Friday 1 July 2016

Have fun with circles for Country View Challenges

I am sharing my second DT project for today, this one is for Country View Crafts and if you haven't seen my monochromatic canvas board for a Vintage Journey just scroll down one or click here to be transported, but please pop back to this post again afterwards.


It's time to use up some paper supplies that are on the shelf and that just seem to sit there just waiting for an opportunity to be used. I had picked up the Prima Engraver pad the other day and really wanted to get out some of the lovely papers to use (and didn't!!!!!), but with a circles theme I knew these clocks would fit the bill.


I began with a mop up tag which had been dipped in left over raw umber, titanium white and titan buff media acrylic paints and I added a couple of more layers by dipping it in watery gathered twigs DI and then walnut stain. Having got my colour scheme and background I set about choosing the paper I thought would go with it.


The clocks and tapes were cut out from another paper from the same pack and the circle of numbers die-cut and mounted on a mount board circle I found in my die-cuts box,


Beginning to think of embellishments I chose a metal clock and altered it a bit with drips of medium grey V6 paint and then gently rubbed on some champagne ice metallic lustre.


I used some champagne ice on a spinner and started layering up the pieces.
 adding a birthday sentiment as well. I really should use papers more often to make cards, they can be really quite quick to make once you've got the design together.


I hope you'll join us this month at Country View Challenges with the circles theme and please pop over to the challenge blog to see what other inspirational projects there are on show.

You won't find me home today as I am off to Coventry to take part in the 'Dare to Create' workshops with the amazing Andy Skinner and Tracy Weinzapfel and looking forward to making projects, learning new techniques and being with lots of like minded people, many of whom are already friends. I'll show you what I make sometime when I get back.
In the meantime have a great weekend and a happy July.

hugs Brenda xxx



AVJ - Monochromatic and ombre mixed media

Welcome to another first Friday in the month and now it's July we can truly say half the year has gone and we are now swapping our longer days for longer nights. But the crafting doesn't stop and we have a fabulous challenge at A Vintage Journey where the very talented Tracy is our host and she is looking for monochromatic projects this month. She says - 
'I love monochromatic themes in artwork; I love the balanced look it gives to a design. If you ever struggle with knowing what colours to use this should be right up your street, one colour alone or hues of one colour (plus black and/or white) - simple! Please just check that your entry is vintage; shabby; mixed-media; art journaling; industrial or steampunk to be in with a chance of being a winner or Pinworthy mention.'


I have made a canvas board piece with a mixed media background and ombre effect in my monochromatic and neutral colour scheme and loved playing with the layers of paints to create the effects.


Process steps
1. Take a small media board stamp numbers and text in black archival ink then spread modeling paste across it and add in some gel beads and fragments. Take a piece of card, place over the inclusions and press them gently into the paste.


2. Adhere some torn paper.


3. With a palette knife scrape white gesso over the board leaving elements below randomly exposed.


4. Take raw umber, titan buff and titanium white media acrylics and a babywipe and paint thin layers of the paints ombre style - ie light to dark.


5. Using the left over paints dip the canvas in the colours one by one, allow them to move around on the surface and dry each layer in turn. Take a little translucent white and splatter.


6. Dip the canvas again this time in gathered twigs and walnut stain distress inks and dry. Also use a pipette and dribble walnut crystal ink across the textured band and allow it to dribble down the page, spritz a little water in place to help it move about.


7. Gather some collage elements and a lost relative photo - I cut it down to give me a good image but also maximise the space I had to work with. I painted and altered the metal bits and used chit chat stickers for my message. The hessian and string add that more rustic look.



I hope you will be inspired by this fabulous challenge theme and amazing inspirational projects from the Creative Guides. Do pop over and take a look if you have a moment and of course if you join in you could be in with a chance of winning a $25 voucher from the amazing Funkie Junkie Boutique.


This is my first post for today, I have another coming up for Country View Crafts in a few hours.

Have a fabulous weekend and a hopefully warm (hot???) month of July.

hugs Brenda xxxx



The sky is like a monochromatic contemporary painting, drawing me in its illusion of depth, pulling me up.

John Green