Double Mixed Media Journal page

Morning Friends and Crafters, the project I am sharing with you today is all about layering, it was really fun to do. Lots of stamping with all sorts of items, adding texture and lots of different layers to give the pages a real feel of dimension. The Funky Tree from Leonie makes another appearance as do some of the other stamps from her collections, as well as some statement stamps from AllandCreate. There's lots of colour used in this one from Indigoblu, Amsterdam Acrylics & Eco Green.

You will need: 

Craftascope 'Trent' A5 Media Stencil

Craftascope 'Profile' & 'Dolphin' A5 Media Stamp Collections 1 & 2

AALL&Create stamp selection

Leonie Pujol Stamps Selection, including Funky Tree.

Selection of Texture Stamps

Eco Green Acrylics

Amsterdam Acrylics

Indigoblu Acrylics

Gelly Roll Pens

Friendly Plastic

Pebeo Silver Gilding Wax

Selection of Rice Papers

Versafine Black Ink

Small, Medium and Large Bubble Wrap

Selection of lids (Different Sizes)

Brayer

White & Black Gesso

Round Epiphany Tool and Acrylic Cap or glossy accents

Step 1: HAVE FUN!!! Choose a selection of colours you like, here I've used Eco Acrylics in Blueberry, Mulberry, Light Blue and White. Add blobs across the pages and using an old store card or card, fingers or some sort of spreading tool, create swirls, spread out to make lovely patterns. On your glass mat, mix Blueberry with a little amount of black to deepen the colour. Dip your lids in this to create a series of circles around your pages in different sizes. Use a brush to give an edge to your page coming in from the edges in a sweeping motion to create some sort of frames project, (See Photo)

Step 2: Using the same colour as used for the background, now stamp with some texture stamps to add more depth. Take a contrasting colour and a brush to add a rough panel and some crosses or marks on your pages, this keeps the pages united. Deepen the colour a little either using some of the deeper Amsterdam Acrylic Green or a black and soften the lines a little. Don't worry if you go over some of the circles.

Step 3: Add some Indigoblu Townhouse Teal, which really contrasts with the lime green. Use this with the texture stamps as well, to really add to those layers.

Step 4: Take some medium Bubble wrap with the mulberry and blueberry, use a brayer to smooth colour onto the wrap and stamp on your pages one colour at a time. Use the 2nd generation of paint to to really let the underneath show through.

Step 5: Use the small bubble wrap now, in the same way as before but this time with the lighter blue.

Step 6: Take a stencil with even smaller circles and to add a touch of brightness and drama use the oranges from the Amsterdam Acrylics, they really let the background come through but give a lovely look too and give the pages a kick.

Step 7: Now for adding even more interest and layers to the page, this time with some rice paper, This still allows the background to show through slightly too which is great for more depth. Once dry use the bubble wrap and the same colors as before to soften and blend the edges.

Step 8: Next for some stamping, once the last layer is dry of course. Choose a selection that you like, here I have used allandcreate on both pages as a focal image and as a page edger along with some of Leonie's stamps, you really want to arrange your stamped images to draw the eye in and keep it on the page to see and take in all the details, rather than wonder off.

Step 9: Now fill most of the circles with white Gesso, this will make the colours in them pop more later and seem more vibrant. Leave a few that show off the wonderful background patterns made earlier. A little bit like windows.

Step 10: Try to use colours that you have used before to fill the circles, this keeps the page unified and stops it jarring. Once these are dry add some of the inspirational words and phrases, make up your own too by mixing the stamps, like I have here and shortening them for a totally different word. I've used Leonie's scribbled circles stamped on the page and coloured with gelly roll pens. I have stamped into friendly plastic with words and rubbed them over with silver gilding wax. Use a white gel pen to add detail around some of the circles. Finally when dry add 'Trent', position the stencil and ink through with Versafine Black ink.

Step 11: On a separate piece of card use your brayer and a couple of colours used in the pages to make a background.

Step 12: Stamp one of the small sentiments onto it and use the Epiphany tool and resin cap to make the cabochon. You could do this with a basic die and add glossy accents if you dont have the tool.

Step 13: Add this resin piece to one of the smaller circles on your page. In another stamp the profile stamp a couple of times. Use some inspiring words in some and some part stencils in some others, again to keep the pages unified and harmonious.

Step 14: To finish your piece add some highlights to your pages using a white gel pen.

Just a little extra here: If you have not shopped with Hochanda before, here is a voucher code giving you 30% off your first purchase (FEY5JBP7) it can be used for any purchase, feel free to share it.

My Collection is still available from Hochanda and they have kept the generous discounts and Flexi but I know there isn't a great deal left. I doubt I can restock due to minimums orders. 

It is also available on my Craftascope Etsy Shop, while there is stock available after my Hochanda Show.

As you know I love writing my blog and helping as much as I can, well I would really love for you to add you support by adding me as a favourite blog. All you need to do in that section is choose other and add my blog address nickinbarnsley.blogspot It would be great to get a mention even if I dont come anywhere.

Here is the link to add your support for all of the categories. 
https://www.britishcraftawards.com/

I do hope you have enjoyed the tutorial along with the finished pages I have shared with you today, Maybe you will have a go yourself, It would be great to see what you do with my collection. I hope you will pop by soon to see what I have to share with you. For now Take care and Happy Crafting.xxx

Aurora Borealis

Hi, I am sharing the design I produced for the AALL and CREATE Challenge 5, The Americas. This has been inspired by my time in Alaska, such a wonderful place, with it's many different facets. While there I was lucky enough to see the Northern Lights. What I saw, will never be forgotten, it was truly magical. I wanted to capture the dancing lights in this artwork, using shades of green and yellow as well as put across the wow I felt at the time.

I wanted to include photos in my project, so after positioning them, I added my elements. The boxes would have the letters inside 'Alaska'. I also added the outline map of Alaska.

Next I added the letters using my mixed font stamp set from Clarity.

Using a ruler and a black Copic multiliner, I added lines to a selected point, to give the illusion that these were shooting from the page, this would be my extra large format feature.

I created a frame around the page, which would remain white on completion. Using Pebeo Drawing Gum I masked each element on the page.

I had a final mock up with the photos I had selected to work out my next steps.

I started with a landscape, using Blueprint Sketch, Chipped Sapphire and Black soot. This would have to be a lot darker than normal in order to achieve the results I wanted.

On the left hand side of my piece, I added splats of Drawing Gum to the mountain tops to suggest snow, before adding the mountains with distress inks. The colour here was lighter than the hills as I was stamping trees later and wanted it to appear as if light from the Aurora was shining from behind them.

Next I started the task of creating the 'Northern Lights', I had practiced multiple times to try to get the dancing effect rather than flat colour with many types of media. Eventually I chose to use Distress inks with shades of green, also adding blues and yellows, which gave further shades of green where they mixed.

I then started building up the dark sky behind, carefully trying to keep the ghostly effect, bringing the sky to life, as if it were dancing across the sky.

I then removed all of the drawing gum carefully.

Using alcohol markers I coloured my design. The outline of the map of Alaska was deeper, as I was covering that later. I also decided to leave the letterboxes white, so as not to detract from the sky.

Using Cosmic Shimmer glue, I covered Alaska with 'Ice Diamond' a Crushes Glass product, giving a frosty and sparkling appearance while allowing the colour to shine through.

Here is my finished piece.

Thank you ever so much for popping by to see my post today. I hope you like the finished piece, the photos along with the step by step. Take care and Happy Crafting.

Celebrate Diversity

Hi everyone, Something new from me today, a craft that I have never tried before, I have really enjoyed it, so I can see that it might become an addiction. Here is my entry for the AALL  and CREATE Grand Finale, The World. As it's all about Celebrating Diversity, my thought was- why not wear it? Designing a tee shirt is something new to me, let along getting that design onto a wearable item. It's been such an enjoyable journey, taking part, so really wanted to leave my comfort zone.

To colour the base design, along with all the other elements I used the Colourist heat transfer paints. The entry and no entry signs will make more sense later.

I cut out my design (Mirror Image) to avoid an other marks being transferred to my project.

It was then placed face down and pressed with a very hot iron.

It was very exciting to uncover it, to see the result, I was very pleased.

On copier paper, I prepared the elements I wanted to use in the background, I used a selection of stencils and bubble wrap.These were set aside to dry.

The tricky part  was preparing all the words I wanted for the design. Each of them had to be done in reverse. It's a lot harder than you might think. I printed them off and used a light box to write them. The main circular design was to contain 'Celebrate Diversity' which I positioned within the circle. It was my way of symbolising connections.

Next using the same technique, I wrote the other words I needed. The positive words were placed within the arm containing the 'Entry' sign symbolising that these actions are acceptable. On the other hand the unacceptable action were added with the 'No Entry' sign.

Next, I built up my background layer by layer, using a mask from copier paper to keep the 'White Space' I ripped the elements I had created to ensure no hard lines. Layering from my lightest colour yellow, teal violet etc. It's a lot easier in papercraft, but thoroughly enjoyable.

This is my finished design. I didn't add any hole as in the brief as the garment has 4 holes already, neck,bottom and the two sleeves. 

I am quite sad that these challenges have now come to an end, It's been a great experience and it's been wonderful seeing all of the entries and the different takes on each challenge. I hope you like what I have done and the steps I have shared. Good luck to all.

An African Mystery

Hi. I have another big project for you today, in fact the largest piece I have done to date about 60 x 40cm. It's my piece for the All-and-Create Africa Challenge No4. The first idea was an African landscape, which evolved as a result of research, elements I wanted to create and a story. There are a lot of elements all of which, tell just one version of a mans journey. So what's the story surrounding this mans life? Was he part of the Trans-Saharan gold trade, providing gold to the Mediterranean economies that demanded it. The man was unearthed at the foothills near to the Sahara Desert. Among his possessions were some trade beads, traced back to Ghana, threaded onto copper wire. Whats your version of his story?  

To start with I created his face using a polystyrene head and allginate. This was filled with plaster, I made the mould to one side rather than face on.

The face was secured to my board. Then using polystyrene, I created the high and low points to start the land.

Using Ivory Powertex and Calico I began building the landscape, creating Mountains,hills,valleys and delta's.

The next layer was sand to create the ground, here i used a selection of fine and medium sand. Then added more layers of a texture paste in certain areas which gives another interesting texture, completely different to the sand.

To add pictorial interest to my piece and tie in with the story and theme, I create a landscape within a map of Africa. I made a stencil with copier paper and then used distress inks.

Then it was back to the main piece, building up various layers of colour from pale creams, yellows through to oranges and reds, leaving each to dry before moving on to the next. 

The final stage of the landscape was to create even more dimension, texture and colour. I decided to use rust, with it's lovely rich but sometimes unpredictable colours, which was scary. I went back to this many times with vinegar, brushing and moving it around to get the effect I wanted. Here is a photo of part of the process. It's looking a little disastrous and close to going in the bin.I was constantly worrying, wondering whether all the work so far had been wasted.

This project was a great learning process for me. I had loved geography and studied (minimally) parts of Africa in secondary school. This time round I read about the trading beads and found photos of some from Ghana. I wanted to make some and include them as an element in the finished piece. First I rolled out some paper clay into thin sausages and left to dry.

Next, I painted them with matt black gesso.

I then painted the 3 thin lines with yellow ochre.

To add the design, I used a white 4Artist marker from Pebeo.

Colouring the face came next, I had already built up the colour as I did the landscape, but now needed to tie it in with the background, I used layers of burnt umber, black and reds, distressing these as I went to get the finished result.

The first layer of rust was finally finished, I was extremely happy with the effect and wonderful colours it had given.

I layered up my pictorial element onto black card, drew in a double black line to create a frame and stamped using a mixed font from Clarity.

Meanwhile I added more rust and texture around the face to ensure it appeared as part of the landscape rather than just stuck in.I wanted it too look like it was coming 'OUT OF AFRICA'

Thank you for stopping by today and taking a look at this project. I hope you like all of the photos, the close ups really show the detail off, much of which is impossible to see without seeing it in real life. Take care and Happy Crafting.