PEARLY SPARKLES - #107 BLACK AND WHITE PLUS ONE OTHER COLOUR

Our challenge this month at Pearly Sparkles is Black and White plus one other colour.  I've gone for a CAS card - yes I know not my usual throw everything at the paper style lol! 

I started with a gentle water colour wash of Dusty Concord Distress Oxide Ink as my colour.  I then stamped the lovely Umbrel heads from Alison Bomber for Paper Artsy in black.  I added a sentiment from Tim Holtz Ideaology which fit perfectly.  

I'm adding this into the following:

Simply CAS - Flowers 

Four seasons challenge - spring 

Ellibells corner - spring flowers 

Simon Says Stamp Wed - AG 

SIMON SAYS STAMP MONDAY CHALLENGE GUEST DESIGNER - WHATEVER THE WEATHER

SIMON SAYS STAMP STORE

It's my final week as Guest Designer for Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and it's been an honour to have been part of this great challenge for the whole of April.  

The challenge theme this week is Whatever the Weather.  Spring is definitely on our minds as we hopefully turn to warmer weather here in the UK and the birds on their nests.  

I started my card with spritzing some Tim Holtz Distress Oxides direct to the card to give a mottled effect.  I then used the Tim Holtz stencil with Speckled Egg to create the extra markings.  I wanted it to look a little bit like a birds nest - all jumbled together.   

I added a stamp from Alison Bombers set Winter Grasses for Paper Artsy stamps just behind the die cut of the feather.  

The die cuts are from Tim Holtz Thinlets set Funky Nature - I just love the addition of the feathers and the eggs in that set.  The little bird is one of Tracy Evan's Boutique Designs stamp set New Beginnings which I stamped and cut out and tucked behind the eggs. 

The sentiment is from another Tracy set with an additional quote from Tim Holtz Ideaology cuttings book. It doesn't show up very well on the picture but I also stamped the quote New Beginnings on the right hand side of the card and embossed it in white embossing powder - to give extra texture. 

Stamps - Tracy Evans Boutique Designs - The Wonder of Nature - TE14

                Tracy Evans Boutique Designs - New Beginnings TE004

        

                Paper Artsy Alison Bomber Winter Grasses - EAB42

Stencil -     Tim Holtz Doodle and Bubble 

Dies -         Tim Holtz Funky Nature thinlets 

Inks -         Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Spray - Speckled Egg 

                    Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink - Bundled Sage 

                    Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink - Evergreen Bough

                    Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink - Frayed Burlap

                    Versafine Clair - Pinecone 

                    Posca Fine White Paint Parker 

Sentiment -     Tim Holtz Ideaology clippings Small Talk 

Embossing Powder - Ranger White 

Don't forget every week  Simon Says Stamp generously give away a FABULOUS $25 voucher to shop at the Simon Says Stamp Store!  One lucky participant chosen at random has the chance to win the voucher - You can join up to 5 times which gives you 5 chances to win.  You have until next Monday at 8 a.m. Ohio time 1 pm UK time, 2 pm CET time to join in.  Good Luck everyone

DAY OF THE MONTH CHALLENGE #69 GUEST DESIGNER

I'm delighted to be Guest Designer over at Day of the Month Card Club challenge blog for the above challenge.

Now this really got me thinking as I really don't have any suitable stamps - however I remembered I do have the Tim Holtz Fresh Baked dies from years ago which haven't been used in a long time.  I decided to go with the biscuit one which felt more fitting for the theme. 

I started by using a set of Tim Holtz stamps called Tiny Text Christmas and I used the whole set of individual stamps to create the background.  I then added some Adhesive Burlap paper which I found in a local craft shop.  What a find that was!  I die cut the cookie and inked the edges and added the snowflake in white to look like icing.  I cut out a variety of  Tim Holtz Holiday Greens Thinlets in cardstock and old book papers and inked with Distress Inks. 

I added some extra pretty berry paper top and bottom.  The sentiments are from Tim Holtz Ideaology for a few years ago.  The little candy stick is from my stash and I coloured it red and white.  The sentiment stickers are from a TH Ideaology sticker book.

I'm adding this into the following challenges - 

Double Trouble - layers 

 A cut above - 

Crafty Calendar - AG 

We love stamping - AG 

Paper Funday - AG 

Daisy Chain Challenge - Christmas 

The holly and Ivy  - AG 

We love 2 create - AG Mixed Media 

Peace on Earth - 

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 

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. 

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. 

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA - 100TH CHALLENGE

Welcome to our 100th edition of Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge. 

Wow isn't that something.  And to celebrate I am offering a prize for one lucky winner.  I look forward to seeing all  your entries and, as usual, please ensure that your projects are mixed media.  If you are unsure we do list in our Rules what counts as mixed media.

My project is a Tim Holtz style Accordion Folio.  I created the folio myself rather than purchase the ready made one - they are very easy to make and they can become quite addictive.  This is the second one I've made in a month and this one just had to be a Christmas one using some of Tim Holtz Ideaology pieces.

To see a video of this Portfolio in full - click on my Instagram link below.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0TT3iFsYiK/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas or whatever season you celebrate and look forward to seeing you all again in 2024!

I'm adding this into the following challenges

The Paper Players - Christmas 

InspireCreate Challenge - Christmas 

Sunday Stamps - Colour Challenge 

Stamping Sensations - Favourite Colours - Red and Green are my favourites 

Welove2create - AG Mixed Media 

Welovestamping - Foliage 

Crafty Calendar - Christmas 

Outlawz - Christmas not a card 

Alphabet Challenge - R for Reindeer 

Four Seasons Challenge - winter 

Love to Craft - AG 

Merry Little Christmas AG 

MiniAlbumMania - AG 

Mix It up Challenge - AG 

A perfect time to craft - AG 

12 months of Christmas - AG 

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA - ANYTHING GOES

Well hello there - today is my birthday.  I'm not telling you how old but the years are creeping up on me.  I had lots of lovely new crafty things to play with which I will be able to use in my Mixed Media makings.

Welcome to another month of Mixed Media loveliness from Creative Artiste Mixed Media.  Another 5" x 7" canvas from me today.  I was inspired by an old video of Tracy Evans which I found on You Tube and I happened to have the stamp set she was using which is called Plant Your Dreams and has this wonderful wonky pear as she calls it.  This was a new technique for me and I just had to have a go.  I'll be doing a lot more of these as it was such fun.

I started by covering my canvas with gesso to prepare it for all I was going to throw at it.  I get these little canvases from The Works here in the UK and they are such a good price and they are fast becoming my favourite thing to make.  

Once the gesso was dry I used an Aallandcreate Stencil called Bloomed Roses and added some Daler Rowney texture paste over it in the bottom left corner.  In the top corners I used an old dot stencil from Tim Holtz and used Cosmic Shimmer Antique Sand Paste by Sam Poole in Moss Blanket.  I adore this colour and these pastes.  I love the muted tones they give.  I added an extra touch to the chipboard no 1 I found in my stash after I had covered it in black ink.

I used some strips of paper I had made from a gel press background to sit the pear on  The pear is then stamped and sculpted with extra Texture Paste.  I'm sure lots of you have done this but this was my first time and I loved doing it. Before it dried I added a chinese coin embellishment from my stash.   I was very patient and left it overnight to dry to ensure it was completely dry and sturdy.   I added some extra inks and colours to the background and some stamping.  Another of the stamps from Tracy's set was the little seal - I stamped it and also cut one out and added Sepia Accents gloss medium to it to make it look more like a seal.  I added some of the words from the set to some calico.  The little tag was made from two sets and I added a Tim Holtz clip.  I also added some bits of Aallandcreate Washi Tape.

My final bit was adding some Pebeo gilding wax in gold.  This was a new thing to me and I had seen Tracy use it - good old Amazon had some in stock.  I added it to my pear, the little seal, the little cip, a touch on the chipboard and some round the edges.  I could have gone to town adding it but decided less is more lol!  

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Stamping Sensations - AG 

We Love 2 Create - AG 

We Love Stamping - AG - in the garden 

The Outlawz Challenge - Embellishments - no cards 

As You See It - new to me was the Pebeo gilding wax 

Beyond the Blue - stencil paste 

Tuesday Taggers - Use a stencil - I used two different stencils on the background 

Pearly Sparkles - anything but a card 

Crafting from the Heart - No Cards

Love to Craft - AG

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS # IC406

We are all about the hearts at Hand Stamped Sentiments for this challenge.  My eye was drawn to that wonderful black cat  - being a bit of a cat lady.  I rummaged among my supplies as I knew I had a wonderful cat stamp I hadn't used in years made by Cherry Pie Art Stamps.  Yep there it was - keep a thing for 20 years and it comes in useful!  

I started by stamping the cat stamp and added the border around it.  I used Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink in Spun Sugar and then added some hearts and a stencil in Picked Raspberry.  I added a touch of script with some stamped off black ink.  The love hearts are from a very old Stampin Up set called Sweet Talk from 2004!  Very nearly 20 years old.  I stamped them and used a heart die to cut them out.  I added a touch of Nuovo Drops at the top and bottom.  The little added sentiment is from Tim Holtz Ideaology - hubby will be getting this Valentine's.

I'm adding this into the following:

Crazy for Cats - AG 

Crafty Animals - AG Animals 

SUYPG - AG 

Colour Hues - pink and red 

Papercraft Challenges - AG 

Fiona 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS

We are in Christmas mode, possibly, at Hand Stamped Sentiments this week with this fabulous sketch.  Of course you don't have to do Christmas but I'm all about the season at the moment.  It is my favourite time to craft.  Normally I would have Christmas music playing also but as hubby is now retired and at home all day I think he would go mad if he started hearing Christmas music in November!!

I've been playing with my gel press lately too and using some lovely acrylic paints I have from Myartscape.  I love their choice of colours.  I had these lovely reds which I wanted to use for the background. First I layered my background piece of card with some Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Antique Linen then used a Tim Holtz Stencil to add the trees in Bundled Sage.  I added the strips of background paper.  

My Santa is from an old Tim Holtz set and he was coloured in with Tim Holtz Distress Ink and SU Stampin Blends in Light Gray for his beard.  The little stockings are a die I have in my stash so I added some Dazzling Diamonds to them for extra sparkle.  The Believe is a Hot of the Press die and I cut it out of white sparkly paper similar to the middle stocking.  

I added some new Tim Holtz Ideaology droplets to finish off the card.

I'm adding this into the following:

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas and for the H - Ho Ho Ho? lol

Send a smile4kids - Christmas for kids 

Creative Artiste - AG 

Krafty Chicks - Use a Stamp

Tic Tac Toe - Santa, Sparkle, Die Cut 

BIRTHDAY TAG

The challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge this week is We're on a Roll'!.  I was inspired by Emma Williams where she had rolled the paper as this was a new technique for me.

I started off my using white gesso for my tag and then adding some Tim Holtz paint in Iced Spruce and Victorian Velvet.  This was my first time for using the paints too which I had great fun in using.  Once dry I used the Tim Holtz music stencil in Weathered Wood - the floral stencil and words stencil in Aged Mahagony.

I then used some of the Tim Holtz Christmas wallpaper to roll up my candles.  I covered the parts that showed the holly with a Happy Birthday die cut which I found in my stash.  I added some strips to the tops of the candles and used a Spectrum Noir sparkle pen in Harvest Moon to add a touch of glimmer to the flames.

We are moving house over the next few months and having a sort out - Hubby yesterday found an old dictionary which had seen better days and he was about to throw it out when he asked if I could use it for my crafting!!! Haven't I taught him well lol!  So I cut out the Birthday and the meaning and added that to the bottom of the tag - the other sentiments are from Tim Holtz Idealogy Clippings Sticker Book.

I added some ribbons to the top from my stash and a brass brad.