Cards & a Layout

The first card is for my friend, Katie.

She left yesterday & begins a new job on Monday.

We have been friends for 6 years

& I needed a suitable card to wish her luck.

I used a mix of Indigoblu & Lavinia Stamps

along with Crafty Secrets Birds.

I added crackle medium to the wings

and the card warped a little!!

 

 

This next card is also for a work colleague.

It is Lorraine's birthday tomorrow

I know she is busy this weekend so won't see this.

I used a Heidi Swapp Damask stamp

& used a "previously loved" stamp.

I just had to use my new Hero arts

Shadow inks in green hills & Raspberry Jam

Finally, I have another layout

for my third 8x8 mini album.

I used homemade spray inks for the subtle

background colour & my memory box die

I then used the die to cut some 7dots studio Messy Head

paper to fill in some of the circles.

I added mini butterflies.



I used weathered wood distress ink

to colour the Typset alphas (die cut)

I stamped the floral design

(Elusive Images)

My journaling is really simple,

just 3 words

feel, you, here

They are on the butterflies on the right.

Finally I covered the photo & added paint splatters.



Desk Tidy & Art Journal

 

This first piece of art is something

that has been sat for over 6 months half done!

You know what it is like!!!

Well I'm proud to have completed it at last.

Somewhere to put the pens!!

Constructed using Kraft  Tall card blanks.

Crown die cut border using Silhouette Cameo

Stamp - Kaisercraft

 

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This next piece is my 9th art Journal page!!

Quite impressed, although I did originally set

out to make 1 page a week (insert blush)

Think I under estimated how long

these can take to create.

 



 

It is based on one of my favourite quotes

by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

The page idea came to me after a chat

with a colleague who is pregnant.

I imagined these are all the things

she wishes for her unborn son.

 

I even wrote it with my own handwriting!

Though I have to admit I hate my writing

& did it in pencil first on faint drawn lines!!

Stamps are LOTV

Stamp Bug & CI

Indigoblu &Autumn Leaves

Word strips - TH Chit Chat

title - die cut from two

alphas Moxie & Alice

Background built up of layers

paint, ink, gesso.

Stencilling & stamping.



Mini Journal Entry

 

For my third spread, I used this Paperbag Studios

stamp which I recently bought.

It was a "previously loved" purchase

(or second hand to some)

I added gesso to the pages & then

stamp the images onto each side.

I then stamped them again in Versamark

black ink so I could cut out the two gentlemen.

I added brown distress inks to the newscript background

in 3 shades to add an aged look.

Then I stamped the mini harlequin on either side.

I also added a few swirly bits along the edging.

Finally I stuck my men over the top of the

original images & added the Xcut - cogs

die cut from black card with a spinner.

 

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I wanted to play with ink & paper

but had no clear idea in my mind other

than I had two cards to make.

In the end, this was not used for either!

This is just a "sparesy" hanging around

until needed. 

I wanted lots of layers.



 

I made the postcard from a scrap of watercolour paper

& a Papermania stamp along with sequin waste & my

newest Shadow Inks by Hero Arts;

Raspberry Jam and Green Hills...

Yummy! Are they just the most edible colours.

I used other Papermania stamps,

Madame Payraud paper, swirl die cuts

& the stamp is another "Previously loved"

purchase I made.

I also used a Hero Arts definition stamp.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

and finally...

some of you may wonder where I have been craft wise.

Ive made a commissioned wedding card,

which I can not share with you until 21st June.

A leaving/new job card which I can not share until

next Friday and a birthday card I can not share

with you until next Sunday!! 

I have an 8x8 scrap layout almost complete.

I have an art journal page which is half done

& a few projects in the pipe line..



Vintage Journey - Fond Memories

The theme at A Vintage Journey is Fond Memories.

I tried to think of just one but had far too many.

So, I decided to make a photo frame.

This way I can change the memory!!

It took a week to make and dry!

The piece is made from some grey board off the back of a pad.

Covered in Tim Holtz French Industry paper.

Stamps are Tim's new Bird Feather.

Trellis - Tim's Frameworks die

Frame made from corrugated cardboard

Book Label - Fond Memories

Tim's tag & labels die with Anita's gloss

Leaves - PoppyStamp dies.

 

It wasn't very easy to photograph

so I took a couple of shots.

The side view shot shows the dimension

of the leaves around the nest

I chose to stamp in the picture

area so that it remains a

decorative piece even

when empty.

This view is of the frame including a photo

a very favourite memory

La Marchaderie, Limousin

France 2011

A place I went twice with my sister, Tracy.

She has this photo framed & on her bedroom windowsill

I feel I may need to make a matching

frame with a Landscape frame opening!

-----------------------

 

Finally, I have my Art Journal page to share.

It was supposed to be ready last week,

however an incident with a jar of water

meant a few days further pressed under a book!!!

It didn't quite translate to paper as well

as the image in my head. I wanted the page to

be fairly plain with an explosion of colour

but it looked wrong that way.

The main image is Juliet - Indigoblu stamp

but, I have masked the image

to make the hair fuller.

I have punched mini butterflies to glue

in the hair as it accentuated the ones in the stamping.

I also used my new Memory Box Delphiniums stencil

to add height & interest to the wild garden below her.

The colours were all re-inker sprays.

 

 

Claire's Birthday & Mini Art Journal

Happy Birthday, Claire!

I don't see her everyday now, but

I know  from messages that

she is having a great birthday weekend.

 The design I chose was using one of my

favourite techniques of white embossing

then highlighting with colour.

Stamps used are; Art Journey

Kaisercraft & the background stamp is unknown

as it was purchased second hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Below is my second mini journal entry.

Even though these pages are only

3ins square there is plenty of scope.

 

Stamps used;

Kaisecraft, Paperbag Studios

& Bo Bunny.

Although it is not clear, the word

SPARKLE was stamped with

Picked Raspberry & clear embossed.

As was the chicken wire.



Art For Hermine & a Mini AJ

I was recently asked by the very talented

Hermine Koster, to make a piece of

art for her project. I was sent an Art card

& then spent about two weeks trying to decide

on my theme!! France was my choice.

Here is the completed card below.

Stamps - Elusive Images

Background - Emboss resist stamp - Tim Holtz.

 

This is the card I made to accompany the little art card.

Stamps by Art Journey.
Clouds and grass are stamped using
embossing folders. Colour added for flowers
using distress markers & watercolour brush.

I also sent to her the matchbook that I recently made

as it went well with my final design.

 



 

I also sent her a blank miniature Art Journal.

Below is mine.

I am showcasing the front cover, the first spread

and the back cover today.

 

Inks used Hero Arts Shadow Inks.

Archival Black Ink.

 



Stencils are TCW and Donna Downey.

Stamps - Stampers Anonymous

Kaisercraft & Paperbag Studios.

 



This little Art Journal measures 3" square.

I made it from a piece of 140lb watercolour paper

and I created a Maze Book.

To create the two covers I copied the idea from

Tim Holtz Valentine Book 
instead of making card covers, I folded them
over to make sturdier covers. I did not bind the book with tape
I left it free flowing until it is completed.
I did seal all the pages together on my version.
I have left them open on Hermine's,
so she can make pockets if she wishes too.
Being so tiny, there are only 6 double spreads but as my
name suggests, I love minis!!!

Caught up with my Art Journal

I have been very creative behind

the scenes making things for others

and taking care of a few commission pieces.

Today I got chance to finish page 6

of my Art Journal and make page 7 too!

 

 I had made a mistake on the word MOON

but with some bold drawing around the word,

it is hard to see now where I went wrong.

The background is made spraying home made

distress inks in peacock feathers and pumice stone.

 

This page came together really easily once

I decided on my theme. In fact

the only problem I had with

this one was knowing when to stop!

The colours do not look as good in photo

form as they do in real life.

The camera makes them much lighter.

I had planned to offer this piece for the

latest Vintage Journey challenge,

Spring Flowers but I do not think it floral enough.

The background on this one is stamped white tissue

coloured with distress ink sprays. I made it in the week

following reading an old CS article by

Rachel Jackson & seeing France Papillon

use it on her latest AJ layout.



Quick Cards

No Art Journal page to share again, this weekend.

It still isn't quite right. I made an error (smudged my colouring!)

and to fix it is a slightly lengthy process.

If I could get away with leaving it I would.

I have also been extremely busy trying to

finish up some commission work so that I

can crack on and create for me & others.

 

Once I'd finished one of the commission cards,

(It will not be blogged as the person it is for reads &

it wouldn't be fair on the person who requested it!!)

I had all the inks, stamps & embossing gear out so,

I made a quick couple of cards just to have

on hand.

 

Les Papillons

 

 

Life 

 

It is always good to have a few

cards  in reserve!

Stamps; Kaisercraft, Next

Cavallini, T Holtz

Butterfly - 2 Cavallini stickers fussy cut.

White embossing detailed powder

Distress inks; worn lipstick,

bundled sage, victorian velvet,

squeezed lemonade.

The first card has gesso on the surface surface before embossing

the stamp and inking it up.

Ironed off the powder and added further stamping.

Second card was a piece of left over from the

commission using wrinkle free technique.

 

 

Vintage Journey - A Little bit French

The third challenge on The Vintage Challenge blog

is "A Little bit French"

I had to think long and hard about this one,

not because it was hard, but because I had

too many choices!!

 

I finally decided on a matchbook in browns and pinks.

Here is the front.

This is the back.

 

 This is the front of the glassine bags

 

and this is the back of them.

I made six of these mini cards to insert

into each bag and they have images on the front

and quotes on the reverse. 



 

This is the whole piece put together.

If I could have done this differently,

I would have used sturdier cardstock.

The whole thing took me about 8 hours,

with drying time at about half hour.

Materials;

Glassine bags (internet purchase)

White cardstock

Distress stains - gathered twigs/ Victorian velvet

picked raspberry

Perfect Pearls - Cappuccino/ perfect gold

Staz-on Timber Brown ink

Archival black

Hero Arts Shadow Inks in

soft sand/wet cement
CW - Harlequin Stencil

Stamp sets;

Tim Holtz/Elusive Images

Kaisercraft Quotes

Wooden Paris stamp
B Line Designs Paris duo
Typographie - unknown
 

I coloured the main body of the matchbook with

gathered twigs distress ink & then once

dry sprayed with gathered twigs

re-inker & the perfect pearls.

Mini cards were sprayed with V/Velvet

& then a quick spritz of P/Raspberry

added to the back of each.

They were lightly over-stamped with text
and V/Velvet was sponged through a
Crafters Workshop Harlequin Stencil,
prior to having the images & quotes added.

 

Hope you like it as much as I do. The shimmer is gorgeous!

Edited to add I have also entered this in the
Kraft Journal Paris or France Challenge.

Do Seagulls like Lettuce?

Hi guys! No Art Journal page to share

this weekend. It just isn't quite finished!

 

But I do have the first scrap layout of the year.

In fact, the first layout since October 2013!

The title of my blog post says it all.

While staying with my sister last July, we went to Holy Island.

It was the most beautiful hot day. Not a cloud in the sky,

the sea was a dazzling blue & the birds sang their hearts out.

We sat down for a drink in this pub garden & watched the birds flocking to the tables.

It was really comical. I would never imagine a Seagull

liking lettuce!! Oh well, I guess what ever was on offer suited them.

 

I wanted this layout to be loose & scribbly,

hence all the black lines around the triangles.

I also wanted it bright because it was such a gorgeous day.

I stamped the background first with

Tim Holtz paint & Kaisercraft stamp.

Papers are Finnley - Glitz Design

The word Lettuce was die cut using

Tim Holtz Chipblock die & funky foam.

The other letters are from the Finnley pack.

Vintage Journey Challenge & and Art Journal Page

My first piece of art is for challenge 2

A Vintage Journey - Say it with Words

I made my background spraying various homemade sprays

mixing distress re-inker with water.

Colours used; Broken China, Peacock Feathers,

Salty Ocean, Dusty Concord.

Edges blended with Chipped Sapphire & Archival Black ink.

Corner bird stamped - Prima-  embossed black.

Tim Holtz phrase - embossed white.

Die cut clock &bookplate.

Stamped Tattered Sparrow.

Other stamps Tim Holtz background stamps.

Spring (Birds)

 This second piece of art is my 5th Art Journal Page.

This was started over a week ago.

As I visited my sister last weekend,

today was the first chance to complete the piece.

Stencilling, dry wall tape, die cut birds

& swirls. Stamped birds nest & floral sprigs

die cut words & TH Chit Chat sticker

all make up this page.

Now it is complete, I wish I had done it

quite differently! Typical that!!

Oh well, the technique in mind can wait

for the next page.

Painted Tea Cup & Cabbage Rose Flower

It's my birthday today & so I have had

the luxury of a craft day at home!

I had been away to my sister for a long weekend

& didn't see the point in returning to work just yet!!

 

A while ago I bought a china white cup & saucer

& made a start painting it.

I used Artiste Pearl Acrylic paints & pearl medium to

create this gorgeous blue/green shade.

 

 

My next issue was, what to put in it!

So, it sat on the shelf empty for a month or ten!!!

Then, a couple of days ago, while watching a friends You Tube Channel,

I came upon this cabbage rose tutorial by this very

crafty lady, Lee (crafty loops)

Sadly my rose is not as gorgeous as Lee's but it is my first attempt!



Art Journal - Time

This was meant to be page one!

However I just wasn't happy with it,

re-created it and now it has ended up page 4.

In my first version, I coloured the faces of each clock & they just lost all definition

& meaning because of course they are the important elements.

Also the Da Vinci style wings (free cover stamp CS)

turned out far better in this version.

Finally, the original version was wild honey,

I much prefer this purple/blue colour!!!

 

 

My background was created by making up my own distress ink mists.

I used re-inkers - Chipped Sapphire & Dusty Concord (with perfect pearls)

You won't be able to see the pearls,

but I added a bit of interference blue to the purple mix.

Clock faces are white gesso & then stamped

with my Heidi Swapp clear stamp set.

Lady Time as I like to call her is PaperArtsy.

I used Tim Holtz weathered clock

plus some free cover stamps from CS

journal strips computer generated.

 

Thanks for looking hope you like it!

Happy Birthday, Dad & Vintage Journey Challenge!

Today is my Dad's birthday & I made the card below.

Typically I was quite poorly last weekend and it was a struggle to complete

& photograph. so the image is poor :(

 

This next card is for A Vintage Journey Challenge

Anything Tim!

This is a brand new challenge blog which has some very

 talented people on the DT. Go check it out!

 

To be honest, they are both totally Tim Holtz but I guess my

Dad's birthday card does not really fit with the

Vintage/Shabby theme.

 



 

I got to play here with some of my favourite techniques!

Wrinkle free distress, lemon juice distress

(to add nice aged spots to my design)

except these came out a gorgeous caramel colour.

And, I also used the Perfect Distress technique.

The writing isn't too clear  under the fragment but it says

Its the little Things that makes life big.

A TH stamped quote.

 

Thank you for looking :0)



Art Journal Page 3

Technically this is page 1. I started a page about TIME

the first week in January. However, I hated it.

I went on to make France & Butterfly House,

but kept adding to page 1 here & there.

It just didn't work, I covered it with this page instead.

 

Materials Used;

Golden Gel Medium, Gesso.

Reeves Soft Pastels.

Adirondack Die Ink Pads.

Prima Floral Stencil, TCW Mini Ledger Stencil

Stamps; Cats Life Press - Happiness Definition

& Stampotique Jo Capper - Sandon Bees

Faber Castell Big Brush Pitt Pens

Orange paint

Archival black Ink

Distress Stickles Clear Rock Candy (bee wings)

The background is made using "hand made tissue"

to do this I took white tissue paper (Crafty Individuals)

& I over-stamped with French Script & CI script stamps

it was then attached to my page with gel medium.

 

 

Finally, many people know I have a thing about clocks & books.

Few people know I also have a thing about mugs!

Yesterday while out shopping

I purchased this fabulous baby!!!!

(for just 99p I should add)

 



Second Art Journal Page - France

I am very pleased how this turned out :)

I started the page by cutting up a whole 12" sheet of paper and then sticking it to my page randomly.

The paper I used was Madame Payraud from Papermaina

 I used a sheet made up of advertisements and had the image of the Eiffel Tower.

 I put them the right way up but thought they looked better

moved around as opposed to laid down as a whole sheet.

I then applied torn pieces of the Madame Payraud Tissue over several sections to soften the imagery.

I got the idea for the frame from this Art Journal Page by Shari Caroll

The main image was printed onto a piece of canvas. I bought it some time ago from a website.

I covered the frame with the tissue paper as well and coloured it with ink - Frayed Burlap.

I added gesso circles for some interest and glued the word PARIS cut from the paper.

I then took an Inkylicious stamp to add random swirl imagery around the page.

Once dry, I covered the whole page with regular golden gel medium to seal.

The word FRANCE is die cut using Tim Holtz Chipblock Alphabet from

a piece of card covered with metal tape, coloured with Oregano & Espresso Alcohol inks.

To add a little more interest I added a die cut door hinge inked and embossed.

Shading was applied with a Pitt Pen - Big Brush in Raw Umber

and some colour to warm up the greys & browns with Purple Violet.

I