Autumn Sunset

This is my second entry to the CB colour challenge http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/.  It is a variation of a previous post 'My First Canvass', but I have used different colours and stamps on this card.  The stamps used are from the CB sets Spinney Tree, Steampunk Butterfly and 'Words of Inspiration'.  The paints used are radiant rains Ginger Peach and Pink Grapefruit, cosmic shimmer Scarlet Mist shimmer mist, and crafty notions Jaffalicious spray.  The inks used are black Versafine and Blacksoot DI.  I started by making the main focal panel using a piece of smooth white card.  Starting in the center of the card I used a sponge to apply the Scarlet Mist, then moving outwards in a circular pattern I applied the Ginger Peach, Jaffalicious, and Pink Grapefruit.  All the colours used have a lot of mica in them so they shimmer on the card, which helps with the effect of a sunset.  When dry I stamped the tree centrally on the card using black Versafine ink then heat embossed with black powder.  The sunset then appears to shine through the tree.  Using a mask I created some hills along the bottom of the panel in black and heat embossed as before.  This 'grounds' the tree instead of leaving it' floating'.  Next I took a sentiment and stamped it randomly all over the panel in second generation black ink.  Then I took a corner image and stamped it in each corner, using clear Versamark ink and heat embossed the images with gold powder.  To finish the panel I blended some Blacksoot ink around the edges.  I took a smaller piece of card, coloured it as before then stamped and embossed the sentiment on to it.  I blended ink around the edges again and matted it on to black card.  The focal panel was matted onto gold mirror card, and layered onto a larger panel of coordinating patterned paper from the Artilicious 'Essence of Nature' CD Rom.  I layered this onto black card and attached the sentiment panel and some leaves with dimensional glue.  The leaves were punched out of the same patterned paper and glazed with glossy accents.  I love Autumn and all the rich colours, they feature a lot in my artwork!  This is a lovely design for male or female  Autumn birthdays, retirement etc.            

Gothic Floral Tag

This is another entry for the CB challenge blog http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/, using their chosen colour swatch as usual.  The stamps I have used are from 'Steampunk Butterfly', 'Mini Scripts', 'Spinney Tree', and 'Words of Inspiration' sets.  The inks used are Versamark, brilliance inks Pearl Poppy and Pearl Rust.  Paints used are radiant rains Ginger Peach and Pink Grapefruit, and acrylic paints.   I have also used Razzleberry embossing powder.  I was inspired to make this tag by the designs from Lesley and Judith on the CBDT.  Using white card I cut it into a large tag shape.  Then I mixed some acrylic paints, rose madder and titanium white and painted the whole tag.  When the paint was dry I applied the  radiant rains with a sponge over the lower two thirds of the tag, then around the top edges.  Next I took some of the mixed paint and applied it through a stencil in a few places to add texture.  When that was dry I stamped a large pattern image around the top edges of the tag in the Pearl Poppy brilliance ink.  I used Pearl Rust ink to stamp keys randomly all over the tag.  I used second generation  poppy ink to randomly stamp script over the tag.  I blended the ink around the edges of the whole tag.  Then I stamped several steampunk roses on to white card in Versamark ink and heat embossed the images with Razzleberry powder.   I painted the images with the radiant rains and cut them out.  I stamped a butterfly, embossed, painted and cut it out in the same way.  I attached the flowers and butterfly to the tag with dimensional glue, and added some coordinating fibres.  I wouldn't normally put these colours together but I love the result!  And that's the point of the challenge, to make you try something different and have lots of fun!

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!