Alison Bomber Project #2 Joy To The World ....

"Hello everyone Alison here with another Christmas-ish project (you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the real thing). Today it's a joyous, musical, textured triptych.  It was sort of inspired by those extraordinary gilded Russian icons (just Google "gilded Russian icons" - you'll get the idea), and by my love of texture".

I started with one of the triple wooden icons, sanding it down and gessoing it before starting. Fresco paints give great coverage, so you could go straight to painting, but I find that untreated wood can soak up quite a lot of paint (and I'd rather keep my Frescos for the fun stuff). Besides, I had an idea in my head that meant I needed a background in place in order to play.

I drew round my stamp positions so that I'd know where NOT to put texture. See, there's a turn-up for the books - actually knowing in advance which stamps I want to use!

Not only that, but I even had a rough colour palette in mind... though you'll see it gets augmented as things progress!

Then it was out with the Grunge Paste, and a new ClearSnap stencil.

I also did some rough texturing around the edges, just by patting the palette knife up and down to create the peaks.

It was at this point that I decided the outlines weren't enough - I wanted more precision in knowing where I could go with texture, so I stamped the images in the lightest possible colour - one of my palest chalk inks.

Yes, so the cat's out of the bag - we're using one of the Lynne Perella Christmas stamp sets... #20 to be precise.

LPC020

To avoid getting distracted by the fact that I rather liked this frosty pale version, I hurried on with some more texture.  

Once the first Grunge Paste was dry (Harlequins at the top now too, but not gesso'd yet, although the lower half has had a coat), I lined up the stencil over the pattern again, and then laid the Tim Holtz Dot Fade over the top of that to add the next layer.

Cute, huh? And when I was doing the Harlequins, I noticed that I could make use of the Grunge Paste which got left on the stencil by flipping it over and applying that directly to the surface too.

Next, some more gesso - and this time nice and thick and textural...

Here's where I needed to know exactly where the image would go, so that I could get up close and personal with the gesso texture.

Time to whitewash out the images, and this time I went with the Snowflake Fresco for a uniform finish ready for my experimental plan. I wanted to try some drippage...

Heart in mouth time again. Is it just me that finds this moment slightly terrifying... when you add colour for the first time to a carefully textured surface? But you just have to take the plunge. And I started pretty full-on, with this combination of Squid Ink and Baltic Blue!

I applied it pretty thickly around the bottom of the texture...

... then went pretty much straight in with a good spritz of water.

Adding some more, and then tilting for some good drippage!

By keeping a good amount of water on the surface, I also had great fun pushing the paint around with more precision.

And now I was really getting into the swing of it, I thought it was time to add some more colour.

Of course, as I applied the colours they started to mix and blend on the surface - ooh yum!

All this lovely blending made me fully understand one of Liz Borer's fabulous paint-mixing tips from a couple of weeks ago. She suggested that to get colours to complement one another, you mix a bit of one chosen colour into each of them. So as I carried on adding colours, I made sure each of them had a touch of Squid Ink in the mix.

When I started working from the top downwards, I added in Sky and Ice Blue - with some Squid Ink. I knew I wanted Squid Ink at the very top to balance things... the plan was Squid Ink + Brown at the bottom for earth and Squid Ink + Blues at the top for the sky. I didn't have these in my original palette, but I decided I wanted something lighter and brighter in the mix.

Really enjoying the effect of all the blending and drippage - I could do this for hours.  

And, truth be told, I think I'll be doing another of these and leaving off at this point. As you'll see, what's to come means some of this painty detail inevitably gets a bit lost - I definitely want to create a project where it takes centre stage next time!

Okay, stamping time. Part of me now wishes I'd gone for stamping directly onto the surface, having carefully left those spaces - ah, well, that's for next time too perhaps. This time, I decided to play it safe and go for a tissue stamping. As promised, I have tried again with the PaperArtsy-preferred Versafine Inks. I even used some of my precious (discontinued) PaperArtsy Crackly Tissue to try another comparison.

I don't know whether it's just the pad I've got, but for me there's no competition between the Versafine Sepia (left) and the Archival Ink Coffee (right). A pity, because the Versafine might have been a better colour, but I've got to go with that clarity from the Coffee.  

{Comment from Leandra: I have had this happen too Alison, I think that the Versafine ink has more oil that the Archival. If it has been sitting for a while I think it can kind of separate, which could explain the oily, less sharp nature of your print to the left, totally NOT what Versafine is known for. To fix, take the back of a teaspoon and thoroughly massage your inkpad to ensure the oil and the pigment ink is thorough mixed on/ in the felt pad. Try stamping again and see if the Versafine is back to its usual sharp self - worked for me with a brand new black that was stamping oddly, onto crackly too as it happens}

I used Multi-Medium to glue them down, using a hard bristle brush to really work the edges down into any texture that had made its way into the reserved spaces.

One thing I've learned... though you can't go back and get less, you can always add more - and I'd decided that the texture along the top wasn't funky enough - so at this point I patted on a bit more Grunge Paste - you can see it all bright and white like a dusting of snow along the top. It's not staying that way!

I also added definition to the textured shapes at this point by shading around them with a paintbrush. I added paint, spritzed with water and dabbed with paper towel until I had a shadow I liked. In the picture below, you can see that the lower pattern got similar treatment (worth clicking for a close-up probably, as I don't seem to have one for you!).

And you can also see, creeping up from the bottom right-hand corner, the reason we're about to lose some of this painty definition... yes, it's Treasure Gold time!

Of course, in some ways, the Treasure Gold - Pewter at the moment, and there's some White Fire coming up shortly - adds definition. It really picks out all those subtle textures on the surface. And there is a pay-off to losing some of that paintwork, as you'll see at the end.  

First, we've got to do something about the back of the icon - very boring at the moment!

I grabbed some PaperArtsy Metal Card and got to work to create a grungy metal look. I embossed it with a couple of folders, rivets and a border, and then covered the whole thing with paint.

Following through on adding some of the same colour to tie everything together, I added a touch of Squid Ink to my Little Black Dress (now there's a phrase you don't hear very often!).

You put the paint on, give it a few moments and then, with some paper towel, wipe it back off again. Simple but so effective for grunging it up.

Then all I had to do was trim it and stick it on.  

Some of the trimmings were the right size to go along the top, and I added a couple of borders from the Idea-ology Industrious Stickers, which were perfect for the side edges.

The final step on the front was to add some Aged Silver Frantage embossing enamel - irresistible I'm afraid, with the look as it was. There's a smidgen of goldenness within it, which is what prompted me to add some White Fire Treasure Gold to the rest of the piece.

This final layer of texture added delicious lava like craters, especially where it reacted with the Grunge Paste underneath to bubble up and then burst. Very cool.

I also love the little black particles within the silver - seems to be an abundance of them just here - adding fabulous extra interest.

Oh, good grief, Charlie Brown... I thought I was done, but I've just realised I haven't showed you the painting I ended up doing on the images. They were really looking a bit "stuck on" - well, they were stuck on, so I suppose that's natural enough - so I needed to do something to embed them a bit.

I added shading around the outsides, and also a bit of gentle tinting to the images themselves... mostly applied as a wash and then wiped off, so it's pretty subtle.

I also didn't want to end up obscuring too much of that lovely image.

I think that's all the making-of details done - forgive me if I left anything out - oops, yes, just noticed some extra Frantage on the clasp of the Joy banner, and on her hat... but I can't go without offering you a few finished pictures... 

... though it's quite hard to capture the colours accurately - it changes in every single light!

And there's that pay-off I mentioned, but I'm saving that for the very end.

Okay, so what could help me get over the loss of some of that painty detail under all that Treasure Gold? Well, it's an icon, isn't it? Which means that, really, it should be worshipped by candlelight... and then the shimmer really comes into its own. So here's a final trio:

Okay, it must be bedtime... if any of you are still awake after another mammoth post! My apologies... but you've only one more from me to put up with. Tomorrow will be my final project on this amazing PaperArtsy adventure. I hope you're ready for Christmas!

Leandra Says: Ohhh how it glows in the light!!! That is one molten metallic mission you undertook. It never ceases to amaze me how Treasure Gold affects painty texture to bring out the definition under the paint. As the frescos are matte, and flat, they do demurely hide 'dippy' bits, but TG, in true blingy fashion, shows off every lumpy bump - it has no shame!!

Gillian Says: Joy to the world indeed .... divine project Alison. I love the the quality Squid Ink brings to the whole project. The textures are gorgeous as always and the Treasure Gold addition shows it all perfectly.

Welcome Back Alison Bomber Project #1 Golden Oldies ....

The start of a new month and a new week welcomes back Alison Bomber for her last month of Guest Designer projects.  I'm sure we are in for some fabulous treats this coming week.

"Hello everyone, Alison here with the first of my December projects.  And since it's now December, it's okay (in my book) to start getting Christmassy.  Only one of these projects is a full-on Christmas creation (we'll save that one for last), but the others are certainly Christmas-ish, as you'll see today".

First up, an experiment that's ended up pleasing me quite a lot.  I didn't really have much of a plan when I set off - other than using some Lynne Perella stamps and doing something with a jar... that was about it.

So, here's the pretty unassuming jar... instant coffee granules if you're interested and - although it wasn't part of the plan to start with - I also ended up using one of these adorable little coffee milk bottles. These are two more that I have ready for altering - I forgot to take "befores" with the actual things... but wait til you see the after!

I started by giving the coffee jar a coat of Liquid Leaf in White Fire. I just love the transformative qualities of this stuff... looks pretty cool already, I think.
{Note from Leandra: We have ceased selling liquid leaf due to the recent Royal Mail restrictions on posting hazardous products within the UK, and similar international restrictions. However, this amazingly, fantastic, metallic solvent-paint continues to be manufactured in the UK, and is available from most fine Art Supply stores}

If you simply brush it on, you get a completely opaque, smooth as a mirror surface, but that wasn't going to suit my plans.

So I used the brush bristles to give it a slightly mottled surface. It levels out again as it dries, but it did retain some texture.

That mottling is really important, as it creates some places on the jar where light can come through, as you can see from the inside.

I wanted to see if I could create a kind of black and gold mercury glass effect, so I added some Little Black Dress Fresco paint to the surface, direct from the bottle.

I used some kitchen paper to smoosh it around.

And the same kitchen paper to knock it back until it looked about right.

Before going any further, I needed to know how much light would show through... so I popped a tea light candle inside to check. Can you see where I'm going with this?!

Well, a minimal glow... but with quite nice speckles of brighter light. But clearly, if I wanted a lantern worthy of the name, some of this surface would have to go in the long run.

But first, some stamping. I got out the fabulous cityscape from Lynne Perella Collection 012, and inked it up with Black Archival Ink.  I really didn't want to add anything else to get in the way of the candlelight, so stamping onto tissue paper wasn't an option.

LPC012

It was heart-in-mouth direct-to-jar stamping, so I decided to do partial inkings, rather than trying to wrap it all the way round in one go.

Not the best of images, but in this particular case, that didn't really matter - in fact, it was downright helpful... 

... because the next stage was to do some scratching! I used one of the Idea-ology Memo Pins, and started to re-define the details in the image. It became clear pretty quickly that it would be quite a "doodly" version!

And before I got too far, I thought I'd better check that it was actually going to work...

Now we're in business!  So I finished it off all the way round. There were places where I had to check the illustration from the packet, but in fact the dense black inking helps because it provides a better contrast for when the lantern is lit.

See what I mean!

Well, I thought I was pretty much done at this point, but it turned out my subconscious had decided that there was more to this.

I'd used the top of one of the little coffee milk bottles to try out the gold and black effect on, since I had plenty of them but only a couple of jars. Clearly Mr Mojo had decided it would be wasteful not to make use of it.

So, I covered the rest of the bottle with Liquid Leaf and did the black paint thing, whilst musing about what could be done with it. You're obviously not going to get a tea-light inside, but isn't that neck about the right size for a normal candle? A little narrow, it turns out, but definitely do-able...

Time to decorate a candle, then. And, while I was at it, I didn't want the lid of the jar to feel left out.  Turned upside-down, it's the right size to hold a thicker pillar candle. Time to decorate TWO candles, then!  Only one extra liquid ingredient needed for this - let's add Old Gold Fresco to the minimal supplies for this project.

I'm reluctant to own up to the other ingredient used at this point, for fear I'll be hunted down and held to ransom in order for people to get their hands on it. Yes... I still have some of the PaperArtsy Crackly Tissue Paper, and that's what I grabbed for the next stage.

I stamped the LP cityscape again, this time dabbing Old Gold onto the stamp with some Cut N Dry foam. I really didn't want too clear an image, so I put quite a lot of paint onto the stamp.  

It's perfectly possible to get fabulously clear stampings with Fresco paint, but what would be the point of my doodling in that case?!

I used a PITT pen for the doodling - again, using the image on the packet where things weren't clear enough on the stamping. What can I say - it's a loose interpretation!

I glued the tissue stampings onto my two candles with multi-medium, and added some curly black wire to each candle holder - Words and Pictures regulars will spot some more of my salvaged notebook wire bindings! I like how the scribbly wire echoes the scribbly doodling.

And the coffee jar lid has just been given a coat of Liquid Gold to tie it in with the rest. It's not the most dramatic of transformations, but I'm hoping people will be looking at the candle mainly. Now for some close ups .... are you ready??

I'll leave you with some pictures of them all in a nice festive setting (a lopped off fir branch lying on a railway sleeper where we park the car - very handy!).

And, of course, I need to show you how it works when candlelit. One of these is taken with the flash, and the others in the gathering dusk, which the camera decided was pitch black night!

So, a massively photo-heavy post, and very long too - but you're used to that from me by now, right?! Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll be able to join me again tomorrow for another Christmas-ish affair. Until the ..... Alison x

We do hope you can join in with Alison's techniques this week. you can link to your own blog, Pinterest or Flickr Pages, or any webpage that shows us what you have made in response to her posts this week. Just come back to the Sunday nigh winners post, and use the linking tool to show us your entry.

 

On Sunday 8th December  by noon (GMT) you need to have your link entered below, and you will go into one of 2 draws to win new stuff. 

Leandra Says: Wow your a regular little candle-factory-designer all by yourself Alison! Love the Liquid leaf through the glass, and the etching is inspired. Fabulous how you describe the process, and you have crackly! People could stalk you for that! ;)

Gillian Says: Oh la la .... the molten tones, textures and doodles are simply gorgeous. Love the added addition of the wire.The whole collection of Christmas inspired home decor ornaments look like they could be bought in a very high end store. Bravo Alison.

Challenged by Alison Bomber and Winners

Last week we had some wonderful projects from Jo Myhill. It was fun to see the wonderfully festive Advent calendar and whimsical house come to life, fantastic projects that can be used for many years to come. It was great to see how many of you were inspired by the dreamy,shabby chic heart canvas. 

Thanks to everyone who joined in and made projects alongside Jo.

1. And the winners are...

Random winner #1 from the First Challenge draw (every single entry linked, including multiple entries) is: Claire

 Congratulations, you have won a PaperArtsy A5 stamp of your choice. 

 Random winner #2 the winner from the Second Challenge draw, (only one entry per name)

 is: Karen.C

 Congratulations, you have won a PaperArtsy A5 stamp of your choice.

*Winners please get in touch with Darcy (darcydotneedles@hotmail.com) with your full  name,  address and choice of stamp plate. 

2. The week ahead...
Coming up in the week ahead we welcome back Guest Designer Alison Bomber. Let's see what she has been up to since we last saw her. 

Over on Alison's blog there are some gorgeous projects. This stunning winter canvas has so many delicious layers. One photo cannot do it justice, go over and see the whole project. 

Another recent favourite on Alison's blog is this journal page, what can I say other than just beautiful. 

Finally, Alison's process for transforming this bottle is mind blowing, who would have guessed that it started life as a bottle of balsamic vinegar!

Alison's first project will be up soon, so get comfy, we are in for a real treat as Alison does some festive upcycling. 

3. Challenged by....{Alison Bomber}
I do hope that you will find time to join in with Alison's techniques this week. You can link to your own blog, Pinterest or Flickr pages, or any webpage that shows us what you have made in response to her posts this week. Just come back to this page, and use the linking tool to show us your entry.
On Sunday 8th December  by noon (GMT) you need to have your link entered below, and you will go into one of 2 draws to win new stuff.

The first draw is for every single entry listed, so if you have multiple entries, you get entered multiple times. The second draw is only for one entry per name, and the winner of Draw 1 is not included in this second draw. Having 2 draws makes it fair for everyone, no matter how many times you can join in during the week.

As this challenge is to show how you have been inspired to action by this week's designer, make sure in your blog post you explain what prompted you to create.

Please don't feel you need to copy a designer's work, it may be one small aspect or idea that you want to explore that sends you into the creative zone. You are also welcome to use any stamps/ products / substrates you have to hand, we do not expect you to exclusively use PA products - but of course it is lovely when you do!

The winners are announced Sunday evenings in the 7pm blog post (as above). It is your responsibility to check back and see if you have won. If you are a winner, email Darcy darcydotneedles@hotmail.com with the name of the stamp you would like, and your snail address. We do not chase people for unclaimed prizes.

If we are away at an event, then the winners post would generally be updated by Monday evening with draw details.