I Burned For Wings HandCarved Stamp on Chunkie @ That’s Crafty!

Hello
This morning, over at the That’s Crafty! Blog, I am sharing a new project, a That’s Crafty MDF Chunkie featuring a hand-carved stamp.
A little detail from the project.
All details at the That’s Crafty Blog, HERE.
Wishes
Lynne

Nesting @ That’s Crafty!

Hello
Today, I am sharing a new D.T. project for That’s Crafty! over at their Blog.
This week, I worked with a That’s Crafty! MDF ATB, this photo is only a peek at a detail on the project. As always, many more details within the That’s Crafty! Blog post, HERE.
Thank you for visiting.
Wishes
Lynne

Learning to Fly (Somerset Studio)

Hello
I am winding back the clock to the Sept/Oct 2018 issue of Somerset Studio, when at that time, I had the lovely surprise, of this submission, featured as a Spotlight.
I remember at the time, the inspiration for this project and another which I am sharing in this post, were the fabulous Greyboard Wings from That’s Crafty and their Art Shrines. With beautiful image of a young woman from Red Lead, I had the possibility of giving her wings, outsized wings which would enable me to attach chain, suspended from a tree branch.Although there is a strong nature element to this hanging shrine, it is also an Affirmation.  The shrine is trying to convey the spirit of a person, most especially when that person doesn’t see what is actually within them, almost blind to their own spirit and what they are capable of.PaperArtsy Frescos enabled me to bring a speckled appearance to the RELICS & ARTIFACTS Imperial Egg, nestling inside the Art Shrine. 
The twin to this shrine, has the message of “Fly, Soar”, almost saying to the young woman from the first shrine, you have the spirit with you, this is now time for you to fly, for you to soar.  The light catching the wing.At the time of working on the shrines, I was not conscious until setting them side by side, viewing them as twins, possibly a subconscious nod to Gemini.  Side by side, they could be viewed that it is one side of the personality, nudging the other side, supporting it, shoring it up to say you are able to achieve anything, believe in yourself.
Thank you always for the visits you make to my Blog.
Wishes
Lynne

The Strength Of Their Wings (Somerset Studio)

Hello
This is another of my catch-up posts, relating to Somerset Studio, the Jan/Feb 2018 issue where I was published with a project featuring a trio of assemblages which were made in response to their Art Call for the theme of Robin’s Egg Blue.  The colour, not surprisingly, turned my thoughts to eggs and as I had R&As resin eggs, that was the direction I would be taking.
In the intro for my article I write about the thoughts for this submission,where in this art community, no matter the phase of their lives, artists continually stretch their wings, to fly ever upwards.   There might be times when those wings might be slightly more delicate, whether in personal lives or their artistic endeavours, possibly inner struggles to search for strength to soar but there can be strength within the fragile.   My mind also drew parallels between human fragility and that of an egg.  An egg is viewed as delicate, easily broken, yet it has the strength to contain life within that delicate shell. The R&A eggs are packaged with tops, the decorative top can be seen more clearly in the photo below along with the wings from That’s Crafty!  Those wings are so amazing, in fact I felt I was using them too much around this time that I deliberately packed them away for a wee while!  The PaperArtsy Eclectica EEA faces were the perfect focals to strengthen the narrative for this project.Different greyboard wings from That’s Crafty were adhered to the eggs.Some of my Affirmations, again helped me firm up the narrative I was trying to express for each assemblage and also as a collective. 
Thank you, always for your visits.
Wishes
Lynne

Bleak Mid-Winter: Mixed Media Panel @ That’s Crafty

Hello
A week passes by far too quickly!
Here I am, returning to the That’s Crafty Blog with a project which features, amongst other supplies, the beautiful Mandala stencil from That’s Crafty.  Details on how I worked with the stencil can be viewed HERE.

Last week was a busy week at That’s Crafty with many new releases of stamps, stencils and a new substrate range called Chunkies.
Enjoy your day!
Wishes
Lynne

Creative Girl Tote Bags (Somerset Life)

Hello
Turning the clock back to the Jul/Aug/Sept 2017 issue of Somerset Life when I had a trio of Creative Girl tote bags published.
The bags were made in answer to a challenge call for canvas bags, something which I’ve enjoyed altering since I began to rubber stamp.  They are literally a blank canvas for any style.
Red Lead stencils which are listed in the Supplies within the article  and stamps from PaperArtsy JOFY and also from Red Lead and Paperbag Studios.
Each page was decorated on both sides.  The instructions are within the article but it’s no mystery to see that the bags were pained (PaperArtsy Frescos)
Side one

Side two
Normally I like to add bits of this ‘n’ that but that wasn’t the style I had in mind for the totes, I wanted the stamps and stencilled sentiments to be the focus.Side two
This bag simply had a black re-cycled silk sari ribbon bow.Flipped over to the rear side and “artful spirit” is the stencilled sentiment.It was fun to work on the bags especially as my colour choice isn’t or I should say, wasn’t as they were made some many months ago. Being published is obviously the cherry on the icing, on the cake!
Wishes
Lynne

Thinking Outside The Cardboard Box (Greencraft)

Hello
In the Autumn 2017 issue of Greencraft magazine, one of the articles I had published is a trio of notebooks.
Greencraft magazine is as you’d might guess, a publication focusing on re-cycling, re-using, re-purposing, a Green life.  One of the items that I re-cycle the most is cardboard, of any nature whether mailing boxes or cardboard food packaging.

PaperArtsy Fresco Finish in Antarctic was used on the corrugated cardboard which I reclaimed from a mailing box. I intentionally aimed for a distressed appearance although it is easy to achieve the corrugation without a distressed effect if that is what you prefer.

I wanted a simple aesthetic to the notebooks, stamping PaperArtsy ESN onto brown paper, re-cycled brown packing paper.

There is a slight variation to each notebook, with this cover wrapping around to the front with the button serving the purpose of wrapping the cord around to close the notebook.

Just to show that the inside of the journals is also “Green” – re-cycled brown packing paper.  You can see, I like to layer various lengths, with town edges, it brings a nice textural quality.

This is the inside of the Story of Me journal, again, re-cycled brown packing paper.

It’s not only fun, it is rewarding to take items that are found and what many would place in the re-cycle bin, transforming into the simplest of notebooks/journals.  I like them for lists, etc, everyday type of note making and once filled, they can then be disposed of but at least in the meantime, I’ve had some crafting fun making something with a purpose and the paper and cardboard packing box has not immediately made a journey to the re-cycle bin.
Hope you are all having a lovely start to this new month.
Wishes
Lynne

Nature Study (Somerset Studio)

Hello
This project is another article in the Jan/Feb issue of Somerset Studio, it was in answer to an art call for the colour Olive which isn’t a colour which I would normally reach for but I knew I had PaperArtsy olive Fresco so I had no excuse to dive in. It was packaging which inspired me, cardboard packaging from Amazon (I always have to battle with my conscience when I say their name!!!) which has almost a folder appearance to it.

I wanted it to become a Nature Study portfolio with not only green to transform the cardboard packaging but also a Green ethos to the items I reached for throughout.

The folder opens to reveal a panel of tree bark, embellished with a piece of found paper, stamped and layered with a beautiful feather and for the right side, where a book or other item would normally be packaged, this is the area where the art panels are stored.

The jute twine ties this element to close it,

A cluster of stamped tags, it was probably walnut ink (I keep a large jar which I top up when required and so far, no sign of mould appearing) I used to stain the found paper/cardstock.  All of those stamps are from Character Constructions.  That is one of the many reasons I adore Character Constructions, not only for the stunning paper dolls stamps but there are also so many detail stamps included on the plates.

The rear which was stamped with a script stamp (PaperArtsy ESN) and a beautiful fern stamp).

Inside the portfolio there are four panels which are all substrates of birch tree bark which I have randomly painted. There are layers and layers and texture upon texture, all items from around the home and garden. Some items again stained with walnut ink and I was so pleased, without going out of my way, I discovered that piece of book text.

Tree bark, burlap, muslin, brown packing paper, cardboard paper and a wooden button/bead from a piece of clothing.

Loose fibres gives the impression of nesting material within the stamped nest, which was stamped onto birch tree bark

I peeled back a layer of the tree bark to place this stamped image of the nest behind it.

Panel Two which features another Red Lead bird stamp

which was stamped onto resin paper or maybe the ICE Resin was applied after stamping…I think I should have referred to the instructions in my article! I know he rests on a MDF heart from That’s Crafty.
Thank you to Dorthe for the driftwood and the sweet wee cone.

Within the folder, other than the two panels featuring birds, there were two other panels, featuring leaves.

The leaves were stamped onto deli paper which had the PaperArtsy Freco paint, diluted and applied to create a textural appearance.

Red Lead have an extensive range of nature themed stamps and they do some of the very best bird stamps you could ever hope to source.
I appreciate, this was a very long blog post with lots of photos so huge thanks if you managed to stay until the end!
Wishes
Lynne

A Day At The Beach (Willow And Sage)

Hello
Last year, I was given the unexpected opportunity to come up with a packaging idea for Willow and Sage magazine and since then, I have found myself enjoying, thinking up ideas to submit to them. If it hadn’t been for that opportunity I would never have thought to submit to this publication.
I stumbled across some cute baskets, easy to assemble, I could see so many possibilities for their use. Armed with two of those baskets and a bundle of Red Lead stamps, two of their wooden word charms and PaperArtsy Fresco chalk paint and a few other supplies, I set about making this gift packaging idea for bath/beauty products.
If you read Willow and Sage, I provide ideas for what I could imagine contained within the baskets.

The shell, which has been stamped onto directly, is a scoop for bath crystals.

Red Lead wooden word charms are so useful, for all types of projects and easy to paint.  By painting them, the engraved words are highlighted.

Each side of both baskets stamped with Red Lead stamps.

The muslin bags, again stamped with Red Lead sentiments, stamped onto fabric scraps.


The baskets are sold with horrible ribbon, really quite nasty (!) but that is okay because I like being able to make handles that are more suited to the theme of the baskets.  For this one, a piece of driftwood from my lovely friend Dorthe – a piece of driftwood from Denmark.

It certainly isn’t weather for days at the beach here in Scotland, unless wrapped up in the coziest of clothes!
Wishes
Lynne

Words of Positivity Ornaments (Somerset Life)

Hello
At the beginning of the year, in the Jan/Feb/March issue of Somerset Life, I had an article published, featuring some ornaments made with a message of positivity on each one. Two bundles of three ornaments per bundle with stamped sentiments all from Red Lead.  The actual ornaments are Relics & Artifacts Chandelier Pendants, That’s Crafty stock some of the designs.

I wanted a soft, pastel colour palette and for them to work as a group.  Of course, I used PaperArtsy Fresco Finish chalk acrylics although the layer of ICE Resin does make the chalk effect redundant.

Simple touches to embellish,

such as rhinestones, freshwater potato pearls.

In the article I write about where such ornaments could be displayed

The second collection, again featuring Red Lead stamps…

I am such a fan of their Little Labels stamps, they always seem such a perfect choice no matter the project.

Dry brushing of the wire hanging enhances the shabby chic mood of the ornaments.

Thank You to Stampington & Co for publishing the ornaments and for Red Lead who provided the beautiful and inspirational stamps, as I continue to be an on-going Guest Designer role with them.
Thank You for your visit to this post.
Wishes
Lynne