PA Blog 2018 Year in Review: Topics 17-21 with Alison Bomber

PaperArtsy year in review (Topics 17-21)

 

Hello again everyone.

Have you managed to clear all those Xmas food leftovers yet? Well keep at it! here is our final post for the year in review, and then we take a break until the new year when we start sharing our new product releases, well some sneak peeks to begin with! Lets see what Alison loved about the final topics of 2018.

Leandra 

Hello all, Alison here again from Words and Pictures.  As I said in my earlier round-up on Christmas Day, I missed so much this year, so this has been a great way for me to catch up with just some of the amazing work here on the PaperArtsy blog.  Tonight I'm sharing my picks from Topics 17 - 21: Box of Eggs, Stamping Platforms, Tissue Paper, Foiling and Matchbox Art.

Topic 17: Box of Eggs

The Box of Eggs colour challenge was inspired by the release of Courtney Franich, a.k.a. Miss PaperArtsy's new paint colours in July, which included some glorious neutrals and pale pastels, as well as some darker shades to complement them.  They brought to mind the colours you might find in a box of eggs, as long as you include some species other than merely chickens!  

My first pick is this amazing layered collage by Kate Yetter.  She went for the brighter and grungier end of the colour palette - though the duck-egg blue of the Seaglass paint is singing to me from the teacup! - and added in grunge paste for extra texture.  The fussy-cutting of the Scrapcosy images is so worth it for the finished dimensional effect. 

Ruth Mescall went to the other end of the colour scale with this pastel, neutral altered mirror frame.  The delicate colours and textures are so ethereally pretty, and I love how she has balanced the composition - echoing the natural elements with the Urban Snapshots Nature Series images on the Stampbord panels.

Okay, a slight blush as I offer up one of my own creations in this review... but I so enjoyed creating my actual box of eggs using Courtney's Box of Eggs-coloured paints.  Ugly plastic eggs became decorative shelled objects, and I had a lovely time altering some of the newer Hot Picks images to suit my altered eggbox covers.  A crazy idea, but it made me happy.

We had some lovely entries to the challenge (which you can check out here, along with what must surely be one of the prettiest Intro posts of the year!), and one which really caught my eye was this amazing woven panel created by Sue of Sue the Iron, using stamps by Lynne Perrella and Ellen Vargo.  Fabulous!

Topic 18: Stamping Platform Techniques

I love the Techniques challenges because you always learn so much.  I've used my stamping platform occasionally, mainly just to get clear images on tricky surfaces, but the inspiration offered up in this fortnight has me raring to go and experiment more with what is clearly a very versatile tool in the craft room.

Jo Firth-Young gave us a masterclass in inventive stamping techniques to create this delightful summertime floral wreath with her own JOFY stamps.  She included really detailed notes and photos in the post of how to achieve this amazing look... so there are no excuses! 

Chris Dark combined her stamping platform with some gel shapes and Infusions powders to create her (early!) Christmas cards.  The grungy effects of the Infusions/gel shape stamping work so brilliantly with Darcy's quirky Eclectica festive stamps for a really original look.  It was tough choosing which of her designs to share here, so do check out the post to see the others.  

There were plenty of great tips from Keren Baker on how to get a really high-quality finish when stamping on fabric.  She also shared techniques using aperture stamping and slashing the fabric and ended up with this gorgeous textured bag, featuring stamps from several collections - Ink & the Dog, Hot Picks and Eclectica Seth Apter. 

There were some creative stamping platform techniques on show among the challenge entries too, and I've chosen this dramatic Black Widow coaster made by Flo of Florence and Freddie to highlight.  She cleverly masked off the parts of the Lynne Perrella stamp which she didn't need, and created this spooky little treat.

Topic 19 : Tissue Paper

There was another brilliant Intro post for this topic... so many gorgeous ideas for transforming projects through the use of tissue paper.  As always, the PaperArtsy Designers pulled out all the stops to show off what you can do with this humble ingredient.

I loved the use of vintage tissue paper in the form of old sewing patterns in Jennie Atkinson's charming little gift box.  Her shabby chic style and neutral colour palette work perfectly with the Hot Picks stamps to create this elegant altered box, and there's even tissue paper on the inside to keep your treasures safe!

Ellie Knol used tissue paper to create texture as well as paper napkins to provide her main images for her altered cigar box.  There's real delight in seeing how the tissue paper image can get into all the nooks and crannies of the intricate moulded embellishments she made to go on the top of the box.

This exquisite autumnal page spread by Autumn Clark exploits the layering possibilities of tissue paper stamping.  She shared lots of tips for reverse-painting your images on the tissue paper, and the layering of many Eclectica collections - Scrapcosy, Emma Godfrey, Lin Brown and my own Alison Bomber quote stamps - just adds to the depth and atmosphere she's created.

There was lots of tissuey loveliness in the challenge entries too, but I particularly enjoyed the bright colours and bold shapes in these art journal pages by Rachel of Arty Beginnings.  She combined paper napkin leaves with Ellen Vargo and Kay Carley stamps to make this cheerful spread.

Topic 20 : Foiling

I tend towards the distressed rather than the shimmering end of crafting styles, but I do love the gleam of a metallic hit of foiling when I see it in action, and have been known to indulge in it myself at times.  This theme was timed for the beginning of November - a perfect invitation to get going with some festive makes.

Wanda Hentges picked up the festive challenge and really knocked it out of the park with her colourful collection of cards.  I love the glint of the foiling - especially those fabulous fussy-cut fir fronds - as well as the really inventive way the greetings are done differently on each card.  That vellum overlay is wonderful.

And I hope you didn't miss Leandra herself putting in an appearance with one of my favourite creations of all those I saw this year here on the PaperArtsy blog (and I'm not just trying to curry favour... honest!).  It's an atmospheric piece of abstract art, with scrumptious texture, vintage script, some of my favourite colours and that glorious gleaming gold at the horizon line.  Stunning!

It's a second appearance for the delightful Scrapcosy teacup stamps in these fabulously zingy cards by Josefine Fourage.  It's one of my favourite properties of a metallic shine that it has a now-you-see-it, now-you-don't quality.  The foiled teacups appear and disappear amidst the vivid colours and brayered textures according to the angle of the light - magical!

Quite a few of you took the opportunity to get cracking with your Christmas cards, but the challenge entry I've chosen to feature here has a more autumnal starting point.  Mac Mable of The Sweetest of Peas used a real leaf from her garden and some humble kitchen foil to make this superb card.  Check out that puddle of molten metal - I love it!

Topic 21 : Matchbox Art

So many possibilities in this topic - hidden drawers, architecture and construction, surprises and nooks and crannies... and, as you might expect, there was oodles of imagination and inspiration on show in the projects shared both by the PaperArtsy designers and those who entered the challenge.

You can tell it's a meeting of quirky creative minds when you see Helen Chilton in action with the brilliant Zinski stamps.  This underwater fantasy takes you completely by surprise as BOTH ends of the matchbox open up to reveal more of the scene.  It fills me with glee!

I fell head-over-heels in love with this matchbox house by Corrie Herriman, using some of Courtney Franich's new stamps.  Not only did I love the outside-the-box thinking of adding the triangular roof to the matchbox, but you'll have to visit the post to see her inside-the-box thinking. There's a reason you absolutely can't park on the no-parking sign at the bottom... it's a tab which pulls open a drawer containing an enchanting little mini art journal.  A lovely surprise extra element.

Etsuko Noguchi created an Egyptian treasure trove using this year's new Lynne Perrella stamps.  Her jewel colours are glorious against the textured stone background, and those "exploded" matchboxes frame the exquisitely detailed imagery brilliantly.  Not only that, but they've been done on shrink plastic to fit them into the boxes! Again, I highly recommend a visit to the post if you missed it - there are great close-ups to get the benefit of all the angles of this incredible project.  Oh, and she used my Alison Bomber quote stamps too!!

I'm sorry - I tried really hard to stick to just three designer pieces, but I simply couldn't leave out this incredible labour of love by Chris Dark.  Think of it as your Christmas Bonus!  Her Advent calendar gift boxes are simply glorious... colourful, decorative, an absolute delight.  

By now it was the beginning of December and, of course, everyone gets busy.  There were only a few entries for this theme, but I wish I could feature every single one of them - they were all amazing.  Check them out at the end of the Intro post here.  The one I simply couldn't resist, though, was this utterly captivating little vignette box by Christine of Crafty Endeavours.  Do visit her post to see how those stars on the outside gleam in metallic copper in the right light.

What a privilege to be part of the incredible team of creative artists and crafters here at PaperArtsy, and what a joy to see how the work shared here on the PaperArtsy blog fires the imaginations of so many more amazing creators out in the wider world.  It may be a little time-consuming to create these end-of-year posts, but it's time so well spent, revisiting these inspirational projects full of ideas, techniques and expertise.  I hope you've enjoyed reading these review posts as much as I've enjoyed putting them together.

Alison x

2018 #17 Colour - A Box of Eggs: An Actual Box of Eggs! with ECF/HP {by Alison Bomber}

 2018 Topic 17: A Box of Eggs (Colour Topic)

This is the perfect end to a great topic! Trick eggs!! With Halloween coming...I'm sure you could have some fun with this idea!  But how pretty do they look! Alison would no doubt do a great job marketing egg packaging ! ~ Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Alison with you today from Words and Pictures with a very literal but quirky take on the theme.  As soon as I read the topic title, the only thing my brain would consider was an actual box of eggs... and I've found it's better to yield to my imagination when it get holds of something, rather than to try and fight it.  So here are two boxes of eggs for you, created with some of Courtney's gorgeous new Fresco Finish Chalk Paint colours.  They've made their way straight into my top 20 Fresco colours, no question!

Originally, I'd considered using real eggs (blowing out the centres and decorating the eggshells), but then I decided they'd be too fragile, so I sourced some plastic eggs to play with and gave them a couple of coats of gesso to start with.  (By the way, somebody ought to tell the egg-makers that almost nobody wants to buy eggs in packets of five - whose idea was that?!)

I then had a lovely time layering up the palest of Courtney's new colours, using a natural sponge to apply them.

Some are pure Seaglass (oh happy day, what a glorious colour!), some are pure Eggshell (but of course)...

... but most have at least two if not three colours sponged delicately over them to create the natural colour variation you find in eggs.

Surf's Up worked beautifully to add a touch of "duck egg blue" to both the Seaglass and the Eggshell versions, and Koala was perfect for adding a slightly darker shadowing to some of the eggs.

I then used an old toothbrush to flick some Taupe onto the eggs for that mottled, speckled look.

I love how this brings them zinging to life.  As you know, I love my spatter, and I'll admit I got a little carried away here!  You should have seen the craft mat by the time I'd finished.  I had thought of adding some extra texture using stamps at this point, but I decided I preferred my eggs au naturel.

However, eggs need eggboxes, right? So the crackled stamp from Eclectica³ Courtney Franich 03 which I'd thought of using on the eggs (cracks on an egg... an irresistible connection) made its way onto the eggboxes instead.

The half-dozen box is just a regular eggbox, and the little four-way one was from some chocolate eggs last Easter.  I hung onto it because... well, you know why... and here it is.  (I must be the only person ever to have been okay with the plastic eggs arriving in bags of five - it's simply the wrong number for eggs!)

I created the labels with stamps from the new Hot Picks 1801 set.

I used the original labels as templates to cut my card and sponged on some more of the Eggshell and Seaglass paints.  I also used the Eggshell to liven up the cardboard boxes themselves.

The cockerel was perfect for a box of eggs, so he was a simple choice.  I added some extra text around him and the word stickers tell you all you need to know about this particular creative process.

For the other label, I indulged in a little bit of alteration.  The poppy seed head...

... became an egg, with the help of a little paint and penwork.  Okay, it's not perfect, but then imperfection is to be embraced, no?

And I love the added imperfection of Courtney's great cracks and crannies stamp all over the eggboxes.

I used Hickory Smoke Archival, so they're fairly subtle, but they add just the right extra interest to the background, I think.

So there you have it... some of Courtney's new Box of Eggs colours used to create an actual box (or two) of eggs.  I know we're a long way from Easter, and at first I was a little concerned at how my mind was fixated on these eggs.  But as I was playing, I found that my mind knew exactly what it was doing.

There are all sorts of big plans being put into action just now for me, new ventures and possibilities opening up... some of them still very much in the shell, but some of them with definite signs of hatching.  So sometimes you do just have to "trust your crazy ideas", and you find that maybe they're not so crazy after all.

Having said that, how perfect will these colours be for home decor projects come the spring and Eastertide?  And in the meantime, they're a fabulous addition to the Fresco Finish Chalk Paint range for all sorts of neutral, pastel, gentle projects.  You'll definitely be seeing them in action round my way a lot.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you had as much fun as I did.

Alison x

Blog: Words and Pictures

Pinterest: butterfly crafter

 

To join our challenge and win a PaperArtsy £50 gift voucher:

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 17: A Box of Eggs (colour topic) will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, October 14th 2018, and the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

All links go in the draw to win a PaperArtsy £50 gift voucher. 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. 

Prize conditions: Please note if you are a successful prize winner our online shopping cart will give you £50 off the subtotal of products in your basket. This means you will need to pay the relevant postage on the order.  We cannot figure out how to create a prize with a  zero value, but I guess even paying the postage only is still a good deal right!

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

2018 #17 Colour - A Box of Eggs: Mirror, Mirror with Urban Snapshots {by Ruth Mescall}

 2018 Topic 17: A Box of Eggs (Colour Topic)

I immediately thought of Ruth when this colour topic was proposed, as she seems to naturally gravitate towards neutral tones. The Nature Series of stamps are perfectly chosen, and how apt to find some eggs in the mix too! ~ Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Ruth here with you today, and I'd like to share with you a plain black mirror I've transformed using some of the yummy new paint colours by Courtney Franich paired with stamps sets from the nature series of the Urban Snapshots Collection.

I've been wanting to make a technique mirror for ages so that was the germ of the idea which turned into a nature's specimen themed project which then inspired by the gorgeous colour palette, developed a hint of bleached beach combing along the way. It may be October but we have been so lucky with the weather here in the UK that I'm stretching out the summer a little longer before we hurtle towards Christmas.

I used the new Twilight colour as a base and had an idea of doing a crackle glaze but quickly changed my mind to dry brushing which would be more subtle. I find dry brushing very satisfying and could do it for ages, adding subtle layers and shading with quick drying fresco chalk paints.  

I picked out 4 pieces of stampboard as I wanted something that would last and after a coat of Eggshell added some cross hatching with Chalk. The eggs and moth stamps were perfect 'specimens' in Watering Can archival ink second impression stamping. 

The Twilight paint shows through the layers of Seaglass, Eggshell, Chalk and Snowflake and I really liked the subtle result, maybe a hint of duck egg blue? 

The maidenhair fern stamp was perfect for adding a frame for the boards and this time they were third impressions in Cornflower Blue archival before adding a few darker touches.

Urban Snapshots Collection: Nature Series

Nature Plate 1 (N1) 

Nature Plate 2 (N2)

Nature Plate 3 (N3)

Nature Plate 4 (N4)

The crosshatching gives an almost linen effect to the images and fits in much better than a smooth, flat background .

Once I'd positioned the 3 main focal points I realised it still needed some additions so raided my beach combing bag of shells and driftwood and then spent a happy time playing and positioning different elements until I was happy.

To finish, well there had to be eggs for 'a box of eggs'! 

As I have a few more of these mirrors (picked up cheaply from a well known Swedish store) I think I might make more as gifts with a different theme. A mirror is a great base to really experiment with layering paint and creating some fabulous effects contrasting the dark with lights in the new range, hope you'll be tempted to have some painty play!

Ruth x

a love to create 
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To join our challenge and win a PaperArtsy £50 gift voucher:

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 17: A Box of Eggs (colour topic) will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, October 14th 2018, and the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

All links go in the draw to win a PaperArtsy £50 gift voucher. 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. 

Prize conditions: Please note if you are a successful prize winner our online shopping cart will give you £50 off the subtotal of products in your basket. This means you will need to pay the relevant postage on the order.  We cannot figure out how to create a prize with a  zero value, but I guess even paying the postage only is still a good deal right!

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