* AALL & CREATE: Hibiscus

 Hello

It is my GDT day at AALL & Create today and I have card to share featuring the beautiful Hibiscus stamp set designed by Tracy Evans.

Hibiscus flowers remind me of tropical islands, summer holidays and balmy evenings, and one holiday destination in particular where the ladies dance with hisbiscus flowers behind their ears. The blue background is representative of the evening sky and the Heart Grunge background shows my love of this destination.

Glossy Accents was used on some the background hearts and there is one heart stamped in black on white card tucked behind the top flower. I also added some texture paste hearts.

The black row of numbers from Through the Meadow were stamped three times and added to the card. Yellow and white Posca pen dots make the hibiscus stamen.

Here is how it came together:

1. White emboss the large stamp from #453 Heart Grunge. Extend the bottom the stamp by adding a section of the text and butterfly stamp from #458 Hibiscus. Stamp out 3 hibiscus flowers on watercolour paper.

2. Add colour to the background using Distress Oxides and water and the smooshing and dipping technique. Add stamping in white ink and Blueprint Sketch using the #470 Scripted Diamonds stamp and #484 Reverse Diamonds. Use Versafine Nocturn to add diamond stamping to the edges of the card. Ink around the edges with black ink.

3. Colour the flowers. I used brush pens and a water brush, then deepened the colour with Inktense watercolour pencils, adding Posca pen dots for the stamen.

4. Add the stamped heart and butterfly directly over the stamped images. Stencil texture paste hearts from the #114 Art stencil. Add glossy accents to the hearts. Assemble the flowers using foam tape for dimension.  Stamp the Hibiscus sentiment, heat emboss and pop on foam pads.

.

Stamps used:

#453 Through the Meadow

#458 Heart Grunge

#470 Scripted Diamonds

#484 Reverse Diamonds

Stencil: #114 Art

To see the stamps, stencils, dies and washi tapes 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:

* Incy Wincy Designs Bright Colours 18/04

* Handstamped Sentiments #361 19/04

* Creative Moments #212 AG 20/04

* Get Creative Challenges #100 AG 30/04

* Dare 2b Artzy April Bright Colours 30/04

* Crafters Castle #40 Spring/Summer 30/04

* Crafty Creations #420 AG 03/05

* More Mixed Media April AG 03/05

* AALL & Create: Love & Friendship

 

Hello

Today I am sharing my project for AALL & Create. 

I made a bright and cheerful card:

The card features two stamp sets from Tracy Evans as focal points, Through the Meadow and Quirky Friends. The background uses the Lotza Dotz stencil along with Scripted Diamonds and Reverse Diamonds. Bipasha's gorgeous washi tape grounds the mouse.

My little mouse stands on #13 Fasteners washi tape with its rich brown and tan colours and secret text, and he is offering a glossy heart.

The circles from the Through the Meadow butterfly stamp were stamped three times. Two of the stamps were cut up to give circles to add as dimensional pieces. These were coloured with Inktense watercolour pencils.

The background was stamped in parts with Oxides smooshed onto the Lotza Dotz stencil. The same Oxides were used to stamp the Scripted Diamonds. I stamped Reverse Diamonds in black around the edges.

Work in Progress 

1. Colouring circles and Butterfly with Inktense pencils. The butterfly was clear embossed to make it a little sturdier as it will be shaped and adhered just at he centre.

2. Adding the stencilled background using Fired Brick and Fossilised Amber Distress Oxides.

3. I used the small circle and splatter stamp from Heart Grunge to add a little extra design around the main butterfly stamp. Next I added tone on tone background stamping with Scripted Diamonds and black Reverse Diamonds around the edges.

4. Colouring the mouse with Copic markers.

5. Everything was adhered in place with some of the circles being raised on foam tape. Black thread was added beneath the butterfly. The mouse was popped on washi tape for grounding and a tiny heart from the Heart Grunge stamp was coloured and added with Glossy Accents for shine and dimension.

The edge of he background was inked with Fired Brick and then Black ink. The words Love and Friendship were stamped and matted onto black card.

Stamps used:

#449 Through the Meadow

# 453 Heart Grunge

# 466 Quirky Friends

# 470 Scripted Diamonds 

#484 Reverse Diamonds

Stencil used: #39 Lotza Dotz

Washi used: #13 Fasteners

To see the stamps, stencils, dies and washi tapes 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:

Simon Says Stamp Layer It 12/04 Designer Spotlight

* Incy Wincy Borders/Bright Colours 18/04

* Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #155 AG 18/04

* Hand Stamped Sentiments #361 19/04

Butterfly & butterfly colours were my inspiration

* Aud Sentiments #272 AG 20/04

* We Love 2 Create #4 AG Mixed media 22/04

* Unicorn Challenge #64 Animal 30/04

Dragonfly Dreams April: Feature A Creature 30/04 WINNER

* Path of Positivity: Spring Has Sprung

 

 Hello!

Today is the start of a new Path of Positivity challenge.

The challenge lasts for the month of April.

This month the theme is Anything Goes with the optional twist of 

Make me Smile/Laugh.

Prizes this month include:

• TWO digital images from Hetty Clare our guest sponsor for this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants. 
• ONE image (value of $5 or less) from Scribbles Designs, for the post or project that the team deems most inspiring of the bunch based on all qualifying entrants.
• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital SnapShots for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

Our optional theme this month is Share A Smile/Laugh.

So, this month we want you to create a project that makes you smile or laugh.

What brings a smile to your face or makes you laugh? How do you share that smile with someone else? What we show on the outside can become how we feel on the inside. So, if you've been feeling low, how about putting a smile on your face to help you put a smile on your heart as well! Anything with a fun or funny theme is perfect for our challenge this month.

Please remember ...

... in order to be eligible for the prizes your project must be positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some way. 

Anything cute and or whimsical brings a smile to my face - I love sweet images and particularly ones of cute animals doing human activities. If it is an image, I actually like to see the animals dressed in clothes and I am particularly fond of Victorian, anthropomorphic cats. Am I weird? I don't think so! I blame it on all the story books I was read when I was a child - Beatrix Potter and Wind in the Willows and, a little later on, in the 1980s, Brambly Hedge.  Oh, Happy Days!

Anyhow, on to my project for the start of this month's challenge.

Here is my card using one of Hetty Clare's beautiful, whimsical images. This one is called 'Spring has Sprung'.

Now this sweet image of a bunny family playing at skipping on a spring day just has to bring a smile to your face!

I coloured the image with Copic markers. I made a rough paper mask from a second print and placed it on top of my coloured version so that I could blend some inks to represent the sky. I used a Lawn Fawn die to cut out the image.

I decided to make my own card for matting the image upon. I did this by blending Scattered Straw ink onto white card and then I repeatedly stamped a flower image in the same colour of ink.

I typed the sentiment and matted it onto inked card before attaching it to the image.

Many thanks to Hetty Clare, this month's guest sponsor,

and to Scribbles Designs as the ongoing sponsor of the challenge


We would love to see your creations! 
Just make sure that your entry is positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some way!
The link up is here: Challenge #90 Path of Positivity.

 

That's all for today! 

I'll be back with a another Path of Positivity project in a couple of weeks time.

Thanks for stopping by today!

xoxo

                                                                                                                                            

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* MMM Challenge #145 Easter/spring 11/04

* Crafting Happiness  #91 Sunshine/AG 12/04

* Pammies Inky Pinkies #2114 AG 12/04

* Dream Valley #245 Springtime 17/04

* 2 Crafty Critter Crazies April AG 25/04

* Crafty Animals #49 27/04

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

xoxo

* VERA LANE STUDIO: Jardin

 

Hello

Happy Easter Monday to all those who celebrate!

The weather here has been gorgeous for the last few days and I have been enjoying tidying up my garden,  Suddenly, though, the temperatures have dropped, as Arctic winds blow in from the North. Snow is expected and below freezing temperatures tonight. My poor little plants!

Today is a new release day at Vera Lane Studio. Janet has created this quirky little gardener in her wellies and pinafore, tending to her plants. She must be French because the set is called 'Jardin'.

Here is my make:

This lovely set has loads of digis. There are two girls, one with a pre-coloured, patterned hat headband and two sets of gardening gloves, one set is pre coloured. It also has the ground with seedlings , two packets of seeds and a sentiment. I wasn't taking much notice when I printed and I printed my girl in black and white, even though she is the one with the coloured headband.. I coloured the images with Copics and fussy cut them. I love the girl's wonky smile!

The background was created with Janet's Sunrise stencil from AALL & Create. I applied Distress Oxides onto the stencil, sort of painting sections with colours, then spritzed it with water. Next I stamped the stencil onto card, leaving it for a few moments to let the ink soak in. The result is always amazing and there is always enough ink left for a second print which is usually more muted and abstract, and often my favourite of the two.

I added some stamping using one of the stamps from Janet's Visual Elements. 

I used #16 Burlap Black washi tape to ground my image and found a spare flower from last week's VLS project on my table, so I added that to the row of seedlings.

Paint splatters and a hand doodled border along with the sentiment finish off the card.

Jardin

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:

Vera Lane Studio Blog

***Vera Lane Studio Facebook Group***

Vera Lane Studio You Tube Channel

Vera Lane Studio Etsy Shop

AALL & Create carry Janet's clear stamp sets, stencils and Washi Tape. 

A list of stockists can be found here.

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* MMM Challenge #145 Easter/spring 11/04

* Crafting Happiness  #91 Sunshine/AG 12/04

* Pammies Inky Pinkies #2114 AG 12/04

* Dream Valley #245 Springtime 17/04

* NBUS #25 AG 30/04

* 613 Avenue Create GDT: In the Garden

 Hello

I am excited to be invited to be a GDT at 613 Avenue Create Challenge Blog this month.

The theme at 613 Avenue Create is always Anything Goes with an optional theme and this month it is 'In the Garden'.

Here is what I made:

I used some Tim Holtz Sizzix dies to cut flowers and foliage along with a stamp of one of Janet Klein's cuties from AALL & Create.

I coloured the stamped girl and bunny with Copic markers and fussy cut them. I die cut the flowers and foliage from white card and coloured them with Distress Inks and Oxides. I made a brick path from Oxide sprays and a 3D embossing folder.  The background is smooshed oxides and some tone on tone stamping.

 

This lovely little girl and her bunny are from the AALL & Create stamp set, #354 Bunny and Bunnies. The path was made with a 3D Texture Fade embossing folder called Brickwork. 

The lovely, layered, die cut flowers feature blooms from two sets of Tim Holtz Sizzix dies, Funky Foliage and Wildflower Stems set 1.

***

That's all for now.

Thank you to Chana for asking me to guest design.

I hope you'll pop over to 613 Avenue Create Challenge Blog to see the regular DT's amazing work,

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Cut It Up #222 Spring Flowers 07/08

* Crafty Catz #545 AG/Colour 08/04

* Dies R Us Challenge 166 AG 13/04

* Try It On Tuesday Hello Spring 13/04

* Creatalicious Challenges #208 Flowers 14/04

* Creative Fingers #205 AG 15/04

* Love To Craft #57 AG 28/04

* Love to Scrap #144 Spring Forward 28/04

* Crafty Calendar April Spring/Easter 28/04

* Crafters Castle #40 Spring 30/04

* Crafts Galore Encore: Owl Was Reading

Hello.

April brings a new Anything Goes challenge at Crafts Galore Encore.

BabyCakes DND is sponsoring the challenge this month.

Sandra Caldwell, the artist and owner of BabyCakes DND gave the DT digis to make samples and I chose this cute Owl Was Reading digi stamp:

I coloured the owl with Copic markers and fussy cut her.

The background was stamped with a stencil (#113 Lotza Squares from AALL & Create) using watered down Distress Oxides. I added stamping and washi tape and once the owl was adhered, I added a backdrop shadow with watercolour to help the owl stand out a bit more. The stamped sentiment was die cut and matted onto dictionary paper.

Many thanks to Sandra at BabyCakes DND for generously sponsoring and supporting this challenge. We hope you'll pop over to the BabyCakes Etsy shop to see the many lovely products on sale. 

Please pop over to Crafts Galore Encore to see the DTs wonderful designs. 

We'd love to see your creations.

Remember the challenge is always 'Anything Goes' and so you can create any type of project - it doesn't have to be a card and you can enter up to 3 times.

Thanks for stopping by today!

xoxo

                                                                

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Cute Card Thursday #680 AG 07/04

* Creative Fingers #205 AG 15/04 ^^

* 2 Crafty Critter Crazies 25/04

* Pearly Sparkles #61 Animals/Birds/Insects 27/04

* MAWTT #129 Animal/Bird 28/04

* Love To Craft #57 AG 28/04 ^^

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

xoxo

* Gecko Galz: Blooming Beauty

Hello

April is here and we have a new customer challenge at the Gecko Galz. blog. 

This month the theme is Blooming Beauty and to enter you just need to use at least one Gecko Galz product. There are thousands to choose from, so head over to the Etsy store, grab a cuppa and have a perusal! You have until the 29th April to enter.

Here is what I made:

I chose to interpret the theme with beautiful women and flowers and made two cards.

The first one uses a lovely image from The Color of Spring collage set. I teamed it with two papers from the Tattered Duchess ATC set. 

I distressed the edges of the image and paper with scissors and matted onto embossed pearlised card. I made some die cut flowers and foliage to add as embellishments.

My second card uses a beauty from the Retro Garden Girls collage set and background paper from the Dapper Nouveau ATC set.

Again the edges of the image and papers were distressed. I added a die cut frame and threaded the woman through. A die cut lacy border and a butterfly from are my embellishments.

***

Some of you may know that one of Gecko Galz's former DTs, Barbara Bird, passed away earlier this month.  My final card is in memory of Barbara.

I chose this beautiful blue tit on a willow branch, surrounded by spring time flowers as my focal image from the Pretty Birds collage set and paper from the Timeless ATC set.

Lovely ivory lace and pearls are my embellishments and a tiny organza ribbon.

That's all for now!
I hope you'll join our Blooming Beauty 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 20th with more Gecko Galz projects.

Here's all the info you need:

Gecko Galz blog

Current Gecko Galz Challenge : "Blooming Beauty"

Gecko Galz Etsy Shop

Gecko Galz Facebook group

***

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

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

Blue Card

* Dies R Us Challenge 166 AG 13/04

* Creatalicious Challenges #208 Flowers 14/04

* Love To Craft #57 AG 28/04

Mix It Up #48 AG/No Stamping 28/04 TOP PICK

Yellow Card

* Try It On Tuesday Hello Spring 13/04

* Love to Scrap #144 Spring Forward 28/04

Bird Card

* Penny's Challenges #493 AG 13/04

* Pearly Sparkles #61 Animals/Birds/Insects 27/04

* MAWTT #129 Animal/Bird 28/04

* Creative Inspirations Use Lace & Pearls 28/04

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

***