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

Tough Tag

Morning Friends and Crafters. I had such a wonderful time at Hochanda. It was such a great show, Matt made me feel as relaxed as possible. The whole team at Hochanda made me feel right at home, very welcome and did everything they could to make it perfect. The set was staged to perfection, I met 'Magic Hands' in real life, I didn't even know they were attached to a person,lol Today, I thought I would share a tutorial for one of the show demos.

You will Need: 

Craftascope 'Trent' A5 Media Stencil

Craftascope 'Profile' A5 Media Stamp Collection 2

Eco Green Acrylic Paint Mulch and Clamshell or Similar  (Cream and Beige)

Brayer

Glass Mat or Gel Printing Plate 8 x 10''

8 x 4'' Tag

Crafters Companion Spray n Shine

Basic Rectangle Die (Approx 4 x 3'')

Mermaid Lagoon Distress Ink

Versafine Black Ink

Black Fine Liner

White Gel or Posca Pen

Black Card

Step 1: Create the background. Use a Brayer to spread a little of one colour onto your matt or plate. Scrunch up some copier paper and remove some of the colour to create a pattern. The add your tag face down and smooth the back, peel away to lift the print. Do this with your second colour, you really dont need much paint for this at all, leave to dry. Cut your rectangle from copier paper, keep both parts. Spray with a little Stick n Spray and position onto your tag.

Step 2: Use a smoothie or similar to add the Distress Ink  all over the tag. The colour will highlight the texture from the acrylic resist. Rub over with a clean cloth or kitchen roll to remove any excess ink.

Step 3: Carefully position the outer rectangle and remove the inner. Next position the stencil and ink through with the black ink. Leave this to dry for 10 to 15 minutes to avoid any smudges.

Step 4: Remove the stencil to reveal.

Step 5: Remove the outer rectangle, make sure its dry, then remove any excess adhesive with a kitchen roll or similar.

Step 6: Use your black fine liner to add a deckled edge around the rectangle, highlighting the image.

Step 7: Mount your tag onto Black card, Stamp your words onto white card and cut them out individually. Rather than mount these, take your black and white pens and add some detail around them. The tag is now complete, it's great on it's own but would also look great added to a card or other project.

If you would like to get your hands of the last few of my collection they are only available at Hochanda or via my Etsy site, a link is at the top of my blog (CRAFTSCOPE ETSY SHOP).

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.

Thank you ever so much for joining me today. I do hope you have enjoyed the tutorial along with the finished project I have shared. I hope you will join me again very soon to see what else I have to share. For now Take care and Happy Crafting.xxx

Fairy House

Morning all, Today I am Excited to be sharing a Fairy House that I made. It's not a quick make, but it's well worth the effort and you could also make it with clay, I liked the idea of recycling. 

To begin with, I painted a piece of cardboard, using a selection of paints (see photo). This wants to resemble weathered wood, that would have been on the roof for years, leave to dry.

Then create a sort of witches hat, which will be the base for your roof. Cut a circle and remove a quarter. Test for the size and secure, I used staples for speed as these wont show once you tile.

Take  a flower pot and secure to a cardboard base. Then take individual kitchen roll sheets, a water spray, PVA and a brush. Coat the pt with PVA, spray your kitchen roll and start to cover the pot. Try to make it look like real bark with pleats etc. Overlay some onto the base to form the land. Leave to dry and then paint as for the roof.

Cut the cardboard into 1/2 - 1'' strips and then into tiles.

Arrange your tiles row by row starting at the outer edge. Work around the first row, then overlap and stagger the second and so on. I recommend a glue gun for this step. Finish the top of the roof with a smaller cone.

The fairy door opens so I created a picture to go behind, you can choose whatever you would like to see behind the door.

I made some toadstools with Paper clay, left to dry and painted.

I added the fairy door to the house, I cut it a couple of times from Bronze pearl card. I added depth and bark detail to the walls with Gilding wax. Added flowersoft for grass and plants and to the roof as moss.

Thank you for joining me today, I hope to see you again very soon. For now take care and Happy crafting.xx

Crackled Hearts

Morning, Well it's certainly going to be an exciting day today. It started off really well, when I discovered one of my hens had hatched out some chicks and apart from one they are doing well. Anyway back to crafting, I have made a card using stamps and dies from Leonie's last collection. After watching John Lockwood's show on Hochanda, I was reminded of making stamps using foam. When I first got Leonies Mixed Media Dies, I thought how nice it would be to have them as stamps as well. So here goes but before I start, I would like to remind you that it's the big launch tonight on Hochanda at 8 pm. I will be sharing some of my cards later this evening as always.

For my base card, I used an 8'' square piece of Super Smooth card (300gsm). Using Phat foam I painted it very roughly with Cream Glass paint from Pebeo.

While this was still wet, I sprinkled the surface with Brusho's in Cobalt Blue, Gamboge and Scarlet. I then spritzed with a little water to activate.

While my background was drying I cut out some hearts using Leonie's Mixed Media collection 'Lots of Love', I used foam to cut them out and stamped some on my project using Eco Green Acrylic paint in 'Raspberry' and 'Aged Bronze'.

I cut out a couple of the hearts from thick greyboard to form a stencil. I mixed some of the Raspberry paint with 'Kroma Crackle' from Indigoblu. I applied it through the stencil with a palette knife, as it was thick it took a few hours to crackle.

When it was dry, I took a black fine liner pen to add some extra shabby details and scribbles frame. Using the same acrylic paints I stamped a couple of sentiments from the coordinating stamps collection.

Again using the same acrylic paints, I added some splats using the tip of my paint brush. I stood it upright to allow the paint to run a little. Finally I backed my project onto some black card and dried flat.

Thank you so much for joining me today. I hope you have enjoyed my step by step and the card I have shared. I hope you will come back later today to see some of the samples I have made for Leonie's launch show. My post will go live at 8 pm. I will also be sharing more tomorrow. Take care and Happy Crafting. xxx