Today I’d like to share a picture of a notebook that I made and decorated using Anna Griffin stamps.
Hand made notebook embellished with Anna Griffin Stamps
Just wanted something quick n easy, but more decorative than the office style notebooks you get in the shops, so I made my own. This is decorated using Anna Griffin’s recent stamp set to QVC, I think it was called Fastenings?.
Coloured using Derwent Inktense and Studio pencils.
Close up detail of hand made notebook embellished with Anna Griffin Stamps
Today I’d like to share a picture of a sketch I created using Derwent Inktense Pencils. This time Bamboo
Bamboo sketch, in Derwent Inktense pencils
Hope these images have inspired you to try these pencils, they are a joy to use and great for sketching. A great gift idea for the artist in your life.
Please forgive the low light in the pictures of sketches I’m sharing, if I use software to bring up the brightness it alters the sketch colours & blending too much.
If you have ever wanted to create a vintage crackle effect for your projects, then you have come to the right place. In today’s video tutorial I’ll show you a really quick and easy way to create a crackle with a vintage look and feel. Here’s the kind of look you can achieve with this technique.
Vintage Gold Crackle. Paint Effect
You Will Need
Jar of water
Black mount board or chip board painted black
Palette Knife
Piece of rag or cloth for cleaning tools
Small pot or lid from plastic milk bottle to mix in
Palette to mix colour
Winsor & Newton: Galeria; Modelling Paste
Daler Rowney Interference colour: Shimmering Gold
Method
It’s easiest to understand with the video tutorial, but given the global nature of the internet, I’ll put written instructions in as well so if English isn’t the language you use, click on the translator tab at the side of the blog for translation.
Put some modelling paste into bottle top
Mix some Shimmering gold into the modelling paste, a little at a time
Apply the modelling paset onto the mount board using the palette knife (then put the knife into water so the paste doesn’t dry on to it)
Press another piece of black or dark coloured mountboard on to the paste, move the boards around a little to create more texture.
Peel the boards appart while the paste is still wet.
Set boards aside to dry. The gold colour will be more obvious once the paste has dried. Less paste will show more colour.
Options/Added Extras
Another way to add texture is using a scrunched up plastic bag. Apply layer of paste to the board, then while the paste is still wet, dab into it using the bag. As you lift the bag off it will leave texture on the board in the paste.
You will get different effects depending on
How much paste you apply to the boards
How long you wait before applying the board/bag
Experiment and see what effects you can create and which you like.
Links
For links to suppliers of modelling paste and acrylic paint, please check out the Art tab at the top of the blog.
You can also use the techniques I showed previously in my earlier films, to add different texture effects to your paste
Faux Crackle
Embossed Stone Texture
Hope you give this technique a try, it would be great to add small areas of texture to projects or as surface decoration to boxes and cards. Would love to see what you create using the technique, do let me know what you create.
As part of The Virtual Crafting Challenge this month being ‘Season’s', here is my latest autumn sketch. This time featuring Larch cones. My lovely hubby spotted this out on a walk and brought it home for me.
Here is a shot including the branch itself on the window sill of the studio. Glad I drew them the day I did, the following day it was so dark, cold n wet I wouldn’t have wanted to be out in the studio then.
Hope you like the picture and will be inspired to gather fallen nature from your area to sketch/draw and inspire your creative projects this month.
Today I’d like to share a picture of a sketch I made of Rose Hips using Derwent Inktense pencils. These have rapidly become my favorite sketching & drawing pencil.
Rose Hips in Derwent Inktense pencils
Derwent Inktense Pecils
Colours used: 300, 310, 1740, 1560, 1600, 1730
Hope you like it and if you haven’t already do give these amazing pencils a try.
I wanted to add some dimension to my projects, and experiment with different mediums to see what they could do.
Description
Quote from packaging: Stir well before use. A fine texture paste with a soft yet thick sculptural consistency. Build up depth in layers. Do not over thin with water. Apply with a palette knife and clean equipment with water immediately after use.
Pros/Cons
Pros
Mixes well with coloured paint, but will lighten colours because its white
Minimal smell
Smooth texture – feels like hair mouse but thicker
Cleans up easily from tools using water
Dries with a matt finish
Great size tub with options of nozel for small amounts or unscrew the lid to use with a palette knife.
Lid fits well and is secure
Cons
Haven’t got any. Does what it says on the tin
Build Quality
Excellent
Value for Money
Excellent, it costs less than the artist quality range, so is more affordable for trying out ideas, but performs well.
Would I buy it Again?
Yes
Summing up
Great for vintage metal and rust effects for adding some dimensional texture. You can stamp into this when it’s still wet or use it over stencils for specific patterns/designs. Great fun to experiment with, a great addition to your creative palette.
Links
Check out the Art tab at the top of the blog for links to suppliers and manufacturers.
Today I’d like to share a picture of a sketch I created using Derwent Inktense Pencils. These wonderful pencils are water-soluble but vibrant colours, once the pigment has been washed out in the image, it sets fast further re-wetting doesn’t disturb the earlier colours. This means you need to think ahead a bit for colour blending but also has a big advantage, I found overlaying colours with traditional water-soluble pencils disturbed earlier layers, so personally I adore these pencils and you will see a lot of projects with them here.
Just to prove I can draw something other than roses, today’s picture features an acorn and a cone, kindly sent to me by Garden Pinks.
Acorn & Cone sketch, in Derwent Inktense pencils
This has inspired a whole new train of thought for my drawing and I have been putting together what I call a forage box. Autumn is such a colourful time of year, making it a great time to get photographing the wonderful scenes around us as the trees change colour. The idea of the forage box came from the fact that I take forever to draw things, and sometimes in the case of flowers, in particular, they don’t always last as long as I need them too. Things like leaves and twigs however seem to last lots longer so they are ideal subjects for those of us who like to take a while to draw & sketch them.
Ten minute sketches are really great for focusing the eye into subjects and getting the most essential things down. I have also re-discovered a love of Teasels. I found one on a walk at a bird reserve recently and left it on the table next to me, if you have something that you want to draw, leaving it in your workspace for a while really gets you looking at it in more detail. The more you look at it the more you see. Then when you come to draw it you feel you have a better understanding of the item in question. This along with LOTS of practice has made a big difference to my drawing this year.
Hope you like the picture, more on the way. Off to get Christmas crafting
New projects have been added to the tabs across the top of the blog.
Check out the 'About' tab, listing of The Virtual Crafting Challenge themes and downloadable calendar pages are now on there too. Now you can access these all year long.
Have fun
Billie :)
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