Bubbles Books

In my last post, I made a masterboard using Paperartsy products. Every masterboard deserves a 'forever home' so I made the bubbles into two notebooks. I actually cut them too short so I used the strip that I'd cut off into two bookmarks with the addition of magnetic strips. I chomped the corners to make them look more finished and did the same with the book covers.

I didn't really want to add any further stamps to this piece as it may have destroyed the bubbles (and I would never let anyone burst my bubbles!), so I added the quote, 'There is no angry way to say "Bubbles"'. Then I did my usual doodly doo-dahs around them. Oh, I do so love bubbles and circles. Do you find that weird? Guess what? I don't care. Bubbles rock!

I added a lavender coloured eyelet with the help of my crop-a-dile and then I threaded carefully chosen glass and metal beads onto (probably too much) purple embroidery thread to form the wrap-around closure.

For the actual notebook bit, I made three signatures, each with 8 pages (4 x A4 sheets scored and folded in half). With the simplest long-stitch binding, the inside was soon finished.

Aah, if only I could leave well alone there. I carried on tweaking the cover and the bookmark, added the URL of my blog and forced myself to stop before it was overworked.

Ta-daaah!


Love and peace x

First Night Nerves

Evening all. Thanks for bobbing in.

This is my first post for Wendy's House and I'm more than delighted that it will mainly be about Paperartsy Fresco paint. I've definitely discovered my go-to medium.

Initially, I saw a YouTube video of Vicky Papaioannou creating a journal page using Fresco paint with a brayer. I loved the way that the paint skimmed the paper. This was a look that I constantly tried to achieve in uni. Instead of using sandpaper, screwdrivers, wire wool, bread-knife, anything else to scratch back, I should've just brayered the paint on really lightly. It would have avoided the 'over-worked' look and given my illustrations the free and loose feel that I craved.

I started by ordering the colours that Vicky had used in her journal. When they arrived, I painted 12 ATCs (artists' trading cards) with them, just using a tiny amount on the end of my finger. I find this is the best way to get a proper feel for a new product. They were so smooth and chalky and they dried  almost instantly. I was hooked already!

Then I discovered a gem that Leandra Franich, from Paperartsy, had uploaded...

 

I used the paints that I already had and started playing.

Using Winsor & Newton Artists' Water Colour Paper, I brayered happily away. I probably overdid it, but I used Cheesecake, Guacamole, Mermaid, Caribbean Sea, Dolly Mix and Sour Grapes to lay down the first few layers. They dry so quickly, that it's almost impossible to make 'mud' using this method. I very lightly applied the paint with a brayer and only stopped when I was happy with the colour combinations on the paper. 

Next, I used the darker tones of Captain Peacock and Plum through several Tim Holtz mini layering stencils. I knocked back the darkness with some of Darcy Wilkinson's lovely bubbles (PS031) and more Dolly Mix.

This then spurred me into getting out my favourite Donna Downey 'Bubbles' stencil.  I gently sponged Snowflake bubbles all over the A3 sheet.

I decided that the bubbles weren't 'bubbly' enough and needed something to make them pop (s'cuse pun!) Out came my Derwent Inktense pencils and a water brush. 

Finished off with a little white highlight here and there et voila! 

Overall, it didn't take as long as this blogpost! I promise to keep them a little shorter in future.

Love and peace x