2019 #9 Arty Wood Blocks: Listen with Hot Picks {by Corrie}

2019 Topic 9: Arty Wood Blocks

Grey. The layers of grey painting in the background are the key to how Corrie has made the details really pop on these gorgeous wood blocks. Then, as you observe her build the layers, her soft colouring and stamping just adds the right amount of 'zing' ~ Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Corrie with you today and I have a set of three arty wood blocks to share. 

I chose a trio of three wood blocks because I simply love things in threes. Most of the time I do the same when I make ATCs and tags. So, for this project I rummaged through the garage and came across an enormous piece of wood. Hubby helped me saw it into the pieces I wanted and then the fun could start. 

This is what I made out of the three pieces of wood. Amazing what you can create from a piece of rubbish really.  Here's how I did it:

This was what I started with. First things first, I went around the rough edges with a piece of sandpaper to make them a little smoother. 

I decided that I couldn't leave the backs undecorated so I used some {Grunge Paste} and Tracy Scott's stencil {PS052} to add some texture to the backs of the blocks. 

Next, I painted them all over with a mixture of  Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics in the colours {Concrete} and {Koala}. I made sure it was a thin layer as I wanted to see the wood through it still. Later on I learned that I can't see much of it anymore anyway ! Oh well!

After everything dried I used Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic paint in the colour {Steel Grey} and wiped it mostly over the backs of the blocks. I did add some to the fronts and sides too but a lot less. When it had dried I took my piece of sand paper again and revealed the Grunge Paste again. I really like how grungy it looks !

Next I used a script stamp from set {ESN11} to add some interest to the background. 

I did this to all three blocks. I used Archival ink for this in the colour {Watering Can}.

Next was stamping and colouring the images I chose to go on my blocks. I love Hot Picks, they are so versatile and interesting and there are so many of them ! I chose to go with {HP1011} for this project and I coloured the images with Copic Markers. 

I also thought that the backgrounds needed more interest so I stamped the 'courage' sentiment from the set in Archival Ink {Aquamarine} because it went so well with the colour I chose for the doors. I stamped this 'around the corner' on all the blocks. 

I then adhered the images to the blocks using mat medium and a brush. I also inked the edges of the blocks with Archival ink in the same {Watering Can} that I had already used. The sentiments were just stamped, cut out and adhered. I added some black pencil around them to make them stand out better. I added legs which are beads and then decided to add the doll to the top because it was a little bare. And that was it ! I'll leave you with some more photos:

I also added the courage sentiment to the right side of the right block and the left side of the left block so they show when the blocks are displayed. 

A better look at the backs. I think that looks great! I forget all the techniques I have learned and then am really pleased if I finally remember one again; like the sanding of the Grunge Paste, it works so well. 

I enjoyed making this project and think it came out nice. I keep being amazed by how easy it is to make something out of nothing! I hope you will give this a go too, take something simple, not meant to be used for crafting and change it into something pretty. It is very satisfying. I also hope you enjoyed my post and will continue to do so! 

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you'll visit me at my other locations too :

blog: www.MadeByCHook.blogspot.nl

FB: https://www.facebook.com/corrie.herriman

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/corrie.herriman/

Pinterest : https://nl.pinterest.com/corrieherriman/

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXiCjfVOYI9ZmOtfRTazOcA

2019 #9 Arty Wood Blocks: Enjoy the Little Things with EKC {by Ellie Knol}

2019 Topic 9: Arty Wood Blocks

 

Ellie creates a hanging plaque with a wooden base for her butterflies, but it's not quite that simple! She sets herself a challenge to incorporate many ideas along the way, so how many do you think she fits in? Take a look! ~ Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Ellie Knol from PAPER-STAMPS-COLOR with you today, and I'd like to share with you the pleasure I had in creating on .. yes .. a wood block! 

I have thought of making a collage on some house-style woodblocks (3 of them, had them gesso'd already), then thought of using empty blocks from wood-mounted stamps, and also a very rough piece of wood... but in the end, I decided to use the piece of wood you see below as it's already got some structure to it because of the 'lines'.

I wrote down a list of possible techniques I could use, and could check off a whole lot of them while creating.These notes might interest you, I've marked them with an asterisk. 

This is the finished project! I chose to let the photographs do most of the talking this time, along with my notes. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, please!  

* Use Kay Carley's gorgeous stamp set with butterflies (EKC25). 

* Use smaller blocks of wood too.

* Use embellishments - I found an old necklace I wanted to incorporate.

It took a while to get the chains the way they are now, and to attach them to the wood. 

* Try to incorporate a gorgeous big rusty nail and knob I found during my holiday.  
 

I sprayed it with a sealer first to make the loose parts of rust not fall off. Hope it will stop it getting more rusty too, otherwise it will soon fall apart, hehe.

* Use vellum.

 I stamped the images onto vellum and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. I cut them out, and painted it on the back with Fresco Finish Paints, the colors Green Patina and Granny Smith.  

Because of the wetness of the paints the vellum started to curl a bit... LOVE, LOVE it!

* Use tissuepaper or similar paper (see-through).

I used Deli paper in the end.

 

* Use script in the background.

I've used the words from the same stamp set here and there, peeking in from behind the papers and objects. 

* Use a lot of white paint.  

* Use a drybrush technique with Fresco Finish paints

* Use a whitewash layer

For both I've used Fresco Finish Snowflake, my go-to paint as it's opaque, but also very easy to water-down to use as a whitewash. In addition I've also used two other colors: Green Patina and Granny Smith; the same ones I used to color the butterflies.

* Use a (rusty) chain so the project can be hanged to a wall.

 The chain from the old necklace has been used to be able to hang the project to a wall. 

* Add structure

As mentioned I decided to go with this piece of wood because of its structure. The nail and knob also have structure!

So there you are... a rusty, woody and colorful piece of home decor!

I had to add one extra NOTE :
As I went for the rusty nail and knob, I had a look through my rusty stash of papers and found this one on Deli paper (leftover from the RUST theme a while ago!!). 

I am so happy with the outcome of this project.

These are the notes I did not use: 
- Use crackle paint
- Use the corresponding stencil from Kay (PS128). - Only paint the bottom of the project as a base.
Maybe you can use them on your project.. to join us in the ARTY WOOD BLOCKS challenge!?

Don't wait! Get creative...  and tag us on social media: instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or FB

See you!! Happy crafting!!

Ellie Knol 

Blog: http://elliecreahoekje.blogspot.nl/   http://ellieatcs.blogspot.nl/ 
Owner of : https://www.facebook.com/groups/DutchArtJournal/  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008479362838 
Pinterest: https://nl.pinterest.com/ellieknol/

2019 #9 Arty Wood Blocks: Recycling Day! with ELB by Lucy Edmondson

2019 Topic 9: Arty Wood Blocks

I am rather partial to a little row of houses, particularly wooden ones. In fact, one of the few decor items I brought with us from New Zealand when we moved to the UK 18 years ago (bearing in mind we literally moved with 6 suitcases, so space was tight) is a small row of delicately painted wooden houses. They still sit in our bathroom to this day. Lucy has added colour and texture to hers and plenty of other lovely little touches too! ~ Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Lucy from Lucy's True Colours with you here today, with a post using recycled wood blocks to make a row of arty houses, using my favourite Lin Brown Eclectica stamps.

I think most of us have found that the old style wooden block rubber stamps take up a great deal of space - imagine if our whole stash was wood mounted now, our ceilings would collapse! Having said that, I was lucky enough to be given a bag of wooden blocks when my friend unmounted her older stamps a while ago, and there is something rather lovely about these pieces of solid wood. So I was very delighted to have this theme pop up and have a chance to use them. To remove the stamps and labels simply pop them in the microwave. To remove any remaining tackiness, you can buy sticky stuff remover very cheaply on e bay and you can also sand any residue away.

If your wood still needs any prepping, you can give it a couple of coats of white gesso to ensure any colours you add stay true. 

To start off, I covered tissue paper with a huge selection of leaf and abstract stamps from Lin Brown Eclectica ELB 29, ELB 30, ELB 31, ELB 33, and ELB 34.

I covered my three house blocks with the tissue and also a large piece to act as a plinth (no, this wasn't a ginormous rubber stamp block but an off cut from my husband's new woodworking hobby which I hope will prove useful in the future!).

I used a wash of translucent Fresco Finish Acrylic Paints, Hey Pesto, Autumn Fire, Tango, Mustard Pickle, and Chartreuse, dabbing in areas with a tissue whilst it was still wet, to give some white patches. 

For the house blocks I used the addition of Beach Hut for some contrast with the base. I then dry brushed the houses with Snowflake.

I wanted some little mounds of earth for my flowers to grow out of either side of the doors so I used Lin's stencil PS025 with some Grungepaste and once dry, painted the soil with Fresco Chocolate Pudding.

For the windows I used Tim Holtz's Fragments. I had intended to use patterned paper behind them to look like wallpaper but then decided to just paint some cardstock with Mustard Pickle to give the impression of light as you walk past the houses.

As part of my recycling theme, I used the protective corners from a delivery of frames as my rooves. I had some old fashioned wooden pegs from clearing out Mum's house which I thought would be perfect chimneys which I treated in the same way as the houses and then pushed through a hole in the cardboard. But my favourite part was covering the cardboard with hessian to make a thatched roof! As I liked them so much and the houses were quite busy, I left them plain. The other roof had a chimney made from two pieces of dowel, and I covered it with canvas to which I had used my transfer technique to apply Chatsworth paper, and then used Lin's stencil PS005 with Grungepaste mixed with Mustard Pickle.

I used JoFY's stencil PS008 with Grungepaste and Tango and Mustard Pickle and made doors from shrink plastic from Hot Picks HP1509 and HP1601.

I then had some fun decorating the base of the houses with shrink plastic flowers made from ELB 01 ELB 02 and ELB 03.

I had such fun with this relaxing and colourful project, and my love of creating started to come back as I felt myself getting lost in the 'making' for the first time in a while. I didn't really encounter any challenges along the way, apart from a moment of doubt when my husband came into the room and said, 'I thought you were making houses?' ! I hope if you have any wooden stamps left you will consider making something with the blocks, as you can still, of course, use the stamps afterwards - and it means you can use them with the many stamp positioning tools now available, so that's a good excuse!

Blog: Lucy's True Colours

Twitter: CraftyLuce