52 Pages wk 10

Cozy.

I thought back to some knitted blankets my Grandmother made, they were all hand knitted squares joined together. I would drape them over the back of the sofa and over a chair to make a tent/den for me and the dog.

So I created rough squares with water colour pencils and crayons, and washed them lightly. I didn't want them to look perfect, as the blankets never did lol.



I then rolled some white acrylic over using a textured brayer, to give it a knitted look. I did exactly the same on the back.



I printed off a photo of a brindle and white boxer dog, as that is what we had. Disclaimer, the photo is one I found online, as i don't have any of my old dog, but she looked exactly like this one.

I printed onto heavy weight white paper and cut the dog out, then painted 2 coats of gesso onto the page in the rough shape of the dog photo.

I left that to dry and then added a thick but even coat of matte medium to the gessoed shape.



i flipped the dog photo over, so the image faces down, and pressed it down into the matte medium. I pressed it down firmly, like really firmly, you want this thing to be well stuck. I brayered over it A LOT, some matte medium will splort out, that's ok. Mop it up and keep brayering. make sure this thing is flat and STUCK. Then leave it alone.....well i didn't i dried it with heat gun. but i happen to have done this a gazillion times. If you haven't or you are unsure, then just leave it to dry on its own.

When fully dry paint clean water over the paper, score it VERY lightly with your fingernail to let the water seep inside.You will know when it has soaked thru as it will get darker, then GENTLY rub with your fingers till the photo starts to show, maybe add a little more water and keep rubbing gently till all the white paper is gone and you are just left with the image.



I chose this technique this week, because AMY, has been banging on about transfers for weeks, so I thought I would do one, and also to show her she is not the only copycat lol

(Love ya catwoman, envelope has been posted to you)


Finally I stamped my text and added it, with obligatory scribbling and white stuff to edge it.

and a dog themed sticker.

My text for the back was printed out onto photo paper, which had previously ( possibly 2 or more years ago) been coloured with alcohol inks.

Ink takes ages to dry on photo paper, so being impatient,( what really, again!) I dried it with a heat gun.

Now every time, EVERY TIME, I use a heat gun on photo paper, I forget that it will bubble up, EVERY flipping time.

and every time, I say ...'oh shit...oh , hmm I quite like that' then I laugh, cos I realize I have done this and said this to myself many,many times

So as I always do, I kept it and used it, cos a little bubbling never hurt anybody.

Glued it on and scribbled around it.

Every week when my page is done, I display it in this lovely wooden stand, sent to me by Julia at the Stamping Ground. The previous pages are stored just behind, though I fear as the pile grows they will start falling off. They sit on top of my promarker and stamp storage, and they are watched over by Flori and Viktor.

You can see more about Flori and Viktor in these old posts.

Art Dolls...