Conjurer of Dreams: Free Images and Progressive Challenges

 Hello

At Conjurer of Dreams we have 3 challenges each month:

1. The main blog challenge which is always Anything Goes. Any company's digis and products can be used.

2. The Free Image Challenges using images freely available on the DT blog posts

3. The Monthly Progressive Challenge in the Facebook Group (up to 6 free images each month)

Here are my first three Progressive Challenge pieces:

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And here are my Free Image Challenge pieces.

We can use any of the free images (from the current month and the previous month) given away on each DT blog post on the CoD blog. That's a lot of free images to play with.

Here I used three of January's Ice Queens:

5th Jan , 19th Jan, 3rd Jan

Another Ice Queen (from 11th January):

And here I used February's Manga Romance (from 3rd February):

February's Manga Romance (from 5th February):

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

AALL & Create: Lotus Inspiration Mini Book

 

Hello and Happy New Year!

Today I'm sharing my project as Guest Designer for AALL & Create. 

I made a mini accordion book in a wrap around wallet with an aperture window.

I wanted to incorporate some inspirational sentiments on my pages, so I opted to use Bipasha Bk's stamp set #441 Lotus Clusters as my focal images as she always hides beautifully scripted, inspirational sayings in her stamp designs.

Here are the individual pages:

The stamp's scripted sentiments above read, 'Live life in full bloom' and, "Out of the murky mud of life grows the purely beautiful lotus flower, trusting in its own folding." How beautiful is that!

Bipasha added the sentiment, 'Growth is a process. Bloom with grace' to this stamp.

I missed the stamp's sentiment here, but it reads, ' That dream was planted in your heart for a reason'.

And one final hidden sentiment, 'Beautiful wild flowers grow untainted ... precious'

 

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Here are some photos to show the work in progress:

1. Making the wrap around cover: 

* Cut and score the card

* Heat emboss the stamped image

* Blend colour with Distress Oxides

* Add acetate to aperture

2. Preparing the flowers:

* Smoosh, dip and dab card into Distress Oxides.

* Stamp Lotus Clusters

* Fussy cut and go around edges with black pen.

3. Putting it all together:

* Make an accordion from white card.

* Cut each page and colour with Oxides

* Heat emboss the flowers

* Decoupage the coloured blossoms

* Stamp the edges with black Reverse Squares

* Add texture paste through Lotza Squares where needed.

* Add splatters and quotes

4. Finishing off

* Thread twine through the wallet

* Secure the accordion place.

* Add beads to the ends of the twine. 

Stamps Used:

#375 Reverse Squares by Autour de Mwa

#398 Celestial Navigation by Olga Heldwein

#441 Lotus Clusters by Bipasha BK

Stencil Used:

#113 Lotza Squares by Autour de Mwa

To see the stamps, stencils and dies used, please visit

AALL & Create Boutique. 

A list of stockists can be found here.

You'll find lots of inspiration on the 

AALL & Create Facebook Page, the AALL & Create Fanatics Facebook Page and on Instagram

That's all for now.

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

World Wide Open DT Challenge Jan (3) 12/01

Addicted to Stamps #396 Make Your Mark 18/01

A Perfect TIme to Craft #1 AG 27/01

A Place to Start #1 AG 31/01

613 Avenue Create Jan AG (2) 31/01 TOP ROCKER

Dare 2b Artzy Jan AG (2) 31/01

The House That Stamps Built #J621 AG 31/01

Crafty Creations #417 AG 31/01

AALL & Create: Flourish Plaque

 

Hello

Today I have a piece of wall art to share for my GDT post for AALL & Create.

I made a wall hanging using an MDF plaque from Samantha K.

I love the #269 Flourish bird stamp by Bipasha BK and wanted to create something other than a card with it. Inspired by a Tracy Evans workshop, I made a clay bird and popped it onto some twigs, then surrounded it with moss and flowers. I am really pleased with how it turned out. Here are some close up photos:

Step by Step:

1. Texture paste was applied through the #112 Heapza Hexagons stencil and acrylic paints applied and wiped back with a baby wipe.

2. #374 Reverse Hexagons were stamped with Shady Lane ink and gold wax applied around the edges.

3. The #269 Flourish stamps were stamped and fussy cut.

4. The leaves and bird images were coloured with Inktense watercolour pencils.

5. The leaves were layered for added dimension and liquid pearls added as berries.

6. I gathered some twigs from the garden, glued them in place and surrounded them with florists' moss.

7. I stamped the bird into air drying clay. It was cut out and left to dry. When dry it was painted and waxed. The words 'little birds' which is part of the stamp was also stamped into clay.

8. The flowers were layered and placed with the leaves on the bottom part of the plaque.

9. Glossy accents was applied over the clock face and the robin was perched on the twigs.

Gold Posca pen was used to add shine to the clock surround and white Posca paint was splattered over the entire project.

Stamps Used: 

#269 Flourish by Bipasha BK

#374 Reverse Hexagons by Autour de Ewa

Stencil Used: 

#112 Heapza Hexagons by Autour de Mwa

To see the stamps, stencils and dies used, please visit 

AALL & Create Boutique.

You'll find lots of inspiration on the 

AALL & Create Facebook Page and on Instagram

That's all for now.

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #143 18/10

* As You Like It Favourite non- card project 21/10

Mixed media plaques - get displayed in craft room or given as a small gift.

Creative Artiste #65 AGMM 25/10

* A Perfect Time to Craft AG Oct 28/10

Classic Design Challenge #10 AG 28/10 Best Technique

613 Avenue Create Winged Things 30/10 TOP ROCKER

Lets Create and Craft #146 AG 31/10

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Vera Lane Studio: Foxes' Evening Stroll

Hello! 

I'm super excited to be publishing my first DT post for Vera Lane Studio. 
  
Janet, the owner and artist at Vera Lane Studio, has created some delightfully quirky and whimsical characters. They come in sets which can easily be mixed and matched. Today sees the released an adorable set of digital stamps called 'Foxes'. They are the start of a new collection called the Woodlands Collection.

So, onto my project ... I made this card:

I'm thrilled to say that I won Top Pick at Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge.



My foxes are taking a romantic evening stroll!

I coloured the images with Spectrum Noir alcohol pens. The robins and snail have Glossy Accents applied to their eyes. Here are the colours I used:

Fox fur: OR1, TN4, TN5      Fox cheek fur: EB1 and Blender
Mr Fox: Jeans: TB1, TB2, TB4    Bodywarmer: EB1, EB2    Shirt: TB2, TB4, IG2         Boots and Collar: IG4, IG6
Mrs Fox: Dress: TB1, TB2, TB4    Scarf: CR7, CR9     Boots: IG4, IG6  
Acorns: EB2, CG2, TN4, Blender   
Snail: EB1, EB2, TN4, CG2    
Robins: EB1, EB2, TN4, CR7



For the background I used super smooth art card from Inkylicious and used ink dusters to apply Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Crushed Olive and Vintage Photo. The Vintage Photo ink at the base was stippled onto the card to give a different texture. Next, the inked card was dry embossed using an embossing folder called Winter Wonderland which was a free gift with a recent Paper Inspirations magazine. There was also a free set of stamps, so I inked the birch trunks with Vintage Photo and stamped over the embossed areas.

The foxes were fussy cut leaving a thin white border. The smaller critters, acorns and leaves were fussy cut right to the black outlines. The leaves were arranged and glued onto the background, all the other elements were adhered on foam pads.

I matted my embossed card onto black card, them adhered it on foam tape to another layer which has textured gold paper on a black mat. The whole thing was then adhered to a white card base. My finished card measures 8 inches x 6 inches (20 cm x 15 cm).

The small elements are a little fiddly to fussy cut, but my tip would be to cut as close as you can to the black outline, then colour over the line to fill in any white bits, or run a pen along the edge. You can see below that I struggled with the snail's antennae, but when you look at the card as a whole, it's not so noticeable (I hope!).





This last photo shows the matted layers:



Here are the Vera Lane Studio sets I used:

     Foxes                        September (leaves)           Lovely Garden (Bird)
      

I hope you will come along and play on Vera Lane. It's such a friendly, fun place to be!

You'll find us on Facebook in a closed group, which I invite you all to join! You can find us HERE. I guarantee, you'll get a very warm welcome!

In order to play you must use a Vera Lane Studio digital stamp. There are some free ones available once you join the group, or you can browse the VLS Etsy shop, in which case you'll be spoiled for choice and won't know which set(s) to buy!

Vera Lane Studio Blog
Vera Lane Studio Facebook Group
Vera Lane Studio You Tube Channel
Vera Lane Studio Etsy Shop

Thanks for taking time to stop by today.
I'd love it if you became a 'follower'!

xoxo

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

Crafty Gals Corner #103 AG 03/01
Creative Craft Cottage #78 AG 04/01
Brown Sugar Challenge #231 AG 05/01
Art By Miran #74 AG 05/01
Outlawz Challenges Twisted Thursday AG  TOP PICK

Through The Craft Room Door AG wb 3 Jan  10/01
Tuesday Throwdown #324 Winter Critters 10/01
That's Crafty Challenges AG 13/01
Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends #49 AG 14/01
A Bit More Time To Craft #35 AG 14/01
Angie's Digital Stamps #5 AG 28/01
Classic Design Team Challenge January 28/01
Digistamps4joy #132 AG/Option Love 30/01

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

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Thanks x