Paper Ticket Fun with EMW {by Victoria Wilding}

Hello everyone, Victoria here with you today for some paper ticket fun using the brand new designs by Mags Woodcock. The beauty of Mags’ designs is the variety of text and smaller images which makes them perfect for creating your own paper ephemera, and it’s always so handy to have a selection of tickets ready and waiting for your next project!

Mags’ new release has a love and music theme running through the designs, with some vintage text, numbers and pretty florals too, so there are limitless options for creative fun. And it is the playfulness of these sets, which help you create without pressure whilst enjoying your products. 

There are so many stamps on EMW004, EMW005, and EMW006 and as if you didn’t already have enough options, it’s so easy to pick out elements from the large mixed media focal points too. The stencils PS515, PS516, and PS517 are lovely bold designs which give lots of flexibility for using different techniques. 

I also picked out four PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Acrylics in Eggshell (FF138) Seaglass (FF139) Wisteria (FF103) and Sherbet (FF28) to provide the base colour to my project. Infusions in Sleight Blue (CS13) was also selected for some additional colour. 

So let’s get to my craft desk and see what I made!

I started off by preparing my ticket strips. I cut a piece of PaperArtsy Smoothy 240gsm Card (SCA4) into different sized strips (3/4”, 1”, 1 1/4”, 1 1/2” 2”) and divided each strip into sections to create the tickets. 

Next I lightly blended some additional card with Distress Ink, to provide a pale base colour to stamp on top. I backgrounds using Speckled Egg, Tattered Rose and Milled Lavender, adding a little Pumice Stone and Frayed Burlap to the edges to create a more distressed effect.

I stamped images from all three stamp sets using Distress Archival Ink in a variety of colours on each of the backgrounds and leaving enough space for them to be cut out afterwards.

Once dry I cut out all the images to provide mini ticket details, and put these aside ready for layering on the main tickets later.

 

Creating the base colour for the ticket strips was a really fun part of the project. I used a brayer and a really small amount of each paint, using a flicking motion to hit random sections of the card. Applying the paint one at a time really helps you build layers of distinct colour. If you haven’t seen this done before, Leandra has an excellent technique video of this on the PaperArtsy YouTube channel. I left quite a bit of white space as I didn’t want the background colour to be overpowering, allowing future layers to stand out.

I then sprinkled a small amount of the Infusions powder onto a mini palette and added some water.

With a paint brush I applied a light top coat to all of the card strips, going over the paint I’d already applied. This light wash of colour softens the white space, preventing it from being too stark. If you work quickly before the walnut dissolves, you can pick up some of the different pigments in the powder to create slightly different wash effects. You can see in the photo below a strip with pink, one with more of a blue tinge and one with light brown. 

Once dry I added some background interest stamping using the number and text stamps from the sets, stamping in columns using Archival Ink.

The final step for creating these base tickets was to cut the strips apart into individual tickets. I then used a corner punch to create a distinct ticket effect.

With the base elements all complete, I started putting everything together by layering the stamped elements with the base tickets, ensuring that there were a variety of compositions across the different tickets. I also added some extra stamping and fabric scraps to some of them for extra interest. 

Next I stamped the flower images in grey Archival ink and coloured with watercolours, before fussy cutting them.

 

I added the flowers to the layered tickets and also selected some butterfly die cuts from my stash to fill some empty spots on the tickets and add some dimension. 

Finally I added some zig-zag stitching to some sections of the tickets to provide additional texture and visual variety to the finished project.

The final step in my project was to create a ticket holder. I took a rectangle of kraft card and added some floral stencilling to the back side of the card, applying Fresco Finish Acrylics in Eggshell with a sponge. I also used a Sizzix ticket holder die from my stash to create a front piece with slots to hold the tickets. I glued these two pieces together.

Next I picked out some details on the stencilling using watercolour pencils. I used a damp paintbrush to lightly activate and blend the pigment. Once dry I placed a selection of tickets in the front of the ticket holder and glued the ticket with the sentiment ‘Dream’ to the bottom front section.

I love the contrast of the muted background with the brighter florals and sentiments on the finished project. The ticket holder looks so pretty with a selection of tickets poking out. 

The variety in the finished designs is so pleasing, while the shared colour palette keeps everything feeling cohesive. And I made so many tickets there are plenty of extras which I will be able to use in future makes, so keep an eye on my socials over the next few weeks to see where these tickets end up next.

I really enjoyed using Mags’ latest designs and whilst I used almost all the stamps, I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface in terms of the creative possibilities.

The little flowers really pull the project together, providing a great floral focal point to all the background details. I hope you enjoyed my paper ticket fun and are tempted to give it a go for yourselves. This is one of those projects that is easy to put together without any pressure, as everything is done in layers and can be changed up with ease. 

Until next time, wishing you a happy creative week!

Victoria 

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Flower Moon Art with EKC {by Victoria Wilding}

Hi everyone, it's Victoria here with you today, creating with Kay Carley products. I’m a sucker for a pretty floral, so Kay’s designs are the perfect choice for creating dreamy floral artwork that celebrates colour, texture, and nature. Today’s ‘Flower Moon’ project is all about building simple layers which show how easy it is to create depth using just a few thoughtful elements.

Here are the PaperArtsy products I’m using for today’s project. I choose two stamp sets, EKC59 and EKC68, and stencil PS298. The flowers in these designs should complement each other nicely and provide me with options for creating different flower heights in the piece. I also selected Fresco Finish Acrylic Paints in Chalk (FF83) and Blue Moon (FF170) as my base colours for the piece.

I started off by creating the moon element using a circular gel plate and the Fresco Finish Acrylic Paints in Chalk (FF83) and Blue Moon (FF170). To create some subtle background flowers I sponged some Blue Moon (FF170) paint through the stencil (PS298) onto the gel plate.

Once they were dry, I added a layer of Chalk (FF83) paint on top of the gel plate using a brayer to pull the print. Gel printing is a wonderfully playful process, full of happy unpredictability. It creates fabulous texture, and stencils are invaluable for adding depth and layered detail to your prints.

This is the first pull I made. Whilst I loved the texture, ultimately, when I started to add the stamping, I decided I wasn’t happy with the placement of the stencil flowers, particularly with the large gap between the first and second stems. I therefore end up using a second print, so you’ll notice that the ‘moon’ changes in the stamping steps below. 

 

The main focal point in this piece is the flower stamping. Creating layers when stamping is a simple yet powerful way to add depth, dimension, and a natural sense of composition to your designs. I started off by placing the bluebell style flower from stamp set EKC68 on the left hand side of the moon. I stamped the image using Archival Ink, as I wanted a waterproof base when I got to the colouring stages. 

There’s no limit to the compositions you can create when layering the flowers. This is definitely a project you can return to time and again, with very different results! I used some of the loose flower heads in stamp set EKC68 to extend the florals on each side of the moon.

Then I added some stems and leaves to match the stamp designs and create continuity in the design. 

Next I created a mask for the bluebell type flower by stamping on some lightweight paper and fussy cutting. With the mask in place I stamped one of the florals from stamp set EKC59. Masking is a simple but effective technique for creating dimension in your stamped designs. By covering parts of an image before stamping the next, you can build realistic layers that appear to sit naturally behind or in front of each other. 

You can see in this image the final composition and the stamping layers in the foreground. The silhouette stencil florals and the more prominent stamped flowers create real visual depth.

 

I decided to use watercolours to colour the flowers. The beauty of PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Acrylics, is their Matt finish which allows you to use other mediums on top of them and watercolours work wonderfully on top of the paints .

Using watercolours successfully is all about water control. Adjusting the ratio of pigment to water allows you to create everything from soft, translucent washes to deeper, more intense tones. By gradually building colour in layers and letting each one dry if needed, you can achieve beautiful depth while keeping your blends smooth and luminous.

Once the flowers were dry, I created some extra depth using Stickles for a glittery centre on some of the flowers. I enjoy a bit of sparkle in my makes and love how it instantly lifts a project from pretty to eye-catching. Whether it’s a subtle shimmer in the background or a touch of glitter to highlight key details, a little shine adds depth and draws the eye. Used thoughtfully, sparkle can enhance your design without overpowering it, giving your finished piece that perfect finishing touch.

I used the sentiment from stamp set EKC68, nestling it just about the flowers on the moon.

As a finishing touch I decided to add a touch more glitz and glamour to finish the moon and ground the florals. I achieved this by adding a touch of gold leaf to the top and bottom edges, spotlighting some of the outer edge.

Finally, I added some watercolour through stencil PS298 to create two shorter flower stems and fill some gaps at the bottom of the moon.

This Flower Moon piece brings together stamping, watercolour, and gel printing to create a layered design that feels both dreamy and full of quiet detail.

I love how the combination of soft watercolour and textured gel prints gives the flowers a beautiful sense of depth and atmosphere.

Whilst that touch of sparkle really draws the eye into the details. It’s a lovely reminder of how simple layers can come together to create something truly magical.

Until next time, wishing you a happy creative week!

Victoria 

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