Enjoy Spring

Hello everyone !

For my second project for the Country View Crafts Challenge blog, where the theme is Spring, I have made an art journal page.

I started off by cutting out the butterflies and embossing them with the 'Tim Holtz Sizzix Butterfly duo'. This set consists of a die and an embossing folder. Next I sprayed the butterflies with Dylusions Sprays using the colours 'Fresh Lime' and 'Calypso Teal'. I used a blending tool with Distress Ink (Chipped Saphire) to accentuate the edges of the butterflies. For their bodies I used some Tim Holtz Idea-ology arrows which I attached with a brad from the same set. 

Next I stamped the bird (Bird Crazy CMS212) and coloured him with my Copic Markers. I cut him out and set him aside. (I did cut off his hair and tail curl and his legs; I also stamped him on the background and when you combine the two, hey presto a complete bird). The word enjoy was also coloured with Copics. This is a chipboard. 

The background was painted with Dylysions paints in Fresh Lime and Vibrant Turquoise. I toned it down a little by wiping the page with White Linen Dylusions paints and a baby wipe. 

I then used a Tim Holtz stencil (Lattice work) and some Deco Art Crackle Paste. When this was dry I coloured it with the same paints to make it blend into the page a little more. 

Next I used some stamps from a Stampers Anonymous Stamp set called 'Bitty Grunge' to stamp around the edges and also on the page. I used Archival inks around the edge and white paint in the middle of the page. 

The last thing was to adhere the bird, the sentiment and the butterflies to the page. I used Glossy Accents for this. The word spring was made with a Dymo Labelmaker. 

That was it ! I hope you will play along with us. You have until tomorrow to enter... 

Well behaved women....

Hello everyone,

and welcome to my blog. I have a card to share today. I bought this lovely Carabelle  Studio Stamp set at the Art Specially event last week and hadn't used it yet. So today I grabbed one of my ready made backgrounds and made a card with it...

This stamp set is great. There is the lady in a dress with a handbag and a separate body with just the stockinged legs... such fun! 

I sometimes make a batch of backgrounds and this was one of those where I finger paint a 12' x 12' piece of card stock and then chop it in 6 pieces. They can be used as card toppers or as postcards. I cut this one down somewhat so it fitted onto a card. 

I added a little more stamping to the background but only a little as I liked it as it was. (The lighter polkadots were already there). Next I stamped the lady and the body with arms and stockinged legs on a separate piece of paper and coloured both. I then cut them out and added them together. I also stamped the crown from the same set, coloured it and added it to her head. 

She was placed on some washitape. I added some at the top left of the card as well for balance. 

Next I doodled around the edges and stamped the sentiment which is by VivaLasVegaStamps! and fits this lady perfectly I think. I cut it into word strips, adhered them to the panel, doodled around the strips and lastly adhered the panel to a white card. 

Thank you so much for stopping by today ! 

Here comes the sun

Hello everyone,

I have been bursting to tell you that I have been invited to join the Country View Challenge Design Team. Needless to say I happily accepted and for my first post for April's "SPRING" challenge I have made a little MDF panel to hang on the wall. Sit down with a lovely cuppa and see how this came together...

This is the finished project.......

 pan

I started with a piece of MDF which measures 25 x 25 cm or 10 x 10" and 

 painted two layers of Gesso on it

Next I used a Tim Holtz Layering stencil and some modelling paste and dried it with a heat tool. You have to be careful though because if you hold it too close for too long the model paste will start bubbling. 

Next I painted the whole thing with PaperArtsy Freso Finish paints. I used 'Mermaid' 'Beach Hut' and 'Inky Pool'. The 'Inky pool' is the darkest and I used that to accentuate the numbers by painting it on and then wiping some of it off again. 

Here's a close up. 

Next I used some Tim Holtz stamps to add some interest. The harlequins were stamped with a white ink which faded whilst drying so I poured some white embossing powder over them just before it was dry and heat embossed it. In the final version you can see that they are a lot whiter. 

Next I used a flower die to cut some flowers from a piece of white cotton. I cut loads of them... 

Here they all are, ready to be coloured... 

I used Dylusions spray for this... 

After cutting I sprayed them with the Dylusions inks that are in the photo; I did think they were way to bright though, so I sprayed them with the White Linen spray and that toned everything down a bit. 

After drying with the heat tool, I put them together with a brad. 

This is what they looked like.... 

Next I took a scrap of white card stock and used a Copic Marker to draw some horizontal linen on it. I then cut them into vertical 'stems' for the flowers. 

The flowers and stems were then adhered to the panel. 

Here's a close up of the flowers.... 

The last thing I did was stamp the sentiment with Tim Holtz "worn text" alphabet stamps, cut out the words and adhered the strips onto the panel. I added some shading with a charcoal pencil... 

That was it... 

Hope you will join us ! 

I am also entering this into the take it make challenge over at Craftstamper ! Wish me luck !!!