Adding colour to a black and white theme using bleeding tissue paper on canvas technique

Today I am going to show you how my daughter and I collaborated together to add some colour to a black and white theme.

So in my last post we redecorated our living room leaving us with cool and casual picture ledges to display our treasures.

Now we just wanted to add some bright colourful pictures to contrast the black and white ones. I remembered seeing this pin of the Fiskars ideas section of their site. It was a bleeding tissue paper canvas. So we decided to give it a try. The first thing I learnt was you need bleeding tissue paper for this as opposed to regular tissue paper for wrapping presents. I got some relatively cheap on ebay. There is a ton in the pack! I'm gonna have this for ages!

Here is what we did:

1. Paint water onto your canvas

2. Place tissue paper on canvas

3. Leave to dry

4. Pull off the tissue paper

( for a more watercolour/blended look brush more water over the top of paper.)

 We made a couple canvases. I cut more precise straight strips and put them around the edges of the canvas like a frame. Scarlett placed them randomly around the canvas. Both gave a cool, tie dye, blended look. Perfect for the colour we needed!

Then we printed out a picture of a pug , cut it out, and mod podged it onto the canvas Scarlett did. Then she went over it with gelatos. Adding a sunny sky up top and intensified some of the colours.

I rummaged through my stash and found some old vintage script looking paper and cut out three different heart shapes of different sizes. i tried to cut them a bit wonky. I mod podged them on the canvas with the bright tissue frame and went around the edge with a black stabilo pencil.  then I went around what I just drew and kind of smudged it with my fingers. It just gives it a bit of interest and depth.

I'm really happy with how both of them turned out. They are exactly what we need to add to our black and white themed picture ledge, and best of all they were created by both Scarlett and I.

Cant wait to make more things with this bleeding tissue paper technique. That's a good thing since I have loads of it now! (seriously,..loads.) Thanks for checking my page out today. Ill be back soon with some ATCs I'm making for a swap on the Stampotique facebook page. Till then, take care!

                                             Always, -Kass

Living room/dining room switcheroo re-vamp. Using IKEA picture rails

The other day I completely rearranged the ground floor of my house. There were a few reasons that prompted me to do this 1. We never used the kitchen table as it was down at the end of the kitchen. Its a bit cold down there and far away from whats going on. 2. The middle room was getting no use, it was just a walkway through from the kitchen to the living room. So I put the kitchen table all the way to the front of the house and started using the room as a proper dining room. Its much nicer, it gets the sun all day and we have been getting tons more use out of it!

now the middle room that was a walkway is the living room with the couch and television. Which is great! but I was left with a bunch of empty wall space.

I knew i wanted to show some images from my favourite photographers and artists but could not decide which ones to put where. I am just not the kind of person who can stand with a ruler and mark out exactly where I want stuff. If it involves numbers and measurements I have to admit I shy away from it. So I decided to go for this idea I've had for a long time using the Ikea RIBBA Picture ledges on the walls to lean artwork on that we love.

We bought 4 of the long picture rails and a bunch of miscellaneous picture frames in black and white.I decided to go on a black and white theme with pops of bright colours. Probably because it was in my mind from the last ATC I did? 

I used an old out of date diary with pictures from one of my favourite photographer Robert Douisneaux. I cut out a bunch of different images that inspire me. His street photos from France in the 40's are some of my favourites of his. After I was done was that most of the little frames were filled.

 For some of the larger images I cropped down a Norman Rockwell print I had, and printed some large images of black and white graphics in a google image search.  I also used photographs of my own, mostly of Scarlett. There are a few other random bits and pieces, and some empty frames still. I want to leave room to add to it.

So here it is finished for now:

5

Now Scarlett and I are working on adding those "pops" of colour. We are using bleeding tissue paper on canvas to get great bright, marbling effects. Will be doing a tutorial for you guys on that very soon. So check back again. Thanks for stopping by.x

                                         Always , -Kass

ATC share using prima bloom sprays

Hello hello today's post is a very simple ATC. I made this last week but was unable to deliver it to its recipient as Scarlett was a bit unwell. Tomorrow I shall get my chance. I was asked to make an ATC that was black and white with one other colour.

I was playing around with my prima bloom sprays. Spraying little drops and swiping my paper into it.  Even though I just got a little swipe in the corner of this ATC I thought the colours were really deep, and pigmented. Okay, and technically there are two colours. plumeria, and empress gold. Its so little though I think it still fits the brief.

Then I just needed the black and white. Well the background is white so I decided to just put a simple sentiment on it embossed in black. The sentiment is from a Tim Holtz stamp set.  Then I went around the edge with the same black embossing powder and heated it.

I was almost gonna leave it there but I felt it was just too boring. I still wanted to keep enough white space showing though.   After a rummage around I decided to put some lavinia stars around the edges and a Dina Wakely circle stamp in adjacent corners. Then I used my crop o dile tool to put a white eyelet with a black and white Amy Tangerine plus one ribbon.

That's it. Pretty simple. Simple is okay though. White space is okay too. I really like that about Dina's style. She is not afraid to leave a space open. The white space can help draw the eye to the main subject of your work.

Just a short post today as I'm super busy sorting out my back garden. Ill be back shortly with a simple guide to hopefully take some of the stress and anxiety of tackling your garden clean up.


                                                                      See ya again soon!  Always, -Kass

5 Photography tips for beginners

Anyone who knows me knows as much as I love mixed media art, and card making, my true passion lies in photography. I went to school a few years ago and got a diploma in photography through city and guilds .I meant to get another one last year but stuff came up and I was unable to commit to it. I really want to make it work this fall and return. I miss it so much. I know I can practise it without going to school but college really pushes me and keeps me learning.

All that being said, I want to talk about some tips for budding photographers. Things I had to learn by trial and error I will just tell you and save you some time hopefully.(all the following images are taken by me, Kass Wiskin) Lets get right to it.

1. Move around-  You know when you think to yourself ooh this is great light, or this would be a great photo and you pull out your camera, start shooting, and.. nothing. You just cant get the shot you know is there. When that happens try changing angles. Get down on the ground or up above your subject and see what happens. Sometimes an interesting angle can turn a bland photo into a great one.

2. Don't be afraid to get in really close or "crop" the photo. I know its tempting to want to get every bit of an environment into a shot, and sometimes that works. But sometimes cropping in and focusing on a small detail in the shot can get the very same point across and make the viewer think for a minute about what they are looking at. Like, instead of a whole head and shoulders portrait try just the eyes or the hands.

3. Turn off your flash- There is a time and place for flash. usually in the dark or to capture movement. Don't get me wrong , flash is a excellent tool for creativity when capturing light. However, if your finding your family vacation photos are flat looking and or "washed out"/overexposed try turning it off. A nice soft natural ambient light always looks really nice. Sometimes photographers specialise in natural light and do not use flash at all.

4.Bring your camera with you- This might seem like bit of a "duh" one, but its really easy to forget your camera at home. You need to get into the habit of having it on you. I am talking about your film or dslr camera not your phone. There is nothing wrong with phone cameras, and if its all you have use it. But if you own a dslr you might as well get your moneys worth and bring that baby with you. Also go out in all weather. Bad weather is no excuse for not going out and taking photos. Sometimes overcast or rainy days give off the best light and great skies.

5. Pay attention to background objects.- Have you ever been so into a shot, trying to get it just right, focusing on a little details, moving around, and you get home and there is a lamppost coming out of your subjects head. Or you you shot that building right as a dog squatted to do its business in front of it, and you were completely unaware. Just take a step back and look at the whole scene. What going on behind and around your subject? Can you ask them to move? Or if your subject is stationary can you move yourself and try another angle? Take your time and save yourself hours of post production editing.

I hope maybe some of those tips can help you get more out of your camera. These are very basic beginners tips but can be easily forgotten by the most seasoned photographer. In the next couple days I will be doing  a post on the rules of composition. Knowing these rules can take your photography to the next level. So stay tune and thanks for stopping by!


                                                                       

Card share/feat Vera lane digi stamps

Every Friday I go to a card club in my town. It is run by a rad lady named Jo. Each week she designs a card for us to make, and one of the members designs another one for everyone to make. Between the tea, biscuits, and chin wagging, we manage to make 2 unique and creative cards (okay sometimes we have to finish one off at home.) Last week I designed the second card for club. I came up with this:

The materials I used :
Vera Lane digi stamps
Archival ink
Archival ink
spun sugar distress ink
worn lipstick distress ink
salty ocean distress ink
mermaid lagoon distress ink
Tando harlequin pattern stencil
Tando circle pattern stencil
2 kaiserkraft arrow stamps
2 different washi tapes

Tools:

mini ink blending tool/pads
craft mat
scissors
black fineliner pen
multi matt medium (or any glue)

Its no secret I love these images. Ive used them in other projects. To check those out click here and here . Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. If you have any questions feel free to comment. Don't forget to follow as well for updates. On the top right of the page you can find links to follow on twitter and instagram as well. Have a great day!

                                                                        Always, -Kass

Child book recommendation: The Slightly Annoying Elephant by DavidWalliams

Sorry for not posting in a few days but my laptop is not working properly. It's at the doctors and I'm on the iPad which is not ideal for blogging. Well, not for me anyway. However I'm determined to give you guys a quick child's book recommendation.

 We have covered a lot of serious, sweet and spiritual books lately.  So I thought I would mix thing up a bit with a silly, fun book.  One of our favourite funny books is The slightly annoying elephant by David Walliams. David is a British comedian, and a well known face in the U.K.  I bought the book figuring it would be funny as I'm a big fan of his work on television.

The story starts with a boy named Sam opening the door to a very large, rather unexpected visitor. A giant elephant who knows his name! He thinks back and remembers filling out an "adopt an elephant" form at the zoo and immediately regrets the decision. He did not think an elephant would actually show up! 

Still Sam tries to make the best of the situation. He gives the elephant everything he demands. Even after he overflows all the water in the bath tub he still gives him all the food in the house when the elephant gets peckish.  When Sam asks questions, the elephant gives him patronising answers in an abrupt tone.  This elephant seriously sucks.

Just when he thought things couldn't get worse, what with the elephant breaking his brand new bike, things start to get real. Whilst the elephant is napping ( in Sams bed I might add) he gets a knock on the door. A whole herd of elephants is standing in his doorway claiming their friend invited them! So Sam has himself in a sticky situation. All the better for us though, as its great time watching the story unfold. 

I like to use a silly voice when saying the elephant lines and Scarlett always gets a kick out of that.  This book gives us a chance to loosen up and be silly for a couple minutes  out of our sometimes stressful lives. The pictures are colourful and very funny.  It gives our kids a chance to laugh, learn a bit of good manners, and most importantly ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT..

Card share/tutorial feat. Vera Lane digi stamps

Hey guys, I just wanted to share a fun card I made yesterday using Vera Lane digi images.

To make the card I blended  cracked pistachio (lightly) and squeezed lemonade distress inks on a 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 piece of card stock. Then I went over the squeezed lemonade with a diamond pattern stencil using mustard seed distress ink, and the cracked pistachio with the same colour (cracked pistachio) just applied with a bit more pressure.

After I was finished with that I cut out the images and coloured them in. I like to place them on the card throughout the process, checking my composition.

I decided on two different pieces of washi tape to put under the tree and the dog. I did that just to anchor them down and because well, I love washi tape. I could then paste the images down using a gel matte medium. You could use whatever you have handy.

Then I just took a fineliner pen and did a dot dot dash pattern around the edge creating a border. After that I decided to experiment by using acrylic paints over the copic markers on the dog to give him a bit more dimension. I liked how it turned out. Its kinda has a painterly look to it, which I'm really into.

I hope you guys like it and maybe it even gave you a little creative inspiration of your own. Before you go, have a look at this project as well. I used Vera Lane images for it as well. Thanks, and have a great day!

                                                                                 Always -Kass

Kids project: Bubblewrap art canvas

My mom (like most grandparents) loves getting pictures and pieces of art. So this mothers day that's what I decided we should do for her. We should make her a canvas to hang in her new lanai. A lot of people in Florida have lanais off the back of their house. Up in Chicago we would call them a back porch, in England we say conservatory. Lanai just sounds more tropical and everything is more tropical in Florida. Plus there is a pool in theirs so that's helps the tropical feel as well. My mom told me they were going with "key west colours" to decorate the area. When I think Key west colours I just think bright, tropical, sea inspired.

Well our canvas isn't really sea inspired but we tried to make it bright and colour complimentary. Before I go any further can I just say yes, Scarlett sat on top of my work space for this project and No, I don't recommend it for messiness and health and safety reasons.  She was under my supervision this entire project. What can i say? Shes a monkey.

Firstly just get colour down on the canvas. We used Faber Castell gelatos because they are so fun to use and have loads of colours to choose from. You can use whatever you have. Oil pastels work great, or acrylic paint if its all you have. Try and use something that will allow you to blend the colours nicely. So we scribbled the gelatos roughly all over the canvas where we wanted them

 and blended them together using our fingers.

Next we chose a contrasting dark paint colour and painted all over the bubble wrap generously but at the same time trying to not fill in the gaps between holes too much.

Then for the moment of truth. Put the bubble wrap paint side down on canvas and start printing. You just have to sort of go for it and have some faith. If you think about this part to much you will just hinder your creative process. Its better to just go for it and work with what you get. Its not suppose to look perfect.

Then Scarlett used the lid to a recycled jar to create circles to add to the composition.We used a orange transparent paint for this. Using transparent paint allows you to see the layers underneath creating a bit more depth.

Whilst I set that aside for drying I had Scarlett draw, cut out, and colour in some pictures.

 We raided my paper stash and found some long scraps to use as flower stems. Then I glued them on using mod podge gloss sealer.

After that had all dried we painted a ground using blue paint ( yes a blue ground. why not? maybe its the ocean. a big ocean with flowers coming out. wheres your sense of whimsy?) I then went all around the outside edge of the canvas with a lime green colour paint.

After it dries its ready to hang up and enjoy, or send off to a distant loved one. This is a project using basic layering and printing techniques so give your little one an applause when your finished making this. He/she is well on their way to becoming a brilliant artist!

Thanks for reading and have a great day.x
                                                                                         Always, -Kass