The eternity projects

Cards for the June 2020 card swap I had watched Nancy Stamps Youtube videos before but not until Spring 2020 I decided to put her videos into a closer look. I specifically were interested in the videos of foiling. Later at some point when I purchased my Gemini jr. machine and the Gemini Foilpress by Crafter's companion, I of course had to re-watch her videos to see how to use them. After a few videos I was encouraged enough to set the plugs in, read the manuals and give them machines a try. My Gemini jr. and the Foilpress after unboxing In the picture below is the laminating machine that I use. It's not very good but it does its job up to some point. It needs to be heated up at least 30 minutes before using for foiling. Vellum can be foiled sooner because it's so thin. However, I may not use it for toner foiling anymore.  The old Elfen laminating machine Last November after doing some foiling with the Foilpress I thought why take out the laminating machine and wait for it t

A close-up on that art journal spread The year 2020 has finally come to its end. I bet everyone has been waiting for it with anticipation. Obviously the Corona virus won't disappear when the year changes but hopefully the new year will be much better. At least that is what we all hope for. In January 2020 I challenged myself to make an art journal with Lindy's monthly color challenges. December is the last spread on it. For the year 2021 I may start a new art journal or I may create something else. Who knows... I don't, yet. The previous months I created on loose pages and right before I started planning on the December's challenge I decided to put the pages together into the art journal. I just simply glued the pages together, added black spreads to the front and the end and then added covers with a ribbon. All the Lindy's color samples that I had saved after each color challenge I used on the index page. So below will be two videos. The first one is about assembli

A close-up on that art journal spread Here is my piece for the Lindy's November 2020 color challenge. It took me a couple of days longer than planned so I didn't even bother to ask if I could enter it to the challenge. It's not that great spread anyway... I had troubles with design and the color choices. I do like the earth toned colors that you can see on the graphic at the bottom. I just couldn't find matching shades from my color stash (and my stash is not small) nor was I keen to mix my own colors. I know the yellow is far too lemonish-greenish and the green... well, it's okay but it could have had more yellow to it. The orange may be too light but I'm not complaining about it. Oh, I did try to mix some Marabu's yellow spray acrylic paint with the bling-y-blond but it didn't really help. It took me forever to decide on the background. I decided to keep it simple since the leaves had all the colors on them. I covered the background with Ranger's a

  A closer view of the art journal spread A time for another art journal spread to enter the Lindy's October 2020 color challenge. As usual I didn't have any specific idea what to create so I just proceeded one step at a time. So, what comes to the question on the art journal spread... I don't really dream (in my sleep) what to create and what I dream (in daytime dreaming) is not something that I'm capable of creating. I didn't give a much thought to which stencil or paste I would use. I just used what I already had there on my desk. Firstly I spread some white gesso by 13@rts with a palette knife. I didn't cover the whole spread, just added the gesso randomly here and there. Then I used the 13@rts' stencil to create some texture. After that had dried I brushed on the whole spread some Finnabair's clear gesso. Giving texture to the background Covering the spread with clear gesso Then it was time for some colors. I used the following products by Lindy: Ga

A close-up of the art journal spread As usual the approaching deadline is big motivator. Just in a couple days I made the background and all the pieces. The assembling took a short while because I wasn't sure how to put these together. Coloring the background with Whale watch blue Magical powder Stamping with the Tim Holtz's stamp and Distress oxide  Coloring the watercolor paper with Witch's potion purple Starburst spray Punching circles from that purple paper Covering the spread lightly with some white Distress paint Removing some of that white paint with a wet baby wipe through a stencil Sprayed that purple color through the stencil Adding thicker white acrylic paint with the same stencil Adding more blue color Stamping one more time Adding purple and black to the spread and also adding black to the circles Stamping with Kaisercraft's tiny dots stamp and black Distress ink Die cutting some branches, twigs and twig wreaths  Coloring the leafy branches with South shore