Ladybird

Just a quick post from me with a bag I created today using Ladybug Sprite by Aurora Wings, isn't she just adorable :) :) :).  The challenge this month over at Aurora Wings is Black & White (with or without a splash of color) and I had such fun this morning creating this.  My thoughts last night when I went to bed was for a totally different outcome, I still kept to the gift bag plan and the image was already printed out although not coloured but sometime during the night I must have thought that dismantling the bag and stamping a flower border would be fun and it still sounded like fun when I woke up.  The original plan was to have a lot more die cutting and no stamping lol.

To begin with I heated the bag up to soften the glue and then unassembled it without causing any damage.  Next I used a Sheena Douglas stamp and stamped the border all around the bottom edge.  One thing I had not thought about during all my excitement was the folds in the bag shape grrr, they did not want to stamp properly but although they are still noticeable they are not  immediately obvious.  Next problem was the type of paper the bag is made from, rather waxy and I kept getting ink where I did not want it.  As we all know, crafters are great at covering up mistakes lol, so I added a few butterflies and then used some black spray ink to add splattered background.  Kinda cool so i am a happy bunny.  I Ladybug image was printed twice (I wanted the wings from one of the images to be a second layer to the image to add a bit of dimension).  I coloured both sections with Prismacolour pencils which hubby has just treated me to, not sure what I think of them as I just love my Polychromes.  These pencils are very very soft and do give a beautiful smooth finish but I can't see them lasting very long!!!!!!  Colouring all done and time to fussy cut the lady bug and her wings.  The wings were attached with foam tape at the bottom edge and flat at the top edge so in reality you can see how they are lifting away from the coloured image, hard to show on the photo grrrr.  With the ladybug all ready she was glued to the bag.  Next I die cut a With Love sentiment and found some ribbon hiding at the bottom of my box which was perfect to make the bow.  I added the bow to a doily die cut and glued this to the bag handle with silicone glue.  Finally I added a tiny ladybug embellishment just above the bow.

Side view of bag showing stamped border all round.

Black medallion with bow and tine ladybird used to finish off the bag handle.

Close up of the coloured image, Ladybug Sprite, by Aurora Wings.

Challenges entered:-

• AuroraWings Challenge -  #66 BLACK OR WHITE (WITH OR WITHOUT A SPLASH OF COLOR) 
• Fussy and Fancy - 2W, E3, C10 - No. 210 - ADD A DIE CUT (W1 of 2)
• Cardz 4 Galz 2W,3E #69 Black & White +1 Bright Colour (W2 of 2)
• Sunny Day Crafting - W, #16 - Bugs and Insects
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies (M, P1, E5, must have a critter) #13 - Anything Goes with a Critter
• ARTastic Challenge (M, P1, Winners P8, C0 except for sketch) April - Photo Inspiration + Black and White + one other colour *see below

Floral Birthday

 International Art & Soul, a challenge which has been put together to incorporate any type of craft, paper, wood, flowers, recycling, glass - the world is your oyster :).  Come on over an join us with you artwork :)

Challenge #31
Paper Piecing

This fortnights challenge them has been chosen by DT Maggie.  I know paper piecing has been around for ages but it is something I have never tried before so thank you Maggie for this awesome challenge theme, I had a ball.  I guess the reason I have not done it before is due to lack of stamps (I have a huge collection of digital but only recently started using rubber and cling more often).  I know our lovely printed craft paper can be used  in the printer but I find is a nuisance to have to use a new sheet each time and I hate that lol so don't do it hahaha. 

For my easel card I used a fusion stamp by Sheena Douglas which I thought would look really cool for paper piecing. The stamp is Folk Chrysanthemum Stamp.  2 types of purple patterned paper were use and one patterned green paper.  The background was created simply with distress inks and the same was used for the writing area on the card.  To finish off I added 3 mauve crystal gems and then decorated the envelope to match.  

Close up of the paper pieced flowers.

I have some lovely Birthday ribbon in cream and it holds the Promarker ink wonderfully retaining the text in a different tone.  I coloured the ribbon with a suitable green and added it to the inside of the card to help reinforce the height to hold the card shape when opened.

Challenges entered:-

• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper (M, P1) April - Anything Goes with Patterned Paper
• Paru's Card Making Challenge (M, P1, Cards/Tags only) April - Flowers
• Aud Sentiments Challenge 2W,E5  #201 Happy Birthday (W1 of 2)
• Paper Shelter Challenge - W, 3E, SIO - Flowers

Photo Inspiration - Spring

IKEsWORLD

Challenge 107
Photo Inspiration - Spring

Welcome back to the IKEsWORLD challenges :)  do pop on over to IKEsWORLD to join in the challenge, it is always so much fun and  Ike produces the most amazing stamps, everything from off the wall to cute and fluffy :) :) :)

My final canvas for a while (need to buy some more hahaha), it has been a super fun journey creating the canvas creations so will have to do some more.

This forthnights challenge at IKEsWORLD is Photo Inspiration - Spring and I have used one of my all time favourite digi's - Spring Fairy, she is so full of movement and beautifully proportioned I keep coming back to her.

I used a 20cm x 20cm canvas for this creation.  The background was created digitally using a photo, the Spring Fairy image and the sentiment and printed.  I then used Pan Pastels to soften the background image some more and coloured the image with Polychromes.  With the colouring done I trimmed and stuck the paper to the canvas using a permanent adhesive spray.  I tried using SN glitter pens for the leaves but did not like how that turned out so went over them with my go to Stickles.  For the flowers I used a very small flower die to create all 50+ of them hahah, each was then finished with some purple Stickles and a tiny orange seed bead.  My grandson, who is 8, rather liked this canvas so I offered it to him, his reply was ' it is a bit girly for my bedroom' hahahaha so I get to keep it myself :)

Ingredients:-

• image - Spring Fairy, by IKEsART
• colouring medium - Polychromes, Pan Pastels
• other items - 20 x 20 canvass, die cut flowers, Stickles, seed beads.

I am entering this project into the following challenges:-

• Artistic Inspirations - 2W, E3, F - #197 ANYTHING GOES   (Week 1)
• Colouring in Scrapland - M 1st Monday, E2, winner + Top 3, No digital coloring, must have a hand-colored image -  ANYTHING GOES / SPRING
• Incy Wincy Designs - 1st & 3rd Monday, 5E -  NATURE AND ALL ITS BEAUTY (Week 1)
• 613 Avenue Create - M (1st Sunday), 8E, Any Craft Accepted (check for recognition each week, top DT choices, winners, and crafter's voting by on-line community) - #208 (April) Anything Goes w/Optional Twist: Vellum
• The Corrosive Challenges - M, 3E - Always Anything Goes
• We Love 2 Create  - 2W (ends Tuesday) - Always Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes
• Brown Sugar – M (First Friday of M), E2 - March - No. 276 - SPRING OR EASTER
• Fussy and Fancy - 2W, E3, C10 - No. 208 - SPRING FLOWERS (W2 of 2)
• Di's Digis Designs 2W, 3E,SIO  Spring Flowers (W2 of 2)
• Aud Sentiments Challenge 2W,E5  #200 Easter Or Spring Sentiment (W1 of 2)
• Star Stampz Challenge 2W,3E,SIO  Throw On The Flowers (W1 of 2)

Never Ending Birthday

 International Art & Soul, a challenge which has been put together to incorporate any type of craft, paper, wood, flowers, recycling, glass - the world is your oyster :).  Come on over an join us with you artwork :)

Challenge #30
Card Type You Haven't Tried Before

This fortnights challenge theme has been chosen by DT Christina and what a challenge it has been hahaha.  There are so many card types I have tried, some I like some I don't but these days I normally head straight for a square card as it fits in an envelope really easily and I find it the perfect shape for me and designing.  However, I have to admit I was fascinated with the never ending card design and had great fun not only in creating it but also in playing with it when completed.  

The stamps used through out the card are from the Creative Stampers magazine, they worked so well together and I had some great sentiments to use with them.  Although this is not a manly card it is for my brother who loves nature and walks so I am sure he is going to love it.  I did make a boo boo with the front of the card and it was not the square section that it should have been so I placed the final card on a black piece of card with a ribbon holding it all in place.  This has really worked rather well as it gives me somewhere to explain to my bro how the card works and also somewhere to add a personal message for his birthday.

The backgrounds for the stamped sections were coloured with Distress Oxides which I tried to match up with the design paper.  I then stamped the images in grey and coloured areas with the same Distress Oxides as I used for the backgrounds to keep a very soft look.  The sentiments were stamped in black to match the base card colour.

Challenges entered:-

• Seize The Birthday 2W, 3E, C5  Birthday + Option Of Birds (W1 of 2)
• Double D Challenges - 2W,1st/3rd Wed, E3 - Things with Wings, See Mood Board* (W2 of 2)
• Pause Dream Enjoy - W, E3, #13 - Fun Folds*

Lilac Easter

Thank you Mitzi for the adorable Lilac Sprite for this months challenge, how could I resist lol, and congratulations on 4 years,  here is to many more xxxxxx.  I have created an Easter gift for my Mum who loves chocolate.  She has Alzheimer's and chocolate is one of the few things that truly brighten her day and with Easter coming up what better way to spoil her.

My daughter very kindly brought in a Cream Egg Easter Egg for me the other day and once the contents had been demolished I hung onto the box, something fun to recycle.

 I deconstructed the box and applied three layers of white gesso.  Next I used Brusho pigments to colour the box.  Boy was I mucky by now and the end result was rather dark so out with a wet one and removed some of the excess colour at the same times cleaning my hands hahahaha.  The box was then reassembled.  I cut the picket fence using a Crafter's Companion die and then the flower edges which was also by Crafter's Companion. The flower edge was then coloured with Promarkers and I added small mauve sequin flowers.  The fence and flower border were then glued to the box all the way round the base.  Next was to create the flower spray.  I used a trellis die and cut it three times to make a fan shape.  I then coloured coloured Bakers Twine in green and wove this around the die.  To make the flowers I used the Spellbinders Hydrangea die and cut three different shades of purple vellum.  Each of these flowers was then glued to the trellis  and string vine and a blob of gold Stickles finished off the centre of each.  Wee Lilac Sprite was coloured with Polychromes, fussy cut and glued on.

 The top of the box looked very bland so I added some mauve lace which you can't really see but it adds texture around the top edge.  I then die cut the trellis edge and added a few more hydrangea flowers I had left over.  Finally I made a flourish label, stamped an Easter sentiment and die cut the letters to spell Mum.  The Easter egg box is now filled with Maltesers, Mum's favourite (2 big packets) :) :) :)

I am entering this egg box into the following challenges:-

• Aurora Wings - Challenge #65 Sprite Delight V and Happy 4th Anniversary AWCB!
• Crafter's Cafe (2W, P1/15, E3, F) #192 - Handmade Flowers
• Create and Inspire (M, P10. E3) #72 - Anything Goes / All about Mums
• Happy Little Stampers Dies (M, P9, must use dies) March - Always Anything Goes with Dies
• Sweet Stampers (M, P10, E3, use stamp or digi) #18 - Spring or Easter
• Brown Sugar – M (First Friday of M), E2 - March - No. 276 - SPRING OR EASTER
• Cut it Up - 2W, 1E, Must have Die Cuts - No. 144 - EASTER (W1 of 2)
• Simply Create Too - M - March - No. 136 USE GREEN
• Moving along with the Times 2W,3E #67 Easter (W2 of 2)
• Aud Sentiments Challenge 2W,E5  #199 Bingo + A Sentiment (W2 of 2) - 3D item, Digi or Stamp, Marakers or Pencils
• Paper Shelter Challenge - W, 3E, SIO - Easter
• Simon Says Wednesday - W, 5E - Floral Frenzy

Chapstick and Gluesticks

 International Art & Soul, a challenge which has been put together to incorporate any type of craft, paper, wood, flowers, recycling, glass - the world is your oyster :).  Come on over an join us with you artwork :)

Challenge #29
Add Humor to your Card/Creation

This fortnights challenge them has been chosen by DT Jeanette and I have to admit I cringed when I saw the theme, humour is not really my strong point.   Where to start, what to do, decisions, decisions, decisions.  I did make a card first with a toilet on it but then I remembered I had this fab image from Bugaboo 'Stella Glue Stick' which I bought to create a page with for a journal I am creating for my daughter.  She has a tendency to speak before she thinks at times hahaha so I am sure when in the distant future she is given this journal she will have a good laugh when she sees this page.

I superimposed the Bugaboo image and sentiment onto the background using Photoshop and printed.  I then used Polychromos to colour the image and paper pieced the shoes and clothes.  The background was then coloured with Pan Pastels and as it was a bit bland I used a Sheena Douglas stencil from Crafter's Companion and Tim Holtz Distress Ink to add a bit more decoration.

Challenges entered:-

• Bugaboo Crafty Challenge (M, P15, SIR, E3) - Anything Using Bugaboo image
• Challenge Up Your Life 2W - #87 Stencils (W1 of 2)
• Inkspirational 2W,C10  #156 - Word Prompt: Work (W2 of 2)

Movie Madness

IKEsWORLD

Challenge 106
Movie Madness

Welcome back to the IKEsWORLD challenges :)  do pop on over to IKEsWORLD to join in the challenge, it is always so much fun and  Ike produces the most amazing stamps, everything from off the wall to cute and fluffy :) :) :)

Another canvass from me for this fortnights challenge.  Sometimes when I see the optional theme for the challenge my heart sinks, I know I don't have to follow the theme but this is always my starting point.  I am not a film lover more often falling asleep before the film finishes, I have no idea who acts in what and honestly don't care as I see their character not the fact they are playing a character.  Last time we had this theme a few years ago I think I made a popcorn box and decorated it to look something like it was representing the film 'Avitar', that then went in the bin after it was made and photographed and I find that so hard to cope with, knowing before I start that I will be putting it in the bin.  So, it was with trepidation I began this project on my 'canvass' journey.  I love how this one has turned out and it won't be going in the bin lol.

To begin with I used gesso on the canvas and then texture paste with a Sheena Douglas stencil.  You can't really see the texture in the photo but you can in real life.  The canvas was painted with metallic copper acrylic paint and left to dry while I  printed the image on 120 gms paper and coloured lightly with Polychromos pencils.  The coloured image was then fussy cut and applied to the canvass with strong adhesive spray.  The film strips were cut with my die cutter and I then rubber stamped randomly onto plastic and created negatives which were placed these behind the die cuts.  These were then glued to the canvass.  The saying, 'I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse', is from the film The Godfather, a bit inappropriate at the moment with all that has been in the news recently.  I don't mean to offend but I do like to raise a point that leads to conversation :) :) :) 

Ingredients:-

• image - Muse 1 by IKEsART
• colouring medium - Polychromes, acrylic paint
• other items - 20 x 20 canvass, die cut film strips, plastic sheet, rubber stamps.

I am entering this project into the following challenges:-

• Artistic Inspirations - 2W, E3, F - #195 ANYTHING GOES  (Week 1)
• 4 Crafty Chicks W #392 Just Add A Sentiment