Playing with Distress Oxides

I finally got hold of the new Distress Oxide inks and have been having a play with making some backgrounds. I am still feeling my way, but I am enjoying the process of finding out what the new inks can do. They are certainly different from anything else I have used and very effective. This panel was coloured with Fossilised Amber and Cracked Pistachio inks.

I used this background to try out two new sets of Kay Carley stamps I bought when I went  to Ally Pally last weekend, when I had a smashing two days with my lovely Craft Stamping Quartet girls.

I stamped onto the background using my MISTI, both to position the sentiment which I stamped in Onyx Black Versafine ink and then the first stamping of the flower stamps with Old Paper Distress Ink. This pale stamping helped me to position dots of Distress Oxide inks in Fossilised Amber and Wilted Violet using a fine tipped sponge tool, before putting the panel back into the MISTI and re-stamping the flowers in exactly the same place, with Sap Green Archival ink and then adding dots with a white Jelly Roll pen. I added stems from the Stampingback Idiot Flowers set in archival ink and Olympia Green Versafine ink. Finally I added some dots with Nuovo drops and stamped a couple of butterflies from the Kay Carley stamps that I coloured with Prisma pencils and added white gel pen dots. Sorry the photo is a bit bleached out. I have tried all sorts of places to get a better pic, but it wont play!

Last weekend was a special time as it was three years since we had all been together in the same place! It's hard to believe this time last week we were wandering around a nicely quiet show hall (Sunday is always a bit less hectic) and realising our time together was ebbing away. As always, the lovely building of Ally Pally and its view across London makes the show a great experience.

 

 

I'm looking forward to more playing with the lovely things I bought. I have plenty to keep me busy!

 

 

Who knows, perhaps I might even be able to manage a few more frequent blog posts!

 

Thanks for popping by.

 

Elaine 





Paper Artsy challenge - Topic 4 - Doors, Windows, Architecture

When I saw the current theme for the Paper Artsy challenge of doors and windows I knew I really wanted to try and take part. It's not often I can find the time for challenges, but this was irresistible.

I started with an Infusions background which reminded me of a wall covered with lichen. I am trying to get the hang of the best way of using these powders, but what fascinates me is the different sort of finishes you can achieve by using them in different ways. This led me into the direction of a scene inspired by The Secret Garden which is one of my favourite books. The doorway and hinges are from Paper Artsy stamps. I used Sleight Blue infusions mixed with a Fresco glaze medium to paint a wood effect for the door part which I then drew lines onto for a plank effect. I then overstamped and cut out the archway onto a sprinkled infusions background made with the same colour to get more of a stone effect. The hinges are from another Paper Artsy set and I embossed these and the keyhole and fence die cuts in gold embossing powder. I decorated the scene with paper flowers, tiny punches leaves, I wired a bit of branch from the garden covered in lichen onto the panel and added a die cut printed butterfly from K & Co and a Prima enamel word plaque. I set the panel into a frame from the Pound Shop that I had painted with Fresco Paint and highlighted the moulding with Treasure Gold gilding wax. The finishing touch was a Tim Holtz chit chat sticker

These are the materials I used:

Colouring mediums - Olive Tree & Sleight Blue Infusions, Fresco Satin Glaze & Toad Hall paint, Treasure Gold in Florentine and Amber Green
Stamps - Paper Artsy - Squiggly Mini 22 , Wrought Iron plate 2
Dies & punches - Memory Box - fence and key hole, Martha Stewart leaf edge punch, Joanna Sheen rabbits

I really enjoyed making this project, although I really made an awful mess of my craft desk.

It really was a wonder I managed to make anything given I had virtually no space left to work in. In the end though a quick 20 minutes of tidying while the dinner was cooking sorted me out until the next time!

Anyway, the main thing is I made the challenge deadline in time.

Elaine

Paper Artsy 2016 Challenge Topic #2 - Hearts

Here I am again taking part in a challenge. The second in 2016 already! This time it is the Paper Artsy challenge and one of my favourite motifs for including in craft projects - hearts.

Now I have a few PA stamps, but few that were quite right for this challenge. I wanted to cut out a heart mask and stamp through it and in the end I found an old Squiggly Ink stamp that worked nicely. I stamped in shades of yellow, orange, deep pink and purple. Then I added shading around the edge with Picked Raspberry and Dusty Concord DIs. The letters are stamped from another Squiggly Ink set and I added some little wooden hearts to finish that I had painted with Blood Orange and Eggplant Fresco Paints.

We have just had our first picnic of the year (in the car) looking out over quite a wild seascape.

I was glad to be in the car at this point, but we did find a more sheltered spot for a quick walk ..........

....and enjoyed taking in the highlights of colour that are visible even on a quite murky day.

I am just enjoying a cuppa back at home in front of the woodburner and my next task is to make a big pot of warming veggie stew for dinner!

There are some definite benefits of living in a seasonal climate!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend so far!

Elaine x

A journal page

A couple of weeks ago, I had a tough day at work and came home in a rather grumpy mood! I decided to retire to my craft shed for a little therapeutic play time while my lovely OH cooked the evening meal. This was the result.

I was very inspired by this layout by Anneke because of the vibrant colours. She used acrylic artists ink, so I toddled off to the art shop and bought precisely one bottle to have a try with in this amazing sunny colour.

I must confess I started with the plan to use the words "what a day" (made from Tim Holtz Chit Chat stickers) as it could be positive or negative. Then I remembered a Paper Artsy stamp I like and added the word "marvellous" - at that point, I still felt there could be a touch of irony involved in my message!!!

I added the flowers which are clear stamps off a magazine and coloured them with Inktense pencils. I added the various words which are Hero Arts stamps - I love this sort of script - and joined them together with freehand lines.I think I also added some additional colour on the page with a brush. I also added some stencilled butterflies and dragonflies and my finishing touch was to stick on lots of Papermania butterflies die cuts.

Needless to say by the time I had finished this page, I felt so much better and it didn't feel like such a bad day after all. This is only the second journal page I have ever finished!!!

I am entering this into the Craft Barn's art journal challenge.

Elaine

My first ever art doll

Please visit the blog I share to see my first ever art doll project inspired by Sue Roddis in March's Craft Stamper magazine. Details of how I made her and the stamps I used are on the other blog.

Thanks for looking!

I'm still here!

It's been quite a while since I blogged, both because I have been really busy, but also because I haven't been satsified enough with anything I made to share it! Finally last weekend I did manage to get some quality crafting time and tried out my new set of Inkadinkadoo Utopiary stamps.

My first effort is a card - my favourite 8 x 8 size.

The background is Basic Grey Marrakech Green Tea paper with leaves added in Adirondack Pesto dye ink, sponged through a stencil. The tree image and flourishes on the tag are from different stamps In the Utopiary set, stamped in Olympian Green Versafine, shaded with Citrus, Lettuce and Pesto Adirondack dye inks using a stipple brush and Cut n' Dry foam. The sentiment is from a Paper Artsy mini stamp using the same colours and cut out with a Nestabilities label set in the Cuttlebug. The design is finished off with some paper leaves and some stick on dots in the corners.

Next I tried some ATCs to practice my inking, which I think is gradually improving - inking backgrounds is something I have really struggled with for some reason - other people make it look so effortless. These also use the Utopiary set.

I added some pale Adirondack dye inking  in the background with the stipple brush and then I stamped the images in my favourite ink for a good clean image - Versafine. More ink was added with Cut n' Dry foam to add shading in toning colours. I think the pinky ones are my favourites, these used Sunshine Yellow, Sunset Orange, Watermelon, Cranberry and Eggplant inks.

I hope now I have got back into the swing of crafting, I might have more projects worth sharing.