In Your Heart - Jigsaw Exchange

In September, I revisited the friendship theme for Shaz.  She has a lot of love in her heart and really loves and cares for those around her.  She's a faithful prayer warrior and a faithful friend!  She's also a pretty fantastic education assistant!

This first piece was inspired by her love she had for her darling dog, who sadly passed away this year.      

What a faithful friends can be found in the furry world!

The special bond and friendship of mother and daughter, when good, is like no other. 

And the friendship of girlfriends are to be treasured!

Little Songbird - Jigsaw Exchange

August's jigsaw challenge was for Jenny again.  The sweet stack of birds and foliage stamps are by Prima.  I bought them on our honeymoon in Jakarta 3 years ago and have only just got to putting ink on them now!

The gemstones are really tiny in actual size and originally created to add long to mobile phones.  I'm often using them to add a lovely final touch.

Smile - Jigsaw Exchange

In July, I was once more focused on Trish's theme, 'Life is an Adventure'.  This time I imagined Trish and her husband Rod travelling around Japanese and soaking up the culture!

I have a small but lovely collection of Japanese paper, so I dipped into that as the starting point.  The Gorgeous Darkroom Door image from the Kimono montage paper collection, along with the Kimono wordstrip and Japanese script from the Kimono Vol 2. stamp set were the perfect things to complete my little Japanese adventure!

I would love to visit Japan one day, but I think I would be too tempted to take an empty suitcase and a large pocket full of cash.  All the beautiful paper and washi tape and fabric and, and, and many other delights would be calling me to take them home!

Click! Click! - Jigsaw Exchange

Something beginning with C is the great thematic challenge that my friend Ellie presented to us!

Ellie's a great memory keeper and is often taking photographs in her daily life.  

C is for... Children, clear (film strip), chum, companion, comrade, calendar, light control and celebration...

C is for... Camera, click and capturing special moments!

Delight In Truth - Jigsaw Exchange

'Typography' was the theme chosen by my friend Susan.  She's a wonderful high school English teacher and has a great love for words, especially the Word of God.  Susan uses her words to encourage and inspire not only her students, but her friends.  

On the second puzzle piece I've used part of a stamp designed by Kristen Robinson and have simply adapted with a snippet of vintage text.

Words are powerful and can be used to share the truth of God, as well as support, teach, encourage and inspire those around us.  May we continue to learn to use our words wisely to love, encourage and spur one another on!

Youthful Dreams - Darkroom Door

Darkroom Door has just released another amazing series of texture stamps.  I love the versatility of texture stamps and keep them close at hand to add another layer of interest to my work.

Today I'm sharing with you the first artwork I created using the Polka Dots texture stamp.

1. Firstly gather together a variety of neutral coloured papers along with a pretty floral.  Then add a small image to use as a focal point (I used a butterfly postage stamp), a paper doily, fabric scraps including sheer organza, leather, buttons and calendar washi tape to your collection.
2. Stamp Polka Dots onto a small panel of vintage paper using taupe coloured ink.  Use a variety of papers and the stamped panel to compose the first layer of work.  Affix some panels with glue stick and others with washi tape.  Stamp Polka Dots in another section of the work (I did a second generation stamp to give a faded appearance.
3. Add other layers of paper if required and add machine stitching using a complimentary coloured thread.  I used circular motions of sticking to tie in with the Polka Dots stamp and doily.
4. Stamp quote from Darkroom Doors 'Enjoy Life' stamp set onto doily and gently heat set the ink.  Affix small focal image to doily, along with fabric scraps, lace and a button to embellish the doily and add to work.  Embellish the rest of the work with a leather heart, button and lace.

Darkroom Door Supplies used:

Texture stamp - Polka Dots

Stamp set - Enjoy Life

Other supplies:

Various patterned and vintage papers that coordinate well together

Ink -

Sewing machine, heat tool, thread, glue stick, paper doily, buttons, lace, postage stamp, fabric scraps and washi tape

Exploration - Darkroom Door

Darkroom Door's Polka Dots texture stamp was the inspiration for this journal page.  Polka Dots is so striking when inked in black don't you think?!  

1. Stamp 'polka dots' three times - first, second and third generation stamping on the lower section of vintage paper panel to add a variation in depth of colour.  I used paper from an encyclopedia.
2. Find a black and white image of a person, trim it so that their eyes are the focal point.    Position this in place and stamp a 'top hat' above it.  Add a thin layer of white paint just below the face, when dry stamp 'airship'.  Add a touch of taupe paint to help blend the paint to the colour of vintage paper.
3. Stamp 'New York sign' on plain vintage panel, trim to size and affix to work.  
4. Layer work onto another piece of torn vintage paper, torn black scrapbooking paper and a thin layer of card (small than the other panels - to add strength to layers in preparation for machine stitching).  I added red ink to the torn black scrapbooking panel for contrast of colour.
5. Add matching stitching to frame and make connections between the elements on the page.
6. Stamp '31' using red ink, trim to size and add to work.  Affix postage stamp to the lower section of work. 
7. Layer work onto sheet music, encyclopedia paper and cream card.  Stamp 'exploration', 'adventure' and 'small cog' twice to complete work.  

Darkroom Door products used:

Polka Dots texture stamp

Steampunk stamp set

Other supplies:

Vintage papers (encyclopedia, sheet music), cream card, black scrapbooking paper, ink - red and black, sewing machine, threads - red and orange, acrylic paint - white and taupe, postage stamp and double sided tape.

Japanese Garden - Darkroom Door

Once again I've been having a great time playing with Darkroom Door's new collage stamp, 'Arty Mosaic'.  This time I've used it to create a background on canvas.

1. Paint two layers of gesso onto blank canvas board.  When dry add layers of warm white, titanium white and skin tone along with a dash of paynes grey.  I painted with my fingers, but a brush may make less of a mess.  I find it easier to control and blend the paint with fingers.
2. Stamp 'large Japanese script' on top right section of canvas.  Then stamp 'Arty Mosaic' onto white tissue paper using beige ink and heat set.  Cut apart the image into three sections and use clear gesso to affix to the left hand edge of canvas.  Go gently as the paper is delicate.  I roughed up some of the edges with my finger nail once it was down to give it a distressed look.
3. When dry, add a light layer of white paint over different sections of the canvas.  Affix beaded lace scrap to lower right section of canvas using clear gesso. 
4. Add floral Japanese fabric (paper would work too).  I cut around some floral pieces and added it to the layering, using clear gesso to affix.  You may like to blend the fabric in the lower section of the canvas by swiping coordinating stamping ink and dashes of white paint, heat setting as you go.
5. Stamp 'orchids' using beige ink onto canvas and heat set.  When dry, add a thin transparent layer of gesso over the blossoms - this will act as a placement guide when gluing tissue paper orchids in place.  
6. Stamp 'orchids' once more onto white tissue paper using beige ink.  Heat set the ink, fussy cut around the blossoms and affix each matching blossom to image on canvas with clear gesso.  I found I needed to add one more tissue paper blossom to help balance the work.
7. Stamp 'Geisha' direction onto canvas with black ink (to help with placement of tissue paper image) and once it's dry, add a layer of white gesso over it.  Stamp 'Geisha' onto tissue paper with black ink and fussy cut around image.  Affix to work using clear gesso.
8. Stamp 'love script' onto small fabric scrap of silk and add to top right corner of work using clear gesso.  Add any additional pearls to complete work.

Darkroom Door products used:

Collage stamp - Arty Mosaic

Stamp Sets - Japanese Calligraphy and Kimono Vol. 2

Other supplies used:

Paint - white and clear gesso, white titanium. warm white, skin tone and paynes grey

Small canvas board, beaded lace, Japanese floral fabric, white tissue paper, silk fabric scrap, pearl sticker

Fun In The Sun - Jigsaw Exchange

'The Beach' was the chosen theme for Amanda in our jigsaw exchange.  

I think I feel most carefree when strolling along a beautiful beach soaking in the suns rays, feeling the fresh breeze against my face and listening to the soothing, rhythmic crashing of the waves.  Mind you, quite often it's quite chilly in my part of the world and the sky's are overcast, the wind is howling  and the sand is flying into your face - but there's still something wonderful about the beach.

I must admit that I love to stroll hand in hand with the one I love along our beautiful coastline!

It's looking good outside my window this morning!!!  Think it's time for me to have some fun in the sun before my holiday comes to an end!

Mere Disguise - Darkroom Door

Darkroom Door has just released six new collage stamps this week!

The Arty Mosaic collage stamp is so much fun to work with!  I had a wonderful time experimenting with how it stamped on a waxed paper bag.

1.  Stamp 'art mosaic' onto a waxed white paper bag (I stamped it on the matt side) and heat set it. Trim image to size.  Fold it in half lengthwise.  

2.  Stamp 'map' on light silver panel and 'flourish' to the right hand side of map.  Trim to size.

3.  Stamp 'mask' onto white panel and trim to size.  Stamp 'mask' once more onto a scrap of vintage paper that has a small amount of text.  Cut away upper section of mask (the eye area) and layer onto mask panel.

4.  Layer mask, paper doily, map panels onto a variety of sparkly silver papers with a cream card for the base.  Add folded art mosaic below mask section.

5.  Machine stitch mask and art mosaic into place.

6.  Add button, lace and stamped sentiment 'mere disguise' to complete work.

Darkroom Door products used:

Arty Mosaic collage stamp

Venetian Vol 2. stamp set

Other supplies:

Ink - Versafine 'toffee' and Versamagic 'midnight black'

Various papers - silver, grey, cream, vintage encyclopedia, white, and waxed paper bag

Sewing machine with black thread

Doily, lace, button

Happiness is... - Jigsaw Exchange

Shaz chose the theme 'Friendship' for her jigsaw puzzle.  I found this lovely sentiment in my stash of puzzle pieces and was thrilled that it could just fit!!!

The gorgeous scrapbooking papers made the collage work easy.  All I needed to add was the lovely image of two little friends with very big bows and simple cross stitching!

Love makes the world go round, so they say, and the love of a friend makes it all the sweeter I reckon!  xx

Nest - Jigsaw Exchange

February's jigsaw theme was 'Birds and Nests' for Jenny!  She loves little birdies, especially vintage imagery of them.  I've discovered if you put a little gel medium over gem stones thy have a soft and rounded finish, it almost looks like drop of rain.

Made In France - Jigsaw Exchange

I'm involved in a jigsaw art exchange this year.  It is a little challenging working with such a small and oddly shaped surface, but I've been finding that I've loved being out of my comfort zone!  Finding items that are small enough in scale forces you to be creative in little ways.

These pieces were completed for January.  My friend Trish's theme is 'Life is an Adventure'.  She is a cyclist and loves to travel the world, so I was picturing her cycling through Paris on a Penny Farthing - wouldn't that be an adventure!

The Eiffel Tower image comes from a collage sheet by ArtChix Studio and the 'Made in France' ribbon was a part of a gorgeous gift from my dear friend Debbi.  She purchased all sorts of delightful things at the flea markets in France and shared some with me.  How spoilt am I?

All A Flutter

'Wooden' is October's theme for Darkroom Door's ATC swap.  

The wooden butterflies were my starting point for this project.  The lovely brushless watercolour technique has been used when stamping the butterflies from Darkroom Door's 'Butterflies' stamp set.  I find this technique works best on smooth watercolour paper.

Because I was replicating this work a number of times, I positioned all the butterflies stamps in place on a blank ATC in a composition I liked and then used an extra large acrylic block to keep them all in place at once.  This made the stamping of 12 ATC's so much quicker!  

Once the stamping was completed I affixed the wooden butterfly in place, adding hand stitching and velvet ribbon.  To complete this work I flicked Distress 'antiqued bronze' spray stain over the work (covering the wooden butterfly with a scrap of card) and added the word 'flutter' found in Darkroom Door's Wildflowers Vol. 1 stamp set. 

NB:  If you're flicking spray stain around, be sure to screw the spray mechanism back in place when you've finished, so unlike me, you don't flood your work space with gorgeous antiqued bronze liquid - what a waste!!!!