Welcome to today's Exchange Day !

Hello, it's Sue here and today is the first of the ATP Exchange Days. On these days one of the team will share their explorations with a product, a technique or a step by step. I'm kicking these days off with a mixture of everything ! I have been fascinated by all the different kinds of books that you can make and was deteremined to have a go ! The book I'm sharing with you today is created from a 12 x 12 piece of card.

I started with a piece of cream card 12 x 12 card, folded it in half and then folded in half again. I then cut along the creases up to the last square alternating which end I started from.

I then spritzed the card using Colour Bloom sprays, I've listed all the materials used at the end of this post. These sprays are gorgeous !

I then did some stamping using some of the new Ellen Vargo stamps with Watering Can and Fern Green Archival inks.

I then turned my attention to the covers, which are made from mount board, I painted them with Toffee Fresco Finish paint and when it was dry I used the Amercana Decor Crackle Medium.

I used cut 'n' dry with Vanilla Fresco Finish paint over the top. Love the crackle ! I found that using the cut'n; dry foam gave a more randon crackle effect.

I spritzed the covers with Worn Leather Colour Bloom spray and rubbed Onyxite Treasure Gold around the edge. 

I then cut some flowers using the Jumbo Tattered Floral die and sprayed them with Sunshine Colour Bloom spray and scrunched the flowers. I also spritzed them with some Worn leather too. 

To shape the flowers I draped them over different size bottles and the ones that I wanted really tight I tied them with some twine. 

I've used twine to fasten the book and before glueing the flower in place I sprayed it with Gilded Colour Bloom.

This is what the book looks like opened out.

I stamped lots of quotes inside the book and used the Dylusions Fancy Florals stamps and I've painted them with Luminarte paints. These paints blend beautifully and as they are designed to stay 'open' for longer you have plenty of time to work with them and can go back over the colours with just a damp brush to blend even further.

I also added some script stamping using a stamp from the PaperArtsy HotPicks HP1303EZ.

It was a little difficult to get a shot of the whole thing as it's so wide !

This was great fun to make and I hope you've enjoyed it too !

Sue
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Materials used
Colour Bloom Sprays 
Worn Leather
Sunshine
Lime Wedge
Pressed Petal
Gilded

Luminarte Paints
Ginger Peach
Spicy Tomato
Spiced Pumpkin
Love Struck

Dylusions - Fancy Florals
Archival inks - Watering Can, Fern Green, black

Tim Holtz stamps
Going Somewhere
Good Thoughts
Stuff to Say
Merchantile

Tim Holtz - Jumbo Tattered Foral die

Ellen Vargo - EEV09
Fresco Finish paint - Vanilla; Toffee
PaperArtsy HotPicks HP1303EZ.

Treasure Gold - Onyxite

Americana Decor Crackle Medium

Welcome to Challenge no. 1 !

We've finally arrived at the day Artist Trading Post Exchange kicks off with the first ever challenge !

We are a fortnightly, mixed media challenge so all of the challenge entries need to follow this theme, include some stamping but no digis ! There's not many rules but please do make sure you check them out to avoid disappointment.

The team have been working away to create some fabulous projects for your inspiration for this challenge which is Anything Mixed Media Goes ! So, nice and simple to start with, just let your imagination run wild ! To help motivate those creative juices the winner will receive a £10 voucher to spend in the fabulous Artist Trading Post !
 

So, without further ado here are the DT's projects !

Yvonne 

Ruth 

Julia

Annie

Sharon 

Sue 

So, over to you now, you have until the 15 October at 20:00 (UK time) to delight us with your projects ! 

Sue

An InLinkz Link-up

Final part of meet the DT !

Here we are on the last of the exciting DT reveal days just before our new challenge starts tomorrow.

Annie  

I live in Ayrshire in the South West of Scotland with my DH. We have been married for over thirty years and have an amazing son and two gorgeous cats.
Crafting has always been a part of my life, mainly because my mum is a tailoress and even now she is always creating. When I was young I was very impatient with all aspects of crafting, preferring large knitting needles and thick wool, shortcuts when sewing. It was about 20 years ago that crafting became a passion for me. At that time 3D decoupage was all the rage and a good friend said that she would teach me, from there we attended rubber stamping classes as well as pergamano or parchment craft. When I look at cards that I made around that time they really are so bare.......( poor DH, mum and dad would get them for their birthdays) It was in 2004 that my crafting journey really transformed and I am hooked on all things Ranger/Tim Holtz. I began blogging in 2012 and was inspired by mixed media styles and altered art, which are now a favourite. My style is mainly vintage/grunge/shabby chic but I do love to dabble.

And finally there's me !

Sue - DT Team leader 

I live in a village in Derbyshire in the UK with my very understanding partner, Colin. I've always followed a crafty path even from young when I used to make stuffed toys. I studied art through to exam level at school and then moved on to cross stitch, floristry and even web page design ! My passion for crafting has only gotten stronger over the years and after I was introduced to embossing powder about 12 years ago the rest, as they say, is history. I love nothing more than being elbow deep in paint, ink and embossing paste and very often this is the case !

So there we have it, 6 members all raring to go ! Just wait until you see the fabulous projects they've made for your inspiration ! Make sure you pop back tomorrow !

Sue 

Meet the DT...part 2 !

Hello ! As promised I'm back today to reveal the next 2 very talented DT members for the Artist Trading Post Exchange.

 Julia

 

 

I live in the lovely county of Suffolk with my husband and cat. I taught Textiles for over 20 years and loved it. I have always had a great interest in art and design which is why I love mixed media work, in particular. I'm always looking in the local charity shop for my next item to alter too! My favourite products to use are paints and mediums, stamps, inks, embossing powders, fabrics, wood. . . I could go on but it would take too long! I love to try new techniques and see if I can incorporate them into my work. I also have a passion for making hand knitted socks which sounds boring but it's so much fun to do! 

Yvonne 

Hi, I'm Yvonne aka Meggymay. I live in the North East of England in a village with the Roman Wall passing close by. I have a very supportive husband, my rock and soul mate of many years.  I have always  crafted , beginning with cross stitch, which fitted in with work and  family. Then progressing to my love of all things inky. I am happiest when I can experiment and try out new techniques.  We are now retired and spend time away in our caravan. The craft stash packing always takes priority, you could say I was addicted to crafting, as my journey of discovery into the crafting world is never ending. 

 

I'll be back tomorrow to reveal the last 2 DT members, make sure you pop back ! 

 

Sue 

 

 

 

 

 

Exciting news !

Hello it's Sue here and today I have some very exciting news for you ! The eagle eyed among you will have spotted a couple of changes on the ATP blog of late and it's now time to share what's been happening ! This week see's the start of a brand new challenge called Artist Trading Post Exchange.

We are a fortnightly, mixed media challenge including any kind of project you like as long as it follows a mixed media style. As stamping is close to all of hearts this needs to be included as well but no digi images allowed. We will also be featuring an Exchange Day where one of the DT will share a technique, experiments with a product or a step by step tutorial.

Our first challenge will start on Thursday 2 October and so without further ado I'd like to introduce you to the first 2 very talented DT members.

Sharon

I live in a small market town in Derbyshire which is known as the Southern Gateway to the Peak District, it is also famous for it's ancient game of football held at Shrove-Tide each year.

I spend most of my spare time doing crafts of some kind. It started with my Gran teaching me embroidery, which got me interested in Cross Stitch, then I was introduced to scrapbooking and rubber stamping. Now I like to dabble in journalling, altered art including altered books, Zentangle, up cycling and most recently pounding petals. I am always looking for objects which can be used in different ways than that what was intended. 

In my spare time I enjoy walking and playing football with my best pal Bru!

Ruth

I live in a Cheshire village on the border of the beautiful Peak District. I've always enjoyed a variety of crafts. I was lucky that as a child my mum taught me how to knit, crochet and embroider. As an adult I've dabbled in projects ranging from home decor to making celebration cakes with wired sugar flowers and it was over 20 years ago when visiting a sugarcraft exhibition that I popped into the hobby one that was next door and was introduced to stamping and heat embossing. I've been hooked ever since. I love stamping, paints, inks and anythings that adds texture to projects....messy is good!


Make sure you pop back tomorrow when the next 2 DT members will be revealed !

Sue

Kasia's coming to Wirksworth

We have (finally) released the Autumn Winter workshop schedule, and have the fabulous Kasia Krzyminska  booked to come to see us in early November.

Kasia will be doing four workshops in Wirksworth.

Check them out by clicking here

We have set up a brand new business called Creative Wirks, which will offer a wide range of Art and Craft workshops here in Wirksworth (Derbyshire), we will be hosting local, national and international artists over the next twelve months.

The dedicated workshop is next door to the Artist Trading Post shop and offers a comfortable space for up to twenty four attendees.

Later on in November Finnabair is due back here too!! Spaces are filling up really quickly on these workshops so book in before its to late :)

A Triptych Treat !

Hello ! I've popped back today to share the lovely Ruth's finished triptych from my class on Saturday 26 July. Ruth has finished it off and what a beauty it is so I thought I would share it here too !

 Ruth opted for the fiery, summer colours in the Fresco Finish range and how beautiful they look !

The thistles on the reverse look wonderful against the backdrop of these hot colours !

If you want to find out more details of how Ruth put her Triptych together hop over here.

Sue
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