Alpha/Dictionary Challenge 2016 : I

I is for Imago.
Definition : Final and perfect stage of insect e.g. butterfly.

This is my entry for the Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge letter I.

Stamps used:
Kaisercraft : Butterflies
Hobby Art : Ann's Collection - Just for You

Just a quick post this time as I am running late and wanted to catch the deadline. The next letter in the series has already been posted on the Craft Barn blog and I really want to complete this project. My goodness, where does all the time go!

Firelight

When I saw that this week's Craft Barn challenge was "Light" it was the perfect prompt to get out a kit I purchased at the Craft Barn over a year ago and get it made. It is a Tando Creative kit designed by Karen Gist called Christmas Fireplace. So, my interpretation of light is firelight.

Can you see the tea light flickering in the grate? Obviously it is not a real tea light it is a battery operated one, this piece is made of chipboard and we don't want disasters in the home do we.

I used a Fresco finish and Decoart mixed media paints to paint all the chipboard pieces. I added some doodling with a white pen on the baubles and stockings and glitter of course. There is a bit of distress ink on the bunting over the fireplace as well, I stencilled the stars. For the wood effect on the fireplace I used coffee archival ink and a Kaisercraft woodgrain stamp.

Here's another photo taken outside.

Now you can see the glossy accents on the "Christmas" word and the berries. My favourite bit of this project is the tiling. These pieces were painted with Decoart Cadmium Red mixed media paint with some gold interference paint added on top and finished off with a bit of treasure gold.

A close up of the tiles:

See the little tea light inside, I picked up a pack of three for £1 from the Pound Shop.

I had great fun with this project and am proud of myself for finally getting it made.

Christmas Red, Green and White

Last weekend I visited the Craft Barn for their monthly demo day and saw a really different set of Christmas cards that I just had to try out. The technique is pretty easy and very satisfying to do.

Take one piece of white card and cover it in distress inks. I chose picked raspberry and evergreen bough as they are Christmas colours. Where they overlap and blend it makes a nice purple shade. Spritz the background with water.
Then layer white paint on top through various sized circle stencils, layering them up and overlapping the circles until you achieve the look you want. I made my stencils using punches and a scrap of Kraft card. I also substituted the acrylic paint for ColorBox Mix'd Media ink which is more of a paint than an ink.

The finished panel is the one bottom right in the picture :

The panel on the left was the same technique but using distress stain instead of ink which I don't think works very well, it would take a lot of paint layering to knock those colours back. The small panel at the top of the photo is just left over ink spritzed with water and card smooched through it. This one was used to stamp the Merry Christmas sentiment (Kaisercraft Christmas Carol set).

This is the finished card with black dots added around the border:

Thanks go to the Craft Barn demonstrator for the inspiration.

Artful Times Tag

I was over the moon to be runner up for the Artful Times challenge 59 : A Postcard from Abroad, I enjoy those challenges and look forward to seeing what the design team and participants come up with.

Challenge 60 is a tag, sounds straightforward doesn't it, except not so easy for me as I feel guilty about tags!
I have not posted any for a very long time and there is a reason for this. In 2012, I agreed to do an Alpha Tag swap with my friend Sally, one tag for each letter of the alphabet. Sally completed her set and sent them to me last Autumn. I have yet to complete mine (9 to go, I'm getting there). I WILL finish them and when I do there will be 26 of them to post here.

Having said that, I just have to play along with the Artful Times challenge so this afternoon I made a tag.
Here it is:

Background : Distress inks in Peeled Paint and Shabby Shutters, a few water drops flicked onto the tag.

Foliage stamped using Peeled Paint DI - Zendoodles String Theory set CICSA6192

Kaisercraft Butterflies stamped in black versafine ink.

The sentiment is from a Butterfly Kisses set.

Some die cut leaves added - Tim Holtz Spring Greenery (love that die, one of my favourites).

The ribbon is stained with peeled paint distress ink to match and a few dots of green distress stickles added for a bit of interest.

I hope you like it, and Sally, if you read this, I really am working on the tag project, I have not forgotten!

Little Houses

A project that I really enjoyed doing, a key hanger using a Tando Creative kit.

The parts are thick card except for the base which is made of wood. I used a mixture of PaperArtsy Fresco Fonish paints and Tim Holtz Distress paint for this project.
TH Distress Paint : Iced Spruce, Antiqued Bronze and Tarnished Brass.
Fresco Finish Paint, London Bus, Irish Cream.

The houses are painted with the Irish Cream acrylic paint and then I used a Crafty Individuals crackle stamp with Jasmine Mixed Media Inx by Colorbox. Here is a close up:

For the roof detail , I used a Kaisercraft Wood Grain stamp and coffee archival ink over the London Bus paint. The script on the background panel is an Inkylicious stamp called Latin Text. A close up of the roof:

This project took me some time but was worth it, I shall send it to my Mum for Mother's Day. I bought my kit from The Craft Barn, the link shows the same project in a different colourway. All I need to do now is find a way to wrap it.

Sparkle Twinchie

My late in the day entry for the Show us your Twinchie's Challenge is a little different for me as its all about the words. I thought this stamp from Kaisercraft would fit the theme as it is an "anything goes" challenge with bling.

The background is Old Paper and Tumbled Glass Distress Stains, my current favourite pair for a nice translucent base.

The stamp is from a Kaisercraft set called Confidence. The words are stamped using Adirondack Earthtones dye ink in Bottle, Denim and Red Pepper and embossed with Ranger holographic embossing powder. A quick spritz of Sheer Shimmmer (frost) and the twinchie is done.

Its a bit more sparkly than the photo in real life and I think it has a sort of graffiti look to it, at least that was the idea.