Hopeful Love

It's my turn over at Country View Crafts Challenges.  The theme is still Hearts.  Here is my project....

I started off with a chipboard Heart and Deco Art Texture Sand Paste.

I spread the texture sand in a couple of areas of the heart and left it to dry.

Once dry, I set about using Deco Art Mixed Media paints and covered the heart in Quinacridone Red and Quinacridone Burnt Orange.

Once this was dry, I added more colour to add shading and depth (that sounds like I knew what I was doing - lol!! 0 I just pay until I'm happy)

Next, I stamped a Tim Holtz Ponderings quote onto Tissue Wrap.  This was then added to the heart with Matte Medium.

It was at this point I realised that this should have been the second step of my project as the tissue paper was not coloured.  To rectify, I added the same coloured paints and tried to blend the tissue into the heart as much as possible.  This is how it was after the painting.

To finish I edged the heart with black paint.  I also added lots of watch parts and Prima mechanicals.

I punched a hole and added brown twine.

Here is a close up of the texture on the heart.....

I really enjoyed this project and actually learnt things from it too! 

I hope that I have inspired you to join in the challenge this month - there is still time - and a gift voucher up for grabs.

Thanks for looking.

Happy Birthday Little Sis!

Today it is my little Sister's 30th birthday - I have the day off work to treat her to lunch and give her the present (which is a secret which I will share on another post).

Here is the card that I created for her....

Laura is a very 'girly' girl so I chose the Tim Holtz shabby chic papers for the

background and created lots of layers.

The main image is from Paper Bag Studios.  This was stamped in Shadow Grey Archival Ink.

I then decorated the card using lots of flowers in co-ordinating colours.... and of course a big 3 and 0!

The card is so dimensional that I have made a box in matching papers to go with it!

I have 3 birthdays to celebrate today!  One of my colleagues is celebrating her 40th birthday and so I decided to make her a similar card....

This time I used one of Tim's Paper Dolls and a few sequins!

I will be sharing the card made for my friend who also shares her birthday in a few weeks time as I have made it for a future blog challenge!

Thanks for sharing my post with me today....... 

More PaperArtsy Fun!

Today I thought I would share another project that I created using the fabulous new Paper Artsy Sara Naumann stamp sets and stencils.

I chose to alter a tag using the Seth Apter Fresco Finish paints.  I then stencilled using Sara's new stencil and created highlight using a white pen.

I decorated two of Seth's wood chips    the stamped the Bumble Bee in Archival ink.  I added colour using Fresco Finish paints and Pearl Glaze to the wings. 

To finish I stamped and cut out the 'bumblebee' word.

This was a really fun tag to make.... and I love using a different way to showcase the new stamps and stencils.

Thanks for joining me today......

Happy Father's Day

A very happy Father's Day to all of the fathers out there.

Here is the card that I created for my Dad.

I kept my card fairy simple as I wanted the words to stand out.  The words are from a Stampendous stamp, which I have stamped and embossed in silver. I still get the 'Wow' effect when I heat emboss and remember the first time I ever did it - it was a card class in a local shop in December 2007.  I had not long started to craft and I was hooked!  I still have the very first stamp set that I bought too - it was Woodware.... such fond memories!  Can you remember your first stamp purchase?

Anyway - back to the card.......

I heat embossed the edges of various geometric type papers and layered them on to a card blank, mounting the quote on last.

A very simple card to make but one, I am sure, my dad will love.

Thanks for looking......

More Cards For Men

A few weeks ago another of our car-loving friends celebrated his birthday.  Here is the card that I made for him:

I've had this paper in my stash for a while - I think it's K&Co.  I used it to cover a card blank.

The main image was stamped in Archival ink onto watercolour paper -  I didn't need to use this paper but I really like them as they are a perfect size.  This was then mounted onto larger rectangles and mounted to the centre of the card blank.

I then stamped the sentiment and mounted it to the right corner.

Simple but perfect for a car enthusiast! 

Frame Art

Tonight I am sharing a project over at the PaperArtsy Blog. I will warn you that you should make yourself a cuppa before reading this post because it's a long one - and very picture heavy!

I felt privileged to be asked to be a wingman for the new Sara Naumann release of PaperArtsy products - Sara has released 2 new stamp sets and 2 new stencils - they are totally fabulous and so versatile.

I spent a few days carrying them with me wherever I went, looking at them and seeing new details that I hadn't noticed before, and thinking of loads of different ideas for projects. 

I remembered that I had an old, battered frame that I bought cheap and had been saving for when I needed it (yes, I know, we all do that!). Then the idea flowed!

This was the frame to begin with

It took only one coat of Chalk Fresco Finish paint to completely cover the rich purple of the frame.

I then started to sponge on Caribbean Sea Fresco Finish paint and added Treasure Silver to highlight the detail of the frame. 

You can see how well the colours work together.

I brayered Teresa Green and Beach Hut Fresco Finish paints onto a card cut to fit the frame aperture.  I then stencilled different images using Beach Hut.. How awesome is that splatter!

I stamped the wonderful dragonfly collage stamp using Archival ink and used Pearl Glaze on the wings to create a shimmer.

I stamped the image again onto Clearly For Art film, cut out the dragonfly and painted the back with Pearl Glaze, Caribbean Sea, Teresa Green and Coral Fresco Finish paints. 

After heating and shaping the wings the dragonfly looked like this....

Quite a transformation!

I then put the frame together, attaching the dragonfly to the front of the glass to great extra dimension.

So there you have it.... I had such fun creating this project, which I hope shows in the final creation.

I hope you pay a visit to the PaperArtsy blog and see the new releases.... I love this time of year... though not sure the bank manager feels the same way!

Thanks for spending the time reading my post.

Brotherly Love

Today is my little brother's birthday.... I say 'little'...he's in his late twenties!

Here is the card that I made for him:

I covered a card blank with diamond foiled card that I have had in my stash for a while.  I then added strips of script paper and Tim Holtz Dapper paper.

The main image was stamped using Coffee Archival and then cut out.  You can't quite make it out but I fussy cut around the 'postage stamp' style image.  This was mounted onto another rectangle of card and then onto the card blank. 

To finish I stamped a Tim Holtz sentiment and mounted it to the card.

I took the opportunity to make another card to keep in my stash for later in the year.

So, there you go.... two cards for the price of one.... and, I am prepared for later in the year!

Baby Love!

Lots of celebrating to do at the moment - including the welcome of pitter patter for 3 friends of mine.  I am absolutely delighted for them. 

As the babies are all due so close together I have made similar cards for them.

I started off by covering card blanks with patterned paper.  I then cut Window shapes in co-ordinating colours.

The main image is from a Stampin' Up set called 'Moon Baby' - it is absolutely adorable!  The image was stamped onto card using Momento ink, coloured using Alcohol pens and then cut out and mounted onto the die cut shapes.

To finish I chose the sentiment that I thought would most suit the family.  I drew scribble borders and add a few cute enamel shapes.

So, there you go.  Three baby cards on their way to one new family and two bigger families.

Have a great weekend.....

More Gelli Print Makes

A month or so ago I shared the fun that I had one afternoon making lots of Gelli Print creations on tissue paper.  I won't share the method again, but here is another card that I made for a friend's birthday.

The flower for this card is designed by Jo Firth-Young for Paper Artsy.  I have coloured the flower using Polychromo pencils.

I also used an earlier Gelli Print to create this card.....

The cat is an Inkylicious stamp.  I just had to get this one as the cat reminds me so much of my Sid. 

I stuck to my go-to colours of blue and green and added gold mesh as a highlight.

I made this card for another dear friend's birthday.

Thank you for looking at my blog today - it always means so much!

Love Is In The Air

Today I am off to celebrate the Marriage of Georgie and Gary.  Georgie is the daughter of my dear friend, Dianne, and I am delighted that I have been asked to share this happy occasion with the family..... I have even bought a dress for the occasion - those of you who know me will know that you can count the number of times that I have worn a dress in my life on two hands - and that includes wearing my wedding dress twice for the wedding in St. Lucia and Blessing back home!

Anyway...back to the celebrations.  Here is the card that I made for the Happy Couple.

I'm not going to do a 'how to' as the card is fairly simple but classic.

I kept the colours quite classic - white and silver - and have used my favourite Personal Impressions stamp (this was one of the first stamps I bought when I started crafting in 2007).

Anyway - I will be away for the day - but thanks for looking, and join me in congratulating the Happy Couple.

Country View Challenges - Hearts

This month, Hazel has chosen the theme of Hearts for the Country View Crafts challenge.

Here is my entry

I started by creating a Gelli print background using Paper Artsy Fresco Finish paints and mini stencils.  I even got a bit carried away and made a few....though some turned out better than the others!

I then set about using one of my favourite (and most used) sets of Paper Artsy stamp sets.  I stamped the heart and coloured it using several different colours of pencil.

I started to construct the card.  The card blank was covered with black card  and the Gelli print centred.  I drew around parts of the print and added scribbling.

To finish, I stamped a quote from Tim Holtz Life Quotes.

So, there you go.... the finished card.

Pop on over to Country View Crafts and see the amazing projects created by my fellow DT members. 

I hope I have inspired you to join in with the challenge this month.  Don't forget that  there is a gift voucher up for grabs for one lucky person.

Thanks for looking.....