CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA - ANYTHING GOES

Welcome to another month's challenge at Creative Artiste Mixed Media.

Some time ago I had an interesting find in a charity shop.  It was a replica package from the British Museum regarding the Suffragettes.  This little packet of treasures sparked my interest -we all have heard of one or two of the ladies who gave so much so that we could benefit years down the line but I don't think we really know that much about what they had to put up with.  It has made for fascinating reading both from the little replica pack and the further research I have been doing.  

I decided I wanted to use this little pack in some way and decided that I would do a set of Suffragette Tags which has some photo images of some of the ladies, who I personally had never heard of.  So let me introduce you to two of them.

Our first tag is of Miss Grace Roe - born 1885 in Surrey England and died in 1979. I am glad she survived to see Women's Votes being given.  She joined the Campaign in 1908 having heard Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel speaking.  The image of her on the tag is from 1914 when she was arrested for being a member of the Women's Social and Political Union and she was imprisoned in Holloway Prison Here she endured hunger strike and forced feeding until there was an amnesty from the Government of the time due to WW1. After the War she opened a opened a bookshop and metaphysical library in Santa Barbara, California. She stayed in close contact with Christabel Pankhurst.

I've used Tim Holtz Tag dies for both of my tags.  The background has been made with Distress Ink and Texture Paste.  I've used the Rosemary Edition by Alison Bomber PapertArtsy stamps to emboss the background with the words and I fussy cut the rosemary sprig.  The Hope embellishment is an old one from my Stash and I've added some calico ribbon.

My second tag shows a lady called Mary Gawthorpe - she was born in 1881 in Leeds, England and died in 1973 in New York. She was a teacher and left teaching to join the WSPU in 1906.  She was arrested many times over the years and eventually left the UK to emigrate to New York City in 1916 where she became active in the American Suffrage movement.

The second tag uses Distress Ink in Milled Lavender, Wilted Violet and Peeled Paint to match the colour of the ticket from the pack.  I've added some texture paste through a brick stencil to represent the brick walls that these ladies faced and also how they built their way to success.  I've used some pieces from Taperlogy also.

These are obviously just very short snippets of what these ladies did but I have found it fascinating and will continue to create some mixed media tags with the contents of the little replica pack.  

Hand Stamped Sentiments #383

I love this sketch we have for you this week at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  I love anything with tags on.

I decided to dig out my old friend the Rooster from Home to Roost.  He is one of those sets that will always be with me as it's just such a fabulous bird stamp.  

I used some old SU DSP for the background and just inked up the edges.  I started off by laying some ink down on my tag with Distress Ink in Old Paper.  I then added a leaf stencil from Lavinia Stamps and added some extra textures with an old script stamp from SU.  

The bird was coloured in with SU Marker pens and a touch of Wink of Stella on his feathers.  I stamped the greenery at his feet.  The sentiment has been inked on to a piece of ribbon.  I added some thread around the tag and ribbon at the top. 

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Creative Fingers - AG 

Gem of a Craft - AG

Butterfly Tag

I was inspired by one of Tracy Evan's videos to get out the Gel print again and play along.  I kept to a palette of Versafine Clair Verdant and Warm Breeze for my main colours with just a touch of Distress Ink in Mustard Seed.  I used one of Tracy's stamps called Flutter.  Once I'd made my gell print background I pressed the stamp on to it and then took my image.  It looked great - the only thing was the words and numbers were all a mirror image.  Note to self - don't use stamps with words or numbers lol!  As it's just in the background you can't really see that they are all reflected.

I stamped the image again and added a Tim Holtz butterfly die cut out of the spare gelli print paper.  I added string behind and some Nuovo drops. The spring stamp is a very old Stampin Up one.   A touch of green washi tape from my stash and some very old SU o'rings finished off the tag.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - Gelli Print 

Creative Knockouts - Die Cuts

SSS Wednesday - AG 

Shopping our Stash - Dies 

AAA Birthday - 2 favourite colours 

MONOCHROME MUSHROOMS

The challenge over at Allsorts Challenge Blog is Monochromatic - which is various shades of one colour theme.

I've used Chocolate Baroque's Mushroom House for my card - I just adore this stamp and the great sayings it has with it too.

I started off by blending just two Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Rusty Hinge for the top and Spiced Marmalade for the bottom. It is a very subtle difference.  For the stamping of the mushrooms I used another Ranger ink but this time a Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink in Orange Blossom.  It gave me just the effect I was after.  I stamped the sentiment and cut it into two and shaded the background with what was left on my blending brush.  I added a few pearls in the same colour way just to stop the card being a bit too plain.

I'm adding this into 

Allsorts Challenge Blog 617/8 - Monochromatic 

Inspired by 168 - Carrot - the colour orange 

Krafty Chicks - Use a Stamp

SPARKLES - CHRISTMAS TREES

Our challenge this month at Sparkles Christmas Challenge is all about trees.  I had such fun making this card and love how it turned out.  I started off by inking some Distress Ink on to my cardstock and then using a Tim Holtz stencil and Peacock Feathers Distress Ink for the background.  

I inked a background for my die cut before I cut it out using Peacock Feathers, Walnut Stain, Speckled Egg and Liquitex Ink in Iridescent Bright Gold.  The die cut of the tree with that lovely image of the deer and the birds is from Lisa Jones and Sizzix called Folk Christmas Tree.  It cuts out the tree and a background for the tree which I inked in Walnut stain.  

The star was from my stash and I added some more of that lovely gold ink.  The sentiment was cut from a larger stamp to show the words Christmas Tree and I added the Oh in die cuts from Tim Holtz.  I've yet to find a nice stamp I like which has Oh Christmas Tree all in one stamp!! I added some more of that lovely gold ink to the edges of the sentiment and added a border around the cardstock.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes 

FabnFunky - Christmas 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Anything Goes

Addicted To Stamps - Christmas 

Through the Craft Room Door - AG

COLORADO CRAFT COMPANY - ANITA JERAM STAMPS

I just love these stamps - I don't normally do cute but I do remember her book as one I used to read to my children when they were little.  I first saw these stamps being used by Sandy Allnock and thought I'd never get them here in the UK - I was delighted when I found them on Seven Hills Crafts website and had to treat myself.

They are lovely stamps for doing gentle watercolouring with - and I've been having a play with them all weekend.  

Today I've used the mice for the challenge over at TGIF using their sketch as inspiration.

I used Tim Holtz Distress Inks for the colouring and a stencil for the leaf background on the cardstock.  I've kept it simple so as not to detract from the lovely little stamps.

I'm also adding this into the following challenges:

Crafty Catz - AG - optional three favourite colours - mine are green, brown and red 

Just Add Ink - shades of green

Creative Knockouts - Birthday Wishes 

Cute Card Thursday - Celebrate

Fusion - Green 

Seize The Birthday - three shades of green - I've used Distress Ink Rustic Wilderness, Crushed Olive and Mowed Lawn

Inspired By - Green 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - A bit of Green 

Crafty Gals - Green 

SWEET STAMPIN - SPRING MOODBOARD

We have a lovely Spring Moodboard for you this time at Sweet Stampin.

I have this lovely stamp set from Simon Says Stamp called Choose Joy and I knew I just wanted to use those lovely wellington boots filled with flowers.  The stamp set has a stamp which creates the plaid grid - such a great idea and a lot of fun to use.  I used Stampin Up cardstock in Soft Sky and used the same ink to add the delicate plaid background. 

I used Spellbinders Cutting Dies for my image.  I coloured the boots and flowers with Distress Inks.  The sentiment is from the same set.  I added a few Nuovo Drops to finish off the card.

I'm also adding this into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - use a stamped image 

Dragonfly Dreams - include a flower

Daring Cardmakers - plant a flower

Colour Crazy Challenge - AG 

Try it on Tuesday - Flowers 

STAY CURIOUS

I've been having a play with one of my Visible Image stamps this week called Curious Cats.  I love most animals but especially cats and have three cats - a black one, a grey and white one and a ginger female which is very rare - she decided to make an appearance on my card today as the colours I chose seem to be her colours.  I used to be a fosterer for our local cat's protection and my ginger girl came in to the pens as a stray and she was so lovely I had to keep her for myself! 

I started out with stamping the image of the cat's face with some Ranger Archival Ink in black.  I used some Distress Inks and an aqua water pen to add the stripes - I used Rusty Hinge, Spiced Marmalade, Ground Espresso and Fossilised Amber for her eyes.  I also added some Glossy Accents to the eyes to give them sparkle.  

I double stamped the sentiment in both black and Spiced Marmalade.

I layered it onto orange and black cardstock.  

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Inspired By - Cats

Cupcake Inspirations - Cats

Chocolate Baroque - I Love.... cats

Dare 2BArtzy - AG

Allsorts Challenge - Use Yellow

Addicted to CAS - animal - I'm not sure if this is CAS enough

Just Us Girls - Animal

I'm delighted to have been chosen in the top 3 of Cupcake Inspirations 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS - #SC359

We have a fabulous sketch for you this week at Hand Stamped Sentiments. 

I used an old set from Penny Black stamps called Enjoy for my card.  I started off by inking and stencilling on my background using Distress Inks and a Vicki Boutin stencil.  The background flowers and sentiment were stamped with Ranger Archival Ink.  

The background for the embossed birds was made with Distress Inks in Ripe Persimmon and Speckled Egg. I attached a small piece of linen thread and some washi tape from my stash.

613 AVENUE CREATE - Anything Goes w/Optional Twist: CREATE A SLIDER CARD

Our twist this month at 613 Avenue Create is to create a slider card.  It's been a while since I made one of these so I was up for the challenge.

I started off with a piece of Stampin Up cardstock in this gorgeous purple colour and using an SU mask I inked it in Distress Ink Wilted Violet.  I cut out a hole with a stitched framelit in the front.  The butterfly is a Tim Holtz die and I used some old SU DSP to cut it out from.

The flowers and jug are from a Simon Says Stamp set called Take Heart.  I used SU blender pen in light grey for the jug and Distress Inks in Peeled Paint, Crushed Olive, Wilted Violet and Shaded Lilac for the flowers and leaves. 

The stamp set also has this lovely hummingbird and I wanted it to appear as though he is flying in to the flowers when you open the card.  It was coloured in with Distress Inks in Wilted Violet and Peacock Feathers with some Spectrum Noir glitter pen to make him shine.  The sentiments are from the same stamp set.  I continued the stencilling on the inside of the card.

I'm adding this into the following challenges also:

The Creative Crafters - AG 

QKR Stampede - AG

Crafty Animals - Bird

Lil Red Wagon - Fun Feathered Friends

The Library Challenge - Birds 

The Paper Players -Spring moodboard 

The Flower Challenge - shades of purple 

Tuesday Taggers - Say It With Flowers 

'L' IS FOR LIFE

What a great challenge over at Just Add Ink - Just Add 'L'.  Looking through my stamp sets I found just the set I wanted to use - a Visible Image set I'd recently bought called Just Be Happy.  I knew it would be a great one for my new journal I'm working on this year - so my L for this challenge is Life.

I started out by cutting my cardstock to 5" x 5" - I added some Distress Oxide Ink in Old Paper and then using a Visible Image stencil called Atomic Flower I went over it in Distress Oxide Frayed Burlap.  

The tree and the leaves and the Touch Life sentiment is from another Visible Image stamp set called Tree of Life. I stamped the tree in Ranger Black Archival and the leaves in Ranger Archival Library Green. I coloured them in with Distress Ink in Mowed Lawn and Crushed Olive and added some Tri Spectrum glitter pen to give them a shine.  I used the same archival green for the sentiment and coloured it in with Distress.  I edged the card with Mowed Lawn and Peacock Feathers.  I layered the card onto some black card stock. 

I'm also adding this into  Addicted To Stamps - Stencils/Die Cuts - I used a stencil 

BIRD TAG

Sharing a tag today with a bird theme.  I've used some Tim Holtz distress inks, botanical collage paper and bird die.  The words were cut out of an old dictionary that I use for my mixed media projects.  

This was recently gifted to one of the members of my Facebook group The Joy of Sets who wants to start making mixed media tags.  She loved it which is always nice to hear.

I'm adding this into the following challenges

The Library Challenge - Garden Birdwatchers Bible book

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

My Time to Craft - Tag It 

Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Anything Goes 

I'm delighted to say my card was chosen in the top 3 at My Time to Craft 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS - #ICC358

We have a mood board for you this week at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  A tricky one for me as I don't actually have any succulent stamps so I went with the colours and created a spring garden flower scene.  I'm sure there are lots of us who can't wait for Spring to arrive. 

I used some Tim Holtz Stamps from his Flower Jar collection.  I stamped them in a brown rather than a black so they weren't too harsh.  I used Distress Inks and a paint brush to colour in the flowers.  The birds are from an old TH set and the sentiment is from Kaisercraft.  I added a sparkling butterfly as you need to have a butterfly on some flowers! 

TRY STAMPIN ON TUESDAY - #TSOT494

We have a mix up challenge for you this week at Try Stampin on Tuesday - I decided to have a go at the bleaching technique as it's not one I've tried before.  I did some checking out of You Tube to see how it was done and there may be more than one way but I chose this way.

I decided my 'bleached' part would be my tree.  It's from a Visible Image stamp set called Tree of Life and I started out by using Versamark and then used clear embossing powder.  I used some distress inks to create the background - using TH Tumbled Glass, Pear Pizazz and a touch of Vintage Photo for the tree. Rubbing the inks over the clear embossing makes the image pop and makes it appear bleached. 

 I layered this on to a piece of black cardstock just on the right hand side.  The background was made with a stencil and some Vintage Photo and Tumbled Glass.

The sentiment comes from the same set and I used some Ranger Archival Ink and coloured the background in Vintage Photo - I added a piece of linen thread and popped it up on dimensionals.

COUNTRY HOME

I love this set from Stampin Up called Country Home - mainly for the jug and the urn.  I spotted the challenge over at Inspired By which had a gorgeous image of a pink jug and flowers and knew I wanted to use this set.  I also followed the sketch on A Place to Start which I actually found quite tricky to follow!

I started by using no line water colouring on the jug in Distress Ink Hickory Smoke and coloured it in with a paint brush and some Tattered Rose Distress Ink.  I stamped the flowers in Pear Pizazz Archival and coloured them in Spun Sugar and Crushed Olive.  I added some shading behind and cut it out with a stictched circle die.  That was the easy part.

I found the background paper in my stash and it is some old SU DSP which is black and white so I coloured it with Spun Sugar and used Tattered Rose for the flowers.  I used the little tile stencil from the set just to give some interest in the bottom corner and used Versamark ink.  I added the same stamp to the little banner.  The Happy Birthday die is really the only word die I have that isn't Christmas so I think a purchase may be needed.  I added it in black.

I'm still not sure I'm really happy with this - it may have to grow on me.

I'm adding it into the following challenges:

Inspired By

A Place To Start

I'm delighted to say my card was chosen as a Top Sprout at A Place to Start 

BUTTERFLY TAG

We have had a touch of snow here again in the UK - some parts have it quite bad but we just have a smattering here in Hampshire - enough though to warrant staying indoors and crafting.

My tag today fits in with the challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Monday which is Resist.  I used Distress Oxide in Chipped Sapphire and Fossilised Amber for my background and then used a Tim Holtz stencil 129 and lifted off the ink with a baby wipe.  The background can just about be seen underneath the butterfly.  I must admit I find it hard making backgrounds and then almost covering them all up - practice I suppose.

The butterfly is a die from Tim Holtz - I had a piece of background I’d worked on which had been stencilled with some Distress Paste coloured with Walnut Stain Ink and I used this to cut out the butterfly - it adds some texture.  I then coloured it with the sample Distress Oxide inks of Sapphire and Amber but added some Liquitex Liquid Ink in Gold to give it more of a shimmer on the amber part of the wings.  The sentiment is cut out of an old dictionary I use for sayings.

I added some washi tape from my stash as it shows butterflies and finished off with some ribbon and some copper thread from Stampin Up underneath the butterfly.