bathroom pictures part 1.

Hi

This last week I have given the bathrooms a fresh coat of paint, new towels and loo seats. It feels all fresh and lovely. It does need some new pictures though and I felt that I should be able to create some.

So here are they are

 I covered the canvas with gesso and then used texture paste through a button stencil. I then painted the canvas and some tiles. When dry I used a stamp I bought in France at the Paris scrap festival. I used antiquing cream and distress ink to add finishing touches.

This canvas was done in the same way but in different colours of course. These are for the family bathroom. When I have finished those for the ensuite I will show you them.

Hope you like.

Craft Barn mini album challenge

Hi

This week the challenge is to make a mini album. It can be of any sort or colour. For ages I have been meaning to do a mini tin album so here it is.

I used a tin that had anti snore mints in it. I covered it in gesso and then orange paint. It was a bit in your face so I added some distressing ink. Next was the inside, this was made with ribbon and card. I have lots of cream small off cuts that were just right for this. (I never throw anything away). I decorated using gelli prints from the other week and photos from Hillier Gardens. There was the most gorgeous friendly robin that came right up close. Of course I took a lot of photos. I have put in a couple of snowdrops and daffodils photos as well. On the back I wrote out a poem all about a Robin Redbreast.

 

February is red and hearts

Craft barn calendar for February challenge is red and hearts. I like romance as much as the next girl, but I am not the tradional red roses type although Nigel ( long suffering craft husband) can always get me daffs and chocolates. So what to do for the challenge? I came up with the Queen of Hearts and went with something that I hope you think is a little different from the traditional valentines.

I painted on a wash in a quinacridone magenta and violet. Then added some diamonds in gesso and when dry went over with another thin wash to take the white glare off. It was then time for hearts which are texture paste mixed with black gesso though a hand made stencil. I added some treasure gold and red distress ink to finish. The queen was stamped on red and I cut out and decorated a crown and embellished with a skull.  I kept the calendar simple again and black inked around the hearts and crown. I then noticed by chance I had the word heart on the crown what luck!

 Hope you like.

Masks, stencils and turps.

The second post of the day.
So this was done with one of my darker gelli plate backgrounds - the one one the right.

1. I sealed the background using gel medium.
2. When dry I painted over with distress paint. It needed two coats.
3. I put on the stencil of the lady and with turps on a cotton wool bud rubbed off the paint. Be careful not to rub too hard as the turps will go through all layers of paint.
4. I half outlined the picture and added the word fashion

I now stink of turps but I am pleased with the result.

Gelli plate, stencils and masks.

Hi

I decided it was time to use a certain piece of equipment that has been gathering dust - my gelli plate. Over the last few months it has been featured in various magazines and the time had come to tackle it again. Following the various instructions and trial and error I am beginning to build up a background, getting colours and shapes in some sort of order and not ending up with mush.

I found contrasting dark colours worked well.

Pastels not so much. A bit insipid.

Big bold stencils worked well

Flowers not so. (the top one)

Masks were good fun but had to really think about what colour would be on top and which showing through.

This was the best flower one.

It was great fun messing about and trying different things. I need to do more of this and just worry about producing a finished article.

Craft Barn Calendar Challange

This year the Craft Barn are running two challenges. It will be interesting to see if I can keep up with both!

So the calendar challenge and January, and the words are aqua and snowflakes. I have decided to make a perpetual calendar and have the frame work already for this from a calender I made about 4/5 years ago. So off came all the original art work and on with new.

I decided on snow drops as the are perfect for the theme and always give me the feeling spring is just around the corner. I used colour bloom on water colour paper for the background and then put on a snow flake mask and gave it another spray. With a stencil I used gesso to give a little texture.

I cut small strips of green satin for the petals (the camera has not picked up the colour well- sorry) and used tissue paper for the flowers. I over sewed the the top part of the flower to bulbous bit where flower and stalk join. Finally I added beads to give it a sparkly look and add the green at the tip of each petal, a bit of lace and label of the flower and I have finished. The calender part I kept simple.

I am going to enjoy this challenge I think. Hope you like.

A New Year

At last I am writing my first blog of the year. I always get a bit crafted out at this time of year. I think it is a month of Christmas, Christmas, Christmas and then everything feels flat.

So I have made myself a Journal of 60 plus pages to write thoughts and ideas as the year goes on. That's just over one a week which is great as some weeks I will have none and others a couple. I have have only include 4 black pages, so, only 4 dark thoughts allowed this year.

This is the front cover.

I will try to stay away from looking back!

Tea and wine to very important drinks.