Secret Garden Spool with HP {by Jenny Marples}

Hello everyone, Jenny Marples here with you today to show how I transformed a long strip of paper into a mixed media adventure through a secret garden, all securely attached to a spool for easy storage. I'll be sharing how I build the collage 'vignettes' along the way, a process that can be applied to journal pages, tags, books, boxes and more.

We are delving into the vaults of PaperArtsy's Hot Picks range to play with stamp sets HP1005 and HP1006, combining them with a more recent stencil PS021, Fresco Chalk Acrylics, Grunge Paste and Printed Tissue.

Start by gluing torn pieces of book page/manuscript, brown wrapping paper, gel printing cast offs and stained paper onto your strip of backing paper. If you need to recreate these, apply Fresco Chalk Acrylic Sorbet (FF169) and Koala (FF141) to plain (or even better tea stained) paper and add a thin layer of Mattint Ladybug (MT12) to graph paper or similar.

These scraps need blending together with the background - I find scraping a fine layer of  Grunge Paste over the edges and toning down the colours/text with Fresco Chalk Acrylic Chalk (FF83) works well for this.

Finish your base layer by lightly tea staining it all, adding extra depth in areas if needed with dry used teabag papers and highlights with more Chalk paint.

Now to start adding the details.

 

I adore the process of combining translucent layers, stamping and stencilling to create collages but it can feel overwhelming when looking at the finished pieces. Start with thinking about where you want your stamped image to go a try applying a layer of sewing pattern tissue below it. This helps to draw the eye to the image. Make use of any text on the pattern piece to help you line up your stamp. You can even use a fine permanent pen to extend the manuscript lines.

Try re-stamping some of the images within the larger stamp to make those details pop. Then extend the design further by using the text stamp either side of the main image. And to finish for now help to blend the edges between your stamping and the background by adding Grunge Paste through the stencil.

Let's repeat this process in another section, beginning again by deciding where your stamping should go. There's a straight edge to this border so I added some Printed Tissue Postcards (PT13) on one side, adding the stamped butterfly to enhance the design.

Repeat stamping a border can be very effective when you are looking to fill an area. Try adding another of those translucent layers below the stamping (in this case some 'mop up' paper towel covered unevenly with Infusions Golden Sands (CS05). If you don't want extra stamping like the swirls to compete with the border design try using a coloured permanent ink, and then add more stencilling to blend it all together. You'll spot that I added an extra butterfly and used some paper coloured with Fresco Chalk Acrylic Pumpkin Soup (FF33) to make them more impactful.

Here's one final example of this process in action, starting with the Printed Tissue and stamping with different coloured inks.

More layers are added by stamping the images onto card which can then be cut out and place where you need them to be. The repeat stencilling and some tea stained lace help to create a natural flow along the whole design. The scrap of woven fabric beneath the lace was coloured with Fresco Chalk Acrylic London Bus (FF37) which I then rinsed and dried for a more faded appearance.

Just a few more elements to go now.

Work along your paper adding more stamping to extend your designs further. Don't be afraid to leave some areas blank - this provides a visual break and makes those focal points stand out even more. I love to add stitching using different threads. Follow the lines of your stamped images to give them more textural impact.

Cut out stamped images to add over previous stamping and stencilling to help finish your panel.

 

I often strengthen the back of my panels/pages by adhering a layer of calico but in this case that went 'wrong' as the paper buckled when the fabric dried out. The only way to make the paper lay flat was to cut into the fabric.

Rather than give up I remembered how Shelley Rhodes deliberately adds flaws to her paper and fabric. And so I visibly stitched through the two layers to secure the fabric and create 'rivers' of thread throughout the paper.

All that remains is to attach your paper to a spool or similar so that it can be rolled up for storage purposes.

Here's the end of finished spool...

... and here's the beginning, inviting you into the Secret Garden Spool.

Let's take a walk through the whole of the design.

All of this has been created using just two stamp sets and a stencil - so the question is which of your stamp sets would you use to create a spool of your own?

Thank you for joining me today.

Jenny

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Brighten your Life with LPC {by Etsuko Noguchi}

It's Etsuko here with you today, and for those of us who love vivid colour combinations, the addition of Frida Kahlo to Lynne Perrella's collection is a delight to play with. Let me show you some ideas I have had with infusions boosting the depth of Mattints, along with tissue paper and stamps to make an arch Shaped booklet. 

The stamp set I've chosen this time is the Frida Kahlo collection -- Lynne Perrella stamp set 76, 77 and 78 (LPC076, LPC077 and LPC078)

Colours selected:

Mattints: Mojito, Greenstone, Dragonfly, Bellflower, The Pink, High Viz and Glow.

Infusions: Golden Sands, Are You Cerise, Orange County, Violet Storms, A Bit Jaded and Green Man.

PaperArtsy fresco Finish Paints: Cerulean, Electric Violet, London Bus, Smoked Paprika, Tangerine Twist, Green Patina.

The first thing that came to mind was Frida's vivid use of colour and her motifs inspired by nature. Thus I began to develop vivid rainbow-coloured combinations. Mattints as one layer are a pale colour, so I added Infusions in the same colour family to give it a little more depth. I painted on the SCA4H Smoothy cardstock.

Afterwards, I cut each colour into long narrow strips arranged them to form a rainbow pattern, affixed Frida's image, masked off the birds around it, stamped using Ranger Archival Watering Can, and layered them.

The other way I torn and collaged PaperArtsy Printed tissue (PT12) coated with Mattints.

The background created using Mattints and Infusions was cut into pieces of any size to form the pieces to be made. This is one of these pieces, the LPC078 image was embossed using VersaFine Clair - Nocturne ink and Ranger Embossing Powder - Black, then coloured over with oil-based coloured pencils. The white patterned sections on the sides were embossed with white powder using the PaperArtsy Stencil by Lynne Perrella (PS481).

This was also created using the same method as above, with image LPC076, and the red thorn tree on the side stenciled using PS480.

I cut out the doodled flowers and stuck them on.

Now, I shall stamp each image of Frida onto the PT10 blank tissue paper using VersaFine Clair - Nocturne, then emboss it with Ranger Embossing Powder - Black.

Once the embossing has cooled, you can colour the reverse side with oil-based coloured pencils. Then apply Snowflake to the entire reverse surface, except for the areas where you wish the background colour to show through. For areas requiring vivid colour, colour the front surface as well.

Afterwards, I used Mod Podge to affix the image to the background. PaperArtsy Fresco Finish - Satin Glaze is also good for this step. The stamped images then melt into the background.

I combined each image with its background, applied a little technique, and completed the layers.

This is now approaching the finishing stage. Yes, I wanted to incorporate Frida's image into the shrine, so I made it into a shrine-shaped booklet. Also I felt a slightly different pattern was needed for the right-hand page and the left, so I used a stamp image on the right and a stencil on the left. Starting from the right-hand page.

I created a shrine frame to divide the image into six colours on the SCA4H. Here, to achieve depth in the colours, I used PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic - London Bus, Firebird, Tangerine Twist, Green Patina, Cerulean and Electric Violet.

A single sheet of paper for the frame lacked sufficient thickness, so I added cardboard

underneath, however, the wavy pattern in the cross-section was slightly noticeable.

From here, I proceed to creating the left-hand page. I make the shrine frame with Green Man,

Greenstone and Mojito using PaperArsty Brayer, and cut for the shrine frame.

As the background I made previously was insufficient, I collaged the left-hand page background using a slightly paler colour, following the same method as before.

I used sanding blocks to remove the excess tissue paper.

For the images, I used Ranger Archival in Watering Can and Jet Black on the PS480, PS481 and PS482 stencils.

I stenciled PS480 onto tissue paper background, cut out the LPC076 bird, and affixed it to create the left-hand page.

This is the completed Shrine Booklet as seen from above.

Then allow me to begin by introducing the first page. My beloved LPC077 Frida's image  would make a splendid cover. Three doodle flowers I have been decorated.

As indicated earlier the left page has a muted colour scheme whilst the right page has been finished in vivid tones. On the right page, I have added the LPC077 bird to Frida.

Next is the red page; I added the LPC076 hand to PS481. On the right-hand page, I trimmed the floral section slightly to ensure it fits within the frame.

It fitted perfectly without much fuss, so lovely.

On the right-hand page side, I stenciled a diluted image of a London Bus against a PS480 thorn tree background, while on the left I affixed an LPC077 image.

The final page was decorated in rainbow colours.

Back cover LPC078 profile as a single point.

While working on the design, upon seeing the LPC078 border pattern, I thought it would be lovely to have Milagros at the shrine, so I crafted them from foil. I added a touch of colour to the print and attached them to the shrine frame. I applied a little white gesso onto foil, printed the LPC078 image using VersaFine Clair - Nocturne, and embossed it with Ranger embossing powder - Black.

Ranger Alcohol - Honey Comb, Sunshine Yellow, Haze Hut and Espresso were applied randomly using the Ranger Blending Tool.

Then I cut it using a round punches and decorated the shrine frames.

Lynne Perrella's stamps have been my treasures ever since I first met PaperArtsy. I feel truly honoured to be able to created the project using my beloved Lynne's Frida Kahlo series this time. The Frida Kahlo series is such a delight—cards, panels, journals, ATCs, and I think creating shrines from various materials is also a wonderful idea. Please create wonderful pieces using PaperArtsy products and share them via social media such as ’PaperArtsy People’. Look forward to seeing them. Thank you so much for visiting.

Etsuko xx

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