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.

Craft Barn Challenge Heart and or Risk.

Being Christmas it was easy to choose lyrics. One of my favourite carols is In The Bleak Mid Winter.
The last verse being:
What shall I give him poor as I am
If I were a shepherd I would give a lamb,
If I were wise man I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give him, give my heart.

It says a lot about what Christmas should be, not a glut of shopping and presents but time spent with the ones you love.

I made a 'mid winter' background and stamped with trees. In the middle I practiced some zen doodling to produce the stable and star. I tried to make the writing bigger as it came down the page. I apologise for the error. I always want to put the shepherd before the wise men.

Craft Barn Challenge journey and/or friendship

For this challenge I chose the word journey and a quote from The Incredible String Band's song Ducks on a Pond. Lyrics and video can be found here http://www.metrolyrics.com/ducks-on-a-pond-lyrics-incredible-string-band.html  and here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvVNcttXoX8

The lyrics are odd to say the least but I do love the band. The 1st verse is:

Ducks on a pond, ducks on a pond
Very pretty swimming round
The lion and the unicorn journey very far
The answers are the question, sir
The lady soothes the lion's fur
Meek as a lamb he follows her
Wherever angels are
Sing me something

I printed out a picture of a lion and unicorn that I felt suited the 'mystical' air of the song, then spritzed and stamped a back ground. One of the bands album covers had 60's bubble writing around a picture so I thought I would do the same...one problem I cant do bubble writing! So this is my take on it. I then added a border with twiddly bits. This has got be me to listening to album ( Wee Tam) while checking out other peoples entries.

Hope you like.

Craft Barn Challenge moon and/or sensation

Well quick off the mark this time although, once I saw moon I knew exactly the song I wanted to do. I may have mentioned I like Pink Floyd and have already used two of their songs. This time I am using Eclipse from The Dark Side of the Moon. The last line is:

'Everything under the sun is in tune but the sun is eclipsed by the moon'

I painted the page with paynes grey acrylic paint. I then cut out a template of the moon and used pastels to create an aura around the moon. When I lifted the template off I gave another coat of paynes grey to the moon bit as the pastels smudged a little. This made it really black and standout against the rest of the page. Finally I wrote all of the songs lyrics down the side in white gel pen in as small writing as I could.

I am well pleased with the result.

Craft Barn challenge: Nowhere and/or Hug.

Hi

Only just got in with this challenge. Been a long week at work even if it was only a four day week.
So, I have chosen nowhere and the fabulous lyrics of the song 'Tragedy' by the Bee Gees and also sung by Steps - a favourite group of my daughter when she was younger. Probably still is if the truth were known!

Tragedy
When the feeling's gone and you can't go on
It's tragedy
When the morning cries and you don't know why
It's hard to bear
With no one to love you you're going nowhere

I decided to use my silhouette stencils and create a background of anonymous bodies and one more distinct on it's own. So out came the dylusions and off I went. Not quite how I imagined it but, I am still pleased with the result.