Autumn's Eastern Promise

This card is another of my entries for the Chocolate Baroque colour challenge   http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/,  which I really enjoy playing along with as it makes me use colours and try out ideas that I may not usually try.  My inspiration for the colour scheme of this design came from a card by Debbie that I saw on the CB challenge blog, so I adapted it and created my design around it.  I already had the idea of  using the Peacock feather icons as leaves and the colour challenge colour swatch just screams Autumn, so the rest was easy (as they say).   The stamps I used are from the Peacock Parade, Christmas Flourish, and Spinney Design a Tree CB sets.   The inks I used are Spiced Marmalade, Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed, Squeezed Lemonade, Brushed Corduroy, Frayed Burlap, Walnut Stain, and Rusty Hinge Distress Inks, and Vintage Sepia Versafine.  I also used clear and gold detail embossing powders, and Peach glitter.   I started by creating the main background panel, blending the two lighter brown inks onto smooth white card adding a little Scattered Straw to warm it up.  I took one of the Christmas tree images and spritzed it with water, then stamped across the panel-leaving a gap between each stamping- and blotted the images( faux bleaching).  This tree image is made up of a Baroque type pattern so needn't look too Christmassy.  I then stamped the image again using Rusty Hinge ink, stamping between the faux bleached images.  I repeated this process to cover the panel.  I added orange glitter to the coloured trees to highlight them.  To complete it I edged the panel with Walnut Stain DI.  Next I took  a piece of white card and blended the yellow and orange inks together.   I stamped the large and small Peacock Feather images repeatedly onto the card and heat embossed them with clear powder.  I then cut them out and shaped them with a ball tool.  I stamped the Spinney Tree onto a strip of acetate using Sepia ink and heat embossed with gold detail powder.  I attached the acetate to the panel using very strong double sided tape, attaching it on the back of the panel.  I matted the panel onto yellow card having edged the mat with Walnut Stain.  I then layered it onto an orange base card, again edging it with DI.   I attached decorative ribbon to the panel using tape over the acetate.  Next I added the leaves in a cascading pattern down the card with a few on the tree, attaching them with dimensional glue.   I stamped a sentiment from the CB Words of Inspiration set using Sepia ink on orange card and heat embossed with clear powder.  I cut it into a tag shape, blended orange and yellow inks onto the tag and edged it with Walnut Stain.  I threaded some of the same ribbon through the top, shaped the tag then attached it to the card with tape.  I think this lovely design is a great 'worker' - it would work for several occasions and for either male or female cards.   

Peacock in the Sunset

This card is my first entry for the latest colour challenge with Chocolate Baroque http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ using the challenge colour swatch.  The stamps I have used are from CB Peacock Parade and Tangled Peacock sets.  The inks I have used are:- Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Brushed Corduroy, and Walnut stain DI's; Vintage Sepia Versafine; and Pearlescent Beige Brilliance.  I have also used some H2O paints as highlights here and there.  I started by creating the background for the main panels.  I blended the yellow and orange DI's onto smooth white card, adding a little of both the brown inks around the edges.  I took a large 'leaf' image and spritzed water onto it, then stamped randomly over the panel blotting each watery image with tissue giving a 'faux bleaching' effect.  Using the same image I then stamped it over the bleached ones, offsetting the images slightly.  Next I stamped a Peacock feather image randomly over the panel using the beige ink, which really 'pops' when the light hits it.  I then shaped the corners of the panel with a punch, and matted it on to dark brown card.  Next I created the central panel, blending the same inks as on the other panel.  I then stamped one of the Peacock images on to the panel using the sepia ink and heat embossed it in clear powder.  I used water and a brush to 'faux bleach' the body of the bird and some of the feathers.  I did the same to a few of the sun rays, then added colour to the bleached areas with H2O's.  I then edged the panel with Walnut Stain DI, punched the corners and matted it onto dark brown card.   The base card is cream textured card which I have edged with Walnut Stain ink, then stamped with  a small leaf image in the beige ink.  To assemble the card I layered the large panel onto the base card, then added some decorative ribbon.  I then layered the smaller panel on top with dimensional glue.  The sentiment is from the CB Words of Inspiration set and is stamped onto a piece of the same background card as the panels, in sepia ink and heat embossed with clear powder.  I then threaded some more ribbon through the sentiment tag and attached it to the card with dimensional glue.  I have always loved these Peacock stamps and I totally enjoyed creating this card!  I think this is a lovely design to suit various occasions  and for male and female cards.  

Autumn Butterfly

This is my second design for the Chocolate Baroque Challenge http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ using their chosen colour swatch.  I decided to do a multi media canvass as I really enjoy creating artwork using various techniques, and canvass gives the work a great texture.  I used stamps from the Thistle Butterfly set by Chocolate Baroque, an oriental leaf embossing folder, some foliage dies and assorted Crealies floral dies.  I used several colours of acrylic paints:- Titanium White, Cerulean Blue Hue, Yellow Ochre, Brilliant Red, Burnt Sienna, white Gesso.  I also used several inks:- Stonewashed Adirondak, Versafine Vintage Sepia, Crafters Pigment ink Smoke Blue, Brilliance inks Pearlescent Beige and Rust.  I painted a couple of coats of white Gesso on to the canvass as a base.  Then I mixed some acrylic paint to make the two colours used as a base on the canvass.  Next I stamped the butterfly image from the set using Titanium White acrylic paint randomly over the canvass.  I then stamped the large  thistle and butterfly image on to white tissue paper in Stonewashed ink.  I tore a piece off and stuck it on to one side of the canvass with multi media gloss paste.  When dry the tissue turns opaque and the white butterfly underneath shows through.  I also covered the whole artwork with the paste to seal it and give it a sheen.  I then mixed some acrylic paint with clear texture paste and spread it on to the canvass through a stencil, TCW Mini Punchinella, in several places.  I used the honeycomb pattern in keeping with the natural, organic theme of the artwork.  I then edged the canvass with Vintage Sepia ink.  Next I stamped the butterfly image on to acetate in Smoke Blue pigment ink and heat embossed it with clear powder.  I then cut it out and added glitters on to the reverse side.  I attached it over one of the white butterflies using dimensional glue.  I coloured a piece of white card using Radiant Rains,  Ginger Peach and Sunburst, and Metallic Bronze Lumiere paint.  I sponged the colours on to the card to blend them.  I then cut leaves out of the card with dies, and edged them with Pearlescent Rust ink.  I cut various flower shapes out of two tones of blue card with dies, then stamped them with the butterfly image and a small leaf image using Moonlight White and Pearlescent Beige inks to add patterns to the petals. I used five petal shapes of different sizes to make a large layered flower and added glitter to the centre.  I attached a couple of skeleton leaves to the artwork and added the flower with dimensional glue.  I attached a couple of the die cut leaves and small flowers then mounted the canvass on to a piece of embossed white card that had been edged with blue ink.      

Eastern Tag Card

This is a card that I have designed as my first entry to the latest Chocolate Baroque Challenge  http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/, using their chosen colour swatch.  I love these colours and they go together really well, although I don't think I've used them all together before.  The inks I've used are:- Tea Dye, Brushed Corduroy and Rusty Hinge, Weathered Wood DI's; Sienna Ancient Page, Stonewashed Adirondak, and Moonlight White Brilliance Inks.  The stamps used are from CB Eastern Grasses.  I also used a Cuttlebug embossing folder - Oriental Screen, some fibres and ribbon, acetate, glitters and white embossing powder. The base card is white textured card.  Using a blending tool I added some Brushed Corduroy around the edges of the card.  The background panel is a piece of blue card on to which I stamped a small grass image in Sienna ink and a small bamboo leaf image in Stonewashed ink in a random pattern.  I also stamped the same images in Moonlight White ink.   I then embossed the panel in the folder through a machine, giving it texture.  I made the tag from a piece of smooth white stamping card on to which I blended several inks, Weathered Wood and Stonewashed towards the top of the tag, Brushed Corduroy and Rusty Hinge towards the bottom and then all round the edges.  I then stamped the same small leaf images as I used on the background panel on to the tag in Rusty Hinge and Stonewashed inks.  I stamped in first and second generation ink to give the illusion of grasses in a field. I stamped a sentiment in the bottom corner of the tag in Moonlight White ink and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  I then took a piece of heat resistant acetate and stamped an image of Eastern Grasses panel on to it in Moonlight White ink, and heat embossed it in white embossing powder.  Then I added some glitter as highlights.  I trimmed the acetate to size, with the embossed panel in the centre of a strip.  I put strips of extra strong double sided tape down each side of the tag and wrapped the acetate around the tag to form a dome effect.  I added ribbon and fibres in coordinating colours.  I matted the background panel on to pearlescent card then layered it on to the base card.  I then attached the tag with dimensional glue.  I used a foliage die to cut some sprigs from the blue card which I then tinted with Rusty Hinge and Moonlight White inks, then added them to the card.  I am really pleased with this result, and I think this design is a good 'worker' design, it would be suitable for many occasions, many age groups and both sexes.  

An English Punky Garden

This design is my third entry for the Chocolate Baroque Challenge  http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk using the same colour swatch as the last two posts. I decided to have a go at a mixed media wall hanging this time.  The stamps I used are all from the CB Steampunk Butterfly set, and the cogs are made with a Spellbinders die set.  I used several Distress Inks:- Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Mowed Lawn, and Festive Berries.  I also used a Versafine ink in Deep Lagoon, a TCW stencil ( mini gears) and clear texture paste.  I used acrylic paints in Titanium White, Cerulean Blue Hue, Metallic Gold, and yellow and pale green glitters.  I started by creating the main background panel from a piece of smooth white card, on to which I blended the two yellow and the green DI's.  I then stamped the cogs and gears randomly over the panel in the red DI.  I mixed the white and blue acrylic paints and dry brushed them over the panel in places, so as not to totally obscure the pattern.  Next I placed the stencil over the panel in one corner and applied clear texture paste through it, then repeated this randomly over the panel.  While this was drying I stamped the butterfly, roses ( repeatedly) and some separate leaves on to white stamping card in the Versafine ink and heat embossed the images with clear embossing powder.  I then stamped the butterfly again but on to acetate this time, I also stamped the circular patterned image several times to create a circle and heat embossed them all as before.  I painted the images stamped on to card with the DI's then cut them out.  I glazed the flower buds and the leaves with Diamond Glaze, also the centre of the  circle acetate pattern, and I sprinkled a little glitter on to the glaze in the circle centre.  When the glaze had dried, I turned the acetate circle over and glittered certain sections of the pattern as highlights.  When they were dry I painted white acrylic paint over the glitter to make it pop.  I then cut the acetate images out.  I used a ball tool to shape the card butterfly, then attached the acetate image on top using clear drying glue on the body.  The wings are left unattached and pulled upwards slightly to create movement.  I cut several cog shapes out of pieces of scrap card and painted them with the blue and gold paints.  When dry I added gilding waxes in gold and aquamarine to give the cogs an aged metallic look.  I created a frame/base for my artwork out of a cardboard box lid.  I have wanted to try this technique for ages.  After cutting the cardboard to size I peeled some of the top layer off to reveal the corrugated card underneath.  I painted a coat of white Gesso on to it followed by two coats of gold acrylic.  I put two holes with eyelets along the top edge of the board panel, and added some blue raffia to hang the artwork with.  To assemble the piece I matted the stamped background panel on to dark blue card,  then layered it on to the gold board.  I then decoupaged all the other elements on to the artwork using  dimensional glue.  I'm really pleased with the finished result!

A Hint of Peacock

Here is another design that I have created for the Chocolate Baroque Challenge  http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/  using the colour swatch for this month, Christmas Colours.  I have used Distress Inks in Broken China, Mowed Lawn, Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, and Scattered Straw.  I also used Rocket Red Brilliance ink, and a mixed acrylic paint of pale yellow.  The stamps I used are from CB Peacock Parade, Tangled Peacock, Christmas Flourish and Christmas Magic.  I started by making the background panel, taking a piece of smooth white stamping card.  I blended a mix of the yellow and blue DI's, then did some faux bleaching using a large Peacock feather image, spritzing it with water and stamping randomly all over the background panel.  After a few seconds I blotted the images with kitchen towel, leaving an almost white image.  I then took the same image and stamped it in Broken China ink randomly again.  When the panel had completely dried I mixed some medium yellow and titanium white acrylic paints to create a pale yellow colour and dry painted it lightly across the panel.  I've never done this before but I was inspired to try this technique after seeing a tag created by Glenda Waterworth of Chocolate Baroque.  Then I blended some blue ink around the very edges of the panel.  I stamped a corner image in red ink in two opposite corners of the panel and heat embossed with clear powder.  As the main focal image of this Christmas design I decided to use a triple Peacock feather image as baubles hanging from the branch of a Christmas tree.  I cut a mask out of copier paper in the shape of the end of a fir tree branch.  Using one of the tree images from the Christmas Flourish set I stamped through the mask on to the panel with Mowed Lawn ink, repeating this a couple of times to create a branch.  Next I stamped the triple feather image twice, once below the branch and again slightly higher, as if they are hanging from the branch.  As it is a Christmas design I wanted to add a bit of bling so I highlighted the centres of the 'baubles' with red and yellow glitters, and the holly berries in the corner images with red glitter.  On another piece of the white card I created the same background.  I stamped a sentiment from CB Christmas Magic set in red ink and heat set it with clear powder.  I then die cut the sentiment with a label die.  I added shading with blue ink by leaving the card in the die after cutting and blending ink around the inside edge of the die.  I then matted the label and the panel on to green card.  The base card is red cardstock on to which I have stamped a holly border from my CB broken biscuits set in pale yellow acrylic paint.  I   brushed the paint on to the stamp quite thickly, which resulted in the stamped image being textured which looks lovely. The holly border is stamped all around the edges of the red base card.  When the paint is dry the main panel is layered on to it and the sentiment label is attached with dimensional glue.  

Cute as a Bunny

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This is another lovely baby card.  I used more stamps from Crafters Companion  BeBunny Baby range called 'Bundle of Joy'.  I used the same colour scheme, card stock, inks and techniques as for the previous card 'Baby Blessings',  I just changed the design slightly.  Again this design can be made in other colours to  suit.  I really enjoyed using these stamps, they're not the type  I usually buy but I think they are lovely for baby cards and birthdays for young children.