Easter Style with Stamps & Die-cuts

Boticelli’s Birth of Venus offers another classic example of thirds-based compositioSometn

The sky, sea, and land are divided into horizontal bands of approximately one third the image height. The groups of figures are arranged in 3 columns; the angels on the left occupy the top two thirds of the left column of the image.

oticelli’s Birth of Venus offers another classic example of thirds-based composition

I created this Easter Fashion themed mixed media piece, but something didn't seem right. The background seemed too close to the tones of the dresses and the embellishments were disappearing against it.     

I don't know why, but something in the flow of the piece or shape of the 2 dresses on the right reminded me of Botticelli's Birth of Venus, so I looked to that for clues as to how to rearrange the composition.
Boticelli’s Birth of Venus is an example of thirds-based composition. The sky, sea, and land are divided into horizontal bands of approximately one third the image height. The groups of figures are arranged in 3 columns; the angels on the left occupy the top two thirds of the left column of the image.

By coincidence (or artist's intuition) I already had the division of thirds, both horizontally with the central stencilled panel and vertically with the 3 dresses, so it was just a case of rearranging the elements to closer match that of the painting and using a white background. 

Have you ever tried a Scrap Lift from a painting? This might be a good challenge for another day.

Here's the final piece. I fought my urge to apply paint splats & texture beads to the white paper...white space is something I struggle with, as I am more of a "Maximallist"!

 Here are some of the techniques and materials used in case you wish to try this at home:

I stamped the dresses with DI Black Soot onto 3 different papers from Kaisercraft True Romance 6" pad. I chose these as they are lovely rose florals in pastel, spring tones.

For the centre panel I used The Artsplorations Flourishes stencil on white paper. I used a mix of Distress Inks and applied them with a mini Smoothie sponge. This gives a soft, blended finish.

I stuck the heat-embossed letters onto tags from Kaisercraft True Romance collectables to match the papers.

 

I die cut some roses, swirls and leaves and heat-embossed some and used Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays and pigments on some others. Lindy's products have mica in them, so this adds to the glamour of the piece and ties in with the gold in the embossing powders.

Materials:
Dies: X-Cut Alphabet, Memory Box: Pennington Rose Blossoms, Little B Bouquet, Poppy Stamps Small Marianna Vine outline, Bo Bunny Flourish, Joanna Sheen Swirls and Curls, Ultimate Crafts Rose Cutting
Stamps: Dawn Bibby Designs - Fashion
Stencil: ARTplorations by Stamplorations - Flourishes
Paper: Kaisercraft - True romance 12" Passionate and Paper Pad 6", Collectables (tags)
Embossing Powders:
Wow! Rose Mist, Mulberry Mist. Ultra thick clear embossing powder,

Inks: Distress Inks - Spun Sugar, Shabby Shutters, Black Soot

Lindy's Stamp Gang - Cactus Gold Glitz Spritz, Tres Chic Magical Powders

Challenges:
Craft Heaven - Keep Calm and Love Spring #18 8/4
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Stamplorations - Anything Goes

Cutsplorations - die cuts & Garden Party Fashion Stamploratons Product Used: Stencil flourishes RW

Blue & Ochre Mixed Media

This week I was inspired by Scrapmasters Challenge and Paperartsy Blue & Ochre colour scheme challenges.
I also just realised that this colour scheme ties in with the new Beauty and the Beast live-action movie, so the Beauty/Beautiful theme works for that inspiration too. I think this is a colour scheme we will see move of in 2017.

I was reminded of some papers and ephemera I had in my stash by Glitz Design. They are all blue and ochre toned with gorgeous vintage imagery, the line is called:Vintage Blue. I started by layering up some papers and Whatnots.

 

I stamped the word art BEAUTIFUL with a Technique Tuesday stamp and WOW slow-drying embossing ink, then heat-embossed with Midnight Dream powder. I wanted to convey the Beauty of spring with Butterflies, Flowers and Birds. I echoed the Beauty theme with the word art quote by John Keats "Beauty is truth, truth beauty".

I layered up some Whatnots, distressing the edges with ink.

 

I stamped a large butterfly onto paper (Kaisercraft - Bonjour) and cut it out, then I stamped and heat-embossed 3 small butterflies. (Prima - Fairy Belle) with Wow powders - Daytona Sands and Iridium blend. 

added some micro beads in places to add texture. 

I heat-embossed some chipboard swirls and these lovely chipboard Poppies from Blue Fern with Stampendous enamel. It's a marbling enamel with a mix of deep blue and gold - yummy!

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I stamped the word art from Paperartsy Eclectica with Faded Jeans DI and cut it into strips.

 

I added some Prima flowers and one I made with a quilling die.

* Stamps and Stencils: Chirpy Cheep Top 3

Materials:
Stampendous - Aged Marine embossing Enamel
WOW! Daytona Sands, Iridium and Midnight Dream embossing powders. WOW! Slow embossing pad.
Papers: Glitz Design Vintage Blue and Whatnots, MME Lost & Found 2
Chipboard: Blue Fern Gingers Poppies
Inks; Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Faded Jeans, Scattered Straw, Fossilised Amber
Stamps: Prima clear butterfly stamp and Kaisercraft Bonjour clear stamps
Technique Tuesday - "Beautiful" Stamp, (In a word:Children)
Paperartsy - Beauty word art stamp Eclectica3 Sara Naumann 16
Flowers: Prima
Prima Funnabair Glass beads Butter
Dies: Half Doily die by CC Downton Abbey
Gold bird charm

Altered Birdhouse Mother's Day Gift

 I wanted to make something special for a Mothering Sunday gift this year. I had a chipboard birdhouse in my stash for a while, so as my mum has lots of birds in her birdhouse in spring, I thought it would make a lovely gift.

I was inspired by the Prima  and Agiart "Air" March boards as aqua and peach is such a gorgeous combination and I love the flowers and soft tones.

I cut the scalloped orning from some chipboard I had in my stash and heat-embossed it several times with Mint Macaroon WOW! Powder. This colour is translucent, so needed a few coats. I would recommend priming chipboard/greyboard with white gesso first.

 

I used the Prima Finnabair stencil with Finnabair Art Alchemy Paint in Rose Gold to create the roof tiles.

* Prima March Challenge - Featured

Materials:
Prima Fairybelle Papers
Prima Leaves Dies
Prima Flowers - Fairy Belle and other Prima flowers
Prima Stencil by Finnabair
Prima Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint in Rose Gold
WOW! Embossing powder - Mint Macaroon, Vintage Romance
Chipboard Bird House

Inspired by these Challenges:
Creative Embellishments - Spring - A home for the nesting birds of Spring 30/4
I Kropka #43 - Spring Chipboard (house) and Green

Believe You were Born to Sparkle

I was inspired by the Words & Paintery sentiment: " You are a diamond dear, they can't break you" to create a mixed-media 12" x 12" layout.

I used this paper as my starting point, it was a bit sad to cover up the mermaid!: 

I used the Believe sentiment from Kaisercraft's Sea Breeze Collectables Pack and heat embossed it with a blend of Coral Reef and Peach Bellini WOW! Embossing powders. The pretty pink shell is an iridescent sequin I had in my stash.

The Seahorse was in the Mermaid Tails Collectable pack and I heat embossed it with WOW! Powder and a seahorse stamp from Heartfelt Creations Under the Sea set.

The Dreamcatcher is made with the Kaisercraft Dream Big set and detail is stamped & heat embossed with WOW! Mint Macaroon. The drops are Tonic Nuvo Drops.

 

The flowers were from my stash, but I created the centres of the pink ones using Tim Holtz Tattered Florals dies to echo the starburst stamens of the ones in the Kaisercraft Sketch.

The berries are from Prima's Royal Menagerie - Maud (Velvet Leaves & Berry Clusters)

Materials:
Kaisercraft Mermaid Tails -  Collectables, 12" Paper Pad, 6" Paper Pad
Kaisercraft Boho Dreams - 6.5" Paper Pad
Kaisercraft Stamp & Die Set - Dream Big
Kaisercraft - Sea Breeze Collectables
WOW! Embossing Powders: Coral reef
Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Dies
Papermania - Self-adhesive Chevron Stencil
Misc Paper Flowers
Foliage Dies includes- Intricutz - Beach Fern, Memory Box- Beach Sprig
Nuovo Drops - Bubblegum,
Prima Royal Menagerie - Pink Berries

Handmade "Hello Spring!" Greeting Card

Spring is officially here and so to celebrate I have created this "Hello Spring!" greeting card.

I used the fabulous My Prima Planner Princess Coloring Dividers 2 and tried a new technique with my WOW! embossing powders - colouring in.

I used the WOW! embossing pen on areas of the picture and then heat embossed each area individually.  The centres of the flowers are a blend of Daytona Sands and Champers. I also used the pen to dot a few colour sprinkles around the hair.

I used Neutral Sparkle on the Eyelids to look like glittery eye shadow.

I used the WOW! French Music Stamp and Atlantic Seaspray powder to emboss the background.

I then heat embossed the wooden sentiment from Heidi Swapp Wanderlust pack and embossed the dress in my favourite shade: Atlantic Seaspray - a pale aqua pearl base with gold marbling:

The finished piece:

*
That's Crafty - Bling It Up  Top 3

Materials:
My Prima Planner Princess Coloring Dividers 2
WOW! Embossing Powders: Atlantic Seaspray, Rose Mist, Mint Macaroon, Peach Bellini, Pink Perfection, Champers, Daytona Sands
WOW! French Music Stamp
Heidi Swapp Wanderlust Wood Veneer
Pearlescent Card Stock


Inspired by these Challenges:
Creative Embellishments - Spring - spring birdies and blossoms ends 30/4