Balloons shaker

How months go by so quickly... Yes it's time for a new challenge at STAMPlorations Theme and Photo Prompt. The theme and photo are:

Both made me think about parties and celebrations where balloons often pop up, so this was my inspiration for this card. With a different colour scheme (whites & gold for instance) it could be adapted for weddings. A shaker element allows confetti to be dynamic without getting the recipient covered in it!

I stamped the balloons from the A Snarky Birthday to You in Memento grey ink and the stars in red and oranges and used pencils for the colouring.

To make the shaker element I used 2 dies held together with masking tape to make my outer frame (Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies). I cut 3 additional frames out of cereal boxes instead of a single one cut out of foam and glued all 3 together. This is both cheaper and easier to use than the foam as foam can distort and show under the top cardstock frame.

My confettis are White Frost - ShakerBlends.

Do check out what my teamies made on the STAMPLorations blog, then you have a whole month to create something for the challenge and be in with a chance to win a prize…

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

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Thanks for coming by,



     

Summer Fields

Roll on summer and nature's exuberant burst into life... and our Country View Challenge, which this month is hosted by Rachel, who chose summer fields as the theme.

Now I like a meadows and wild grasses but for some unfathomable reason I could not come up with an idea for days.

In these situations I go back to basics and design around simple stamping. In this case, I used the Grasses stamp (Art Stamp -from Imagination Crafts) inked with a gradation of Distress Oxide inks.

In black Versafine I stamped the sentiment, from the set HP1205 and the long grass from ELB33 both by Paper Artsy.

Clean and simple...

Over to you now, have a look at what the DT made on the Country View Challenge blog and link up your project to the challenge for the chance to win a £20 voucher for the Country View Craft shop.

And just for fun, a bit of reminiscing, here are some of older makes with wild grasses...

This one made Top 3 in 2013 in a CV Challenge!!!
My very first DT make for CVC

Thanks for coming by,

Visibly recycled

I have been meaning to upcycle these pots for storage and needed a bit of incitement and inspiration in equal measure. The Visible Image challenge has seen to that so there it goes:

I first drew a template for the piece of paper I would need to fit around the pot. Trial and error... hours later I used my Gelli plate to print several colours of Fresco paints (Paper Artsy) on the paper. 

When dry, I stamped the eyes (Where Dreams Take You from Visible Image), reversing the left one by stamping it on the back of another clear stamp. I added white colour pencil and blue for the iris to enhance the features. 

For more interest I stamped fragments of script and maps from the Scripted Streets set (also Visible Image).

I also used some washi tape to the top and a circle of painted paper to the lid to disguise as much of the ugly plastic as I could.

One down, 4 to go...

Thanks for coming by,

Quick and efficient makes

Today I am joining my teammates at STAMPlorations to round off our Spring Fling blog hop and linky party which ends on the 31st of May.

This event is a special series of 3 posts celebrating the spring season, hop with us and leave comments on the STAMPlorations blog and the DT blogs and/or link a project of your own to be in a chance to win prizes!!!

I finally received the latest ARTplorations stencils (international post has obviously been affected by the pandemic) and had to give them a whirl!

Today I used the Petals 1 by Helen G. Designs and got a "twofer".

First I created the "positive" background by spraying through the stencil with 3 colours of Prima Blooms.

I then die-cut into the card with the Birthday Wishes CUTplorations and die cut another phrase from  violet card to inlay in its place. I then replaced all of the small bits of "waste" around the violet die-cut before placing the stencilled die-cut slightly offset from its original position, thereby creating a contrasting violet shadow.

This was so easy and CAS I felt it needed a bit more so I added some of my DIY coloured White Frost  ShakerBlends [Come back in June to read about this little experiment...] 

My next card has been created by placing the stencil, now covered in sprays from the first card, upside down on a piece of white card.

I completed the design by adding a sentiment sticker from the Love is Clear Stickers pack and this was even quicker and simpler than the previous card, which made me feel like a total fraud... 

Without distracting too much from the beautiful stencil effect, I added a piercing detail and a halo of Mowed Lawn Distress ink to lessen my guilt!

These has to be one of the most efficient crafting session I have had in a long time... I could have mass produced a few more of these in no time at all, what with the supplies already out!

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May store promotion: All throughout May, products in the SPRING FLING section are 15% off instantly. Don't forget to use my STAMPGIRLCRAFTY code to get up to 35% off on these products and 20% of regular priced items!!!

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The list of today's stops on the hop is on the STAMPlorations blog so come over and check out the team's makes and, if you feel inspired, link a quick make in this post here.

Don't forget to leave a comment before hopping to the STAMPlorations blog!

I am entering the Addicted to stamps and SSS Wednesday  challenge.



       

Tropical Memories

15th of May and it is time for a second dose of inspiration for our
STAMPlorations Theme & Photo Prompt challenge!

You can choose to follow either the theme or the sketch, or 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 chose a travel/nautical theme with a tropical vibe, maybe my next holidays... -she says hopefully-

All stamps are from the Born to Roam set, stamped in Memento black, except for the sentiment stamped with a blue Kaleidacolor inkpad.
I coloured boat and camera with pencils and the sea with alcohol markers.

I added a piece of Photoplay paper from the Aloha collection, which I cut with... (drumroll please) decorative scissors!!!
I can't remember the last time I used them and I am awfully proud they saw a bit of action!

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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 still have 2 weeks to create something for the challenge and be in with a chance to win a prize…

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the  Lost Coast Designs, Addicted to stamps, and Allsorts challenges.
   

Celebrate

Today is my turn to inspire you to enter the Country View Challenge where the theme chosen by the lovely Miriam is Tea Party (or any type of party).

If you are a fan of Alice in Wonderland this should be an easy theme for you but it's one which had me retrieving unloved freebies, because my stamps are mostly photo realistic, grungy or Vintage and they don't lend themselves to that particular theme!

The freebie I used came with a magazine (Papercraft Essentials 89)  and included a plastic template to make the stepper card, papers and toppers. To put together I just had to cut, fold, glue. To finish I picked a word die-cut and some chipboard embellishments from my very old stash.

**** stash busting... feeling virtuous  ****

Right, better give you a look of the finished item, not a favourite, but I know a few people who like Humphrey...

Over to you… create something on our theme and enter our Country View Challenge before the end of the month to be in with a chance to win a £20 voucher to spend in the shop.

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

Spring Fling Blog Hop at STAMPlorations

Today I am joining my teammates at STAMPlorations to kick off our Spring Fling blog hop and linky party, which this year comes later than usual due to the circumstances.

This event is a special series of 3 posts celebrating the spring season, hop with us and leave comments on the STAMPlorations post and the DT blogs and/or link a project of your own to be in a chance to win prizes!!!

My contribution gives pride of place to the Dragonfly Cover Plate (part of the Spring Fling promotion - see below for details)

First I applied double sided adhesive to a piece of card.

I die-cut the cover plate from the coloured cardstock and applied it on top of the adhesive. I inlaid back into place several pieces, paying particular attention to the dragonfly body and wings.
I tried to apply the pieces as lightly as I could since I wanted to remove them later.

With the Dragonfly protected, I poured gold glitter all over the card.

Next I removed the card pieces from the wings and poured blue glitter on top. Taking off any remaining cardstock bits I applied the green glitter.

My sentiment is also glittered but this time I actually die-cut it from glitter paper, with the Wonderful Word Die (also in the Spring Fling promotion!!!)

Another look with the light shining on the glitter:

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May store promotion: All throughout May, products in the SPRING FLING section are 15% off instantly. Don't forget to use my STAMPGIRLCRAFTY code to get up to 35% off on these products and 20% of regular priced items!!!
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The next Spring Fling post will be published on the 20th of May and the final one on the 27th of May.

Leave a comment before hopping to the STAMPlorations blog!
Thanks for coming by,


   

Bloom and Bees

I have been meaning to use a stamp set I got a few months ago, just before my mojo left me in the lurch, and this weekend I finally got around to it!

I used a gelli print as a base for my page, one of the rare ones that I actually liked. If I remember correctly the stencils I used are the 6x6 Gears from TCW, a die-cut with the Hexagons Cover plate from Papertrey ink and Tim Holtz/Sizzix Mixed Media Thinlits. The paints I used were Paper Artsy Frescos.

I added some embossed motifs with the Stamperia Wallpaper Music and Writings and Wow! powders in Grape and Olive as well as some stamping with the Calligraphy mat 13 by The Artistic Stamper in Versamagic Aubergine.

The flower, bees, dictionary definition and small honeycomb motifs are stamps from the Sunflower Bee set (by Julie Hickey). There is a matching die set which I used to give a bit of dimension to the flower. I added a stem from a Sizzix thinlit die set (Wildflower stems 2) and the "Artful Blooms" top right is from the ELB03 set by Paper Artsy.

Lo and behold... I both enjoyed the process and like the result, a very unusual state of affairs...

Now I only hope you will like it too!!!

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Paperbabe, Stamping Sensations, The Artistic Stamper, Vintage Journey, We Love 2 Create, SSS Monday challenges.

Tropical Birds

What a weird Spring so far... I am looking ahead to Summer and the holidays, hopefully not in confinement, but by the beach, in the tropics, or just anywhere outside!

Which is your cue for the STAMPlorations Theme & Photo Prompt challenge this month:

For my first inspiration make I went with the tropical vibes and the Birds of paradise of course!

For my background and row of tropical birds, I used a Photoplay paper from the Aloha collection.
I added my stamped and die-cut birds, coloured with markers, on top and embossed a sentiment from the same set to finish.

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…

***

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

***

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

   

Party like it's confinement

Still in lockdown and parties are off the menu... how about a Tea Party in your own living room/back garden in total respect of social distancing rules?

Parties, Tea or others are the theme of our May Country View Challenge.

I had a bit of a rummage through my older supplies for this one. I created a banner with an old Spellbinders set to which I added rub-ons letters. I punched small holes to thread the jute twine and attached it to the card with brads. Paper and stamps are freebies from a magazine.

My focal image has been built with the help of several masks and I coloured it with alcohol markers.

A piece of paper ribbon (Lakeland - yes that old!) and a die-cut clip (Clip Tips and matching die set by Papertrey Ink) add the finishing touch.

Feminine and pretty for a change!

I will be back later this month for a second make but, in the meantime, do have a look at what my DT mates have created on the theme, and join us in our May challenge for the chance to win a £ 20 voucher!

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the SSS Wednesday and Ally's Angels challenges.