Simple Creations with Bri

Hello Everyone, Bri here.

In our monthly art journaling class at Crafters Cupboard we use a massive array of product, from Fresco Paints, Silks, Neo Colours and Gelato's to an amazing collection of stencils and stamps to spark our creative imaginations. Last month in our class, Jennifer challenged us to using only a couple of sets of stamps and only the Paper Artsy Fresco Chalk finish new paint colours. All the other delicious products were off limits for this lesson .. nothing else but what was in front of us.

From this, it has had me thinking, as I often literally throw my entire craft collection at a project. I started to ask myself, How do I use product? Do I think outside the "normal" use with a product? What techniques am I using? 

This last month I have gone back to basics with my card making, using simple techniques, simple products, remembering that not all my projects need to be a marathon event. I challenged myself to create cards using embossing powders and stencils. The one rule was ... don't throw the entire craft room at the project!

First I have a card using Paper Artsy Stamp set by Ellen Vargo (EEV10), stamped in Versa Mark and embossed with Ranger White embossing powder onto craft card stock. 

Now I am no water colour artist, however you can use embossing to keep you "in the lines" to create a stunning water colour effect. Here I used another of the flowers from the same stamp set by Ellen Vargo (EEV10), stamping using Versa Mark Ink and embossed the image in Ranger Clear embossing powder. 

For a second card, using some of the new Fresco Chalk paint (Banana, Bougainvillea, Jade and Snow Flake), I put some paint out on my craft sheet and added water to the paint until the paint was watery. Now I can use the Fresco paint as a water colour paint to colour my image. When the image was dry I used a baby wipe to carefully wipe over the embossed parts of the image to remove any paint (the embossing powder resists the paint).

Bokeh is a photography technique that changes the  depth of the background of an image, making the background of the photo "blurred". It's an amazing effect that can be easily achieved with stencils and paint. In a third card I have used Prima Elements Bubbles stencil and Fresco Paints in Chalk and Old Gold to create a stunning background (slightly trippy). The sentiment on this card is from the new Paper Artsy Stamp set by Sara Naumann (ESN15).

Securing my card stock to the stencil I put a small amount of Fresco Chalk paint onto my craft sheet and applied 2 spritz of water to thin the paint out (this makes the paint more transparent). Using a Tim Holtz blending tool I applied the white paint over the stencil carefully in a circular motion over the stencil.  I had to be careful not to overload the paint to the blending tool as the paint can bleed under the stencil and distort the image. Once the chalk paint was applied I carefully removed the stencil and cleaned it while the paper was drying. With the stencil clean and the paper dry I re applied the stencil, aligning it directly over what I had done then moved the stencil down and to the left a little (just a little off from the original stencil).

Securing the stencil again I put out a little Fresco Old Gold paint onto my craft sheet and applied 2 spritz of water to the paint (to make the paint more transparent). Again gently applying the gold paint over the stencil. 

This technique works amazingly with not only paint but paint and ink combined. Both the images below are using Fresco Chalk paint and an ink pad close to the paper colour.

Simple techniques to create some stunning and simple cards with limited products. These techniques can be used not only on cards but in your art journals, canvases and all your wonderful creations. I encourage you to re look at some of your products and how you use them, strip back some of your projects and see what amazing things you can create. 

Until next month, happy creating. 
Bri