2020 A Year in Review {Topics 6-10}

PaperArtsy Blog 2020 Year in Review - Part 2/4

Hello from PaperArtsy HQ,

Well, 2020 is the year that just keeps on giving us more curve balls than we ever thought possible! Here we are on the cusp of Christmas and it still feels like every day this week has had another humdinger of an incident to adjust to. Many nations in Europe have had Christmas cancelled as far as travel and seeing family go at the last minute. Tricky but I guess to be expected where the new British strain of Covid is adding pressure to an already difficult situation. 

Every year there are many people who spend Christmas alone. This year, there are many people who are having to do that, not by their choice, but due to governmental guidelines, restrictions and so on. We all expect to be able to make our own personal and family choices regarding how we meet up and when, and we are very used to getting together with those we love. If this is not possible for you this year, then we are thinking of you, and we hope that in the coming weeks or months, once things start to ease, that you will find a new window to see those people close to you. Lets get together online this season. We can do watch parties, zooms, Facetime, Skype and all those tools allow us to support each other where possible.

As a possible short distraction, tonight I'm sharing my picks from Topics 6-10: Jungle Vibes, Under the Sea, Popping Pink, Collage it and Recycled Packaging.

Please, do try to take tome out and relax over the Christmas break, don't drink too much, make some art, and continue to stay safe!

 

Topic 6: Jungle Vibes

The jungle topic was a huge hit, and as we had just released some new Hot Picks, we had quite a few new stamps to play with on this one!  Miriam Grazier's (link) giraffe seemed happy to munch on the foliage while escorting us around his jungle zone.

Leandra got involved too with this topic, and the Zinski Efilumps were happy to pose for this picture, in among the Kay Carley trees and those crazy Zinski flowers (link)

I adored how Autumn Clark (link) pulled out the Lynne Perrella stamps with a great colour combination. What a fabulous terrarium hat dahhhling!

 

 

We can always rely on Keren for a slightly unique interpretation of any topic, and within the striped rugby jumpers she saw Zebras! Keren Baker (link)

Topic 7: Under the Sea

Blub, Blub, Blub and we're down in the deep blue seas. My first pick is this amazing framed beauty by Helen. Her Darcy chappie is enjoying his day out fishing, and he's caught some fabulous Hot Pick stamps! We have Helen Chilton (link) to thank for this creation!

Lovely Lucy Edmondson (link) gave us a window into her reverse-canvas fish tank with all the texture and painterly layers - they do look very happy there !

And I hope you didn't miss Nikki Acton (link) who created a range of gel prints to tear up for her watery waves. Love the colours and textures she created within this.

I enjoyed how Jennie Atkinson (link) used this gorgeous stamp by France Papillon in her serene tag.

Topic 8 : Popping Pink

Time to kick up the colour vibes and some hot pinks and I loved these handy birthday cards by Claire Snowdon (link to original blog post).

 

And it was interesting to watch Lynn Good (link) pull this journal page together with Tracy Scott stamps. She was using the 'block' technique to isolate the images stamped onto a very stunning background. This is a super-fun technique to try if you haven't before.

Jenny Marples (link) managed to inject some bright vibes into kay's stamps with this stripey book cover.

 

And it was lovely to see the bright infusions on show with Sara's stamps by Miriam Grazier (link).

 

Topic 9 : Collage It

My first pick is Autumn Clark (link), who always seems to totally rock the collaged layer effect so perfectly! Not one, but two cards with Lynne Perrella stamps. I love them!

 

Jennie Atkinson (link) Like her lace, flowers and Vintage Stamps. If you are looking for a soft delicate way of pulling layers together, then Jennie is the guru!

 

Helen Chilton (link) surprised me with this interpretation. She is all about the full on colour, lots and lots of colour!! And lots of layers, and she went all minimal on us! Well, very minimal for her!

I adored how Dounia Large (link), managed to recycle some magazine papers to create clever and interesting layers in her cards with Kim Dellow's stamps for this post.

Topic 10 : Recycled Packaging

Etsuko Noguchi (link) is really good at making boxes, and in this post she used book-parcel carton packaging to make this fun box with Gwen's stamps.

 

Miriam Grazier (link) is a big fan of not only Sara Naumann stamps, but also Urban Snapshots. In this post she pulls out the 'Nature' themed stamps to create a serene journal spread.

I really enjoyed how Amanda Pink (link) used the inside of a box of chocolates for the texture on this piece with Gwen's new stamps! How fun is this!

Nikki Acton (link) made this fun concertina journal using gel prints and an array of Fresco paints with lots of fabulous carved stamp designs. You wouldn't realise recycled cardboard was the substrate!

Yes, it is really nice to sit back and appreciate the lovely creations of our bloggers! I'm sure they will continue to inspire you in 2021! They are a dream team to work with too! Thank you to them all for their fabulous inspiration throughout the year!

Leandra

2020 #9 Reconstituted Flower with EKD {by Dounia Large}

2020 Topic 9: Collage It

There are so many inspiring ideas in this post. Dounia has some simply stunning ideas for incorporating magazine pages into your art. I also love her idea about when in doubt, add some white dots- I think that's the story of my creative process too!

~ Keren

Hi everyone, it's Dounia with you today, and I'd like to share with you some of my experiments with collaged papers.

I love collage: it was one of the first artistic techniques I practiced with my mom when little, so it brings back a lot of good memories. As I'm also currently separated from my paper stash, I decided to take the opportunity provided by this topic to create my own patterned papers and backgrounds.

Sometimes I find myself low on inspiration or really indecisive on what I want to achieve. I then like to turn toward techniques that focus on the process and motion of craft and required little "artistic" decision making. It gives me a sense of accomplishment without stressing about every little thing. I would like to share a couple of them with you here. They are nothing new or revolutionary but I think they can be fun additions to one's creative palette.

First, magazines are full of big pictures. They can be good or interesting - or not, but they rarely are easily useable as such. However you can chop them up then create a new image simply by rearranging the order of the pieces on a piece of card. The result is a lot more random than the original and can be used as a background without distracting from the main elements.

Regular stripes are the simplest to manage but you can change width or try different shapes for a more random pattern. I find the process of systematically cutting and glue-ing almost meditative and calming. I was in the mood for a striking pattern, and generally contrasted and/colorful images work best for that.

 .
Here I found the first glued images still too homogeneous and recognisable so I reiterated the process with lengthwise stripes. The colors are now better distributed and I like the tessellated pattern.

To contrast with this very organised background I next went on a tearing spree! I selected parts of magazine pictures with relatively plain colors and tore them in strips and pieces.  That part is pretty therapeutic! These touches of color can be used carefully to create new images, like painting with paper, but I was more into slapping them together to make gradients.

The color variations in the strips provide great texture. I often make too many pieces for one project so I put all the remaining ones in a box to draw blindly and glue. It forces me to release control and the results can be pretty interesting.

To make an actual project, I needed stamps able to stand up to such busy papers. I went for the clear lines and organic shapes of Kim Dellow. The EDK05 set had all I needed for a nature scene:

The leaves doubled as templates for petals cut in my collaged strips. I tried stamping on the front but it covered the color variations too much for my taste.

However I wanted to keep the details on the butterflies so I stamped them directly on pictures with interesting patterns.

Contrasted against the other elements, the leaf one won. I also liked the idea that both the petals and the butterfly were made of leaves!

For the flower centre, the big flower stamp was an obvious choice and the middle somewhat looks like an eye so I ran with that idea. I love collaging eyes, they're so recognisable and always make an impression.

I tried to match both the yellow green of the first butterfly and the eyes with this frog butterfly. The result was a bit plain so I added the vellum layers to isolate the elements and celebrate the graphics of the stamps. The white and black dots also really bring things together. When in doubt, add white dots!

Here is one project finished despite creative block, and I have lots of other backgrounds to play with! I hope this gave you a few ideas to try with magazine pictures. It's very cheap in both materials and tools needed and quite effective! It is also a great way to use those paper scraps we all are hoarding, or can be applied to book pages for very graphic results.

Have fun and stay creative!
Dounia x

2020 #9 If only cats could talk with ECF {by Lynn Good}

2020 Topic 9: Collage It

Not only is it really good to hear Lynn's fur baby is on the mend, albeit looking somewhat like a shaved lamb, but also the vet scare along with a R&R boost from a Tracy class helped inspire this colourful journal page. It's funny how your mojo can come and go when you are faced with uncertain times, and I'm sure that Lynn isn't the only one at the moment looking for it to emerge!~ Keren, Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Lynn Good (Memories on the Page) with you today, and I'd like to share with you an art journal page that I have created for the topic "Collage It"

I actually made two pages before this one, I personally didn't like either of them - they didn't feel right to me but I couldn't say why.  Even though my friends thought they were fine, I decided to take a break -  I was putting myself under pressure and forcing the design.  

I took a wonderful 2 day online class with Tracy Scott and it was just the medicine I needed. When taking a class or following a tutorial, a lot of the design, layout and topic is chosen for you - you end up with a positive attitude and a creative mojo back on your doorstep.

I was then in the right frame of mind to create this page.  My beautiful half Maine Coon furbaby was sick and had to be completely shaved (I will put some pics up at the bottom of the post). He was devastated as well as sick and it gave me the idea for this page.

I created this page in my Dylusions Journal.  After applying a coat of gesso I have covered the page with a brayer and PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk paint in Tango, Banana and London Bus.

I have then stamped images from PaperArtsy Eclectica Courtney Franich set 12 (ECF12) onto tissue paper.

I have then torn them up randomly and adhered them to my page with matte medium

Once dry I have drawn circles on the page and coloured them with PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk paint - Red Lipstick. (this was created at night so they will not be the best process photos sorry)

I wanted to create some flowers to go into the centres so I used a piece of PaperArtsy Smoothy Cardstock and painted randomly with  PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk paint in Tango, Banana and Forget Me Not.  I have then used Paper Artsy Fresco Finish Chalk paint London Bus though a PaperArtsy Stencil PS001) for some more effect and to help join the colours together. 

Using this cardstock I have stamped and fussy cut flowers from PaperArtsy Stamp EKD06 You will note that these are not closely cut out as I find if I try to cut right up to the line I end up cutting off some detail!!!!  I have also used a Posca Pen and doodled around the stamped images on the tissue paper.

I have then stamped on black cardstock and cut out two cats (as we have two) from the Cat stamp set as well as two of the sayings.

Final touches to the page included of course adhering everything down - which I have done with Matte Medium.  I have drawn a string from the cat to one flower so it looks like he is holding a balloon.  I have outlined the flowers with a black Stabillo pencil which activates when wet, as well as some white marks on the flowers and I have highlighted the cats with white posca pen as the ink stamp was not as bright as I wanted.  I have mounted one of the cats with foam dots - there is always a "top cat" in the family!!!! 

Here are some close ups:

I hope that this has encouraged you to have a go at a collage art journal page - It is so much fun to put layer upon layer and watch it form into a completed piece.

As promised here is a before and after of my cat Buster.  He is on the mend - at 13 years old they thought his coat had so quickly deteriorated due to kidney failure but his bloods show he is very healthy and it is a mystery as to what happened.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope that if you get into that creative slump - remember you are not alone we have all been there and keep applying paint - you will get to the other side :) 

Lynn Good

Facebook:  http://memoriesonthepage.blogspot.com/

2020 #9 A Doll's Life with LPC {by Autumn Clark}

2020 Topic 9: Collage It

Absolutely stunning layers with some wonderful painty adventures, and gorgeous contrasting layers - Autumn is a whizz at arranging these things so perfectly and with wonderful attention to detail on those finishing touches!
~ Keren, Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Autumn Clark from SewPaperPaint with you today, and I'd like to share with you a couple of mixed media cards inspired by the designer who sparked my passion for collage many, many years ago, Lynne Perrella.  I've been a fan for ages, particularly loving the complexity of her stamps with so many opportunities to focus on even the tiniest of details.  

This pair of cards came about because I wanted to get back to my stamping roots and an earthtone palette, which was my go to when I was introduced to Lynne's stamps and paper dolls so long ago.  

One of my favorite things to do is pick my color pool for a project.  I chose PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics in Nougat, Chocolate Pudding, Slate, Toad Hall, Winter Green, Midnight, Claret, Mahogany, Toffee and Caramel.  Yes, quite a lot of paints but I wanted to create a full collection of prints to work with for a while.  I used my 8x10" gelli plate and got to work...

I printed on ivory cardstock and book pages, which gave an awesome transfer effect (shown top right).  I used PaperArtsy Stencil {Sara Naumann} PA092 for subtle pattern and added some texture with an XL embossing folder, which I sanded to reveal some of the ivory card (as shown bottom right).  

I really wanted the star of my cards to be PaperArtsy {Lynne Perrella} Collection LPC042, with the papers serving as the stage.  And so I played and played and played until I had just the right arrangements that made me happy.  

Here is that amazing text transfer stitched in place.  I made a tag from my painted paper.  More sanding to add highlights. I used more book pages for brayering off between prints I was able to use it in my collages as well.

I added acetate butterflies, sticker text, wooden and chipboard cutouts.  I wanted the pair of cards to be similar in style, but also unique.

I really love the embossed painted paper and how the texture plays with my tears and wrinkled edges...  That's the beauty of collage for me: somehow making a random collection come together in unity, making art.  

Having not made an art doll in far too long, I thoroughly enjoyed playing with these stamps and paints!

So what techniques or colors have you perhaps forgotten that might bring life into your creating these days?  For me, no matter what, my love for collage remains as the crucial element of my work, but it is fun to revisit past affections and blend them with my ever evolving style.  Would you agree?  I still have my green prints and lots of leftover papers, so I think I shall have another play with a green doll!  

It's been a pleasure as always!  Stay safe and creative my friends!  Hugs, Autumn

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