The wedding picture

What more appropriate for today [1] than a wedding picture! I saw this old photograph in a Finnabair ephemera pack and decided to showcase it in a Mixed Media tag.

The background was made by scraping paint with my favourite painting tool, a credit card... it's so easy and the clean up is a doddle!
I added watered down white paint to create drippage on top and applied Distress inks when all was dry.
Taking inspiration from the Paper Artsy challenge, I used the Retro Circles stencil (Stamplorations) as a mask and stamped the Script stamp Mini 30, giving varied sizes of scripted circles.

At the top I added a die-cut heart (if I remember correctly this is a Cottage Cutz die) just because the hole fitted exactly the tag hole.
Behind the fussy cut couple I placed a doily (Prima die-cut) and a piece of blue cheesecloth.

Needless to say my die-cut machine is my favourite tool and I wouldn't be without it!

I added a set of tags stamped from CI-428 It's a man's world (Crafty Individuals) to re-inforce the Retro and "tag" theme.

Happy Valentine's to all couples!
[1] Today's post is going out on Valentine's day

I am linking to the TAGplorations, Stamplorations Mixed Media, SSS Monday Challenge, That's Crafty, and Stamplorations Theme & Sketch challenges.

Starlight Express

Today I'm showing on the Craft Barn blog my first project with the truly shiny Starlight paints.

They have to be seen (in real life) to be believed and I really enjoyed working with them.

Do come over to the Craft Barn for a step by step makeover of my tissue box.

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Craft Stamper TIMI and Creative Artist MM challenges.

Quickie Valentine

Welcome back to the second inspiration post for the Under 30mns challenge at Country View Challenges.

Let me first say I had trouble with that one... so much so I had to abandon my first project as I couldn't find a way to finish it in the alloted time. In theory it looked quick, but in practice... However I still wanted to come up with a card involving die-cuts, and, since Valentine's Day is round the corner this is what I made:



Dies:
Memory Box : Tessatina border
Sizzix/Tim Holtz: Celebration words Handwritten
Die'sire: Valentine

Stamps:
Sewn heart: From Creativity Magazine Jan/Feb 2014
Canvas texture: Impression Obsession Create-A-Card

Other:
Versacraft in Cherry Pink
Distress ink in Spun sugar
Frosted Crystal EP by Ranger.

I stamped the Sewn heart first with the Versacraft ink and overstamped the canvas texture with Distress ink, embossing with the Crystal powder which has a matt finish.

For time saving purposes, I did all the die-cutting in one go adding a piece of Wax paper to my sandwich to help the cardstock glide out of the dies.

Also for speed reasons I spent as little time as possible applying glue on the die-cuts which means that some bits can be lifted but, since I don't expect the recipient to pull on the sentiment, it should be fine!

Apologies for the lacklustre photo, which is actually a scan, but the sun just wouldn't play nice and I was running out of time! In real life the pink is brighter more fuschia than on the scanned image.

I am really curious as to what you will be making under 30mns for our Country View challenge, and if you find it easy or tough!

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Memory Box, Stamplorations CAS and The Artistic Stamper  challenges.

Splash of Orange

I can't believe it's a been a year since the last winter CHA and the Paper Artsy main release. I have barely had time to enjoy the sets I bought last year so I thought before I get new sets I'd better ink the old ones first!

Since I had the set already out for my Country View Challenge post, I used the Paper Artsy Hot pick 1601 set again, time someone gave it some love and as I haven't seen anyone else use it... (Maybe only Amsterdam dwellers use it?)
Last year I made this card and today I am updating it for the latest Paper Artsy Challenge theme, taking inspiration from Jennie Atkinson's post here, in particular the use of Infusions and stencilling.

 

I have decorated both the front and back of the card as you can see. I stencilled heavy gel medium with the Retro Circles Artplorations, which preserved the stamping of the script stamp from ESN10 . Also from ESN10 are the circles stamped on the right hand side. The "bubble wrap" is from set EEV06.
With all the stamping and stencilling dry I sprayed water on the card and concentrated the orange (Brusho) on the buildings, applying Cerise Infusion around them. The Cerise Infusion is very powerful and I was taken by surprise a bit which is why the result is considerably darker than Jennie's!




And finally...  AllSorts are celebrating this week, so you might ask what the celebration is... well, I'll just say this is for an Anniversary of sorts.

I thought it would be fun to add the secret message by popping up the Valentine word I have die-cut from the stamped building.
It is hardly visible as shown in this picture:
but under different angles the message is revealed.

The "be" and "my" words have been made with bits of Tim Holtz Adventure Words. The Valentine is Die-sire die-cut.

Definitely more colourful than Jennie's subtle make, plus Orange is sooo not my colour, but since it is Amsterdam (orange is the National colour of sorts over there), it felt totally right to use this colour.

 

 

Thanks for coming by,
Also entering the That's Crafty, SSS Wednesday and Vintage Journey challenges.

Shortcuts Home

Sue, my Country View Challenges teamie, has chosen "Under 30mns" as the theme for February and it is just as well as we are usually busy, this time of year...

So here is a quick card to make:

My time savings tactics rely on:

- using just one technique, here stamping, but with different inks to add more interest
- using as few stamps as possible and from the same sets or sets stored in the same folder/box
- use left overs: here I used the waste of some dies to create the frame around my buildings.

The stamp sets I used are from Paper Artsy ESN10, which is my go to texture stamp set, and Hot Pick 1601.
I added colour to the building with Cut & Dry foam and Distress inks in Squeezed Lemonade and Wilted Violet.

Over to you... can you make something quick for our challenge? If you do you will be in with a chance to win a £20 voucher to spend on crafty things!

Thanks for coming by,

Hearts & Flowers

This week the Craft Barn DT  is working with the charming Honeydoo stamps.

I think they lend themselves to a CAS style and this is what I did:

So come by the Craft Barn blog to see how I made it!

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

Winter Wonderland

Today I am guesting again on the Rubber Dance blog with an inspiration piece for the January challenge. The colours and photo inspiration are:

The photo immediately reminded me of the hoar frost effect on trees and grasses and this is what I set out to replicate in my make.

Stamps: Weed Love and Winter Wonderland from Rubber Dance

Other:  Versamark
            Barn Door Distress ink
            Black Memento
            Red and brown Zig markers
            Clear embossing powder
            Brushos in Ultramarine and Turquoise

Come over to the Rubber Dance blog to see how I made it and don't forget to enter the January challenge. You could win some lovely Rubber Dance stamps...

Thanks for coming by,
Also entering the Craft Stamper TIMI, SSS Monday Challenge, Penny Black and more and Fashionable Stamping challenges.

Wings

I fancied spending some quality time colouring images this week as I find it quite relaxing. Well it's relaxing unless I'm in a hurry!

The image is by Polkadoodles, and represents Octavia washing her wings!
I used alcohol markers and backed the image with a die-cut panel (Tonic Studio Twined Lily Square Die set) matted on navy blue cardstock.

Due to the winter sun the photo is more yellow than it should be and Octavia's wings are much more pink in real life and the grass is greener too...

Keep warm & thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Polkadoodles, Allsorts and Colourcrazy challenges.

Bouquet...

Inspired by the British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances (last aired in 1995 in the UK) I titled my make Bouquet... Like Hyacinth, the "lady of the house", I'm using a variant spelling but this time it stands for Bokeh.

This week the team at the Craft Barn is trying their hand at this technique born from the photographic effects. See the picture on the right to get an idea of what we are aiming for.

Supplies:
Stencil: DIY Circles stencil
Stamps: Paper Artsy EK02
Kaisercraft Love This
Versafine Black
Clear Embossing powder
Distress inks & crayons
Gelatos
White pigment ink

Come by the Craft Barn blog to see how I made it!

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Stamplorations MM, Vintage Journey and Creative Artist MMchallenges.

Mothballing Christmas

Welcome to my second inspiration piece for the January Country View Challenge hosted by Brenda.
A nice and easy theme of Anything goes allows me to share my January crafting activities.

If you thought "A snowman!" after Christmas... well I don't know about you, but after a month long making Christmas projects, I have lots of left overs, crafty ones that is... Which I won't need until late 2017. So, I can either bin the lot, or use it to make some cards for next Christmas and, since it's the holidays, I might as well use the time constructively and avoid waste!


First, I look at scraps of cardstock and paper too small to be used as mats or as a base to stamp on. I die-cut or punch shapes and sentiments from these, like this Brusho'ed piece of card on the right. Here I used a Memory box leaf and some Handwritten Tim Holtz dies.

Then, any piece that suggests a make I put to use immediately. And so I made my first snowman panel out of a sprayed sheet of white paper. Actually it's not the paper I had sprayed, as such, but some snowflakes, the paper was just there to catch the drips! But looking at it I saw snowy hills, perfect to stamp pine trees and snowmen...

The pine trees are from Stampscapes and the Snowman and sentiments are from Rubber Dance. For colour I used pencils on Mr Frosty.

The spray (Prima Bloom in Precious Stone, a silvery grey) already gave a snowy look to the sky but I decided to add a few white flakes with an acrylic paint pen (Graphmaster).

I still had another square from the same paper so I tweaked the design to give this second version:

I hope I have inspired you to use your scraps and that you'll enter our Anything goes challenge, you could win a £20 voucher to spend on new goodies!

Thanks for coming by,
Also entering the Craft Stamper TIMI and Stamplorations CAS and Casology challenges.

Mixed Media play

Today I'm showing this Mixed Media project on the Craft Barn blog. I used stencils with inks, sprays and paste and had great fun.

Come and see how I made it here.


Thanks for coming by,
I am also entering the Stamplorations Theme and Sketch challenge.

Happy New Year

Today at last I''ve had a little bit of me time in the "craft room". Father Christmas was generous and I have some new kit to play with...

If you haven't got a lot of time I have selected 5 of my best 2016 makes below and if you are looking for more inspiration I also show a slideshow with my favourite projects (85+) at the bottom of this post, until my next post.

Do tell me your favourite in your comments!

I wish you all a splendid 2017, hoping it will bring all our wishes true!
Happy New Year,