Sunday 31 January 2016

Hooked on Gold

Hi everyone, I just couldn't let another month go by with just one post, and to make up for my lack of blogging it's a longish photo heavy one. The last few months have been quite hectic craft wise but I hope to be sharing with you some of the stuff I've been working on quite soon. For the first time in a while I was able to just go where the muse took me and yesterday created some journal pages. You might need sunglasses, but maybe that's a good thing with the wet weather of late!


I'm always drawn to creations on Kraft card but my own attempts have been a bit hit and miss. It may seem obvious but colours will alter on Kraft unless you use something opaque, mix that with my love of brayered backgrounds using fresco paints and I've been rather happy with the results of my experiments.


The beauty of using Kraft as a substrate is that you don't have to cover the whole area, it becomes part of the background. Here I used fresco paints in rose, bougainvillea and blueberry. I added gold fresco paint on top....but more about that later.

3D transparent art basics gel applied through a stencil and then some frantage shabby white embossing enamel sprinkled on top (yes I did that in my last post - another addiction). Wait till it is almost dry before heating. I created some darker areas with anemone IZink drips.




The stamping and stencilling should have been done before that stage but I managed and used a PA Hot picks plate and a Donna Downey quote with magenta archival. I used various stencils with the same paints and added in some black along with more white.


I think this photo taken in artificial light shows how reflective the gold is. Might be too bright for some but I'm hooked.

It's funny I don't like to wear gold, it doesn't suit me, I only wear white metal..even my wedding ring is white gold....but I love little additions of gold on a project whether it's treasure gold, Krylon leafing pen or foiling etc. I do use silver when I'm using cool hues but it's definite that I am hooked on gold.

Now feel free to stop, take a break or if you have a few minutes and a cuppa to hand please carry on with the rest of my post which is a bit of a catch up (be warned it includes some Christmas cards). So going back to the gold fresco paint, I bought it just before Christmas and I think it might be a slightly different formula (hope I'm not giving any secrets away) but it is the most luscious blingalicious paint and I can't stop using it!

As usual I was on the last minute making the family Christmas cards but using Kraft card stock and brayered paint whipped up some easy cards which were pretty well received and I think could be adapted for none Christmas cards.


The sentiments stamps are waltzing mouse stamps, embossed with WOW black glint embossing powder.


Pen squiggles around the outside


Use a thin line of gold on your brayer and just roll it once, don't go back and forth if you want to leave a lovely touch of textured gold.


It didn't stop there I made matching envelopes..


...and although I don't have any to show you I made gift wrap the same way but on a larger scale...for small presents and special people only.

Another idea that could be adapted are enameled snowflakes using frantage again, well we have had snow recently so I think I just about get away with it!


It won't be as long till my next post as I have a few coming up this week, now I'm not saying any of them are connected to it but as a btw the launch of the new PaperArtsy stamp collection starts tonight which may also mean new frescos (do you get the idea I like these paints?)...anyway I'm looking forward to it....even if my bank balance isn't!

22 comments:

  1. I especially love your journal page, (I agree about the Kraft - always looks great when other people work on/with it..yours included!) looking forward to some more posts and certainly some Paperartsy releases!!

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  2. LOVE the gold and grape color together!!!!
    NICE!

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  3. oooh, Ruth, this is sublime. I am also a gold addict - and I LOVE how you've sprinkled it in through various applications. These colors are fabulous also.... and I love your cards! Very special indeed! Glad you've been busy making art - thanks for showing!! xxx Lynn

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  4. fantastic pages and wonderful cards! Super!

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  5. Oooh these pages are lovely especially your stencil experiments xx

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  6. wonderful work Ruth - looking forward to seeing more posts from you in the week! Big hugs rachel x

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  7. Lovely work Ruth! I'm partial to a bit of gold too ! X

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  8. Oh Ruth! I love the colours of your journal page and of course the gorgeous texture! Looking forward to seeing more posts! Hugs, Chrisx

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  9. Gorgeous Ruth love the colours hugs Debs xx

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  10. Your journal page is quite stunning and I managed it without sunglasses too! I have not done much journalling but will definitely try kraft now, it looks amazing. Your Christmas cards are so, so beautiful, I am not surprised they were well received! Hugs, Anne xx

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  11. Utterly stunning pages, Ruth - you've completely cracked the working on kraft... the colour combination is wonderful, especially with that shimmering gold layered in - like a medieval illuminated manuscript. Love the effect of the Frantaged texture stencilling too. No need for sunglasses - I wanted to drink it all in.

    The brayered backgrounds make for such subtle elegant cards - thanks so much for sharing those too.
    Alison xx

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  12. What a fab post to open your new year of blogging Ruth! Gorgeous pages and cards and very inspirational techniques. I had forgotten about my bottle of lovely gold paint bought at the same time as yours I believe.....thanks for reminding me!

    Hugs
    Lesley Xx

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  13. Totally stunning Ruth!! Love the pages and the colours are just gorgeous - the brighter the better for me! Love the backgrounds on your cards too - may need to give that a go! xxx

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  14. Ruth, these are all just beautiful. Love your paint marks against the kraft.

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  15. Beautiful projects, Ruth, the journal page is gorgeous.

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  16. Ruth, those pages are just simply gorgeous!! Glad for the muse and her taking you where she may!
    funny about the white gold and god as you said! I am exactly the same way!! Won't wear it,wedding ring is white gold as well, but, love to play art with it!!
    have a beautiful day! xoxo

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  17. Gorgeous Ruth, love working on kraft and your results with the gold and frantage are stunning. Lucky recipients of those beautiful cards, thanks so much for sharing everything! Deb xo

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  18. Fantastic art journal page and awesome cards, Ruth! Marvelous work with great color combination and beautiful textures! Hugs! Branka xxx

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  19. I love your use of gold - it looks especially good with those beautiful warm pinks. You've done a fab job working on Kraft - it's a substrate I use a lot and love working with, I find it very forgiving if that makes sense, and I feel I don't have to be as careful as if I'm working on white. The Christmas cards are great too, and I love the little snowflake - it's so cute!

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  20. I'm very green at this art journaling so I'm looking at lots of different artists work and I simply LOVE love love yours - it touches my heart with the colors you use and the whole over all look. I'll be back checking on more of your works. Thank you for sharing.

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It would be lovely to read any comments left, I really appreciate them all. Thank you so much for taking the time to drop by.