It's a dogs life

Today is my day to be Roc's featured Design Team Member!

For this months piece, I decided to make a small canvas using 'Polka dot dog and Daisyhead' stamps by Roc Nicholas and Stampotique.  You can find Rocs stamps here...

                    

UnfortunateLy, the camera hasn't picked up the vibrancy of the colours on this little canvas. I used acrylic pains and markers in very bright colours on the black gesso'd background.

I got the idea for the background on this canvas from a class I did with the very talented Karen Hayselden at 'Art from the Heart' a few months ago. Thanks Kassa X

I gesso'd the canvas with black gesso and left it to dry. To create the gorgeous multi-coloured background, I used acrylic paints and pieces of card to create the multi-coloured 'prints' I used to apply to my canvas using the techniques taught to me by Karen.  

To enhance the colours, I used some of Tim Holtz Distress Crayons and rubbed them over a few of the colours.

To give the background more depth, I used a couple of different coloured acrylic marker pens to flick the ink onto the canvas making splatter marks.  You can also achieve this effect by adding some water to paint and flicking it with a paintbrush.  It's great fun, and very messy. I also used white paint to  make circles to make the colours POP off the canvas......

                                             

I used a couple of my favourite stamps for this make. 'Polka dot dog' is so incredibly cute. I just love him, he's adorable! I also used the flower from Roc's 'Daisyhead' stamp. This stamp is fabulous and so versatile, I use it such a lot.

Because the background is so bright and busy, I decided to stamp my dogs onto book paper to act as a contrast and make the dogs stand out more. I decided to lightly colour one of the dogs, but to be honest, I prefer the plain one as it's brighter.

                                       

I stamped out the flower from 'Daisyhead' a few times onto one of the pieces of card I used earlier when making the background 'paint print'. If you know me, you won't be surprised to see that I chose a card which was mainly turquoise - it's getting a bit obsessive..! Lol 

I stamped out four flowers and layered them up and shaped the petals, as I wanted to create more dimension. I then glued it to the top corner.....

                                       

I really enjoyed making this little canvas as I got to use my favourite colours and some of my favourite stamps. I hope you like this. 

Thanks for popping over to my blog. I'd love you to leave a message to say hi...

Happy Crafting Xoxoxo 

 

 

Capture the Magic of the New Year!!!

Happy New Year Friends...........

  

Hello there my lovely friends....  

Happy New Year to you all, and I hope that 2016 brings you everything that you each desire...!!

It's time for me to drop by with my newest monthly piece for Roc Nicholas Design Team. Yippppppeeeeeee!!!

It's a brand new year, with new beginnings, so it got me thinking about resolutions.

I have to admit that I'm not very good at sticking to any new year resolutions, but Roc's 'Capture the Magic' stamp inspired me to try and live by that motto this year and try and see the positive and best in any situation. 

 

I wanted to celebrate the New Year with a party theme, with lots of colour and fireworks and all friends together, and this is how this piece was started.

I applied Finnabair's Art Basics Black Gesso to a piece of card, and once dry I found some stencils which I could use as fireworks.  I used Ranger Texture paste which I coloured with some alcohol inks, then spread through the stencils creating the effect of fireworks.

Whilst the texture paste was drying, I choose which 'friends' I wanted to come to my New Year party.............. ;-)

It definitely wouldn't have been a party without Roc's 'Party Dog' stamp, he was just perfect, and I just couldn't resist 'Ellie, Dog, and Daisyhead' to complete the party crew -  I also gave Ellie some wings to help her fly ('Flying Heart' stamp).

I coloured in these fabulous images using Luminance and Pablo pencils by Caran D'ache. They are superb for blending colours together and getting the effects you want. I'm still learning though lol.......

 I wanted all of the images to be 'Captured' in a Polaroid style photograph which I heat embossed with silver powder to go with the background colours.
I had also embossed 'Capture the Magic' in white embossing powder onto a piece of Acetate, as I wanted this to hang over the top of the board, in front of the images so you didn't lose any of the details.

To finish off, I distressed the edges of the background and mounted it onto a piece of card.

A suitably celebratory scene to welcome in the New Year.  Full of bright colours, textures and fabulous stamps by Roc Nicholas and Stampotique.
 

 Thanks for coming over, I hope you like my piece this month. I wonder what I'll come up with next month...??

Please feel free to leave a message and say hi, I'd love to hear from you............xoxoxoxoxo