2024 - Year in Review - Topics 4, 5, 6 {on the PaperArtsy Blog}

Hello everyone from PaperArtsy HQ,

We continue taking a look back at some blog highlights for 2024.

2024 was a pretty unpredictable year in many ways, from wet, hot and stormy weather to oodles of elections across the globe, most of us have been impacted by something unpredictable.  Our sense is that people are hoping for calmer times ahead in 2025. 

For us here at PA HQ it has been amazing to finally start the relocation of all our machinery and equipment into the stables - a much slower project than we anticipated it to be a couple of years ago. But if there is one thing we have learnt in France it is how to be patient. Balancing work, family and our quickly expanding social network has been an absolute pleasure this year - all topped off with lots of visits to us here from friends and family from near and far. We are so fortunate to be able to share our little corner of this world with so many people year-round.

Today we look back at Topic 4: Books & Journals, Topic 5: Ink Pads and the designer focus for Topic 6 was Scrapcosy products. 

These topics all have an added touch of mystery, as the overarching theme was hidden. Lots of secrets and surprises to explore within the creative exploits of the blogging team! From subtle secret journaling to interactive, moveable parts. The interpretation of 'hidden' is vast. We left it to our amazing blogging team and their muses to channel this in a way that resonates with their creative style!

Let's take a closer look at some of the highlights from this section of the year.

Topic 4: Books & Journals

We felt it was time to revisit an all time favourite: Books and Journals! If you take a peak at the topic intro post, you can enjoy plenty of eye-candy. You will also notice that we did not limit this topic to making but expend it to altered books, using book parts or even projects about books. Quite an extensive playground for our amazing blogging team!

The talented Kaz Hall (The Maker's Table) shared with us this elegant pocket book made of... books! It is amazing how she pulled the parts together with such a delicate colour palette. Be sure to check her original post HERE for a more involved description of her process as well as views of the lovely interior.

Ellie Knol also indulged in book making, a favourite past time of hers, with this dreamy cover and its lacy signatures. The contrast between the vibrant colours and the delicate lace is just gorgeous! Follow this project developing organically in Ellie's original blog post HERE, and take a peak at the inside!

Did you spot this clever altered book full of pockets by Autumn Clark (SewPaperPaint) made for the 'with 3 things' challenge? She perfectly balances intricate Lynne Perrella stamps, free hand elements and a moody blue palette for a personal and expressive result. To discover a few of the secret layers hidden in this piece, go to her original post HERE.

Finally, I simply can't leave out the fantastic Lady Hara of the Green Leaf by Riikka Kovasin (Paperiliitin). There's so much to feast the eyes on here... A true majestic Lady of the word! A visit to her original post HERE is a must to appreciate all the ways she incorporated the 'book' theme in this incredible rabbit doll!

Topic 5: Ink Pads

This was a slightly more technical topic for a change. Hundreds of references of ink pads are available nowadays and it is not always easy to understand the differences. The topic intro post aims to clarify the main types of ink pads available and their properties, as well as several characteristics that might influence your choice when working on a specific project. It's good to know what t use (or not) in the myriad of mixed media situations you mind find yourself in! 

These sea creatures cards by Claudia Neubacher look deceptively simple but, as per the 'hidden' theme, they both reveal secret messages! Check her original post HERE for all the contraction detail as well as a neat stamp & ink mirroring trick!

We really loved this faux stained glass panel by Ann Barnes. Her post HERE explores transparency and thoroughly explains how to use the Alcohol Lift Inkpad by Ranger. Such a vibrant yet subtle result, perfect to catch sunrays and add a touch of magic to a room!

We hope you did not miss Etsuko Noguchi's exploration of Distress oxides making this delicate mini book with a secret! What a great selection of colours, so dreamy. Be sure to stroll through her post HERE to enjoy all the delicate details of this beautiful make.

We really can't leave out this fantastic journal spread by Liesbeth Fidder-de Vos with her mystery 'with 3 thing' package. Visit her original post HERE to see how she mixes the OG Distress inks with her signature bleaching technique for a colourful yet soft look with highlights.

Topic 6: Focus on Scrapcosy

Since 2017, Raquel Burillo, AKA Scrapcosy, has been regaling us with vintage imagery and intricate patterns. These designer deep-dives allow you to learn more about where her inspiration & creative process stems from and the impact her international background has had on her art. Read this interview in the topic intro. It is always fascinating to see how our fantastic bloggers interpret a designer's work in their own style and this time was no different!

Our first pick is these gorgeous grungy tags made by Mags Woodcock using her mystery 'with 3 things' package. Mags and Raquel are both lovers of ephemera! Check the original post HERE for all the rusty deliciousness, both 'faked' with paints and Infusions, and real. 

With her '3 things' goodies, Mi Mii created this whimsical spinning card. What a clever ideas, so different! We really loved the contrast of the vintage imagery and fresh colours. In her original post HERE you can see the details of the construction and the other hidden parts of the wheel.

I simply can't leave out this fantastic interactive journal page by Nikki Acton (a2a.craft).  She chose a mash-up of Scrapcosy's and Kate Crane's designs with peppy colours, for a unique look. It almost seem like two completely different pages, but she actually explains her clever use of windows, flaps and sliding parts in her post HERE.

I also could not leave off these funky journal pages by Riikka Kovasin. There are not Riikka's usual style, or what you would expect with Scrapcosy's stamps, but aren't these owl ladies amazing! A great example of transformative and creative thinking. See all the fun layers of these makes in the original post HERE.

We really hope you have enjoyed all the creativity shared today, and the hidden secrets from our talented team. Do not hesitate to visit their posts and pages for even more inspiration! 

Part 3 coming soon!

2024 Topic 4: Books & Journals {by Ellie Knol} on the PaperArtsy Blog

Hi everyone

Ellie Knol from PAPER-STAMPS-COLOR here with you today.

I haven't been crafting that much lately, as I had to have two eye-surgeries during the last half a year. I feel very blessed, the operations were very successful and my vision is not minus 15 anymore, but instead around minus 3. Back to 95% vision. Happy I am back at creating.

This topic BOOKS (and journals) had me thinking about my collection of books I've created in the past. Aim for me with this bookbinding series is to explore the binding techniques in particular. 
I decided to create number 37 in this series. 

I struggled a little with this binding as it turned out to not open as well as I imagined. To make it work, I changed the spine in the end; in the process I created a hidden compartment in it, to fit in with the quarterly theme HIDDEN.  

As I chose to use sewing themed stamp sets from the PaperArtsy Hot Picks series, it will kind of be the focus of my book.
Part of some beautiful lace in my stash came in handy... 

I made a picture of the starting product, PaperArtsy Hot Picks HP1212 and HP2202 and also the basics for the book I will be creating. 

The front cover in the making; bookpaper glued to a piece of cotton fabric to make it sturdy. 

The colors I chose were inspired by a journal page that I created a while ago; I like these colors together. It is sort of a rainbow except the color red. 

So far I have made five signatures, containing watercolor papers and bookpapers as a starting point.
Very basic still, but the possibilities are endless. 

I will create a 6th booklet as part of the theme HIDDEN at a later stage. 

A book needs a pretty cover. To cover up the booktext partially I scraped white gesso over it and let it dry.  

I added a layer of  Frosting Glaze as a medium to protect the surface.
I also do this most of the times, intentionally, so I can wipe off any 'mistakes' when adding new layers of color or inks. 

I adhered the cotton to a piece of parchment paper for this step so I can get messy with adding color.

Onto this strip of masking tape I added a blob of Fresco Chalk Acrylics: Cherry Blossom (FF117), Orchid (FF13),Eggplant (FF25), Lavender (FF104), Snowflake (FF15), Butter (FF129), Granny Smith (FF108), Mermaid (FF44)).

Scraping Fresco Chalk Acrylics, Snowflake (FF15) over the colored Fresco paints adds to the grungy feel of the background. 

While the paint is wet, scrape into it and reveal the underlying color by doing so. 

When it is dry, adhere it to the front cover of the book as shown.
I like to sand the edges so the excess comes off instead of cutting the edges with scissors. 

Stencil white paint, through a stencil to add more interest and more white. 
For here I used Fresco Chalk Acrylics, Snowflake (FF15) Stencils PS421 available from a PaperArtsy Stockist.

I added a few die cuts and also strips of the stamp with all the measuring tapes, stamped onto colored paper and heat embossed in clear.
I tried to follow the color range I've used in the background. 

Putting it all together made me realize I had to change the spine. The book did not open up easily. I will have to fix that later on!

 

Onto the 6th booklet as part of the theme HIDDEN: a very shallow bookbox with a built-in envelope.

I fixed the spine, by creating a box-type 2 centimeter wide spine from cardboard, open at the top. To decorate it I used book paper with white gesso on top again.

To add some interest I added stenciling with a white modelling paste through PaperArtsy Stencil PS420 (available from a PaperArtsy Stockist).

Two hidden spaces! The shallow bookbox, and the hollow spine compartment. 

Let me show you some details I came up with as finishing touches. Book number 37 in my series52 is ready to go into my collection.

All booklets inside are snuggled up, the closures done and I am happy with the result. 

The spine is nicely closed off with a button closure, only accessible when all the booklets are taken out the cover.

What shall I hide in there? A pencil, some needles?

The white leather strips make for a useful and neat hinge to the front cover. 

You may have noticed: I LOVE to use a lot of white in my projects; and color for that matter! 

The hidden booklet: closed-off with a button closure too. What did I put in there? 

See you next time. 

Ellie Knol

Blog: http://elliecreahoekje.blogspot.nl/
Owner of: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DutchArtJournal/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EllieKnolCrea/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie.knol/
Pinterest: https://nl.pinterest.com/ellieknol/

2024 Topic 4: Books & Journals {by Renata Peley} on the PaperArtsy Blog

Hi everyone, it’s Peley Renata with you and today I’m going to start with a bit of a confession. The summer came a bit too early for me, as I’m not a really warm weather person, so this heat has scrambled my mind and taken away some craft mojo as well. When the time for this blog started closing in…gosh I felt lazy…but also, I generally try to do the responsible adult thing and so I prepped my craft table and got myself busy.

As you can see, PaperArtsy’s newest addition to the designer team – Kate Crane was quite of an inspiration for me. Those quirky, whimsical designs were just the thing that I needed to lift my spirits in these overly warm days. But let me tell you more about it.

Usually, I am not that good at being prepared, so I will show you just some of the initial supplies for this project. First and the most obvious – PaperArtsy stamp sets designed by Kate Crane: KC002 and KC004, a book, or in this case two as I still didn’t decide which one to use and some Mattints. On this photo, you can see the Dragonfly (MT07) and the Fern (MT03). I ended up using only the Dragonfly, but I must admit I am just itching to make another project using the Fern as it is such a gorgeous shade of green.

Bit by bit, I will bring a couple more craft necessities as expected, but I will explain it as I go. So, let’s get started.

The crafting process can be a messy thing without a particular order of steps, sense and organization. And what I mean by this is that while sometimes I create a background and figure out a nice focal point to fit on it, other times I first prepare my images and wait for them to inspire me for creating the background. But now, almost as if for the sake of saying how messy a process it can be – I created some focal images, then the background and then some more images. But anyway, all is good as long as we are having fun…right? 😊

As you can see on the following photo, I used the previously mentioned stamp sets from PaperArtsy and Kate Crane, Canson Mixed Media Imagine paper and Versafine Ink in the Onyx Black color.

When the images were stamped, the next step was the coloring. I wanted to create a happy place from a children story book, so I chose bright and bold colors. And since I was lucky enough to get the Caran d’Ache Luminance colored pencils for my birthday, I chose them as my coloring medium.

Remember how the sub-theme for this blogging quarter is the “hidden”? Well, this was the moment I went with preparing my hidden elements. From the stamp set KC002 I chose the stamp with multiple cute little drawings, and decided to use each of those rounded up drawings as a tab for my hidden messages. On each paper strip I either stamped or drew a different message and it looked something like this:

Well, here are my elements all ready, so what I needed to do now was to create the background.  But this is when things start to get a bit messy.

After choosing one of the books, I realized I really, but really didn’t like the cover, so I fast wrapped it with a nice floral wrapping paper. At this point I really wished I had a nice vintage book with a gorgeous hard cover. It would have been much more inspiring to work with, but fine, this one had to do and I was going to make the best of it.

After wrapping, the next thing on my to do list was to adhere the book pages. So, this is one more moment when my brain failed me. Instead of saving my time, nerves and glue and adhering the pages only at the edges, I went on to adhere the complete surface of each single page. I guess it was one of those moments when you just think: what was wrong with me? Anyway, I was a bit irritated with myself because it made my work harder later on and I wasted some perfectly fine book pages for some other projects, but I still carried on.

The general idea was to put the super cute houses somewhere in the middle of the book. I wanted to create a feeling of an inviting, cheerful little world inside of a story book. And the way I planned to realize that is to carve a bit inside the book pages to create the feeling of “the world within”. Here I had to be careful not to go too deep and damage the message pockets. And this is where I actually got annoyed about adhering the whole surface of the pages. First it was hard to carve out the glued pages and second, at this moment I realized how many good book pages I wasted as they were just a chunk of paper now. Still, yet again I carried on. We crafters are not quitters, right?!

This is now a moment when you have to think what effect you are going for. First, if you want your background a bit less busy than mine, go over those book pages with a gesso to tone it down a bit. Even a more opaque blue acrylic paint cold work. In my case, I didn’t mind the busy background so I decided to use the Mattints, to just tint my pages blue inside the carved area.

Also, you can leave it with one layer of Mattints, or apply two, like me. I mean, so many options and variations, it all depends on the effect you wish to achieve.

Anyway, it’s time to start assembling the layout. And honestly, here is just where you get even more options. For instance, after I completed my project, I kind of regretted I didn’t draw a sun and some clouds, perhaps birds, added more trees….And I can just go on and on with these.

Now I am closing to the end of my project, but I just needed a couple of touches. I bet you can guess at least one of them.

If in the previous section you thought I missed a quote, you guessed right. I decided to stamp a lovely sentiment about home from the KC004 on a book paper. It helped fill all that empty space I had going on, but for some more touch of color, I stamped, colored and adhered a couple of cute little banners in the top right corner.

Aaaand that’s it! I must admit, this craft session was a bit of a bumpy ride, but it was worth it in the end. My kids said they want this piece to decorate their room and, in my eyes, there is no bigger praise than that. Also, I must say, working with the Kate’s designs was quite a pleasure. They are so cheerful, adorable, and inspiring and I am really happy that she is a part of the PaperArtsy designer team.

For all of you who are more visual types, and who wish to hear my rant about the difficulties I had with this project, I have prepared a YouTube video as well.

Thank you all for spending some time with me and I wish you a nice crafty day!

Renata 💜

Facebook: Peley Renata

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