WOYWW #295

Not my workdesk as such this week as I am waiting on a parcel to arrive with more crafty goodies  before I get going again ... waiting on some new canvasses  as I have a couple of ideas rolling around in the vast emptiness of my head but am really quite excited at seeing how IF they come together.

I was putting off working on canvas despite really wanting to Have-a-Go so cajoled and pushed and encouraged by my very dear friend MaggieC (Silvercrafter) I took that deep breath and did just that ... Had-a-Go!

Can't say I am dreadfully pleased with the results, but they have grown on me A LITTLE these past few days and they may not now be heading for the bin.  They didn't turn out anything like I planned or hoped ... they are loosely based on a design by Barbara Gray at Clarity Stamps and having gone back to see her piece over and over again I now realise where I went wrong.

This was the first one I did : 

Then using the same three colours I decided to Have-Another-Go and what a difference!

The colours are not showing up so well on here but the first canvas was very green and the second one purple! Yet the same three colours of paint were used for both ... love the randomness of it I have to say!

I think had I not got a specific goal in mind I  might feel happier about these but because they are so far removed from what I set out to do then I have struggled to find them acceptable.  Shall hang on to them for a bit longer before deciding what to do with them ... I have had two very kind offers of new homes for them to save them from the bin but am waiting to see if they grown on me some more or if I should keep them as an example of my first failures work.

Apologies to the gorgeous lady whom is Julia over at The Stamping Ground and whom gives us the chance to blog hop on our wonderful Wednesdays - gone on a bit this week Julia and I know you like it short and sweet - will Do Better next week!

Happy WOYWW'ing everyone!

Clarity Challenge

Ok, ok ... have succumbed to pressure to enter my canvas into the Clarity "Things with Wings" Challenge.

Always said I'd never enter a challenge of any kind but need to branch out a little and with Margaret Craner in my corner giving me the kick up the bottom that I need I thought I'd take my courage into my hands and just go for it.

This is only my third canvas and a style so totally removed from what I normally do I hardly recognise it as something I have crafted.  

But it seemed to fit the theme of the challenge so here goes!

I stamped straight onto the canvas so the tree is not as black as I wanted but it is very glossy as I did heat emboss it with fine detail clear powder. 

As I struggle with acrylic paint I used Distress Inks - loads of them!  Didn't keep track of the colours used as I just had them all out in front of me and grabbed them willy-nilly and just kept going until I felt "enough was enough" and finally decided to stop.  I still think the blue should be more blue and this or that should be slightly different but hey-ho, this is it finished!

Oh yes, and I did use the Clarity stencil brushes rather than my normal blending tools ... another learning curve as swishing and swooshing with anything resembling a paint brush is so out of my comfort zone I considered the cooking sherry mid swish but managed to wing it with a couple of deep breaths and the odd placing of head between the knees.

So here it is ... my entry into the Clarity Challenge and now I am going to lie down in a darkened room to recover.

WOYWW #294

Oh for goodness sake just where do the days go to????  Missed WOYWW'ing last week and have no time to hop around the blogs courtesy of the delightful Julia at The Stamping Ground this week either!!!!!

Was up to my elbows in grunge paste and canvas boards and acrylic paint and having disaster after disaster but enjoying trying to get to grips with it but have had to clear it all away as I have my auntie coming for lunch and can hardly expect her to eat her sandwich surrounded by my detritus ... not that she would mind one little bit and would love to see what I am doing.

So apologies for not WOYWW'ing again this week ... I will try and visit a few blogs later.

Will share a sneaky peek of my first ever grunge paste canvas board inspired by a piece by Barbara Gray but am saving sharing the whole of the disaster for later in the week as I am taking part in the #Artchain on Facebook and might pick it as one of the five pieces of my work that I share across the next five days.

So happy WOYWW'ing everyone!

WOYWW 292

Welcome to our weekly Wednesday blog-hop ... might actually have time to hop myself this week and catch up on visiting all the wonderful crafty desks around the world.  All thanks to our gracious host, Julia over at The Stamping Ground

Have had a very productive workdesk this past week and this morning will be putting the finishing touches to a batch of cards for the men on my list and then I need to get some anniversary cards made.

Got a new embossing folder with some little hearts on that I might use for the anniversary cards ... got it propped up against the laptop hoping inspiration might come calling.

Also a new pot of Mod Podge ... absolutely no idea what to do with it but saw Barbara Gray use it in a demo and fully plan on giving it a go myself ... sometime ... maybe!

Bakers Twine is ready to wrap and staple around the cards ... again my much preferred tag shape that I know a lot of the recipients of my cards don't like but it is what I enjoy doing and is my favoured style so I am sticking with it! So sorry to my BFF whom last year said I had forgotten to send her a card on her birthday which confused me as her name was ticked off the list ... when I said I was confused and was sure i had sent a card she replied "not a proper card, only one of those tag things" ... well, one of those tag things she will be getting again this year!

Thank goodness the mojo seems to have returned and I have more ideas and things I want to try than time to do it but with the first half of the years cards pretty much sorted I might just have time to play and practise and experiment!!!!!

Happy WOYWW'ing everyone!