Three cats and a bird

Are you ready with all your Christmas cards yet? Well our Country View Challenge should help you with both inspiration and enticement.... 

As you guessed our theme this month is simply Christmas.

For those who follow my blog you will know I have been working on a series with the Snarky Christmas Cats stamp set (CMS 416) from Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous so here's another one (full disclosure my 2nd inspiration post is ALSO a Snarky cat... you have been warned!).

For this card I created masks for the cats and stamped them in a rough Christmas tree shape. I added colour with pencils and stamped the sentiment from the same set.

It does look like none of them are sitting comfortably...

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 the SSS Wednesday, Allsorts, Addicted to Stamps, Paperbabe, Uniko challenges.

Snarky Cat Christmas 7

How are you doing with those Christmas cards? Still in progress? Well, here's some more Snarky Christmas cats to give you inspiration.... In fact this one has gift ideas too!!!

As for previous cards, the cat and sentiment are from the Snarky  Christmas Cats set (CMS416) from Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous. The tree, stamped in Versafine Clair Shady Lane is from a set by Katzelkraft (retired I think).

Thanks for coming by,

 Craftyfield   I am entering the Paperbabe, Addicted to stamps,  SSS Wednesday,  Allsorts, Uniko, Stamping Sensations and We Love Stamping challenges

Door sign

Welcome to my second inspiration post for our Christmas gifting challenge at our Country View Challenge this month, chosen by Miriam. 

Admittedly, I made this one for myself but... changing the words and motifs and you can make one fitting for anyone! 

 

For the base choose from MDF, mountboard, light weight wood, and you can even use a shaped substrate like Hearts or Tags. Anything goes...

I decided to leave my wood bare because I like it and it brings a bit of nature inside. I punched holes and added page reinforcers (I have die for that).

The background paper is from the Bella collection by 13@Arts.

The "Atelier des arts" is a Decorative Chip from the Door set (Collection Atelier des Arts by Stamperia ) which I embossed with Wow! EP in Pomegranate.

The 3D rose I created with hot glue and a Prima mould (My Sweet). I used glue just because I wanted to try out the mould and I had my glue gun at hand. [proper moulding material, such as  paper clay, would be a better choice. The lighter the better as it makes it easier to affix the sign without damaging the door/wall surface]. 

I coloured the motif with metallic powders in pink, green and silver (don't ask), only time will tell if it will last on the glue.... If not there's always acrylic paint! The shine looks good though...

There you have it door signs as a personalised gift...

Hope this will inspire you to enter our challenge, only one week left to be in with a chance to win a lovely £20 voucher.

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Allsorts, River of creativity, and Creative Artiste challenges.

Snarky cat Christmas 6

Time for another Snarky cat.... This one is definitely the Scrooge of the feline world...

All stamps are from the Snarky Christmas Cats stamp set (CMS 416) from Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous, inked with Versafine Clair (Pinecone and Shady Lane). A few details were picked out with coloured pencils.

Fast and easy card perfect for mass making!

Thanks for coming by,

 Craftyfield       I am entering the Allsorts, Paperbabe, We Love Stamping and  Stamping Sensations challenges. 

Maximize the embossing

For my second Mixed Media tutorial on the STAMPlorations blog, I am elevating the stencilling with the Embossed Textured paste technique.

This give a more dimensional effect to the stencilling as if embossing with powders multiple times, like this: 

Supplies:

Senecio 1 - ARTplorations Stencil - Sanna Lippert Designs

Texture paste (mine is Grunge Paste from Paper Artsy)

Embossing powder (mine is Wow! in Perissa, a mix of silver, gold, and copper red )

Thankful & Blessed - Dee's Artsy Impressions

A look at the beautiful shine....

Once you've mastered the technique nothing stops you from combining it with others... for instance adding powders in an ombre design like I did on this card:

Supplies:

Abstract April Showers - ARTplorations Stencil - Sanna Lippert Designs

Texture paste (Grunge paste as before)

Embossing powders: Wow! Vintage Peacock, Seaglass, Blue Pearl and Frantage Aged Aqua (Stampendous).

Let It Snow Phrase Die - CUTplorations

Basic A2 Panels Nesting Dies

Just for you... the shine look!

Do check out my step by step on the STAMPlorations blog.  I will be back next month for a new technique...

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

        

Snarky Cats Christmas 5

More Christmas snarks...

Here's an accident waiting to happen...

As before, the cats and sentiments are from the Snarky Christmas Cats stamp set (CMS 416) from Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous stamped in Memento Black and coloured with pencils.

I created a snowy slope for the cats to glide (and stand) on with Distress ink and a mask made of torn paper.

Mmm...it's going to hurt!!! 

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the SSS Monday, Paperbabe, Stamping Sensations, We Love Stamping challenges.

More coasters

Some organised people have all their Christmas gifts bought and wrapped by now, having used the whole year to scour the shops for that perfect present....  Well, not me and certainly not this year!

However, WHAT do you buy for the person that has everything? How about a crafty gift made by you and and for that special person? Christmas gifting is the theme of our Country View Challenge this month, chosen by Miriam and I hope you will get ideas from our DT. 

 

My first idea is coasters, I have been creating a few, each time in pairs, and this is my latest offering:

My base is recycled coasters but your can find fresh ones with a holder here.I created the background with Cosmic shimmer matt acrylic paints, this took several layers as I changed my mind... including adding some copper paint here and there. 

My choice of image is from 2 Visible Image sets: the spiral clock from Ahead Of Our Time and the shattered clock and matching background from the Somewhere In Time.

Once dry I stamped my motif with Cosmic shimmer Flake and glitter Glue using a piece of Distress foam and applied my flakes. You can find similar colours to the one I used with these mixes: Silver Dream, Warm Sunrise both from Cosmic Shimmer. Now being the control freak that I am I don't just dump the flakes haphazardly on the image... noooo I try and place a gold flake here a copper flake there etc... but you don't have to do that! 

Once all the image is covered I start removing the excess with my fingers , then with a dedicated sponge (it looks a bit like wire wool but made of plastic thread).

For the shattered clock I first stamped the background stamp with black to enhance the contrast with the foil.

I added a bit of darker colour around the coasters with a Pitt brush pen.

Now these will join the other pairs to get their hard core varnish so they can be used for hot or cold drinks.

And of course let's look at the SHINE.... 

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. Just remember that cards do not qualify for this challenge. 

Thanks for coming by,

I am entering the Paperbabe, SSS Wednesday challenges.

Snarky Cat Christmas 4

4th in my Snarky Christmas Cats line-up this CAS card.

Maybe he feels like Scrooge, maybe he's been swaddled too tight... 

but he certainly doesn't look too happy to see the baubles!

The cat and sentiment are from the Snarky Christmas Cats stamp set (CMS 416) from Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous stamped in black Versafine and Memento Rhubarb Stalk.

The baubles are from the Studio Light Stamp And Die Set - No.17, I stamped them in Memento 

London Fog and coloured with red pencil. 

I hope he brings a smile to your face nonetheless...

Meow, meow I will be back!!!
I am entering the SSS Wednesday, Addicted to stamps, Allsorts, Casology and Paperbabe  challenges.

CAS card with elephants

A quick post for a quick card!

I used this lovely stamp  from Creative Stamping magazine #57 (May 2018) to make this CAS card.

If you like the stamp,  the original red rubber by Crafty Individuals is still available (CI-390).

The background has been created with Distress inks and one of the stamps from Andy Skinner's ASCRS06-Toxic set (Stampendous).

The sentiment (also from the Creative Stamping set)  is usually applied to Birthdays but it seems fitting for this mother and baby image (and my current state of mind), since no matter that your offspring can legally drive, vote, drink and have left home, they are still your babies..

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the Uniko,  River of Creativity, Paperbabe, Stamping Sensations, challenges.

Amp up your stencils!

This Autumn I am starting a Mixed Media feature on the STAMPlorations blog.

I have chosen 4 different techniques that will add oomph/zing to your stencilling. First up the "bump" technique which gives a shadow or highlight impression as in the background of this card:

It is normally used with acrylic paints, since the technique needs the medium used to be opaque.

Supplies:
Flowers 2 - ARTplorations
Basic A2 Panels Nesting Dies
Flutter Zen 1 Layering Dies
Everyday Sentiments

For those who prefer inks I tested an alternative on this card:

Supplies:
Peeking Dahlias - ARTplorations
Everyday Sentiments

Do check out my step by step on the STAMPlorations! blog

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

     

   

Autumn colours

Hello crafters!

I am back for a  second inspiration make for our Country View Challenge, where the theme for is 

Autumn colours, chosen by Corrie. 

I used the Autumn colours for a gender neutral birthday card:

 The impression is imperfect, especially in the centre, due to the technique and the texture of the paper I used,  NOT the stamp, which is actually very detailed, probably too detailed for this technique.

I sprayed water on my stamp, Paisley Script Background (Crafty Individuals CI-435) and then sprinkled Brushos with a fine paint brush. With this method I can get 3 to 4 impressions with just one inking.

I added the sentiment,  a Hot Foil embossing die (Ultimate Crafts Happy Birthday). 

There you have it, quite simple really if a bit messy. Next time I will know to use a smoother card though!

Thanks for coming by,
I am entering the  SSS Wednesday, Allsorts, Paperbabe, We Love Chocolate Baroque challenges.

Young wild and free

As much as as I have tried to ignore it Autumn is upon us, school and universities are in session again and  the only silver lining is the beautiful colours of the falling leaves.
Following on last month's Country View Challenge, the theme for October is Autumn colours, chosen by Corrie. 

I have created a journal page with that fabulous Lady stamp set from Stamperia that I hadn't even inked since getting it last year. It is a big stamp, too big for most cards but excellent for journaling and Mixed Media!

I started with Gelli printing my background with acrylic paints, mainly DecoArt Mixed Media, I then added stencilling details with Yellow Ochre and Gold paints with the "Wall Music and writing" stencil from Stamperia( KSTDG01).

I stamped the Lady image with Versafine Clair in Pinecone on a separate piece of cardstock, coloured it with pencil and fussy cut it before placing on the background. I added a bit of Distress crayon in Vintage Photo around the image to detach it from the background.

Finally I found the perfect sentiment for my lady in the stamp set "Life is so much better" (from Chocolate Baroque), designed by fellow blogger Brenda .

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.

Just remember to use only Autumnal colours (yellow, red, browns, muted greens +black, white and skin colours).

Thanks for coming by,