THE HOLLY & IVY #189

 Welcome back to another challenge at Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge - I love looking through all your inspirational Christmas projects.  Joining in with challenges is a great way to use your stash - especially Christmas goodies which can linger unloved for nearly 11 months of the year!  

For my background I used a stamp by Creative Expressions which is a delightful dear Santa letter.  I used two colour Versafine inks - Avocado and Verdant to stamp it as a background.  I used the stamp set Vintage Holidays by Tim Holtz for my images.  Stamping them and then cutting them out and adding a mini collage.  Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Festive Berries and Brushed Corduroy for the colours.

I'm adding this into the following:

Make My Monday  Christmas 

Peace on Earth - Christmas 

Outlawz - Christmas 

As you like it - Favourite Season for me is winter - I quite enjoy early dark nights, lighting the fire and candles and snuggling up. It's a great time to craft as I don't feel guilty about not doing the garden! 

Creative Inspiration AG 

THE HOLLY AND IVY CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE - #183

I love these little robins from Creative Expressions.  I've used them in quite a few Christmas cards over the years and they are always a firm favourite.  Here I've teamed them up with a die cut Christmas tree from Tim Holtz together with a tree stencil from Tim.  

I've kept the background colours in soft Old Paper Distress Oxide and the trees in Peeled Paint Distress Oxide to allow the reds of the robins to stand out.  I used Tim Holtz Festive Berries Oxide ink to colour them in.  Some white splatters and a touch of Spectrum Noir Sparkle pen finishes off the card. 

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA CHALLENGE

Welcome back to another Mixed Media challenge at Creative Artiste.  

I've made some vintage style slides.  I'd had this little die cut for ages and never really used it and finally got to have a play with it.  I used a variety of stamps, washi tape and ephemera for my little slides.  I even got those old brads out for all the corner.  Keep a thing for 20 years and you finally use it.  

THE MALE ROOM #196 - MIXED MEDIA

It's time for another challenge at The Male Room and we want to see your Mixed Media cards this month.  This challenge is just perfect for me as I do love a bit of mixed media and regulars to my blog will know this is one of my favourite ways of playing with our hobby.

I started off by using a gel press to create my background and some Tim Holtz Distress Paint in Salvaged Patina and Victorian Velvet.  Once it was dry I white embossed one of Alison Bomber's stamp sets EAB30 for Paper Artsy Stamps and the William Shakespeare words from that set.  Why Shakespeare?  Well that will become clear when I tell you about the sentiment!

I also added some extra texture with some texture paste through a small leaf stencil by Creative Expressions.

The leaves are Tim Holtz Thinlets called Leaf Fragments. They were in my stash as the result of another play with the gel press and some Pixie Powder from Cosmic Shimmer.  

I stamped a tree from Lavinia Stamps on the far left and attached the leaves. The sentiment is a quote from Shakespeare - it comes from a little pack of cards I found recently which I had bought about 20 years ago for hubby as he loves Shakespeare.  Each card has a quote and information on where that quote was used.  I think this one really suited the leaves falling off the trees. It is taken from Shakespeare's King Lear.

I'm adding this into the following

Unicorn Challenge Blog - Male Cards 

Simply Ellibelle - AG 

Paper Funday - AG - twist of weather - wind 

Simply Ellibelle - I Spy - no DP

Simon Says Stamp - favourite technique - mixed media especially using texture paste 

INSPIRATION STATION - #70

Welcome back to Inspiration Station...a Challenge Blog for all types of Mediums. We hope to bring you lots of inspiration to get those Creative Juices flowing. Here's our image for you this month - we hope it inspires you.

I used my gel press and some Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks to create my background. I added some of Tim's collage papers to the top left and bottom right.  The stamped images are from Creative Expressions designed by Sam Poole called Butterfly Walk.  I cut out the butterfly and added it on top for extra interest.  I also added a Tim Holtz flower die behind the butterfly.  The sentiment added to the bit of lace is from Tim Holtz Idealogy. 

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Stamping Sensations AG

We love 2 create - AG 

Allsorts - AG 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - AG 

Moving along with the times - things with wings 

CHRISTMAS ROBINS

I've taken the sketch from Inspire Create Challenge blog to create my little robin card.  The robin stamp is from Creative Expression and the sentiment is from Woodware called Loving Christmas.

I started by inking my background with Tim Holtz Bundled Sage Oxide Ink. I then stamped the robins in Versafine Pinecone.  The pine trees are an old stamp from Tim Holtz which come with their own die.  I inked tem in Versafine Shady Lane and then sprinked them with Tim Holtz Fresh Balsam Mica Stain to give them a sheen and a shine.  I used a Tim Holtz stencil for the trees in the background and used the same Bundled Sage just to give a subtle look.

The robins were coloured with Distress Watercolour Pencils - these are fast becoming my favourite way to colour especially as you can determine how vivid the colours are.  I added a touch of Spectrum Noir glitter pen to their bodies.  A splattering of snow from a white Posca pen completed the card.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Inspire, Create - Sketch 

Allsorts Challenge Blog - AG 

Inkspirational - Winter 

As You See It - I love using the Distress Water Colours 

Creative Fingers - AG 

The Outlawz - Christmas 

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 

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 

I Spy With My Little Eye - something for boys or men - Guest Designer

I am delighted to be invited by Ellie of Ellies Corner to be a Guest Designer for her challenge  I Spy With My Little Eye this week where the challenge is something for boys or men.  I don't get so daunted at male cards as I used to since becoming a Design Team member for The Male Challenge but I still had to put a bit of a thinking cap on as I really don't have a lot of male type stamps!

I did find this old set from Creative Expressions which I had bought a few years ago as hubby, and my daughter, love to fish and I knew it would come in handy.

I started off by spritzing my watercolour paper with Distress Oxide Spray in Speckled Egg. 

Once that was dry I used a stencil which I think looks like fish scales and spritzed it with Walnut Stain and then turned it over and added it to the paper.  I love how it gave a messed up image of the stencil lol! 

I stamped the stamp which is all one image in Versafine Clair Nocturne and covered it in clear embossing powder.  I re-inked parts of the stamp such as the words and the fish and added them as embellishments.  The male image is one of Tim Holtz paper dolls and I cut him away from his friends he was standing with - after all fishing is a solo sport.  I added some twine at the bottom for his feet to look like fish netting.  This one will be set aside for Hubby's birthday. 

I'm adding this into the following:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Birthdays 

Daisy Chain - Boys/Men

Stencil Fun -  Background stencil 

Dream Valley - Man/Boy

We Love Stamping - Vintage 

Classic Design Challenge - male 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS SC437

A great sketch for you this week at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  I look forward to seeing what you do with this. 

I started with a stencilled background with Speckled Egg Distress Ink. I added some strips of old Stampin Up DSP for my background.  The butterfly stamp is from Tracy Evans and the outer frame is from Creative Expressions.  I used some handmade paints from Reneeissance Colours to colour the butterfly.  They have a lovely shimmer to them.   The sentiment is from Tim Holtz Ideaology. 

BOTANIQUE

I'm playing along with the sketch challenge at Sunday Stamps which is below. 

I used a stamp from Sam Poole for Creative Expressions called Botanical Collage.  I kept the colouring simple with some water colouring with Tim Holtz Watercolour Pencils and a touch of shimmer on the butterfly from Spectrum Noir Sparkle pen.  I added some butterfly washi tape behind and on the little circle behind the smaller butterfly.  I stamped the background with Tim Holtz Weathered Wood in a similar stamp to the grid stamp on the Botanical stamp.  

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS #434

A great sketch for you this week at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  I grabbed a background I had in my stash and used it as my background.  

For the bottom shape I used a stencil and some Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet Distress Oxide Inks - one of my favourite colours.  The top shape was stamped with a stamp by Francoise Read called Notebook Page and I stamped the flower again on top.  

The flower stamp is from Sam Poole called Butterfly Walk and I added some of the other stamps from the set to the background.  The sentiment is an old one from Clearly Besotted. 

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA - AG

Welcome back to another month's challenge at Creative Artiste Mixed Media.  We hope you've had a nice break and are now raring to go with a Mixed Media project. 

I run a Facebook craft group called The Joy of Sets and I have set the ladies a challenge on there that will last us all year.  We are going to make our own 2025 calendars adding a page a month.  This is my January page.  The background paper was taken from a Somerset Studio magazine as my base.  I used various stamps from Creative Expressions.  I also added some pieces from Taperlogy.  The feather was from my stash and was inked in Tim Holtz Black Soot.  I stamped some of the sentiments onto some calico.  The January and date stamps are from Tracy Evans. Strips of washi tape have also been added.  I've added some Tim Holtz embellishments.  The calendar part was printed from my computer.

I'm making my calendar in a watercolour pad by Winsor and Newton which luckily has 12 pages.

If you would like to join us at my Facebook group you will find us here https://www.facebook.com/groups/1287196548026205

I'm adding this into the following:

Outlawz Challenge - not a card 

CRAFT challenge -winter 

The Four Seasons - Winter 

CHRISTMAS CRAFT CREATIONS - 2024 - GLITTER AND SPARKLE

Welcome back to another year's challenges at Christmas Craft Creations and thanks for being with us.  Our theme for January has been Glitter and Sparkle and I am here to share my card.  I created a small background in colour wash for my glitter tree.  The die is from Creative Expressions.  The sentiment is an old Tim Holtz one and has been embossed in Copper embossing powder from Stampin Up.

I added a frame around the colour wash with a pen and added a few shiny embellishments at the bottom. 

We have two prizes up for grabs this month and don't forget to be in with a chance of the prize we do ask that you include our graphic in your post.  Good luck. 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS #CC430

I loved the choice of colours we had for this week's challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments - I actually had two of them which is always a plus for me.  I used Bermuda Bay for the Pretty Peacock.  

I used a Creative Expressions stamp for my project.  I inked the stamp with all three of the colours.  I then picked out the butterfly and the bird in the Berry Burst and the Bermuda Bay and fussy cut them out and added some Glossy Accents to give them more definition.  The Hello sentiment is a die cut from my stash.

I then used an old Stampin Up Stencil for the dots around the outside of the image, which had been torn and inked on the edges with Tim Holtz Walnut Stain.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks - all Occasions 

We Love 2 Create - Mixed Media 

We Love Stamping - Something New - the stamp is new 

Snarky Stampers - N is for new - 

Just Us Girls - Stencils - background stencil 

Stamping Sensations - 

CHRISTMAS CRAFT CREATIONS

We hope you are still joining in with our theme of Christmas Decorations - such a busy time of the year but being able to sneak away for a bit of crafting can help keep you calm.  I'm joining in again with my die cut decorations from Creative Expressions. The sparkles in the paper was made by Tim Holtz Festive Micro Sprays.

KRAFTY CHICKS GUEST DESIGNER - STAMPING #693

I am delighted to have been given the chance to be Guest Designer for Krafty Chicks challenge - and I get to stay the whole month.  This first week's challenge is stamping.  I used a stamp set by Sam Poole for Creative Expressions for my  stamps. And it isn't even a Christmas card lol!

The background was made using Sam Poole Botanical inks which give a gorgeous soft background colour.  I added some of her paste too through a letter stencil.  I used a piece of hessian to stamp the wording and a frame from Taperlogy for the butterfly.