When Grunge Paste meets Chinese Lantern

When Grunge Paste meets Chinese Lantern

Hello there!
Thank you for stopping by.
Saturday’s blog is a new technique. 
So for who? For you? For me? 
I have been really enjoying playing with Grunge paste and stencils lately, so here’s a rather fab new stencil, 
which is being aired on TV tomorrow:
Very easy step-by-step to follow.
Tape the stencil to the white square card 
at the bottom of the stencil

Deposit some Grunge Paste at the base of the design.
I only want to do a partial area – 
otherwise I would spread right across.

Using a plastic spreader or a credit card, 
drag the paste through the stencil.
Try not to stop and start. One sweep is best.

Lift the stencil off and drop into warm soapy water immediately.
Allow the Paste to dry thoroughly. (about 15mins)

In that time, you can wash and dry your stencil nicely.
Have a cup of tea. 
Make the bed.
Throw the hoover round.
Mow the lawn.
Pull some weeds.
Or you can just wash and dry your stencil nicely.
Then replace it on the dry paste, and tape it down.

Time to colour the lanterns.
Light base colour first.

not being rude here! I used my finger!
Make-up sponge works too I guess…

Then add some Butterscotch from the top.
Use another finger….

Let’s lift and check. Not bad. 
Needs a bit of umph for the next trick though.

 Back on with the stencil.
This time we will use Raisin Adirondack.
That should do the trick.

I wanted to use a scalpel blade 
and scratch some veins into the lanterns, see?

If you want to try this, the best way is to get comfortable, 
so that you can scratch the artwork easily without having to contort. 
One scratch starting from the base. You can see why we needed a darker core now.

Glad that worked!
Now trim the artwork back

More. Dust with Butterscotch around the edges, 
using a Stencil brush.

Mount on a blazing colour.
Another layer required….

Time to use those wonderful Word Chain words….
together with Red Geranium Archival. 
What a fantastic colour!

Nice card.
Good colours.
Cool texture.
With a little Arty Scratchy thrown in!

 My Dream. Mmmmm…
is to write a book – a novel.
What’s yours?
Think about it. Do share. 
I believe we move towards what we picture in our minds…
much love,

92 thoughts on “When Grunge Paste meets Chinese Lantern

  1. That's beautiful barbara been looking on c&c at your new stamps amazing but will wait get from you will they be soon on web site just love the word art stamps need them all . I to am d tempted by the grunge art must try xxx

    1. Have good and bad days but crafting really helps me clarity stamping has really taken over ism so glad you asked Sazz to start the workshops has been a life line and all my new friends there . How you and you neck is it any better you look in so much pain on last month show just loved all stamps last month looking forward to Sunday x

  2. Wow that is cool! Love the warm colours and the technique too!

    Will be tuning in to C & C to see you!

    Love your demos and products,such a talented lady!

    Big Hugs
    xxx

  3. It is going to cost me on Sunday Barb x. I love the stencil it is fabulous. And your colours lovely
    Well I would love to paint, I would also love to write a book, but painting is the more realistic option and I am almost there, loads swirling in my mind about it and I have bought some paints and some canvas and I have a fab idea x

  4. Lovely demo with Jo's favourite stencil. Can't wait to read that novel. I know it will be a great read. They say that everyone has at least one book in them. Not sure at the moment what my dream is. Improving my drawing would be one, to be able to recreate what I can see out in the world, a beautiful landscape, a butterfly on a flower perhaps. I have started writing down my life for my children and grandchildren so I need to continue that. Then they may have the answers to the kind of questions I wish I had asked my parents and grandparents when I had the chance. Have a great show on Sunday. Show them how short sighted they are in cancelling the Classrooms. xxx Maggie

    1. Thank you, Barbara. I really appreciate that and value your opinions.. xx Maggie PS I am disgusted with myself. I cannot believe just how dependent I have become on these blogs and on my Facebook friends, and not having that access over the weekend gave me real withdrawal symptoms for the first evening. I did get over it, but … oh dear!

  5. Gorgeous! So gonna try this grunge thing. Just have to get some first. I would love to water paint and play piano . I'm 60 today… Too late to learn?

    1. Go for it, Isobel. Never put things off. It is never too late for things like painting or piano. You may never be the most well known in the land, but, if you enjoy it, that is all that matters. xx Maggie

  6. Hi Barbara,
    Beautiful as always. Lovely warm colours also. Didn't occur to me to use only part of the stencil picture, sometimes I have trouble seeing the wood for the trees! Is it true what Maggie has posted they have cancelled the classrooms on C&C? How daft can you get, don't they care about viewing ratings and our needs (being selfish here I know). On reflection it will give you more time for other things. Thank you sharing as always, love Bev xxx

  7. DREAM….read the blog a couple of hours ago and have spent time deciding on that little word and your request! Like many/most people I have lots of dreams…some I like to share and others I like to keep to myself (wink)…so one I will share with you……To give up the daily grind of working for another and open up a coffee shop/diner….huge lover of the american diner style…. serve yummy food and coffees (want to do a barista course)…..but within that diner/shop would be a crafting section with workshops, guest presenters, and of course things to buy. You know these ceramic/coffee shop affairs – but on another level with paper crafting/mixed media type……..So there you have it….when I sit and day dream about it I can literally smell the coffee, see the cakes, lunch menu, pancakes etc and the mix of arty farty friends! This blog is great and I love that stencil – turn it upside down and I see pumpkins! so for me this is a multi use stencil!
    Have a wonderful day….at last some sunshine has made it through the clouds which must mean the awful dust cloud has all but gone….xxx safe journey later and looking forward to seeing you on the TV tomorrow. Kim xx

  8. My dream is to live a good, long life with my lovely hubby! Love your art Barbara, and I can sit and pontificate (there's a good word!) while my paste is drying any day 🙂 maddy x

  9. Love this – I bought some grunge paste when you hung out your washing Barbara, but haven't tried it yet. I think I'll lay out all my stencils and see what takes my fancy a bit later today 🙂 Had better do the shopping first though or we'll be eating fresh air for the next week – great way to diet I suppose…..crafting = no food shopping = Perfect all-round remedy!
    Got a few years to go yet, but my dream is to retire and live life doing the things I never knew I wanted to do & be healthy enough to do so! Oh – & I'd get a dog 🙂
    Have a good day and looking forward to C&C tomorrow….& I bought my ticket for Ali Pali yesterday – I'm can't wait! I hope I get to see some familiar faces there on the 12th xxx

    1. There are times, Barbara, when you could have one of my dogs right now, when she has just openly defied me and torn a tissue into millions of tiny pieces, and as fast as I gather them up, she grabs the tiny bits and tears them into even more minuscule bits. But most of the time, I love them both and would not be without either of them. xx Maggie

  10. Using only a part of a stencil is such a simple idea to add a bit of texture or pattern. I love this new stencil so it may well go on my shopping list! My dream is to stay happy, healthy and to become more confident. Looking forward to tomorrow. Xx

  11. Hi Barbara, this card is gorgeous. Love the wsrm coliurs and texture. My dream came true when I met neil and moved to live in the cumbrian countryside. ..shame I have to work long hours though. My new dream is to write a children's book then I can retire from teaching and spend more time crafting. Off to Jo's first cumbrian class today…whoop, whoop! See you on the tv tomorrow xx

  12. Hi Barb
    Love the colours you have used today – they remind me of summer.
    My dream – to live in the countryside with a couple of dogs, some chickens and maybe some pigs or sheep. I live in the suburbs of Greater Manchester so it is a dream I can tell you!
    Looking forward to tomorrow.
    Lesley

  13. Great demo. Love this idea. Never thought I would take to using texture (Grunge) paste but loving it! Have to confess to making my own with, amongst other things, Baby Powder. Smells so much nicer and a fraction of the cost 😉 Not good for your business though – sorry!! Looking forward to seeing you at Ally Pally.

    1. Easy peasy! Whatever container you choose to measure with ( I used kitchen measuring 'cups')
      ¼ cup PVA glue diluted – 1/3rd water
      ½ cup White acrylic paint ( but I would think you could use other colours for different effects)
      1 to 1&½ Baby Powder (I used Johnson's)
      Mix thoroughly together and store in a suitable container. (I put some cling film over the mixture to help stop it drying out.)
      (This made about 420ml for about £2 instead of 147ml grunge paste for £5.99)

    2. Thank you for sharing this Rosemary great idea and could be made with other colour acrylic paints too – I wonder how it would turn out if gilding flakes or glitter were added to it? Do you think the paint would maybe hide the additional sparkle & texture though? x

  14. I love this, I finally bought some Grunge paste at Harrogate, just need to make time to play! My Dream…….well I have several, I'd like to win the lotto and rescue dogs, have my own craft shop, one of my friend's would run the cafe, you never know x

  15. Just such pretty colouring, I need a lot of practice to get even close to how good yours look. My dream is to be happy and stay healthy, with a little travelling for good measure

  16. Love the use of the grunge paste and the colours you have used on this as they are so vibrant. I have got some grunge paste and had a go last weekend using the girl on the swing stencil, but I wasn't happy with the result. I think I put the paste on to thick, so will have to have another go.

    My dream is to one day visit Iceland and do the Overland train in Canada, however this will need to wait until I retire, only got another 25 years to wait!

  17. hi there Barb – I've blogged a card using this fab stencil today – love it – got some grunge paste too so will have to have a go at this later – my dream ……. pretty simple really …… happiness for me and mine!Not so simple on some days lol!!! Hugs rachel xx

  18. This stencil is on my wish list and having seen your beautiful art today it's a must have! The colours you've used are gorgeous. I have the grunge paste – just not used it yet! I have a few dreams, one of them is to live by the sea, another is to improve my artistic skills! 🙂 I hope you and Dave have a good trip to Peterborough today. Looking forward to seeing you on the TV tomorrow and hope your back and neck are getting better. xx

  19. I think I might have to invest in some grunge paste, it looks so versatile. Will miss you on C+C now that you are only on a Sunday, it clashes with Church. This week I won't even be able to record it because our DVD recorder is playing up – again! I think my currant dream would be to replace it with one that will record what it has been asked to and record more than a couple of hours at a time! Meanwhile I shall dream of building up a Clarity stash and being able to produce some art work. If it turns out even half as good as yours I shall be very happy. 😉 You must write that book Barbara, I love your style of writing and I am certain it will be a best seller. x

  20. Hi Barb, fabulous stencil, love the way you have used just a section, and the colours are amazing. My dream is to be able to do less of the day job, and have more time to craft and create. Need to check the show tomorrow, just maybe some stuff will fall into my basket. Bx

  21. That's beautiful Barbara. I love how you've built jup the colours – and then the scratchy bit bringing in extra dimension. My dream at the moment is to get a multi coloured Gelli print without the colours 'muddying'. When I've done that I'll move on to another dream. I'm fickle I know.
    Beryl xx

  22. Absolutely beautiful! Another fabulous technique, thank you. My dream is to be free of having CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) which brought my life to an abrupt standstill nearly nine years ago. The positive side of it though is that I discovered crafting and the amazing community that goes along with it! My recovery, although a dream, is also going to be a reality one day! I always try to stay positive! xx

    1. Chris – have you tried Magnesium supplements? I had a mild form of CFS diagnosed many years ago, and they were the only thing that worked for me – after about a year I met someone I used to work with and they couldn't believe I was the same person as I had so much energy! I hope you see some improvement soon, it's a horrible unpredictable condition, but there will be recovery to look forward to!!

    2. Thank you so much! It's so kind of you to share you advice, I will look into giving it a go! It's so fabulous to hear such a positive story too! It adds to my hope! Thank you x

  23. Hi Barb,
    I love this stencil and bought it as soon as I saw a picture of it on one of your beautiful birthday cards that you shared with us. Haven't got any grunge paste but may have to buy some. Have got texture paste but not sure if it will colour and it also takes ages to dry. Love the way you have used the colour to give depth. Looking forward to tomorrow but didn't realise that C&C have cancelled the classroom shows – are they stupid or what!! I would love to be able to play the keyboard – I'm teaching myself, but struggle with the chords – my hands just don't seem to be big enough of flexible enough! Would also love to go to see the antiquities at Egypt and also own and run a cattery. Love to everyone, Alison xxx

  24. How beautiful this is, the colours are so striking and I love the scratchy work. For years a dream of mine has been to go on safari and next month we're going to do it, I'm so excited about it. Then I'll have to decide what my next dream is – to be half as good as you would be a good one! Pat x

  25. Beautiful card Barb – will definitely be watching tomorrow. As for dreams, I have so many, it's a wonder I am still stuck here in this world. Having a body that doesn't work that well holds me back too.

  26. Morning Barbara,
    What a wonderful card your stencils are fabulous!
    Having breast cancer I don't do dreams I just try and do the things I like.
    🙂 Lorna D

  27. Love this. I have not used my grunge paste yet. Like the idea of only using only part of a stencil too. Something for me to try when I am back home. I will need to make a quick card. As for dreams, there are lots. My immediate dream is that we have one night with a couple of hours of clear skies so we can view some of the glorious objects in the night sky before our star party holiday is over. Last night promised some clear but it was too cloudy. We enjoyed a great sociable night despite sitting out in the rain! As for longer term dreams, I would love to find a way to earn a small amount of money from doing something crafty, but it still allows me to be there for my 3 year old son who will be starting school in September. I just need to come up with a plan! And maybe I should create a blog, but am not feeling brave enough yet! I also need to learn all these wonderful techniques you keep showing us. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I set everything properly to record the shows tomorrow. x

  28. Love today's artwork Barbara, and like Kim Shaw the first thing I thought about when I saw the stencil was pumpkins! Loved reading about everyone's dreams – I changed my life about 2 years ago, so part of my dreams have come true, but I would love to write a cookery book one day. I publish one of my recipes every month on our business facebook page, so I suppose that's a start!! Sounds like my Clarity order has just popped through the door, so hopefully I'll be able to make John's birthday card today… Thanks for all the inspiration you bring to us daily through this blog, and I look forward to the show tomorrow. X

  29. Love the art work Barbara the colours are lovely I'm one of your granny bloggers 76had a tattoo 2years ago one of my dreams also want to pay my respects in France to my hero grandfathers who died in the battle of the Somme .oh I forgot Barbara I want my eyebrows tattooed look forward to Sunday love always June xxxx

  30. Love that stencil, and the art work you've made. The colours are so warm. My dream is to open my own restaurant here in the French countryside, or may be a pub in England. Will seduce my man to have tomorrow show recorded, can't wait. xx

  31. Love that stencil, I'll have to Clarity shop again for the third time this week! I don't really have any dreams. I live in a lovely house in north-west Wales, thoughtful husband, happy marriage, two caring daughters and a cracking granddaughter. What more can I ask for except maybe just once to travel to America to see the autumn colours.

  32. Love the artwork and the stencil Barbara. Sweet Poppy Stencils do a wonderful metal spreader for spreading paste through stencils for about £4.00 well worth investing in, saves you having to use a bank card lol and its so easy to use. I really like the colours you have chosen they are really cheerful and brighten up a gloomy day. My dream is for my son to pass his degree at Uni and have a happy and successful life. He has a form of autism, Aspergers Syndrome, and despite this he is doing really well for himself, I am so lucky to have him in my life xxx

    1. Well done to your son Karen for succeeding in life. My son is Dyslexic and I know what a struggle it is sometimes. You will be so proud when he graduates. xx

  33. Beautiful result with the grunge paste, I really have to try this. I do love your stencils, try to include one each time I order anything. I reckon you would write a fantastic novel bet it would have humour in it. I would love to be able to paint just to get the images in my head onto paper would be great, but just not artistic. My art teacher at school was quite outspoken about my abilities.. My uncle was a wonderful artist and my granddaughter is showing a brilliant talent. Never mind I will settle for being reasonably creative and using your great products to help me to achieve that. Hope show goes well tomorrow Lynne xx

  34. Love this Barbara. New technique for me…scratching with the craft knife that is, feel stupid for not thinking of it. oh well! Dreams…I have a few, find a cure for my spinal condition, write a book or two (different subjects) and I would also like to have a retreat somewhere just for crafters to be able to come and paint, draw or just have a play about with all the wonderful things that are available nowadays. No phones, no stress, no rush. Maybe some wine and good food and definately giggles. Oh and a hug if anyone needs one. xx

  35. I really like today's card, fab technique, must give it a go.
    I very much enjoyed the classroom shows, but hey ho, got you once a week on You Tube, instead of once a month in the classroom. Looking forward to tomorrows show x

  36. What a lovely stencil. Can't wait until tomorrow. C & C will regret cancelling the classroom. Never mind Barbara your blog is great and your YouTube channel will be a huge success I am sure.

  37. i was amazed at how many things you manage to do in 15 mins. i definitely can't achieve all that. methinks i need grunge paste so on list for ally pally. also everytime i see that stencil i feel it is upside down. am i going nuts?
    i'd love to be abl to paint. i can't so crafting is the next best thing. i'd love to play an instrument but alas i don't. and at the moment i wish i could leave my job but i don't know how else i could get the money at the end of the month….. hugs xx

  38. A beautiful design, I've just dabbled with this technique myself and it's great fun, I love the scratch effect. Very disappointed with C & C cancelling your classroom and pm show, I don't know what they think they're playing at, I'm so glad to have your blog and new Youtube tutorials to follow. Keep up the great work. x

  39. This is a lovely design. I've had my eye on this stencil for a while on your website. I've never used grunge paste, but now I feel I must give it a go. My dream is to write and illustrate a children's book. I would also like to get my own laser cutter and set up a business making things. Looking forward to your show tomorrow. Xx

  40. My dream use to be to write a book but now I want to change how we provide care to I actually put the care back in to care rather than it being seen to do the right thing lets actually do 'The right thing'
    I love these warm autumn colours and although I don't have any of these things I am going to use the colour to inspire today's card I will make .

  41. I read your blog a few days ago and have been thinking about it ever since, I couldn't work out what my dream was? Well that's because I am living it right now. My dreams have varied over the years, but the arty things have always crept back into my life one way or another. My real dream was to be a Designer, as a kid I wanted to be an Architect, I loved Technical Drawing because I could do it and I loved buildings and design even then. I used to imagine being able to design something from scratch and then actually see it being made. But then always thought I was no good at anything. I always have loved good clean useful design, clean lines, honestly !!! but love colour too. I remember my friends used to complain when I looked a photos because everyone would comment on the lovely dog, couple baby? I would mention the wall paper, settee, colour of their clothes!! So now my dream is to keep living it for as long as I can. xx By the way Barbara if you haven't fallen to sleep reading this, I think this card looks gorgeous! x

    1. You have just reminded me of how much I loved drawing beautiful buildings, gothic churches and beautiful country houses. Must have another go at that soon. xx Maggie

  42. I have a lot of Chinese lanterns growing in the garden, have to pull a lot up too otherwise they'd take over!

    My dreams : to give up work – that's on the horizon – to do some crafting and use all the stash I have! Enjoy more time with my husband and get him feeling 100% – I have a plan called the doctor there but getting him to see the dr. is easier said than done but I think I'm getting there! After that I'll see how things pan out. To continue enjoying life, as I do, is my biggest dream. No plans to travel the world or anything exotic, just more time to enjoy my home!

  43. These Chinese Lanterns are lovely, and the Grunge Paste looks so good, especially with all those lovely colours and I like the way you have scratched the veins into them, it certainly adds to the finished result. I think my dream is to sing with a large orchestra, I have always sung with others and on my own, and I'm sure it would be quite nerve wracking but something I would never forget. x

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