I Spy

Yesterday, my crafting buddy and I went to a local scrapbooking store

where we played in an art journalling class.

While we waited for everyone to arrive, we gessoed a double page in our journals.

Using three gelatos (in our own choice of colour),

we scribbled them randomly, then smooshed them around smoothing out the colour

with baby wipes.

Washi tape was added to the top of the pages.

A bit of spraying, a bit of stamping, a bit of colouring - there was lots going on!

Alice is looking a bit ghostly, don't you think?

Look at this enormous flower - perfect for a caterpillar to munch on.

Don't hurry though, there is plenty of time to finish off these pages!

 Stamps
Carabelle Studios - Alice in Wonderland

Challenges
www.lostcoastportaltocreativity.blogspot.no/2018/01/challenge-45-i-am-woman.html

And this afternoon, that is what I've done - finished placing and glueing the flowers.

Happy Crafting!

 

Congratulations

In the last week or so, I've been going through my craft stuff

and culling what I know I will never use or is simply old [still new, but old].

I've even found a couple of things long forgotten about but still very useful.

I've decided culling is good for the soul.

 

I guess the downside of this is that I keep buying new things 

which is filling up the space I'm creating!  LOL!!

 

 

One of my friends recently asked me to make a wedding card for her.

I've eyed off this stamped for quite some time and finally decided I had to have it!

The design is from Pinterest but there are so many similar, 

I have no idea who would have originally made it.

I shaded the couple very carefully with Prismacolor pencils, 

mounted it on a silver mat and then onto folded white card.

The sentiment was stamped onto a snippet of white card with the ends notched.

It was adhered with a foam dot and a little white heart attached to the end.

 

Stamps

Stampingbella - uptown couple BRETT and BRENDA get married

 

Unfortunately, the wedding in question has been postponed, 

hopefully not for too long. 

 

 Happy Crafting!

 

Ugh! People!

When you're having fun .... keep going!

That's what I've been doing with these Distress Oxide backgrounds.

Each one is unique and random and it is so easy to make a quick card when 

you don't need to think twice about the background.

This little chap  rat looks a bit worried - I wonder if he is being chased by 'people', or even worse?

I know rats aren't usually blue/green, however I wanted him to stand out from the background
and it seems to suit him.

I gave the background a quick spritz with water to age it slightly, 

and ran a fine black pen around the edges for a border.

Ratty is coloured with my usual favourite Prismacolor pencils

and a piece of washi tape in almost the same colours as the background,

helps to ground him.

I know I've been using black mats on white cards a lot lately,

but with the lovely bright colours of the Distress Oxides,
I think the black compliments the backgrounds very well.

Stamps

Katzelkraft - Les rats des villes [KTZ179]

Dylusions - Ugh!! People!! [DYR51282]

Distress Oxides

worn lipstick, spiced marmalade, broken china

I bought some Dylusions paint pens yesterday, along with a new stamp and co-ordinating stencil

so I think a play might be in order.

Happy Crafting!

 

I love you

When it comes to new stamps, I should but can't resist.

This was definitely the case recently and as I still had some background card sitting on my desk from when I was playing the the Distress Oxides - well! - Say no more!

This girl reminds me of a cartoon character

(please don't ask me which one though)

and I just love how carefree and whimsy she looks

dancing across the card.

I coloured her with my favourite Prismacolor pencils and fussy cut her.

Using 'jet black' Archival Ink I stamped a border across the bottom

and added a sentiment.

A simple black mat and white card and it's finished!

Stamps

Studio Magda Polakow - #2

49 and Market - Gabi's Line Stitch Stamp Set

Tim Holtz - Simple Sayings CMS155

Challenges

 http://craftstamper.blogspot.com.au/2018/01/take-it-make-it-challenge-january.html
 http://snarkystampers.blogspot.com.au/2018/01/soss-101-t-is-for-technique.html

 

I have this card sitting on a little easel on my desk as I just love it!

Happy Crafting!

  

Congratulations

Friends recently had a new grandson

so to celebrate this exciting event, I made them a card.

This little giraffe was from a freebie set on a recent magazine

[my apologies but I don't remember which magazine].

He is quite cute and is perfect for a baby card.

I stamped him onto white card and coloured him with Kaisercraft pencils.

The 'congratulations' is from an old Stampin' Up! set of sentiments.

I added some punching around the edges for a bit more interest,

added a blue mount and adhered it to a white card.

I've seen a few photos of their gorgeous new family addition

and I would have to say his grandparents are definitely smitten!

Happy Crafting!

 

My Kind of Monster

I love how you can take one piece of A4 cardstock,

a few different coloured inkpads

and it creates a fabulous background for so many cards,

each one being unique.

 

 

This little monster thought he'd come out of hiding,

but he looks rather worried by the thundercloud hovering above him.

 

He's definitely my kind of monster - not scarey at all!

 

Stamps

Aall & Create - #13; #18.

 

I stamped him onto a scrap of white cardstock, coloured him with Prismacolor pencils, 

fussy cut him and glued him onto the ATC.

 

A hand-drawn border was added to finish off.

 

Happy Crafting!

   

 

 

Be Happy

I was on a bit of a roll yesterday after making backgrounds with the Distress Oxides, 

and of course cutting down cardstock means having smaller leftover pieces.

If they happen to be 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" (or bigger so they can be cut down) 

they are the perfect size for ATCs.

This little chap was a perfect fit, so I stamped him directly onto the card,

then stamped him again on leftover pieces of the background, 

thus creating his yellow scarf and green shoes.  I fussy cut around these

and glued them directly onto the first image. 

I coloured his body and the sign with Prismacolor pencils

and finished off with a hand-drawn border.

Stamps

Aall & Create - #13; #18

Distress Oxides

broken china; spiced marmalade; twisted citron; worn lipstick

Another HOT day forecast again today, yesterday was around 38C where I live, 

so it will be interesting to see what today's temperature will be.

It's days like this, I'm grateful we have air-conditioning!

Happy Crafting!

 

Be Awesome

This afternoon I thought I would make some backgrounds from Distress Oxides

and then have a play with some of my newly acquired stamps.

Using 'spiced marmalade', 'fossilized amber', 'broken china' and 'twisted citron'

I inked up my craft mat, spritzed the colours with water

and smooshed some white cardstock through,

thus creating some one of a kind backgrounds.

Once the background had dried, I cut it down to 9cm x 11cm

which was the perfect size for the stamp I had in mind.

The image was inked and stamped directly onto the background

and again a second time onto white card.

This 'awesome' little character was coloured with Prismacolor pencils, fussy cut 

and adhered over the first image.

The background was given a black mat to compliment the inky colours.

Stamps

Katzelkraft : "Ignace - Les gros chats"
Aall & Create : #13

Prismacolor Pencils

Cool Grey 20%, Cool Grey 50%, Aquamarine, Limepeel, Apple Green

Distress Oxide

spiced marmalade, fossilized amber, broken china, twisted citron

Challenges

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - "T" is for Technique

Craft Stamper - Take It Make It Challenge : January

Happy Crafting!

      

Les Chateaux

It's forecast to be another HOT day in Sydney today,

with temperatures in the 40Cs, phew!

  I think the air-con might be getting a good workout later in the day!

In the meantime ......

..... I've been having a play with a new addition to my stamp stash.

Using my favourite cardstock, Knight White (280gsm), I stamped the image in 'jet black' Archival Ink.  I wanted to have a watercolour background, so created a wash with Inktense Blocks and water until I got the required pastel consistency of colour.

I stamped the image a second time so that I could fussy cut the girl, putting foam dots under her skirt to give a 2D look. 
 She was also coloured the same way as the background with Inktense Blocks.

Although it's hard to see in the photo, her crown and dress bodice are coloured with a red Gelli Roll pen 
which adds a lovely shimmer.

I looked through my stash of stamps for an appropriate sentiment to put on the bottom left corner, but alas, I just couldn't find what I wanted, so opted for a black sticker instead.

A black mat was added before adhering to a folded white card.

Stamps

Carabelle Studio - "Les Chateaux de la Loire" 

If you are in Australia ..... stay cool; 

if you are somewhere else in the world, I hope the weather is being kind to you.

Happy Crafting!

  

Cascading Mini Album

I've been having a bit of a crafting playday today

dabbling in a couple of different things,

but I'll wait until the recipients have received them before I reveal them here.

Yesterday while I was browsing the FB groups I'm in, I came across a tutorial for this gorgeous little Cascading Mini Album by Teresa Morgan (www.thefatcactus.co.uk).

I jotted down the instructions as I watched the tutorial and this morning thought I'd give it a go.

It took a little while to cut all the various pieces but was straightforward and easy to assemble.

It's not quite finished, as each of the pockets should have a tag or card inside;

and the front cover needs a couple of embellishments.

I think I might have to make another one or two of these, as they would make a lovely gift for someone whether you add photos, words of wisdom or something else.

 Materials

Kaisercraft - Open Road Collection 'Bushwalk' P2447

House of Paper - Knight Smooth Ivory A4 Card

Stampin' Up! - Ivory Seam Binding ribbon

 Now, I'd better head to the supermarket otherwise we'll be 'livin' on love' tonight!

Happy Crafting!