Make Time For Your Art

I was super excited to be asked to share my take on one of Eileen Hull's amazing Journal Die. The journal die is a Bigz XL so will cut through all kinds of materials, including leather, canvas and mount board. All the scoring and holes are in place, so two passes through your machine and all the parts are cut and ready to go.

So here's what I created using Eileen's fabulous die and one of Jane Davenport Petite Stencils.

Using a purple Inktense pencil, I traced through the stencil, I love using these as the pigments are so rich, and once the wet paint touches the outlines, it blends in beautifully to create a natural shadow, where it would be, clever hey!

Then I spent several happy hours chilling with various paints, creating skin tones, bright eyes and pouty lips. I could spend days just painting like this, it's so relaxing.

I drew long flowing hair across to the back cover of the journal, not sure that it shows up too well on the photo here, but you get the idea. Then I added colour to the hair using diluted grey paint, as I wanted her gilded and sequined crown so be showcased.

 I coloured the background next, starting with a layer of purple all over the background and then building up the colours, adding some dry brushing and stencilling with an assortment of different colours. I added lettering, splatters of dilute black gesso and doodles.

Anyone that knows me, knows I have been a huge fan of the Artist Jane Davenport for many years. I adore her photographic books, style of art and of course I have my own little family of Ladybugs here on my work table keeping me company.

I added elastics through the holes cut by the die, and tied them on the inside ready to slip my signatures in. Then I added some of Jane's washi tape to a metal rimmed tag, attached it to a larger tag, then tied it on the the elastic on the spine using ribbon. The same ribbon was used to create the fastening for the journal. Et voila my new travelling art journal, filled with different types of mixed media papers, ready to work on.

So without a doubt I knew the first book I would be making would be a travelling art journal, and somewhere for me to have inserts of mixed papers and cardstock to easily carry around with me on my travels.

I don't have any of Jane's own paints yet as here in the UK we won't be able to get hold of them until the end of May/June.  I did order a few bits and pieces as soon as the range came out, directly from Australia, but the Tax Man here in the UK is brutal!!! So I had to be restrained. I've used washi tape on a metal rimmed tag as decoration on the spine. And papers from Jane's paper pad are mixed in with other papers in the three hand sewn signatures.

I love this idea, as the books are filled with my scribblings and idea's they can be replaced with fresh, new, empty ones ready to start again.

You can get hold of Eileen's amazing die at Country View Crafts where it is on pre-order with deliveries starting at the end of April. I can't wait to start another journal, I've already decided on my next theme!

Happy Crafting
Elizabeth x

Craft Stamper's Take It Make It Challenge Reminder

It's reminder time over at the Craft Stamper Magazine Blog where the challenge has been open for a week now, how fast has that gone! I am just in love with the new Distress Oxides from Tim Holtz, and have teamed them up with one of his new stamp releases, Sea Life.

I created a background on one of the large Ranger tags, then stamped out all the critters in Black Archival Ink.

After fussy cutting them out I set them to one side whilst I inked up a 5 3/4" sheet from the Vintage Shabby pad, using the Distress Oxides. I spritzed with a little water to get the ink moving, then quickly dried with a heat tool before the paper moved too much.

I added a little coarse texture paste around the background, and added diluted Purple Luscious powders over the top.
Then after arranging some of the sealife on the background, which was now mounted onto a 6" square White card, I added some of the Chit Chat stickers.

Never doubt your instinct, something I live by!!!!!

How cool is this Fella.....

So check out the guide for entering the challenge via the link at the top of this post, get stamping and enter for a chance of a fabulous set of stamps from Visible Image and even the chance to be featured in the magazine it's self.

Have fun,
Elizabeth x

Craft Stamper Magazine Take It Make It Challenge April 2017

It's time for our new challenge over at the Craft Stamper Magazine Blog where we would love you to share your stamped projects with us.

This time around we are sponsored by Visible Image with a fabulous prize of three stamp sets, yes all three sets.

Not only do you have the chance of winning this fabulous price, but you could also feature in the magazine it's self.

So what to do - check out the guideline on the blog, follow the instructions, get stamping and join in!!!

Elizabeth x

Dreams Come True

It's my turn today to share a project over at the Indigoblu Blog Just follow the link for the full tutorial.

Happy Crafting
Elizabeth x