2020 #1 Love is in the air: Follow Your Heart with ESC {by Claire Snowdon}

2020 Topic 1: Love is in the Air

I really love the mix of old and new in this card by Claire. An old vintage style rose stamp, and new bright mixed media techniques with hot colours. This creates a gorgeous vibrant card that totally resonates with having a splash of valentine fun!
~ Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Claire Snowdon with you today, and I'd like to share with you a traditional style Valentine's Day card.

The card style is traditional in the colours I have chosen and the use of the roses however I've given it a modern twist by adding a couple of pops of contrasting colours and bold stencilling.

The background started off with a couple of pieces of Tim Holtz tissue tape and then I added the Fresco Finish paints in: Blah Mange, Sorbet, Red Lipstick, Cerise, Coral, Green Patina and Yellow Submarine.

The next step was stencilling, stamping and splattering!  This stage is my favourite :)
I stamped in the background using Blah Mange and the script stamp from ESC04. 

A little more stamping with the script stamp from ESN11 using Archival Potting Soil.

I stencilled the dots with a Tim Holtz stencil and Little Black Dress.  

And finally to finish it off it was splattered with Chalk, Yellow Submarine and some gold Posca Pen too - for good measure!

I used the left over pink paints from my craft mat to brayer a scrap of Smoothy heavyweight card and then stamped the roses from ESC04 using Versafine in Onyx Black.

I added an extra bit of definition to the roses using coloured pencils before fussy cutting the image and adding to the card with foam squares. I then added the metallic sentiment stickers which are by Tim Holtz.

To finish the card off nicely I mounted it on black card then added to the card blank again using the foam squares.

I really enjoyed making this card - it's good to throw in a few contrasting colours now and then to mix things up a bit.  There is tons of inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram - especially for Valentine's Day ideas so do go and take a look.

Thanks, Claire xx

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2020 #1 Love is in the Air: LOVE hearts with EGL {by Ellie Knol}

2020 Topic 1: Love is in the Air

Using non-Valentine stamps for this love theme is a challenge that Ellie has risen well to. I think finding hearts from those leaves is a stroke of genius! 
~Keren

Creating these the way I did was a process I had to go through. It took me some time to think about using non-valentine stamps for the theme and also enhance their beauty to their full. LOVE is normally expressed in RED and HEARTs , and of course ROSES. 

I came to this as the contrast of the white, black and color is so striking... 

I created two stamped collages. As they were too big for a card, I decided they were going to make for beautiful covers of two books-to-be. 

I adhered both to some black cardstock from a recycled (ancient) photo book. I love to pick these up in thrift-stores inexpensively. 

I played with the beautiful stamps from the EGL05 stamp set.

I created a stencil from sticky paper with the use of the PM001 mask to be able to sponge within the heart shape. 

I particularly like this one, as I did not think it would turn out this beautiful.. simple, but striking. 

A close-up. I like the effect of the MINI 23 numbers in the background. It sort of ties the collaged stamping.
I adhered a 1 and a 4 to the heart, they were cut from MINI 23; stamped onto a separate piece of cardstock. .. Why 14? Valentines day of course; 14th of February!

The flower pops more against the red heart because of the white acrylic marker edge around it. 

To finish off the stamping collage, I adhered some numbers that were stamped onto a scrap piece of watercolour paper to add to the collage where the stamping did not reach the white leaf-hearts.

This was the first card I created on some lower quality paper, just to see that whether what I wanted to achieve would work. When I showed this one to my husband, he said : "that's a simple card". Apparently he thinks everything I create must be complicated, LOL.
At this stage I decided to keep the leaf-hearts white on the 'real' project. 

This was another trial-and-error project.. I decided to create a rather rectangular shaped one. 

I love how this one has turned out; the white leaf-hearts, the bleach-changed-color, the white splatters and last but not least, the birdie being part of the heart shape. The doodling around the heart adds to it all!

It always takes some thinking about when you start with blank paper, a stencil and a stamp; how to enhance it to its full beauty, and in this case using stamps that are not particularly valentine type of stamps to fit the theme. 

I thought to myself: mission accomplished! :)

As far as I am concerned stamping and playing with colour is so relaxing. So if you need some me-time, just go create!

Ellie Knol

Blogs: http://elliecreahoekje.blogspot.nl/   http://ellieatcs.blogspot.nl/ 
Owner of : https://www.facebook.com/groups/DutchArtJournal/  
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2020 #1 Love is in the Air: Layers and Poetry with ESA minis {by Lotte Kristensen}

2020 Topic 1: Love is in the Air

I adore this kind of journaling spread. The bravery it takes to follow your instinct and go with the flow. As Lotte says herself in this post, it can be hard to identify what it needs, and sometimes, if you just step away, when you come back you will instantly see what needs to happen next. I love how she knocks it back with Grunge paste, and then stamps with the infusions. All the layers end up the perfect setting for the stamped words! Nice one Lotte, and thanks for sharing your creative process so perfectly!
~ Leandra

Hey everyone, Lotte here and *my* love in the air is the delicious new selection of Seth Apter mini stamps, together with lots of lovely layers of (also) new Fresco Finish paint, plus Grunge Paste, *and* Infusions - oh yes!!  You know, I never really got why they use a 3rd century martyred saint to celebrate St. Valentine's Day...... 

Okay, so first off, I used a brayer to put on a coat of Gold Rush Fresco Finish onto my journal pages - I have loads of them prepared with strips of old magazine and book pages, bits of masking tape etc, to make the page a bit heavier and textured, so it can take loads and loads of paint and water and everything else I prolly throw at it.  Before it was completely dry, I used a baby wipe to rub off some of the paint for a mottled effect:

Next, I used a bit of sequin waste to stipple some Blue Bayou Fresco Finish around the edges:

Next, I used a small gel plate to brayer on some Blue Bayou - you can either dip the stamp in the paint, or brayer it on, but DO make sure to clean it off instantly!!

Then I stamped randomly onto the pages:

Next, I used Orange Blossom Archival Ink pad to stamp more random impresssions:

And a little close up:

So, at this point I thought it looked a bit too bright, so decided to add some Grunge Paste, some through sequin waste, and some just with a palette knife:

And *then* I got another of my favourites out - a Stabilo All pencil, which I used to scribble around the (dry) grunge paste:

  
Then it was time for some spritzing with water, to let the Stabilo pencil colour run (use a small brush to move it around if it doesn't go quite where you want it) 

...at this point I also sprinkled on some Golden Sand Infusions:

As there are a lot of circles in the Apter stamps, I decided to make some of my own by using my fingertips with the Infusion and pencil:

I remembered that you can also stamp with Infusions - I think it was Ruth Mescall who I first saw do this technique - so I spritzed some water on the gelli plate, sprinkled some Infusions on and stamped randomly (again!!) onto the pages:

After this was all throroughly dry, I used some of my ancient alphabet stamp sets to set out the quote from Emily Bronte's poem 'Spellbound' - I think the wintery colours suit the words perfectly: 'The night is darkening round me // The wild winds coldly blow // But a tyrant spell has bound me// and I cannot, cannot go'.

  
Well, that's it from me - one thing I thought I'd mention is that when you do multiple layers like these, half way through it *always* looks like a dog's dinner (poor dog!) but the beauty about doing pages like these is that you can re-work them until you're (as) happy (as can be) - sometimes it's good to leave the spread for a couple of hours or even a day, and come back to it with fresh eyes.

Until next time!

Lotte 

Instagram: Alice Overground 

2020 #1 Love is in the Air: A Loving Heart with ESN {by Miriam Grazier}

2020 Topic 1: Love is in the Air

Miriam keeps it nice and easy in this post, great colours (Seth's newbies) with a contrast of dark blue, but I really like how the other hearts are scattered in the background, and the touch of gold just adds a smidge of contrast. Nothing complicated, easy, achievable layers of paint, stamps stencil and repeated shapes.

~ Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Miriam with you today, and I'd like to share with you my take on the theme of 'love is in the air' using colours that you would not normally associate with 'love'.  

I chose non-traditional colours as I thought this would be more appealing to my intended recipient.  The second reason is purely that I love these colours and think they go so well together.

I wanted to use my go-to stamps for a heart, which is Sara's stamp set ESN11.

I love this set and it goes with so many other of Sara's wonderful collage style stamps, but i thought i might mix in some of Sara's latest release of stamps too.

I chose to use the new Seth Apter release of Fresco acrylic paints, namely Heavy Cream, Blue Bayou and Gold Rush, teamed with Midnight.

I think the new release colours have a lovely soft, vintage feel to them and so would be a great alternative to traditional reds and pinks that are associated with 'love'. 

I also thought that the gold gave a lovely lift against the blues. Sara's new stencil was ideal in the background.

The hearts are grey board pre-cut shapes from Lisa Horton Crafts.  These were painted using Blue Bayou and then stamped in Gold Rush using ESN41 and ESN42.

  I love how well the stamps work with the paint.  Such crisp images.  

I had so much fun creating this panel.  I loved using just parts of a stamp - they are so versatile and the Fresco acrylic paints really showcase the quality of the stamps too.  

I really hope that I have inspired you to have a go yourself - maybe try using non-traditional colours in your 'love is in the air' themed projects.  

Thanks for joining me this evening.  You can also see how I created this over on my blog.  

Happy Crafting!
Miriam

Blog: Miriam's Creative Dreams
Facebook: Miriam's Creative Dreams
Instagram: MiriamGrazier