Hello there!

Thanks for stopping by on this sunny Sunday.

Woke up this morning and was pondering today’s blog.

The first thing which came to mind was 

LEFTOVERS.

(probably because we’re going to be eating leftovers 

for at least a week!)

So I came up to my little room, and unearthed a bunch of LEFTOVERS from Gelli Plate demos I did at various exhibitions this year, using the Leafy Swirl Stencil

So I picked a good one and got out some new 

6″ x 6″ canvas boards too, which we now sell.

I shall be showcasing these on TV next Sunday, 4th January.

They are excellent quality, double-primed already,

so good to go.

I decided to use the copy paper print as a background 

for my canvas art.

So using a Clarity Brush, I applied a thin layer of Mod Podge to both the copy paper and the canvas board.

Then I laid the paper down on the board.

How to get the right position? 

Fingers top left and bottom right.

Flatten it with a brayer to get rid of any air bubbles.

The copy paper is easy to tear because it is wet with the glue. 

So I use a finger nail and a craft knife where I needed it to separate the art on the board.

To close the paper round the edges, I lifted the art off the canvas a little, added a little more Mod Podge to the board, and then brushed the copy paper into place around the board edge with the glue brush.

When I was happy with the edges rolled over the whole piece with the brayer and then brushed a thin layer of Mod Podge over the surface.

THIS IS KEY. It seals the paper, almost varnishes it. 

This stuff doesn’t take long to dry at all.

It’s great! We’ll have it in stock next week.

Lay the clean stencil over the board in the correct place,

deposit a little Grunge Paste here and there,

spread it out in patches, like so:

Remove the stencil and wash it in warm soapy water 

sooner than later.

Redefine the lines of the inner frame on the background piece,

and let the paste set hard. You can gently help the drying process with a heat gun if you are impatient…

Vital ingredient here: 

the Golden Open Quinaccridone Nickel Azo Gold Paint

Load the brush and lightly start sweeping the colour in 

from the sides.

It will catch the paste.

Take a second brush and add a tiny amount of Quinacridone Magenta over the Gold in the same way.

Now you can see how it is staining the Grunge Paste.

The third colour, Phthalo Blue is what blows me away.

Load a third brush (don’t worry! This paint washes out easily) 

with a small amount of Phthalo Blue, 

and brush in from the edges again.

When the blue hits the gold, you get the most fantastic blends of green and turquoise. Brilliant!

And because we sealed the background with Mod Podge, 

which is a water-based sealer glue finish, 

you can wipe the paint off it if you like!

So a baby wipe will get rid of paint anywhere you want 

to remove it…

Take too much away? Add some more paint again.

The paint gets trapped in the grooves, and stains the Grunge paste. But you can take the paste right back to white if you want to with a baby wipe.

A fine sand paper will smooth out any rough burrs or edges you don’t want.

 It’s no good. I’m rubbish at keeping good things a secret!

I have to show you a preview of a new line of little stamps we are launching next Sunday on TV.

They are called Wee Folk, because that’s what they are. 

They come as a people chain like the Word Chains.

Absolutely fabulous for landscapes.

The couple on a bench will work brilliantly here …

Black Archival ink.

Add a little shade underfoot and under bench 

with a make-up sponge!

Blot them well, so that they blend in.

That’ll do.

Time to frame.

Add a sheet of double-sided adhesive on the back.

Pack of 10 perfect for this job.

Attach to the canvas board one size larger, the 8″ x 8″,

 Display on one of our magic little acrylic stands.

Box of 10. Come flat-packed. 

Perfect for displaying art

Yep. Happy with that.

 Don’t forget to sign your work!

ARSE

Art Requires Signature Everytime

Time for a walk with Dave over the Ashdown Forest..

There’s a bench just like this where we sit at the top of the hill.

But it’s the leftover scrap in the background which sets the scene, you see…

much love,