Looking back

This is the final challenge at Artful Times and the chosen theme is Party.
So, whilst Neet and Wendy are looking back at 3 years' worth of posts, challenges, online friendship and general crafty activities, it's time to celebrate in style before looking forward to the next adventures.
A door closes...

I first stamped my ladies (a magazine freebie) with Versafine black and embossed with clear powder, to get a detailed impression and a waterproof finish.
Alas, most of the Versafine sank into that paper and worse bled! [I used one side of an Amazon Kraft package as my base]
So... patchy embossing and not the best details, plus, without embossing, I couldn't get my background wet anymore!

The door (Crafty Individuals) was stamped with Versamark and embossed with a left over mix which appears to have a rustic gold EP and gold glitter. Again not what I though it was! Serves me right, next time I'll label my leftovers...

I painted the ladies' dresses with Fresco paints in Blueberry and Claret, the door with Graphitint (Derwent) pencils in Cool Brown and Chestnut. I love the Chestnut to do brickwork but on this occasion it looks a lot redder and darker than anticipated, also the embossing is gritty and I couldn't move the pigment around as I wanted.

I used Gelatos around the ladies instead of the Neocolours II I had lined up because they can be blended dry. Although the left hand side looks a bit pink I used Lavender and over-layed  the darker violet.

Finally I used a gold oil pastel to highlight the frame.

Good luck to Neet and Wendy and also Sam, Von and Chrissie, previous members of the DT.

Also entering the A Sprinkle of Imagination and Polka Doodle challenges.

Home Decor

I once bought some fairly cheap placemats and within a few years the thin plastic coating came apart leaving a paper top coat. I immediately thought I can work with that...

Once Gessoed I needed some colour and, as I didn't have any acrylics then, I used Inktense hoping for a waterproof result. Of course I finished with a spray of varnish but as my can was running out the coating ended up patchy in places.

The finish has degraded to the point where wiping the mat also takes out the Inktense colour. Here's an opportunity to do something different and, hopefully, better!
The old mat:

I sanded the mat until I was certain the varnish had been removed and applied several layers of Gesso. Then I used Fresco paints in Limelight, Pacific Ocean and Blueberry to create my background.

I used stamps from 3 Katzelkraft sets (Collage BIGZ , Fruitful and Transport ) and the textures stamps I used to frame my scene are from the Grunge set by Stampendous.
I have decided to make the other 3 mats in the set different from each other although I will try and keep the colours similar so watch this space...

Voila, some useful home decor! I so wish I could find blank placemats, preferably ready to decorate, to make crafty gifts. I find these ideal because if people don't like the artwork they can still use them, unlike a canvas say.
Let me know what you think,

Entering the We love 2 create, Tando Creative (Week 4)  and That's crafty challenges.

Resist stamping

If my readers haven't worked it out yet, blue is my favourite colour, so it was no imposition to follow the colour scheme at Lavinia Stamps this month.

I had to crack open my new Bistre powders and they produce a bit of a dirtier pink and blue than the Brushos do but I love the look.

I keep up with crafting news and the latest Tim Holtz release didn't escape my attention. One of the "new" product he has introduced with Ranger is Microglaze. The reason I was so interested is that I have bought Microglaze a few years ago (it was previously sold by Judikins) and haven't really used it in creative ways.  - for those who are not familiar with it it looks and feels like a paraffine wax, just softer -

I hadn't even tried using it as a resist with stamps, which I have seen people do. It had to be done...
I applied some glaze on a plastic palette and "inked up" my Lavinia Dandelions before stamping.

Then I sprinkled Bistre powders with a small (dry) brush and sprayed water over it. I repeated the operation where I felt I needed more colour and let the piece dry before mounting on a card base.
For embellishments I followed Bunny Zoe's Crafts idea of bows and buttons using recycled buttons I embossed in WOW pomegranate powder.

The Microglaze doesn't give as neat a result as embossing resist but gives a nice distressed effect. I am curious to what other creative uses Tim Holtz will come up for Microglaze...
Thanks for coming by,

Also entering the Allsorts and Ladybug Crafts challenges .

May Flowers

For this month's calendar challenge at the Craft Barn we are asked to include flowers and the colour magenta. This time I have decided to give the calendar centre stage and create a flowery frame.

The flowers have been stamped following the Rubber Dance colour scheme (the flowers are 3 steps stamping), then die-cut with the matching dies (Papertrey Ink).

I chose a transparent plastic as a base for May and arranged my flowers on it.


Sounds simple, but I spend a whole afternoon stamping & die-cutting my blooms! And only 12 flowers and a few leaves to show for it... (I stamped some extra for later use)

Thanks for coming by,

Also entering the We Love to Create and Stamping Sensations challenges and especially for Bev from  Uniko Studio,who has her birthday in May!

Phone bag

Not quite back into the blogging rythm yet but a quick post to show you a make I needed before travelling.
The Craft Barn challenge this week is on the theme of bag and I needed something for my new phone. Maybe it's more of a cover than a bag but it's mine... I made it... and miracles of miracles the sewing is almost straight !





























Like my previous phone bag, I used recycled materials for this make, the fabric is from a school shirt painted blue, the inside is a remnant from an old ironing board cover.
I simply used stamps to decorate with black Versafine, on the left Damselfly with Boat from Impression Obsession and right a stamp from the Paper Artsy set ID02.

Now my phone can join the murky depths of my hand bag and live cheek by jowl with keys and such like without fear of scratching. Now to learn how to use the ruddy thing... (the phone, not the bag!)


Thanks for coming by,

 

KISS

No, no kissing involved, even with stamps, but the "Keep It Simple Stupid" kind for this card.

A focal stamp (Crafty Individuals CI-309), a sentiment (Papertrey ink) and a sprinkling of Brushos in Moss green and Dark Brown on that lovely Ivory Silk card that I have already mentioned here.

There you have it, a simple card with the words and music!

Thanks for coming by,

Entering That's Crafty, Crafty Individuals and the Craft Barn challenges. 

Blue

I took advantage of the nice long week end to take my time creating something just for me. I would say journal but I had to do it out of it since I intended to have 3D elements.
I attempted to put MORE on my make and took inspiration from Artful Times challenge who are asking for some Finnabair style.
I haven't quite managed the profusion of objects Anna puts on her creation but I'm still pleased with the result as it's certainly more busy and more 3D than usual.

For supplies I have thrown lots of mediums at my "canvas",  with lots of Finnabair products such as the doily stencil and some stamps.
I applied some Gelatos in blue, pink and violet in some places and instead of spraying with water I used a mix of Fresco Blueberry and Prima Bloom in Cobalt.

I selected my embellishments in my box of bits and everything bar the bottle cap is recycled: old buttons, shrink plastic waste, aluminium from food packaging etc...I prepared them with a coat of Gesso before spraying with the same mix as before and finished them with Fresco glaze mixed with micas as well as a bit of gilding wax.

In the background I used the Messy Art set (Artistic Stamper), a texture stamp (Finnabair). The heart is from a cling set from Prima/Finnabair and I replaced the inside by the word "Art".

Finally where Finnabair would have a photo I created my own with a Paper Artsy stamp (Hot pick 1207)

I have stuck my page to a cardboard backing to flatten it and I might crop the excess later although I kind of like the frame effect.

Thanks for coming by,

Also entering the Artistic Stamper, Pan pastel UK and Paper Artsy challenges.

Shabby Chic Challenge

My followers will know that Shabby Chic and I have a troubled love affair so when Karen chose Shabby Chic as the theme for the latest Vintage Stamping Challenge I was delighted and terrified in equal measure!
Still what an opportunity to choose a different kind of image to use on my make and I just had to get this Two Neko Princesses stamp from Flonzcraft.

The image is coloured with alcohol markers. The papers, a mix from Melissa Frances and other magazine freebies, have been distressed with Snowcap paint dabber and a stencil, had the Frantage treatment (not Shabby Pink but Aged Rose) and a smear of pink Gelatos. I sewed them on the card base rather than gluing them.

For embellishments I picked some die-cuts (Prima Doily, Spellbinders Label, X-cut ticket and a freebie Flourish) and added flowers (Trimcrafts), for which I made a pearl beads centre and distressed with the Snowcap paint dabber again.

What do you think, have I hit the Shabby Chic target?

Why don't you join in at Vintage Stamping Challenges and show us your Shabby Chic style! There is a $20 voucher from our sponsor Flonzcraft to be won if you do... and remember that your make doesn't need to be Vintage, although it must have stamping as the main focal point.

Thanks for coming by,

I am entering the card in the Penny Black and more challenge.

Postcard impression

Simply scenic is the May theme at Country View Crafts so it's time to play with my Stampscapes stamps again!

I used glossy cardstock to get as close as possible to an impression of a photograph. I am still getting to grips with the techniques and from this project I have learned that I need more dye inks for best results!

I have used the same stamps for my night and day pictures with the exception of the foreground, as I thought it unlikely there'd be a canoeist in the night scene!

As I said, I need more experience (spot the glaring error and improper use of inks) but I hope you'll find my scenes  acceptable!

Enjoy you May bank holiday!

Also entering the Craft Stamper and Craft Barn challenges.