Florally different

Hello

Today I'm sharing something a bit different for me. I don't really do a lot of die cutting or use embossing folders often, but I liked the look of the latest Chloe's Creatives box kit.

I cut out and layered the daisies from the embossing folder and found a pretty garland die in my stash for the background. I coloured them with liquid watercolour for a delicate look.

What do you think? I think I need to look through my embossing folders now for more ideas!

Thank you for stopping by. Have a lovely day xx

I see the sea

Hello

Back to card making this week with a card for the #TagAlongCIC card inspiration challenge with Isa.

The challenge was to follow a layout by group member Sylvie Collet and incorporate the mood board colours and sea themes.

I started by stamping and embossing a seascape using stamps from a lot of different sets. I used liquid watercolour and actually was quite happy with the result, however that's not really in keeping with the mixed media style of the group.

After some stamping and splattering this is my version...

 I managed to include the mood board colours, lighthouse, house and the button.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a lovely week xx

More plant play

Hello

I've been experimenting again with some new and old stencils designed by Giovanna Zara.

I started by tracing the shapes with a black Stabilo All pencil which is water soluble.

I used liquid watercolour to build up the layers.

With a few Posca paint spatters to finish.

I really love how this turned out and will be experimenting with different compositions. I'd love to hear what you think.

Thank you for taking the time to visit. Have a lovely day xx

75 years of the NHS

Hello

Today I'm giving a big shout out to all the amazing people I work alongside in the NHS.

  

Thank you for your support, hard work and dedication xxx

Night flight

Hello

A quick one today sharing one of the designs I've been playing with for a craft night. I'm hoping to introduce the group to heat embossing. One or two may have done it before, but I think it will be new to most.

I've made two cards, nearly identical, with both black and white embossing. The first using watercolour...

...and the second with marker pens and Distress Ink.

I really can't decide which I prefer. What do you think?

Thank you for taking the time to stop by xxx

Dimension without layers

Hello

Today I'm sharing a card made on the fabulous 'Dimension without Layers' workshop with Isa. Obviously I won't share the process but you can still sign up and access the recording. As usual, you get pre workshop instructions, so that if you want you can do the preparation and craft along at the same time.

It looked like this part way through...

...nearly finished...

 ...and ended up like this. 

The project is completely flat, nothing stuck on. Great for avoiding extra postage! 

Thank you for stopping by. Have a lovely week xx

Winter magic

Hello

Today I'm sharing another mixed media fantasy scene. I had every intention of capturing the process and took a first photo...

...but then forgot to take any more until the end! I started with the gate gel printed uisng a GiogioCraft stencil and a watercoloured background.

By the time I'd played around quite a bit it looked like this...

I wanted to try out some new Coliro pearlescent watercolours and a new rigger brush. I think more playing is needed!

Thank you for taking the time to visit. Hope you have a lovely week xxx

A little bird told me

Hello

Today I'm sharing another project using my new stash of Lavinia stamps. I started with stamping a scene and masking off the lamps and the hare with masking fluid.

I built up layers of watercolour and had every intention of capturing each stage, but you know what it's like when you're in the zone! Only one photo was taken. I created the moon by wrapping a paper towel around the bottom of a circular pot and pressed it into the wet paint to lift some out.

I finished off with a little over stamping in Archival ink and some highlights with Posca paint pens. I think the photo has washed out a bit of the contrast.

I enjoyed using watercolour for a change and think I might be practising a bit more!

Thank you for stopping by. I do appreciate your comments.

Polar bear

Hello

Now that a birthday has passed I can share this card using a Hobby Art stamp and watercolour, with a few splashes of acrylic white paint.

 

 I made another version with Inktense pencil, gel pen and slightly different colours. 

I found it really difficult to choose between the two. Which do you prefer?

Now that's enough polar bear cards as I have to get packing for a very long awaited trip to Spitzbergen to see the real thing. Wish me luck!

Have a lovely week xx

 

 

 

Roses

Hello

Another quick one as there hasn't been much chance for crafting with boiler replacement going on. The good news is that we have heat and hot water, the bad news is everything, absolutely everything, is covered in a layer of gritty dust.

I did have time for a little watercolouring to join in with a February challenge hosted by Calicrafty Pam with the prompt 'roses'.

I did a scribbly sketch, added loose watercolour and finished off with some stencilling and stamping. This was a very different style for me, but I really enjoyed it and plan to experiment some more.

Thank you for taking the time to drop by. Have a lovely week xx

Taking it online

Hello

First of all you may have noticed I've played around a bit with the layout and colour theme. I'm afraid I am still struggling to find how to adjust some of the elements but I'm giving up for now!

I have finally started on a few Christmas cards in the last couple of weeks, but I will save them to share a little nearer the time. I've also dipped into a few online classes for a bit of fun. 

One was with the Cloud Appreciation Society trying watercolour techniques for clouds. It was more than £40 for 90mins and the tuition was a little loose with lots of time to experiment yourself.

One was with Art Sippers at £7.99 for two and a half hours of fun, step-by-step tutorial, quizzes and jokes. The subject was a giraffe and I chose to use Gelatos as a medium. Really good for an online painting party.

For me the best one has been Something Less Boring with over two hours of tutorial for £4.50. What made it so good (apart from the ridiculously cheap price) was the combination of a whole project, with quite a lot of technique, good pacing and a really clear video set up where you could see the teacher and the canvas on a split screen. Of course I didn't finish but I will definitely return to the canvas to finish it off.

I really miss actually joining with people and creating together, but not being able to meet in person has meant a lot of really good quality courses have gone online. I've signed up to a gel printing course with Kim Herringe in Australia... I'd never get to do one of her workshops in person. Watch this space.

Thank you for stopping by. Hope you have a lovely week xxx

A seasonal hare

Hello
Just a quick post with the third project in the #craftingwithgiogio challenge on Instagram. It took a long time, with a lot of mistakes. I think I went out of my comfort zone in too many ways and ended up messing around with too many media.

The theme was seasonal.

I dislike it so much I've only taken one photo with the phone. What I did like though was using gesso through stencils to get the clouds and patterns in the fields. Will need to experiment some more.

I'll add some journalling...but not today...

Constructive comments gratefully received. Thank you for stopping by.

Materials used:

just about anything I could lay my hands on

Giogiocraft stencils lots of them

Pink Ink Designs love is in the hare stencil

Hobby Art lino cut hares stamps

gesso

Faber-Castell gelatos

Archival ink

Distress Oxide ink

PapaerArtsy Fresco Finish acrylic paint

watercolour pencils

acrylic paint pen

 

Winter Trees Christmas Card

Hello there
The school half term break is over and so I feel I can legitimately start thinking about Christmas. I've begun the Christmas card assembly line. The secret to Christmas card making is to keep it simple (relatively) and be able to work in batches. It can also mean compromising a bit, maybe skipping the embossing you would normally do and cross your fingers the ink doesn't run! The idea is not to create fine art but to end up with something that looks striking from across the room amid other cards.

I've been looking forward to using the CraftEmotions Christmas tree, branches set. This is a great set for layered images.If you don't celebrate Christmas it's still a lovely set for winter scenes and birthday cards.

 

First I stamped the step 1 small trees in iced spruce Distress Oxide ink on a square of watercolour paper. Masking off the bottom of the trees helps to avoid them looking like they are floating in mid air. I did this 28 times! The only thing that limited me was the number of appropriately sized card blanks at the end.

 

Next I over stamped the step two trees in faded jeans...28 times.

Then I repeated with the step 1 large tree in seedless preserves...

...before overstamping the step 2 image in wilted violet. The advantage of the Distress Oxides is that they can be layered and not get muddied together.

A light spritz with water helped to blend the colours and soften the edges. I blotted with kitchen paper to stop it spreading too far.

I smooshed broken china onto a craft mat and used a wet paint brush to watercolour the sky, then added colour beneath the trees.

To finish off when the paper was completely dry I stamped the step 3 images in silver ink and added a border with a Kaisercraft border stamp.

To finish off I mounted it on a white card blank and stamped a sentiment with my trusty stamping tool. Once I had positioned the stamp and tested it on a square of scrap paper I knew that every single sentiment would be perfectly positioned. How did I ever manage without a stamping tool?!

Making cards this way really cuts down on the time you use to swap over equipment. I also had everything lined up in order on the bench ready to go. 

And there we are. Design one completed. I usually try and make four or five designs of Christmas cards just so that it's not too boring. I have 3 more designs coming up before Christmas on The Craft Barn blog and another to share here using the lovely Giogiocraft bauble stencil...but that's for another day.

Thank you for visiting my blog. xxx

Coming up roses

I'm not usually a big one for die cutting as the main focus of a card, but recently I bought some bargain dies and thought I'd see what I could come up with.  First a watercoloured background using Spectrum Noir Aqua markers.

Then colouring the die cut roses and the border.  I layered up the roses as I didn't really want the gaps.

 Then put it all together with a bit of background stamping...

...maybe more experimentation needed!

As it does feature colouring I'll enter it in to The Craft Barn weekly challenge using colouring / pens.

Materials used:

Spectrum Noir Aqua markers

Sizzix dies: rose vine,  Marrakesh tile

PaperArtsy: EDY10 bird stamp

free sentiment stamp