and .....BREATHE!!!

Hiya Everyone,

Well, I can finally breathe as the cat is out of the bag, lol!  For almost a month I have had to not let slip the fact that PaperArtsy HQ had asked me if I would like to do a couple of projects for the launch of their new designer, Elizabeth Borer's pretty stamps.  What me???? Nah, course I wouldn't!!!  I did actually hesitate slightly but only because I would hate to let them down by not coming up to scratch with the projects...... and my makes were being shown alongside the talents of Elizabeth and Penny Nuttall ....Ooooer!  I hope I didn't let the side down and that you like what I created.  If you go HERE to the PaperArtsy Blog you will be able to see my projects but more importantly Elizabeth and Penny Nuttall's fabulous designs too.  Not only that but all this past week Leandra and the DT have been showcasing some fantastic new stamps from the wonderful designers on the PaperArtsy team so there is oodles of awesome inspiration to keep you going for an age.

These are the lovely stamps and although they are very different from the rest of the PaperArtsy ranges I think they fill an important niche.  Now this is going to be a long post so make yourself comfy, lol!

EDIT  Now the launch has gone live the stamps are on the website and if you click on the images you will be transported to the wonderful PaperArtsy shop.

My first project is an MDF heart (stamps from EEB01). 

Now silly me, I was so engrossed in the actual projects I completely forgot to take step by step photos so I hope you can understand my explanations from close up pics.  The first one, obviously taken in the garden wasn't very successful because the sun was so bright it drained some of the delicate colouring from the main image but she looked so nice against her ivy backdrop!

I started by painting the heart with Pea Coat Fresco Finish and on the left side I smeared some Grunge Paste which I then stamped into with the trailing ivy.  On the right side I applied PA Crackle Glaze.   When it was all completely dry I covered all of the surface with a blend of Sky, Antarctic and Snowflake Fresco.

I then used my lovely new Fibralo pens from PaperArtsy to colour in the ivy trails including those stamped in the GP and then highlighted those with Pewter Treasure Gold as well as right round the edge. 

 

Next I stamped the beautiful Ivy Fairy in her bower onto watercolour paper and, scribbling the Fibralo pens onto my craft mat, I watercoloured her.  I also painted areas of her wings and dress with PA Matte Glaze and sprinkled with Glamour Dust .... one of my rare concessions to glitter, lol! I included this photo because I think you can just catch the faint glitter sparkle, the hint of TG and also the sheen on the die cut flowers but after I took the photo above I decided there was not enough colour to her skin nor the 'sky' background so I added a little more which was a big improvement.

 The diecut flourishes were coloured with Fibralo pens and for the diecut flowers I made my own mica sprays with Fresco Finish paints, water and mica powder and sprayed onto Heavy Duty PaperArtsy Smoothy paper.  I was so chuffed with these sprays! I also used them to colour the chiffon ribbon.

So there you have my pretty Ivy Fairy who could be displayed anytime of year.

My second project is a small luminary (stamps from EEB01 and 02)

I was having a little tidy up and found this wooden luminary frame hidden behind other stuff.  I can't remember who the kit is made by but when I got it it was badly cut out on the corners so took me ages of carving bits out to make it fit properly.  Once I managed that I had painted it with Pea Coat Fresco Finish and then it got left. 

As soon as I found it I knew it was a perfect showcase for Elizabeth's new stamps and would make a lovely decoration for Christmas too!  I repainted it with a mix of Claret and Little Black Dress Frescos and then sanded it back to reveal some of the dark blue and bare wood. 

I then took the lovely trailing ivy and stamped with Versamark without a block so I could work it round the corners and then heat embossed with gold embossing powder.  I rubbed the metal corners and some wooden beads for feet with Classic Treasure Gold to tone them in but didn't attach them until after the panels were in place. 

I cut four heavy vellum panels to fit and then stamped them with various images from the two stamp sets. I coloured them on the reverse with watered down Fresco Finish paints and added subtle sparkle on the front surface (as on the circle frame and wings above) with a Sakura clear sparkle pen. I fixed the panels in place before attaching the feet and corners.

Here are the panels with a fake candle inside.  I wish I could capture the true effect as it really does look quite pretty.  Even my OH loves it!

 On the above two panels I did some masking to layer up those lovely baubles and then drew in the hanging twine with a fine black Pitt pen.  Again, after painting the images on the reverse I added Sakura sparkle to the baubles on the front.

(must have had the shakes when I took the above photo cos it's a bit blurred, lol! Must remember to take more water with it ;D)

This was my favourtie of the two projects but I had so much fun doing them both.

Thank you so much PaperArtsy for asking me to play with your new stamps and for Elizabeth Borer for her lovely designs.  I was very honoured to be asked and hope that my projects have given the stamps the showcasing they deserve.

Thanks for visiting me today and if you haven't already been over to the PaperArtsy Blog please give yourself a treat and visit.  There had been so much beautiful artwork all week and so much variety there's bound to be something to make you Oooh and Aaah!

See you again soon.

Hugs

Lesley  Xx