PA Blog 2018 Year in Review: Topics 9-12 with Alison Bomber

 PaperArtsy Blog year in Review (Topics 9-12)

Hello again from PaperArtsy HQ,

We are in the middle of a series looking back on the year of creativity on the PA blog, and tonight's curator is Alison Bomber. I'm sure you have already seen the last 2 posts, but I urge you to take a look as we are all really struggling to choose highlights! The posts have been stunning!  Enjoy! ~ Leandra

Hello all, Alison here from Words and Pictures and tonight I'm sharing my picks from Topics 9-12: Vintage Neutrals, Paper Dolls, Enshrined and Transfers. I missed so much this year as I had a lot on, one way or another, so this has been a great way for me to catch up with just some of the amazing work here on the PaperArtsy blog.

Topic 9: Vintage Neutrals 

This first topic is certainly right up my street. As most of you will know, I spend a lot of my time in the neutral palette, and vintage comes more naturally to me than modern. I was really honoured to be double-featured in Leandra's introduction to the topic... so it was wonderful to see what people created in the Vintage Neutral zone. For some it was business as usual, but for others it was a real step outside their comfort zone - which is often when exciting things happen.

My first pick is this amazing monochromatic panel by Nikki Acton, using the intricate Eclectica³ Seth Apter stamps. It's a brilliant example of how textures and layers, lights and darks, can give incredible atmosphere, detail and interest to a piece, proving that you don't really need colour at all.

Autumn Clark offered up a stunning nautical altered notebook cover, with a brilliant weathered plank technique into the bargain.  Check out how perfectly the vintage style of the Eclectica³ Scrapcosy stamps fits with the shabby chic look of the finished book.

I adore how Debs Wainwright uses vibrant colour in most of her work, but she changed direction to give us a deliciously soft version of vintage neutrals with her beautiful patchwork fabric needlecase.  With those scrumptious lacy textures and Hot Picks images, it looks as though it could have come straight from an 18th century lady's boudoir!

Additionally we saw so many beautiful vintage neutrals in the entries from all of you.  Sadly, there isn't space to honour all of them here, so do remind yourself of them by visiting the challenge post, but I couldn't resist featuring this tag by Julia Azenor.  Its gentle sweetness fits the topic theme to perfection (and I promise I'm not biased by her use of my Eclectica³ Alison Bomber quote!).

Topic 10: Paper Dolls

With my family background in dollshouses, you'd probably guess I'd be drawn to dolls... Well, I've never actually been that keen on real dolls (those waxy complexions, those staring glass eyes!), but I was definitely a Paper Doll fiend when I was younger.  I was never happier than with a pair of scissors, snipping out new outfits for my two-dimensional paper dolls.  So, again, this was a topic which provided so much delight for me.

After all those neutrals, my first choice had to be this vividly eye-catching page spread by Kate Yetter, using the miraculously detailed Lynne Perrella women as her Paper Dolls.  What a feast of colour, layers and feathery dimension.

Jo Firth-Young managed to clothe her Paper Doll by brilliantly adapting her own JOFY flowers and feathers and vases to make a whole wardrobe of stylish, versatile outfits.  Do visit the post to see the variations and accessorising - it's better than a fashion magazine spread.  There's even a shot of the Paper Doll admiring herself in a miniature mirror!

There was some more clever stamp adaptation going on in Etsuko Noguchi's wonderful Santos Cage Doll.   She combined Hot Picks images - one of the Clockwork Bird's heads added to a vintage corset - to create her Paper Doll.  And the traditional caged stand brings us into three dimensions too.

Plenty of the PaperArtsy designers used the fabulous Tim Holtz Paper Dolls in their creations (including me), and they featured amongst many of the entries to this challenge too.  Again, do visit the challenge post to see all the fabulous contributions from around the world.  It's mean to have to pick a favourite, but this project by Ann Chuang, using Eclectica³ Kim Dellow flower stems, couldn't help but win my heart... you see, it's got a dollshouse as well as the dolls!

Topic 11 : Enshrined

The Enshrined topic is so enticing... it promises so much - hidden delights, altars of celebration, dimensional shadow boxes full of possibility.  There were many gorgeous PaperArtsy designer projects to choose from, but I'm only allowed three, so here they are. 

Helen Chilton created a fabulous shrine dedicated to the extraordinary new characters from Darcy's fevered imagination.  This couple from the recent Eclectica³ Darcy release have been given a rainbow altar on which to display their charms... I just love that curly wire soaring over their heads.  Quirky, original, and so worthy of worship!

Miriam Grazier also headed down the quirky route with this hilarious shadow box shrine.  Those number counters will certainly come in handy when all you can really count on is your own advice, coming from the voices in your own head!  The whole thing was created with only a handful of paints and just one Hot Picks stamp set.  Keep talking to yourself, Miriam... it's working brilliantly!

We went from quirky to truly touching with Lucy Edmondson's commemorative shrine to the soldiers of the Great War.  The vivid red Hot Picks poppy glows amidst the gentle blues and greens, and memory of the lost soldiers is carefully preserved, hidden away in the drawer at the foot of the shrine.  An evocative piece beautifully appropriate to the topic.

There were fewer entries for this challenge - summer holidays, anyone? - but those that played along were equally inventive and varied in their interpretations.  Hazel Agnew gave the Fresco paints a workout to create this fabulously crackled, gilded box of treasures for her granddaughter.  It's well worth a visit to see the altered seashells and other treasures hidden away inside.

Topic 12 : Transfers

I've always loved the look of transfers, but there are so many ways to do them.  This topic provided a wealth of information about different techniques and transfer mediums - there's so much to try out... so it was brilliant to have so many PaperArtsy designers offering up their experiments and experiences for us all to learn from.

Carol Fox used Fresco Finish Matte Glaze for her transfer technique, and created this dreamily romantic journal page with Eclectica Sara Naumann stamps, Seth Apter paints, and a Kim Dellow stencil.  It's like a walk in a summer garden, but with added wistfulness from that fragile beauty in the photograph.

There was oodles of both inspiration and information from Alison Hall, who experimented with various ways to transfer images onto oven-baked clay.  She used Ink & the Dog stamps and other gathered images to create these fantastic cards featuring her gorgeous clay tiles.

Dounia Large worked overtime for this topic, producing two posts full of exciting experimentation.  In the first, she played with transferring images onto stencilled Grunge Paste, using Eclectica³ Ellen Vargo stamps and Tracy Scott stencils.  Dimension, texture and transfers - who could ask for anything more?!  It's really worth a visit to check out the amazing effects in close-up if you didn't see them at the time.

I also went way outside my comfort zone for this topic (I even went so far as to buy a fashion magazine for my transfers... eek!), so I was delighted that my Courage Of Your Dreams post inspired Etsuko Noguchi for her entry to the challenge.  She created a "Queen of Sorrow" using the Gelli-plate transfer technique I'd showcased, with a Lynne Perrella stained glass panel and one of my Eclectica³ Alison Bomber quotes to frame it - an atmospheric piece, almost like a medieval icon. 

It's really extraordinary how much variety and how much inspiration there is to be found in the responses to the PaperArtsy topic challenges, from designers and entrants alike.  I've really enjoyed being reminded of projects I did see and discovering new ones which I missed at the time.  In fact, I've had so much fun that I'll be back with some more favourites in a couple of days time!

Alison x

2018 #11 Enshrined: 'In Flanders Fields' with HP {by Lucy Edmondson}

2018 Topic 11: Enshrined

I'm totally loving the serene blues and greens that Lucy has used in this project, they are such a pretty contrast to the red of the flower! And the hidden drawer is such a delight! Fabulous Lucy! ~ Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Lucy here, from Lucy's True Colours, with you today, and I'd like to share with you a Poppy Remembrance Shrine, using a PaperArtsy chippie niche.

I'd had this chippie shrine in my stash for some time so it seemed a perfect opportunity to use it. Poppies have always been important to me. I love their delicate orange-red faces bobbing in the breeze from the hedgerows, but most of all they remind me of my childhood home of Richmond. Richmond Poppy Factory opened in 1925 in an old brewery building, and is still in that same building today, which I drive past each week. The workforce was originally provided by the injured ex-servicemen from the Star and Garter Home, one of the most stunning and iconic buildings in Richmond overlooking the Thames. I heard a snippet on the news the other week that the oldest poppy seller has just retired aged 103. She sold her first poppy on Richmond Bridge aged six!

So it was a pleasure to use the many poppy and poppy seed pod stamps from the various Hot Picks sets, the soldiers, and the snippets from the poem, 'In Flanders Fields'. But most of all I enjoyed painting the vibrant poppy! If you would like to learn more about the chippie shrines and the process of putting the pieces together, please see the PaperArtsy blog post here.

I needed plenty of pieces of card to cover all the little pieces for the shrine, so I used a simple baby wipe splodging technique with Fresco Finish Paints in Ice Blue, Bora Bora, Dusty Teal, Mermaid, and a little Zesty Zing. I was aiming for a good contrast eventually with my poppy. (Whoops, apologies seem to have grabbed a discontinued, Ice Blue, in trying to knock back my colours a little, try Antarctic).

I used a huge selection of stamps from Hot Picks HP1505,  HP1605, HP1301, and HP1305, to stamp all over the prepared cardstock in different colours, often using just parts of stamps, and then used the card to cover all the chippie pieces.

My favourite part - the poppy! I stamped it in black archival HP1505. I curved it slightly, as you can see. I held the frame over it so I could get the positioning right.

When I painted the poppy, I carefully used a little watered down Snowflake underneath first so the true colours would shine through, and not be affected by the coloured card underneath. I decided not to do this for the leaves as I thought the greeny-blues would look pretty. Close up the pattern gives a lovely veiny look to the leaves. For the poppy I have used Cherry Red, Autumn Fire, and London Bus, to give some variation between orange and red, and for the leaves I have used Hey Pesto.

To finish, I have stamped the large clock on the back plate from HP1509 to reflect the passage of time since the Great War, the many wars since, and the many Remembrance Days the poppies have signified.

I enjoyed every minute of making this project! I loved the contrast of the blues and greens with the bright poppy, and having such a huge range of stamps to work with, within my theme, and I loved using the ready cut chipboard pieces so that I knew the drawer would slide in and out (no chance if I tried that piece of engineering myself!). I enjoyed reflecting on the beauty of the poppy, its history, and its personal meaning to me. I had intended adding a door to the shrine, but in the end hadn't wanted to have to open it in order to view the poppy. 

If you make one of the chippie niches, do use some masking tape as Leandra suggests to hold the pieces together whilst the glue dries, or you will be doing everything one handed for quite some hours! To finish my project, I found a little knob for my drawer, a Kilner style ceramic beer bottle top bought from a French 'vide grenier', or 'car boot sale'. It was fun to incorporate a little found item to add a personal touch.

Blog: Lucy's True Colours
Facebook:
Twitter: @CraftyLuce

To join our challenge and win a NEW Zinski apron:

Simply make something arty relevant to the topic, and link your creation from any social URL (eg. Instagram, Pinterest, Blog Post etc) sharing your original make to this challenge page.

The current topic link Topic 11: Enshrined will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, July 1st 2018, and the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

All links go in the draw to win a PaperArtsy creative apron. Please make sure we can contact you as a prize winner - it helps if you share your contact info from the platform you opt to use.

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

2018 #11 Enshrined: Code Artistry with VID {by Keren Baker}

2018 Topic 11: Enshrined Artistry

 

Well. if anyone can be inspired by DNA, then I guess its going to be Keren! Enshrined in her box, I'd like to think there is a dribble of spit, or a drop of blood or a scrap of hair on the back of each of those 'buttons' on each 'strand...but maybe that's a step too far?? ~ Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Keren Baker with you today, and I'd like to share with you an exploration of some of the thoughts I had from the topic that translated into a piece to inspire me to get going when my mojo is gone!

I started musing on the word 'enshrined'. I began to imagine something small and intricate housed inside a resin piece then remembered I didn't have resin, nor have a clue how to use it, so that led onto thoughts about things that are kept or enshrined in something else. Because I think oddly most of the time, it wasn't long before DNA came into my mind; the very basis for who we are and our innate characteristics (including artistic capabilities) are enshrined in this code. So as I went searching through the annals of Ink And The Dog, I came across some wonderful stamps that would help me construct an ode to DNA! ;-)

My Science-y daughter disparagingly commented that it's not DNA, there's no double helix. I tried to explain that it was a representation of it, but she wasn't convinced. To create the code 'enshrined' in a box, I first created the strands using my Silhouette Cameo, and then cut them out of cardstock 

I'd found some perfect stamps for attaching to the top of the strands 

MN 65

MN 60

It was easy to create the background using some Heavy Smoothy and stamping the beautiful background created by Backgrounds 5

It was stamped 3 times and then I positioned the pieces of DNA raised up with a layer of foam tape. In order to make it look enshrined within the project, I created a higher layer of foam tape and added a frame created using another Ink and The Dog set.

Frames Plate 1

In order to give it a bit more interest, I wanted a sentiment I could cut apart to add to the bottom of the frame and this little stamp was perfect. I added some multi colours of inks to the larger 'but' to help bring emphasis to the quote.

MN90

Creating something that has resonance with you doesn't require much in the way of products- just some inks and using images of different sizes and textures. Starting with a word and finding a concept that you use images to produce really encourages creativity. Maybe our double helix has enshrined this ability in us, or just perhaps it's as the sentiment says- we just need to get going!

Thanks for being with me tonight,

Keren x

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

To join our challenge and win a NEW Zinski apron:

Simply make something arty relevant to the topic, and link your creation from any social URL (eg. Instagram, Pinterest, Blog Post etc) sharing your original make to this challenge page.

The current topic link Topic 11: Enshrined will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, July 1st 2018, and the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

All links go in the draw to win a PaperArtsy creative apron. Please make sure we can contact you as a prize winner - it helps if you share your contact info from the platform you opt to use.

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

2018 #11 Enshrined: Protecting secrets with ESA {by Josefine Fouarge}

2018 Topic 11: Enshrined

Adorable shrine box from Josefine! I;m sure you will enjoy this one! ~ Leandra 

Hi everyone, it's Josefine, and I'd like to share with you this little box - actually, it's this Octopus' lair and he's protecting his treasures. 

I had this little wooden box laying around for a while and I was waiting for the perfect project for it. With the topic "enshrined" the moment was finally here. My husband printed this little Octopus for me with his 3D printer, so I decided to decorate his home with PaperArtsy paint and stamps.

First, I gessoed the entire box. Then I adhered some old paper all around it, including a few pieces of dry wall tape (the one with the holes in it). Next, I colored everything in Glacier Ice FF132, Blue Lagoon (from Seth Apter set 3) and Jade (from Tracy Scott set 1).

Now I stamped several of the smaller stamps from the Eclectica stamp sets ESA07 and ESA08 all over the box using Black Archival Ink. 

But I also used parts of the large stamps as they have a very interesting pattern that is perfect for partial use.

Once I was done with painting the box and adding stamps, I picked a napkin with a variety of fishes, cut them out and adhered them inside and outside of the box. Then I had to wait for everything to dry.

For his treasures, I adhered a variety of stones to the bottom of the box - I used little clear stones, sea glass and sea shells. At the end, I adhered the Octopus on top of the box, so he can now protect his home.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my little project using Seth Apter's stamps and these gorgeous Fresco Finish paints! It was very interesting for me to incorporate one of the 3D figurines that my husband constantly prints. Maybe something to keep in mind for future projects :)

I hope I'll see you soon! Josefine

Blog: www.holylise.com
Facebook: HolyLise
Instagram: @HolyLise
YouTube: HolyLise Designs

To join our challenge and win a NEW Zinski apron:

Simply make something arty relevant to the topic, and link your creation from any social URL (eg. Instagram, Pinterest, Blog Post etc) sharing your original make to this challenge page.

The current topic link Topic 11: Enshrined will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, July 1st 2018, and the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

All links go in the draw to win a PaperArtsy creative apron. Please make sure we can contact you as a prize winner - it helps if you share your contact info from the platform you opt to use.

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