Arabian Nights....watercolour background with Tam

 Good morning creative souls.

Tam here today to share my first creation for our 'Arabian Nights' Challenge.

Yep the NEW Art by Marlene 'Artsy Arabia' is just perfect for this one....

I began with a piece of Art by Marlene Watercolour Paper.

 I LOVE this paper - it takes whatever I throw at it!

It's available in pads or if you purchase any of Art by Marlene's albums they are in there too.

I'd also just ordered the NEW Art by Marlene Watercolours 'Brighter than Bright' - they are neon! 

The colours are so very neony and they are a semi-moist so the texture is just gorgeous.

I began by creating a night sky feel all over the paper, using a combo of 'Dancing Queen' (purple) and 'Cancel Tonight' (blue).

I used them individually and also mixed them together to create a deep midnight blue.

I then popped out a whole heap of diecuts from the 'Artsy Arabia Pack 1'  and  'Artsy Arabia Pack 2'.

They really do all the hard work for you and you get SO many in each booklet. 

A great buy.

They are only $15 each and have over 250 diecuts in each!

Next I used the TCW stencil 'Circle Jumble' and sponged Dylusions 'White Linen' paint through it onto the background to add to the night sky feel.

Time to stick them all down with TCW Matte Gel Medium.

If you haven't tried this one it's awesome.

I use a spreader to apply it to the back and the front of each piece, but I often go in with my finger if I have missed a little area - the best part about this stuff is it doesn't get messy on your finger.

Amazing!

I then used some paint pens to add some details and also added some shadows around the edges of my pieces to create depth.

I used watered down Dylusions 'Black Marble' paint for this.

Finally I added some flicks of Dylusions 'White Linen' paint as stars, and added some little stars with a white paint pen.

That's it.

An Arabian Night Sky....

What are you going to create for our Challenge?

Just be inspired by this....

and use some products from Scrap Matrix on your creation.

Then head on over to our Facebook Group and upload your photo into the 'Arabian Nights' folder.

Super easy!

You could earn a shopping voucher from Scrap Matrix!

See you again soon

Tam

xx

November Reveal......so much gorgeousness!!

 What an awesome reveal we have for you this month!!

Are you ready?

It's an explosion of colour.......

We bring you...

'Arabian Nights' (and days)

So much fun!!

Vicki has the 'Art by Marlene' Artsy Arabia range in store which is perfect for this challenge.

So why not give it a go?

Just create something inspired by the above piccy and upload it to our Scrap Matrix Shares page.

Let us know what Scrap Matrix products can be found on the creation and you will go in the running to win a shopping voucher from Scrap Matrix.

Just in time for Christmas!

Let's take a look at what the Design Team have come up with

PLUS we have a special GUEST DESIGNER.....

you are gonna want to see this!!

Nope not Jen, she's a regular!

LOOOKKKK!!!

SURPRISE!

Aren't they all gorgeous!!

And check out that Guest Designer!

Recently Vicki had a little break and headed to the Clare Valley to stay with Tammy.

They had a lovely time. Lots of giggles, champagne, musicals and creativity!

There's quite a bit more to come so watch this space and keep checking in on the Shares page as each designer will share these projects and others.

You are gonna need to see the rest of Jen's album.

It's absolutely amazing!

Plus Vicki has a lot more pages to share

as does the rest of the DT.

It's gonna be a great month!

Jen's Rainbow Bright Cards

 Hi everyone!

It's Jen here to share some cards with you today.

 

 

 

 

I was trying a slightly different technique and these were the results.

 

 

I used Distress Inks Twisted Citron, Peacock Feathers, Wilted Violet, Picked Raspberry, Carved Pumpkin and Squeezed Lemonade. Using an Ink Blending Tool I applied my colours onto some watercolour paper. I misted them with water hoping they would run and drip. 

They did... and they didn't, well to be honest, I didn't like the results.  So I got out my stencils and using the same colours, blended over them.

 

 

I was happy with this result.

I stamped some Carabelle Studio stamps onto my backgrounds with the same inks.  Most didn't show up very well, but they are there. 

Next I grabbed some scrap white card and blended some more colour onto them. I stamped Keep Swimming, Kooky Cats and Angels.

 

 

I also stamped the Kooky Cats and Angels onto some blank card.  I added some details with my coloured pencils, glitter pens and a white Posca. I stamped the skinny angel and the two cats onto my backgrounds so I didn't have to cut around the tricky little details. Cut out the rest of the stamped images and pieced them together onto the backgrounds.  

 I attached them to a black cardstock and glued them onto a card.

That's it.

These were fun to make and I hope you enjoy them. 

I hope you get a chance to try something new in your craftroom this month. 

Don't forget to post it onto the Scrap Matrix Shares facebbok page. 

Jen.

>^.^<

 

 

Time to say thankyou and goodbye....

 Hi everyone

Before we reveal the new challenge tomorrow, it is time to say goodbye to one of our amazing Design Team Members.

Sadly, our Lisa's life and other commitments have become too much and she needs to focus on other things.

We love her style - it's feminine and artsy and often made up of layers with so much to explore and find on each creation. She often uses fresh feminine colours but then rocks the grungy browns so well too! Her inspiration will definitely be missed.

Let's send her off properly with a reminder of some of her amazing creations.

Absolutely stunning

Which one was your favourite?

Lisa, thankyou from the bottom of our hearts.

So much love to you and yours.

Love from your Scrap Matrix family

xxx

Colourful kitties...... by Tam

 Hi creative souls

Tam back again with some colourful kitties this time.
Yep it had to happen!! 
Many of you know how much my kitties mean to me, so I just HAD to create an ode to them.

A trio of Colourful Kitties!

Purrrfect!

Let's take a look at how this came together....

I began by selecting my paint colours.

I chose Paper Artsy Paints in:

Cerise

Slimed

Banana

Cerulean

Twilight

Electric Violet

Southern Skies

I applied them pretty randomly to my page, adding in torn strips of paper from Art by Marlene Collage Paper and leftover bits from a Gel Printing Session.

I adhered these with TCW Matte Gel Medium.

Then fill in all the gaps...

Now I added some stenciling...

I went for one of the NEW TCW stencils.... TCW882 Fantasy Tile in 12x12.

I placed it down and then added paint through different sections using a sponge.

I constantly moved the stencil around, changing paint colours as I went.

I love that this stencil gives you 2 or 3 different looks.

I then added in some Dina Wakley white paint using TCW Brick Poetry Stencil....

the white really helps brighten it up.

I also added in some mark making - random brush marks.

As the paints are a mixture of translucents and opaques and semi-opaques you get some gorgeously interesting layers....

I then added more white paint using another new stencil TCW889 Dash 12x12.

This one does the mark making for you!

Love love love, know this will get a lot of use in future projects.

I then added in some stamping marks using Black Archival Ink.

I'd recently purchased this Art by Marlene stamp - Little Ladies and love the background stamps that are in this.

Ok, that's the background done....

Now time to create those kitties.

I roughly sketched them onto the page and then using the Twilight Paper Artsy paint, I painted around the edges....

Now that you've done the background, keep building up those colours.....adding extra shadows around the kitties.

This pushes the background back and brings the kitties to the forefront.

I added some markers to add details around the edges and to add in face, collars etc.

I also added a few touches of fluro paint using the Dylusions Tropical Sangria and Lemon Drop.

Eventually this happens....

For the quote, I used one from the Dylusions Bigger Back Chat Sticker pack. 

There were a few in there that suited cats, but this one summed it up perfectly....

Yep my cats to a tee.

(this is actually one of the things I love about them, their sense of independence, their air of not giving a hoot)

Finally, some flicks of white paint and a scribbly border....

So what colourful and quirky characters are you creating this month?

Here's our moodboard for extra inspiration, thanks to these amazing artists and their work on Pinterest....

See you over on the Facebook Scrap Matrix Shares Page where you can enter your project.

Much love 

Tam

xxx