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Saturday 27 February 2016

Meadow in the Sunset








This design is another entry to the latest Chocolate Baroque challenge   http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/.  As I've already said I absolutely LOVE these colours, and I loved creating this card!  I have used stamps from several CB sets; Nature's Table, Words of Inspiration, and Design a Tree.  I have used Distress Inks, Versafine Ink, Aqua Tints and gilding wax to colour this piece.  The focal panel is a piece of white card onto which I have painted bands of colour with the Aqua Tints, letting them bleed and blend into each other.  I stamped a bare tree slightly off centre in Sepia ink, then added the leaves.  I created a setting sun on the horizon using a paintbrush and water to faux bleach.  I added a little colour back with some distress ink.  With a stencil I added some hills to the lower third with some DI to add perspective and to ground the tree.  I then stamped several floral images with DI's to create a meadow in the foreground.   I stamped a sentiment at the top of the panel and blended ink around the edges.  I cut some dark card to create a frame around the focal panel and embossed it in a folder, adding highlights with gilding wax. I then attached the whole piece to a base card.   Next I took another piece of white card and painted it with Aqua Tints as before.  When dry I die cut some flowers and swirls, added ink to the edges then shaped with a ball tool.  I coloured a couple of small pearls with gilding wax and added them to the centres of the flowers.  I added the flowers, swirls and some skeleton leaves at opposite corners with dimensional glue.  This is a beautiful card that would be good for many occasions and male or female cards.   

Sunday 21 February 2016

Summer's Bounty









I was so pleased when Chocolate Baroque announced their new challenge this week - I just LOVE the colours!  This is my first entry to the CB Challenge #20  http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/.  I have used CB stamp sets:- Mellow Fruitfulness, Tangled Peacock, Punky Hearts and Words of Inspiration.  I used Aqua tints and Distress Inks to colour, gold texture paste, an embossing folder and a stencil.  
On a piece of white card I blended three DI's - Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, and Abandoned Coral.  When it was dry I used water on a peacock feather stamp to faux bleach the image randomly .  over the panel.  I then dried it with a heat gun, and over stamped the same image in Abandoned Coral ink.  I stamped a sentiment in second generation Vintage Photo DI randomly over the panel, and blended the ink around the edges.  Next I spread the gold texture paste through a stencil in a few places on the panel, and set aside to dry.   On a larger panel of Kraft card I stamped distressed hearts in Vintage Photo at the edges to create a border, blended the ink along the very edges, then embossed it in a folder through a machine to add texture.  I matted the background panel onto dark card with a narrow border, then layered onto the Kraft card.  I attached the whole thing onto a white base card.   
On another piece of white card I stamped several images of cherries hanging from a branch and artichokes, and heat embossed them with gold powder.  I painted the images with Aqua Tints then fussy cut them.  I attached them to the card with dimensional glue.  I stained two wooden bird embellishments with Vintage Photo and attached them in the same way.  I stamped the sentiment in sepia Versafine ink on a piece of card that I had painted with Aqua Tint, and heat embossed with clear powder.  I then fussy cut it and matted onto Kraft card then fussy cut again.  To finish the design I attached the sentiment panel with dimensional glue.  I had an absolute blast creating this card,  these gorgeous colours are so warm and vibrant they can't fail to cheer you on a cold, wet winter's day!  I think this is a good worker card for a multitude of occasions and either male or female recipients.  It would also make a lovely piece of wall art too.   

Thursday 18 February 2016

Lady Steampunk









This canvass is my second entry to Country View Challenges this month http://countryviewchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/.  I LOVE mixed media and Steampunk, and I've been meaning to create a canvass like this for a while.  My inspiration for this piece comes from Frank Skinner and Finnabair.  I used a mixture of stamps and media products, and dies.   Some stamps are from a set by Frank Skinner plus some others from Indigo blue, Inkydoodles, Papermania and my stash.  I have coloured this project with Dyna paints and a little gilding wax.   I started with an 8" x 8" canvass which I painted with black Gesso and let it dry.  I sponged Dyna paints all over it, sponging paint gives a lovely random texture.  Next I added clear moulding paste through a stencil in a couple of places for more texture, and let it dry.  I wanted to create a steampunk woman on acetate so I stamped and heat embossed a face in black, then added cogs in the same way for her hair.  I stamped several other images on acetate and heat embossed them in black.  I also stamped several clock faces, and cogs in black onto tissue paper.    Next I die cut cogs, feathers, clocks, a bird and a butterfly from black card, and sponged paint onto them.  I stamped some cogs with paint onto the bird.  I kept one of the clocks black, and a set of the hands.  Then I used a little gilding wax to highlight the moulding paste once dry.  I used decopatch glue to attach the tissue images to the canvass, and some plain tissue in places.  I cut out the acetate images and attached them to the canvass, some on top of the plain tissue to emphasize them and add texture behind them.  I then layered the two clocks together with the black one underneath, slightly offset.  this acts as a shadow and makes the painted clock pop.  I did the same with the clock hands.   I added a tiny cog to the bird as an eye, then arranged the embellishments and attached them to the canvass when I was happy.  I finished the piece by adding a small light bulb.  I had such a great time planning and creating this, I can't wait to get messy again and create another canvass! 

Monday 15 February 2016

Spring Bling









This is a pretty design I have created for the latest Country View Challenges challenge http://countryviewchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ .  The theme is 'Make a Background' which is something I love doing anyway,  using several different techniques and products.  I have used one of my all time favourite stamps in this project, a script stamp by Hero Arts; and  floral stamps and matching dies from Sheena Douglass' 'Perfect Partners' range.  I have also used a butterfly die and some foliage dies.  I have coloured the background panel with yellow, green and brown  DI's, and used gold gilding wax on the base card.  To brighten things up and add some 'bling' I used gold glitter texture paste and some gems.  I also used three different stencils and an embossing folder.  On a piece of white card I blended the green and yellow inks, then faux bleached with water.  Next I stamped the script randomly over the panel in green, then inked through a stencil with brown ink to add distressed diamonds.  I used another stencil and green ink to add a Buddlea bush.  I used the stencil several times to make a larger bush.  I have several Buddlea's in my garden and I love using this stencil.  I then edged the panel with brown ink and dried it with a heat gun.  I spread glitter texture paste through  a leafy border stencil along the top of the panel to add dimension, texture and bling.  While that was drying I die cut some flowers, foliage and a butterfly.  I attached some old book pages to some card to cut the flowers out of.  I cut the foliage out of Kraft card and the butterfly out of black card.  I also embossed all the die cuts, and added colour to the flowers and butterfly while they were still in the dies.   I added colour to the foliage with some cut'n'dry foam.  I stamped the outline of the flowers onto the die cuts, and layered the dies to make three flowers.  I added a gem to the centres after colouring them with a Pro Marker.   I also added gems to the antenna on the butterfly.  The base card is black and I embossed it in a folder through a machine, then added gilding wax to highlight the pattern.  I attached the background panel to the base card, then attached all the die cut elements with dimensional glue.  I really enjoyed making this project and all the messy crafting it involved!  I think this is a lovely card for a special occasion, and it's good for men and women.  

Sunday 14 February 2016

Red Rose, Red Heart









This is the Valentines card I have made for my husband this year.  I loved the red, white and black colour swatch for the Chocolate Baroque challenge #18 that I decided to use it for this card.  Also it's a favourite colour combo of mine.  I have used images from the CB 'Fluttering Hearts' and 'Key to my Dreams' sets, plus a script stamp from Hero Arts that I've had for years.  I used Candied Apple, Mowed Lawn and Black Soot Distress Inks; some heart dies and a heart stencil.  On the white base card I stamped the script, then blended black ink around the edges.  I cut a piece of white card to size, and stamped a floral heart image repeatedly and randomly all over in red ink.  I then stamped a sentiment in black ink randomly, using first and second generation ink, then blended ink around the edges of the panel.  I matted the background panel onto black card and layered it onto the base card.  On a separate piece of white card I stamped a rose, a key and a sentiment in black ink and heat embossed them in black powder.  I painted the rose and key with DI's and added highlights with a silver gel pen, then fussy cut them.  Next I cut two large hearts, one from black card, one from white.  I painted the white heart with red DI, dried it with a heat gun, then stamped the script all over it.  I stamped an ornate lock in black ink onto the heart and heat embossed it with black powder.   I blended more red ink around the edges to add shading then matted it onto the black heart.   I painted an offcut of white card with red ink, graduating the colour, then die cut some hearts.  Next I cut  out a panel for the sentiment and blended red ink around the edges, then matted it onto black card.  I assembled all the embellishments onto the front of the card and attached them with dimensional glue.  I'm really pleased with the result, I think this is a lovely Valentines design.  I hope hubby likes it too!  

Tuesday 9 February 2016

Butterflies in the Sun







I have made a plaque for my second entry to the Chocolate Baroque Challenge blog  http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/.  I really enjoyed using my Brushos again, they give such lovely effects.  I have used stamps from the CB 'Butterfly Thistle' and 'Mini Script' sets; Brushos; Distress Inks; watercolour card; gilding wax; acetate and black card.  I started by stamping the main focal image onto the card in black Versafine ink.  I then painted over the image with Pebeo drawing gum to mask it, this enables me to work over the image with colour and not spoil it.   When it was all dry I started the background, and I wanted to use the Brushos to create the effect of a sunrise.   I spread some water along the bottom third of the card with a brush then sprinkled green Brusho over, letting it spread.  This represented the grass to anchor my stamped focal image.  I added some more crystals in a couple of places to represent darker clumps of grass.  Next I 'water' painted a large sun rising on the horizon and sprinkled yellow crystals over the wet card.   I let that dry for a while then did the same with orange then blue crystals to create the sky.  I let it dry then used a script stamp randomly all over the panel.  I rubbed the drawing gum off then used Distress Inks to watercolour the stamped image.  I took another piece of watercolour card, spritzed water and sprinkled orange, yellow, and blue crystals on to it.  When it was dry I stamped a butterfly in black ink and fussy cut it.  I also stamped one onto acetate and heat embossed it with black powder before fussy cutting that too.  I attached the acetate butterfly to the card butterfly and set aside.  I die cut the top edge of the panel, then edged with DI.  I cut a larger panel of black card in the same way, then embossed it through a machine.  I added gilding wax to highlight the pattern, then layered the focal panel on top.  I made a stand with a strip of black card and folded it about 3 cm from the top. I attached the top of the strip to the back of the plaque to make a stand.  Finally I attached the double butterfly to complete the artwork.  This is a lovely project for the home, and it would make a nice present for any occasion.

Monday 8 February 2016

Alphabet Fusion






Last year I tried a new crafting technique called 'Paint Fusion', which is a mixture of folk art and stamping.  I absolutely love it, it's so relaxing.  I have made several cards and projects with Paint Fusion but this is my first project that's 3D.  Since learning this technique I look at all manor of new and old homewares with a view to re-vamping or upcycling them!  This was originally bought as an advent calendar, but I decided to use it to store all my die cut alphabet letters.  The unit is an MDF and strong board one from Tonic that comes flat packed, so the first thing I did was construct it.  To decorate I have used Pebeo matt acrylic paints, Sheena Douglass stamps, and ordinary emulsion paint.  I gave the unit  a base coat of white Gesso.  I mixed some acrylic paints to make the shade of turquoise I wanted, then I painted the shelves.  I painted the rest of the unit and drawers in cream emulsion paint.  When everything was dry I stamped several images from Sheena's Paint Fusion range on the shaped top of the unit and the drawers.  I then painted the images using the Paint Fusion technique, with the Pebeo acrylics.  When everything was dry I  painted it all again with a clear varnish.  To complete this project I die cut an alphabet in contrasting blue card and attached each letter to a drawer.  As it was an advent calendar it only has 24 drawers, so I doubled up the letters on a couple of them.  I'm so pleased with the result and  I have somewhere beautiful to store my letters!    

Monday 1 February 2016

Autumn Pastels









This is a card I have just made as my first entry into challenge#19 with Chocolate Baroque  http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/.  The colour palette for this one is a pastel selection and I'm not really a pastel person (as anyone who visits this blog will see), but I love joining in with these challenges so I've had a go - and thoroughly enjoyed it!  I have used CB stamp sets Mellow Fruitfulness and Nature Table; I added colour with Distress Inks and acrylic paint; I added texture with decoupage and texture paste.  I started with the background panel and blended DI's on a piece of white card.  I then faux bleached the panel and dried it with a heat gun.  Next I mixed some acrylic paint with texture paste and spread it through a stencil to create some trees, then set it aside to dry.  On another piece of white card I stamped images from both stamp sets and heat embossed them.  I then put four DI colours directly onto my glass mat and using a wet brush I watercoloured the images.  When they were dry I fussy cut the images and blended ink around the edges as I don't like white edges.  I blended DI's onto more white card to match the background then die cut some leaves  and a branch, and inked the edges.   I also die cut some foliage from Kraft card and inked the edges. I stamped some meadow flowers and leaves onto the background panel using first and second generation ink.  I blended ink around the edges of the panel and matted it onto dark card to frame it.  On a piece of cream card I stamped the flowers and leaves randomly around the edges of the card to create a frame, and inked the outer edges.  I layered the panel onto the card.  I attached all the stamped, die cut and fussy cut images to the card with dimensional glue, with the apples hanging from the branch and the other images representing a woodland floor.  I'm really pleased with this design, I think it's a great worker card - birthday, retirement, male or female - whatever you want!