Fiona Paltridge Designs: March 2016

VLVS Stamped Tag

Hello, today I'm here to share a little tag I created using some of the super dooper rubber stamps from Viva Las Vegastamps.

"She Was A Dreamer"

My tag making skills are still developing but I'm happy with the end result for this one. It's just that it takes me sooooo long to make even just one of them as I agonize over every step!

I really don't like fussy cutting but some how I always manage to end up doing some!!

I have to say my most favourite stamp at the moment is the stitching ones. They are so real!

Viva Las Vegastamps I used include:

Two Whimsical Ladies Under Umbrella

Squiggle Heart

She was a dreamer

Stitching

Sawtooth Stitching lines

Until next time xx

Parts of Your Face 7 Dots Studio challenge for March/April

Hello gorgeous peeps! Today I'm sharing with you my take on the current 7 Dots Studio challenge "Parts of Your Face". I have chosen to use the gorgeous "Verano Azul" collection for my piece. This lovely flower photo taken by Tusia herself is so pretty. It depicts what I would love people to see every time they looked at themselves in the mirror. Pure beauty!

"Parts of Your Face"

We all have "ugly" days but I think that by going through the process such as scrapping photos of yourself, helps to build your confidence and learn to love yourself for who you are.

Aside from the beautiful 12x12 background piece I also used some of the stickers from the collection, along with some of the tags.

I love the sayings on the die cuts too, they are just perfect for this creation so I incorporated some of them also. I added some sewing using my machine to add a "path" for the viewers eyes to follow and finished it off with a little bit of stamping and some hand drawn scribbles. Oh and black ink splats .... of course!

I think we can all be too critical of what we look like. We often say things like "I wish my eyes were bigger" or "I wish my nose was smaller" but I think we must remember that the parts of our face, whether we do or don't like them, are our identity, the way people recognise us and we should embrace them every time we look in the mirror. Creating this page was a very interesting process for me. I was able to appreciate each part of me for what it is, even my funny pokey nose! Like any problem we may encounter, in reality, when you break it down piece by piece, it doesn't seem that bad after all.

Embrace your face xx

Comedy Of Errors

Hello here to share my final creation for Scrappy Chat Designs Stars Fly kit with you and to share a little trick of the trade when it comes to balancing your projects. The gorgeous Stars Fly kit has some amazing papers included in it and I really enjoyed playing with them.

So here is just a very quick tutorial on how you can balance your layout when using a very predominant patterned paper.

I wanted to incorporate two large circles on to my background but they were a bit “floaty” so I discovered that if I placed the string between the two, they suddenly seemed more grounded and connected and less all over the shop.

I simply repeated whatever I did in one circle into the other which then gave it a symmetrical appearance and also assisted to keep the two pieces joined and appearing as they were meant to be one.

I also set the chevron patterns for each circle in the opposite direction to help identify that they were the same but in some way still different or separate.

It was very exciting discovering how this paper could be a feature of my layout without getting in the way too much. And did you notice? NO MIXED MEDIA!! I know!! Craaaazy LOL

Are you a Scrappy Chat Designs member yet? Our members receive videos, tips and tech sheets similar to this little technique every month.

If you want more of this then ...........

Here is how you can join!

Joining Scrappy Chat Designs is like doing 3 classes each month - all in the comfort of your own home!

Each premier kit comes with:
Video AND instructions to complete the three layouts and feature many techniques with product to be used well after the life of the kit. (With all of our kits you will have plenty of product and knowledge to add to future projects)
Photos of each project including close up detail pictures.
All the product needed to complete the project with a list of additional basic items used such as ink/ paints/gesso/texture paste and colour sprays you will need out of your supplies.
The kits focus on how to use various products teamed up with some pretty paper to compliment them, so there is always less or non-consumable products in our kits, to not only help you complete some beautiful projects, learn many techniques and ways of using the different product as well as taking them well beyond the kit projects.

Kits are $45 + postage and come out monthly. Please e-mail us at orders.scrappychatdesigns@gmail.com if you would like to order this kit

For more kits and other products visit our website www.scrappychatdesigns.com.au

Scrappy Chat Designs Kit club Membership (e-mail us to purchase):

This lasts for 3 months is $149 and includes 3 kits at OVER 10% off!!! and postage for all 3 kits INCLUDED (they are released monthly). As a member you also get ‘insider’ info on what is coming up in the next kit – sometimes even a pic! You get additional 'Technique sheets' showing you more techniques you can nail with the product in the kit from the talented Arty Chic's. You are also guaranteed the kits which do sometimes sell out VERY quickly. If you are interested in membership, you need to pay the membership fee by the 30^th of the month prior. So to commence in February (next kit to be released) you need to have your membership fee paid by 30th January. Just email for this deal orders.scrappychatdesigns@gmail.com

Just email for this deal orders.scrappychatdesigns@gmail.com

My April 2Crafty Chipboard Shares

Hello 2Crafty Chipboard friends, Fiona here with you today to share a couple of creations I have made using the gorgeous 2Crafty Chipboard.

"Art Journal Cover"

I am quickly becoming addicted to art journaling! Because of this, I am starting to collect a selection of different journals. Of course I want them to be pretty! So I am now also decorating the covers of them ....... more addiction LOL

2Crafty Chipboard products used include:

"Messy Square Frames"

"Moroccan Panel"

"Delicate Ornament"

The background is a combination of crackle paint and coloured spray over the top of the "Moroccan Panel".

I've painted the "Messy Square Frames" black and added some gold glitter bars to frame sections of the background.

I love how the colour from the sprays has settled onto the chipboard and made it stand out.

I have created a focus using the "Delicate Ornament" and assisted it to stand out by backing it with a black painted negative piece of chipboard.

2Crafty Chipboard Card and a tutorial

Hello! today I'm here with you today to share a tutorial of a double canvas I made using

the gorgeous 2Crafty Chipboard.

"Amaze Yourself"

2 Crafty Chipboard used

"Groovy Flowers"

"Amaze Yourself"

"Swirly Heart Background"

"Doily Frames"

"Ornate Dragonfly"

I have been dying to try this out for some time now but I had to find a canvas that had a
solid back on it so it would attach to another canvas with ease. When I spotted this
little square burlap covered canvas, I knew it would be perfect!

I prepped both the canvas and the chipboard with white gesso and then, as you'll see in
the video tutorial, I gave them a little coat of paint or some embossing powder depending
on where they were going to be placed on the canvas's.

My two feature pieces, my title and the ornate dragonfly, were heat embossed
to make them stand out from the crowd.

You can see all the details as it comes together in my tutorial. I also explain some of
the techniques and talk about how it all came together.

I was really pleased with how it turned out. It's probably one of the "prettiest" things I've ever made. CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO

My second project for the month is this little birthday card I made for

my dad's up coming birthday.

2Crafty Products used:

"Clock Faces"

"6x6 Card Pack Happy Birthday"

"Giant Gears"

I have to be honest, cards really scare me. I take twice as long to create them than I do a
layout. I think I over analyse them! So this time around I was determined not to do this.

I started with some patterned paper and layered as I went. No hovering, no procrastinating,
I just stuck it down! Low and behold it worked! The little clock face is simply coloured
with some vintage photo distress ink.

I had to add a big gear, it's a boy card, what's a boy card without a giant gear right? I
popped some white embossing powder onto it and heat embossed it and then added
some black water colour paint over the top.

Finally I added my sentiment which of course says "Happy Birthday" and of course

it's not straight!! I really don't do straight very well.

But other than the slight lean of the sentiment, I'm pretty happy with my card. I added a

couple of real feathers and some drops of black ink to make it appear that they are a quill.

I think dad will really like it.

Well that's me for another month. Thank you for popping in and don't forget,

Be Still My Beating Heart - My First Solo Project For 13arts

Hello! What an exciting day it is for me today as I share with you my first solo project as part of the new design team over at 13@rts.

To say I am excited is an understatement! I have loved 13arts products ever since I discovered them a couple of years ago. I immediately began collecting every product from the range that I could and started creating. I fell in love with Ayeeda Mists firsts and then soon the paints as well.

Because I loved the products so much it then became a dream of mine to became a part of the design team.

I was privileged enough last year to be a guest designer and when the call for a new team went out this year I couldn't resist, I had no choice but to apply. I was so honored when I received the email asking me if I would join the team. My heart beat so fast I thought I was going to faint. So this project "Be Still My Beating Heart" is a thank you and a tribute to Aida and 13arts for welcoming me into their world and making one of my dreams come true xx

Products List:

Starlight Collection - Orion

Ayeeda Paint - Matte Blue, Matte Caramel, Matte Turquoise

Ayeeda Mists - Pastel Salmon

Ink Acrylic SPLASH! - Turquoise, White

Ayeeda Medium - Gel Medium Matt

Natural Mica Flakes - Dark Green

Colored Grit Yellow Sand

Thank you for popping by and I will see you all again very soon xx

My Bluey

Hello I'm here with you today to share another creation from the "Stars Fly" kit from Scrappy Chat Designs. I have to say I am really enjoying exploring the Colour Crush Powders! In my tech sheet I explain how I've created this blue wash of a background with the new Tinby Designs product and some of the other goodies from the kit.

Are you a Scrappy Chat Designs member yet? Our members receive videos, tips and tech sheets every month.

If you want more of this then ...........

Here is how you can join!

Just email for this deal orders.scrappychatdesigns@gmail.com

13Arts Challenge "Angels"

Hello! Today I am very very very excited to be sharing my first official post for 13Arts as a member of the Design team. The theme for this months challenge is "Angels". I created a little angel hanger with the little quote "Listen for your angel".

All the products I have used are listed at the bottom of my post and available to purchase online from the 13Arts Store.

I covered the little box with Modeling paste and then I painted the inside with the Matte paint, sprayed it with some coordinating color sprays and gave it some splashes of white ink before I began layering the stamped images of the wings. The top layer is a set of little resin wings (Relics & Artifacts) that I have sprinkled some silver microspheres on to and stuck them in place with some gel medium.

A layer of flowers and some silver thread finished the pieces off perfectly. Then it was as simple as printing out my quote and securing it in place. I added some more texture onto the flowers using some glass microspheres and some colored blue grit.

13@rts products:

-Mist Spray - Pastel Blue

-Mist Spray - Chalk Ultramarine

-Mist Spray - Chalk Turquoise

-Mist Spray - Chalk Light Blue

If you are an Aussie and would like to purchase 13Arts locally then keep an eye out on ScrapMatrix and Craft Queen. Hopefully there will be some 13Arts products on the shelves there soon.

Melbourne PaperArts Expo in April

It's finally time to share my classes for the Melbourne PaperArts Expo. I hope you'll join me and we can create up a storm together.

It is going to be a fun filled three days. I will be working out of classroom four for the weekend.

FRIDAY 8th APRIL 10.30am-12.30pm

My first class is sponsored by 7 Dots Studio and is called "Be Brave".

This class teaches you how to create a layered scrapbooking page using a combination of patterned papers without losing the essence of each individual paper’s beautiful design. Participants will get the chance to build a 12 x 12 layered layout using the 7 Dots Studio ‘Lost and Found’ collection of papers, tags, stickers and die cut elements. The class will teach participants to incorporate many different elements into their scrapbooking including light mixed media techniques, sewing, the use of textiles, stamping, stenciling and much more. This vintage earthy styled layout is not only easy to create but also suitable for all skill levels.

I will be teaching this class everyday in the morning on Friday Saturday and Sunday as my feature class.

FRIDAY 8th APRIL 1.00pm-3.00pm

On Friday afternoon, I'll be teaching a mixed media rich class sponsored by 13Arts and 2 Crafty Chipboard

‘Make A Difference’ gives you an opportunity to explore and fulfill your mixed media cravings. This project is created on a 12 x 12 canvas board so it is nice and sturdy and able to take all the mixed media products you throw at it. The class starts with texture adding and quickly escalates into a lot of colour-filled fun as you get to apply 13Arts Chalk sprays to create your background. The project is then topped off with some yummy 2Crafty Chipboard pieces and some more texture by adding 13Arts natural Mika Flakes and glitter bars.

I will only be teaching this class on Friday afternoon.

SATURDAY 9th APRIL 10.30am -12.30pm

On Saturday morning I teach the 7Dots Studio layout again "Be Brave"

SATURDAY 9th APRIL 1.00pm-3.00pm

On Saturday afternoon I'm going to teach something completely different and totally off the page. I have been experimenting with some wire sculpting and I wanted to share with everyone how easy it can be to achieve.

This class is sponsored by Relics & Artifacts, Viva Las Vegastamps and Um WOW Studio.

Little Angels and Little Rascals are two wire sculpting projects that allow you to transfer your love of creating to an off the page project. This easy to learn wire sculpting technique will have you hooked in no time. The rustic esoteric designs show you how to replicate those scrapbooking techniques you use in your everyday crafting into other art projects like these ones. The sweet little Relics and Artifacts figureheads from Prima will bring your little Angel creation to life while whimsical stamp designs from Viva Las Vegas Stamps do the job with your little Rascal.

I will only be teaching this class on Saturday afternoon.

SUNDAY 10th APRIL 10.30am-12.30pm

On Sunday morning I teach the 7Dots Studio layout again "Be Brave"

SUNDAY 10th APRIL 1.00pm-3.00pm

On Sunday afternoon I will be teaching a layout sponsored by 2 Crafty Chipboard called "Beautiful".

"Beautiful" helps you to build your confidence and release your inner artist, through the use of a very easy watercolor technique to create your background on this 12 x 12 artistically designed layout. Join Fiona as she shares with you her innovative stamping ideas and easy to achieve artistic techniques utilising everyday items to gain texture and interest. By incorporating 2 Crafty Chipboard, you will learn to create depth and dimension to your creations as well as incorporating a modern geometrical feel. Fiona will show you how to achieve a balanced and artistic element to your work while exploring combining all of your favourite colours.

I will only be teaching this class on Sunday afternoon.

What a jam packed FULL 3 days I am going to have! I hope you'll be able to join me along with these other amazing artists Kerrie Gurney, Beck BT, Heather McMahon and Natalie May at the new PaperArts Expo in Melbourne very soon!!!