Deep In The Forest

Good morning, I hope you all had a lovely weekend.

I'd like to share a journal page with you today, I haven't done much journaling and am always amazed at all the wonderful pages that people do.

I've made my pages for the Art Journal Journey challenge, the theme is Deep In The Forest.

I started of by covering the pages with gesso and stamped some leaves with archival ink. Earlier in the day I collected some fallen leaves and Sycamore seeds and using lots of glue adhered them to the pages then I covered the leaves with tissue paper.

This photo shows the background and the leaves covered with tissue paper              

I painted the pages with lot of different green inks and some orange and red on the leaves, the leaves were given a final coat of gold Acrylic Artists Ink.
I stamped lots of animals onto tissue paper and coloured them on the back with acrylic paint and adhered them to the pages, the badger had two coats of white but some of the green ink came still came through.

I was pleased with how the leaved turned out.

Here is a list of the stamps and inks that I used.

Adirondack Colour Wash Sprays.

Dylusion Ink Sprays.

Distress Stain.

Acrylic Artists Ink.

Elusive Images/Chocolate Baroque - tree stamp.

Inkadinkado  - small leaves.

Large leaves unknown.

Hobby Art - badger, hedgehog, fox, deer and squirrel.

TJ Designs - nest.

Paperplay Tag

Good morning everybody, it's a lovely and sunny here at the moment, hope it's the same where you are.

I'd like to share with you one of the tags that I made for the June Paperplay tag swap, the theme is Tag On A Tag.

I coloured the tag with Portfolio Pastels and then used a mask and baby wipe to take of some of the pastel. I stamped the buildings and some script and adhered some narrow tissue tape to the bottom of the tag.
I coloured the small tag with Distress ink and stamped the image, then I adhered it to the large tag and added some seam binding that I'd dyed with distress stain and a wooden bird that I'd coloured black.

All the stamps are PaperArtsy.

Roses And Romance

It's time for another Craft-Room Challenge and this time it's Debi's turn to choose the theme and she has chosen Roses and Romance.

Our Sponsor is Crafty Individuals.

This is my DT card that I've made for the challenge.

I found some white velum in my stash, it had pale green music printed on it, I covered a white card blank with it and then I added some lace and seam binding that I'd coloured with bundled sage distress stain.
I used a Sizzix die to cut out the trellis.
The rose [La Blanche] was stamped onto some watercolour paper and coloured it with watercolour pencils.
I covered a Tando frame with some aged gold Frantage embossing powder and put a Gecko Galz image in it. I tied some seam binding to the frame and added some tiny roses and the sentiment.

Thank you everyone that entered the Dance challenge, we had some lovely entries and I now have to go and choose my top three , not an easy task.

Twelve Tags of 2014 - February

Before I show you my take on Tims February Tag I'd like to thank you all for the congratulations that you sent me on being one of January's winners, I was thrilled to bits when I saw my name on the list - and still am.

Again I didn't have all the bits that Tim used.

I used wild honey and victorian velvet Distress stain for the background and sponged worn lipstick and fired brick Distress ink through the rays mask before embossing it with clear powder. I edged the tag with victorian velvet but wished I'd used a darker colour.

I used red card to die cut umbrella man and gave him two thick layers of fired brick Distress Stickles.

I have no white chalk so for the sentiment I scribbled my picket fence Distress Marker onto the stamp [Stampers Anonymous] and quickly stamped it onto black card, then I matted it onto white card.

I used gold miri card and the Sizzlits vintage lace die for the border at the bottom.

I added a cog, arrow and some sari ribbon.

Craft-Room Challenge - ATCs

Another fortnight has flown by and it's time for another Craft-Room Challenge. It's Maria's turn to choose the challenge and she would like you all to make an ATC or a group of ATCs.

Our sponsor for the challenge is Tando Creative.

One lucky person drawn at random will get a wonderful package from Tando.

These are the ATCs that I've made for a recent ATC swap, the theme is Houses.

For the background I used distress stains, a Finnabair mask and Fresco Finish paint and some Frantage chunky white embossing enamel. I used an Invoke Arts stamp for the house and I stamped it onto some card that I coloured ages ago.

I used Dylusions and Distress ink for the background and added some Frantage shabby white embossing enamel. I stamped the PaperArtsy house onto white card and coloured it with Smirk glitter pens, I cut it out and adhered it to the ATC and added some gems.

For this ATC I stamped the Panduro/Tilda stamp onto some white card and coloured it with watercolour pencils, then I adhered it to the red ATC

The rest of the Design Team have made some lovely samples and they would love you to visit the Craft-Room to take a look.

Alpha Challenge - A

The letter A is the latest letter in the Craft Barns Alpha Challenge.
The word I have chosen is ARTIST.

I used DecoArt Americana paint for the background with some Distress stain blotches. I used a PaperArtsy stamp for the script. I used a Flonzcraft stamp for the artist - he was stamped onto white card and coloured with Promarkers, cut out and adhered to the page. The flower image is a Gecko Galz image from the Monet collage sheet. I used a Sizzix/Alterations die for the word artist and the letter A, they were cut from some card that had been coloured with Alcohol inks.

Here is a close up of the dictionary page.

From Me To You

Here is my very late posting for my DT project for the  Craft-Room Challenge.

Zoe has chosen the theme and she would like you all the make a gift for someone - the gift I have made is for a young person.

I decided to alter a frame.
I have quite a lot of die cut flowers left over from kits that I bought from QVC years and years ago, so I adhered some to the frame before I painted it. The frame was painted with acrylic paint. When the paint dried I add the gems.
I used a WendyVecchi stamp. I coloured the background with distress ink and splattered with water, when this was dry I stamped the script.
I coloured some card with different coloured Dylusions spray and stamped the flower a few times, then I cut out parts of the flower and pieced them together on the background. I added gems to the leaf.
I also made a card to go with it.

I used a Distress stain on the background and added the flower.

The rest of the DT have made some amazing pieces so why not visit the Craft-Room Challenge blog to take a look.

We had some fabulous entries in our Something For A Man challenge and I don't envy Julia having to choose her top three.

Alpha Challenge - Letter H

The letter H is the latest letter in the Craft Barns Alpha Challenge. 
Horse is the word that I've chosen.

I painted the page with watered down Fresco Finish paint and then I stamped the images. I painted the horses with watered down vintage photo Distress Stain. I stamped leaves around the page and coloured with peeled paint Distress stain. I wrote the word with a black Promarker and put white dots on the page with a whit Posca pen.
The horse stamps that I used are by Katzelkraft, I don't know the make of the middle horse or the leaves.

Something For A Man

Something For A Man is the theme that Julia has chosen for the latest Craft-Room Challenge.

Flonzcraft are our sponsors for the challenge. They are based in New Zealand and make wonderful stamps

Last year I went to an Andy Skinner workshop where we altered a book box so for the challenge I decided to alter a wooden calendar to go with it.

 I painted the calendar with gesso then adhered some chipboard cogs. I then painted it black and when it was dry brushed it with some DecoArt metalic paint, I also added some gold Rub and Buff. I added a couple of metal cogs and a game spinner.
I coloured the month and date blocks with Distress stain but I don't like them so I'm going to change them - I'll probably give them the same finish as the base.

The rest of the DT have made some fabulous samples so why not visit the Craft-Room to take a look.

12 Tags of 2013 - February

I was so excited when I found out that I was one of the January tag winners and still being flushed with success I thought it was time to make my February tag.
I decided to keep my tag as close to the tag that Tim made using the things that I had in my stash.
You can find Tim's February tag here.
Here is my take on the tag.

Here is a list of the things that I used.
Ripe persimmon, fired brick Distress stain.
Black soot Distress ink.
Black Archival Ink.
Watercolour pencils
Kraft core card.
QuickCutz letter and numbers die.
Art Impressions and 7Gypsies stamps.
Orange Sakura Jelly Roll pen.
Sticker from my stash.

The image was coloured with the watercolour pencils and some water.
I die cut the letters and adhered them to the Kraft core card before sanding them.
The Sakura pen was used to draw and colour the hearts at the top of the tag.

Happy Birthday Card

Here is a card that I've made for Gecko Galz  using their wonderful February products.

 

Gecko Galz image from the Birds Of A Feather Collage Sheets.

Background Paper from the Gecko Galz Pocket Full Of Posie Paper Set.

White Square Card Blank.

White Card.

Victorian Velvet Distress Stain.

Aged Mahogany Distress Ink.

Embossing Folder - I used a Cuttlebug Folder.

Chipboard Bird.

Acrylic Paint.

Lace.

Seam Binding.

Sentiment.

 

Cut the background paper, image and white card to size and edge with the aged mahogany distress ink. Matt the image onto the white card.

Colour another piece of white card with the victorian velvet distress stain and emboss it.

Die the seam binding with the aged mahogany distress ink.

Colour the edge of the card blank with the victorian distress stain.

Layer all the elements together with the lace and adhere to the card blank.

Paint the chipboard bird to try and match the birds in the image then adhere it to the card.

Alpha Challenge - Letter V

I've decided to join in with the Craft Barns Alpha Challenge. The first letter is V. I've got an old dictionary and have decided to tear the pages out and stick them in a journal. The word that I've chosen is VEHICLE.

I've ringed my word but it doesn't show up very well. 

I've used Distress stain, Fresco paint and DecoArt paint on the pages.

I also used Crafters Workshop and Creative Expressions masks.

The stamps that I used are Katzelkraft, 7Gypsies and Stamp Bug.
I stamped the images onto tissue paper before adhering them to the pages. I added a few dots with a white pen.

I'm also going to enter my pages in the
Fashionable Stamping Challenge  Trains, Planes and Automobiles.

Craft-Room Challenge - Make A Tag

Another fortnight has gone by so it's time for another Craft-Room Challenge. It's my turn to choose the challenge and I'd like you all to Make A Tag. Your tag can be any shape and you can decorate it with whatever takes your fancy.

This is our last challenge this year as we are taking a break over Christmas so you have four weeks to create and enter your tag.

The sponsors for our challenge is Flonzcraft a stamp company based in New Zealand.

The rest of the DT have made some wonderful tags so why not visit the Craft-Room to take a look.

 

I used bundled sage and fired brick Distress stain to colour my tag, then I adhered some white hand made paper and lace. I used a Spellbinders holly motif die and coloured it with Distress ink. The stamp I used is a Flonzcraft stamp - I coloured the image with watercolour pencils. I added a Sizzix Stacked Word sentiment that I'd coloured with distress ink. I also used some Stickles but it doesn't show up on the photo. I added some gems and ribbon.

We had some wonderful entries in our Ooh La La challenge, thank you everyone that took part.

A Birthday Card

I'd like to share with you the birthday card that I made for my torturer [personal trainer]. I always make him a handmade card but last year I didn't have time to make one so I gave him a bought one and did he moan about it and make me suffer, so this year I thought I'd better make him one.

I swiped wild honey, faded jeans and vintage photo Distress Stain across a white card blank and then splatted the same colours onto a piece of white card, I matted this and the image onto black card. For the image I used a stamp from Flonz Craft. I embellished it with some spotty ribbon and a peel off sentiment.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges.
Tanda Teaser 202 All things manly.
Paper Pretties Masculine.

A Taste Of The Orient

Time for another Craft-Room Challenge. This fortnights challenge has been chosen by Zoe and she wants us to go Oriental.

The fabulous Tanda Stamps are our sponsors for the challenge.

I adhered a piece of Craft House paper to a white card blank. I stamped the image with black Archival on to white card and coloured it in with coloured pencils. I tore the end of the card and wrapped metallic thread round it, I then adhered this to a piece of black card. For the strip down the side I wrapped some of the metallic thread round some black card and matted it onto some white card. I embellished the card with some little silver fans, black gems and a chipboard bird that I'd coloured with brushed pewter Distress Stain.
The image is stamped with a Tanda stamp and the greeting is stamped with a Sleek Design stamp.
Take a visit to the Craft-Room blog to see the fabulous designs that the rest of the DT have done.

Life's a Beach

I made this ATC for the KCUK September swap.

I coloured the ATC with broken china, faded jeans and rusty hinge Distress stain, then I stamped the image. I adhered some Flower Soft sand across the bottom and added some shells. I adhered some string to the top, then I stamped the sentiment, cut it out and adhered to the string.
The stamps that I used are Crafty Individuals.

I'm entering my ATC in the The Crafty Bloggers Network Anything Goes challenge.

UK Stampers ATC Swap

The UK Stampers September ATC swap was to use stamps that we haven't used before, I don't know about you guys but I have rather a lot to choose from but I managed to sort out three and the results are below.

I sprayed the background with Glimmer Mist and stamped some swirls with an Ecogreen stamp then I adhered a piece of patterned hand made paper to it. I stamped the PaperArtsy stamp onto white card and edged it with worn lipstick Distress ink, I also used it round the edge of the ATC. The eye and cheek were coloured with coloured pencil. I embellished the ATC with a sun charm.

The PaperArtsy stamp was stamped onto white card using Black Archival ink. I used blue card for the ATC and embossed the edges with shabby pink Frantage embossing enamel. I adhered the image and words and added a silver charm.

I coloured the ATC with Distress Stain and stamped the PaperArtsy stamp with black Archival ink. I'd stamped the image twice and cut the butterfly out of the 2 image and covered it with stickles, when it was dry I adhered it to the ATC with some black gems. The image was matted onto black card.

A Splash Of Colour

My first scheduled post while I'm in Ireland is some ATCs that I've made for the Paperplay August ATC swap. The theme is a splash of colour.

For the background I splatted some wild honey and worn lipstick Distress stain onto some white card and coloured the edges with vintage photo Distress ink then I stamped the PaperArtsy image. I stamped and cut out the PaperArtsy cotton reel and wrapped some coloured thread round them and I added some buttons.

How Does Your Garden Grow

One of my DT pieces for Gecko Galz this month is a wall hanging.
The Gecko Galz products that I used are
Images and butterflies are from the How Does My Garden Grow collage sheet.
Beauty background paper.

I painted a canvas with acrylic paint then stencilled spots using a Crafters Workshop stencil, then I stamped some ferns [ stamp unknown] with olive Archival ink. I tore a piece of background paper and adhered it to the canvas then I coloured some white lace flowers with worn lipstick Distress stain and adhered it to the canvas. I distressed the edges of the images and edged them with vintage photo Distress ink. I used a Sizix flower pot die and coloured the flowerpots with watercolour. I used a Sizix Tattered Pinecone die for the roses and leaves. The butterflies were cut out and covered with frosted lace Stickles. I adhered all the elements to the canvas and added some flowers from stash and some black gems.The sentiment was stamped onto a piece of corrugated card with a stamp from the Studio 490/Wendy Vecchi Sentimental Art stamp set. I then adhered the canvas to a large piece of corrugated card.

Mondays Child.

This is an 8"x8" layout that I've made using the Gecko Galz July products.

The Gecko Galz products that I used are an image from the Mondays Child collage sheet, Mermaid Lagoon background paper and  the banners from the B is for banners sheet.
I adhered the background paper to a piece of 8"x 8" yellow card. Using my Cricut Expression and the Ornamental Iron cartridge I cut a fancy frame with white card and I coloured it with squeezed lemonade Distress ink then adhered it to the layout. The lovely image was matted onto some turquoise card. I added lace flowers and ribbon. For the turquoise ribbon I machine stitched down the middle of some seem binding then I pulled on the thread to gather it, I then coloured the gathered ribbon with peacock feathers distress stain. I stuck black letters onto the banners and then attached them to some cord.