2016 #17 Gelli Print ATCs{ by Alison Hall}

2016 Topic 17: Making Marks

Hi everyone Alison (Craftytrog) here. Tonight I'd like to share with you a post about using a variety of tools to make interesting marks on your Gelli Plate prints.

I adore my Gelli Plates! I have 3. I love the fact that you can never make the same background twice. I never throw anything away if I think it will make an interesting texture for a background. I used my Gelli Plate print with some PaperArtsy Ink & the Dog stamps to make some ATCs.

Step One: I've used a 10x8 inch Gelli Plate, and I began by adding small dots of Fresco Finish Paint in Blue Oyster, Smurf, China, Lavender, Wisteria, and Purple Rain.

Step Two: I used a brayer to roll out the paint, trying not to blend the colours too much.

Step Three: Here are the tools I used to make marks in the paint. There's bubble wrap, table protector, corrugated card, a piece of Lego, a small plastic tube, a wooden coffee stirrer, and some plastic aida.

I randomly used the tools all over the painted Gelli Plate until I had an all over abstract pattern.

Step Four: I used White Smoothy Stamping Card to take my print. As the sheet of card is larger than the Gelli Plate, I didn't just lay the card down. I pressed the card into the paint many times, until the whole sheet was covered. Below you can see two prints on the left that I made this way. On the top right is a ghost print that I made with the paint that was left on the Gelli Plate each time.

At the end, I brayered Snowflake Fresco Finish Paint onto the plate, then took a print, which removed all the tiny bits of blue and purple paint leftovers, and created the lovely muted print that you can see bottom right.

Step Five: I cut three ATC size pieces from one of my prints. They are each 3.5 x 2.5 inches. I used Jet Black Archival Ink to stamp the faces from Ink and the Dog 'Kids' Plate 6 onto White Smoothy Card. I also stamped the words background from 'Petals' Plate 1 three times onto White Smoothy Card and cut them out. I gathered some torn music sheet and gold paper trim to to use on my ATCs too.

 'Kids' Plate 6 

'Petals' Plate 1

Step Six: To assemble my ATCs, I first used a black pen to add some scribbly circles on the backgrounds. Next, I added a little background stamping with the numbers from 'Gentlemen' Plate 4. 

 'Gentlemen' Plate 4. 

I inked the edges of the cut out stamped words with Vintage Photo Distress Ink, cut out one of the faces, & glued this on top, then layered this with a piece of Vintage Photo inked music paper onto the ATC. 

I added some gold paper trim, stamped a phrase from 'Gentlemen' Plate 4, inked the edges of the ATC with Vintage Photo, then matted it onto black card to finish.

I had so much fun making my ATCs, that I made a little bonus one!

To finish, I stamped the Ink and the Dog ATC mini 21 onto the lighter Gelli Plate print four times, cut them out and attached them to the back of my ATCs. After adding my details, they're all ready to swap!

 Ink and the Dog  mini 21

There are so many things you could use to make marks on your Gelli prints, have a look around to see what you can find. Just don't use anything sharp that will permanently mark your plate! Lace, bottle caps, corks, string, and fancy yarn are some other things you could use. The sky's your limit! I hope I've inspired you today. Anyone up for an ATC swap?!

Alison x

Blog: craftytrog's inky adventures

Facebook : Alison Hall

Twitter: @craftytrog

Fabulous Alison, I think Gelli plates and mark making go so well together. The unpredictability is so exciting and the bold blackness of Ink and the Dog stamps adds so much punch on top of those backgrounds. ~Darcy

We would love to see how you interpret this Making Marks topic by linking what you make to our 2016 Challenge #17: Making Marks, on this page HERE

All of our bloggers love to see your twist on their ideas, particularly if you were inspired directly by their post.

All links go in the draw to win a £50 voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. The Making Marks link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, Sept 18th 2016. The winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

NEW PA PRODUCTS {by jo Firth-Young}

Hi Everyone, Leandra here with more stamps by {JoFY}...

We all love a bit of JoFY on our Christmas card, and this year we have another 2 sets that will fit the theme very nicely!

So lets take a closer look at the actual stamps...

I'll hand over now to Jo who will introduce her new products, and share with you a few ideas. Enjoy and don't forget to leave us your comments!

~ Leandra

Hi, or should I say 'ho ho ho!'.  Jo here to show you my newest stamps designed for PaperArtsy.... and brace yourselves - we're going to talk about Christmas, which according to the perky little app on my phone is 106 days away!

I am so happy with this Christmas release!  Lets start with JOFY47 and following on from last year's bauble filled cloche, I designed a cake stand stacked with lovely baubles.  On this plate there is also a really versatile parcel which can be used for all sorts of celebrations, a long with a festive tag.

I like to try and bring you a snowman each year and JOFY48 features a snowy friend who has obviously been watching the Olympic gymnasts and is inspired to try a head stand.... also on this plate is a great snowflake background - I'm going to be using that A LOT!  

Project One: {Christmas Block}

Tonight we start with a project created on a wood block (10x21cm) featuring the cake stand from JOFY47. I love love love this image (shush, don't tell the other stamps, but I think this might be my favourite stamp this year! this and the snowflake background!)  

Step 1: background

This block is relatively simple to create:

• paint block all over with Chalk Fresco Finish Paint.
• Stamp the cake stand (using Archival Jet Black ink). Dry
• Mask off the cake stand, use Antarctic Paint to stamp the snowflake background twice down the block, stopping just above the base of the cake-stand.

Step 2: The cake stand

Choice 2-3 Fresco Finish colours and paint the baubles on the cakestand. I find it best to use opaque colours to do this - remembering that translucent colours are useful to add shading.  

Colours used: 

Cake-stand: Slate/Concrete, 

Candle: Buff (NB. my original 'Buff' paint is now available in Seth Apter's paint set coming soon to your fave retailer!)

Baubles: Bougainvillea, Zucchini, Caribbean Sea - all these colours were mixed with Snowflake to make lighter tones

Garland: Pearl Glaze

Bauble caps: White Fire

Step 3: Additional Elements:

Hanging stars were stamped 4 times, at different heights and coloured with White Fire.  'Christmas' was stamped in Archival Black and painted with White Fire.  This stamp is from JOFY40.

Extra Notes: This design could easily be used on a greeting card.

Project Two: {Greeting card}

Cards are particularly popular at this time of year and I've designed several, one of which is very simple yet effective. 

Step 1: Main image

Stamp the cake-stand centrally on the card blank.  I've used a 12.5 x 12.5cm card.  Add white highlights (sigma gel pen) where you like - you could also use a metallic pen, but I like the simplicity of just using 2 colours:kraft and white.... keeping it minimal. Great for last minute cards.

Extra Notes: You could make this card more complex by matting and laying with coloured/pattered card and papers.

Project Three: {Snowflakes greeting cards}

The snowflake background from JOFY48 is going to be so useful - its detailed enough to stand on its own but open enough to be used as a background, and so I've created 3 cards to show this.  All 3 cards have the hinge at the top.

These two cards use the snowflakes as a main pattern/feature.

Card 1: Let it snow (10x15cm kraft card)

• Stamp the snowflakes onto Smoothy card using Versamark ink, add embossing powder and heat set (I've used Stampendous Kaleidoscope powder - it has a lovely sparkle - well, it is Christmas - there has to be sparkle somewhere! lol)
• Blend Mermaid Lagoon, Cracked Pistachio and Peacock Feather Distress Inks over the surface. Leave to dry - don't dry with a heat gun or you will melt the embossing powder again. Buff the inks off the snowflakes. Draw around the panel with a black pen.
• I've removed the colour from the inside of the snowflakes by painting them with slighty diluted bleach. Use with caution.
• Stamp 'let it snow' onto a pennant shaped piece of card. Colour with Cracked Pistachio and Peacock feather Distress Inks.
• Attach to card blank with double sided tape, add in the sentiment pennant on top.
• Add self adhesive gems to the centre of snowflakes.

Card 2: Let it snow (10 x 15cm white card)

• Ombre paint a panel of Smoothy card with shades of pink Fresco Finish paints (Sherbet, Coral, Bougainvillea).  Set aside to dry.
• Stamp 'let it snow' onto a piece of white card. Paint with Metallic Glaze.  Set aside to dry.
• Use Metallic Glaze to stamp over the entire surface of the greeting card blank. Set aside to dry.
• Using Archival Black stamp the snowflakes over the entire ombre panel. Dry.
• Paint the detail of the larger snowflakes with Metallic Glaze.  Add additional detail with white gel pen, and self adhesive gems to centres of snowflakes.
• Cut up the 'let is snow' sentiment and add to the card as shown above.

Card 3: The Gift (10 x 10cm kraft card)

This card uses the snowflake stamp as a background to the parcel/gift from the same plate.

• Stamp the snowflakes (Archival Black) on the greeting card blank. Set aside.
• Stamp the parcel (Archival Black) twice - onto different coloured/patterned papers. I used christmas papers from my stash (great card to use up papers). Cut the parcel from one paper and the bow from the other. Match up the images and attach.
• Stamp and cut out a tag. Attach to the parcel with string.
• Attach parcel to card blank with 3d foam.

Extra Notes: Over on my blog this evening I have another showing how you can use this parcel/gift stamp for other occasions.

Project Four: {Snowman Panel}

The JOFY snowman this year is quite traditional.... He just happens to be standing on his head.  I've teamed images from JOFY48 with 'NOEL' from JOFY39 - I think they work really well together.
The wood block measures 10 x 20cm.

Step 1: Background

• Paint the surface of the wood block with Baltic Blue and Midnight Fresco paints (new colour from the Seth Apter limited edition box set), blending top to bottom. Dry.
• Paint a 4cm deep band of Snowflake paint across the bottom edge of the block to represent the ground. Dry.
• Stamp the snowman so he is on top of the white ground (see above). Stamp the snowman image (including his hat) onto scrap paper to create a mask and cut out.
• Mask off the snowman. Use Antarctic and stamp snowflakes over the entire panel, stopping at the white ground. Dry.
• Paint the snowman: Arms: Taupe, Leaves and Buttons: Zucchini. Hat and scarf: Cherry Blossom as a base layer followed by a top coat of Cherry Red (this helps to block out the blue background, giving a truer red).  Snowman: Snowflake with shading created with Taupe and Concrete mix,  Carrot: Banana and Cherry Red mix.
• Use Archival black to stamp 'let it snow' in the top third of the panel.  Paint inside the letters using Snowflake, and when dry, paint over with Metallic Glaze.
• Across the white ground add hints of texture to the snow with a mix of Taupe (lightened with Snowflake) and Metallic Glaze.
• Stamp the word Noel in Archival black and paint the letters with Taupe, with a top coat of Metallic Glaze.  Stars are painted with White Fire and the dots with Cherry Red.

Add highlights to snowflakes using Metallic Glaze.

I had a lot of fun creating these projects - I hope they inspired you to brush off any 'bah humbugs' and get started with Christmas preparations and crafting.

I look forward to seeing what you create with these festive sets.

Jo

Jo's upcoming teaching gigs...

Keep on Crafting: www.keeponcrafting.co.uk
That's Crafty: Romford, Essex  www.thatscrafty.co.uk
Birds in the Barn: Marks Tey, Essex

You can find Jo on...

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JoFY.JoFirthYoung

Twitter: @JoFYjo

Instagram: JoFYjo

Blog: www.jofirthyoung.blogspot.com

Lovely to see another amazing Christmas release from Jo! I know you adore using her stamps, especially when you have to tackle the long Christmas list, they can be used minimalist and simple or detailed depending on how much time you have to make them!

All these stamps are available now from your favourite PaperArtsy stockist, as you know,  we urge you to support your local independent retailer.

Below is a list of the retailers who have already got these new releases in stock ready for you to buy NOW!

Enjoy!

~Leandra 

PaperArtsy Stockists around the world with our newest stamps are....

United Kingdom

Artist Trading Post, Powys, Wales.

Artworks, Nottingham.

BellaCrafts, Eastleigh, Hampshire.

Birds in the Barn, Marks Tey, Essex.

Blade Rubber Stamps, Bloomsbury, London.

Clacton Arts and Crafts, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.

Countryview Crafts, Potton, Bedfordshire.

Craftylicious, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Crafty Ideas, Studly, Warwickshire.

Keep On Crafting, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Loobi Crafts, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.

Out of the Blue, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol.

Papermaze, Ipswich, Suffolk.

Rowantree Crafts, Carnforth, Lancashire.

Simply Craft, South Glamorgan, Wales.

Stampers Grove, Edinburgh.

That's Crafty, Romford, Essex.

The Artistic Stamper, Faversham, Kent.

The Craft Barn, Merstham, Surrey.

The Craft Den, March, Cambridgshire.

The Forget Me Not Kraft Kabin, Hockley, Essex.

Continental Europe

Expression-Hobby, Marcinelle, Belgium.

Kerudoc Creations, St Yvi, France

Toutencolle, Dun Sur Auron, France.

Stempelfee-Shop, Hilden, Germany.

Stempeloase Munich, Munich, Germany.

Marte, Savona, Italy

Creafine, Papendrecht, Netherlands.

Bianca's Toko, Drenthe, Netherlands.

Hobbycompleet de Duif, Leeuwarden, Netherlands.

Leuke Stempels, Nijverdal, Netherlands.

Cien por cien Manualidades, S.L, Barcelona, Spain

Manu Tam, Madrid, Spain.

Big Time Stempel, Gockhaisen, Switzerland.

USA/ Canada

Artistic Studio Creations, Fayetteville, Georgia.

Frantic Stamper Inc, Eagle Point, Oregon.

Kept Creations, Whitman, Massachusetts.

Scrap and Bean, Alberta, Canada. 

Simon Says Stamp, Columbus, Ohio.

Vintage in KC, Johnson, Kansas.

UAE

Paper Lane, Dubai, UAE.

Asia/ Pacific/ Africa

Tiny Dots, Chiba, Japan.

Mandy's Cards, Taipei, Taiwan

Crafters Cupboard Pty Ltd,Berwick, Victoria, Australia.

Scrapbook Studio, Jeffreys Bay, South Africa.

Stencil Art, Gauteng, South Africa.

2016 #17 Mosaic Marks {by Roxanne Coble}

2016 Topic 17: Making Marks

Oh hi there! Roxanne Coble here, or you may also know me online as ‘Bun’ (from my blog and website ‘By Bun’). I’m coming to you with a post about making mosaic-inspired marks on vintage photographs. 

We mixed media folks always have our stash of found or vintage photographs, and it’s easy to just throw them into our art journal or project as is. These photos however, can really be their own unique art supply… 

Now that doesn’t mean it needs to be complicated! It’s all about makin’ marks and properly layering your paint. I’m going to share with you a paint layering technique to give your photos more color, visual interest, and even help to inspire your completed project or art journal page! 

Step One: To kick things off, I first want to create a bit of a base coat, while also outlining the imagery in my photo. Using the Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics (in the shade ‘Chalk’), I’m going to paint around my image creating a large oval or circle shape. 

Step Two: Once my main oval is created, I can then come in with a wet brush (in the same shade) and gently feather the paint out. This will help to create a bit of a transition, while still giving you a light base coat of color for our upcoming layers. 

Step Three: With my base coat complete, I can start to fuse in some color into my background. Begin by selecting a translucent paint shade. For this one, I’m using a Fresco Finish Metallic Acrylic in ‘White Fire’ – which adds a cool look to my background. Simply add in that additional translucent layer of paint on top of your oval. 

Step Four: When my background is dry, I now want to select three opaque shades of Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics that are analogous (meaning, they are similar in color family and sit next to each other on a color wheel). For this sample, I’m using three of my favourite opaque shades: ‘Baltic Blue’, ‘Guacamole’, and ‘Turquoise’. 

With my analogous colors selected, I can now make simple marks around my imagery and on top of my backdrop.

Don’t overthink this! It can be simple blobs, geometric shapes, or small brush strokes to achieve this mosaic look. Start with your darkest shade and begin to fill in your background.

Continue to fill in empty spaces while working your way to your third and lightest color.

Step Five: Once you have laid in all three colors, you’re left with a detailed background that you can leave as is, outline in pen, or detail with an additional paint line (as I did on the left photo using the Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics in ‘Pansy’). 

What’s great about these altered photos now, is that they are unique pieces of ephemera that you can pass onto someone else, or put right into your mixed media project. The mosaic look you’ve added can also be extended into your journal page or project, as seen in the below art journal spread. 

I was drawn to this photograph of a little girl and her dog almost immediately (probably because I myself am a crazy dog lady, haha!). In adding the ‘mosaic’ around her, I am creating more options for myself when I go to put her into my journal. Using the same paint colors and layering technique, I was able to extend the pattern right into my journal spread. Rather than a floating photo in my composition, she’s now really visually embedded into my page

So now’s is the time to dig through that stash of photos lying around or piled high in a box…and get to painting! It’s easy to want to leave vintage photos ‘as is’ when doing mixed media work, but this mosaic technique is a great way to kick things up a notch. I live by a ‘more is more’ philosophy when creating, so the more you can jam pack into your artwork - the better! 

xo Roxanne Coble (a.k.a. BUN) 

Blog/Website: bybun

Instagram: bybun

YouTube: by bun

Facebook: bybun

Thanks for joining us this evening Roxanne, your work is inspirational and full of fun techniques. I find myself staring at your page, exploring and peeking through the layers, there are so many little meandering paths to follow. ~Darcy

We would love to see how you interpret this Making Marks topic by linking what you make to our 2016 Challenge #17: Making Marks, on this page HERE.

All of our bloggers love to see your twist on their ideas,  particularly if you were inspired directly by their post. 

All links go in the draw to win a £50 voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. The Making Marks link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, Sept 18th 2016. The winner will be announced 2  hours later at 19:00.