When scrap scrubs up quite well…

When scrap scrubs up quite well…

Hello there!
Thank you for stopping by.
Well, it’s Wednesday, 
and Wednesday’s Blog is something new.
To who? To me? To you? 
I bet there is somebody reading this who has never thought of doing this dress-me-up trick.
Hands up and leave a message below if it’s you!
Yesterday at the Crowborough Retreat, 
we had a Gelli Plate session in the afternoon, 
and I said that for this blog, I would use a scrap that went wrong – or should I say I piece of Gelli Art which didn’t go as I had planned? The point being that sometimes, when things don’t go quite according to plan, the accidents along the way are often quite delightful!
So let’s take a look…
Here’s a Gelli Plate piece which didn’t go quite as I had hoped, because the Buff Titanium Acrylic paint had separated a little in the heat, and so it didn’t lift properly.
I mean, let’s face it, you really do have to have a vivid imagination to think that you can pull this one back!
That said, if you squint, I suppose you can see something?
This is the piece it came from.
Maybe we can improve on this later, too…
OK. The challenge is on.
Let’s just focus on one half. 
I’ve got this scrap of paper, too from the tear, so that may help.
Rummage around again, here at the house, where we have not a lot of craft stuff, and find a lovely girlie stamp, called Lily
Stamp her onto the acrylic paper scrap in Archival Black; 
she just fits.

Cut out her dress.

 mmm…
I think I’ll tear the back piece; 
May as well go with the scrap theme!

Well, the good news is, there’s a gap for her feet, 
so stamp her onto the torn background with the Black Archival

 I used PVA Glue to attach her dress.
A Distress Pen will darken her hair slightly.

and her shoes.
There’s this really lovely tiny scrap which I just cannot throw away! But what to do with it…
I think I’ll make a flap at the top. 
No reason, just a flash of colour.
AND I get to use the lovely scrap.

Friendship from Word Chain No. 8

Add a couple of birds for the Birdhouse Garden Set.

Mount on good ivory cardstock.
Actually not too shabby now, eh!

As for the other piece, the Create Remnant,
I think I will hang on to that one, 
and try to jolly it up later on in the week! 
One day at a time, this is all working just fine…
much love,

46 thoughts on “When scrap scrubs up quite well…

  1. Good Morning Barbara, was just about to shut the laptop down and up popped your blog…lovely start to my very long day at work ahead of me today!!!
    I loved this project at the workshop and I did keep the torn off bit …..so glad I did!!! Knew there had to be a use for it and here you are popping up with an idea!!! Wonderful – just goes to show you never throw anything away
    Hope the next two days round off this years workshops on a high – sure they will – I feel very lucky to have come on one of the workshops so know everyone are going to have a blast!
    Much Love
    Kim xx

  2. Morning!
    Amazing Barbara, you see it's the imagination I'm missing.
    Not confident this will work from my iPad ( it will be a first if it does)
    Thanks for two magical, amassing awesome days…..loved every minute. Hilary x

  3. Morning Barb, great blog post, what a fabulous use of scrap. Just wish I could think up half the things you come up with. Hope the last retreat goes well, it sounds like everyone is having a totally awesome time. Bx

  4. Good morning Barbara, Lily looks so sweet wearing her new frock. Looks good enough to go in the V&A and the scrap background is just right with the bits at the bottom grounding her perfectly.
    Thank you again for the many 'TaDa' moments in the last two days and I'm sure the next ladies are also gonna love these last two …and then …breath! For a wee while maybe.
    Go Clarity! A family you can feel proud to belong to. Love Jeanette Xxxx

  5. It amazes me how those bits we through away can be transformed into a work if art with a little thought have a great day sure you will today's your last to days so wish could have joined you hopefully next year xx

  6. Hi Barb,
    I'm unashamedly holding my hand up to say I am one of the people you mentioned! I would never in a thousand years have thought of doing this! Mine would have gone straight in the bin! However, I will now try to look at things in a totally new light. Love the finished product. Well done and thank you. Love Alison xxx

  7. This is beautiful and it's a piece of scrap…? Most (if not all) of my cards ate happy accidents as they never turn out as I'd imagined but if my artwork had come out like yours it'd gone in the bin!

  8. Hi Barbara wow! And that was scrap and an accident!!! I have been keeping my torn strips from the gelli plate and have been putting them together to make a sort of background, just stroking them and then putting them back in the box! I know , very sad, and it's a bit like confession on this blog haha. Yes my hand is half way up I would probably have visited the bin with this piece but it would have been the recycle bin or turned it over and used the other side. Have a great day at the retreat Barbara they do sound like they have been fun. Take care love Diane xxx

  9. Beautiful Barbara as always 🙂 When I make something I'm not happy with I don't throw it away especially if it's taken a long time, I put it to one side and go back to it a day or two later and quite often they turn out to be the best xx

  10. Hi Barbara. Once again you have proved that our "Oh no!" bits should never go in the bin. Lily is beautiful on her background : ) Enjoy the last couple of days retreat. Take care.

  11. Hi Barb,
    This is just beautiful. A great way to use all the bits which are not "quite right" – in my case quite a lot!!! I'm off to "play" – well after I go food shopping, ironing, and a bit of "tidying up". Have a great day xx

  12. when I squinted I was seeing sea (and perhaps some ship shapes in red?) and thought you might stick a galleon in the gap, now you have Lily in place its morphed into a garden path and flowers

    Fab card as always, hope the last day of classes goes well
    Jane x

  13. How great is this! The more patterned scrap you have used for the dress and the the lighter piece for Lily herself works so well. I must admit it didn't look much to start off with, but the finished result is fabulous. So glad your second week of retreats is going well. x

  14. Absolutely stunning, as always Barbara – I'm sure that if we challenged you to make something from our own scraps it would still be a masterpiece! You are a total inspiration and your blog posts are a breath of fresh air – don't ever change.
    Hugz, Jan xx

  15. Afternoon Barbara! Very changeable day here today!!!
    Well you've been and gone and done it again!!! Terrific artwork from nothing! I'm convinced you'd manage to make something great out of a black bin bag!
    Hope you've had another great day!
    Love and hugs! Xxx

  16. Well my imagination showed me a little old man/woman on the right hand side of the paper, warming his/her hands on a fire! You put Lilly in the middle of them so now he's ruffling the hem of her skirt!! Excellent project!

  17. This is lovely Barbara but how you manage to work out how to use those scraps and not quite right pieces amazes me. I have to hold my hands up and say my pieces that don't work out get put in the bin. Maybe I will have to start and keep them and try and use them for something
    Jackie x

  18. Just pop in quickly before I go and see Dave to the hospital. Lovely creation. Love the idea of "paper piercing" with the scraps. Thanks for the idea, I never know what to do with them.
    Laurence xx

  19. What a beautiful result from your scraps. I loved that session at the workshop and treasure my 'failed' pieces, especially seeing how they can be transformed. I come to the workshops to learn, not to reproduce things I can already do and oh boy, I have learnt so much from you and your team. I love the way that, just when you think that a stamp, stencil, pattern etc. has become very familiar, you find a whole different life for it and your new techniques refresh its usefulness. That's value for money! Enjoy the rest of the week.

  20. What a perfect outcome from your less than perfect print! Thanks for sharing, and I love how you've used your little extra scrap as an extra feature, Susan x

  21. I really must take another look through the 'to throw' pile, though I don't think my rescue efforts would be anywhere near as stunning as yours. Thank you, Jan

  22. i jazz up a lot of gelli prints gone 'wrong'. currently i'm liking grunge paste rather a lot as it covers a multitude of sins and when you take attention away from print it stops looking 'wrong' and starts to blend in nicely and set off artwork….. exactly as you have done here. love the colours, hugs, xx

  23. I am not sure what happened today. I am so late reading this. I love how you resurrect the "mishap" with the Buff Titanium and turned it into a beautiful card. It was great to see the end of that tale. I hope you find some down time after the end of the Retreats, even if it is just long enough for a walk with Dave. xxx Maggie

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