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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
