Bright colours....

....and a butterfly for my weekly piece for That's Crafty.  Last few pieces I've put up have been in the earthy palette of colours so figured I better wake you all up with a nice burst of colour!! Was kinda trying for a slightly Pop Art look (blame playing with photo apps on my phone for the idea!) but ended up with a tiny bit of grunge thrown in for good measure.  Anyway full details are on the That's Crafty blog but here's what it look like.....

Donna xx

A bit of Texture.....

....for my piece for the That's Crafty Challenge where this fortnight we're being asked to use Texture Paste in our creations.  I've done a door hanger for my offering using the required texture paste and my obsession of the week a stamp from the Time Traveller stamp set.......

So here's a quick how to.....started off by giving the blank door hanger a quick coat of gesso and then added the first bit of texture with some clear texture paste through the Crafters Workshop Mini Specimen Template. When that was dry I gave it a light coat of Evergreen Bough distress paint, which I let dry slightly then wiped some of it off to give a more faded appearance.

Then for the next layer I used some copper texture paste through a brick mask, instead of waiting for it to dry I used a heat gun to dry it.......letting the past bubble slightly as it dried.......I really like the extra texture it gives.

Then I added some shading around the edges with Pumice Stone distress ink, and a bit of stamping with a text stamp....

Then I just added my stamped and coloured figure (coloured with Promarkers) and some words from the Paperboy set by Artistic outpost.

Thanks for stopping by and do pop over and join in the challenge at That's Crafty.

Donna xx

Time for another TagAlong challenge....

...and this week the theme is chosen by yours truly......what did I pick??? Nice easy one for everyone....'Tick Tock'.
So apologies that the below tag features a stamp from the Time Travellers stamp set, I'm just loving this set! However only one more creation with it to come this week after this tag and then I'll put it away for awhile!! Lol!
Right here's the tag....

Background was done with distress inks, then I added some stamping using a really useful little set of stamps from Stamp Addicts ... Grunge 2. Then I added a die cut Weathered Clock which I coloured with distress ink and clear embossed and one of the figures from the Time Travellers set which I coloured with promarkers. The clock are some old stamps I've had for ages from Invoke Arts and the last bit was adding some words from one of the chit chat word packs by Tim Holtz.
Hope you pop over to TagAlong to join in the challenge :)
Donna xx

One for Dad......

....I've not only managed to make a Father's Day card but I've made it early.......the glue will actually be dry when I give it for once!!! Lol! Suppose I better be honest it was actually a case of I was making my piece for Country View Crafts and then thought it would do as my fathers day card, anyway here's the card and details of what I used and how it was done are on the Country View Crafts blog.

Donna xx

Pink Tulips.....

....just for you! Here's my weekly Creative Expression make featuring the lovely Tulip stamp......

I started off by multi stamping the bunch of tulips using masks as I went to prevent over stamping. Then I coloured them using Distress Inks....Picked Raspberry, Mowed Lawn and Mustard Seed....

Then masking the flowers off again I blended on Pumice Stone Distress Ink.... 

 Then I added some background stamping still using the Pumice Stone Distress ink with the Alpha Writing and Botanical Spray stamps.  Then I used the Filigree mask from That Special Touch and some Picked Raspberry Distress Ink to add a little pink border.

Then I mounted it to the front of a white card blank and added a small seam binding bow coloured with Picked Raspberry Distress Ink so it matches and then stamped a little sentiment tag.

The card blank I used was an 8" square and before mounting the front panel I cut off a strip from the front side of the card.  Having done the front I repeated the process of masking, stamping and colouring to produce a matching strip on the inside back of the card.

Thanks for looking and I hope you like my creation this week......just for you :) 

 Donna xx

Anyone for Cake?

This little woofer certainly seems to like his cake! Lol!

I love these Alice Palace stamps from Crafty Individuals so had lots of fun creating this for my weekly piece for That's Crafty.  Full details can be found on the That's Crafty blog.

Thanks for stopping by and looking, hope you have a great Bank Holiday weekend :)

Donna xx

Clean and simple.....

....for this weeks Creative Expressions offering. Just some inking and stamping for a one layer card with a burst of summer sunshine colour......

So first of all I took a card blank and stamped the sentiment in black and then laid on a mask from That Special Touch.......you could use a die to cut a fancy shape out of a piece of card and use that as your mask.

 Then using a bit of cut 'n'dry foam I applied some distress ink.....Spiced Marmalade and Squeezed Lemonade...... through the mask. Then removed the mask to reveal the colour....

Then I stamped the spray of lilies........heads of the flowers in the box of colour and stems protruding.  Then I added a little extra colour to the flowers with some Promarkers. The final touch was to very lightly doodle a black line around the stencilled block of colour.

Thanks for stopping by to look.....
Donna xx

Don't go alone.....

......go together.  Here's my weekly piece for That's Crafty, details of what I used etc are on the That's Crafty blog.......

Donna xx

Crafting with Kraft.....

.....for the latest challenge over on the That's Crafty Challenge Blog.....basically the challenge is to use Kraft card in your project. I've created a notebook for my entry......

I started off by lightly painting some Kraft card with Spiced Marmalade and Mustard Seed Distress Paint, then dried it off and embossed it with Sheena Douglass's Maple Leaf folder from the Little Bit Oriental range. Then I cut it up and glued it onto a couple of chipboard covers, before adding a bit of stamping, blending on a bit of Pumice Stone distress ink to darken the edges and then gently rubbing on a little gold gilding wax to highlight the texture.

For the picture element I used Artistic Outpost's Generation Redux plate and stamped the images onto more Kraft card using a mixture of distress ink and black memento ink. Having created a couple of stamped panels I layered them up with a bit of paper from an old book and glued the whole lot to one of the covers. Then to finish it off and turn it into a book I used my Bind It All. Ooh almost forgot I also added a bit of glossy accents to her glasses!

Do pop over to the challenge blog and join in the fun :)

Donna xx

Got a book.....

....need a bookmark.......and that's exactly what I've made this week with one of Creative Expressions single flowers stamps .... Tulip Spray.

Started off by cutting a strip of white card and then stamping the tulips several time at the bottom and top of the strip...you'll need to make a couple of masks when you stamp the tulips to stop overstamping...

Keeping the masks you created in place add a little background stamping with 'Alpha Writing', then using a bit of cut'n'dry blend on a bit of Pumice Stone distress ink (actually more grey in real life but for some reason photo showing brown), then splash on a little water and blot to achieve the faux bleached look. 

Then grab some more distress inks in colours of your choice........I've used Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Mowed Lawn and Evergreen Bough. Splodge a little colour onto your non stick craft mat and then using a damp paintbrush, pick up some of the colour and paint the flowers and leaves. Once that's done add a few highlights with a white pen, and a bit of shading with a grey pencil. 

To finish off add a little green onto the background, few paint rings.....old lid dipped in a bit of white acrylic....and then if you want it to be a little sturdier run the whole thing through a laminator, just means it'll keep better whilst in use. Punch a hole at the top, add an eyelet and then finish with a little green seam binding.

Happy Reading!!
Donna xx

More embossing folder fun....

......using one of Sheena Douglass's Taste of India embossing folders. This one started off as a gelli print before I ran it though the embossing folder and then roughly heat embossed the raised areas with gold. Finished it off with some gems to add a little touch of shimmer.......

Don't forget Sheena will be in Create and Craft tomorrow at 9am and 3pm.

Donna xx

A masculine card......

....for this weeks That's Crafty make. Full details and a step by step are on the That's Crafty blog but here's a quick look for you......

Donna xx

It's time for another play with....

....Sheena's lovely Taste of India Embossing folders, there are more shows featuring these beauties on Monday 12th at 9am and 3pm over on Create and Craft.

The beauty of many of these folders is that they are a card in themselves.  For this sample below I simply blended Mustard Seed, Ripe Persimmon and Picked Raspberry distress inks onto some card and embossed it using the 'Henna' embossing folder and then applied a little embossing ink to the raised areas and heat embossed with gold. Then I embossed a white piece of card with the same folder and cut out some of the elements, coloured them with distress ink and added to the base layer before adding gems and a sentiment to finish.

Be sure to try and catch the shows.......if Sheena's around you know there'll be some fun dems :)

Donna xx

Colourful Daisies...

...on this simple little stamped card for Creative Expressions this week.....

I started off by stamping the single daisy from the Daisy Spray set a couple of time onto a scrap bit of paper and then cut them out to make a couple of masks.  Then I started stamping the same daisy onto a piece of white card, using the masks as I went to allow me to stamp one flower over the top of another. Once they were stamped I squidged (technical term don't you know!!) some distress ink onto my craft mat to enable me to use it as a paint by applying it to the flowers using a damp paintbrush.  The colours I used were Ripe Persimmon, Picked Raspberry and Mustard Seed for the flowers and for the stems/leaves it was Mowed Lawn and Mustard Seed.

Once they were painted I gave them a quick zap with the heat gun to dry them and then sponged on a very light amount of Salty Ocean before inking up the Botanical Spray stamp with a bit of Mowed Lawn and randomly stamping it around the edges. Layered it up onto a piece of pink card then before mounting onto a white card blank. Then I finished it off with a sentiment from the Winter Flowers set.

Donna xx

Life is a Circus......

.......that's the theme over on Sunday Postcard Art. For my postcard I had a play with the Umbrella Man die (by Tim Holtz), coloured him in and turned him into a clown type figure......hope you like.....

Donna xx

Time for my....

.....second piece for May's Country View Challenge where the theme is Nature's Glories. I was having a bit of a rummage through my craft stuff the other week and came across a mini moleskine sketchbook and decided to turn it into a little quote journal. So here's the first pages with a lovely 'Nature' quote....

Started off by getting some colour onto the pages by using the double page spread to clean off my gelli plate. Then I added some distress ink .... mustard seed and ripe persimmon......to increase the depth of colour. The I sponged a bit of rusty hinge distress through a mask to add another layer of colour. Then a few circles using lid off a distress paint that was handy and a bit of stamping round the edge added another layer and som more interest.

Then I stamped the lovely feathered bird by Lost Coast designs ( love this stamp!), added some flowers (Sheena Douglas) and a border and some leaves (Dylusions) before using some alphabet stamps to add the quote.

Donna xx 

Saturday again so that must mean......

......it's time for another piece for 'That's Crafty!', got out the Inkadinkadoo Stamping Gear for this one.  Full details of what I used are on the That's Crafty blog but here's a little sneaky peek.......

......to see the rest you're going to have to pop to That's Crafty!..... :-)

Donna xx

Spring is in the Air....

....over at the That's Crafty challenge. Here's my Spring themed tag for the challenge.....

The background was made simply by blending on Mowed Lawn and Peacock Feathers Distress Ink, then I stamped the leaves from the Dylusions Around the Edge set. I stamped the Prima Bloom Girl - Paige onto some white card and coloured her in with Promarkers, cut her out and glued in place. Stamped a few extra flowers and added a quote to finish.

Don't forget to pop over to the challenge blog to join in the fun......one lucky winner gets £20 to spend at That's Crafty!

Donna xx

First day of the month .......

....so it must be the start of a new challenge over at Country View Challenges, I got to pick the theme this month and decided on 'Nature's Glories'.  Such a wide, all encompassing theme so I thought people would have fun with it.

Here's my first piece for the challenge, a card utilising a gelli print that I made awhile back........and before anyone mentions it.......yes I know marvelous should have 2 "L's"...I would try and kid you that I was going for the American spelling but the truth is I spelt it wrong and only as I put it up on the blog did I notice the mistake!!!! Doh!!!

As I said the background was a gelli print made with various shades of green acrylic and using some of Tim Holtz's Garden Greens die cuts as stencils. Didn't want to cover up too much of the background so I simply added a flower made with the Tattered Florals die, some leaves and the sentiment (hangs head in shame!).

Right I'm off to read a dictionary! Do pop over to Country View Challenges to have a play, see you again soon :)

Donna xx

She Sells Seashells......

....by the seashore......and the theme for this weeks TagAlong chosen by yours truly is 'By The Sea'.

I've used some Sheena Douglass stamps for this one Seascapes and Seashells......stamping, distress inks, bit of string and some net (from a box of pears!)......

Why don't you pop over to TagAlong and join in this weeks challenge.

Donna xx