Kate Mason's Canvas Napkin Art Class

There is no stamping on this particular example, but you could quite easily add stamping to this really cool, really fun, and easy technique!
Kate Mason was one of the three awesome teachers this year, and she taught a class on the fascinating technique of paper napkin collage.  The teaser images on the class flyer and the plethora of darling artworks on her blog and etsy shop had me quite excited to try something new. I'm planning to have a go with some of my immense collection of Stampin' Up! Designer Series paper and fabrics too, chucking in a bit of texture paste and gauze too maybe, a la Louise Nelson (who's workshop I loved at last year's e2c).  Adding it to the never ending 'to do' list.  Shame there's so much tedious, less crafty stuff that must come first.  I wonder how many art subjects I would need to do at uni before I would be allowed to teach that too???  Hmm, there's an idea!  After all, there's plenty of science in art!

 I changed the designs only a little from the class samples, mainly moving the images to make space for a large quote on each, and switching the colours around.  I had an idea straight off that I wanted to put an inspirational quote on each as a gift for my two lovely kids.  I went looking for rubons, but the only ones I liked were too small and/or the wrong font style.  Hmm, what to do?  I was not keen on writing directly onto the finished canvas, for fear of stuffing it up, but I had a brainwave about using the white layers from the 3 ply napkins, which weren't used on the canvas base.  I took my Sakura Pigma black pen and hand-wrote what I wanted to say, then carefully cut around the lettering and applied it just like another layer of printed napkin.  It meant I could write a word as many times as I needed to get the spacing and look to be how I wanted.  I just need to add a final coat of matte sealer, and then the kids can have them.  I'm desperate to make more, but as per above, there's less fun stuff ahead in the queue :(  Better get off here and start ticking some of those items off I guess... 

Make Life Prettier with Paper and Stamps!

Here are a couple of projects I have made to make my everyday essentials look a little more attractive.

The first project was to cover my brain. Yes, that IS my brain, well, at least a very important external adjunct of it. I have pretty much always needed to carry a notebook with me to jot things down in, being a list maker from way back. But now, with 2 kids and a pretty full-on schedule, I find it absolutely critical, or important things tend to fall through the holes! I used Bella Bleu Designer Series papers and the matching cardstock colours of Kraft, Very Vanilla and Not Quite Navy. I used the Spiral punch to make the cardstock fit the wire binding cover, and added a few extra snips where necessary (different brands have different pitch for the wire spacing) I then tied some ribbon scraps around the wires, which hides them nicely and adds interest. I stamped some Damask images from Friends 24-7 on the Kraft, using Sahara Sand ink, and on the Very Vanilla band at the base of the layering with the different matching cardstocks and couple of different paper designs. The label is made with the scallop circle and circle punch, and I made the title with the Calendar Alphabet - nice small letters so great for personalised greetings and sentiments. I can't remember where the "the" came from right now, but it was part of a sentiment from a current set that I inked up in marker. I have also used the very pretty Eyelet Border punch, and tied some hemp twine and tafetta ribbon around the band before adhering. I made a bookmark from a piece of Vanilla tafetta, threaded with some beads from the Pretties kit. At the base, which I accidentally chopped off in the picture is a filigree brad with a clear rhinestone brad in the centre. Purty, no? Purty useful anyway!

Next up is my boring black office diary. I buy my diaries for functionality rather than looks, but I figured it sure could use some dressing up!! I was concerned about the longevity of the finish, and intended spraying it with some sealant, but haven't gotten around to it yet, and several weeks later it looks almost as good as new. The top section is Barely Banana textured cardstock. an the bottom layer is smooth Not Quite Navy cardstock. The centre band is a section of the same Bella Bleu DSP that I used for the notebook, and Kraft Eyelet border. I stamped a floral image from the now retired Natural Beauty set, and the butterflies are from the Dreams du Jour set, along with the centre image for the circle motif. I inked up the Dreams image with markers to make it multi coloured and stamped onto Very Vanilla card. There is an Ice rhinestone brand in the centre. behind this is a yummy piece of So Saffron striped grosgrain ribbon. The "Life" sentiment is from the Live Like you Mean it hostess set, and 2009 is from the Calendar alphabet - a must have in your collection!