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...

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

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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

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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.

Merry Christmas!

To all my followers and readers, it is time to wish you a Merry Christmas!

I will leave you with a card I made with the fabulous Christmas Shadow Box (Sizzix/Courtney Chilson) which has great details. Fiddly bits for sure, but fabulous all the same...

The sentiment is piece from a Graphic 45 Christmas Emporium pad.

Enjoy the Holidays!!!
I am entering the Allsorts challenge.

Star wired

Welcome to my second inspiration post for the Country View Challenge, where the theme this month, chosen by the lovely Evelyn, is Stars.

I had this urge to use "old" supplies that I hadn't touch in a while, so this was my starting point and I pulled out some wire and my box of brads. I made a simple star shape out of blue wire and picked a star shape brad to feature as my focal point.

I then used some new dies (freebies from magazine) to create a mat out of white card backed with red Core'dinations and a die-cut sentiment (Die'sire) finishes the card.

Still 2 weeks to join us at Country View Challenges this month, but things are bound to get busy these coming weeks so don't delay…

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Allsorts (inspired by the Stars & Snowflakes song by Sylva) challenges.

My cup of tea

Hello faithful followers and crafters, time for a second inspiration post for our December 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 focal image is from the After Coffee set, stamped with Memento London Fog on patterned paper (Studio Light A6 Paper Pad - No.119). I used alcohol markers for the shading and stamped an extra handle and top for the cup on the reverse of the paper, before putting all the elements together.

I matted the cup on gold cardstock and the 2 larger sizes  of the Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies.



Finally I stamped the sentiment Like Christmas - Typografia Christmas on semi translucent shrink plastic to impersonate a tea bag label, using black and red Archival inks. Before shrinking I also punched a hole for the thread.

Of course you will all know the song -choose your favourite interpreter- which inspired my make!

 

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

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Your turn to create something inspired either (or both) by the December Theme or the photo prompt, and if you do, there are prizes to be won...
For more inspiration, check out what my teamies made on the STAMPlorations blog here.

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Craft Stamper TIMI challenge,  SSS Monday challenge (my stars are tiny but there are a lot of them on the paper and shrink plastic) and the Allsorts challenge.