Art Journal Page: Not As Obvious As You’d Think [Pick-A-Stick Challenge]

Posted on 19th July 2016 by perfectly4med

I’m having a go at catching up with some of my art journal online challenges and classes I’ve been neglecting for a few weeks (actually probably months). I’ve caught up with the Wanderlust One Collage Challenge, but part of the deal with that is that I can’t show you it until the last stage at the end of the year. But I have been taking pictures of each stage, so it’ll be worth waiting for!

Then I moved onto May’s Pick A Stick Challenge – ten prompts drawn at random and completed in order. I pulled out the very first journal I started way back in 2011 and found a background to work on – oh how my art journaling has developed! Continue reading →

Art Journal Page: Eat Dessert

Posted on 28th March 2016 by perfectly4med

Today’s page marks a landmark in my art journaling – it’s the final spread in my very first complete journal. I have at least four journals on the go at any time, but this is the first to be filled since I started journaling back in 2011. I wanted to play with different layers, working on making the text stand out and the background to support, but not over power it. Choosing media by its opacity helped me achieve this outcome: transparent Cobalt Blue Hue allowed some of the paper white to show through the underpainting, whilst the semi-transparent Phthalo Blue provided the background to the text, printed in opaque white gesso. Spritzing with the mister and adding visual texture with stamps brought everything together.

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Sandy Toes Too (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 30th December 2014 by perfectly4med

I really have used up all the papers I was sent for this month’s projects by Jones Crafts. This 12×12″ layout uses the last of the Sandy Toes Collection. The largest ‘porthole’ is actually hiding the bit I cut out from the ‘Flip Flops’ sheet for the clock face for my beach hut, framed with a circle cut from the ‘Sandy’ sheet. I stuck a square of the ‘Ocean’ sheet behind to fill in the hole. The rest is made up of elements from ‘Beach Bum’, ‘Waves’ and ‘Sea Shells’ sheets.

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Sandy Toes… but mainly sandy paws (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 28th December 2014 by perfectly4med

Reliving a summer memory is lovely, while the sun is shining (although far from hot!). I’ve just done this 12×12″ layout using what’s left of my Kaisercraft Sandy Toes Collection after I’d made the beach hut clock. This was Esther’s first visit to a beach, and Charlie just loves playing at the water’s edge. I’ve used a Project Life style, but without the pockets, so that best use is made of the 3×4″ cards featured in the collection.

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Sandy Toes Beach Hut Clock (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 16th December 2014 by perfectly4med

This month I have the gorgeously summery ‘Sandy Toes’ collection from Kaisercraft to play with. I also got sent a Candy Box Crafts Bird Box Clock Kit to work with… So I combined them both to make this beach hut themed clock.

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A reason to smile (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 26th November 2014 by perfectly4med

I’ve managed to eke out the remainder of my papers left over from my desktop calendar project using the Hello Today collection from Kaisercraft to make a 12×12″ layout:

The smiles are all from the internet, but could just as easily be friends and family. I’ve printed them in black and white and cut them as a circle 4.6cm diameter: initially I cut out the hexagons to make a frame and stuck the prints behind. Then when I added the hexagon white frames (e-cut) I realised there was no need to do the cutting and masking! That said, there are a couple of the hexagon cut outs mounted onto foam pads and stuck over others to give some depth to the layout. Add some of the ribbon embellishments and the sentiment matted onto white and black card and you’re done.

Sheets used: Everyday / Current / Nowadays

Hello Today Desk Calendar (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 3rd November 2014 by perfectly4med

In my happy post on Saturday, I received a collection of papers from the newly released Kaisercraft ‘Hello Today’ collection. I couldn’t wait to get started on them – but I was still in the middle of my Advent Village workshop, so had to wait until yesterday! Over a couple of hours yesterday and today, I came up with this desk calendar:

The calendar is 7″ x 5″ and features the handy 3″ x 4″ calendar tiles alongside the inspirational quotes. By mounting the months back to back with the quotes either side of an acetate sheet which is a half inch longer, the holes for the wire binding doesn’t spoil the month title, and allows the choice of six quotes per month view. Flipping over June and turning the calendar around reveals July onwards and another six quotes to choose from. Edge your pages with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink, and use the Zutter Bind-it-all to pull it all together.

Pages used: Document / Right Now / Nowadays / Current / Mod / New

Cards for Explorers (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 21st August 2014 by perfectly4med

There’s even more to the Kaisercraft Outdoor Trail Collection than the angling theme I showed a couple of weeks ago. These cards incorporate the more generic hiking and exploring elements of the collection, including the die cut collectables. As before I’ve edged all the pieces with Walnut Stain Distress Ink to tie them all together and mounted them onto 6″ square card blanks. The cards would be suitable for the ramblers out there, or indeed a good luck card for someone moving away.

Cards for Anglers (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 7th August 2014 by perfectly4med

I think I may have mentioned this before, but I’ll say again: I like the challenge of working with a restricted palette of materials and colours. That’s one of the beauties of working on the various design teams. This month’s package from Jones Crafts featuring the Outdoor Trail Collection from Kaisercraft is no exception, especially as I have been asked to concentrate on making cards. I’ve used the 6½” x 6½” paper pad and collectables die cuts on 6″ square card blanks to make these four cards which are particularly suited to the angler in your life. I love the muted but masculine colour scheme and the nature themed papers. I’ve edged the elements in Walnut Stain Distress Ink to bring them all together.

Stamps used: Dream Big / Confidence / Today Clear Stamps from Kaisercraft.

St Nicholas Collection/House Shadow Box (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 11th July 2014 by perfectly4med

Christmas for crafters starts soon enough, but for distributors and sample makers, it starts even earlier! This is the first of many I have been working on to be published – and is a little late as well. I blame the drying time… Anyway, enough of that, here’s Kaisercraft’s St Nicholas Collection of papers and stickers, their wooden snowflakes and laser cut tree, and House Shadow Box in a festive assemblage:

It’s a cracking set of double sided papers, some of which are designed to be backgrounds, others are vintage postcards and quotes ideal for cutting up and making into boxes, mounts and individual items for layouts. Others form great backgrounds for shadow boxes. The House itself is 30cm square with the roof on top and is pre-cut MDF which is easy to assemble. Here’s a gallery of close ups:

Other things you might need: Cosmic Shimmer Crystal PVA, Glossy Accents, Walnut Stain/Fired Brick/Peeled Paint Distress Inks to colour edges, Kaisercolor Raw Umber acrylic paint, Cosmic Shimmer Specialist Acrylic Glue, and Cosmic Shimmer Polished Silk Glitters for the tree. Oh, and lots of patience for all the cutting out!