Sunday 3 February 2013

'Joyful' Canvas - Scrapmatts January 2013 project





Hey peeps!  How're you all?!  Sunday morning this side so
have to make time to get a post up about my new design team,
Scrapmatts, a long-established chipboard company in Australia
that will fulfill ALL your chipboard needs - a one-stop shop with
absolutely EVERY kind of chipboard you could ever envision!

  I spent 6 hours online last night getting some serious blog-
surfing done & still have a way to go but will be back onto that
 when I get back later.  The really bad news is my hard-drive
 has crashed - again - 6 months after the last one - hmmm ...
rotten luck I am told as I am meticulously good to my computer!

I don't have my computer back yet & there sits a little tutorial on
this canvas, which you may never get to see - plus a few thousand
holiday photos!!!!  Yes I do back up - once a month - and that was 
due!!  Now I'm having a SECOND hard-drive installed to AUTO-
MATICALLY back up everything as it's safe to say that right now
I feel like Bruce Willis in 'Die Hard' - I have had enough!! 

 Anyway, onto prettier things...


Remember the title was in place BEFORE my hard-drive crashed
and BEFORE my SD card got corrupted - yes really!!  It's only 
because I borrowed my daughter's SD card that I even have these
photos to show you right now as I usually wipe my card clean.


Our January assignment was to create a portrait orientation canvas
 of ourselves to display at their trade shows, so this is now on
 it's way to Australia - which is so exciting!!   I need a new photo 
of myself & have a couple of others but this one was easily accessible 
and easy to match :)


This came together way more easily than I had anticipated. 
I still kinda dread Off-the-Page projects as I just don't have
the same experience with them that I have with layouts.

 It was already gessoed so I built up my background by drizzling 
on some distress inks that I first tapped onto greaseproof paper 
then sprayed with water until ink droplets formed that I could 
then transfer to my canvas by dripping and also squashing the 
greaseproof paper directly up against the canvas for a pooled 
effect. 

 I added some chunks of hard modelling paste using an old store 
card & smeared on some glass bead gel then some gold pigment 
powder. (A precious package of this is going to be up for
 grabs soon & it is very special & almost impossible to get hold
of - I bought it over a decade ago when I was into hand-painting
textiles & used to buy in bulk from a chemical company).
That will be part of my February give-away later this month.


I used cogs simply to be different. I like making in congruent
elements work for the quirky & unusual effect it creates - 
juxtaposing unlikely things together. Once my cluster was in
 place I added some more gesso to tie all the elements together, 
plus some pretty old rub-ons from Lily Bee  that I have always
LOVED.  They did a great job adding extra depth and interest.

You can visit the Scrapmatts Ning site HERE.  It's a thriving 
hub of activity daily, with loads to look at in the gallery and blog
 posts going up in the blog area costantly.  A link to where to buy
 Scrapmatts Chipboard is also available there so take a look!

Chipboard is probably the most versatile scrapbooking embellish-
ment there is - it can be customised to create a gazillion different
 looks & it always adds a touch of artistry to a project as it's
 usually dressed up with some type of medium.

Inspiration Link Up! Jasmine Shea from Australia, who loves 
to experiment with different backgrounds & put me onto the idea of
 how to use my {{{{previously NEVER used}}}} distress inks!!

Thrifty Tips!  1.  Keep old rub-ons, even 'broken' ones
to use on your backgrounds, the effect is always FABULOUS!

2.  No need to prime your canvas with gesso if it's already
been done for you - read the label & save if you can.

3.  Dye up some medical gauze to add texture to your 
layouts.  If you don't have mists just use tea & coffee :)

4.  If your packaging is pretty - USE IT - the bracket shape down
 the side of my canvas comes from the pack of awesome flowers 
sent to me by dear Eila - thank you SO MUCH sweet friend!

5.  Cut up your bling swirls.  They're not that pricey when you
 manage to spread them across 5 different areas of your project.

Time to Complete!  3 hours

(including drying everything off with my embossing gun as I most
often complete a project from start to finish in one 'sitting') I say
that because I don't even have a chair at my counter - I stand!!

TTFN - Have a lovely Sunday everyone & all the best for the week!





36 comments:

Lynnda said...

Great post Helen!!! Thanks for sharing them we us....


I love your layout ... its beautiful as always... and very inspiring too!!!


Sorry to hear about your hard drive... hate it when things like that happened.!!!

Hugs...xoxo

Linda Eggleton said...

OMGoodness, this is utterly divine, Helen...and such a beautiful photo of you! I love everything about this...and you say you're not experienced at OTP?!? This looks like it's been done by a pro! Amazing work :)

Hope you get your computer back soon & fingers crossed that it won't give you any more trouble!

Heather McMahon said...

This is totally awesome Helen! Love everything about it! So sorry to hear about your computer though. I hope you get it all sorted soon!

Rachael Funnell said...

Sorry to hear about your computer... BUT! that canvas is one SERIOUS AMAZING CANVAS....

Lizzyc said...

I must say the cogs are different for a female page, but it looks wonderful.. I love all the layers with the cogs and flowers and pearls! It looks amazing.. and I hope your computer behaved itself when you get it back, that would be most frustrating to loose stuff...

Lizzy Hill said...

I'd be gutted about my computer....can only JUST imagine what that would be like - love your canvas - 3 HOURS - that's incredible. Looks really fantastic....don't know why you worry about OTPagers - you ROCK them:):):)

Julie Tucker-Wolek said...

I loveeeeeeeeee this!!! I am loving all that texture, the colors, the flowers and the gears!!! BEAUTIFUL!!! Sorry to hear about the computer problems :(

ALINE said...

Hi Helen

I Loved your LO... this is gorgeous!!!!

Hugs

sandi said...

Wow Helen this is gorgeous!!!!!!!!! Love your background and your fabulous layers! Looks amazing!

Keren Tamir said...

As I already told you this is stunning with a capital S. wow love all the details and thanks for the tips. I'm curious about that gold pigment it looks divine. What is it?? Love the tip about the rub ons. I never use them. And I should.
This is just gorgeous.

scrapbookertink said...

Amazing post, love your work x

Marjie Kemper said...

Congrats on the new DT! I love how you've framed this with the chipboard an all your cogs, gears, and flowers. Wonderful canvas! So sorry to hear about the computer... what a total drag!

gracescraps@gmail.com said...

Wow, Helen, This is absolutely stunning!! I don't even know where to begin. You so rocked this chipboard!! ~ Blessings, Tracey

http://gracescraps.blogspot.com/

gracescraps@gmail.com said...

Oh, and so very sorry about the computer!! I hope the fix lasts for a very long time. My macbook is going on 6 years now. I'm starting to put in hints to my DH that it's getting to be time for a new one. ;-) ~ Blessings

Solange Marques said...

Fantastic work Helen! Love all the details!

Unknown said...

Oh wow ! Fantastic ! Lots of layers, that's amazing, don't really know how to do that. And thanks for the reminder, for the tips. I try to do this too !

Leonie said...

This is just stunning Helen!!! So if I get to a paper show this year I may be able to see this IRL? Cool!!

yyam said...

Oh wow. This is gorgeous Helen! :)
I lovelovelove the amazing textures here - what a great showcase of those mediums you bought! Such an artsy piece bound to draw "ooooohs" and "ahhhhhs" where it is displayed. :)

P/s: Hope you can salvage your hard drive. Hard drives can fail too. I always burn my photos on DVDs as an additional backup. And quickly scrap my photos...so if all fails, at least I have my layouts.

Evgenia Petzer said...

Helen i LOVE this one! so great!

Gayle Price said...

Beautiful canvas ! Love the soft, textured look of your background and how you achieved it, TFS. Congrats. on being involved with a new DT too, oh, and good luck with that pesky hard drive. xx

juscrap said...


Sorry to hear about your hard drive.Fantastic work Helen! Love all the details!xoxo

Lynette Jacobs said...

Your canvas is gorgeous. I love all the texture and layering...and most of all I love seeing you scrap photos of yourself.

I am so sorry about your hard drive. I hope they manage to recover your photos. I had two external hard drives and both crashed with my precious photos on them. We have a man at the Mission that is amazing in recovering...and he is going to save most of my photos.

Unknown said...

Your canvas is wonderful!! So bright and full of texture, great job!

Unknown said...

Beautiful Helen! Love all the texture and your tips are awesome..thanks for sharing! hope your hard drive problems are fixed soon :)x

Denise Price said...

Your canvas turned out gorgeous, and I loved your notes on your process for making it. I'm so sorry to hear about your computer troubles--hope that you can recover your data.

Marilyn said...

AMAZING!!!!! loooove this my friend...the colors, the details and the beautiful pic!!!! Sorry about your pc, mine is dead, I'm using hubby pc. Take care!!! Hugs!

Carin McDonough said...

Gorgeous canvas Helen, I love the texture on the background and that is a lovely photo so it is perfect for the canvas! Oh dear you really are not having much luck with your computers recently, I hope that is the last of it now! :)

Mrs Frizz said...

those bleedin' technology gremlins can be a right, royal pain in the butt ...

Now that canvas is absolutely stunning.

Eila Sandberg said...

Bugger bugger bugger about the computer! fingers crossed it gets fixed really soon. We have triple back-ups on our 'puter as DH is security expert by profession. Sometimes I get really annoyed at all the extra security measurements, but I can honestly say I've never lost anything in a crash. Phew!
My goodness Helen! this canvas turned out absolutely gorgeous! I so love the colours, all the fab little background details (boy have I chucked bits and pieces of rub-ons before, but no more!)You certainly do rock my friend!! xoxox

Debbi Tehrani said...

What a complete bummer about your computer. That's no fun at all--been there many times.

Your canvas is amazing--those textures are so cool. Hope you'll be able to share your tutorial with how you created all those effects.

So exciting to be featured at a trade show!

FiKenward said...

Looks like you computer is sending you a message to spend less time on line and more creating...lol in all seriousness I know how frustrating it can be to have this happen time after time. Hopefully you will get it sorted and it won't happen again.
Your canvas turned out beautifully and I love all the texture you've created. I also never throw out my ruined rubons as they worked in beautifully when your looking for that extra touch when it comes to distressing. Thanks for sharing!!!

Adriana B said...

fabulous work, love it all :)

Alison said...

Cant believe you're still having computer issues Helen...hope things are better by the time you get home....fab project!
Alison xx

Unknown said...

gorgeous in every way...love it x

Sandie said...

Love this Helen, it is a gorgeous and stunning piece of art. All your hadny hints are fabulous too. I think you should be doing lots more off the page items :-) cause they are gorgeous!

Denise van Deventer said...

Gorgeous Helen...absolutely love the soft colouring and details! Loooooove it! ;-)