"An Ode To Spring" Art Journal Page

I decided to take a break from the jewellery side of things this weekend. The hubby was bogged down under a pile of academic stats and figures, which left me at a loose end. I interpreted this as time for fun in the studio!

I have made a cool storage chest for my newly acquired Ink Sprays and Mists. It's all shiny and black at the moment , and in desperate need of a makeover. I want to give it a kind of heavily textured faded grungy wallpaper look, but I needed to make some practice samples first. So that was what I was supposed to do, but instead I turned to my art journal and got a wee bit invested in constructing this art journal page lol. It started as a grungy wallpaper background in purples, browns, blues and greens....then it transformed as the weekend progressed




I used papers I'd printed ages ago, using the fabulous Gelli Plate. I find having a good printing session to be fun and therapeutic, and ultimately really useful. I just use "copy" paper, it's cheap and cheerful - I have a stack of these printed sheets waiting for me to use. The mood struck me to use a blue-purple print and matched it with this photo from the photographer Kasia  Pietraszko

The background was made from layers and layers of papers scraps, with gesso, acrylic paints and stencilled modelling paste. I think it does look like grungy wallpaper, so I am happy with that at least. I am still unsure about the overall composition, I got bogged down with too many options! I covered my table with stamped papers, brown paper bags, die cuts etc and became overwhelmed ...ultimately I came up with this Ode To Spring

I haven't posted up other art journal pages on this blog for some reason?! I really should pop them on here, as it is a brand new thing I have been getting into this year and would like to catalogue my efforts somewhere other than on my Facebook page lol...











EDIT - I've amended the post to include images of my Art Journal cover, and a few pages :) I only got the journal in mid December last year, as a present, to channel any anxieties and nervous energy into...I carved my own Blackletter style stamp for the cover, and the rest of the pages shown are inspired by xmas and the hubby. Anyway, I hope you like these snapshots :)

























Thanks so much for stopping by xx

I entered my Ode To Spring Art Journal Page into :-
"Anything Goes With Twine or String" Simon Wednesday Challenge Blog
Country View Challenges February "Painty Pleasures" Challenge  #12





Samantha Braund

Shipwrecked Valentine Amulet

Here is the latest piece, it is another Valentine themed necklace inspired this time by my Shipwreck Jewellery collection. In my mind, an ornate jewellery piece has been lost in time on a shipwrecked vessel, and is found covered with barnacles and marine life. This is the first one of my Shipwreck jewellery pieces that has contained a faceted gemstone, usually I like to use smooth tumbled gemstones for this collection. However, I was inspired by the Titanic and thought about all those precious gems and jewellery lost in the ocean depths over the years

This necklace contains a marquise cut AAA Garnet Cubic Zirconia gemstone and is sculpted in Sterling silver wire. I hope you like it. I will try to get this piece into the shop tomorrow

I'm on a bit of a jewellery making roll at the moment, but as those that know me are aware that I am incredibly faddish - so I will keep going while I am in the mood, for the benefit of the shop at least. I do feel the illness drama of last year put a dent in my progress, but nevermind, these things happen. I'll be back at uni soon enough, with more work I can handle probably! No rest for the wicked ...
















Thanks so much for stopping by xx




Samantha Braund

Valentine DreamCatcher Necklace

This is an image laden post so be warned !

This is the first piece of jewellery I've made since July 2013! After protracted illnesses and mixed media experimentation, I have returned to my beloved jewellery making lol. I chose this beautiful Rhodolite Garnet gemstone to make my comeback with.... I had bought this gemstone to make a follow up piece to my Lemon Quartz Dream catcher necklace I made last year. I love the Native American myths surrounding Dream catchers - I go into detail in my item description here

Also the hue of the gemstone is such a romantic translucent pinky red that I felt it was very in keeping with Valentine's Day. I hope you like the photos ... I actually got my act together and listed it in the shop already too (follow the link in the paragraph above)








Here is the first piece in the series made in April last year. This is also still available in the shop at present , you'll find this piece here






I am also very pleased to announce that I've made some wonderful sales over the last week or so. Necronomicon with it's rich Blue Topaz gemstone has been sold. I'm so happy about this, she is a real favourite of mine and has gone to a good home :) . Ariel's Voice III sold as well as a pretty dainty Rose Quartz necklace as seen below. I hope next week is as thrill inducing lol....











Samantha Braund

Jade Gothic Book

I had to share this new book I’ve altered for the hubby this week. He always complains that he can’t wear any of my jewellery as they’re too feminine for him lol. He particularly likes my wirewrapped art nouveau freestyle pieces – so as surprise I altered a papier mache “book drawer” and adorned it with a copper wire sculpted piece containing a variegated Serpentine Jade gemstone



It was a project of many firsts for me tbh. I had never used the papier mache before, it is incredibly sturdy, surprisingly so, and can take acrylic media well, but the drawer doesn’t pull in and out as smoothly as it did before I altered it. I didn’t seal it first though and did go straight in with the paint, so maybe it got a bit swollen? I don’t know, I’ll have to get a new one and experiment...

I’ve also had this jar of Decoart Modelling paste for about 6 months and had not dared use it before…I LOVE IT!! It’s so light and easy to manipulate around the piece. I smoothed the paste over cardstock containing an embossed Flourish (Tim Holtz Sizzix) . Another first for me was combining my wire sculpted work with my mixed media work…I think I will have to try more of these lol!









The rest of the book is embellished with aluminium foil pieces. I have been experimenting with inexpensive aluminium foil and various paint effects to develop a cool distressed effect. The cover has an industrial metal design, which gives it a masculine edge, and the spine reminds me of those ancient medieval books that I love. Overall, the gemstone, flourish and industrial metal elements are meant to evoke a Victorian Steampunky feel.

I just can’t wait for him to come home and see it, and hopefully he’ll find the drawer handy as a desk tidy (that desk really needs tidying!). I hope you love the photos, I noticed that the ones taken in daylight really look blueish compared to the ones taken inside my photo tent…so I included both lots for contrast.





I will be posting these in the following contests
Simon Says ...Emboss It (Simon Wednesday Blog Challenge)  - embossed Sizzix Flourish
Our Creative Corner Blog - No More Shopping Sins Challenge - Papier Mache Book Drawer, Decoart Modelling Paste and even the Serpentine Jade gemstone which I've had since 2010!!
Ali Craft Blog - Anything Goes Challenge




Samantha Braund

Etching and Plaster Alchemy...

I'm ever so excited about my latest mixed media experimental work. I have finally made a start on Copper and Brass etching, which has been amazing fun!

I have also come up with a way of turning plaster into antiqued gold lol! Yes, I have achieved alchemy...Ok, not really, but I have achieved some really cool results

These are my first attempts at etching. I used Copper and Brass sheeting, and Ferric Chloride, using archival ink as a resist. The results are beautiful aren't they...I cannot wait to include them in my books or mixed media artwork.


Etched Brass Sheeting with Paisely design


Etched Copper Sheet with Flourishes

The experiments with plaster came about through sheer "miserly-ness". I have no idea how everyone affords buying in metal components for each and every project they work on?

 I had purchased steampunk brass stampings and Tim Holtz metal embellishments and dreaded them running out after use...so I thought I'd make moulds of them in silicone and attempt to cast them in plaster. I do use a plaster formulation that is slightly stronger than plaster of paris, as I find plaster of paris can be quite crumbly and not strong enough for the next stage of the process

The castings turned out really well as you can see...


The next stage involved using an inexpensive alunimium metal foil to cover the plaster forms. I then burnished the foil into all the nooks and crannies to highlight as much of the detail as possible. Then using acrylic paint I set about distressing the foil to appear like antiqued gold! 

This is the skull and cross bones version I did, all ready to adorn a new pirate book or treasure chest!



I even attempted to alter a very shiny polymer flower I had made in 2009. I used the same techniques as above and transformed it into an antiqued gilded floral ornament ready for use!!




All in all, I enjoyed playing with all my metals , both faux and real !! Hope you like the pics :)



Samantha Braund

Studio PlayTime

"Forest Floor" - painted in apples and cinnamon inspired hues and values

It's been ages since I've properly reconnected with my blog or even Facebook. I think it's because I was made to feel thoroughly miserable for a while with all the health issues and I knew that would come through online. The appointments and follow ups are continuing and will do throughout November, but I am fine within myself, which is a relief to be able to say

I am going to keep the shop closed for the rest of the year now, to give myself room to relax and play...this is how I come up with my best work to be honest. I'm planning to open at least another shop next year which will be based on mixed media, altered books, paintings and such, so there is a lot of work going into that behind the scenes. The hubby is also literally heading into his final few weeks before handing in his thesis, so a calm stress free household is paramount. Christmas will be fun though!

I have really got back into my painting again recently. I have decided to accept the fact that I'm incredibly faddish when it comes to my medium of choice. All I want to do is paint at the moment, and who knows how long that impulse will last before I move onto something else. That's probably why I'll need all these different types of retail outlets to store all forms of my work lol . Anyway, I will leave you with my latest paintings, they're acrylic abstract pieces, one titled "Forest Floor" and the other playfully called "Grapelicious". They've both been painted in a negative painting style, which I am obsessed with at the moment. I hope you like them...I've included close ups of different aspects of the paintings as well as a view of them on the studio table :)
















"Grapelicious" - hues inspired by both the red and the green grapes on vines















Thanks for stopping by



Samantha Braund