Joyful Heart

For my DT project for Creative Expressions this week, I thought I'd create a painty panel........ yes yes, I know....I ALWAYS seem to be doing painty panels!!! My favourite thing to make though, so I'm not apologising!! Here is Joyful Heart..

A started off by painting a greyboard panel with thick layers of white paint, then heating them. The thick layers bubble up and create some fabulous texture. All the texture on the background is just heated up paint!
I smeared on Pool and Citrus paint, then brayered lightly with Black to give the grungy look, and to highlight the texture further. A little Purple Twilight paint was smeared on too, then I got busy with the stamping...

I used Chicken Wire, a grid pattern from the Urban Beat plate, AlphaWriting and the mini hearts from the featured stamp plate this month, Hearts Entwined.

Once the background was done it looked like this..

As the base is so textured, and the larger heart stamp (from the same Hearts Entwined plate) filled with detail, I didn't want to risk stamping it straight onto the base. I decided to stamp onto tissue, but with a little twist I thought I'd share! First, stamp the image onto the tissue...

Use an ink that will be permanent! Make sure its dry....

I like to tear around my tissue images, I think it helps it to blend in to the background better than if it was cut...

Now for the extra step. As the base is very colourful with black areas already, I was a little worried some of the black detail on the stamp would get a bit lost. I wanted the image to really 'pop' from the base, yet still blend in, if you see what I mean! To help with this, I painted the back of the filigree around the heart with white paint...

Dry this too...

Adhere to the background with a layer of Multi Medium both under and on top of the tissue...

Carefully smooth the image and let it dry. Once dry, the tissue becomes transparent, but the areas you painted white will have a gentle white 'haze' behind them. This stops them becoming confused with the background, which is fab if you have a busy design underneath. This is a great technique for faces too, sometimes a figure looks a little odd with the background showing through the face!
You can see the difference here...... the centre of the heart wasn't painted, so all the background shows through, but the filigree parts 'pop' with the white behind them....

Once that was dry, I finished off the panel by adding a textured central heart to the image...

I stamped the heart onto scrap card, cut out the heart from the middle and added puff paint to it. Once heated, the puff paint becomes textural. I painted it red, then added a gloss glaze.
The 'joy' comes from my fav alphabet set just now, Sam Pooles Clear Mini Alphas.

This was stamped onto tissue as well!
I think the red really adds to the more muted grungy colour scheme, hope you like it too!
love Trish xxx

Home!

Hello!
Today is my turn to share my latest DT project over at A Sprinkle Of Imagination! I decided to go blue....and make a 3D house.. Here is a little peek:

Please pop on over to have a proper look.... and whilst you're there why not scroll down and have a look at what the rest of the team have been up to? LOADS of fab projects to see!
Take Care!
Trish xxxxxxx

Heart Shadow Box

Hello!
Today is my turn over at the Calico Crafts Blog , and I'm sharing a shadow box I've created. A bit Valentines day, a bit steampunk-ish, definitely metallic, and hopefully something you like! Here is a teaser pic... pop on over to the blog to see some more!!

Have a great day!
Trish xxxxx

Wooden Heart

Hello!
It's my turn on the A Sprinkle Of Imagination blog today! This week I'm sharing how I use stamping on my projects, so please pop on over to see some step by steps on how I created this...

Hope you like it!
love Trish xx

Gold Heart

Hello!
This weeks piece for the Creative Expressions DT is all about the texure!

I started off by gluing down some textural 'bits' I had in my stash to a piece of chipboard. I used a bit of sinamy, some lace and a few cocoa fibres tied together. Once they were secure, I covered the whole thing with white paint  to make sure everything blended together tonally. Once dry, I scraped some Eco Green Artist Spackle   through some sequin waste to give some texture...

I used two sizes, you can just about see both big and small circles on there!! As this is is white, once dry I had a totally white surface to start colouring! Firstly I sprayed just a little Golden Mint Cosmic Shimmer spray over the whole thing, just to take the edge off all the gold I was about to add! I think that tiny greenish tone gives the finished piece a little more depth than gold on gold on gold would have! I then put some Tarnished Brass Distress Stain onto a craft sheet, then used  a sponge to apply to the surface. I also used Gold paint in places, along with more white. To create the white spots, I sprinkled on some white embossing powder. Once heated, this forms tiny raised spots and splats!
The heart is from one of this months featured stamp sets, the Hearts Entwined set (as is the sentiment!).

I stamped it onto acetate and embossed with gold powder. I stamped the image again onto a scrap of card coloured with gold paint, then cut out the central solid heart. This card heart was adhered to the background. The acetate heart was glued to a bamboo skewer...

I added a little gold bow, then glued the whole thing so the card heart would be directly underneath the corresponding acetate shape. The 'I Love You' was gold embossed on a scrap of card, then added to the background.
Lots of messy textural fun!!
Love Trish xxxx

I can see you!

Hello!
Have you seen the Chronology range by Papermania?
I stumbled across it a few weeks back, and then promptly ordered the lot! Fab stamps, and even fabber (is that a word?!) embellishments. Very steampunk, cogs,keys etc. My favourite from the range has to be the image I've used on this piece....

I've cut it out from this stamp....

(couldn't find a pic that didn't show the sticker on the front of the packet!!)
I smooshed the cardstock through a mixture of fuschia, lime and turquoise Distress stains, then dried it off. Added a little stamping....

and then sprinkled on some black UTEE and melted it. Those are the black dots you can see! A little more subtle than splats....

A nice quick card, but fun!!
Love Trish xx

Bangles and Blooms!

Hello!
Just a quick post to give my local followers (and anyone else who may be interested!) a heads up about my next two classes that I'll be teaching at Windmill Craft Centre.
Next Saturday (26th)  I'll be teaching a jewellery class, and we'll be making three antiqued copper stackable bangles like these..

We'll be using clear, purple and teal crystals though, not the colours pictured! Please call the shop (link above) for more details.
Then, in my first 'messy' class of the year, I'll be helping my students to make this...

Lots of paint effects, stamping and even glitter too! Again, call the shop for details. This class will be on February 9th.
Both lots of samples are in the shop if anyone is passing and wants a closer look!!!
Have a great weekend folks, stay warm!
love Trish xxxx

Shine!

Hello!
Its my turn again over at the A Sprinkle Of Imagination designers blog !
Today I'm sharing a step by step on how to create this....

(well, obviously I'm not showing you the whole thing....pop on over there to see!!)
Lots of stencils and painty mess!!
Have a lovely day,
Love Trish xxxxxx

Grungy Heart!

Morning!
I'm back after the Christmas and New Year break with my latest DT project for Creative Expressions!
This month, we're working with two stamp sets, the Special Sentiments set, and the gorgeous Heart Entwined set. I love using hearts in my projects, so this will be a great set to play with!
For my first piece, I've made a card...

The background is created from paint (no surprise there then!), specifically Watermelon and Stream Adirondack Paint Dabbers, along with a touch of white and black used too.
I very simply wiped the red and teal coloured paint on a piece of white cardstock using a makeup sponge, then lightly brayered over it with the black to give a grungy look...

Once the paint was dry, I stamped over the top using the grid design from the Urban Beat plate
and the Alpha Writing stamp using black ink, and the Bubbles stamp using white paint...

I also sponged black and Stream paint through some sequin waste to give more detail...

The heart itself was stamped onto some scrap card that I had painted with the watermelon paint using black ink, then embossed with clear embossing powder....

Once I'd embossed it, I realised that my clear embossing powder has become contaminated with stray flecks of white..... in this instance I like the effect, but I obviously need to get some new powder to stop it happening again! (unless anyone out there knows how to separate clear powder from white?? um, thought not!!!)
I printed a few lines to give the heart a 'stalk' of sorts, then simply added a word I'd printed out to finish.
A nice grungy start to my month with hearts...!
Love Trish xx

Spoons....

Yes really!
Today is my turn over at Calico Crafts , and after last weeks simple, restrained contributions I decided this week was the turn of bold, colourful and quirky.... please pop over and see what you think!

Love Trish xx

A Blue Heart..

Hello!
Bit nervous, it's my first post today as a new member of the A Sprinkle Of imagination Design Team!
Here is a little taster of my first project, please pop on over and have a proper look, I'll be thrilled to see what you think!!

Love Trish xxx

'Inspire'- simple cards again!

Hello!
The last in my series of quick, mojo-regaining cards is now live over at Calico Crafts !
This one is a little look at painted wooden shapes....

Rest assured, normal colourful, quirky and a bit bonkers art will be restored for my regular Monday DT slot
over there!!!!
Have a great day!!
Love Trish xx

Pink?!!

Hello!
Yes, pink...and not even in your face fuchsia either...a nice cuddly baby pink! New Year, new colours and all that..... but the end result still turned out a little grungy!!!

 And even more 'not me'.... there isn't a person on there!!!
Canvas base, lots of layers of pink and lilac with black gently brayered over it...

Just a smidge of stamping..dots and grids (couldn't let go of my 'must have' things totally!)
The flower type thing is a stamped circle of card, adhered to the base and then with printed rings added in..

I punched out the splat shape as a centre, then added a teeny pink dot. Flower stems are a simple printed line...the edge of an old credit card!

'Bloom' is made up of die cut letters, with Glossy Accents over the top to give the raised shine!

First canvas of the year, and I'm determined to make more!
Have a fab day!
Love Trish xx

Believe- another simple card!

Hello!
Part two of my 'get your mojo back, start off with simple cards, here are a few ideas' series is now live over at Calico Crafts !!!
Here is a little peek..... go check out the whole thing if the mood takes you!!

Love Trish xxxx

Joy- getting the mojo back!

Hello!!
Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year!
I'm easing myself slowly back into all things creative, horrid flu bug that hasn't shifted is really not helping!
I've decided to go very simplistic for my DT project over at Calico Crafts today..... a restricted colour palette is great for concentrating the brain on things like texture and placement!
So, little peek now, you'll need to hop on over to the Calico Crafts blog to see the whole thing!

Love Trish xx