12 Tags of 2015 : February

Last day of February and I have managed to finish my TH tag just in time.
I am not planning on writing details as the step by step tutorial is on Tim's website :
http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2015-february/

I really had to do this tag as I already had most of the ingredients. I improvised with the heart as the idea of using the sewing machine that has lived in the cupboard for years is a step too far for me. I loved doing the collage part of this tag and especially like the shadow effect using the black soot distress pen and smudging it around the collage parts. I have added a close-up of that.

Good fun to do this tag and I managed the deadine too!

Romance

I am feeling rather proud to have been recognised as Runner Up in the Artful Times Challenge for my Recycled Christmas card and it reminded me to try much harder to enter these challenges more regularly.

The Challenge 74 is Romance, not unsurprising as it is February. I actually completed this project on the 14th day of Feb and here it is :

Materials used :
MDF heart covered in paper from Tim holtz Menagerie paper stash.
PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paint : Nougat
Tim Holtz mini die : Cupid and heart
InkyDoodles clear stamp sentiment stamped and embossed in black.

I wanted to get a shabby effect on this so dry brushed around the edges of the heart and the die cut images. I used Ranger Glue N' Seal to stick the paper and die cuts on the heart and highly recommend it, best glue I have found for this type of work with a nice matt finish.

New PaperArtsy Products, Brushos and Demos

Having spent some time each evening watching the videos of the new PaperArtsy products launched this month, I was really looking forward to browsing them at The Craft Barn yesterday. I wasn't disappointed, a fabulous new range of plates.
Check out the PaperArtsy blog if you haven't yet seen the examples from the design team :
http://blog.paperartsy.co.uk/

The demos yesterday at the Craft Barn were particularly inspiring this month. The demonstrators are so generous with sharing their knowledge. This month we got to talk with Helen Chilton, Kay Carley and Carol Cockbain demonstrating the new Lynne Perrella stamps, Brushos and Sue Wilson dies.

So, I bought new stuff (no surprise there) and was determined to try the techniques I learned about yesterday. Fortunately I have some Brushos already so here is a little card inspired by Kay's examples. All products used in my projects today are available from The Craft Barn.

I used the same Woodware stamp as in my last post : Bubble Blooms

The image is stamped with a versamark ink pad and embossed with white embossing powder first. Then sprinkle some Brushos, a tiny bit of Brilliant Red first in the flower heads, spritz with water and dry with a heat gun. I added some Leaf Green roughly around the foliage and repeated the same.

To finish off, I added some Stampendous Shabby White embossing enamel. Kay uses that Shabby White a lot on her artwork, nice effect, I love the little gold bits in it. 

Here's a close up :

My second project this weekend was inspired by Helen and for this one I played with my new Lynne Perrella stamp plate : LPC033. I tried Helen's technique of using the same stamp for the background as used for the focal image. My panel is a bit messy but I had loads of fun with it.

The background was made using the same stamp coloured with Distress Markers : Peeled Paint, Broken China and Worn Lipstick. The focal image is stamped with Stazon ink on glossy card and colured with distress markers : Broken China, Worn Lipstick and Squeezed Lemonade. Some of the elements from the LPC033 plate added to the background and border. My Stazon ink pad is a tad juicy so I might try this again using second generation stamping.

I had some of the background left over so made a bookmark:

Many Thanks to Helen and to Kay for the inspiration for the above. I am feeling quite pleased with my crafting productivity this weekend.

Enjoy what's left of Sunday. x

Dotty Demos

My first visit to the Craft Barn for a demo day was last Saturday and the theme was dots. The demonstrators were using the new Woodware stamps and alcohol markers. Copics were used for the demonstrations but Promarkers work equally well.

Follow this link for Jane Gill's example from the demo.

Here are my attempts at using dots.

Woodware : Love Tulips

Promarkers : Forest Green, Lime Green, Pastel Blue and blender pen.

Woodware Clear Stamp : Bubble Blooms

Promarkers : Burgundy, Walnut, Coral, Marine, Oasis

Black dots added with a Sakura Micron pen

Many Thanks to Jane Collman and Jane Gill at the Craft Barn for the inspiration.

Lavinia Stamps Challenge 1 "Anything Goes"

There are some great examples from the Lavinia Stamps design team for the Challenge 1 this month. Take a look here for some inspiration.

Here is my entry for the challenge, using only Lavinia Stamps.

Lavinia Stamps used :
Spring Trees, Horse and foal, Creeping Vine.

I began with a Scene-Scapes card no. 013 for the background and stamped the spring trees using distress embossing ink and embossed them with Cosmic Shimmer embossing powder (Denim Lilac Aurora). The horses are stamped with black Versafine ink and the vine leaves stamped randomly using milled lavender distress ink. I added some 'ground' for the trees and horses to stand on with a victorian velvet distress marker.

A simple card to make.

Recycling Christmas

My first blog challenge contribution for 2015 is a card made from a set of six inchies cut from one of my Christmas cards.
I wanted to arrange them so that the images were random but the layout needed some symmetry as six is a difficult number to arrange, especially as they are squares. I stamped some swirls for the background and edged them with a black pen then added some green gems and bakers twine to finish it off.

I am entering this card in the Artful Times challenge where we are to make 6 inchies out of received Christmas cards.

Happy New Year and wishing you all successful crafting in 2015.

Oyster Stamps Craft Retreat Weekend

I have returned from a weekend away at the Oyster Stamps Craft Retreat. Two days of workshops at The Hellidon Lakes Hotel in Daventry with excellent projects demos and advice from Martine, Hellen and Eileen. I have completed most of my projects, feeling pleased with myself for having done that!

The workshop with Hellen Pearce taught us colouring techniques and stamping. Details of the products used and Hellen's examples can be found on her blog : elliescupboard.blogspot.co.uk

Key point from this workshop that I have taken away with me, other than the Promarker colouring technique, is to not always use the whole stamp on a project. Partial images look good in these panel layouts. I chose the traditional red and green colours for my project but of course you could use anything.

I really should put a present in that bag and give it to somebody but .... I think I will keep it :)

The workshops with Eileen Godwin were fabulous, I got to play with those lovely Designs by Ryn stamps and the new Brusho paints (yes, of course I bought some). Totally in my comfort zone with this as we played with the paint and distress ink. Lots of layering in the first example below. The tree branches are a stencil from Ryn as well as the stamped images including the famous water droplets.

Eileen work can be found on her blog : http://eileenscraftyzone.blogspot.co.uk/

There will be You Tube videos for Brusho techniques posted early December so look out for those.

This is the project from Eileen's second workshop. Stencils and stamped images are Designs by Ryn again. Aren't those bubbles delicious.
Ryn stamps are available from the Oyster Stamps shop : http://www.oysterstamps.co.uk/

Martine's workshops included lots of die cutting and beautiful flowers. The first project was a box with a matching card. I didn't complete this one but here is a picture of the card. That poinsettia is die cut using a Frantic Stamper die. For more of Martine's lovely white on white artwork and flowers go visit her blog : http://abfabdesigns.blogspot.co.uk/

Martine's second workshop had us making a flower from black (or red) card stock and altered with pan pastels and treasure gold. I love the metallic effect of the gold on black. 

.... and a close up of the flower.

A big Thank You to the Oyster Team for a superb craft retreat.

I have met new friends and learned new things. All in all, a very excellent weekend.