Mindfulness (Somerset Studio)

Hello
To start this new week, I am winding the clock back to last year, to Somerset Studio’s Nov/Dec 2016 issue. One of the articles I was lucky enough to have published was centred around a collection of small canvases, all with a message relating to mindfulness.  The introduction in the article is where I speak about the motivation and what I was aiming to creating and how Christen Hammon’s Editor’s Letter in an issue of Somerset Life, was the springboard of inspiration for me.
If you read this post, you will notice that I share a simple presentation idea, this is because I saw the canvases as being suitable as gifts for anyone who might be needing to pause and breathe.

The RELICS & ARTIFACTS hand is only there as a prop.

All of the canvases feature a PaperArtsy Eclectica ESN sentiment. ESN are designed by Sara Naumann, for PaperArtsy and they are probably my most inked up PA stamps.

The sentiments are stamped onto various found papers, nothing fancy, regular papers from around the home.  I also stamped smaller elements either onto more found papers or directly onto the canvas, such as the numbers at the top edge of the Golden Hours canvas.

Simply embellished with crushed velvet ribbon, MOP buttons, rhinestones, etc.

Little layered elements such as the layered found paper which had some gold paint applied, the crushed velvet ribbon and the MOP button.

I was trying to achieve a timeless quality to them, a distressed effect, a timeworn look to the canvases, yet with a hint of old style glamour with my choice of embellishments and use of gold.

The details really are the tiniest of fragments.  Can you see how small those rhinestones are?  Three lined up on the velvet ribbon.

This canvas has numbers stamped onto the canvas to create a border effect before the layers were added.

I so love when ordinary papers and I do mean ordinary, can be given a touch of elegance by the addition of rhinestones or a sweet MOP button.   Funny how details like this can make my heart sing.

A cluster of the canvases, all with simple presentation and each topped with a stamped word from Darkroom Door’s Word Block Wellbeing. For me, Darkroom Door’s Word Blocks are indispensable.  I haven’t yet managed to own them all but some are great favourites, this is one of them as there is a beautiful selection of words which I’ve used on all manner of projects.

A swipe of Gesso highlights the texture of the scrunched paper.

Each word layered with burlap,

with a repeat of details appearing on the canvases.



For variation, one of the canvases is presented in a fabric bag, the mini easel also included.

Thank you so much for your visit. I hope it was a restful post to view and a chance to seek mindfulness during your visit.
Wishes
Lynne

Art House (new product launch @ That’s Crafty)

Hello
That’s Crafty are launching new products at Stitches and I was lucky enough to have the new items to play with, to create samples.
Laura suggested I share the samples as DT projects so I decided to share the first one I made.  Foolishly, I forgot to take dimensions but this is large!  If you own the PaperArtsy EEA alphabet set, it will give you an idea of the proportions of the stamping against the frame of the shrine.
You might believe I would be enthusiastic about the shrines because I am on the That’s Crafty DT and feel obligated to be positive, that is not the case.
The shrines will be available in different sizes so if you wanted a statement piece, then the large shrines will be perfect or you might prefer a cluster of smaller shrines – variety and choice can only be a good thing!  The actual shrines are easy to assemble, no special items required other than your favourite, reliable adhesive (I use Regular Matt Gel Medium). There is generous depth to the shrines, you can see I managed to prop a mini canvas with easel into the shadowbox.
Many new(ish) products appear on this shrine, the full list can be seen HERE.

All details including more photos can be viewed at the That’s crafty blog.
Thank you for your visit.
Wishes
Lynne

Flutter, Discover, Fly (Somerset Studio G

Hello
A quick post to share today featuring a small canvas which I cannot remember if it was made in 2015 or even further back, 2014, anyway, it’s a project which, alongside a PaperArtsy assemblage, also featuring paperclay, appears as a Spotlight in Somerset Studio Gallery Winter 2017.
The stamps are from Darkroom Door
At the time, I remember I was just beginning to use paperclay, trying it with moulds whereas over time, my favourite way is stamping into paperclay, also, if I were working on such a project now, I would opt for a more earthier palette.

I remember I was enjoying a phase with Twinkling H20s.

The paperclay butterfly rests on a wood slice, also painted with Twinkling H20s, as is the scrappy found paper.

Thank you so much for your visit to this post and any recent visits.  They are greatly appreciate, I want you to know that.
Wishes
Lynne

Winter Wonderland … A Resounding Silence (Somerset Studio Gallery)

Hello
Appearing in Somerset Studio Gallery is such a wonderful way to end the year. This assemblage is another piece I am lucky enough to have published as a Spotlight, in this issue.
Tree – Crafty Individuals CI-450
Sentiment – PaperArtsy ESN
Dinky Stencil – That’s Crafty Snowflake Background
I was trying to convey peace, stillness, on a winter day with the low winter sun dancing on the frosted landscape, the only sound the crunch underfoot on the snow impacted ground.To heighten the natural and organic feel to the panel, the tree was stamped onto some mop up/under paper which does result in a less than perfect stamped impression but for this, it was exactly what I was aiming for.
When I first started to stamp, I would have thought a less than perfect stamped impression was good for only one thing, being tossed into the rubbish bin but now, there is great freedom and sense of satisfaction when a perfectly imperfect impression actually adds more to a project.That’s Crafty greyboard snowflakes, oh I just love them.  The snowflake brings the eye towards the textural layers.
With the colour palette silvery white with mere hints of gold, this representing the golden glow of the winter sun.Thank you to anyone who takes the time to visit, especially at this time of the year when there is great demands on your time….so Thank You!
Wishes
Lynne

The Adventure Begins

Hello
I’ve been playing with stamps that are new to me, PaperArtsy Everything Art stamps, for my DT post over at That’s Crafty.
This photo shows one side of the bag but more photos along with instructions, if you are interested, can be seen HERE.

Many thanks for your visit.
Wishes
Lynne

Leaf

Hello Everyone
Lin Brown’s latest stamp sets for PaperArtsy are just so beautiful and the perfect focal for a canvas panel I had prepared some time ago.
This is my DT project for That’s Crafty. All details can be viewed HERE.
Many thanks for stopping by today.
Wishes
Lynne

Home

Hello Everyone
This past week, at That’s Crafty, we have been celebrating the release of That’s Crafty stamps, as designed by Donna.
I particularly liked that Donna designed the stamps with the inclusion of words, so decided to make a word stamp the focal for my DT project.If you would like to read more, then please visit HERE.
Thank you for your visits this past week and for those of you who joined my Giveaway.
Wishes
Lynne

Let The Party Begin II (The Stampers’ Sampler)

Hello Everyone
Recently, in this post HERE, I shared the first of a trio of canvas panels I was lucky enough to have published in Stampington and Co’s The Stampers’ Sampler, for their Celebration Challenge Call.
All the panels carried the same theme of a birthday party on Mixed Media panels .
Sharing the other two panels, again they are 8″x8″ panels.
(Stencil – Girls – She Lets Herself Fly – other Redlead products available HERE.)

I had a bit of fun with the stencils, bringing personality to the girl with a stamped onto fabric party hat, trimmed with rhinestones, a little blush to her cheeks and stenciling to the dress.  You also get a peek at the background which was laid down before stenciling the two girls.This is such a sweeting bunting, stamped a few times to give me the required length and stamped onto fabric.
She also had to have a party hat.A simple rhinestone to add a decorative detail to her fabric stamped party hat.The final panel.Alongside Redlead stamps and stencils, I also sneaked in a few That’s Crafty Dinky Stencils.The word tiles are actually a stencil, again from Redlead.  Cut out and roughly outlined with a watersoluble pencil to give definition.The bunting which appears on the other panel, makes another appearance on this panel.  There is something so festive about bunting.
and not forgetting the birthday cake.and this final wee touch of a stamped sentiment onto banner with a lace rose to embellish.At the time of drafting this post, I’d hoped I would have caught up with you, visiting your own blogs but I haven’t managed to do so. I know you understand but for me it is disappointing, visiting blogs was always something I enjoyed.
Have a lovely weekend and many, many thanks for your visit.
Wishes
Lynne

Women of Strength (Somerset Studio Gallery)

Hello Everyone
Back in December this canvas was published in Somerset Studio Gallery’s Winter issue. This, if my memory serves me well, I actually submitted to The Stampers’ Sampler, quite a wee while ago, certainly not last year or the year before that!  So, last December, there I was looking at Somerset Studio Gallery, knowing I had an article and Spotlight, etc etc and as I turn a page my eye catches a canvas I created for Redlead Paperworks.  Then my eye travels above the canvas and I see a piece of art and I say to myself that it looks similar to one I made some time ago.  It was mine!!!! I actually had to do a double-take LOL.
This hanging canvas was actually titled Women of Strength and with today being International Women’s Day I thought it apt to pause and give thought to women of strength, past and present, whether women in history who helped pave the way for a brighter future for all women or women in our own lives, our mothers, sisters, friends, Aunts, etc.All the stamps on this canvas are from The Stampsmith which I received when I was on their DT but which became much loved by me, in fact it wasn’t so long ago that a stamp from this collection made an appearance HERE.
The tags are the focal on this canvas, all stained with fruit tea with just a hint of paint scrubbed onto the tags, here and there.The trimmings were also stained with tea.  I suppose this hanging canvas perfectly displays the way I love to incorporate textures, as the actual canvas had texture paste applied and also how I love to gather fragments and find a home for them on a project.  Some of the items I gathered:- a dried and faded petal from a hydrangea (one of my favourite flowers) and I see a scrap of gold embossed paper peeking from the side and no doubt I cut into a piece of lace to adorn her head.
This is also to celebrate you because I know, from the personal stories you share, that you are all Women of Strength!
Wishes
Lynne

Have An Open Heart

Hello Everyone
A gentle reminder that the Crafty Individuals January challenge is well underway.
The theme, as set by the lovely Gio, is Lace, Buttons and Bits and Bobs.
The first team sample I created can be viewed HERE and in this post I am sharing the second sample made, which came about because I wanted to make use of the CI stamp, Adore, a stamp which is from an Elements set I dipped into many times for festive cards/tags/gifts.  I’ve used it on this canvas panel. An unapologetically romantic piece with a sense of nostalgia.
Adore is really the main Crafty Individuals stamp/product although I did sneak in one of their script stamps, randomly stamped onto the canvas panel as well as the heart which is a cork heart that I shabbily painted.Wee heart shaped MOP buttons along with lace and a few bits and bobs, including a beautiful Prima Relics and Artifacts hand,  ensures that it fits the challenge theme:-a faux pearl drop, a sweet felt flower and paper blooms given a touch of paint to help them tie in with the colours throughout the panel.I will leave it in your hands whether you imagine this young couple, who are now in the Autumn of their lives, continue to adore each other as much as they evidently do in the photobooth image.  You can probably guess my own personal story for them!I forgot to add that the Top 5 entries to the challenge will receive a Crafty Individuals stamp of their choice and that all entries are entitled to a discount in the Crafty Individuals on-line store, for a limited period.
Many thanks for visiting this post.
I have a few posts scheduled so it could become quite busy here!
Wishes
Lynne