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Friday 20 August 2010

Opus Gluei Challenge #68 You've got to move it move it!

The poobahs over at Opus Gluei have challenged us to make something using old/existing stash stuff.

This is an A4 picture I have just finished and framed for my Mum's 81st Birthday.
It is using some more of the very first pack of designer paper that I bought and I still love it AND I have a big pile of it so I will still be using it when I am 192.  I will shinify my zimmer with it.
DCWV Pocket full of Posies 12" size.
It is inspired by Zetti style but mainly artist Allison Strine's work.



I bought the digital bird images from www.magicpug.com  
They are copies of old paintings of parrots and other exotic birds.
I resized the birds to suit the A4 size and just printed off their heads to use.
There are some great images for sale there.

I now have two ways of altering designer paper to fit a project.

1. Use white gesso to tone it down or scruffyfy it.
The green patterned paper was a bit too bright for the grass so I painted white gesso over it and immediately wiped some of it off again using a baby wipe.

2. Brayer an ink all over it and then spritz some mica powder mixed with water in a Tim Holtz mini mister.
I needed some jazzy shiny brown cardstock for the tree trunks so I transformed a piece of the purple and orange card in the pack. First I brayered over all of it using Adirondack dye ink in currant. Then I mixed up some dark greeny bronze mica powder with water and spritzed it all over. Lovely shiny.

I can't say enough good things about a Speedball brayer used with inks.

Apart from using the brayer to make background ink patterns you can
  • Ink up large stamps really evenly if you apply the ink to the stamp using a brayer.
  • Ink up stamps with more than one colour of ink. I don't know how many times Craft Stamper instructions have said ink up your stamp with these colours without saying how to do it without contaminating your ink pads with the other colours. So I realised that if you ink one half of your brayer with one colour then turn it round and ink the other half with another colour and leave a little gap in between the colours you don't mix colours on your ink pads. Then use your brayer to ink your stamp in the different colours and any contamination of colours won't matter because it'll be on the brayer and not the ink pads. Sorted at last.
Happy creating!
Gini
xx

7 comments:

Sherry said...

Happy birthday to your Mum Gini, I bet she'll love your picture - it's so sweet and funky and made me smile.

Thanks for the top tip about using your brayer for different colours - I've never tried that. I must admit, I do have the Speedball brayer but it's in a right old state! Used mainly for rubbing over things I've stuck down eg collage - it really helps with the adhesion. I love watching it being demonstrated on TV (Create and Craft channel) by the Clarity Stamps lady.

Forgot to say I love your tree trunks too - haven't tried that effect either (yet!!)

Jingle said...

This is fantastic!!!

Karen said...

Now I am going to shamefacedly admit that I have a brayer which is still in its packaging :( I love watching the Clarity lady & always feel inspired tho!

This is a gorgeous picture & I love the idea of baby birds being loved by Grandma...awe!

Brilliant work as always Gini, HUGS XXX

Jana said...

Granny and her grandchicks are awesome. I love this piece. I have that paper in 8x8 inch size. I too love it. Thanks for the brayer tips too. I always forget to get my brayer out for the bigger stamps and end up tapping the heck out of them on the ink pads. The brayer is so much easier. You always make the coolest projects for us at OPUS GLUEI. You really do spoil us, you know?!?!?!?!

SYLVIA-ANNE said...

Fabulous as always Gini - your ideas are totally awesome. I love your birdie projects - there is something magical about them. Happy birthday greetings to your Mum too.
Love and hugs, Sylvia xxxxxxxxxxx

Gini said...

Sylvia - Just as well that you like birds seeing as I seem to be incapable of making anything unless it has got birds at the moment ;-)
Gini
xx

Rosemary said...

Do you know how delightful you are? Well, you are. I always get such a big smile looking at your projects! This is so darn cute! I love the bird heads and yes, I see the Zetti inspiration!

(btw, love the Pocket Full of Posies pack, should you run out before you turn 192, just let me know and I'll rush a bit over to you!)(and.....love the hints for toning down or altering a paper for a project - scruffy it eh?)

You're the best!