#3UP with Paper Artsy

If you don't know what #3UP is:

At the end of each 4 month blog cycle, Paper Artsy fills the spare week by featuring the work of their followers, generally highlighting their newest releases. The participants are randomly drawn and receive items from the new release to work with.

The wait is over, the secret is out... phew I can talk about it!!! Yes.. I was very lucky to be drawn for the #3UP challenge this semester, and today being the Chatsworth Paper Collection blog post, you will gather that this is what I have been working with.

As I had never used the Paper Artsy papers before, I wanted to give the Chatsworth a thorough road test in my project and I can tell you they did live up to the expectation, being as good quality as they appear (they are a hefty 240gsm) and resisting all my (wo)manhandling very well.

I am showing you here a snippet of my project but you must go to the Paper Artsy blog for the full reveal and catch what my fellow #3Uppers have done tonight.

See you there....

Shabby Chic Attempt

I love the look of Shabby Chic and have attempted the style several times, alas without success, but spurred on by the Pan Pastels UK challenge I though I would try again.
I used fabric and embossing to create texture and the many layers that seem to be the signature of this style.
I think I got the shabby.... not so sure about the chic!

For the background I sprayed through a Prima Doily stencil and embossed a Quatrefoil design on the lower right corner.
I distressed a scrap of paper and stamped it with a Newsprint image.
The larger piece of material has been stamped using Crafty Individuals CI-207 set.
For the smaller one I used the kiss stamping technique with a Harlequin background stamp (The Artistic Stamper) and a flower background. Difficult to see the motif of that second stamp but the effect is pleasant. I sprayed this piece with Pink, Lime and blue patina sprays.

I added a piece of DIY washi tape, coloured staples, a die-cut corner and a border die-cut from fabric that I have gathered with some embroidery floss.

I am also entering the Artful Times, Stamping Sensations, Crafty Individuals and The Artistic Stamper challenges.

Let me know in your comments what you think,

Altered Bottle

I love embossing and I am keen to try new ideas to use with embossing powders. When the Arty Inklings challenged us to alter bottles I knew it was time to try embossing on glass, something I have shied away (for good reason as it turns out).

Yes, glass is slippery and round bottles also make the actual stamping difficult. I tried to roll the bottle on the stamp and the stamp on the bottle and both methods are as awkward as each other.

Still, I declare the embossing distressed so it's all good...

To finish I have stamped a ticket die-cut to write the contents of the bottle or act as a gift tag.

Thanks for coming by,

Embossed metal

This fortnight the quote challenge at the Craft Barn is for the words Change and/or Truth. Truth be told... but no wait ! I'll save that...

The background must be one of the laziest technique ever. I just dotted small globs of paint in Fresco Claret, Limelight and white, spreading it with a credit card. That's it ! Minimum clean up too...
I used a stencil punched out of card (EK Success) to apply Sparkle Medium in Jade (Imagination Crafts).

Of course this left me more time for my metal frame embellishment, which I die-cut (X-Cut) and then embossed with several embossing powders (Clear, dark green, light green, dark gold and Aged Aqua all different brands). The clear was supposed to create "holes" in the embossing to allow the cream colour of the metal to show through. Obviously I didn't sprinkle enough for it work as intended!

Then, I embossed a border cut from silver metal with a Ten Seconds Studio mold, applied some watered down paint and before it dried poured Clear Holographic embossing powder over it.

The quote is written with sepia ink and a dip pen.

I am also entering the Imagination Crafts and WOW Embossing powder challenges.

Thanks for coming by,

Bright and cheerful

With the temperature going up and nature awakening to spring I fancied a bit of colour as a rest from vintage or grunge. The palette is provided by A Sprinkle of Imagination and I chose Ruby red, Mauve and Pale Lime (plus black and white).

The focal image is from Indigo Blu who have a Spring Blossoms challenge this month.

I used alcohol markers to colour the image, adding a bit of lime watercolour around the image.
The patterned paper is an old magazine freebie and the punched border has been colour matched with the same markers I used on the flowers.

I am also entering My Mum's Craft Shop and Ali Craft challenges.
Thanks for coming by,