WELCOME AUTUMN

Autumn is my favourite time of year but it's come far too early as we have hardly had a summer yet here in Wales and now we are almost into winter!  So much wet weather.  Hopefully we will get a few dry crisp sunny days to enjoy the autumn colours.

This was definitely on my mind this wet Sunday with my next card.  I used a combination of stamps from Lavinia, Alison Bomber, Visible Image and Tracy Evans to create my little scene.  I used a leaf stencil from Visible Image to add extra leaves in the same Wild Honey distress Ink to the background.  Colours are from Tim Holtz Distress Oxides apart from the shimmer on the little light and the rose hips which are Renaissance Colours hand made paints.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Blog - Autumn Colours 

Colourful Options - Be Bold 

Lets Create - AG 

Day of the month - Autumn Stroll 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - A is for Autumn 

Simply Create Too - Autumn 

Tic Tac Toe - Leaves, Ink Blending, Multiples 

Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday - Stamp It 

DARING CARDMAKERS - INSPIRATION BOARD

Another week for me to play along with Daring Cardmakers as Guest Designer. This week we have this lovely mood board to inspire us choosing 3 elements from the board.  

I chose some old stamp sets from Tracy Evans for my card - taking inspiration from the jars of flowers, the colours and the circles from the coffee cup.  I do love jars or jugs or vase stamps for flowers and this is just such a lovely one to work with.  The sentiment at the bottom is some Washi tape. 

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA CHALLENGE #108 - MEET EDWIN

Welcome back to another month of Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge.  Please remember to use at least three different mediums on your piece to qualify as mixed media.  

I'm using the Professor stamps by Tim Holtz for my card today.  The background was created first with a gel press and Tim  Holtz Distress Oxides.  I then added some Texture Paste through a Tim Holtz gothic stencil and added paint over the top.  Background stamping was also added.  The image was stamped and then cut out with the light bulb set behind the hat which is slightly raised. 

I added a paper cog cut from Tim Holtz old die cuts and a metal die cog and a pen nib.  Some extra die cut paper was added to the bottom.  I added the sentiments from TH Idealogy clippers sticker book, including the name of Edwin which I think suits him!

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Simon says Stamp Wednesday Challenge 

Krafty Chicks - Stamps 

As you like it - to layer or not to layer - I just adore layering - I was so  happy years ago when I found the art technique of Mixed Media which allows me to layer to my hearts content! 

The Outlawz - AG 

Welove2create - AG 

I've been a bit lax in adding my monthly calendar pages for my own calendar I'm making so here are June, July and August just to catch up.

THE MALE ROOM CHALLENGE - FUN FOLDS

Welcome back to another challenge at The Male Room where we want to see your fun folds.  I saw this technique on Pinterest and loved the simplicity of it.  Some fold cards are just too complicated for me and I try not to do complicated so this was just up my street.    

 I didn't really measure the fold - just folded the front piece of the cardstock down and then added my papers to fit the measurement I had.  The background papers were all done on a gel press with Tim Holtz Distress Oxides.  I added some texture paste over a stencil to create the circles.  

The stamps used are Tim Holtz Ringmaster Blueprint CMS151 - the choice of stamps on this set are going to be great for male cards.  The little clock was in my stash of possible Idealogoy pieces and the sentiment seemed perfect for the theme where a great moustache can take time.  That word moustache always reminds me of that oh so catchy tune from the film A Million Ways to Die in the West - once it gets in your head it's hard to get it out! 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE - MAKE YOUR MARK #476

Welcome back to another challenge at ATSM and this time we want to see your use of pens, pencils, ink to create your project.  I spotted this lovely set by Anita Jeram in my stash which I hadn't used in a while. It's called Paint Town. 

I created the background with lots of watercolour reds and oranges leaving a gap to stamp the little creatures.  I then used a paintbrush to colour them in - all inks used are Tim Holtz Distress Oxides.  The little sentiment that goes with this set is just perfect and makes for a fun card.   

INSPIRATION STATION

I love the image for our inspiration this month at Inspiration Station and hope it inspires you too.  My card is a New Home card - it was hopefully going to be for my son and his girlfriend as they try and sell their house but sadly after nearly a year still no sale for them.  But at least the card is ready when finally they do.

I used a lot of ink blending of Tim Holtz Distress Oxides to create the background and added some stamped trees from a Visible Image stamp set.  The little house is a very old stamp from Clearly Besotted that I found in my stash.  I stamped it and the trees  onto acetate also to create the reflection.

PEARLY SPARKLES - ALL THINGS PINK/PEARLS AND/OR SPARKLE

September is a special month here at Pearly Sparkles as we remember Traci who created this challenge blog.  September is Traci's birthday month and we are remembering her with Traci's Recipe Challenge :

PINK, PEARLS AND/OR SPARKLE - use at least one of these

I started my card by using a colour wash of Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Kitsch Flamingo and Spun Sugar.  I then stamped my image which is a Tim Holtz rose in Versa Fine Clair Chianti.  The added stamping of the dots and the stars is also a Tim Holtz Stamp and I finished it off with some added Nuovo Crystal Drops. The sentiment is from Tracy Evans.

I'm adding this into the following:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - AG 

Shopping our stash - just because 

Tuesday Taggers - make it feminine 

Inkspirational - CAS 

DARING CARDMAKERS - GUEST DESIGNER

I'm delighted to be a Guest Designer over at Daring Cardmakers.  The brief for this challenge is Butterflies and Bees.  I've had loads of bees in my garden this year thanks to all the herbs I grow but I have seen few butterflies - probably because it's been such a wet summer here in Wales.  

I wanted a nice summery feel to my card so chose a yellow background I had made with the gel press.  I stencilled over it with Tim Holtz Distress Iced Spruce.  The butterfly stamp is by Sam Poole for  Creative Expressions.  I added an extra butterfly on the top and cut it out.  I used Tim Holtz Distress Markers to colour in the butterflies and added Spectrum Noir Sparkle pen over the top. 

 

I'm adding this into the following challenge:

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - summer 

The Outlawz Challenge - Butterflies 

Krafty chicks - AG 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE - STENCILS/DIE CUTS #475

Welcome back to another challenge for Addicted to stamps and More.  I've used one of the new stencils by Tracy Evans Boutique Designs for my card which is one of her bauble stencils.  You also get the cut outs with her stencils and this is what I've used here.  Taping it down with a little bit of tape to stop it moving while I created the background.  I used Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink in Bundled Sage.  

I then added an old stamp of Tracys to create the idea of the tree using Iced Spruce for the branches.  I stamped the robin stamp inside the bauble and added a lot of Spectrum Noir sparkle pen to make it shine. A splatter of white Posca pen and some inking on the bird finished it off. 

THE MALE ROOM - #189 - MIXED MEDIA CHALLENGE

My favourite style of Mixed Media is our challenge for you this month at The Male Room.   I started my card with a variety of Tim Holtz Distress Oxides layered onto my card base. I added stamping and some stencilling with paste through a Tim Holtz stencil.

The old typewriter isn't a Tim Holtz one - it's one I found in my stash which I've had for years and it has the image of the typewriter, the little paper clip and the lettering I've used in the background.  I added a piece of paper to the typewriter which was stamped and embossed and stamped the word Hello on it.  Among my Ideaology pieces I found this old image of a typewriter and added it along with some old wording regarding letters.  I embossed the paper clip stamp and then cut it out and threaded the handmade sentiment through it. 

I'm also adding this into the following:

Little Red Wagon - make it masculine 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE #474- ANY OCCASION

Another challenge for Addicted to Stamps and More is any occasion.  It's been a while since I've played with my Lavinia stamps.  I don't have a lot of them but the ones I do have still can create some little scenes.  This fairy is called Seren which means Star in Welsh and I'm in Wales so I just had to have her.  

I started by creating the yellow light orb in the middle with some Distress Oxide Ink in Wild Honey.  I then stamped the fairy and the remainder of the stamps to create the little scene.  The sky was inked with Chipped Sapphire and Unchartered Mariner blended together and some stars added with Spectrum Noir Sparkle. 

I'm adding this into the following:

We Love stamping 

Creative Fingers - AG 

INSPIRATION STATION - #64

A great mood board for you to work off this month from Inspiration Station and I look forward to seeing how you are inspired by all that lovely fruit. Searching through my stuff I found I really only had one fruit image I wanted to use and it's this great wonky pear by Tracy Evans.

I created a very delicate background with some distress inks in Twisted Citron with a touch of Dried Marigold.  I added the pear stamp and coloured it in using the same colours.  I added a bit of extra background stamping. The words are from the same set and they were popped up on dimensionals to give a bit of extra dimension.  I added the bird from one of Tracy's other sets and popped him on the leaf.

I do have a pear tree that we planted in our garden two years ago but so far no fruit - although the apple trees I planted at the same time are bearing fruit this year for the first time.  Fingers crossed for the pear tree for next year. 

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA

Creative Artiste

Creative Artiste is a monthly challenge blog for everyone who likes to mix their media. So, as long as you like to use various mediums on your creations, we'd love to see you enter the challenge.

Welcome back to our challenge for August at Creative Artiste Mixed Media.  As always it is an Anything Goes challenge but as we are Mixed Media we do ask that you bear in mind our rules as above - and please use at least three different mediums on your project. 

I'm sharing another canvas I've created recently.  I do love making these and have quite a collection now - just now sure what to do with them all!  

My background was created with some touches of distress ink on top of dried gesso and then I added some texture paste through a stencil in white paste.  Once that was dry I stamped an image from Creative Expressions in Versafine Pinecone.  I also added some old book papers.  Some of the background flowers are from Taperlogy and are rub ons - some were put straight on and others were rubbed on to some calico.  

I then stamped a variety of images from Tracy Evans such as the vases, pots, flowers and bird and fussy cut them out.  The larger butterfly is also from Tracy Evans and has some twine behind it.  I've added some clock faces, buttons and the sentiments from Tim Holtz Ideaology to remind myself to Live In The Moment. I even found a little bee embellishment in my stash and included it.  

I'm adding this into the following:

We Love 2 Create - AG Mixed Media 

Triple B 

Creative Inspiration 

PEARLY SPARKLES CHALLENGE

I'm delighted to be on the Design Team for the Pearly Sparkles Challenge and my first challenge for them is their theme of Florals. 

I don't often do double length cards as I don't have envelopes to fit but I wanted to give this one a go with the layering of these lovely flowers and it needed that extra length.  I started my card by stamping one of the flowers from Tracy Evans Boutique Designs called New Beginnings.  I then masked it off and stamped the other flowers letting them overlap slightly.  I used Tim Holtz Salvaged Patina in Distress Oxide ink for the background carefully painting around the flowers.  I added some stamping in the same colour.  I added some washi tape to the left hand side and doodled a border around the edge.  The sentiments are from an older Tracy Evans set.  

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE - BIRTHDAYS

 

Time for another challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More and we are celebrating Birthdays. 

I've used the lovely new vase stencil by Tracy Evans to create the vase which I masked off first while I created the background with Distress Inks.  I added a crackle stamp by Alison Bomber to the front of the vase.  

The flowers in the vase are a mix of Tracy's stamps and I stamped and cut out some extra flowers to add to the front of the vase.

I'm also adding this into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday - Add a Sentiment 

Allsorts - Flowers 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Beautiful Blooms 

Creative Inspirations - AG 

Ellibellies Crafty Wednesday AG 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE - #472 CHRISTMAS

I'm delighted to be part of the Design Team for Addicted to Stamps and More.  After playing along for years it's great to be on their DT.  Here's my first contribution which is Christmas.  It's always a good idea to make Christmas cards throughout the year to try and avoid the rush nearer the time when we all have so much else on but still want to send our hand-made cards.

My Christmas cards always tend to be more of a winter style card and I loved one that Tim Holtz did which inspired my card.  I used the gel press to create the background and used stamps by Tracy Evans for the leaves and the pine cones.  The word stamp In the Bleak Midwinter is a lovely stamp by Alison Bomber for Paper Artsy.  I used Tim Holtz marker pens to colour in the pine cones and the leaves.  The snowflake is from TH Ideaology tied on with a bit of twine. 

I added it to a background piece of paper stamped with an old script stamp which you can just spot around the edges.  I then added it to some kraft card stock and added some white splatters. 

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

I love these cute little robins from Creative Expressions.  Here I've just given them a very soft wintry water colour background - it almost looks as though they are shivering from the cold.

I'm adding these into the following challenges:

Pearly Sparkles Challenge - Christmas in July

The Holly and the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes 

Christmas Cards all year round 

12 months of Christmas - AG