2024 Topic 8 : White {by Jenny Marples}

Hi everyone Jenny Marples here with you today. I've always been in awe of the way artists such as Claude Monet and Koichi Okumura used white in their paintings to add light, contrast, movement and a special touch of magic.

That made me reflect on how much the use of white is important in my own work, so throughout this post we'll be looking at a number of methods for doing this.

The finished book features images inspired by French architecture and nature as well as lots of tactile surfaces and textures. I've also looked at the use of 'white space' when constructing pages.

The stamps used throughout include the PaperArtsy Minis MN67, MN68, MN69, MN70, MN71 and MN112. The stencils are also from the PaperArtsy Mini Mask series and include PM015, PM016 and PM018. The colour palette is very limited and will be explained further as we go.

You'll have seen me create collage masterboards for backgrounds in the past, using up paper scraps and blending the edges with matching paints. Then lightly brayer with PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Snowflake Paint over the top to further soften the background.

If you are planning on drawing on this background you don't want it to compete so add a highly dilute mix of PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Snowflake Paint with Just Walnut Infusions. I store a mix of this in an air tight jar because I use it so much these days! Add a thin wash to 'knock back' the colours and script - you can always add further layers if the effect isn't strong enough.

When dry you can cut up this background and attach it to the pages that will go inside your book. White/neutral fabrics make flexible signatures that will be strengthened by the backgrounds on top. A heat-embossed white flower on vellum provides a great focal point if you want to keep it simple.

Now let's get into some more techniques using white mediums.

 

Simple pen sketches are enhanced by the use of dilute Just Walnut Infusions whilst a permanent white paint pen adds highlights to give the images a sense of perspective.

If drawing isn't your thing use the Mini Masks PM015, PM016 and PM018 in a variety of ways to add architectural interest to your pages. Apply PaperArtsy Grunge Paste onto kraft card and vellum, use white paint through them and even stitch the designs with white embroidery thread.

I mentioned at the beginning of this post looking at the importance of 'white space': by this I mean the area of the page that your eye doesn't notice immediately when you look at a page. For example, below the large white triangle is off-white but as a large shape it competes with the window as a focal point.

Blend it into the 'white space' of the rest of the background by adding complimentary layers - in this case a scrap from the PaperArtsy Frames Printed Tissue PT02, a layer of that dilute Snowflake/Just Walnut solution and some hand-drawn white bricks.

Now your eye is initially drawn by the window and flower before moving around the rest of the 'white space' on the opened page.

Here is the page when closed.

How many ways can you think of for using your stamps to create focal points?

You'll notice I've added white hand-stitching, lace and other white trims throughout the book.

To mix it up a little create a textured background using PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Crackle Glaze and PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Chalk Paint over a layer of PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Little Black Dress Paint. Apply a piece of PaperArtsy Frames Printed Tissue PT02 over the top with PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Matte Glaze.

You can apply the Tissue to fabric in the same way.

And staying with the PaperArtsy Frames Tissue Paper PT02 cut out and paint some of the images on the reverse side to create elements for pocket pages and focal images like the larger butterflies.

Finally try repeat stamping with PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Snowflake Paint on fabric and paper to echo the designs on other pages. Make sure to wash your stamp thoroughly when finished.

Gosh, white really can be used in a multitude of ways!

To finish here's the cover and one more idea - stamping into hot embossing powder, something you can only do with confidence using high quality stamps.

Let's wrap this all up by showing you the remaining pages from this book.

I hope you've enjoyed looking at a range of techniques you can use to incorporate white into your own projects.

Jenny

Blog: https://pushingtherightbuttons.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenny.marples.73

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jennymarples73/

With 3 Things: Storage Book of Pockets {by Floss Nicholls}

Hello lovely creatives...It's Floss here with you today with the 3 things challenge. 

I was excited when I opened the box with the three surprise supplies in and found; stamp set Lynne Perella LPC006, The Hot Picks stencil PM018 and Shark Mattint (available from stockists). 

I knew in that moment that I wanted to do something with fussy cutting.  I'd incorporate my free motion stitching as a feature based on the Panacea Pizpireta image I'd seen a few weeks before that I found inspirational by Lisa Kokins and that I would hide stamped images in folds to incorporate the hidden element for this quarters PaperArtsy theme.

I was itching to get started and so went to find a fairly thin hard back book. 

I folded eleven pages roughly in the centre of the book using the deep margin as my measurement...and glued those folds down.  I then folded the remaining pages in half lengthways but did not need to glue these.  The idea behind this was to use the book as storage for my fussy cuts.  The front half of the folds to store the rough cuts, the back half for those that had been fussy cut and the middle pockets for anything in between.

With a thicker book, if I'd have folded all the pages in half it would have given me an open rolodex book holder, but I wanted to be able to close this one and potentially be able to flip through the pockets and tuck spots so I took a few pages out too...Being able to close the book would hold all the fussy cuts securely in place and this was important so I could have it with me wherever I went. My reel shows me shaking it about and nothing falls out :)

Using my gel plate, PaperArtsy stencil PM018, and their slimed and desert bush fresco paints I created some papers which I would use for the concertina edging which would hold the centre pockets together and bring some colour to the project. 

I measured the depth of the page for the length of each segment and made each segment wide enough to allow the pages to open enough to access the pocket area and also enough space to stamp the hidden feature within the folds.  I chose to stamp some images using Ranger Archival Plum Ink as I thought it suited the greens beautifully. 

I used my stamping platform to create a whole stash of prints to fussy cut...again I used Ranger Archival Inks in black and plum for this.  I used the Shark Mattint to bring a little interest to some of the prints using a small brush.

I really liked the idea of the hidden images in the folds...with two segments between each page it gave me an opportunity to mix the images up by stamping directly on to some of the concertina folded sections and fussy cut and glue black and white stamps on to others making this hidden detail more visually stimulating.

I wanted to explore using the shark Mattint further and wondered what it would look like on mulberry paper...It looked/reacted as I hoped it might and was definitely a YESSSS moment!

I squirted the Mattint straight onto the mulberry paper and spread it to cover the surface using and old store card. It absorbed deeper into the areas where the mattint was squirted than where it was spread and so it left some 'streaks' which was, for me, a bonus.  But it was the way the mattint worked with the little fibres inside the paper that was what I wanted to test...The fibres remained white giving me another visible texture. You really must try this technique if you like mulberry paper.

I glued tissue paper, fabric and paper 'Lynne Perrella' flowers made with stamp set LPC006 for a further variety of texture and surfaces onto the mulberry paper. I enjoyed using different parts of the stamps to give me colour density variation too. My free motion stitching around the flower using plum and cream coloured threads gave me a little more attention to detail and interest with another on the reverse. I then glued this onto the book creating the cover.

I used a lace ribbon to secure the tuck folder book together keeping all the fussy cuts safely stored away ready to be used on other projects.

I now have somewhere safe to keep my fussy cuts; it's organised sections means I can take my tuck folder book anywhere with me and I can trim to my hearts content at any given moment!

I really enjoyed making this project and I shall be putting a class together for this soon so do give me a shout if you are interested in doing this in person or online.

I must say one of the things I really like about doing the 'with 3 things' blog posts for PaperArtsy is that I have absolutely no idea what same (or very similar) three products/supplies the three blog artists will receive and then how we all make something so very different. You'll already have seen one fabulous post by Autumn yesterday and so make sure you look out for the third with 3 things using the same supplies by Mags tomorrow.

Until next time 

Sending lots of creative love

Floss x x x