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.

Smile it's the New Year!

Hello faithful followers and crafters, Time for our January Stamplorations Theme and Photo Prompt challenge.  Our theme and photo prompt are:

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

For my first inspiration make I chose to follow the theme by adding some splatters to the beautiful arums from the Smile - Dee's Artsy Impressions set.

I stamped both flowers and sentiments in white pigment ink and used coloured pencils on the flowers.

I toyed with the idea of adding something else but could not think of anything that would actually enhance, rather than detract, from the elegance and beauty of these flowers.

***

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

***

Come by the blog to see my teamies' makes and to enter our Stamplorations Theme and Photo Prompt challenge.  Don't forget there are prizes to win...

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Craft Stamper TIMI and Allsorts challenges.

 

Ready for Love

Happy New Year!

 

The end of a decade, wow, I must have blinked for a long time because I could swear the New Millenium celebrations were only last year!

 

New Year, new month also means new challenge at Country View! Monika chose Love for the theme (any kind of love) which gives us an incentive to make these Valentines...

 

Here's mine:

I used a whole 6x6 paper for my background (it does look paper pieced and sewn but it is just the design).
The focal image is one from Rubber Dance. I added a "button" made from cork (plastic corks should not exist!) over the stamped button.
From the same set I stamped the key and the Forever message, a Tattered Lace border die threaded with ribbon and 3 stems from the Sizzix Thinlits Wildflower Stems #2

You have a whole month to enter the challenge and be in with a chance to win a £20 voucher for the Country View Craft shop. quite handy with all the Christmas spend showing up on the credit card statement...

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Allsorts, Craft Stamper TIMI,  challenges.