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

Hands

I spotted the challenge of Hands over at Shopping our Stash Weekly and found that quite intriguing.  Digging around in my stamps I found the Mindful Moments set from Visible Image stamps. Perfect!

I started by making a background with some acrylic inks from Arteza.  I stamped and cut out the image, added some Distress Ink in Speckled Egg and stenciled over the top with silver embossing paste from Stampin Up using one of their mandala stencils.  I added some extra silver embossing to the edges of the card. The silver embossing gives the card a lovely sheen.

 I used the wording from the set and kept it plain and added the extra hands.  I added some words to the background with an old Cherry Pie art stamp script stamp.

CAS - Clean and Simple

A bit of a change of direction from me today after all the mixed media and grunge.  Something Clean and Simple and hopefully Elegant for the Allsorts challenge.

I took my inspiration for the card from the sketch over at Retro Rubber.   I grabbed the old SU set Botanical Prints which I haven't used in such a long time and the flowers are so pretty I thought they could stand up to being CAS all on their own.   

On opening my stamp set I found some of the extra bits that came with this set so I used one of the cut outs to look like Trellis behind the flowers.  I stamped the flowers in Distress Archival Ink and Versafine Clair.  I used a stitched framelit to cut them out and layered them on dimensionals to make them pop a bit more.  The sentiment is from an old Simon Says Stamp set.

Simply Less is More - Birthdays 

Allsorts Challenge Blog - CAS

Retro Rubber - Sketch 

Double Trouble - fruity colours 

Sisterhood of Crafters - Flowers 

The flower Challenge 

Art Journal Page - T stands for.....

I was inspired for my Art Journal page today by the challenge at Altered Book Lover by Elizabeth and Blue Beard which said T stands for......  Mine is a double T - T stands for Time to Try as I start on this art journal journey, which I'm loving by the way.  My new passion is trying clusters too and I added one to this page.  

I decided to do this in my clean journal - as opposed to my messy book altering one.  I wanted to use just two inks and Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet is one of my favourite at the moment and I paired it with Speckled Egg.  I used a make up brush to add my inks to the page and then used a Tim Holtz stencil for the clocks.

I have a new stamp set from Woodware Craft collection called Vintage Circles and they are just perfect with their images of clocks and butterflies.  I stamped some direct to the page and others I stamped in black, coloured in and then cut them out.

I added one of my clusters to the bottom of the page.  I stamped my sentiment on to some vintage fabric.  I am trying to include fabrics into my mixed media.  The quote at the top is from Tim Holtz Ideaology and I thought if fit perfectly with my theme.

T also stands for Tea Cake and at the moment I am making a Bara Brith - a Welsh speckled tea bread made from fruit soaked in tea.  Bara Brith literally means speckled bread. 

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

We Love Stamping - Stamping and stencils 

We love 2 Create - AG 

Creative Artist Mixed Media 

Hand Stamped Sentiments #IC382

Welcome to another challenge from Hand Stamped Sentiments with these gorgeous images to inspire you.

If you are a regular to my blog you know I'm not an SU demo and don't have any of the latest products.  I'm starting to become a firm believer in using all the mountain of stash I have - especially from an environmental point of view.  We crafters use a lot of papers and surely the supply isn't endless.  So I'm doing my bit for the planet and using up that mountain of supplies I already have rather than buying new - at least until it's run out - I wonder when that would be?

For my card today I've used an old SU stencil for the brick wall and some Tim Holtz distress ink - letting it fade down at the bottom.  The stamp set is also an old one I think called Feels Like Home.  I stamped the image then cut round the edges and roughed them up a bit and added some ink round the edges.  I used Versafine Clair ink in  Warm Breeze to stamp my image and used some old SU marker pens to colour in the door. I used a touch of Nuovo Drops just to give some added interest. 

Tim Holtz' Cat Chat

It's been a while since I've played with this fun set so I thought it needed an airing especially as I have the co-ordinating dies.  

I was inspired by the colours and image of the rather grumpy cat at As You See It Challenge.  I didn't have all their SU colours but did have Crumb Cake ink and cardstock and Calypso Coral.  I used Distress Inks for the greens.  

I started out by using my Gel press to mix and add the colours adding lots of water to give them a subtle look.  I stamped the cat and coloured him in with the two SU colours.  I added some stencilling to the background and also added some of the images of the milk bottle and fish bones which come with the set. I cut a few of them out also and added them to the card. I layered it onto black and then Crumb Cake card stock.

I was a bit stumped for the sentiment for this then found this great one in my stash.  I hope it also makes you smile.

I'm adding this into the following challenges

As You See It #267 - Mood Board

A place to start - Critters

Stamping Sensations - anything with a tail

We love stamping - plus stencil

SUYP - AG cats

Art Journaling

I started Art Journaling last year when I was so frustrated at a longed for house move that just wasn't happening.  I found putting my thoughts and feelings onto paper really helped me.  I found a variety of artists on the internet but the one who spoke to me most was Shawn Petite and I have learned so much from watching her videos.

I started out first on papers and made my own book of sorts.  Then I found an old book in a charity shop and have breathed new life into it by adding my art to its pages.  Here I can be as messy as I like as no-one sees it.

At Christmas hubby bought me a gorgeous leather bound book which he said was for my journaling.  It's so lovely I can't let any Gesso or mess near it lol!  So I now have two books in which I journal - one where I can be messy and one where I need to take a bit more care.  I'm showing both images here.

I've just found an Art Journal challenge on the internet called Art Journal Journey and they asked What is your Style?  Well I really don't know yet - and it seems to be different depending on which book I'm working in.  I'm enjoying this art medium and working through what I like and what I don't.  I'll be interested in looking back in a few years and maybe seeing how my style will change.  

I rarely share my journal pages on line but here goes!

This is what I call my clean pages journal:

I'm adding this page into the More than Words challenge for the use of Florals and Stencils.

And this is my altered book pages 

Delighted that my following page won Top 5 over at Try it on Tuesday 

I'm also adding this into:

 Try it on Tuesday Challenge for their add a quote 

Creative Artiste Mixed Media - AG 

Valentine's Card

I thought I'd share my Valentine's Card for hubby this year - quite safe as he never looks at my blog lol!  This will be our 40th Valentines together - my how the years do fly by.

I started off using the Gell print and Distress Ink in Crackling Campfire and Speckled Egg.  They made a lovely background which I'm going to do again.  I added the heart from Visible Image stamp set called From the Heart.  Using an embossing pen I embossed parts of the image in Crackling Campfire and Speckled Egg Glaze.  I added the little sentiment from Tim Holtz ideaology pack and some of Tim's velvet ribbon.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

SSS Wednesday - All about Love 

Double D Challenge - all about hearts 

Watercooler Challenge - Occasions 

Paperfunday - AG option hugs and kisses 

Make the Card Challenge - Valentines 

The Card Concept - Image 

The Four Seasons - winter hearts 

Retro Rubber - Love - the stamp is dated Nov 2020

IA&S - hearts

Country View Challenge  hearts and flowers and bold print

Sending hugs

My card today has been inspired by two challenges - Inkspirational which ask for Cosy and the sketch over at CAS Colours and Sketches. 

I remembered I had a Clearly Besotted stamp which featured a bear all rugged up in her blanket.  It's called Pawly Pals.  I coloured her in with some Graphite pencils and Lime Otter pens.  The embossing folder is from Stampin Up and is the epitome of cosy.  The sentiment is from another Clearly Besotted set.  There is a touch of glitter pen on her little blanket.

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 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS #CC381

Welcome to another colour challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  Don't these colours just give you the idea that spring is right around the corner?  Well, perhaps in some parts of the world.  My colours came out quite dark for some reason.  I'm on a mission to use up a lot of my stash before I start buying any new stuff and one of the things I want to use up is all my scrapbook papers and old SU DSP.  A lot of them I have been cutting up and using for journal pages.

This is some old SU DSP I had and I liked the idea of colouring it in with the above colours.  The yellow got a bit lost so I layered it onto some Daffodil Delight card stock just to try and bring out the yellow.  The butterfly is from an old SU die cut and I cut and layered it three times on yellow, white and pink.  The sentiment is from a Wendy Vecchi stamp set.  I added some pearls to finish it off.

BIRD TAG

I had a lot of fun making this tag.  I started off with cutting out the tag with a Tim Holtz die from a piece of packaging to give the tag added texture.  I used lots of inks and texture paste for the background and added layers with some Tim Holtz 3d embossing folders - I love these - they are so versatile.  The stamps are all from Tracy Evans set - I stamped the hat for the bird twice and popped it on dimensionals to give a bit more height.  The twig is from the garden with some added twine.  The extra bits are all from my stash.  

I'm adding this into the following challenges - 

We Love Stamping - theme of Wings 

Simon Says Stamp Monday - theme of birds/insects 

Sisterhood - colour blue

IA&S - Get Inky 

We love2 Create - AG 

USE YOUR STASH

I'm joining in with TGIF challenge #tgifc351  and their sketch which allows us to use up some scraps of paper.  I've also used an old Stampin Up stamp set  - I'm in a bid to use up all the craft supplies I have rather than buy any more for a while.  Seriously - I don't need any more stuff!  I had a great sort out yesterday - after the move I still had some crafting supplies to be sorted so yesterday was the great sort out.  Any old scrapbooking papers I cut up and added it to my stash for journaling - any quotes or pieces that could be made into embellishments also got cut up and added to my journaling stash.  It certainly made the pile of things never used a lot smaller and felt quite liberating.

Anyway I digress - on to the card I have created today.  I started with my favourite Stampin Up Embossing folder - ever!  Painted Texture 3d!  I added some Distress Ink to the folder and then spritzed it with water before running it through the folder - that adds a light touch of the ink whilst you emboss.  I used some Perennial Essence scraps I had found during my sort out - and layered them and added some Rik Rak and some Washi Tape.  I cut out the flower from Floral Essence three times and inked it in Fresh Fig and added a touch of Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink.  The flowers were inked in Versafine Clair Shady Lane and Crushed Olive.  The sentiment is from Tim Holtz.

MORE WATERCOLOURING

I'm still in a bit of a watercolouring phase - do you get like that with your crafting?    I fancied having a go at the As You See It Challenge and could just see a water colour background for their sketch. 

I used four Tim Holtz Distress Colours - Seedless Preserves, Picked Raspberry, Peacock Feathers and Mustard Seed.  I don't use a lot of yellow really in my crafting as I'm more about the earthy grungy tones but I thought these colours inspired by Kristine Werner would give me the colour background I wanted.

I smooshed them on to the Tim Holtz mat and spritzed with water until I got the effect I wanted. 

I added a very thin strip of old Stampin Up DSP tapering it off to the outer edge.  I used Stampin Up Botanical Prints stamp for the flower and coloured in just the flower with the Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserves.  I gently edged the circle with the Peacock Feathers.  The sentiment is from Tim Holtz. It is going to be my phrase for 2022.  I have a new home back home in my beloved Wales and life has turned a corner for my hubby and I and we are loving every minute of it. 

I used Tim Holtz watercolour paper to stand up to all the water.  I added some drops of Nuovo Crystal Drops in Wedgewood Blue.

I'm also adding this in the CAS Mix up again 

QKR Stampede- AG 

A Bit more time to Craft - AG 

Creative Crafters - AG 

Snarky Stampers - Ink

Inkspirational - GOAL - my sentiment is my phrase for the year 

Creative Fingers - AG 

Watercolouring

I'm joining in with the CASMix Up card challenge blog - a new one I've just found.  Their theme is Loose Watercolouring and I fancied getting the Tim Holtz Distress Inks out and having a play.  My first card uses the inks added with a water brush - splodged onto the Tim Holtz mat - the stamp is one from Anita Jeram.

The second cards uses those same inks but these time they had been spritzed with water so as not to waste them and the card was swooshed into the ink.  I hope you like my swoosh word lol!  I've used another of the Anita Jeram stamps here - they really lend themselves to watercolours.

I'm adding these into the following challenges:

Shopping our Stash - Something beginning with S - for Stamps 

SUYP - Cats 

We love stamping - anything stamped 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS #SC380

Welcome back to my blog for another year's crafting adventures for 2022.  I have cut right down on my commitment to some of the Design Teams I was on but remain with Hand Stamped Sentiments for as long as they will have me.  I find my crafting is going in different directions with journaling and mixed media pulling me in that direction at the moment - but cards and scrapbooking will still be part of my crafting.

This week we have a great sketch for you - I always admire those who design sketches - I must admit it's beyond me to be able to get the computer to design it for me.

I've used some Visible Image stamps called Break Free and their number stencilv for my card and Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  I love this number stencil from VI and have used it a lot already.  The background for the flower was embossed with one of my favourite Stampin Up embossing folders which is the Painted Texture 3d folder - I coloured over it with some inks.  I added two lots of the flowers and popped them up on each other to add a bit more dimension. The touch of gold on the flowers is from Liquitex Acrylic Ink.  The quote is a Tim Holtz stamp.