Snow Day Fun ...

Snow, snow, snow ... is the only topic of conversation around the UK at the moment ... it seems to have brought the country to a virtual standstill ... but there is always an upside ... our school is closed so I get a three day weekend!!  So I have spent the day crafting ... making cards, making books and even creating an art journal page!!!

It seemed only right to share some of my hard work with you this evening ...

I was inspired by the sketch at CAS Colours & Sketches #261

... and by the current challenge at TIME OUT Challenges #104

 

A bold sentiment heat embossed on vellum and adhered to a vibrant panel created on my gelli printing plate. Both elements have been adhered to the card base with foam tape for added dimension.

Enjoy!

Mixed Media Sunday ...

Good evening ... I hope you've had a good weekend.  I've been lucky enough to spend time crafting!! I decided that if I'm ever to be a confident mixed media artist I'm going to have to practise and practise ... so that is what I have been doing.  To warm up I did some mono-printing using my gel printing plate ... trying to create grungy style prints.  These are two of the prints I created:

Hopefully they will be further developed with some stencilling and stamping to create either a journal page or be cut up for ATCs or Tags.

I still had time to spare so I took a section from another gel print and created this tag:

I added some stamping to the print before stitching it to a manilla tag.  I added the die cut hearts, butterfly and word.  I adhered the butterfly by the body only to leave the wings free to add dimension.

I used:
A mixture of acrylic paints
STAMPlorations - Mixed Media Grunge Stamps;  Flutter Zen 2 Layering dies, Manilla Tags Nesting dies, Love die, Clustered Heart die.

I'm going to enter this tag into the Mixed Media Challenge at Happy Little Stampers

Enjoy!

Love everything ...

Good evening ... I hope all is good with you!  I'm popping by to share a card for the new challenge at "Less is More" where the theme is to use dry embossing ... not a technique that I use very often.  This is the design that popped out of my head:

I embossed a piece of card and then cut it into strips of different lengths and adhered them to the card base.  Using a scrap of a print I created using acrylic paint, stencils and a gel plate I die cut the three butterflies and adhered them to the panel along the body leaving the wings raised to add dimension.  Added a sentiment and that is it!!

I used:
Die'Sire Butterfly die
Simon Says Stamp - Handwritten Borders
Stampin Up - Not Quite Navy ink

I'm entering these challenges:

"Less is More" #365


Addicted to Stamps and More #279


Enjoy!

AAA Cards Die Cuts only ...

It's time for a new challenge at AAA Cards ... this time it is all about die cuts!

We're looking for CAS cards that feature die cuts as their main and focal point. We will accept the addition of a stamped sentiment, but not stamped images that have been die cut. As always our definiton of CAS means that white space should not be patterned, embossed or textured.

I love using die cuts to create cards.  Recently have been die cutting from prints that I've created using acrylic paints on gel printing plates ... and today is no exception ... one design, two colourways.

I used:
Dienamics - High Rise Alpha dies
STAMPlorations - Birthday die

I hope you will be inspired to get out your dies and join in with the challenge ... if you need more inspiration pop across to the blog and check out the design team projects.

Enjoy!

Twofer Love ...

Good evening from a wet and windy Oxfordshire ... I hope somebody out there is enjoying blue skies and sunshine!

Today I was inspired to create a couple of cards ... same supplies, different designs for different (although similar) events.

A Valentine card on the left and a wedding card on the right - both created using scraps of prints made using a gelli plate.

The Valentine card:

I began by stamping and heat embossing a piece of card with a small heart background stamp.  I die cut two hearts from a gelli plate print and then stitched them to the base before adding a heat embossed sentiment and adhering the panel to the card base.

The Wedding card:

For this card I used the same heart die set but this time used a smaller die as well to create two open hearts that I could intertwine. 

I used:
Sizzix Nesting Heart Dies #2
UNIKO  - Simply Said and Scattered Polka Heart Background Stamp
Wow White Embossing Powder and Gold

I'm entering the following challenges:

Twofer Card Challenge #2

TIME OUT Challenge #102 - inspired by the heart in the photograph.

Uniko Challenge

Enjoy!

Love inspiration ...

Good evening!! I wish it was Spring ... it has been a cold a dreary weekend!

I'm stuck in a bit of a creative rut at the moment ... I spent quite a lot of yesterday trying to create a card or complete a page in my art journal with no success whatsoever!! Then when I should have given up and gone to bed an idea popped into my head from nowhere ... this is the result:

This is inspired by these challenges:

"Less is More" #364


TIME OUT Challenge #102


My heart was created using a die and a scrap of a gelli print.  I die cut the musical score 4 times from card and adhered them together to make a thicker element to add dimension.  The hardest part was lining up the individual letters for the sentiment ... it always amazes me how well they stick to your fingers!

I used:
X Cut Heart Nesting Dies
Sizzix Sing Out Loud die
Lawn Fawn Milo's ABC 
Stampin Up Nearly Navy Ink

Enjoy!!

AAA Cards ... All you need is love ...

As a new week begins it is time for a new challenge at AAA Cards ... are you ready to be inspired ... how about getting you craft supplies and join in with the challenge ... the theme:

The sponsor for this challenge is UNIKO ... if you join in with the challenge you have the chance of winning a beautiful stamp set.  

I used:

UNIKO - Pure Florals: Rose

Distress Inks - Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry

Sizzix Nesting Heart dies

Tim Holtz Mixed Media dies

Wow Embossing Powder

Pop over to the blog and check out the awesome designs from the team ... then start creating!

Enjoy!