Saturday, 14 January 2017

Craft Barn Twelve Month Challenge : January

A new year and a new challenge from the Craft Barn, this year the challenge is based on Sara Coleridge's poem, The Months.
January brings the snow
makes our feet and fingers glow


Click here for the link to the challenge page to join in.

This year I had a plan which is a massive improvement on 2016 when I had no plan for the alpha/dictionary challenge other than the dictionary itself. My original plan was to make postcards and send them to people each month but my plan is now modified. I am going to make a mini book with twelve pages in it, one for each month. Now, the postcard idea was still in my head so that is how I dealt with Mickie's twist challenge for January which is to include a bird in wellington boots. I had to draw the boots and the bird but I have made it into a postage stamp and stuck it on the page.

About three years ago I went to a workshop at the Craft Barn by Kay Carley, the first craft class I had ever attended! We did two lovely winter scenes using Lavinia stamps so I thought I would revisit that style for my January entry. Here it is:


Stamps used:
Lavinia Stamps : Spring Trees
Kanban : Stag and Doe
Woodware : Deck the halls
Paperartsy : ELB30 by Lin Brown
Clarity Stamps : postage stamp

The background is made using distress ink : Milled Lavender, Tumbled Glass, Stormy Sky and Chipped Sapphire. The trees are stamped with stormy sky and the fir branches are stamped with silver ink, I think you can see those silver branches if you look closely, they are subtle. 
The rhyme is from the poem on the Lin Brown set which I fortunately have so hope to be able to use it for all the pages in the challenge over the year but I think it might be a challenge to do that as the text is small.

I finished it off with some Stampendous Frantage shabby white embossing enamel to make the snow, I love that stuff, gorgeous little bits of gold in with the white.

OK, thats me done for this post, enjoy your weekends wherever you are and thank you for dropping by.



Sunday, 1 January 2017

Alpha/Dictionary Challenge 2016 : P

My first post of 2017 is the final page for the Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary project and the letter is P. I chose poppy and just used lots of poppy stamps all over the page, I guess it sort of works. I was thinking of choosing page as my word, highlighting the word and leaving the page blank but that would be a bit of a cheat wouldn't it!


Recipe:
Rubbernecker Red Poppy Stamp coloured with TH distress markers (candied apple, abandoned coral, ground espresso and black soot) and stamped directly onto the page.
A selection of poppy stamps from Hobby Art CS044D Poppy Scene-it set stamped with black archival ink and coloured with inktense pencils.

I have really enjoyed this project and am proud of myself for completing it. My thanks to all of you who have left comments, it means a lot. Thanks also to Jane and Mickie at the Craft Barn for running the challenge for us and I wish you all a very Happy 2017. x








Saturday, 17 December 2016

Alpha/Dictionary Challenge 2016 : M

The penultimate letter for the Craft Barn Alpha Dictionary challenge is the letter M. Only one more letter and the project will be complete. I have loved doing this challenge. For "M" I have chosen Medieval and used two Medieval panel stamps on my page.

Here is my entry:


This was another opportunity to use a set of stamps that I have had for years from a company called Past Times Stamps. The designs are by Joanna Sheen.
I used inktense pencils and water coloured the images as usual.

I had to take the photo indoors this time as I missed the daylight, been busy with jobs today preparing for my Christmas get-way.
OK, thats me done for a now. I am off to Cornwall tomorrow to visit my Mum for Christmas.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas. Stay safe and be happy x

Thursday, 15 December 2016

My Christmas Poinsettia Wreath

Here is a quick picture of my Christmas wreath project.


I made this from a kit by Designs by Georgina.
The poinsettia elements are die cut greyboard and I have painted them with Deco Art mixed media acrylic paint and Fresco finish chalk paint. The snowflake stamp is from a JOFY Christmas set and I used burlap tape to cover the ring.

Merry Christmas.

Sunday, 4 December 2016

Alpha/Dictionary Challenge 2016 : Y

Just for a change from the seasonal wintery and sparkly things, yellow is my word of choice for the Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary challenge. To illustrate it I have chosen sunflowers, another summery set of images to brighten up our frosty cold days.

Here is my page:


Stamps used : Hobby Art CS064D Sunflowers

Have a great week everybody and thank you for visiting. x

Sunday, 27 November 2016

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!

Sunday, 6 November 2016

Alpha/Dictionary Challenge 2016 : U

I chose Umbrella for the Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary challenge this time for no reason other than I just love that Tim Holtz Umbrella Man image and wanted to use him. Here is my entry:


Stamps used:
Tim Holtz : Lif's Possibilities
Hunkydory : Brighten Your Day

Happy Days x