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

PA Blog 2020 Year in Review {Topics 1-5}

 PaperArtsy Blog 2020 Year in Review - Part 1/4

 

Hello from PaperArtsy HQ,

This is the time on year that we reflect on the year past. Despite the turmoil and upheaval that a virus has wreaked across our globe, to me, time seems to have passed in a flash. Maybe that is because we managed to move country within the year too, which certainly sucked up more recent months. I can certainly understand, that for many people, perhaps this year has dragged. It seems people are aching to move forward into 2021!

 

We have much to be thankful for. Crafting has brought relief to many people this year. It is a good form of escape. To get lost in the process of creating art helps put to the back of your mind other daily concerns. It also gives an opportunity to express feelings and frustrations too. Despite the unusual circumstances, did you find time to create more this year? Did you learn something new or pick up a new hobby? 

 

Many of us have been challenged in ways we least expected? Making ends meet, paying bills, keeping our jobs. To have your job-security and ability to function questioned so unexpectedly from an event beyond your control has been a pretty stressful set of circumstances to face. I hope that you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I am sure that when things do start to get back to normal, that we all will appreciate more our environment, the opportunity to travel and appreciate other cultures, and the relationships we enjoy with colleagues, friends and family, or even meeting up with fellow crafters again!

Tonight we are sharing highlights from Topics 1-5: Love is in the Air, A Hint of Spring, On this Tag, Mighty Mica and Mark Making.

Leandra 

Topic 1: Love is in the Air

My first pick is this amazing beauty. If Valentine tends to make us think of cards, Jenny  Marples has repackaged all the classics of love (pink, hearts, lace) in this gorgeous box  (link to the original post).

I adored how clean and simple this book cover is, with great colour impact. Ellie Knol really has an eye for the details that make the difference, like the tiny cut-out numbers (link)

Additionally we saw all often associate love with warm colours and cute patterns. Helen Chilton went another route with this colorful and quirky heart (link).

 

What about a love project with no heart? Check the layers on this beautiful inspirational card. Claire Snowdon manages to project the feelings even without the usual imagery (link).

 

Topic 2: A Hint of Spring

 

Spring traditionally heralds the rebirth of nature. Jennie Atkinson perfectly encapsulated this feeling in soft purples and deep greens (link to original blog post).

 

I love how Lotte Kristensen also went with the "new leaves" idea but hers remind us that Spring also often brings back color after a drab winter. So bright and funky! (link)

Look how the big Jofy blooms fill the space on this small notebook by Chris Dark. The black background really make the colours pop, even with soft blues and greens.(link).

Additionally, Josefine Fouarge made great use of her stamps (Gwen Lafleur's circles) to build coordinated background, pattern papers and focus elements in this striking tag. (link)

Topic 3 : On this Tag

My first pick is this bright and quirky series by Etsuko Noguchi. Tags and minis pair perfectly and she really brought the Zinski characters to life with popping colours while grounding them with textured backgrounds (link).

I loved how Corrie Herriman mixed Scrapcosy's vintage images with bright colours. Her use of stark script and subtle texture grounds the focus images while letting them pop  beautifully (link).

And I hope you didn't miss Nikki Acton's concertina book. The tag shape mimics book pages while providing just a little bit more interest.  (link)

I adored how  Amanda Pink included the tag in her composition. Still a key feature yet also an element among others, brought together by a clever use of colour (link).

Topic 4 : Mighty Mica

I hope you didn't miss this abstract piece, a rare treat on our blog! Helen Chilton cleverly used the micas shifting and shine to reveal the texture in all her layers(link to original blog post)

I adored how Lynn Good did not hesitate to mix micas and bright colours. She broke out her sparkly pens to give shiny highlights to her flowers with great effect (and a lot less mess!) (link).

Additionally the long time crafters among us remember mica sheets. Autumn Clark surely does and included fragments everywhere in her journal, creating subtle texture and shine (link).

Topic 5 : Mark Making

I think these tags by Autumn Clark are a beautiful example of how fun and creative mark making can be. Lots of layers mixing to make new texture or reveal little stamp details! (link)

I love how Jenny Marples decided to do her marks in relief. The careful composition and contrasting colours really make that red heart stand out. (link)

For her marks, Keren Baker's stamping in bleach and thread effects produce a striking result! The embroidery on the bee makes it look alive. (link)

It is fabulous to look back on what our superb bloggers have shared with us over the course of the year.  Don't forget to save the posts that float your boat on pinterest. You'll hit the New Year with a dozen ideas to crack on with!

Leandra