Letraset competition

Do you remember my weird giraffe girl from THIS POST..

Well she has been used in the promotion poster for a brand new Letraset competition.

It is an awesome prize, and well worth entering. So get your thinking caps on and create something with your Letraset markers in an African theme. It can be anything, a card, an illustration, a comic a 3d item...

Go to the facebook page to enter. click THIS LINK ...

Winner of skin tones..

Thanks everyone for entering my skin tones giveaway.

The winning number is..

Glenda Hoagland  please get in touch with your address so I can pass your details to Letraset, your prize will come directly from them. 

A key spool..

Yesterday the guest designer on the PaperArtsy blog was France Charles, she came up with a super nifty little way to make a key fob. It was so cute i just had to make one. 

She even made a little video showing how to make it, check out her video in THIS BLOG POST..

So here is the one I made. 

I painted my spool with PaperArtsy Fresco paint. 

London Bus.. Blood Orange..French Roast.. Stone

I used black archival ink to stamp a giraffe ( sent by the lovely DEDE...) and some text onto a piece of card, this was also coloured with fresco paint. 

The text reads ' free your soul' and is from Artistic Stamper, (designed by my lovely friend Donna )

The fibres are old and from my stash, except for the red one with the text on it. That is a piece of seam binding, dipped in fresco paint then heat set. Once dry i stamped it with archival ink and a text stamp from PaperArtsy. I used the same text stamp on the 2 flat ends of the spool. 

I stamped the giraffe onto shrink plastic and heat set that till it was teeny tiny. I coloured it with a smear of fresco and then added a layer of glossy accents. 

Around the main body of the spool I added a little cotton yarn, and some black stickles.

it was really fun to make and was tremendously helpful in my quest to procrastinate and not do any of the work that I was meant to get finished last night lol

Fun with Skin Tones

 I decided to challenge myself to make a picture using just the FLEXMARKER skin tone sets   These are great sets and if you are worried about picking out skin tones then these sets do all the work for you. 

So what could I do with such a limited colour scheme. There is an African theme going on this month so I decided to go with that..

I collaborated with a fellow artist, Jay the Viking and came up with this drawing of a giraffe girl. I inked the image using my LETRASET FINELINERS

I asked Jay to draw out an initial sketch of a girl that looked like a giraffe. I was really pushed for time and just needed some proportions and placements working out, as that is the bit I struggle with.

 So here is the sketch that Jay drew on the right... and on the left is the one I drew, changed up to be more my style. 

I then started to blend and layer the skin tones. 

and more layering and blending..

Before I started I made a photocopy of the inked drawing, I can't stress enough how handy this is. Use the spare copy for working out your colours and layers. Even if you are just stamping, take time to stamp a spare image to try out your colours. Markers are unforgiving and it is heartbreaking to get part way through a project only to mess it up by using the wrong colour. 

This is my spare copy, with extra spots and extra mouths, you can see where I tried different colours. 

Each time I was happy with a colour I used it on the main image..

I continued this system of trying out the colours,making decisions and filling in the main image till all the colouring was done. 

Next I needed to do something with the background. I wanted to make the image really pop, so I decided to do a green wash. However I didn't want to just colour with Flexmarkers around the giraffe girl, I felt this would look flat. So I used AQUAMARKERS to scribble on a craft sheet. I spritzed this with water.

I then dragged a second piece of card through the wet ink. This gives a lovely marbled blend of colours. To add a little texture I dabbed the craft sheet onto the card several times, once lifted it leaves behind these marks. 

Finally I cut out the giraffe girl and glued her onto the green background. 

I hope this has given you some inspiration. Why not try making something with a limited colour selection. You might be surprised at what you can make with just a few colours. 

GIVEAWAY TIME

This month I have a pack of skintones to give away, they are set number 2 . They are the darker of the two sets, but ideal for creating all kinds of skin tones from Caucasian to African-American.

To win as usual I ask you to do TWO things for me. 

1. Go to my post over on the Letraset blog and leave a comment.... GO HERE...

2. Come back here and add your name to the linky list. Only names in this list will be entered. 

When is a journal not a journal?

When it's a notebook,reading book,diary or pile of loose paper just waiting to be used 'as' a journal..

I have recently been having discussions about which journals are best for arting..and where to get them.

So here are a few of mine. Not a comprehensive review by any means, just a few quick photos and my thoughts on them.

I have bought lots..LOTS of these journal from Asda, my local supermarket. They are just over £2 each for the A5 size, not that much more for the A4 size. They come in plain paper and also graph paper.

They have an off white paper inside, a hard cover with a faux leather finish, and an elastic band that keeps them closed. The paper really is a decent weight, but I use a lot of heavy wet media and choose to glue 2 pages together for strength. it's not a problem as there are lots of pages. 80 of them.

Here is a journal page I did in my Asda book.

Next up are my moleskines, I bought these..from The Book Depository They measure approx 5inches by 8.25inches. The paper is a creamy colour and is quite thin. I do like the paper but it really is no good for a lot of wet media, however it stands up pretty well to paint when you glue 2 pages together. They are good value as you get 3 in a pack and being smaller than A5 they are a handy size. They come in 4 colours.

here is a page I made in my moleskine..

Now we have Seawhites journals. See your local stockist HERE... these are AMAZING value, the A5 is £1.08 and the A4 is £1.49. The paper is just off white and is 140gsm. It specifically says on the back that is is for extra wet media. I found them so cheap I actually bought one to cut up and make pages for a different book.

Next is a sketchbook, it was from Sainsburys..another uk supermarket, and was around £5. The paper is off white and is a decent weight cartridge paper. it takes wet media just fine. The only drawback is that it is spiral bound...great for opening the book wide but not so great if you want to do a double spread.

This is a page I made in mine, using gesso, water soluble neocolours and prisma pencils

Another journal I bought recently is this one. I wanted one that specifically had very smooth paper inside, as I wanted to use it with my markers. I believe I paid around £2.25 for this one, just in a local stationery shop(WHSmiths). it is not a branded one. It has a plastic cover back and front, but inside the back cover is a piece of sturdy card which gives you something to rest on.

The paper is white and smooth enough for markers.The only drawback with markers is that they do bleed through to the reverse, for this reason after each page is complete I glue it back to back to the next page. if I was using a different medium I probably wouldn't need to do that as these pages are a pretty good weight.

I just loved the look of this next one, it is from PAPERCHASE... I love it because of the size/shape. It is just under 10inches square, and was only £4.50. The paper is so lovely, really smooth ..but is thin. I would say the same as the Moleskine paper. I haven't used this yet, but I know I will definitely have to glue pages together for strength.

Now we have the charity shop book. I  think this was 20p. it is just an old book, approx 8x5inches and hard backed. The paper is really thick and very matte. it takes all kinds of media. 

I love that you can still see the text of the pages through the artwork. 

Lastly I have a load of these old diaries..These were completely free, hard backed and full of interesting pages such as lists and maps. The paper is a really decent heavy weight and I am sure it will make a great journal. 

Of course you can just make a journal...from anything. I have glued sheets of newspaper together and gessoed over them to make journal pages, you can use watercolour paper, corrugated card, acrylic sheets, leaflets,junk mail, anything and everything...

Here are pages of newspaper glued together and covered in gesso...

and here is a page I made on one of them 

Don't feel all your pages have to be the same size..... 

have a look AT THIS...blog post to see how I made it.... 

Starting to art journal DOES NOT mean you have to rush out and buy an expensive book....

I hope that helps you get started. 

Interview

A while ago I was asked if I would take part in a month long blog interview project. Before agreeing I went to check out said blog to find out what it was all about.

Last year Cindy J Lantier was inspired to interview 30 different mixed media artists. Each day she featured a different one. I was fascinated reading back through the interviews.

I had no hesitation in joining in with her interview project this year.

You can find my interview HERE... 

Do have a good nosey around the site, as there are some great artists and interviews being featured, and some wonderful photos too.

Also keep an eye on the site as there will be prizes at the end of the month.

Slideshow..

A slideshow of a few things that I have made..

ARC April

Welcome to the April book review. I hope you have all had a good month. I was over the moon to actually meet 3 of you gorgeous bloggers at the Ally Pally show in London. I was blown away by how many people came up to say  hello, good job they did as I am so rubbish and never recognize anyone.

So my review for April.

The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman

This book started pretty well, quite gripping in fact in the first 3 chapters or so. But soon after that it became boring, though only for 2-3 chapters, then the pace picked up again. This up and down feeling continued throughout the book, 2-3 really good chapters followed by 2-3 rubbish ones that were tedious and hard to get through. I found myself skipping paragraphs.

 The story builds again in the final chapters, though I felt I was going to be in for a disappointment, there just wasn't enough pages left to conclude the story..and then it ended. It was only at this point I found out that this was not a stand alone book, but that there was a sequel. I am now in a quandary, a bit loathe to buy the second book, as I really can't say I enjoyed this one. But on the other hand, I feel I have only read half the story and I want to know what happens.

As for the story itself, it is quite a harsh fantasy (no magic)and not for the faint at heart. There are some very unpleasant scenes described in great detail, involving physical violence towards young boys. To clarify , it is a 'war' setting and the boys are being trained as soldiers, but that training is quite brutal. But we do fall a little in love with the lead character, as I guess we are supposed to. We feel his pain and confusion even though he is a cold blooded killer. I was left wanting things to work out well for him, I could not begin to guess whether they do.

So, very mixed opinions on this book. I think if  I see the sequel really cheap I will get it, to see what happens, but  I am not going to go out of my way to go buy it.

My journal page..

When ever I do a project involving paint or ink i always wipe off the excess into a journal or onto scratch paper, while they may not be the right colours for the basis of a new page they do add layers. 

So the base of this is an old wipe off from a stencil and a faint image of a stamp. I added red ink to signify the bloodshed in the book, and the sand coloured criss-crossing drips for the paths the characters take thru the desert.

Next I made some ratty stencils. 

Stencilled 2 of them with black paint.

I added a chevron stencil in 2 colours, using an Andy Skinner stencil. It was quite stark so I knocked back the whole page with a translucent aqua paint. Leaving the rats uncovered.

I was a bit stuck at this point, and wasn't sure what to do next. So I added  a sunburst behind the rats, again with an Andy Skinner stencil...then a border using cream,blue and red paint..over which I added a stamped border.

My next stage was to cut a sword stencil, just from cardstock. I scraped wall filler through it and left it to dry. I wanted it distressed looking so I made sure that I did not smooth the wall filler out, but left it ridged. 

Once dry I coloured it with Treasure gold wax, then added designs stamped using Stazon ink. 

On the other page I wanted to paint a girl, but also wanted to include a map. So I sketched her out and then transferred the sketch to a book page that had a tactical map on it. 

once painted she was cut out and added to the journal, with a 3rd ratty stencilled over her.  Then I needed somewhere to hide my printed review. The pages in this book are quite thin, so after each completed page I glue it to the next page. So before doing that, punched out a finger notch and glued a small envelope between the two pages. 

Here you can see where the review just slides in..

close up of the sword texture..

the map showing through the paint on the girl..

The final page with title added..

Products used..

Adirondack spray inks

Crafters workshop stencils

Andy Skinner Stencils

Artiste Craft paints

PaperArtsy Fresco paint

Treasure Gold

Neocolors

Here is where you link up, add your name and a link to the specific blog post where we can find your review and artwork. 

Have your tickets ready please...

I adore vintage ephemera, especially tickets. I would love to have a roll of old bus tickets lol I have simple ambitions hahaha

Recently I was pointed to this video, in it the lady decorates and paints some die cut tickets.

Aren't they the loveliest tickets you have ever seen? I immediately wanted to buy the die....

BUT THEN..

the wonderful Dana made this video showing how to make blank tickets without the need for a die..

All you need are strips of card, a pattern wheel and a hole punch..simples.


So I made loads of them, some in smooth card and some in watercolour paper.

I contacted Dana to say how brilliantly simple her way of making them had been, and asked if she wanted to swap some. 

These are the ones I made for her, the flower ones are more vintage style and are on watercolour paper. The bottom ones are more modern and funky, done with markers on smooth card. 

Here are the gorgeous tickets that Dana sent back to me. I just love them, thankyou. 

working so small is definately a challenge, but I love how they all turned out. 

why don't you give it a go, and better still swap some with a friend. 

Giveaway winner

The winner of my April marker giveaway is...

Number 12 on the list is Shirley, please get in touch with your details so I can pass them onto Letraset. Your prize will come directly from them, x