Simply Square - green fern frame

I am not one for challenges, only because I am so short of crafting time. However, when I saw that Crafty Individuals had started a challenge on their blog, I knew I had to take part. Their first theme is Simply Square.

I took a small MDF frame and covered it with black gesso and then two coats of Ecogreen pistachio paint. All the stamps I used are from CI 207, except the word. I love ferns, I have lots of them in my garden and they are just beautiful. I embossed the ferns in a copper EP from Judikins. I think it is called rusty nail and it is nice as it has a slightly textured effect. I added some streaks of Lava Green Inka Gold on the frame and then toned it all down by adding some Lettuce Adirondack dye ink. I used a K and Co paper inside the frame and then inked four stampbord inch squares with Citrus ink. I overstamped with the little fern square stamps in Olympia Green Versafine ink. I emboosed the word Treasure in gold on green and added little charms, square lime green brads and a green flower. I finished off with some sari waste ribbon for a hanger. I tried to think of what Jean Hardy would use when she makes her perfect little creations, to make sure the project captured the Crafty Individuals spirit.  

I am off on my Easter break now and I have promised myself I will finish one project everyday. Some of them are half done things that have been hanging around for a while. This was one I started from scratch though and I am quite pleased at how it has come together.

Hope you all have a super crafting weekend!

Elaine

Chocolate Baroque Giveaway!

The Chocolate Baroque online shop has now been launched and in the What's New section of the website, you will find the great mini stamps and three other gorgeous new sets.

Firstly there are two A5 sized stamp sets Doodle Butterfly and Doodle Birds. The Design  Team have been busy road testing these stamps and they are a pleasure to work with. I showed you my birdhouse card last weekend here.

Here is another card I made with one of birds tails from the Doodle Birds set. I shaded the background first using Tumbled Glass and Stormy Sky Distress Inks that I then splashed with water, to give a more watery effect! Once it was dry, I over stamped in Deep Lagoon Versafne and added darker shading at the edges in Denim Adirondack dye ink. I felt I had made what looked like a ripple effect in water. I added a nestie panel with the sentiment from the Artful Affirmations set. I finished with some little turquoise jewels and ribbon. I love working in this colour scheme.

There is also a new A4 set Butterfly Dreams that is really stunning. The largest stamp in this set needs the large 6x6 inch acrylic block as it's a whopping 5.5 inches square making it a fabulous focal point for a card all on its own. Glenda is doing a lovely random giveaway - giving away one of each set to three lucky winners, but you have to do something in return to be in with a chance. Winners will be drawn at random from comments left on the Design Team blog here, or on all of the Design Team's individual blogs that are linked from the main DT blog, including this one. The more blogs you leave comments on, the more chance you have of winning.

Good luck!

Elaine

I love these nesties!

When I saw these new Fleur de Lis nestie square dies I knew I had to have them and how I wanted to use them.

These cards are 4 x 4. I used a clear stamp for the silhouettes. I stamped in black archival ink and then added ink shading with Cut n Dry foam using a real mixture of Adirondack, Distress Ink and Eco Green dye inks. I added the sentiment from a set of Hero Arts stamps that I love. I mounted the stamped squares onto the black die cuts finishing off with tiny black pearls.

Tomorrow I am off to the Big Stamping Show at Ally Pally, I can't wait! I have a serious shopping list, but more importantly I will be with all my Craft Stamping Quartet friends. It will be the first time all four of us have been together in one place since we went on a crafty break together last June - I can't wait! If you are going - have a great day.

Elaine

Exciting news about Chocolate Baroque

I am rather tardy in making sure you know the news that the wonderful new company Chocolate Baroque has now been launched. Take a step over to the new website here and delight in the new release stamps that are really gorgeous.

I have been lucky enough to have a bit of a play already with some of the new images as I am a proud a member of the new Design Team. This is a card I made with the Doodle Birds, Mini Script and Mail Art sets of stamps, backed onto Artylicious papers.

Even better, there is an exciting new Chocolate Baroque Ning Group, even if you aren't a member of their special Guild and if you are a member, there is an area of the Group just for you. The gallery on there is growing by the hour and is full of wonderful projects to inspire and delight you! So pop over and make yourself at home!

Elaine

Are there fairies at the bottom of my garden?

Back last year I had this great idea of making a set of altered giant playing cards - one every week! Unfortunately with my snail's pace crafting, work and life generally getting in the way, etc, etc, it has not happened. So, I think this is more of an occasional series. I do like doing them though, as they are a nice size to work with.

Here is my next one, actually made some time back in the new year before my life got turned upside down, but mislaid between the temporary bedroom craft room and my craft shed movements. It turned up again last week.

This design uses Adirondack dye inks for shading and black archival for stamping. The fairy is from Elusive Images, I added some Glamour Dust glitter to her wings. The sentiment is from Quietfire and the ferns and dragonfly are from Crafty Individuals. The vine leaf edging stamp is one I use over and over from Lavinia Stamps.

This design was inspired by my dear crafty friend Jo, who said when she came to stay with me, that if fairies existed they would live in our garden.

The garden is certainly a wild and special place!

Thanks for popping by!

Elaine x
 

Comic Relief - do something funny for money!

Today is Comic Relief Day in the UK. This is a fundraising event that always manages to capture my heart - raising money for really deserving community projects both in the UK and around the world.

Many people like me will have watched the various programmes in recent weeks about the kinds of communities where help is needed, reminding us who live quite affluent lives, with all our needs looked after just how much we have compared with many people around the world, including close to home.

I was inspired to make a tag for Comic Relief by a new blog I found recently - and this post Red Nose Day Queen. Do pop over and have a look and leave a comment on Caroline's great tag. In one of the amazing coincidences that happen in blogland - it turns out that Caroline and I know each other through work and we didn't even realise we were both crafters!

My tag uses the Prima Notary script text, such a useful background stamped in Red Peper Adirondack ink, Viva flourishes stamp in archival black ink the the lovely Julia from Cherry Pie stamps. I have added a vintage red nose badge for her nose  from 2005 which celebrated 10 years of Comic Relief. The I added a Comic Relief sticker and various red embellies and a ribbon.

So today, whether you are doing something funny for money yourself, watching the feast of comedy on the TV tonight  or just making a donation - have fun - but take time to remember what it's really all about.

Elaine x

An art journal page

Just a quick post as I haven't had much to share in the way of projects to share lately - I have been working on top secret design team projects for Chcolate Baroque! Yesterday I posted my art journal pages on our shared Craft Stamping Quartet blog here. Here is just a sneeky peek.

I've also been busy moving back into my craft shed after the winter. My crafty friends tell me off for calling my lovely studio space a "shed". I always say it is just verbal shorthand, it doesn't signify a lack of appreciation for my special creative space - I love it and it's great to be back in there! As you can see I have wasted no time in making a mess!

You can see my next journal pages under construction and my new stamp storage arrangements at the back of my desk. I think I am going to have to move my all ink pads out of the light though. 

Here is the cover of a book I am making to store all the pics I have of different cards and projects to inspire me into crafty action. I used some of the lovely Tim Holtz Lost and Found paper stack.

I am really looking forward to more crafty time now in my crafty space!

Thanks for popping by!

Elaine x