Wk39 - Anything Goes! Pan Pastels, Mediums, Masks and more

Welcome to our new look Challenge! 

Before we get to the challenge news, we want to welcome our fantastic new Design Team members who will be bringing some great inspiration to you over the coming months - it's very exciting! We have had a little facelift and relaxed our rules to enter the challenges so just to recap:

1. You do NOT need to use Pan Pastels or our other products on your entries as long as you follow the challenge theme - obviously we'd love you to use the products but realise not everyone has them.
Each challenge runs from Sunday 8.00 am and ends the following Tuesday at noon GMT - this gives you 9 days to add your entry and join in with us. 
The winner of each challenge will be chosen at random by a random number generator.
Please note: Due to postage costs the Random Winner Prize will be posted to a UK postal address only - but overseas entries are still welcomed and will be included in the Top 3.
In addition to the random winner the Design Team will also choose their favourite Top 3 entries for that week who will all be able to proudly display their winners badge and may be asked to Guest Design for us. Overseas entries are welcome and will be included in our Top 3.

So we hope you like the changes and it has made it easier for you all to enter! 

So let's get to the challenge! 

ANYTHING GOES......

You can use ANY products to enter our challenge!

Before we get to this week's inspiration and prizes, it's time to announce the winner of last week's challenge which was ANYTHING GOES. From today we are changing our weekly prize winner to a RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR so that everyone has an equal chance of winning. IN ADDITION we will also pick a Top 3 and may ask one of those people each month to join us as  Guest Designer. So here is today's winner:

No.5, Clare

So a huge congratulations to  Clare!

Please email us here to claim your prize and please grab your badge from the sidebar.

Let's get to the great team inspiration this week...

Remember to join our Facebook group too, Premium Craft Brands, where we have daily inspiration and share some of our favourite makes & hints and tips every day, it's a great place to be. Here's the Design Team's creations:

Claire

I've used Magenta Tint PanPastel as a background and then used some of the gorgeous new Maimeri Acrylic Paints and masks with my gelli plate to make a little card and altered a PanPastel box.

Terry

I've used the Gesso and the fabulous A4 butterfly stencil with roses with Light Modelling Paste to make the texture on the frame. The Metallic PanPastels were used on top of the frame and give the frame a shine. The wooden hearts are worked on with Metallic PanPastels and Crackle to give it a fragile look.

The background in the frame has lots of texture from a honeycomb stencil and a sentiment stamp. On top I played with the Metallic PanPastels. The butterflies are from Wendy Vecchi and I played with Embossing Powder and Utee to finish them. 

Nikky
I made this large hanger using a 3 MDF shapes which were cheap as chips. I covered the top house in paper and added an embossed piece of card to cover the roof, then coloured it with Metallic Pan Pastels, using Versamark ink to get a richer colour.

On the centre panel I used a mask and Pan Pastels in Permanent Green and Phthalo Green, using a hairspray to fix each layer so I could then add another layer on top to get some depth of colour. This project was actually a workshop I did on various metallic effects so it also has metal gilding flakes applied to it in some parts but I REALLY dont like them, I wish we'd just stuck to the Metallic Pan Pastels instead, I prefer the look! Finally, I glued a die cut swirl onto the bird and then inked all over with Versamark and applied the Metallic Pan Pastel over the top to make it look like brushed and embossed metal. You could easily make this with sturdy card too or mountboard.

Zoe - Hello there I'm Zoe and I'm so excited to be joining this fabulous team! Nikky has done an amazing job of revamping the blog! Onto my first projects with Premium Craft Brands!

I've used PanPastels for the background in two layers, you can get more details on my blog!

My second project is PanPastels again, using the fabulous A5 Victorian mask. Again more details on my blog for this project....

Many thanks for joining us on this exciting journey x

Tracy - Lets get messy with mixed media!
Hi everyone, so happy to be sharing my joy in using a mixture of Pan Pastels from mixed media sets 1 & 2 along with the new Metallics and Maimeri Mediums on some recycled cardboard packaging.

So quick to put together . . . a quick coat of Maimeri Gesso over the cardboard and for the splats of color on the background I added a little Pastels to the Maimeri Gesso, added water and flicked it using a paintbrush.

While that's drying take some old book pages and cut out the shapes before applying the Pan Pastels with the Sofft tools, sponges and my fingers.The raggedy boots and little hearts had a touch of Maimeri Glassy Gel added and I wish you could see how lovely they look in reality. I used the Maimeri Matt Gel Medium to fix all the shapes in place before adding some journaling and doodling along the way. For a little more texture I randomly applied Versamark ink, sprinkled with Utee and heat set. 

Lou
My turn to say "Hi" and so excited too to be part of this talented team. For my 1st project I have used the PAB Christmas stamps, masks and pan pastels to create a quick Christmas card.

I have used the metallic Copper pan pastel married with Magenta on the edges of my papers to create a warm feel. I have used the Perfect Poinsettia stamp to add over stamping on the 2nd paper using distress inks. The border strip has been embossed with the long baroque mask and then pan pastelled,

I stamped the poinsettia on to some heavy weight vellum, highlighting the veins with the soft silver pan pastel to give a shimmery effect, finishing with a brad. I have even found a use for the wax paper we all use when cutting out our dies and it works fabulously with pan pastel. Pop over to my blog for the full details.

So there is our inspiration from the fabulously talented Pan Pastel UK team this week!...

You have until  Tuesday 8th October at noon GMT to enter below by adding your creation to Mr Linky below - don't forget you have the chance to win a fabulous prize! 
The winner of this challenge will be announced on Sunday 14th October here on this blog. 

Please check our rules for all entries: 

1. All entries MUST follow the challenge theme. 2. Please link your blog post and not your blog address with the linky tool - this saves us from searching your blog for your entry.  3. No back-linking to previous posts - these will be disregarded from our voting.4. Please ensure you follow the challenge theme!

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Getting busy with Metallic Pan Pastels!

Hi everyone!
Hope you're loving the new look blog - we're having a couple of issues with the blog feeds and Google+ so to make sure you still get all our posts and makes please make sure you refollow and sign up for the feeds - we have some amazing blog candy coming up so you don't want to miss that!

I just thought I'd share a project with you today featuring Metallic Pan Pastels - this is my absolute FAVOURITE product ever right now, the results you can achieve with card, the 6 colours and a Versamark inkpad are just stunning. If you haven't seen these yet or tried them they are really really high on my recommended list! Well worth the money and VERY versatile - you will think they are a cream like all other metallics or a wax, but they're not, they genuinely ARE the same texture and consistency as your other Pan Pastels! This means that they can be used in exactly the same way and with all the same great techniques you use normally - but with the added bonus that when mixed with the original colours they then become metallic too! AWESOME!

This really simple make was done by embossing black card with a Sizzix embossing folder then covering it with Versamark ink. Dab on a mixture of all 6 metallic colours then smooth them together with your Sofft sponge (If you use a normal sponge you really must switch to the Sofft sponges and applicators, we guarantee you will get better results!)...So smooth out the colours until you have a great coverage, then take a soft cloth or tissue and gently buff off the excess powder - this really will bring up an amazing shine! My top tip for using the metallics to give you a really great brushed metal effect... once you've finished, take one specific lighter colour and then sweep it slightly over any raised embossed areas and around all the edges. And voila! Completely looks like metal.

On this card I Also used a few die-cuts, again pressing them into Versamark first to make the Pan Pastel adhere better - if you do this you get a much more intense laydown and richer finish.

Look at the shine on the Butterfly, this blows me away every time I see it! The flowers are actually coloured with normal Pan Pastels (is there such a thing as 'normal'?) but because I used the autumnal browns and greens the metallic has completely changed the look of them and made thos look metallic too! Don't forget you can also use a cheap hairspray as you apply the colours - this will seal each layer so that you can then work on top and keep gaining a more intense and layered effect to your work.

So that's it from me today - please come back and join us on Sunday for our newly revamped Challenge!

Nikky x

Lots of News, a new Look and a Brand New Design Team!

Hi everyone! If you think you've landed on the wrong page and were looking for the Pan Pastel UK Challenge - we've had a makeover! We hope you love our new look, we have lots of new bits and pieces on the blog so make sure you have a nosey around and sign up to follow us for all our updates! 

In addition to our new look, which we think you'll agree is so colourful and cheery, we are really excited and proud to announce our

new Design Team! 

Thanks so much to everyone who entered, it was very difficult to choose from such great candidates but we finally can announce that the following fantastically talented people will be joining you each week with some AMAZING inspiration....make sure you go and sign up to all their blogs NOW, you will not want to miss any of their makes and posts!

We are extremely proud to welcome

Samantha Read

Louise Sims

Suzi McKenzie

Tracy Easson

to the team. These wonderfully talented ladies are joining 

Claire, Terry and Nikky Hall, our existing team members, to bring you lots of inspiring and creative projects you will love to make.

I'm sure you will agree that this is one talented bunch of individuals and we are UBER excited to see what they bring us for the forthcoming challenges, you can expect to see amazing makes like this to inspire you...

 Claire

 Lou

 Nikky

 Sam

 Suzi

 Terry

 Tracy

Zoe

WOW!! AMAZING!!!....

In addition, we are also really pleased to give a new look to our challenges which will make it so much easier for you to enter. We have relaxed the rules to make it easier so please check the short Rules at the top of the page on the tab....

We will still choose a random winner for each challenge, but the Design Team will also pick our Top 3 favourites each week too - and on top of that, each month we will be asking someone from the month's Top 3 to be our Guest Designer for a month! WOOHOO!!!! How exciting!!!

We have brand new Blog Badges for you all to wear so we hope you will all be collecting them soon! Grab your Follow Badge here (also in the sidebar for you)....

(just right click to save and please add a link to this blog when you add it to yours)

Well, we can't cope with any more excitement today so we will see you back here on Sunday at 8am with our latest challenge!

A Goodbye and Thank You

We would like to pass on our sincere thanks to Pete Boland who has been the PanPastel Blog administrator since its inception 2 years ago. Pete has managed to keep everyone one in check ensuring everything ran smoothly and on time. Know doubt we will all miss his quirky and inspirational commentary.

With thanks & Best wishes to Pete for doing a sterling job.

Paul & Berni,  Premium Art Brands Ltd.

A Note of Thanks To Kerry Kennedy

“We would like to sincerely thank Kerry Kennedy, who has been our Design Team Leader for the PanPastel Design Team since we started this blog some two years ago. Kerry has been inspirational in both her designs and leadership, we would like to wish her every success for the future in her new venture” 

Paul & Berni, Premium Art Brands Ltd

Challenge 38 - Anything Goes

This week, anything goes, as long as it's a completed project then it will be valid for the prize draw next Saturday.

Sadly, this will be my last challenge post as Administrator on the PanPastel blog. I

 would like to thank you all for your support and participation over the last couple of years, both

residents in the UK, and also across the world, the global interest has continued to grow and  it's been great seeing all your work.

Mostly I want to thank the fantastic design team, past and present, for their constantly amazing 

projects which have boosted the inspirations entered by your goodselves, and also for the items they

 sent for live events and Create and Craft.  Especially the DT leader Kerry who did masses of behind

 the scenes work collating colours, testing and experimenting with the Pans and also the mediums,

 markers and masks to pass on to Paul and Berni at PCB.  A special mention also for our guest

 designers who have helped along the way.

It's an honour to post the remaining two DT members projects.

Terry

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Claire

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Challenge 37 Winner

The winner of the challenge 37 - Make It Blue theme is entry number 10 - Carol Gill.

Congratulations Carol, please email me at panpasteluk@gmail.com within the next 7 days to claim your prize.

A big thank you to all who took part this week.

Enjoy your weekend.

Pete

Challenge 36 Winner

Tbe winner of challenge 36 is entry number 6 Danielle.

Please email your details to panpasteluk@gmail.com within the next seven days to claim your prize.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who entered.

Challenge 37 - Make It Blue

On going with some of our previous challenge themes featuring specific colours, this week it's Blue.

Claire and Terry have made these beautiful samples to lead the way.

Claire

 

 

 



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Terry

 

 

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Premium Craft Brands Design Team Call

Welcome to the Premium Craft Brands Design Team Call. Who are Premium Craft Brands? Well this is going to be our new brand for the Craft market as we feel it reflects what we try to do, when bringing crafters new products. Our aim is to always provide the best quality products to help you achieve the best possible results. You may have already heard of Premium Art Brands, well this will continue as our registered business name and the brand we use in the fine art market. This Challenge blog will be rebranded to Premium Craft Brands Challenge blog when we re-launch it in early October. Now we are done with the boring business stuff let’s get on with the more interesting….

 

We are looking to add 4 new talented designers to our existing team, to inspire and create unique projects e.g. cards, scrapbook pages, altered art etc… using the Premium Craft Brands product ranges. These include;

 

PanPastels

Masks

Maimeri Craft Mediums

Maimeri Acrylic Paints

Stamps

Super Smooth Crafting card range.

Graph It Markers

 

 

What we are looking for

    1. Commitment to the Premium Craft Brands blog with the ability to post 1 project per week to the challenge blog, plus a minimum of one tutorial per month which can be text or video based.

2. Team members must publish their blog regularly and also be committed to using social network sites including Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest where they will be expected to actively promote and link to the Premium Art/Craft Brands website, stockists, the Premium Craft Brands Challenge blog and other team members wherever possible to promote the brand.

3. It is a pre-requisite that design team members will be required to provide physical samples of their work on a regular basis - these samples will be used to showcase products at consumer and trade shows and will be used on the UK's dedicated Craft TV Channel, Create and Craft whenever there are Premium Craft Brands Shows. Samples may also be used at an International level wherever they are required to promote the brand in marketing materials and campaigns.

4. We have a very busy media schedule including events and shows - Design Team members are required to meet deadlines for samples and challenge posts as and when required.

5. Payment - Design Team members will not receive a monetary payment for being on the team but will receive a plentiful supply of product (at the Company's discretion) which can be used for all Design Team work and personal use. If the team member leaves the team for any reason these products must be returned and may not be shared or sold.

6. Design Team members must be professional in their representation of Premium Craft Brands products and its associated businesses and behave in a courteous and considerate manner at all times.

7. Design Team members must remember that being creative is supposed to be fun! We want our team to be inspirational to other creatives of all levels and abilities and we want everyone to have a rewarding experience during their time on the team!

 

So, if you feel you can commit to the above and would love to join us, then please apply as soon as possible by emailing us at: info@premiumartbrands.com

 

You MUST include a short paragraph of why you want to be on the design team and include a link to your blog plus 3 images of your favourite creative projects you have made in the past 12 months. Please can you use Design Team Call as your subject heading in your email.

Closing date:  9am Friday 20^th September.

Successful applicants will be notified by Wednesday 25^th September by email.

Good luck and best wishes

Berni

Challenge 36 - Glitz and Glam

This week the theme is Glitz and Glam, our two DT ladies are doing their superb stuff as always.

 

Terry



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Claire

 

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Challenge 35 Winner

The winner of this weeks challenge is entry number 5 - Desire Fourie.

Congratulations Desire, your winning entry will be posted on the Wall Of Fame.

Please email us at panpasteluk@gmail.com and we will email you your winners logo.

Join us again tomorrow for another challenge.

Challenge 35 - Spots and Dots

Sadly this week, we regretfully say goodbye to our DT leader Kerry, and also Lindsay who have decided to step down from the DT.  We will miss them both greatly as they have been the backbone of the blog from it's beginnings.

I'm sure you will join us all in wishing them both success in their future ventures and I would like to add a personal thank you to both of them for their enormous contributions both directly and behind the scenes throughout.

On so for this weeks theme - Spots and Dots, what's the difference you may ask?!  Well, essentially, it's the size.

Claire and Terry have created these stunning projects to help your ideas along.

Terry

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Claire

 

 

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