Welcome to my Blog

Welcome everyone, I hope to inspire you and share some of my papercraft work. You can find out where I teach and what I am up to, what inspires me and what I am working on next. I love to share new ideas and neat ways of adding creativity to your pages or cards etc

my blog

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Scrapbook and Papercraft Expo


Scrapbook and Papercraft Expo 2017
By Sue Smyth



Here are some close ups of my project 



I am creating with you a plaque or flat canvas,
with lots of layering and just a bit of fussy
cutting...


Of course there is a little mixed media, we embellish the frame
with gesso 


We use lots of die cut shapes.


We alter the blue birds, with liquid drops 


and create beautiful butterflies 


We colour some flowers a special way and make moss 
fibers with muslin

If you want 2 hours of crafting fun, come and join me.

In your kit you will receive 1 die, all of the Rambling Rose 
papers, one pack of ephemera, one flat canvas, all the mediums, glitter
and gesso,
 1 pack of the Rambling Rose wooden shapes.
You will have enough to make a dozen more layouts 
when you get home...



Sunday, May 28, 2017

Imaginarium theme post

Imaginarium theme post 
By Sue Smyth 


Every month on the Imaginarium design team we do a 
theme project. 
This months was of course Mothers day.
And conveniently a new baby was 
born in our family just days before 
mothers day, so I had the opportunity to 
take lots of photos.
I chose this one as it shows 3 generations in one photo.



Here is a Rambling Rose butterfly from my latest
paper range, see how I have coloured it in the 
centre to match the papers, with apricot ink, this is what I
designed it for and the reason the butterfly is white.
I also like to add tiny 2mm rhinestones for 
a bit of bling to the wings also


A soft title can be achieved, I have painted
it white with several coats of white gesso.
Then I have inked the top and bottom
with an apricot ink pad.
Then smear all over with dimensional magic
and sprinkle with lots of fine white glitter. 


More Butterflies resting 
on a trinket that has been painted white also.


I have included a lichen stick from the garden
which I have twisted the floral branch 
around. Then tie a bow and add fern 
leaves and more of the flowers. I love
using found objects in my work.


The border I have painted white with gesso 
and heated until it blisters, (but not so much)
then rub lightly with gold metallic paint.


Other flourishes are just painted white with gesso
sometimes you might have to do this 2 or 3 times
to get that nice matt look.


First Glimpse is painted white with gesso again
and then gold with metallic paint.


I have added matching large pearls for a shine


Happy Crafting 



Sunday, May 21, 2017

imaginarium


Altered Book, Fairyland Folly and 
Spotted Mushroom Layout 
By Sue Smyth 



I recently went to New Zealand on a teaching cruise. We went 
on lots of shore excursions and the one I loved the most was 
to the Weta Workshops. You may know this as 
the place that made all of the props for Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit
among other things.
I found some large plastic Weta's and when I got back was
inspired to make yet another altered book, featuring the 
wonderfully creepy Weta and elements from the lord of the rings.
Enjoy the images of the book and dont forget to go to the
end of the post for a step by step tutorial on how to 
get the same textured cover.


In my stash I had a dragon and a 
few trinket swords, but I tucked an Imaginarium 
chipboard sword underneath them too.


The Castle turrets are just a plastic toy from
Kmart, spray paint it with matt black spray paint and you
are good to go with metallic paints.


See how I make the deeply textured spine below.



I have included lots of buttons, beads and trinkets.



I have painted the sides of the book with Gel medium
with a stiff bristle brush to adhere all the pages
together, this is a neat short cut!!



Here is the back, I have kept it plain, so I can see the 
wonderful texture of the tissue and rope...see below on how to.


My next project is a little folly, I am not really sure what to call it lol
I had a small chunk of wood left over from the wood chopping
one winter, it was so textured and gnarly that I kept it for some day!!



I have been playing with a 2 pack moss paint system from 
plaid, so I started with that on the bark. then I added
some real moss.



In my stash, I had some small mini mushrooms and tiny tiny 
flowers so I perched them on top of the wood.


When I finished I placed it all on an Imaginarium 
chipboard doily and added more moss around
the edges.


See how realistic the moss is!! The really funny thing is
I made this before I left for NZ, and by coincidence 
I saw lots of red and white mushrooms while there
so went on a photo hunt for the perfect shot of a red and white mushroom 





So I had to make a layout to feature all of my photos of mushrooms
I decided to be dramatic and use black as the base of my layout.


But I also wanted a woodsy feel to the layout, so I have included 
twigs flowers and leaves.


The Caper White butterfly from Rambling Rose was the perfect\
foil for the red of the mushrooms.


In the background I have printed descriptions and photos of 
old books and the text about mushrooms 


I have added small green prills around the background 
for a more organic look


Add some white paint splots too!


I have roughly stamped text on the black background with 
white gesso and a Rambling Rose script clear stamp.


Some wild looking daisies and small flowers seemed the perfect
match to finish the layout.



Here are some steps, the background, spray painted chipboard 
and the two part moss paint.




Step by step book cover 


Adhere thick rope or string onto the cover of an old book
with a hot glue gun.


Next apply gel medium all over the cover, add in 
a few pearls if you want even more texture.


Now carefully layer over scrunched tissue paper,
using a bristle brush to tap it into place around the 
rope.


Do not worry if it tears a little it will be 
right in the end.


Now paint with black gesso, make sure 
to get into every nook and cranny.


Add some corners and paint with black gesso.


I have added a few micro beads too for added texture.
Remember texture equals detail.


After I have embossed the frame with aged silver 
emboss powder from Stampendous, I have added 
a few gold micro beads while it was hot.


Now to add colour, I have dry brushed it 
with After Midnight Dylusions paint.


Then with a fan brush apply Inka gold graphite 
all over the surface.


Then rub in some turquoise inka gold.
Add other colours as desired.


I have also added some Lindys Magicals, all over the surface.
Keep adding colour until you are happy with it, I started out
wanting a very silver look and then turned more towards
a copper organic look


Happy Crafting