Steampunk and textured tag

Welcome to my second inspiration post for the Country View Challenge, hosted this month is by Monika, who chose "Use a stencil or two..." as the theme.
Still under the influence of Tim Holtz I produced this second tag, more masculine and a little steampunk:

 I first stencilled sand texture medium through 2 of the Tim Holtz Mini stencil set #43 and added embossing powders, starting with a bit of Seth Apter, Emerald Creek Vintage Beeswax, then a bit of Aged Copper (Frantage), finishing by Pirate gold , a dark gold.

After the texture medium had dried I "cooked" the EP with my heat gun, then sprayed the tag with several colours of Prima Color Bloom.

My focal point is a paper doll placed on a stamped piece of card (from the Stamperia "Lady" stamp set) with several cogs (665225 - Sizzix Bigz L Die - Mechanical by Tim Holtz) painted with black gesso and "distressed with acrylic paints for an aged look..

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.

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering SanDee & Amelie's Steampunk's ultimate challenge (very sad loss), River of Creativity and Allsorts challenges.

A stencil, crackle paste and embossing powders

Summer is here, although in the UK it has all the hallmarks of a damp squib! Still, when the weather is bad it's time to craft... and enter our Country View Challenge!
This month it is hosted by Monika, who chose Use a stencil or two... as the theme.

I took inspiration from Tim Holtz session on Textures and medium to create this tag.

The stencil is Tim Holtz Mini set #10. I used Crackle medium, but as I didn't have the Ranger one I used the Prima Texture Paste Clear crackle which gives smaller crackles compared to the Ranger one.

This is why, when I added a mix of embossing powders on top, the crackles disappeared, leaving only a slight texture which gives a bit more dimension to the blooms.

For powders I used Wow! in WH01 Apple red, WH06 Lemon, and a mix of WS78 Seaglass, WE13 Skinny Chai Latte, and WS49 Vintage Peacock to get an approximate green for the stalks.

Once the crackle had dried, I sprayed the whole tag with Prima Color Bloom Sprays in Cobalt and Green and inked the edges to enhance the crackles.

Finally the sentiment is from the STAMPlorations Blooming Buds set.
In the (weak) sun you can just see the shine from the sprays and embossing powders.

This exercise reminded me how much I love playing with embossing powders and how good they are on top of stencilled texture media! So go on have a go and link up your project to the challenge for the chance to win a £20 voucher for the Country View Craft shop. 

For more inspiration have a look at what the DT made on the Country View Challenge blog.

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

STAMPlorations turns 8!

Welcome to STAMPlorations 8th Birthday Celebrations! The DT has new products to show you and there are several ways to win prizes for joining us! If you don't come from the STAMplorations blog make sure you hop over to the post to read all the details.

This is what I did with the Birthday Bundle #1, which consists of 4 products:
1. Blossom Sprays #4 4x6 stamp set
2. Radiate Happy 3x5 stamp set
3. Design Blox Template #5 - 6x10, 10mil
4. Art Border #1 CUTplorations thin metal die

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First up, a simple card with the Blossoms spray #4 stamp.

As the stamp is big enough to fill most of an A2 (US size)/A6 card , I simply stamped the image with Versafine in Sepia and coloured it with pencils. The panel has been die-cut with the Stitched Snow Hills dies set.

Second a set of ATCs with the Radiate Happy stamp set

I used the stencil Blox #5 to create my backgrounds with different colours of Distress inks, masking with washi tape or paper when changing colours. I then die-cut the ATC's with the smallest of the dies in the Stitched Snow Hills dies set.

Finally I added sentiments from the Radiate Happy stamp set, embossing some of them with Wow! powders (Earthtone Olive, Primary Apple red, Skinny Chai Latte and Metalline Violet)

If you are doing project Life or any kind of scrapbooking, these are ideal as journaling cards as I have used here: 

Next I focused on the Art Border #1, I like versatile products and this one delivers so I wanted to show you what you can do above and beyond cutting a border in a card, as nice as it is...

On this card, I used only one edge of the die to die-cut my card base all around with the line of dots. Turning the die the other way you would get the line with the hearts as I did in this next card at the bottom.

I used the die again as a border on the right and stencilled a background with Distress Inks, brushes and the stencil Blox #5. My focal point is one of the new Vintage Blooms ATCs and my sentiment is one of the Radiate Happy set.

Finally, since the die only cuts the design, you can cut the die repeatedly to cover a whole card or more!!! The only limitations are the size of your paper and the size of your die-cutting machine:

Check out this my post here to find out more about this card.

The STAMP girls are showing inspiration for all the challenges on the STAMPlorations blog so pop by and don't forget to comment along the way for a chance to win.

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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,
My Blossoms Spray card is entering the Stamping Sensations challenge as I love colouring with pencils!

 

Vintage Blossoms ATCs

The talented and creative Shery has released some new "paper goods". There are card fronts, colorables, and ephemera -- all created for artsy crafters to play with and create fab projects. These lovely designs are professionally printed on 120# (325 gsm) matte white cardstock. 

This month, the DT has been working with 14 new products in the paper goods section: three (3) A2 card fronts, six (6) ephemera tiles, and five (5) ATC/journaling cards. Over the next few weeks, the STAMPgirls are sharing projects featuring the paper goods and today is my turn! 

I have been playing with the Vintage Blossoms ATCs, and my first instinct was to give some colour to the blossoms. Some of them are left blank, but even the others can be enhanced with the medium of your choice.

From left to right I tested pencils, alcohol pens and watercolours (both pens and pans watercolours).

I found the card excellent for pencil, the alcohol pens did not go through to the reverse (although I kept my layers and blending to the minimum just in case)  and it did accept water well enough for a quick colouring.

With my coloured pencil I made this card:

The background has been stencilled with the Slimline stencil Stitchings with Distress Oxide in Antique Linen and the sentiment is a die-cut from the Everyday Sentiments

Then another card with the watercoloured ATC:

The sentiment is from the Shine Bright - Clear Stickers set placed on a die-cut label. The die-cut border is included in the 8th Birthday Bundle #1.

Finally the size of the ATCs lends itself to become gift tags, so I played with the media in my stash and my bits and bob accumulated overtime. I was pleased to set an eyelet (butterfly shaped) that I don't think I have used for over 5 years! Same with butterfly stickers and the gems, I have plenty but never think of them!!!

You might recognise, enamel accents, gold foil and pearlescent colours (13@rts -  Metallic Color Glow)  although that last one is difficult to see on the photos (sadly the weather turned to rain for days on end):

and a closer look at the foiling:

These ATC's are perfect as journaling cards and don't even need any embellishment but if you want to add that personal touch... plenty of things you can add! 

You can see more inspiration on the STAMPlorations blog where Vicky shows her makes with the Vintage Blossoms ATCs alongside mine .

Thanks for coming by,
My Happy thoughts card is joining the Allsorts challenge.

     

New products at STAMPlorations

Ahead of STAMPlorations 8th Birthday and celebration posts planned, Shery has made available 3 bundles at a very special price AND with free worldwide shipping... can't say better than that! 

I will give you a peek of one of the product included in Bundle #1 , the Art Border Die #1. 

Why die-cut once when you can repeat... This die hasn't got a cutting edge so you can die-cut only part of the die, all of it or many times as I did on this card. 

I place the die the same way each time but by flipping the die every time or other time you will get a different look. I like the idea of versatile dies... 

There you have it, a quick view at this die and what it can do, but hurry if you want to take advantage of the pre-order offer (pre-order price (34% OFF! + Free Worldwide Shipping))... you have until tonight only! 

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

   

Textured Frangipanis

Welcome to the second inspiration post for the STAMPlorations Theme and Photo Prompt challenge where the Theme and Photo are:

For my card I used the theme choosing pink and green as my 2 colours:

I fancied using coloured pencils on textured cardstock and picked green cardstock as my base. Not sure I like the result yet... What do you think about the texture, yeah or nay??

The image is Fancy Frangipanis. 

The Best Wishes die-cut sentiment is from the Everyday Sentiments set.

The STAMP girls are showing inspiration for all the challenges on the STAMPlorations blog so pop by and don't forget you still have 2 weeks to join our challenge for a chance to win!

***

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

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Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the SSS Monday and We Love Chocolate Baroque challenge.

   

100 years of ageing

We are halfway through June and only 2 weeks left to enter our Country View Challenge and special blog hop. The theme is "100", taking inspiration from one of the DT makes, such as a colour scheme, technique, design idea, stamp or die motif. Don't forget to include  100 (or One Hundred) and to specify in your post which member of the Design Team's project inspired you.
Fo my second inspiration make I created a tag with an aged look

I prepared my base with Gesso and applied a layer of Vanilla with Pumpkin soup Fresco paints.  Then I added grunge with Distress Oxides spray in Walnut stain.
I stencilled Grunge paste mixed with a bit of DecoArt Mixed Media in Burnt umber acrylic paint with the  Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz Layering Stencil - Set #39.

Finally a few drops of Distress Oxides in Patina, sprayed with water add a touch of "copper rust".

Pieces of Tim Holtz Tissue tape and AALL & Create Washi Tape #13 - Fasteners by Bipasha, and a die-cut frame back my focal point, a moulded figure head (Prima Imaginarium Fairy garden mould). I aged the plaster by spraying with the Distress Oxides spray in Walnut stain and rubbing off the top layer with a tissue.

And finally the "100" spelt out with rub-ons, and which, in mind, stands for how long this piece has been suffering the effects of time and weather. 

I hope I will inspire one of your entry in our June Country View Challenge. If you do enter the challenge you will have a chance to win a £20 voucher for the Country View Craft shop. You may also have another chance at winning a voucher by commenting on the blog post and the DT posts. 

Thanks for coming by,

Boat trip

Welcome to our new STAMPlorations Theme & Photo Prompt challenge!
This month the Theme and photo prompt are:


You can choose to follow either Theme or Photo and of course both to qualify for the prize.
I chose the theme for this "postcard":

The background is coloured with several shades of blue dye ink for the sky and green for the water. I used both brayer and brushes to apply the inks (Memento and Distress).

I stamped the boat from the Born to Roam set onto my base card and also on a separate piece of card which I fussy cut before gluing in place

I stamped the sentiment from the same set in black Versafine to finish.

Clean and simple... wish I was there!!! 

Check what my teamies did on the STAMPlorations blog and link up your  creations!

***

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

***

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Casology (I have tried to make my card look like a photo) and Addicted to Stamps challenges.
 

A glass of Cheer

The end of Covid restrictions is in sight, the sun is shining and we are mid way through the year... but wait... today is also the day our Country View Challenges reach a momentous milestone and we celebrate the 100th challenge!

Naturally, our theme this month is "100" and we want to see 100, one hundred, 

or 100 "things" on your make AND we want you to take inspiration from one of the DT makes. 

Here's my inspiration:

For a 100th cocktail one needs glitter... so I used Sizzix TH Alphabet to die cut it from glitter cardstock. I also added waste from previous die-cutting, the small pieces in the shaker part of the glass, and the stars on the background paper. I can't remember where the design of the paper comes from but I printed it when my printer cartridge had run out of all colours but blue!

The glass, umbrella and Cheers sentiment is from a magazine freebie. I cut 4 layers from cereal boxes, one layer from a white iridescent paper and traced around the shape onto acetate to create the shaker. 

To glue the layers sandwiching the acetate I used gel medium as I have found that glue sometimes will just peel off. 

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

Remember you must take inspiration from one of the DT makes, such as a colour scheme, technique, design idea, stamp or die motif for your make to be in with the chance to win and of course include "100" (or One hundred in any language). Do explain if it's not obvious!!!

This month there is also a second £20 voucher for a commenter 

on todays'  CVC and DT blog posts, drawn randomly. 

Hop to it!!!

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