PA 2017: Blog Year in Review: Topics 9-12

Hello again from PaperArtsy HQ,

we are mid-way through our look back at some highlights on this blog over the past year. And boy have we had a year of fantastic inspiration for you all to enjoy. Throughout the year I get emails, from people telling us how fantastic our bloggers are, and how inspirational their posts are. I love that we have such a large team who represent lots of different approaches to being creative!

Tonight I'm sharing my picks from Topics 9-12. Read on to see what happened.

Leandra 

Topic 9: Aqua

I think Aqua has to be one of the most popular colours EVER! Blue matches every other colour; its bright, pretty, and soft versions are cool and soothing. It's perfection!

My first pick is this amazing beauty by Dounia Large. She always has a wonderful way of reinventing, well, anything!The ways he trapped her fairy under the sea was pure magic!

And I hope you didn't miss this excellent pocket book from Carol Fox!

I really liked how Miriam made this  into a masculine themed card, the contrast of browns with blues is always a great mix!

Alison used teabags as the basis for this canvas! Yes, really! She has been so out-of-the-box creative this year on the blog, she's brilliant! I love this canvas!

Topic 10: Dark to Light/ Contrasts

I think when you moved into the world of mixed media, the biggest lesson to learn, and the only lesson that really helps you come to grips with all the other elements of being creative, is contrast. If you can get 'contrast' right, then everything else falls into place so much more easily. When you have no clear contrast, that is when whatever you make can look like a muddled mess. So eve though it sounds like an odd topic, I think this is a great concept to understand, and the principles apply to interior decor, gardening, even how you present food!

My first pick is this amazing beauty; a beautifully decorated wooden box by Carol Fox. The colour contrasts are clever, and the tones fun and fabulous.

And I hope you saw this Seth Apter inspired panel  by Nikki Acton

I adored how Alison faded her colours from one into the next, very different by blending her contrast, and her stamps as the quote accent fitted the brief perfectly too.

Additionally we saw all sorts of contrasts with Chris's gelli printed flowers! She goes on to turn these into a stunning journal page, the whole piece is totally wonderful!

 

Topic 11 : Books

Summer is upon us at this point in the year looking back, and the topic was all about books. Never have so many ideas been so different, binding, page sizes...you name it they all had a blast with this topic!

Wendy Malls has a thing for books, and she executes them exquisitely! This Japanese stab binding was superb, and I loved the colour palette and the stamps she chose too.

My heart skipped a beat with Chris's wonderful JoFY book! The bright colours are totally what I adore, but she aslo found hidden birds in Jo's doodled flower heads!!

I fell in love with Kate's Japanese fabric book - stunning layers! Gorgeous colours. Serene Perfection!

Anneke chose a super-soft palette whihc reminded me of ice-cream and she layered up Emma Godfrey's stamps in the most wonderful manner! I love the pop of black in the binding of washi tape between all the pages! Do take a look, its a fun idea with all the pages differing sizes!

Topic 12 : Hybrid Inks

I knew this topic was going to be a pleaser! With Ranger's new Distress Oxide Inks causing a stir, and there are other brands of hybrids too that hit the market in 2017, so we figured it all needed some clarification! At shows this year I was constantly asked about the Ranger inks, and so we demoed a load of ideas and techniques all year long, ending up with some super cool re-inker techniques. Let me share with you how the bloggers got on with them!

My first pick is Etsuko. She shared several ideas with them within her post, all fascinating! Take a look for yourself! Here is just one below.

If you follow Sarah Anderson on Instagram, you will know how much of the year she spent using Oxide inks for her fabulous, minimal mini journal spreads. This card is a reflection of that, many more ink pad tests on her post too.

Helen tried the re-inkers onto all kinds of fabrics, with amazing results!! I adored how the colours looked so vibrant, and when you colour with them, it really is like using paint - except non permanent of course!

Additionally Wanda amazed with this embossing over the inks to create a vibrant pop! 

It is fun to look back on what our genius bloggers have shared with us over the course of a year. This year seems to have zapped by in a blink, but at least the blog remains as the perfect reference tool Don't forget to save the posts that float your boat on pinterest. No excuse now, you'll hit the New Year with a dozen ideas to crack on with!

Leandra 

2017 #9 Aqua: ATC Trio {by Claire Snowdon}

2017 Topic 9: Aqua

This gorgeous blue arrangement is simple to construct, very striking yet full of plenty of small details - like a splash gold flecks. Perfect for gift tags, and I think this idea would work really well for wintry Christmas cards too - anyone doing those yet?? LOL

Hi everyone, it's Claire Snowdon with you today, and I'd like to share with you my trio of aqua artist trading cards (aka ATC's) created using stamps and stencils by Kim Dellow.

I enjoy making smaller pieces of art as they are quicker to make but create a great opportunity for trying out a variety of techniques, using different products or just practicing the basics.

I enjoyed creating the backgrounds for my three ATC's and used a smooshing type technique with Fresco Chalk Paint and a little water, then used negative stenciling on top.

PS048

I liked creating the backgrounds in this way as it gives and almost marbled watercolour effect.

I made the focal topper using Kim Dellow's stamps on each ATC a darker shade of aqua to give some contrast with the background - and just couldn't resist a little splatter of gold on them too :-)

I like to frame my ATC's using some doodling, distressing the edges and then mounting them on black card so they really pop.

Why not create some mini works of aqua artwork to try out those new products or a new technique you haven't used before?  Kim's stamps are ideal for mini art as there are loads of smaller elements that you can play with! 

Thanks for joining me tonight on the Paperartsy blog - be sure to come and visit me on my own blog or on Instagram.....Claire Xx

Blog: Claire's Crafty Makes
Twitter: Claires10
Instagram:Claires10
Pinterest: Mrs Sno

Claire these are so effective! You have used the same tone throughout, yet managed to get contrast so effectively with those lovely gelli-printed backgrounds! Fabulous ~ Leandra

We always hope that you  learn something interesting from our blog. 

Our creative team love to read your comments so much, so please take time to let them know you've been inspired!  

Why not join our 2-weekly challenge by blogging your create response to the current topic and link it here?

The current topic link Topic 9 (Aqua) will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, July 22nd 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 #9 Aqua: 50's Blues {by Miriam Grazier}

2017 Topic 9: Aqua

I had to laugh at Miriam's blue paint line up below!. I don't think I have ever lined up our shades of aqua blues before, and I know there are plenty of other blues too!!! It does go with every other shade in the spectrum, so what's not to love! Let's see what she gets up to with those!

Hi everyone, it's Miriam here from Miriam's Creative Dreams with you today, and I'd like to share with you a small canvas board that I have decorated with a male theme in mind.

I challenged myself to see how many types of 'aqua' I could use.  I first gathered all of the Fresco paints that I thought would 'fit' with the theme, and I was not surprised to find that I have quite a few.

Looking through previous projects it is clear that I use aqua in my art quite a lot - it seems to be one of my go-to colour.  It's especially relevant now, in the summer time, as it reminds me of holidays and cooling seas. 

I wanted to use Infusions in my project and wanted to see how well they combined with Grunge Paste - and it worked really well - a small amount of the walnut appeared but it didn't develop any further once I had thoroughly mixed the infusions and Grunge Paste.  

I really enjoyed only using only a few colours in my project - it enabled me to create some lighter areas and some darker areas.

I outlined part of the stencilled areas with a white gel pen - this made the aqua stand out a little more.

I used one of my favourite Hot Picks stamp sets - HP1218.

I added a watered down wash of Caribbean Sea over the main stamped image.  This brought the Aqua theme into the image and tied the project together.

I really enjoyed this project - it challenged me not only to be limited to colour (which I don't often do) but to create a 'male' themed project.  I really enjoyed mixing Infusions with Grunge Paste and then looking at the effects that it creates.  In fact, I can see myself trying this technique with different stencils and colours.

Thank you for joining me tonight. Pop over to my blog to see more details of how I created this project. I hope you have been enjoying the Aqua theme and I hope that I have inspired you to create your own Aqua themed project.  

Happy Crafting!
Miriam

Blog: http://miriamgrazier.blogspot.co.uk

It's a popular stamp Miriam, and yes, a good one for the men in our lives too! I love how the GP worked wonderfully to contrast with those infusions so well, and I think we can safely say there are many shades of aqua in the Fresco Paint range! Haha! ~ Leandra

We always hope that you  learn something interesting from our blog. 

Our creative team love to read your comments so much, so please take time to let them know you've been inspired!  

Why not join our 2-weekly challenge by blogging your create response to the current topic and link it here?

The current topic link Topic 9 (Aqua) will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, July 22nd 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 #9 Aqua: Teabag Art Canvas {by Alison Hall}

2017 Topic 9: Aqua

Alison Hall is here with a fabulous idea for tea bags! Only she would think to gelli-print tea bags! If you ae a tea-drinker who loves Aqua, then this one is for you, although I can easily imagine it would look equally amazing with any colour of your choice too!

 

Hi everyone, it's Alison/Craftytrog with you today, and I'd like to share a teabag art canvas with you, that I made using PaperArtsy Eclectica Ellen Vargo stamps.

Since I discovered the joys of using teabag papers, I can't stop collecting every teabag I use. I have plant pots on my kitchen windowsill, just to drape them on to dry! I simply wait until they are totally dry, tear the bag on one side, and empty out the tea leaves. The tea leaves make fab texture when you add them to paint, gels and pastes too. The papers take ink and paint beautifully, and on this project I used them to take prints with my Gelli Plate, using PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Paint.

I started by picking out the aqua family group of PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Paint. These are Mermaid, Bora Bora, Beach Hut, and South Pacific. They go from light to dark, and all tone together beautifully. Then I picked out 3 great stamps sets by Ellen Vargo, that have a variety of fabulous patterns in them. They were perfect for the abstract background I had in mind.

EEV03

EEV05

EEV06

Using my 3x5 inch Gelli Plate, which is the perfect size for 2 teabags, I decorated a multitude of papers by stamping into the paint with various stamps from the 3 Ellen Vargo sets. I got quite carried away at this point, as I hadn't decided what size canvas to use.

As I was taking the prints, I stamped the paint from the Gelli Plate and stamps onto an old PaperArtsy Paint chart. This made a great background that I would use later. 

After I'd collaged my chosen painted teabags onto a 6x6 inch box canvas with matte medium, I decided I needed a focal image. Using Little Black Dress Fresco Chalk Paint, I stamped the circle and line image from EEV03 twice, onto the background I'd created on the paint chart, then cut it out.

I finished my trees/flowers off with some pretty shell buttons tied with string. Then, to add some impact and to frame my canvas, I painted the edges with Little Black Dress Fresco Chalk Paint.

I hope you'll give teabag printing a try. It can be very addictive! You need to be a little careful when glueing, as the paper is quite delicate, but it doesn't tear as easily as tissue. I usually apply matte medium to my surface, lay the teabag on, then paint the medium over the top so that it soaks in and adheres both layers. I love the look of the tea grains that are still stuck inside the bags. You can see them quite clearly above in the close up photos. 

I look forward to seeing your projects for the challenge.

Alison x

Blog( I've switched to Blogger): Craftytrog's Arty Adventures
Facebook: Alison Hall
Twitter: @craftytrog
Instagram: @craftytrog

Fantastic Alison, this is super-cool recycling, and you are right, the tea leaves peeking through are such a cool contrast and definitely give an appropriate nod to your source! Love how the EEV stamps have worked for this project. Thankyou! ~ Leandra

We always hope that you  learn something interesting from our blog. 

Our creative team love to read your comments so much, so please take time to let them know you've been inspired!  

Why not join our 2-weekly challenge by blogging your create response to the current topic and link it here?

The current topic link Topic 9 (Aqua) will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, July 22nd 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 #9 Aqua: Zinskis {by Wendy Mallas}

2017 Topic 9: Aqua {by Wendy Mallas}

Wendy not only has a bit of a thing for Zinskis, but she is also always making the most gorgeous books. Check out her links for more info as she also sells her work. Tonight she is sharing one of her perfectly formed creations - in Aqua of course!!

Hi everyone, it's Wendy with you today, and I'd love to share a star book with you. 

When the Aqua theme came up, I had to jump straight in as it's my absolute favourite colour range. It seems to be really on trend for many products these days and here's one example of how to make your own.

Books are my passion. My love of reading has merged into my love of making books. All books. Any books. I am a book artist and I love it! So here is a star book that involves no stitching - just double sided tape or your favourite glue. 

Elena Zinski Art has produced a cracking set of stamps yet again. Making focal points visible when everything is in the same colour range is challenging. Add some shading and highlights to the elements you want to pop.

My seven-point star book opens out and ties with a ribbon. A lovely addition to any coffee table.

Out of the whole of Elena's new release, this is my favourite image. I really want to live in a house like this. How cool it would be to live in and work from a hat. This is the stamp set....(PaperArtsy retail stockists listed here) ZA15 can be found here.

The ribbon closure, made from plain seam binding dyed with Tim Holtz Distress Stains (Peacock Feathers and Cracked Pistachio), is secured around the spine and under the covers.

Layered mats on each page from pieces of PaperArtsy Heavyweight Smoothy Card, Gelli-printed using Fresco Chalk Acrylic Paints: Snowflake, Mermaid, Bora Bora, Captain Peacock, Beach Hut and Caribbean Sea.

And a couple of babes finished off the back cover. Now they really look like they're up to something!

This book is relatively simple to put together for an effective finish. By fussy-cutting the main stamped images and adding them to the background, it makes the covers very tactile and gives a little dimension. The book can be used for whatever you wish. It's perfect as a photograph album. Perhaps you could add a few pockets and tags to make it even more interactive. Don't be put off by using one colour. Just remember to use some shading and highlights to enhance the main tones. I'd love to see your own interpretations of this topic and project. Most of all, have fun!

Love and peace,
Wendy x

Blog: Wendy's House
Facebook: Wendy Mallas Illustration
Twitter: WendyWitwoo
Instagram: WendyWitwoo
Pinterest: Wendy Mallas
Website: Wendy Mallas

Ohh Wendy, this is a delight! I love blue faced people! And your gelli-printed backgrounds look dreamy! Thanks again for sharing your lovely work with us. ~ Leandra

We always hope that you  learn something interesting from our blog. 

Our creative team love to read your comments so much, so please take time to let them know you've been inspired!  

Why not join our 2-weekly challenge by blogging your create response to the current topic and link it here?

The current topic link Topic 9 (Aqua) will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, July 22nd 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.