Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Canvas Paper Painting

I've used Canvas Paper as a surface for atc's a few times, just love the linen-like texture that's on it. This fortnight's class is using the canvas paper and my favourite, Golden Paints for adding the colour. We'll be doing washes of colour but also using different implements to add further interest - like corrugated card, empty plastic or cardboard tubes, sequin waste etc. While I was doing my samples I discovered a happy accident which will become another class using canvas paper, gesso & Golden paints....that's for another time though.

Firstly I thought I'd show you a couple of pieces before I cut them down to atc size. The first one below is A5, so I can get 5 atc's from this sheet.



These two are both 2-1/2" wide x 7" tall so I can get 2 atc's from these pieces.


Samples now of atc using this technique for backgrounds...

"See"...


"Hope"...

"Ornament"...

"Dream"...

"Flourish"...


When I did the last technique, Paper Casting, I made a piece using my Dragonfly Legend stamp by Stampers Anonymous (a favourite of mine!) using the old fashioned method of laying the wet toilet paper directly onto the stamp and drying. This piece I made into a card front so it's larger than a normal atc.

"Dragonfly Legend"... (card)


"Mess"... (another atc using the paper casting method from the last technique)


Finally, this is a card that I made using gloss card from the technique before Paper Casting, Abstract Acetate. I still prefer the look on acetate than on gloss but for a card it's fine.

"One of a Kind"... (card)

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Paper Casting

This fortnight's technique was shown to me by Mandy, one of my students (& a friend!). I had done paper casting years ago using rubber stamps and tissues with a bit of glue and water. Of course the worst thing about it is you have to wait for it to dry overnight before you can use it. Well those sort of techniques just have no place in my 2 hour classes so speeding it up by using the Cuttlebug machine and embossing folders and then drying with a heat gun is the way to get instant gratification....and I'm all about instant gratification!!! I used Glimmer Mists to spray the castings to add colour and then used Gilding Wax/Treasure Gold/Rub'n'buff to add the extra zing to the backgrounds.

"Silent language"... (on this one I used white gilding wax to add the highlights on the background)



"Industrial"... (sorry it's a poor picture, stupid jump rings just add too much depth for the scanner)

"Antisocial"...


"Chaos"...
"Ambivalent"...


More to come after I've done the 3 classes.

Friday, March 9, 2012

More Abstract Acetate

Here's the last couple of Abstract Acetate cards from the current technique. I have a few blank ones left - meaning no images or stamping on them, just the abstract background. I've added them to my "backgrounds box where they'll eventually get used. I love having a whole heap of backgrounds when I just feel like making up an atc quickly or using it as a focal point on a card.

"Mesmerise"... (this one is on acetate, as were the previous ones in the last post)


"Disobedient"... (this is done on gloss card. I've used the same colours as the one in the previous post called "Self Expression" - Eggplant Alcohol Ink and Terra Cotta Alcohol Ink as well as one of the "lights" in a taupe colour, the name escapes me at the moment. They look really different in the flesh as the acetate makes the colours just so much brighter!)



"Save Face"... (this is the final Salted Sprays atc from the class from a fortnight ago).



On a sad note, unfortunately the best papercraft store around will be closing it's doors at the end of this month. Yep, Scraptivate, where I've worked and taught for the past 5+ years will be no more. The good news is there will still be an on-line store called Artability which will stock all those hard to find arty bits & pieces and as soon as the web-site is up and running, I'll post it here. Natalie and I will still be teaching in Perth however, at this stage classes will probably be at the Ballajura Community Centre. I'll still be doing my atc classes and Natalie will be doing her mixed media & cardmaking classes there too! As soon as I have a calendar to direct you to, it'll be posted here. As so many of the girls have said, one door closes....another one opens.