Wild Nature

Hello faithful followers and crafters, Time for our March

 Stamplorations Theme and Photo Prompt challenge. 

You can choose to follow either the theme or the sketch, and of course both, for the chance to win a prize! If you'd like to be considered for the prizes, please make sure you're linking back to the challenge post and displaying the challenge graphic.

I followed the theme and created a wild meadow with the Healing Herbs stamp set.

First I stamped and embossed one of the stems with green embossing powder.

Then I embossed in yellow the next image by mixing the 2 powders directly on the stamped  Versamark.


Next, since I didn't have a light green EP, I used Distress Oxides to stamp and embossed in WOW Skinny Chai Latte. The last sprigs are stamped and embossed in vanilla white (they will show up in the next step).


With all the embossing done and my grasses effectively protected, I sprinkled some Brushos powders on the background and sprayed water lightly until I was happy with the look. (I was aiming for sky and field colours).

I used the Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle die set to cut the card and matted it on a blue card base.

I liked it as it was so I added the smallest piece of cardstock for my sentiment from the Fond Expressions 2 set, stamped and embossed on vellum.

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Whenever you shop for STAMPlorations products you can get 20% off with my code: STAMPGIRLCRAFTY

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For more inspiration hop on over to the Stamplorations blog, you have a whole month to create something for the challenge and be in with a chance to win a prize…

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the SSS Wednesday,  challenges.
     

Eye Eye

Welcome to March and our new Country View Challenge! The theme, chosen by the lovely Jane is "The eyes have it" and your project needs to feature eyes in a prominent way to qualify for the prize.

I went with the obvious and I think we will see many makes with this popular Visible Image stamp (Where dreams take you).

Using Versafine Clair in Pine Cone I first stamped the eye on my Gelli plate, took the print immediately and then stamped the second eye without re-inking.

To give a bit of background I used Distress Inks and a stencil (Fibres also Visible Image and also very popular).

I finished by stamping the sentiment, from the same set, separating the first line from the other two to keep the wide format.

For more inspiration  have a look at what my DT mates have created on the theme, and join us in our March challenge for the chance to win a £ 20 voucher.

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the SSS Wednesday challenge.

Gelli Printing with inks

Today I am showing a Gelli Print technique on the STAMPlorations blog. It doesn't use acrylic paints and is a lot more controllable as a result, it also works in transparent layers, unlike paints, which are usually opaque.

I made the background of this tag and a few others with this technique.

Vintage lace from my collection, stamps, stencil and die-cut all from STAMplorations:
Trendy Leaves - Shery Russ Designs
Trendy Birds 2 - Shery Russ Designs
Senecio 1 - ARTplorations Stencil - Sanna Lippert Designs
CUTploration phrase - Life is Good


Do check out my step by step on the STAMPlorations blog!

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the SSS Wednesday, Penny Black and more challenges.




       

All good things

For my second inspiration make for the Country View Challenge on the theme "Splatters, Splashes and Drips", I tried to save a failed design.

Originally, it had been stamped and stencilled with Distress Oxide inks and, when it didn't turn out as planned, I added Tim Holtz resist spray through a DIY stencil (Memory Box and Tim Holtz dies if I recall correctly). The reason I used die-cuts and not bought stencils is that the Resist spray will not clean up off of the stencil.

I applied Fresco paints in several layers and stamped with the hand writing from the Paper Artsy set HP1903 in Versamagic Eggplant and another image from the same set in black.

My focal point is a sentiment from the Paper Artsy HP1901 stamped with Versamark and embossed in white. The stamp already has some splatters on it but I felt duty bound to add mine. I tried flicking white paint with my Graphmaster acrylic paint and wow! it worked perfectly. Saved me on the hassle of getting a brush, water and paint and the clean up that follows...

All I can say is the end result is better than I started with, and I would love to know what you think....

Don't forget to enter our Country View Challenge for the chance to win a £20 voucher for the shop.

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the The Artistic Stamper and Addicted to stamps challenges.

Vintage Travel Tag

The awful weather and sickness kept us at home all weekend and I managed to get some crafty play...

I made the background with Distress Oxides sprays in Antique Linen and Blueprint, overstamping with Crafty Individuals CI-436 Inky Script Background, embossed in white, and CI-116 Crackle in black.

The larger tag is an image by Rubber Dance and the Eiffel tower is Marianne Craftables Eiffel Tower CR1220 die. I die-cut it from metal and embossed it with a mix of embossing powders, a bronze and a copper. The Travel word from the Sizzix Thinlits  - Adventure Words set by Tim Holtz, also cut from metal and embossed with a mix of embossing powders.

The image is from the Life's Journey 2 sheet and the smaller tags are stamps from the CI-428 It's a man's world set, both by Crafty Individuals.

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the SSS Monday, Lost Coast Designs, and Paperbabe challenges.

Quality friend

The play on word is dubious but inoffensive, so I went ahead anyway and used that freebie stamp set for this thank you card:

I know it doesn't actually says "thank you" but it is implied....

The stamp set I used is from the Creative Stamping magazine (issue 57 from 2018) and I stamped the koala using pens, masking it before stamping the leaves. The sentiment is also from the same set.

I coloured the image with pencils and, voila, a koala-ty card...

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Penny Black and more, Uniko, and Craft Stamper TIMI challenges.

Ye Olde Shoppe

Happy February crafters! We have a new challenge at Country View Challenge and Teresa chose "Splatters, Splashes and Drips" as the theme.

For my first inspiration piece I decided to use splatters to "paint" part of my picture.

I first stamped the Olde Shoppe by Picture This using Sepia Versafine ink and using masking fluid [1] and newspaper carefully masked the building.





Using a watercolour brush and a silicone tipped tool I created splatters of varying sizes and colours.


I let dry this first layer and then splattered some masking fluid to preserve some lighter or even white "pebbles".



I added a final wash of colour, this time with a brush to fill in the ground. The picture now looks like this:

Time to paint the rest of the house in watercolour and remove the masking fluid:

For the sign I used a pen with a small nib loaded with watercolour.

For good measure, I splattered some colour across the picture.






I hope you enjoyed this technique, you can also use it for shingles and poppy fields etc..
Don't forget to enter our Country View Challenge for the chance to win a £20 voucher to spend at the shop!

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the SSS Wednesday, Allsorts challenge.

[1] I am using Schmincke White liquid frisket. I have found it to be less prone to tearing the paper when removing and seems to keep in good condition in the bottle for longer.

By the Sea

I don't know about you but I am already fed up with winter, the beach is what I am thinking about...

Today's card is effectively the illustration of my wish for this year, a beach holiday, and preferably one in a hot country! The photographic effect is one of my favourite and the stamps I have used are also among my favourites (I do have a lot…)

The stamps are from Crafty Individuals, the deck chairs from the CI-154 set and the palm tree from the CI-497 stamp.


I stamped and masked the deckchairs before applying dye inks on the glossy cardstock. Cutting the mask was very fiddly but essential for the effect to work.
I used a piece of Prima washi tape in a large width and cut it entirely with a craft knife. The tape is very fine, which is an advantage for stamping, but very fragile when cut, and it did tear when I took it off.

I then stamped the palm tree and the sentiment, also from the CI-154 set to finish.

I can dream a little....
  I am entering the The Artistic Stamper, Craft Stamper TIMI,  Stamping Sensations challenges.

Crackled powders

Today I am on the STAMPLorations blog with a tutorial taking you through my process with Crackle paste and dye based powders (Brushos, Infusions, Bistres etc...).
This is the first of 3 Mixed Media tutorials I am putting together for STAMPlorations.

So, hop on over to the STAMPLorations blog to read up all the details and I will be back next month with another Mixed Media tutorial.

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the SSS Wednesday challenges.




       

My kind of wonderful

Hello faithful followers and crafters, time for a 2nd inspiration make for our January Stamplorations Theme and Photo Prompt challenge. 

 

You can choose to follow either the theme or the sketch and of course both for the chance to win a prize!

My second inspiration follows both the theme and the photo.

To make the background I used a gel plate and Versafine Clair ink. I first applied ink to the plate with a brayer and used a feather stamp from the Trendy Feathers set without any ink.
I added the circles, arrow and splats from the Art Marks inked with several colours of Versafine Clair, on the plate before lifting my first print.

As the colour wasn't very deep I brayered more ink on the plate and used the Retro Circles stencil before pulling my second print.

My focal point is the sentiment from the Fond Expressions 2 set and a heart made with 2 pieces of wire intertwined.

I quite enjoyed the process (less messy than with paints) and plan to experiment some more...

***

Whenever you shop for STAMPlorations products you can get 20% off with my code: STAMPGIRLCRAFTY

***

In the meantime, pop over to the STAMPlorations blog to feast your eyes on my teamies' makes and don't forget to enter our Stamplorations Theme and Photo Prompt challenge to be in with a chance to win some prizes...

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Craft Stamper, SSS Wednesday, Addicted to stamps challenges.




       

New favourites

There's  nothing like new crafting supplies to spur you on....

I got myself some stamps from Lavinia's latest release, obviously my new favourites, and admired their new papers too (Scene-Scapes) which led me to try getting a similar result with alcohol inks (you can see the particular Scene-Scape here) .

I have no in progress photos as I had 2 false starts and had to scrap my first backgrounds. When working with alcohol inks the choice of card is paramount, but I seem to have forgotten this! Just shows how rarely I use the inks...

To get the effect I was after I needed a non porous substrate and Yupo was the answer. It is very forgiving as you can carry on adding alcohol inks or taking them off with Alcohol blending solution until you are happy. This is how I built the top of  the background, establishing a "sky" and "landscape".  I cut a circle to mask the moon.

The foreground was created with shades of grey alcohol pens and masks I hand cut from washi tape. I  sacrificed some of my lovely Prima tape for this, because of its large width, and I cut it in 3 different hill shapes.

With the background in place, the next step was the stamping. Given this is Yupo paper regular dye or pigment inks wouldn't dry so I used Archival, although I hate doing that, first because the stamp is permanently stained and second because solvent inks and cleaners aren't recommended for polymer stamps.
But I had a vision.... so I HAD to do it!

The stamps I used (all Lavinia) are:
Berry Leaves both sizes at the top
Badger
Winter Berry Mini next to the badger, stamped over the mask and mostly upside down.

I am happy with the result although the background isn't as beautiful as Lavinia's Scene-Scape. I do think I might pick them up next time and concentrate on the stamping!

Do let me know what you think!

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Lavinia,  Stamping Sensations, SSS Monday and Craft Stamper TIMI challenges.

Father and son

Already time to inspire you with a second make for our Country View Challenge. 
… I do hope it will do the job!

 

This time I chose fatherly love for my card and used this lovely image by Rubber Dance (also Nostalgic Couples set as in the previous card).

I added a few scraps of papers, doilies, and die-cut letters (a very old Sizzix die, now retired - Sizzlits Decorative Strip Alphabet - Monde de Blonde) to finish the card.

Unfussy, like the father and son I had in mind….

You still have 26 days to enter this month's Country View Challenge for a chance to win a lovely £20 voucher to spend at Country View Crafts, which should be enough motivation to get over the January hump!

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Lost Coast Designs, The Artistic Stamper, and Stamping Sensations (The Nostalgic couple set is one of my favourite) challenges.