Be Brave

And BRAVE I was !!!!

On three counts ...

a) using a small substrate ... in this case a CD

b) leaving all that free space

c) using very, very bright colours

EEEK!!!!!

For a grubby, muted, grungy girl who always aims to get as much texture and as many layers as she can on a piece of work this was a challenge

Very easy and simple in its composition & I knew I wanted a stark contrast of colour against a matt black background

but - WHAT colours to use?!?!?!

Automatically started gathering my favourites but then spotted a whole heap of little pots pushed to the back of my drawer

so I took a deep breath

had a mini-meltdown on FB

and went for it

with the safety blanket of my pot of heavy black gesso beside me

I did have to give myself a quick slap as I found myself reaching for other paints & waxes & began to dull it down & also reaching for my stencils & 3D gloss gel to jazz up the background but rather than keep tweaking I decided to call it a day and go with my original plan

 So,  yes, it is hanging on the wall but looks VERY out of place amongst my more usual work - am quite pleased with it so there it will stay

Products used:

All Finnabair for Prima Marketing

Art Basics

Heavy Black Gesso / Heavy White Gesso

Heavy Body Gel

Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint Metallique 

Lime Peel / Pure Sunshine / Fresh Orange / Pink Blush

Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint Opal Magic

Violet-Green / Yellow-Pink / Pink-Blue / Blue-Violet / Aqua-Rose

Prima Memory Hardware Pearls

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Small Talk Stickers

Back to basics

Having not an ounce of ooomph right now

but still having the yearning to get down & dirty with the art stuff

I decided to just get out the products I enjoy using most of all

those products that had me tingling when I first came across them

Grunge paste & embossing powders, crackle paste and rust paste

all the stuff I never imagined would enter my world

but which sent my crafting in a whole new direction

Was only planning on doing one little canvas yesterday

but was soon drawn back into my much preferred grungy & 

imperfect little world

Did this one first ...

a ton of Finnabair's crackle paste - left to dry overnight so you get the best crackles in the world

Sprayed with more ink than you'd think possible

spray - dry ... spray - dab - dry ... spray & dry some more

and so on and on and on until I was happy with the colour

Mostly used Lindy's sprays but have to admit to Tim Holtz's Distress Spray coming into the mix ... Chipped Sapphire, of course

Finnabair's modelling paste through a stencil & then sprinkled with Seth Apter's Baked Textures (which have a tingle factor all of their own) & then heat embossed until it splutters & spurtles ... 

can't beat a good splutter & spurtle!!!

One of my all time favourite products is Finnabair's original Rust Paste Set 

would rust up everything if I could 

Finn has lots of variations of these pastes out now but I am struggling with any of the new colour combinations ... just can't seem to get even a half decent effect - as my last canvas here will prove!

Not giving up and will just keep trying!

Enjoying myself way too much I decided to do another

wanted it the same but different

if you get my drift

Monochrome sort of called to me but it felt too "flat" so a touch of colour accent was deemed necessary

trouble is, what colour?!?!?!?!?!

Rarely use purple so purple it was

in and out of my comfort zone in one fell swoop!

Same crackle paste background - this time dried in a couple of hours as it was so hot 

Lindy's sprays again and then Tim Holtz's Distress Resist sprayed through my favourtie stencil ... once that has dried I used a silver spray by Sweet Poppy to make it stand out

Triple embossed mdf heart using Seth Apter's Baked Textures with Finnabair's wax stroked over to highlight the, er, hightlights

Various Finn's glass glitter, micro beads & mica flakes added 

 

 Then, because I was having way too much fun I did a third

just little 6" canvas boards so they don't take up too much room

Background this time was Finnabair's newly released Stone Wall Effect Paste

to be honest my heart sank a little when her new releases gave us four new sets of rust paste ... I have still to even open three of her previous sets -

yes, they scare me that much!

But I quite liked the look of the Stone Wall effect one so thought I'd give it a go

Not at all happy with it but got to start somewhere, right?

The embossed heart was one from playing earlier but was never really happy with it so, great thing about triple embossing is who is counting?

This one was probably embossed five or six times and I did slip a bit when stamping the bee but hey, imperfect grunge, right?

As Tim would say, "just get over yourself"

so I did

Lord Of The Rings On A Swing

For the third time in 14 months great-nephew Henry was ring bearer at his three uncle's weddings ... did brilliantly each time but have to say that this time he absolutely nailed it! 

Was named Lord of the Rings in father-of-the-bride's speech and he certainly did them proud

This photo' was taken at the wedding and has become a firm favourite of mine so when I saw Finnabair's latest video project I was, yet again, inspired by her to have a go and this photo' seemed to be the one to use

This is the link to  Finn's video 

Made on clear acrylic or perspex - have posted two photo's to prove it!

I picked the colours from the wedding but realise now they are far too girly for the whirlwind that is H ... have tweaked and tweaked this trying to make it right but finally called it a day and had to consider it done

Just gives me an excuse to do another one more befitting a little three year old livewire

WOYWW 476

Ok hands up ... I am cheating

but at least I am here!

The observant amongst you will recognise the piece of work on my desk and know I have already blogged it as, yes, this is last week's desk

Had the photo all ready to join in with the weekly blog-hop that takes place over at The Stamping Ground and courtesy of the simply wonderful and vrey much loved Julia but it was already Thursday by the time I realised Wednesday had come and gone so I missed the boat

considered posting very late on the Thursday but figured if I was late I might as well be very late ...so here I am ... on time but also late!

To remain true to the blog-hop I have also added a photo of my desk right now so you can see not much has changed ... a new photo' of great-nephew Henry as they finally managed to get his hair cut just in time for the wedding and his beautiful, handsome face emerged from under the mop of hair

The spanners are not a project ... well, the smaller one might be but the large one is acting as a counter-weight to stop my board from tipping forward as I have to pull it a good four inches off the edge of my desk in order to work more comfortably.  

They were daddy's spanners so the weepies often come calling as I have not yet quite gotten my head around him not being here and spanners and such were, well, they were just daddy

Will stop there or this post will take me on a trip down a road I don't wish to travel today

Will blog this next photo' separately too but is a small project I managed to do on Monday - the least said about yesterday the better as it was a rotten old day ... and I fully aim on today being a whole lot better!

Inspired by Finnabair who did a project on clear perspex/acrylic - but all will be explained in a separate post as I really should only show you my desk today 

Happy WOYWW'ing fellow bloggers

xXx

And then there were three

Did my first "System Breakdown" piece back in January 2017 & when my BFF saw it she reminded me it was her birthday in July & made several "hint-hint" comments so made another one for her ... just finished a third one as hubby dearest wanted one to give as a gift

My original actually hangs on wall (but behind a door that is kept almost permanently open against that wall)

really enjoy making these once I get going 

System Breakdown #1

The Original

System Breakdown #2

The Birthday Gift

System Breakdown #3

The Yet To Be Decided if Liked by Recipient

(I may yet end up with two behind my door!)

Note to self : must learn to take better photographs!!!!!

Finnabair's Angelica

Taken me a while but I FINALLY plucked up the courage to tackle my Angelica kit from the workshop I knew I would not be able to attend ... I went ahead and paid for my place anyway just so I could get my kit for Finnabair's project

You can't imagine for one moment the utter surprise and shock that followed the workshop when the organiser - the simply wonderful Sue Tucker messaged me to say Finnbair wanted me to have the piece she did in the workshop as a gift ...

ME!  Little old Debbie with an Anna Dabrowska original

I was, literally, reduced to tears and shaking

Anna has not only been a total inspiration for me since I came across her work

but a good friend too - never failing in her support and encouragement

and I hear her in my head all the time - not just when making art but in my daily life too as she has shared the odd snippet of her own life during the many workshops I have now done with her 

So with lots of 

"Why not'"

"Awesome"

"You stopped too soon!"

"Just keep going"

"Don't judge it until it is finished"

And a lot of hints and tips from my friends Lisa & Vicky that were there on the day - and my fabulous gift from Anna by my side I managed to do my own Angelica (with thanks, too, to Chris Cresswell for the face)

Thank you Anna for your gift - forever to be treasured and thank you for allowing me to have your kit even though I (broken heartedly) could not attend the workshop.  Thank you for everything you do and, most importantly, thank you just for being you.

When it all goes horribly wrong

Started out quite enthusiastically with this one

but that soon fizzled

Had Finabair's Patina Effect Paste set for a long time now

but never got around to using them

was booked to do her "Poetry of Patina" workshop but that was one of the projects that went by the book when the workshops were cancelled

So I thought I would just wing it

stupid Debbie

so am using this as a lesson in Learning To Live with A Disaster

(did actually bin it, but got told off by husband dearest)

Have even hung it on the wall and it doesn't look too bad

from a distance

without my glasses

Started off with a bit of old fence panel

gesso'd it white and did the sticking of random bits & bobs thing

all was looking ok at this point

although that butterfly bothered me from the start

Gesso'd it all white again

and then lost the plot

The patina set just not my cup of tea

which was a huge disappointment

but I guess it's ok not to like every product available

I am a HUGE fan of Finnabair's original rust paste set and use pots and pots of it - would rust up everything if I could

In the end I covered up more of the blue than intended

and added some darker blue using wax

Quite like the bit on the far left!!!

BUT ...

at least I have managed to create another project this week

after the wilderness months since Christmas when artwork of any description was impossible

Products used:

All Finnabair (Prima Marketing)

Art Basics Heavy White Gesso

 Art Basics 3D Gloss gel

Art Basics Soft Gloss Gel

Art Extravagance Rust Past Effect (Brown/Red/Gold)

Art Extravagance Patina Effect Paste (Blue/Mint Green/Brass)

Art Alchemy Antique Brilliance Wax - Red Amber/Mystic Turquoise

Art Alchemy Metallique Wax - Rich Copper/Vintage Gold

Art Extravagance Glitter Set - Luminous (just used the brown)

Finnabair's Moonlight

As soon as I saw Finnabair's Moonlight workshop I knew I just HAD to do it

booked in for February when she was bringing the classes to Bournemouth

but the workshops were cancelled ... oh, the disappointment!!!!

Figured I had attended enough of her classes now to at least have a go using her design as TOTAL inspiration

knew I'd be ok with all the techniques

but not the colouring - have had to wing it there

also knew I did not want to make a direct copy of her design which was done on a tall rectangular canvas ... if in a workshop I'd have done EXACTLY what she did ... if Finn sticks something in a certain position then I do the same

a way of learning that I have found works for me - I take her workshops to produce pretty much what she does but then bring home all I have learnt to adapt for myself

This piece is very much an adaptation of her wonderful piece  - which you can see here Finnabair's Moonlight on her blog if you are interested

I did struggle (so what's new!) getting this one even remotely to anything resembling what I had in my head

and is one of the pieces mentioned in my "Shells" post below this one that i threw across the room a few time 

but I kept at it and by removing a storey from one of the houses it kinda, sorta came together

So I finally got to do Moonlight ... just not with Finn

xXx

SHELL we do a little crafting?

Sat here like a lemon (some will say nothing new there then!) failing miserably at getting any ideas in my head to even start to work out

three projects attempted - well, bits from cupboard & placed here and there

tipped off to be replaced here and somewhere else

but nothing working out and frustration levels rising and fragile emotions taking over

Then I remembered my large scallop shell

only problem being is shells are not really my thing

but it was either a case of skulk back upstairs utterly defeated or just go with it

So I just went with it

despatched hubby down the garden to rescue some teeny-weeny shells I knew were in the drawer of the caravan 

Not really my cup of tea although others are seeming to like it but at least I managed to make something & it has kick started my confidence to tackle those previously elusive and abandoned projects

Products used:

Finnabair Art Basics : Heavy Body Gel / 3D Gloss Gel / Soft Gloss Gel

13Arts Ayeeda Mist : Chalk Turquoise/ Pastel Cinnamon / Pastel Caramel

Pastel Antique Cream / Chalk White 

Lindy's Starburst Spray : Frozen Jack Frost

Finnabair Art Extravagance Glitter : Carribean Seas

Finnabair Art Extravagence : Art Stones / Mini Art Stones

Finnabair Art Ingredients Mica Flakes : Gold Leaf

Finnabair Art Ingredients Art Sugar : Light Pink / White

Finnabair Art Alchemy Wax : Opal Magic Vintage Silk

Cheesecloth

Twiggy bits - no idea what they are called