DecoArt Media Butterfly Tag Book

DecoArt Media

Just a quick post to let you know that I've got a step-by-step tutorial over on the DecoArt Media blog today, with lots of process photos and information on how I created this multi-layered tag book. It's packed full of texture, and lots of colourful layers using the very gorgeous DecoArt Media line of products. If you've got a moment, do go and take a peek *here*.

Seee you soon! Byeeeeeeee....

Art journal colour, and a give away yay!

Texture Cube 1 by me! for Stampotique Originals

Basic Backgrounds by Dylusions

Corncob stencil by Kasia Avery for Crafters Workshop

Mini Dots stencil by Crafters Workshop

Alphabet Stamps by Everything Art

Well, I'm on a roll with my Gel Press plates recently! I love building the layers of colour, and waiting for those little unexpected surprises you get when mono-printing. If you would like to see how I do a page like this then have a look at the Gel Press channel on *youtube here* or follow them on *Facebook here* as I have a step-by-step video that you may like to see.

And just a heads up ... I will be teaching a mono-printing class at Craft Range Burnley on 3rd June so give them a ring if you fancy it!

I had a lot of fun creating this page for a class I was teaching at Art from the Heart this weekend. 

When I am teaching a mono-printing class I always try to focus on *finishing* a page a rather than pull off hundreds of prints that you don't know what to do with. It's such a temptation to keep on pulling prints! We focused on just two pages in class this weekend, and tried to complete both with lots of added pattern and texture. 

After building up my background with multiple layers of colour, lots of stencilling, doodling and stamping, I made two little lift-up flaps using a gel press mini.

And then I hid my journaling away underneath:

For the second page I chose slightly different colours, and we added some hand-cut masks:

It is just too much fun! Ha!

For details of the gel press look *here*

For details of classes at Art from the Heart look *here*

You can buy Gel Press in the UK *here*

And finally .... Art Journal Summer School 2017 is on Early Bird sale until 31st May BUT I have one free place to give away, yay! All you have to do is leave me a comment here OR on my facebook page (not on both please!) and I will pick a winner on Friday 26th May. If you have already purchased don't worry, you can still enter and Marieke will refund you.

EDIT: GIVE AWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

For more details see my *previous post here*

*Click here for all the details*

Getting creative with the gel plate

Tags, and Embellishments kits designed by me!

Available from Tando Creative

I just LOVE mono-printing, love it. It's unpredictable, surprising, and most of all messy :-) Today I decided to have a play with a small gel plate to see if I could print a background straight onto a greyboard tag, using fluid acrylics. I took  lots of snapshots as I was doing this so that you can see exactly how things worked out.

I began with a large tag, and some embellishments from the Tando kits, and gave everything a layer of gesso, and then I scribbled into it just for a bit of texture.

Next I selected my colours from the  DecoArt Media line of fluid acrylics because I really wanted to see how they would behave on the Gel plate, especially going straight onto greyboard. I think you can probably tell from the photo that these are my *favourite* colours and they are looking well loved and nicely messy! I also used the DecoArt Tinting Base, Gesso and Matte Medium.

I used a small gel plate and used a brayer to add thin, light, patchy layers of colour. I started with the yellow, and then built up the colours in layers:

I added Turquoise, Green Gold, Primary Magenta,  Quinacridone Red ...

...followed by Quinacridone Magenta:

So, then I had my mono-printed background but it still needed a lot of work. Here are a few more steps.

Paint through a variety of stencils:

Stamping using Archival ink pads:

Texture Cube 1 designed by me!

For Stampotique Originals

Stamp from Skulldoggery by Andy Skinner

Doodling with a white gel pen:

A bit of junk stamping with bottle lids and an old gift card with metallic Gold:

Now, back to the embellishments. I added some paint to these using co-ordinating colours, but when painting small embellishments like this I always aim to keep it a bit lighter in the centre which I do with a bit of help from the Tinting Base:

Finally I pieced it all together and added a quote and a hanger, I may keep this on the wall of my little art studio:

Or I may keep it in my Tando Divided Box which has all of my other tags and bits and bobs:

Divided box kit designed by me!

Available from Tando Creative

Announcing Art Journal Summer School 2017!

                               

Woohoo! I'm so happy and excited to share with you that I'm going to be teaching as part of Art Journal Summer School 2017, with the wonderful Marieke Blokland at the helm! This is a wonderful course, perfect for the summer months, as each video lasts only about 15 minutes and uses a limited number of supplies to fit in a small toiletries bag so it's perfect for your on-the-go summertime art journaling!

I REALLY enjoyed being a part of this last year. I think it is a wonderful concept and I loved the short, snappy, and totally inspiring videos.

And just look at who else is on board. Woop woop! I think I am in very good company ;-)

The course is open for early bird sale now *click here*,  begins 1st July 2017, and continues over the summer months. 

So, what do you get?

• 10 weeks on-line summer course
• 12 amazing and inspiring teachers
• Short (approx 15 minutes) inspiring video lessons
• All lessons downloadable
• Minimal supplies needed

Want to see some sneaky peeks of my class? Ok then... here ya go! My video runs in two parts, and this year I decided on a theme of summertime angels. But of course, there is a LOT of colour involved, but then you might expect that from me ;-)

So come along and join us *click here* and make the most of the summer. Getting out and about is the perfect excuse for a bit of art journaling on the go. See you there!

Mini art journaling

I have *always* loved things in miniature, and art journaling is no exception! Art journaling on a small  scale is so much less intimidating than facing a large blank page. Often I make small journal pages in my mini Moleskine journal but if I am teaching this as a class I don't really want the same page twice in my journal, so that is how they ended up loose leaf, and placed in a little bag. 

I made the bag using a Tim Holtz die which is the perfect size for small art journal pages. Of course when you are working loose leaf the pages can really be any size but these are approximately 10.5 x 7cm, to give you an idea of size.

I taught this as a class at Art from the Heart (Harrogate, UK) at the weekend and first we painted a whole A4 page and then went to town with stencils and doodling, before cutting it up into smaller pages.

Circle Patterns stamp by Dina Wakley Media

Marks stamp by Natalie Kalbach

Image from magazine

Image from magazine

 Circle Patterns by Dina Wakley Media

Corncob stencil by Kasia Avery for Crafters Workshop

Mini layering stencil by Tim Holtz

I cut the bag out of regular card and then added a bit of gesso before some gorgeous bright colours.:

Paper Bag die by Tim Holtz for Sizzix

Mini Stitches stencil by Tando Creative

And I made a version in Kraft too:

So, how did the students do in class? Fabulous! Some beautiful, bright, colourful pages were made, and we got lots done too! Here, have a peek at what they got up to:

 Gorgeous aren't they?! Byee for now ........