Wednesday 22 April 2015

30 Techniques

I attended a workshop at The Artist Trading Post last Saturday where we got to play with different types of Gels, Paints and more. Our tutor was the lovely Kasia.

The purpose of this workshop for me was to try to new Prima range by Finnabair, the Gels etc not the stamps and stencils. I have to say i was not bowled over, I have other makes of Gels and beads and glitters that work just as well and don’t cost as much and I find the system costly. Pease remember this is just my opinion, i find what works for me and my budget.

Here are the images of the different mediums we played with, please note this is a picture heavy post, so get a cuppa, sit down and enjoy.

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Above is the Prima Gesso in black, white and transparent. The top area has white over black gesso and was splodged, it took the longest to dry over 6 hours.

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Amsterdam and Dina Wakley acrylic paints.

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Ecoline watercolours.

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New Prima Watercolour pencils. I learnt something from this play, more pressure to add more colour and and add less water to get a good blend.

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Prima 3D Gel through a stencil and splodged with microbeads, takes an age to dry though, it wasn’t dry after 3 hours and put on parcel shelf on the way home.

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Macro shots off the 3D gel.

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Prima Modelling Paste.

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Prima Sand Texture Paste and Clear Crackle Paste.

The colour on the paste was from paint that was already on the stencil when i added the texture paste. I do like how it has turned out.

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Wasn’t impressed with Gelatos prefer my Portfolio Pastels.

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A bowl of tea with milk and the tea bags still in it on a table. We painted from this mix to get the above look.

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Ranger Alcohol Inks, always a pleasure to play with.

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Ranger Distress Stains, one of my favourite techniques love the splodges!

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I do love the Precious Stone colour from the Bloom Sprays, it is one of the colours i really love it is iridescent and has a wonderful shine to it. The other half of the page is a Dylusions spray, Distress Paint and Stains.

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Macro shot of the Precious Stone colour.

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Dylusions Sprays through a stencil. The texture is from a piece of kitchen roll mopping the colour up and then pressing this onto the card.

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Luminarte Silkies are on my wish list, they are lush, silky and wonderful when water is added.

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IZinks are another product on my wish list. I already have the silver and there were only 3 colours to try on the day but i love how these inks work with water and will get more.

I didn’t play with Distress Ink pads, I also didn’t play with the Paper Artsy Fresco paints as i already have these in my stash.

I might have missed a couple of the techniques as it was a busy day and we went from table to table trying out each different medium after they were demonstrated.

I came to the conclusion that we are all so different in our needs and that there is a different system for everyone which is why it is so difficult to recommend anything these days. Aren’t we lucky to have such a wealth of products to choose from! It was good to play and test out these products though.

All of the above items can be found on the Artist Trading Post web site so haven’t left many links. I have not received any free products or been paid for this blog post it is a reflection of the workshop i attended which i paid for.

Thank you for dropping by, i hope to read your comments and see if there are any products that you would recommend.

xxx

29 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Thank you Mo!
    This for me was an awesome post. I've seen some really beautiful projects created with Finn's products. I had a shock though when I saw the prices. I actually swore, lol, seemed expensive!
    I've been stamping for min. twenty years and I've many different mediums that I'm trying to use before they go bad.
    Thank you for sharing your views and experience with them. I recommend lemon juice - it adds colour like a tea bag does and smells wonderful!
    I would not recommend adding milk if you use tea as a paint as it can make your card smell unpleasant (I know because I tried). If you want more details about the lemon juice me know and I'll show you what you can do with that. The bonus is that it's a lot cheaper than inks Karen x

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    1. I would be interested in learning more about using lemon juice please. maybe you could do a blog post? ;)

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    2. Interesting to hear your thoughts on the products mate, I have a huge stash of mediums to use up before I would consider buying more. Black tea and coffee are great for adding colour, off to google the lemon juice idea :-)
      Sounds like you had a fabulous day experimenting xxx

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  3. Great post Mo, so interesting to see what other people think about products. Sometimes 'new' products launch and I'm left wondering why I would buy them over the ones I already use, as you say just a matter of preference. Sounds like you enjoyed your day and good to come away knowing what you like - and don't!

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  4. Fab post Mo, great review! Ruth x

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  5. A fab review of all the products you used there.. think it was very intersting and you are so right.. there are so many products out there ..most of them very expensive.. everybody must find out what's the best for him.
    Thank you for sharing Mo!
    xxx
    Susi

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  6. Hi Mo really good to read your post I would love to try before you buy and know the difference between products. I love the media line as it doesn't break the bank and can active any result you require. I have purchased the Finnabair 3D Gloss gel and have used it in a couple of projects and like it through her bubbles stencil. I think you are right that different products suit different people and sometimes our best art comes from when we have very limited resources. Mo can you e-mail me your address so I can send you that Finnibair piece on my blog that you wanted for your wall. X

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  7. Love your blogpost! Nice workshop too. Great way to try new and old products to find out what works best for you. Personally i don't have much of the products you mentioned. I have the modeling paste, some Dylusions sprays and Ranger Distress inks and stains.( i recently made a card with splotges) Too expencive to buy all those "new" products!!! I try to use up what i have. I'm certainly going to try the lemon juice and tea bags!!!

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  8. I was super impressed by the review, but I can't believe you had to pay for a workshop where they were trying to sell you something. I bet lots of people bought stuff as a result of the demos.

    I often see reviews where there is nothing but good things to say about each product or project. I much preferred yours because I felt it was much more honest.

    I had to laugh because the ONLY product I have is the tea bag. I have alcohol inks, but they are not by Ranger. So, thanks so much for the honest and up front review. Hope you had a good time for all the money you spent going to that demo.

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  9. A really interesting read and so refreshingly honest! I get fed up with all the hype surrounding whatever happens to be the latest 'must have' product. I prefer to investigate for myself. Seems like you enjoyed your workshop but not sure I would have wanted to pay simply to try out products - isn't that what make and takes are about? Just my opinion - ATP should pay you for advertising! Julia xx

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  10. Hi Mo, I totally agree with all the aboove comments and found your post honest and detailed. I haven't bought anything new for about 6months now and don't intend to. I found I was trying to 'keep up with the joneses' and buying too much but not using and indeed not even knowing how to use what I had bought, so it sits in a drawer. Silly silly. :o))
    Thank you for your comment on my recent post. I'm glad you are still enjoying seeing the Anti Journal pages. And will keep snapping pics of the 'babies'. I thought one had died last night but it's moving today. It must have just been resting.
    Have a good day {{Hugs}} xx

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  11. This is a great review of products and techniques! I think this type of workshop is well worth it to be able to try out all the products. That way, you don't wind up spend a lot on supplies you ultimately aren't happy with.

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  12. Well done Mo,I value honest opinions and yours are always insightful. I thought the Prima mediums were expensive too,Decoart stuff is much better value to be honest.
    Re the Gelatos,try them again but they must go on gesso first as they just 'sit ' there and do not blend otherwise,once you get them to work they are lovely :)
    Big hugs
    Donna xxx

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  13. Modelling paste is AWESOME!!!!

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  14. What a great blog post and nice to get your honest opinion on products. I have to admit I don't buy many nowadays but I swear by PA Grunge paste - I like it as it isn't so bright white as other brands! I try not to get swept along with hype surrounding big brands and their products, but sometimes it's difficult and requires a lot of will power and reading honest reviews like this one! Thank you for sharing!

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  15. I wish I had come to the class now too, I so nearly did as it would have been good to compare! Your post is refreshingly honest and I totally agree, there are products which are just right for 'us' but not for others. It is so easy to fall into the trap of 'must haves' (ask me how I know that - lol!). I was going to try out the Prima watercolour pencils but now I will just keep persevering with the ones I already have!

    Very useful and very insightful post Mo - thank you! Hugs, Anne x

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  16. Brilliant review, thanks for the tasters! I, too prefer portfolios! Haven't looked at Finns products yet! Sounds as though you had a good play! Xx

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  17. Fab review, I love t when peeps experiment with diff products and love to hear what they think about them. You can only truly know when you've played with them yourself.

    I have to agree with you about the prices of Finn products though, way off the scale when there are other things around that do the same things. I couldn't believe some of the drying times, you were stating!!

    Looks like you had a fab play with all the stuff though xxx

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  18. This is such a great review post, Mo. I have toyed with the idea of Izinks having seen them on various people's blogs. I did ask for the Prima gels and black Gesso as Christmas presents. I've used them a little but not nearly as much as I should. This post has made me feel I must make time to play with things more. Portfolios and Pan Pastels take some beating as far as I'm concerned. It does sound like a very good idea for a workshop - always good to be given freedom to try out things before you buy. xx

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  19. Fantastic opportunity to try all these products, wish ATP was closer! I too think the Prima gesso, texture pastes and gels are expensive. The Bloom sprays too but they're awesome. The Gelatos I have been disappointed to find them less creamy than I expected but used on gesso they can be good. They have one advantage over Portfolio pastels in that you can use a pen over them (once dry).
    I have many makes of watercolour pencils (Artist not student ranges) and find they all perform in very similar fashion. The only difference is the lightfast rating obtained by the manufacturer which may not be relevant if the work is not going to be exposed to light for long periods.

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  20. WOW Mo!! Thanks for sharing your opinions on so many different products. I love how you showed how each technique and project worked out. Great visuals. I have been wanting to take some classes but haven't decided on which one yet. Thanks again for all the amazing information.
    HUGS AND SMILES
    Laine

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  21. WOW Mo!! Thanks for sharing your opinions on so many different products. I love how you showed how each technique and project worked out. Great visuals. I have been wanting to take some classes but haven't decided on which one yet. Thanks again for all the amazing information.
    HUGS AND SMILES
    Laine

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  22. Ohhhh! That looks like SO much fun! AND so much learning and playing. I'm amazed at all that you did - and love the results. How did you like the Dina Wakley paints? I've wanted to try them - and I agree about the gelatos - I prefer the oil pastels too ;) xoxo

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  23. BTW, if you'd like to send me your email address (kdvanvalkenburgh@msn.com) I'll send a copy of the faces "cheat sheet" that I made for the class so that you can play too ;) xo

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  24. Wow Mo, sounds like you had a wonderful time. You really got to work with and learn about so many fabulous products! I am made a note of several things here that I would love to get my hand on! Thanks for all the info, can't wait to see what you make with all the new things you learned. hugs :)

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  25. Wow - that's a real workout through all those products. How great to be able to try so many different goodies, and decide what's worth investing in. I'm inclined to agree with you about the Prima mediums - they're a bit sticky for my liking - but I do love the subtle colours and sparkle on the large stencilled flower.
    Alison xx

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  26. Sounds like a really good day Mo, and thank you for your honest opinions. It's so easy to get caught up in all the hype of the latest 'must haves' I have a (large) drawer full of different mediums and pastes, and each have their own good and bad points. I must admit that those that take an age to dry are not my favourites lol xx

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