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. 

Peacock Sparkle

This is a design I created for a colour challenge with Chocolate Baroque, using their stamps.  The challenge is to create a piece of artwork using specific colours chosen by the CB design team.  Full details can be found at  http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/.  I used Distress inks :- Squeezed Lemonade, Shabby Shutters, Peacock Feathers, Broken China, Weathered Wood, and Festive Berries.  I also used Blue Lagoon Versafine ink, Tannebaum gold green and Midnight Teal Obsidian embossing powders, Sunflower, Midnight and Turquoise glitters and Buttercup H2O paint.  The stamps I used were from two CB sets:- Peacock Parade and Thistle Butterfly.  The base card is white smooth card, I stamped a peacock feather image around the edges of the base card with Squeezed Lemonade ink,  then I blended some ink around the very edges.  Next I created the background panel.  On a piece of white card I blended the three blue DI's with Squeezed Lemonade.  I then took a large petal image, spritzed it with water, then stamped it randomly over the background.  I blotted the images with a paper towel, creating a faux bleaching effect.  I then took the same image and over-stamped the bleached images with Broken China ink, slightly off setting the inked images.  I took the same border image and stamped it around the edges of the card in Blue Lagoon Versafine ink, then heat embossed it with the green embossing powder.  I then stamped a delicate grass image in Red Berries ink, repeating the image several times using first and second generation ink, at the top and bottom of the panel.  Next I over-stamped the images with the same stamp but this time using Buttercup H2O paint, I also used the paint as highlights on the embossed border around the panel.  I finished the panel by blending Festive Berries ink around the very edges. The main focal panel is a beautiful Peacock which I stamped on to acetate using Blue Lagoon ink, then heat embossed it in Midnight Teal Obsidian powder.  I then turned the acetate over and added  the glitters on the reverse side: turquoise and midnight to the body of the Peacock, sunflower to the ends of the tail feathers, to mirror the border around the background panel.  I then cut around the peacock image, and added a small  piece of white card to the back of the Peacock's body to let the glitter show through in it's true colours.  I then matted and layered the background panel on to red card and then on to the base card.  I attached the Peacock to the panel using dimensional glue,  I am really pleased with the result, I would never have put these colours together normally but I won't be afraid to try something different and unusual in the future! 

Baby Blessings

  

Recently I have had several baby cards to make, two for a new baby, one for a first birthday.  I thought it was the perfect excuse to play with some stamps that have been sitting in a drawer since I got them waiting for the appropriate occasion!  And then three such occasions came along at once, a bit like buses but much, much nicer!  I have used 'BeBunny Baby' stamps from Crafter's Companion, an Embossalicious embossing folder and Nestability dies as well as a few other bits and pieces to create this card.   The base card is a white, linen effect card, which has Sky Blue Brilliance ink (BI) blended around the edges.  Using the same ink I stamped a couple of small sentiments in each corner.  I took a piece of baby blue pearlescent card and embossed it in the folder through a machine, creating a pattern of clouds.  I did the same with a piece of Snow White centura pearl card.   Then I used the dies to cut different sized panels out of the embossed cards, and added glitter to the clouds.  I then blended some blue ink around the edges.  I used a piece of printed scrapbook paper, die cut it and glittered the edges.  I matted and layered the two embossed panels on to the base card.  I added a gingham ribbon and a bow to the printed panel then layered it on to the card.  The two main focal points in this design are a rabbit and a tag.   On a piece of white card I stamped the BeBunny rabbit in Sepia ink and heat embossed with clear powder.  Then I inked the word 'Baby' and the little baubles with the same ink and heat embossed them.  I stamped over the word 'baby' with the patterned squares from the set, to add pattern to the letters.  I coloured all the images with Pro-markers, blending the colours to create light and shade, then cut them out.  I added glitter to the baubles and letters, then decoupaged them on to the striped panel with dimensional glue.  I punched the tag out of Centura Pearl card.  I stamped the top and bottom of the tag with the same pattern as on the letters using blue ink and heat embossed with clear powder.  Then I stamped a sentiment in the middle of the tag and embossed it.  I blended some blue ink around the edges of the tag, added some ribbon and buttons, then attached the tag to the card with dimensional glue.  This lovely card can easily be made in other colours to suit a girl or if the sex of the baby is not known.

Clockwork Kingfisher

I designed this card  as a birthday card, but it could be used for any occasion, for male or female, and a varied age range.  I love these stamps, and I love using stencils and dies so this design ticks all the boxes!  It is inspired by Sarah Busby of Inkydoodles, using stamps from the Clockwork Birds set, and the matching stencil.  I have used two other cog stencils.   The cog stamps are from the same set, the cog embellishments I made using Xcut and Spellbinder dies.  I also used a Tattered Lace foliage die.  So to start with I took a white 8"x 8" card  and created a pattern of stencilled cogs using Tea Dye and Old Paper DI's through the cog border stencil.  I then stamped several sizes of cog in Tea Dye ink over the stencilled border.  The background panel is a piece of black card that I have embossed through a machine with a stencil.  I used two colours of gilding wax, Brass and Aquamarine, to highlight the raised pattern.  I then layered the panel on to the base card.  The central focal panel is created from a piece of white card.  I placed the Kingfisher stencil on to it and spritzed three colours of Glimmer Mists; Peacock Green, Ocean Sunlight (Cosmic Shimmer) and Gold (Crafty Notions) through it.  When dry I tinted the white areas slightly with Old Paper ink.  Then I emphasised the edge of the stencil with a brown Pro Marker, and cut around the shape of the stencil.  I rubbed the very edge of the panel with Aquamarine gilding wax.  Next I stamped the Kingfisher, key, and sign on to white card, using Sepia Versafine ink, and heat embossed the images with clear powder.   I coloured them with Pro Markers and cut them out, then added a layer of Glossy Accents.  While they were drying I die cut several different sizes and types of cogs from kraft card.  I coloured the cogs with the two DI's, then rubbed gilding wax over parts of the cogs to give them a metallic look.  I also cut some foliage shapes out of the kraft card using a die and coloured them with the DI's.  I assembled the card by layering the circle stencil panel onto the black panel with dimensional glue.  I attached the clockwork kingfisher to the stencil panel with dimensional glue, placing it over the corresponding shape on the stencil.  The other embellishments were all attached in the same way, I threaded some wired twine through the key before I attached it.  I really enjoyed making this card and playing with all my crafty goodies! 

New Job Old Bean?

I designed this card as a 'Good Luck In Your New Job' card, but it could be used as a retirement card or a good luck in your exams card etc. as well.  I have recently been experimenting with Vintage and Steampunk themes in both my card making and home decor projects.  I've had these stamps by Sheena Douglass for some time so this was the ideal opportunity to try them out!  The base card is a piece of cream Linen textured card with Walnut stain DI blended around the edges.  The background panel is created using pages from an old book which I have painted with H2O's in metallic and sepia tones.  When they were dry I stamped a crackle effect image all over the pages in Sepia ink, and added some ink blot images to give the background an old, vintage, aged look.  I cut a piece of black card to size, then stamped the corners with corner stamps from Sheena's 'Ageing Beautifully' set.  I then cut the book pages to size and matted them on to the black card.  Next I stamped the typewriter, main sentiment and fob watch on to white card using black  Versafine ink and heat embossed with clear powder.   The fob  watch is a stamp by Inkydoodles from a set called 'Hexley Transport'.  I used Tea Dye DI to age the typewriter then I stamped the 'With Love' words in black ink on to the page in the typewriter, they are designed to fit there.  Using a die I cut the sentiment out and embossed it in a machine.  I used the Tea Dye ink to blend around the inside edges through the die.  I added some ink blots to the sentiment panel, and rubbed the very edges of the panel with ink.  I coloured the fob watch with H2O's and cut it out.  The watch hands were stamped, heat embossed and cut out separately, then attached to the face with dimensional glue.  I then covered the watch face with Glossy Accents to give the effect of glass.  I assembled the card by attaching the elements with dimensional glue.

A Summer Engagement

This is a lovely card that I made for a friend's engagement. I really enjoyed making this card, I love the fresh colours and all the techniques used!  I have used stamps and an embossing folder by Sheena Douglass, a stencil by Claritystamps and some dies.  The base card is plain white, on to which I stamped decorative leaves in Mowed Lawn and Scattered Straw Distress Inks (DI's).  Scattered Straw DI is then blended around the edges of the card. The background panel is a piece of white card.  Using the leafy swirl stencil I applied the same DI's through the stencil with a brush, moving the stencil slightly for each colour.  The panel is then embossed in a folder (leaf pattern) through a machine, and Mowed Lawn ink is blended around the edges of the panel.  I then matted the panel on to black card and layered it on to the base card.  The butterfly stamp sets from Sheena have two butterflies which are designed to be stamped one on top of the other, or as separate images.  For my design I decided to stamp and paint one image on to card, and the other as an acetate overlay to create movement.  Using black ink I stamped one image on to some white card, then coloured it with H2O paints to co-ordinate with the inks I used.   I then stamped the other butterfly image with clear ink on to acetate, and heat embossed it with gold embossing powder.  I cut both images out, and shaped them by curling the wings slightly.  The acetate butterfly is then layered on to the painted card butterfly and attached using  dimensional glue along the body.  The next stage is the sentiment panel.  I chose these words as I felt that they are very appropriate for my friends' situation.  On a piece of white card I stencilled leaves as before using the same coloured inks.  Then I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment on to the card, using clear ink and two-tone green embossing powder.  I cut the panel with a deckle edged die and embossed it, then  blended ink around the edges through the die.  Using a slightly bigger die I cut another panel out of black card and matted the sentiment panel on to it.  I then took another piece of white card and sponged the H2O paints all over it to give a mottled background.  Using a Tattered Lace die of a leafy corner I cut two corners out of the coloured card.  Finally I put all the elements of the card together, using dimensional glue for the sentiment panel and butterfly and strong glue for the leafy corners.