Vintage Neutrals

PaperArtsy challenge Topic 9 : Vintage Neutrals.

A great topic and some fabulous inspiration on the PaperArtsy blog. For my project I decided on a tag and my inspiration was Alison Bomber's beautiful tag which you can see under the above link.
My tag is nothing like Alison's apart from using Tim Holtz paper dolls for the focal image. I have used one of Alison's lovely quotes from the Dreaming and Doing set (Eclectica EAB07).

I started with a painted background with Chutney and Tikka Fresco paint which looked too dark so I knocked it back with some watered down gesso. Still too dark so I dry brushed chalk fresco paint on top of that. Then I used a Kay Carley stencil (PS061) to add some leaf fronds. The paint I used was Irish Cream.

I tried a bit of crackle glaze which worked a little but not very well, I will need to practice.

I added some flowers from ESC03 by Scrapcosy stamped with watering can archival ink and stamped the quote on a Tim Holtz die cut wood plank which I had painted with chalk and white fire paint. A couple of brads and a button to finish it off.

The photo looks a bit blue, that's the photography, there is no blue on my tag!

A great topic again and a chance to use some paper dolls. I am quite pleased with this one.

Handmade Matchbox

PaperArtsy Challenge Topic 8 : Boxes.

Last weekend when I saw the PaperArtsy challenge inspiration, the example that caught my eye was the matchbox art. I have never tried making a box so retrieved my old envelope punch board that has been gathering dust on the shelf and searched the internet for instructions to make a matchbox. I found a good one and made a test box out of kraft card. The test box worked so became my final box.

Here is the You Tube video I found:
http://www.ddstamps.com/dd_stamps/2013/12/another-box-using-the-stampin-up-envelope-punch-board.html
Thanks to Diane Dimich for the instructions.


I decorated my box with Jofy images from stamp sets 13 and 24, stamped directly onto the box and stamped onto old book pages. What to put in the box? Well, it is always useful to have a few gift tags to pop on presents so I made three matching gift tags.

Here is my matchbox project.

I decorated the inside of the box.

.... a view of the front of the match box.

.... and the three tags.

That project was a good way to relax after spending the morning tackling the wilderness that is my garden on such a hot day. 

Until next time, have a great weekend everybody. x

Crafting with Kraft : PaperArtsy Topic 7

Kraft card is so versatile and I really like the natural effects you can achieve using it. For the latest PaperArtsy Challenge we use Kraft card as the base. 

The PaperArtsy challenge blog for Topic 7 : Kraft Card has many inspirational ideas for using Kraft card.

I wanted to use a stencil for texture on my card and I was thinking leaves. I really like black and white on Kraft but to add some colour to the composition I decided to experiment with texture paste mixed with paint. Then I tried texture paste with infusions (Emerald Isle) and really liked the result.

Here are the experiments:

On the left is the texture paste applied through a stencil, sprinkled with infusions and a quick spritz of water. I really like that effect. The middle panel is a mop-up of the texture paste left of the stencil mixed with the infusions. The panel on the right is mermaid Fresco paint mixed with texture paste and applied to the stencil. 

I stamped some leaves on Kraft card and cut them out. After arranging them on the panels I ended up with two cards. I think I know which one I like best.

PaperArtsy Stencil PS090 by Sara Naumann

Leaves and Wish sentiment from PaperArtsy ELB29 by Lin Brown

Quote on the second card from PaperArtsy EAB04 by Alison Bomber

Kraft card as a base material works for me for CAS cards so I prefer the Wish card with the bright mermaid texture paste but I am pleased with the effect of the infusions so will use that again maybe with a mixed media project.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else has done for this challenge. x

Bunting and Banners

The topic this fortnight for the 2018 PaperArtsy Topic 6 is Bunting and Banners.
I was in the mood for a bit of collage and paper cutting so I have made this card.

Stamps used for this project :
PA Eclectica ELB14 by Lin Brown
It was nice to get that set out again, I've always liked that one.

Lots of stamping of windows, doors, bricks and bunting on some paper from my stash by Studio Light. Then lots of cutting out and re-assembling the house. It took hours, I spent ages fiddling with those tiny pieces until I was happy. This is a great way to use up all those pieces of paper you keep because you like them or those paper pads you bought and stored away and forgot about.

Tim Holtz Birch and Pine CMS280 stamp was used for the background, stamped on white card with Vintage Photo distress oxide ink.

I die cut the letters for "HOME" and added them to my banners and used a Tim Holtz paper punch for the folded circles on the bunting (a scrap of TH paper that I couldn't bear to throw away was just enough for these and they matched).

The panel was then mounted on Kraft card.
As it was a home themed card I felt I should photograph it in my home and guess what, it matches my new vertical blinds, this pleases me a lot.

Bye x

I'm a flip-flop kind of girl

I am sharing a little tag today that I made with my new Tim Holtz side order dies and mini embossing folder. The idea is based on what I saw in one of Tim's YouTube videos.
I really like these little sets but the dies are tiny, very tiny. Fortunately I have tiny fingers and love miniature things so this worked for me.

Here is my tag :

Have a great week everybody x

PaperArtsy Topic 5 : Nautical Colours

A wet bank holiday Friday is a good excuse to play in my craft room and catch up with projects I want to do.
The theme for the PaperArtsy Challenge Topic 5 is Nautical Colours and the inspiration on their blog is particularly good again. I was away last weekend so had thinking time but no craft stash with me to start work on this one but I did have several ideas. Strangely, I did not use any of those ideas. I had planned on making a tag but I have ended up with a card using my Scrapcosy sea life stamps from PaperArtsy (ESC10 and ESC12).

I started by making a Gelli print background using Adirondak dye ink : Pool, Denim and Stonewash applied with a brayer. Then I stamped one of the Scrapcosy images in red geranium archival ink and took the print. I added some water with my fingers to bleach out some of the dye ink to make bubbles which were later doodled with a white pen.

The seahorse and shell were stamped and embossed with white Wow embossing powder and painted with a little bit of gold Fresco paint. To finish it off, I used a Woodware stencil around the edges to add some gold embossing powder (metallic brass sparkle by Wow) and stamped and embossed some words. A small gem was added for the seahorse's eye.
All mounted on red and blue cardstock and a 7" by 7" white card.

Here is a close up of the seahorse :

These are such detailed stamps that I thought the embossing might lose that detail but not so, it looks quite nice in natural light as it is shiny.

Happy Easter everybody x

A Postcard Adventure

The challenge on the Country View Crafts Challenge blog for March is Postcards (6x4).
A postcard should have a message so I thought my message would be one of the quotes from the new Tim Holtz Theories stamp set that I purchased recently :
"Blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures". I like that quote a lot.

Here is my entry for the March challenge:

I used Distress oxides for the background : Vintage Photo, Fossilised Amber and Candied Apple.
Stamps used :
Tim Holtz : Theories CMS329 and Ornate Trims CMS326.
White dots added with a white gel pen.

I really like the sketchy, grungy silhouettes on the Theories set as well as the quotes and the Ornate Trims set is going to be ever so useful I think.
I am off to play some more.

Have a good week everybody x