Rhythm of Circles with EPA {by Nikki Acton}

Hi everyone, Nikki here with you today sharing a journal page (or maybe wall art) using the new mini stamps from the Eclectica³ PaperArtsy stamp collection (EPA). These mini stamps are designed to be ideal under-layers complimenting other designer lines, but I decided to make them the focal point too.

 

There are eight new mini stamps - Eclectica PaperArtsy EM153 - EM160. (Available from PaperArtsy Stockists). I used seven of them today.

I needed two contrasting colourways for my project so selected Fresco Chalk Acrylics in Cerise (FF136), Sunshine (FF223), Persimmon (FF209) and Electric Violet (FF201) for my warmer colours and Aquamarine (FF153) and Sargasso (FF135) for the cooler ones. It's rare I don't include some black and white in my projects, my go to colours being Little Black Dress (FF19) and Chalk (FF83).

To build up my background I also used one stencil - PaperArtsy stencil PS329 - by JOFY.

To begin I took three of the red / warm colours and loosely added to my page. No need for precision or blending here - lots more layers to go!

Next I used the stencil to add some Chalk acrylic randomly over my page followed by some stamping of the bubble wrap stamp (EM156) with Electric Violet paint.

More stamping - this time with Ranger Archival inks. I used Plum, Watering Can, Orange Blossom and Jet Black. When adding to a background like this I do not use a block but just hold the stamp into the ink and transfer to the page. I am happy if I only get half the image!

I created two of these backgrounds - and as with any process like this they are slightly different. I used black ink on one for the branches but the more subtle Orange Blossom ink on the other. On one I added some additional stencilling using Sunshine.

For my blue/green background I used my gel plate. This technique gives you the mirror image of the stamp you are using. First I add some paint to my gel plate.

Next I begin stamping off the gel plate - i.e. using the paint on the gel plate to stamp onto another piece of paper. You need to work relatively quickly (to prevent paint drying on the plate).

Once complete I use what is left on the gel plate to create the print. You can see below the gel print alongside where I have 'stamped off' the gel plate onto card.

I also used this technique for some of my focal imagery. While the gel print version doesn't give the perfect image that you get stamping with ink and PaperArtsy stamps, it does give you a wonderful, grungy version!

The blue flecks of paints on the black print were leftovers from the previous print - cool effect!

To build my focus I stamped and punched or fussy cut different images. I mainly used the half circle from EM153 and the full circle from EM157. I stamped on both the warm (reds) and cooler (blue/greens) backgrounds and also used the gel print black circles.

I cut other parts of the background to form the layers. As I was using square backgrounds but circles as the focus I made sure I softened the edges with a corner punch. 

 

Each layer was mounted onto black card (or card painted black). 

I created a little cluster of stamped elements and added one of the word stamps.

I love how the stamped semi circles look over the busy multicoloured background.

I hope you like my journal page. I look forward to seeing what you do with this fabulous collection of Mini's.

Happy crafting, Nikki.

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Colourful Journal Pages with KC {by Katy Norgate}

Welcome everyone, Katy Norgate here with you; I'm delighted to be back, and showcasing Kate Crane's wonderful new stamps and stencils released last week. I have decided to get rather messy (again!) with paints to create colourful backgrounds to feature Kate's, unusually for her, BIG stamps! I just love them.

Here are all Kate's new stamps and stencils. They really are fabulous! While the focus of my two journal pages here features KC018, I have also made similar versions using the same techniques shown below, to feature KC019 and KC020.I have also used the mandala stencil PS503. All these items are available now from PaperArtsy Stockists

For my gel printed backgrounds, I have used a selection of Tracy Scott Fresco Finish Acrylics as seen below, for the first set of prints that will create my background pages: Flamingo (FF226); Cerise (FF136); Firebird (FF210); Cherry Red (FF86); and Banana (FF91)

Followed by Dirty Lime (FF197); Slimed (FF137); Bermuda (FF224); Sargasso (FF135); Shutters (FF207) and Pea Coat (FF27) on a second set of prints.

This is where I decided to get messy with my 8 by 10 inch gel plate to make my journal backgrounds! Smearing paint onto the gel press with my fingers is a very satisfying occupation, it has to be said! I kept pages to the same colour families to avoid making mud. Although Fresco Finish paints are fast drying, they still take a bit longer to dry on the gel plate, especially as I was applying it quite thickly in places. 

I began with some white Snowflake (FF15) as this helps blend some of the subsequent colours. I then applied the other colours from light to dark. Remember that as you apply colours to the gel plate,  your initial layers (the first colours applied) will show most as they will be the top layers when you eventually take the print. A tip is to flip over your gel plate to look through from underneath and you will get a sense of what your print might look like.

Below are the stages of building up my smeared layers....

I allowed this paint to dry completely before taking a 'lift' print. A good time to go make a cuppa. To take the print I used a brayer to apply a thin layer of white acrylic paint, this wet layer of paint behaves like a glue between the now-dry paint and the paper you will print onto. with a bit of practise, you wait for the paint to grab both the paper and the dried paint, then it should help the gel-paint transfer onto the paper. White is most commonly used for this technique.

Here is the print, with all it's yummy gorgeousness!

With the amount of paint applied to the gel plate, there will usually be some paint that does not lift off and remains on the gel plate. Don't worry, at some point it will grab in a future print, often giving some unintended delicious effects, so don't be too quick to clean your gel plate!!!

A fun way to take more prints to make complementary papers is to follow a technique demonstrated by Kate Crane for a YouTube Gel Press, Print to Project video, here is a link Expressive Painted Layers Part 1 This involves making painterly marks over the gel plate with a contrasting colour. Here I have used black, much like as shown in the linked video using a brush and other mark making tools. I then applied a thin layer of white paint as before to make the 'lift' print.

Here are the prints I ended up with: From the left: the original; a second pull using a pale pink acrylic paint; note the fun marks with specks of the original left over paint; and then a final page using pink paint again to 'clean' the plate. 

I then followed the exact same techniques, using the blues and green paints as listed above to make contrasting pages.

It is fun to try different colour combinations for this technique, so I thought I would use Tracy Scott's newest Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic colours: Watermelon (FF236); Peach Fuzz (FF238); Zinc (FF235); and Coastal (FF237)

These paints combined to make the lovely muted background pages above. You can see the journal page I created with these later in the post: here is a little teaser ....

So to compile the pages and prepare the main feature of the stamped images. I began cutting to size the background papers and contrasting strips. 

Since the pages are still quite raw, I used the Mandala stencil (PS503) to apply complementary 'flowers' using the same paint colours

I then used the small spiral stamp from KC019, as well as mini stamps from various sets to apply further colour and texture to the paper strips and background pieces (KC015; KC017; KCM021 see PaperArtsy Stockists) I like to keep these little treasures in a pot on my desk as I use them so much.

Fresco Finish Gold (FF20) paint was applied next using texture tools such as a bottle lid and edge of a credit card for a touch of bling. The strips were weaved together, and secured in place.

The main birdie images from set KC018 were stamped onto a white copier quality card stock, and fussy cut. I stamped again onto left over prints so that I could paper-piece the images These too were cut out and adhered to the base image. 

(This is another technique recently demonstrated by Kate on a PaperArtsy Live video )  

I used a little watercolour to paint the legs and lollipop. And used my sewing machine to add black stitching on the strips; attaching the birdies with some dimensional foam tape, and some additional hearts in the corner. After adding glitter glue for more dimension, we are complete. 

Here are the two completed journal pages. I'm really pleased with how the contrasting pages complement each other so well.

Here are some images of other pages I made with Kate's new stamp sets KC019 and KC020 , using the techniques described above, as well as utilising the pages made with Tracy's new colours as shown above.

I hope you have enjoyed the processes I have followed and will let yourself get messy in a similar fashion. If you don't have a gel plate, you can finger paint directly onto card stock, to get very similar effects, but you just won't get those additional pages from left over paint etc. personally I like the unpredictability of the results the gel plate gives you.

Keep crafting.

THE END!

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