Catching up!

Well it's been a busy old week for me. I managed to post my latest overdue project for our Craft Stamping Quartet blog, while the other girls were off galivanting at the Graphicus Retreat. Please pop over and see what we have been up to here.

While the lucky Retreaters were away, some of the other Graphicus Guild members decided to do some green projects because we were green with envy - here is my effort!! I used the Arboretum Stamps from Elusive Images to make another overdue birthday card for my friend, I used Adirondack dye inks in Citrus, lettuce and Pesto for the background, Olive Archival ink for the tree itself and all sorts of green inks for the leaves. I edged the stamped panel with different stamps from the Wild Meadow set from Elusive Images - another of my favourites. I used my leafy technique in the background and finished off with some ribbon and paper leaves. Even my OH was postive about this card - wonders will never cease!!

I managed to finally finish the project we started at the brilliant workshop we did with Linda Elbourne at LB Crafts during our mini-Retreat break in Bedford in June - I loved the workshop and the colours of this hanging are just gorgeous. My OH noticed this one too and said the roses looked like chocolate. Maybe he was feeling a little peckish! This project is based on three little canvases, covered with stamped tissue paper and decorated with various Tim Holtz die cuts from Grungepaper, some lovely TH metal embellishments and some Grungepaper roses coloured with Distress Ink and sprayed with Glimmer Mist. I must admit I didn't enjoy the assembling of the project with all the jump rings. Judith did a sterling job of teaching us how to do it properly on our break, but knowing what a fan Linda is of songs, I think I just want to sing I don't like jump rings to the tune of I don't like Mondays by the Boomtown Rats!!!!

I also taught my first ever craft workshop at a another retreat, a weekend for carers, to give them a break from their caring responsibilities at home. We made flag books and it went really well, I can't believe what they managed as they were all non-crafters, the big smiles at the end made it all worthwhile - even the ink up the wall, but I'll make a post about that on another day!


Thanks for popping over

Elaine xx

A dusky tree card

Today I played with all sorts of projects, I have various things drying and half-baked, but the thing I actually finished was this card. I have been trying to think of things to do with some of my leafy background papers. This one was done on pink card, sponged with Watermelon and then stippled with Currant Adirondack dye ink. I wanted a design that still showed the background and also reflected the nature theme.

The design uses the Elusive Images Arboretum tree set. I sponged and stippled the background in Watermelon and Cranberry Adirondack dye inks, stamped the bare tree in Rhubarb Stalk Memento dye ink and added the blossoms in white and pink chalk and brilliance inks and added a little heat embossing in pink pearl. The Summertime sentiment is from the EI Poppy Tile plate cut out with Nestabilities ovals. The flowers are cut from a Graphicus Guild Artylicious paper with a Woodware punch, with purple pearls added in the centres.

I love the Arboretum stamps, with the mix and match options of tree shapes, leaves and blossoms, it really feels like playing when you work with this set! I was pleased with the dusky, slightly moody feeling of the finished card.