Monday 29 March 2021

*Vera Lane Studio: La Belle Vie

 

Hello

Please let me extend a warm welcome to Fiona Whitehead from Crafty Stamping, my newest follower. I am so pleased you're coming along on my artsy journey!

Monday brings around my DT day for Vera Lane Studio and there is a new digi set in the shop today. It is La Belle Vie and features a lovely girl, with big, bold flower eyes, three different flower designs and two sentiments. I added the chubby bird from Coffee, Tea and Books.


My images were coloured with Copic markers and fussy cut. The background was fist stamped with the Hugely Hexagonal stencil, then heat embossed in white using the Scripted Hexagon stamp. Some extra Distress Oxides were smooshed onto the background along with white paint splatters. I stamped along the edges using Reverse Hexagons and the number stamp from Janet's Background Noise stamp set. 
I tore some of Janets washi tapes and used themaall for grounding my images. Lastly a doodle border was added, along with the two sentiments.
All stamps, stencils and washi tape from AALL & Create.


La Belle Vie                                            Coffee, Tea and Books.

That's all for now.
I hope you'll come along and play on Vera Lane. It's such a friendly, fun place to be!


  

Here's all the info you need:
AALL & Create carry Janet's clear stamp sets. 
A list of stockists can be found here.

Thanks for stopping by today.
xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

NBUS #24 AG 31/03
I only just found your challenge blog, Darnell - I live under a rock!
Dragonfly Dreams March Flowers 31/03
Crafty Catz #544 AG/Dream of Summer 01/04
Scrapping 4 Fun #188 Easter/Spring 01/04 Featured Artist
A Gem of A Challenge #7 AG 08/04
Cardz TV #137 AG 08/04


Saturday 27 March 2021

* AALL & Create: Nature Artist Trading Cube


Hello

First, please let me welcome Liz McGuire, my latest follower. Thank you for sharing my artsy journey, Liz!

Today is my GDT day at AALL & Create and as it is mixed media week, I have an artist trading cube to share. I had a lot of fun working in miniature as the cube is only 2.75 inches cubed. The images are a reminder that spring has arrived in the northern hemisphere and we can look forward to warmth, colour and new life.


The cube has four different scenes and a bird in a nest on top.

It has tiny wooden bobbins to act as legs, lifting it off the surface.


The elements are not glued on flat, but allowed to lift to create texture and dimension.


The wire bird in the nest was stamped twice, once in reverse, using a gelli plate, so that the two pieces could be glued together and the bird is visible on all sides.


Here are close up photos of each panel:





Work in Progress:

1. The panels were coloured with Distress Oxides using the smooshing technique. Scripted Semicircles were heat embossed with Distress Glazes and some of the wildflowers from In the Bucket were stamped.


2. Reverse Semicircles were stamped in black around the edges of each panel and texture paste was added through the Lotza Dotz stencil.


3. Small elements were stamped onto watercolour card and coloured with Inktense pencils and a water brush. They were fussy cut.


4. Words, wire birds and a butterfly were stamped onto card.


5. The cube was painted with black acrylic paint. Wooden bobbins were adhered for legs.

6. All elements were glued in place along with natural dried flowers, sisal and florists moss. A sisal birds nest was coloured with Oxide sprays, filled with moss, the large wire bird was stamped twice (one in reverse using a gelli plate) and adhered together, and confectionary eggs were added. Wire was twisted to creat a banner for hanging the word 'bird' and 'fly'.


Stamps Used for this project:
#326 Garden Tools
#449 Through the Meadows
#451 In the Bucket
#458 Hibiscus
#469 Scripted Semicircles
#487 Reverse Semicircles

Stencil used: #39 Lotza Dotz

To see the stamps, stencils, dies and washi tapes used, please visit
A list of stockists can be found here.

You'll find lots of inspiration on the 

That's all for now.
Thanks for stopping by today.
xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

Creative Artiste #66 Mixed Media 28/03 TOP 3
CRAFT Challenge #592 Spring/Easter 31/03
Star of the Month
Top 3
Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday Spring Colours 31/03 TOP PICK
Scrapping4Fun Challenges #188 Easter/Spring 1/04 WINNER
Creative Moments €211 AG 05/04
The House That Stamps Built #2421 AG 06/04
Thes Sisterhood of Crafters Easter/Spring 12/04 TOP 3
* Uniko Studio Challenge #64 Signs of Spring 24/04

Monday 22 March 2021

* AALL & Create: Housewives


 Hello!

Please let me give a warm welcome to Ann Lindsey, my newest follower. So happy to have you come along this journey with me, Ann!

I have a birthday card to share featuring one of the quirky housewives from Janet Klein's AALL & Create stamp set, #406 Housewives and the #405 Doodled Numbers set.

As usual, I coloured my images with Copic markers. I added Glossy Accents to the numbers, the polkadots on her dress top and the candles on the cake. The background was made by stamping and Distress Oxides with the #39 Totally Dotty stencil - I love the effect this simple technique gives. I added some tone on tone stamping using the lovely #434 Newsprint Numbers over the background and added darker stamping around the edges, using #404 Visual Ingredients, #434 Newsprint Numbers and #374 Reverse Hexagons.

I added the sentiment which comes with the Doodled Number set and finished with a hand doodled border.


Stamps:

#404 Visual Ingredients
#405 Doodled Numbers
#406 Housewives
#434 Newsprint Numbers
#374 Reverse Hexagons

Stencil:
#39 Totally Dotty
***

To see the stamps, stencils, dies and washi tapes, please visit
A list of stockists can be found here.

You'll find lots of inspiration on the 

That's all for now.
Thanks for stopping by today.
xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

A Perfect Time To Craft March AG 27/03
Pammies Inky Pinkies #2112 AG 28/03
Crafty Sentiments #23 AG 29/03
Try It on Tuesday A Stencil or Two 29/03 
A Bit More Time to Craft #136 AG 29/03
TTCRD AG 30/03
Unicorn Challenge #63 Make it Feminine 30/03 TOP 3
Dream Valley #244 AG 03/04


* Vera Lane Studio: Hello Spring


 Hello!

It's another Monday which means it's my DT day at Vera Lane Studio.

Today I am sharing a bright and cheerful spring card using a few of the older digi sets. 

Here is what I made:

It's definitely a bright card! I blended Distress Oxides in Cracked Pistachio, Broken China and Blueprint Sketch for the background, then heat embossed in white over the top. The stamp I used is one of my favourite AALL & Create background stamps called #210 Background Mash Up. I added a little black stamping around the edges of the background using Janet's #404 Visual Ingredients stamp. I tore strips of Janet's new washi tape, #17 Mix and Match, to ground my images - the washi tape has 4 different designs in the same roll - you can see it in the photo above. The images were coloured with Copic markers, fussy cut and adhered directly onto the background.

Some white paint splatters and a doodle line finish off my card.



The digi sets I used are:

Hello Spring                      Snail's Pace                       Suns

 

Aviary                      Birds of a Feather

 

The stamp sets I used in the background and the washi tape are available from AALL & Create. A list of stockists can be found here.

***
That's all for now.
I hope you'll come along and play on Vera Lane. It's such a friendly, fun place to be!


  

Here's all the info you need:
AALL & Create carry Janet's clear stamp sets. 
A list of stockists can be found here.

Thanks for stopping by today.
xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

As You Like It March Favourite Way to cut an Image 24/03
I really enjoy fussy cutting images. I usually do this while watching the TV. I like to cut up to the image outline, then run around the cut edge with a black marker to hide any imperfections. I think this gives a neat finish and I find it relaxing to do.
Allsorts Challenge #616 Spring Flower 26/03
Daring Cardmakers Spring Things 26/03
Simply Create Too #168 Embossing 26/03
INTASS #104 Bunny (#2) 27/03
Crafting Happiness #89 Outdoors 28/03 TOP PICK
Pammies Inky Pinkies #2112 AG 28/03
Dragonfly Dreams March Flowers 31/03

Sunday 21 March 2021

* Gecko Galz: Shamrock Shenanigans


 Hello

At Gecko Galz we have an ATC challenge run by DT member, Kim. 

Kim has a digital ATC set and a collage set available for free on her blog, kindly donated by Gecko Galz owner, Leanne Seed. Participants are entering their ATCs onto the Gecko Galz Facebook Group page for the chance to win prizes.

Here is what I made:

Green is one of my favourite colours, so this ATC challenge was right up my street!
I fussy cut the images and inked the edges with Vintage Photo. I decided to use gold card to die cut some lacy embellishments along with a gold die cut frame and tag. I also made some tiny green flowers using a die and added a pearl in the centre of each. 
My images were popped on foam tape for some dimension and some crystal glitter was added along with tiny gold gem stones.

Here are close ups of each ATC:


This little cutie is standing on a swathe of mica flakes, died green with alcohol ink.


This cheeky chappy is carrying a back pack full of shamrock and magic - you can tell there is magic by the shimmer of crystal glitter.

This lady has a shamrock wreath and is treading lightly so as not to crush the tiny flowers at her feet.

***

That's all for today. 

I hope you'll join our Walk with Nature challenge where the winner will get a $25 shopping spree at the Gecko Galz shop.


The only rule is that you must use at least one Gecko Galz product 
(this can be one of the freebies or, of course, you can buy at the Etsy store!) 
Also if you sign up for the Gecko Galz newsletter, you'll be able to claim a free collage sheet each month and get first claim on the monthly $1 deals!

Please pop over to the Gecko Galz blog to see the fabulous designs by the very talented DT.

We also have a friendly Facebook Group where there are 4 monthly challenges, each with a collage sheet prize. 
Do come and join us!


I'll be back on the 1st April with more Gecko Galz projects.

Here's all the info you need:
Current Gecko Galz Challenge : "Walk with Nature"

Thanks for stopping by today.
xoxo

I'd like to play along in the following challenges:

Angies Digital Stamps Green 27/03
A Bit More Time to Craft #136 AG 29/03
Love to Scrap #143 AG 31/03
Creatalicious Challenges #207 AG/Green 30/03
Get Creative #99 St Patrick's 31.03 WINNER
Paper Funday #27 AG/Green 04/04
Crafty Gals Corner #217 Make it Green 13/04 TOP 3



I'd really love some feedback :)      
I read and appreciate all your comments. 
***