Blended background using acrylic paints

I love my DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylic paints and I have blended them for this journal panel using blending tool and foam.

I took quinacridone violet, cobalt teal hue and transparent yellow oxide which are all DecoArt Media transparent colours and translucent white which is semi transparent and blended them over a textured gesso background blending with a blending tool and blending foam and rubbing back with dry kitchen paper. When I was happy with the pale colours I then sanded lightly over the surface to reveal some of the white of the gesso below. Using ground espresso distress ink I blended around the edges of the card to give it a more vintage appeal and rubbed a little in the centre too wiping it back with a damp cloth.

These gorgeous transparent butterflies are from Tim Holtz. They are shiny and because I wanted it matte I painted a coat of DecoArt matte medium over it which dulled it down beautifully. I love how the background and particularly the text shows through.

I die-cut some wildflowers and used one of the photobooth vintage photos in my collage along with some bits and pieces I collect to use for putting my collages together. I also love adding natural elements to them.

The quoteid from one of Tim's sets of stamps called 'Nature's Wonder'.

I shall now add this to my 'Nature' journal I am slowly filling up.

hugs Brenda xxx

Bumblebees and Butterflies

Available from the shop

Tim Holtz stamps

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics

DecoArt Media white gesso

Distress Inks

Transparent Butterflies

Wildflower stems #1

Wildflower Stems #2

A Fabulous Weekend At Country View Crafts by Sue

Good morning and happy Bank Holiday Monday. A week ago I made my first trip to Country View Towers for a weekend of workshops with the fabulous Antonis Tzanidakis  These were such fun and friendly classes and I learned loads of new techniques, (which I'm not going to share as Antonis is still teaching them) These are my projects.

This was Saturday and we made an altered A5 hardbacked book. All of the stamps, stencils, and papers are from Antonis' own range at Stamperia, and are available in the CVC shop. If they are not there at the moment it's because all of us ladies and gentlemen (yes crafting isn't just for the girlies) swooped on them on the day, but they are on order so keep checking as you NEED everything.

Look at these gorgeous papers from the Mechanical Fantasy collection - they are amazing!

All of this stiching was done by hand which was quite hard at the time, but we all agreed that it was worth it in the end! When we'd all finished our stitching it was time for lunch - Antonis had discovered the delights of the Tesco Meal Deal so he couldn't wait for his lol.

The inside of the book also held a secret, this is another page from the Mechanical Fantasy pad and the stamps are Steampunk News and Mixed Media Gears.

On to Sunday when we made this beauty. It's HUGE, it needed it's own car seat on the way home.

 This is made with lots of lovely Stamperia mediums. There's  modelling paste, texture sand paste, and crackle in there, and the Spiders Web stencil is a must have.

 Loads more stencilling, and a wonderful chipboard house and gears made this such a fun piece to make.

And just to prove that I was there here's me with the man himself. 

A huge thank you to Susan and her family, I had a brilliant time, caught up with some old friends, met some lovely new ones, and the great news is I get to do it all over again next year 'cos Antonis is back in May 2020.

My teamie Miriam will be here soon showing you her amazing project, so keep checking back.

Have a very happy bank holiday, and thanks so much for looking x