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Saturday, July 20, 2013

TIM HOLTZ TAGS ~ JULY 2013

I didn't get on very well with this, it's taken days.  Mind you, I think that's the pressure I was under to make a C* card arrrgggghhhhh!!! (loathe making them), but my lovely P.M. boss, Karen, has let me off this week, lol so I got my tag done this morning.  I adapted Tim's technique only slightly, in that I used picket fence crackle instead of rock glaze..I couldn't get that to work properly at all.  To see how the background was done (easy peasy) pop over to Tim's Blog.  The colours of distress ink and stains I used were Peacock Blue and Ripe Persimmon, then it was inked over with brushed corduroy.  My sentiment is from RiverCity Rubberworks.



Entering into:
TIM HOLTZ TAGS OF 2013 - July.
CRAFTS 4 ETERNITY #133 - Inky fingers.
INSPIRE ME FRIDAYS #112 - Anything goes.
SIMPLY CREATE TOO #42 - Anything but a card.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

OH LA LA!

Hiya peeps.  Another hot Wednesday here and time for another I ♥ PROMARKER challenge.  #177 this week and it's again everybody's fave - Anything Goes.   The sponsor is The Stamp Fairy with a $10 spend for our winner.  I'm trying to use more of my proper stamps instead of digi-images all the time, so I got them out again this week.


This gorgeous lady is from a Kanban stamp set called 'Moulin Divas' and my papers are MME 'Madison Avenue'.  I used a Joycrafts die on the left (didn't need it all, so sliced it) and a nestie for the sentiment shape then I finished the card off with a strip of lace and a few pearls.

I had a bit of trouble figuring out how to colour this image as I wanted a naked back.  The lace up panel is flesh coloured but the more I looked at her back and shoulders, I couldn't work out how it could possibly not be fabric.  Those dang straps confuddled me, lol.  Anyway, I decided to give it a sort of sheer fabric look, so I hope that's worked.  I have to say though, I'm proper envious of her waistline, ha ha.
 (editing:  Have just discovered on Emma's Cards how to get a naked back, lol.  One of the DT has used this stamp).

Entering into:
EMMA'S CARDS #18 - Lace and Pearls.
613 AVENUE CREATE #28 - Anything goes.
CRAFTERS CAFE #20 - Anything goes.
CRAFTY SENTIMENTS - Female Birthday.
CRAFTING BY DESIGN - Anything goes.
LADY ANNE'S STAMP CHALLENGE #10 - Anything goes.
RHEDD & ROSIES #11 - Anything goes.
LEJ DESIGNS #62 - Anything goes.
TUESDAY THROWDOWN #156 - Anything goes.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

SECRETS OF THE DEEP

I recently bought three mermaid theme stamp sets from Chocolate Baroque - I don't know why, as I don't really 'do' mermaids lol, but there was something about these and I had to have them.   I've always enjoyed masking too and  these stamps work so well together that they seemed perfect for it, so I've been playing.  This isn't a card...it's currently standing on the shelf in my craftroom.  I doubt I'll part with it, lol.


This is one of the large easels from Pinflair, but instead of using the 'canvas' that comes with them, I cut my own sized backing from mountboard and then my fave card that I use when I colour with Promarkers.
I started by stamping and masking my design (obviously, lol).  The group of images on the left is a combination of 3 images from each of the stamp sets.


Cutting the masks was a bit of a nightmare as there's some really fiddly bits, but once I'd finished checking my stamping, I reapplied the masks and started to colour my background using distress ink pads.  The sand is Wild Honey and I used Peacock Blue and Shabby Shutters for the sea.



When the background was finished I set to with my Promarkers to colour the rest in.  I really enjoyed colouring these images, they have such clean lines and stamp beautifully.  When I'd finished my colouring, I added a bit of texture.  To the two pots I applied a one step crackle and some red liquid pearls on the sea urchin.  I added a pile of glossy accents along the base then applied clear micro beads and I have to say, I love how it turned out.


The treasure didn't quite look 'rich' enough, so a bit of glitter was added to the gold coins.


Something else was needed, although I wasn't sure what but then I got out my Twinkling H2O's.  I haven't used these for a couple of years and it was nice to play again.  On some of the plants, I painted over with a green H20, but the main thing was the mermaids tail.  I used ummmm, wonderful white is it? something like that, lol.  This gives her tail a lovely sheen and a different look depending on what angle you're looking at it from.


I added some more micro beads to the tops of her rocks and used opal liquid pearls for the bubbles.  The sentiment is from Sheena Douglass'  stamp set 'A Little Bit Sketchy'. Finally, the whole lot was brushed over with Liquitex Gloss Medium/Varnish which really lifted the colours.


The last step was to colour the easel, apply crackle finish to it and stamp, colour and cut a couple of elements to stick on it.
I totally loved creating this and I will definitely be using these stamps a lot more.

Entering into:
INKY CHICKS #8 - Masking.
LADY ANNE'S STAMP CHALLENGE #10 - Use a stamp.
SPARKLE & SPRINKLE July - Anything but a card.
WORD ART WEDNESDAY #88 - Anything goes with a sentiment.
PAPERTAKE WEEKLY - Old, new, borrowed or blue. (new stamps).
HOUSE OF GILLI #53 - Bright colours and anything goes.
LEXI'S CREATIONS #94 - For a friend.
LOVE TO SCRAP #9 - Anything goes.
MY CRAFT CREATIONS 8/7 - Anything goes.
CRAFTS AND ME #138 - Anything goes.

BIRTHDAY GIRL.

Time for challenge #176 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS and this week's challenge is to follow a sketch.


The sponsor this week is INKY IMPRESSIONS with a prize of  a $10 voucher.  I used an Inky image called 'Birthday Girl', but I sat her on 'Whimsical Log' from Make it Crafty.  My papers are Basic Grey 'Konnichiwa' - something else that's been in my stash for god knows how long so time it was used,  the ribbon is seam binding and a few pearls in the corner finished it off.

Entering into:
CAN YOU DIGI IT #39 - Summer smiles.
LADYBUG CRAFTS (until 5th Aug) - Birthdays.
OLDIE BUT A GOODIE - In the garden.
USE IT TUESDAY #59 - Birthday.

Thursday, July 04, 2013

KAISERCRAFT RECIPE BOX

Not that I'll be using it for recipes though.  I've not labeled the partitions yet until I decide what to put in it.
I just love all things Kaisercraft so couldn't resist this.  Paper is from a K & Co pad 'Life's Journey'.  Bazzill cardstock, Cheery Lynn and Spellbinders dies.
I covered the whole lot with gesso first and then painted it with Americana Honey Brown paint.

The photo's are of my son, daughter and gorgeous grandchildren and I made my own sentiment for the front panel.  The cardstock looks a tad bright on the pics, but it's not in real life.  It's a much better match for the paper which was inked with brushed corduroy distress ink to tone it down a bit.  I also stamped on all the cardstock inside using a flower stamp that was a magazine freebie eons ago.






Entering into:
CRAFT MY LIFE - Anything goes but NO cards.
ANYTHING BUT A CARD - Getting messy.
INKY CHICKS #7 - Anything goes.

Wednesday, July 03, 2013

SUNFLOWERS AND BUTTERFLIES

OMG!  What has happened to the British Climate?  I know everybody's probably sick of talking about it, but it's beyond a joke now.  We had 2 hours sunshine on Sunday, so I got my lawn mowed and did some deadheading and that's been it for over a month.  It's so overcast, cold and windy, I actually resorted to putting the heating on for a bit yesterday.

Anyway, onwards and upwards!  This week is challenge #175 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS and our theme is a photo inspiration..blues, yellows and butterflies.  The sponsor is POLKA DOODLES and there's a terrific CD as the prize.  I chose to use one of my new paper pads from Prima, the Sun Kiss collection.


My stamp (rubber) is Sugar Nellie's 'Country Garden'. I've had it for around 4 years so thought it was about time she got an airing.  She is backed onto a Spellbinders die cut, the border and butterflies are Cheery Lynn dies and the leaf flourish is a Marianne.   Oh yeah, the die I was looking for last week....is now sitting in my ever growing die collection. *big grin*

Entering into:
CREATED WITH LOVE #48 - For the girls.
OLDIE BUT A GOODIE - Butterflies.
C IS FOR CHALLENGE #1 - Flowers.
BEARLY MINE #93 - Anything goes.
CRAFTY CATZ #189 - Say it with flowers.
613 AVENUE CREATE #26 - Anything goes.
CRAFTING FOR ALL SEASONS #55 - Make it girly. TOP 3
OSAAT #170 - Anything goes.
LOVES RUBBER STAMPS #59 - Anything goes.
MAKE IT MONDAY #147 - Anything goes.
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