shrink to dry the ink without actually shrinking the plastic. You will see the ink lose its shine as it dries. Let it cool and touch test before you start cutting...you don't want black fingerprints everywhere!

Step Four:

The fun begins! I like to use a heat-tool to shrink my shapes so that I can see them transformed before my eyes! It's a good idea to use a pair of tweezers or a wooden skewer laid across the item is good too, either will keep your little pieces from flying away, and the skewer tend to help prevent the item curling up on itself! Stay calm if your shapes seem to be curling in on themselves - they will always flatten out and you can turn them over gently and just apply a little pressure with an acrylic block to give them that final flattening!

TIP: Did you know the shrink 'follows' the heat gun, so if a bit curls in, put the heat gun on the opposite side, and it will curl back towards the heat!

Step Five: 

And here are the tiny details ready to be fixed to your finished project. I loved how Sara's script from ESN13 came out so prettily on the bird and how the sentiment from the same plate fitted onto the leaf shape to the right.

ESN13

 

Step Six: 

All that was left now was to fix the Shrink Plastic embellishments to the peg. I find that a blob of Heavy Gel Medium does this perfectly, as long as you wait overnight for it to dry. Otherwise any strong glue of your choice that dries clear should be fine.

I love having this option to miniaturize a favourite stamp and co-ordinate the colours of a project. Why not have a go and link up to PaperArtsy using Shrink Plastic on 'altered' wooden pegs, spoons, memo boards - what you will - reach for the stars!

Have fun and - remember - if you want to see instructions on how I decorated the whole peg, just pop over to my blog Magpieheaven. 

Julie Ann x

We love how you have created your Peg Doll Julie Ann, a perfect introduction and inspiration to our new theme. Shrink Plastic lends itself beautifully to your project, the shrunken star looks fab as does your whimsical face. Thank you :)

We would love you to join in with challenge #4: Minature Art. If you are inspired by any of our guests who blog with us over the fortnight, then please join in and link up your creativity HERE. 

All links go in the draw to win a voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. The Minature Art link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, March 8th, winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.