Blues Singer

The Theme Thursday challenge is a card with a masculine theme. I wiped gesso over the cardstock with a babywipe, and then the dabbers on top of that when dry.

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Stamps: paper Artsy Letters 5 and Stagelights 3; Stampers Anonymous Background

Inks: Adirindack Dabbers Cool Peri, Cloudy Blue and Purple Twilight; Archival Black and Sepia; Adirondack Eggplant; DI Vintage Photo

Extras: Babywipe; Gesso; German Scrap; Ribbon; PM Eyelet; Copper Metallic RubOn

Testing nibs

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Happy, Happy Easter

everyone.

He is risen indeed,

Allelujah!

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I made this card for the So Artful challenge on hands.

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Stamps: Invoke Arts Pens and Nibs; ISC ATC set and All About Me; Time to Stamp ATC set 2

Inks: DI Dusty Concord, Faded Jeans, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain; Versa Fine Black

Extras: Domed Sticker; Gesso; Vintage text from book; Black Card; Water Spritzer

Two elder brothers

This atc is my first contribution to the So Artful challenge site. The theme is the colour turquoise and hats.
The title comes from the text, which is the opening page of Robinson Crusoe.
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Stamps: Paper Artsy mini 3

Inks: Adirondack Aqua, Sail Boat Blue and Stream; VersaFine Onyx Black

Extras: Gesso; Vintage text; Word ties - a freebie from a magazine; Dovecraft Brad; Mica; Black Paper

Seeds and buds

The Created byHand theme is Spring. For this card I made 2 twinchies, and gessoed over the pp to dull it a bit.

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Stamps: DarkRoom Door Friendship flowers; HA Fantastic Flourishes

Inks: VersaFine Onyx Black; Impress Garnet; Green unknown; DI Black Soot

Extras: Black card; pp by Fancy Pants; Gesso; Paper Cellar Lace Tape

Dolce

This is my contribution for Art Creations Friday #17.

I'm so disappointed that the scanner has bleached the colour of the flowers - irl they match the green in her dress perfectly. Here they look so awful I was tempted to pull them off!

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Stamps: Paper Artsy Backgrounds 2, Travel 4 and Travel 2

Inks: Adirondack Slate, Pink Sherbert and Watermelon; Archival Black

Extras: Vintage Image; Ribbon, Lace; Prima Flowers; Antique Music; Gesso

Chamois Leather

The Saturday Workout challenge is to make Faux leather with Masking Tape.

In the suggested method for this technique you cover paper with small strips of masking tape, colour the tape and then cover with clear embossing powder. I omitted the embossing powder as I felt the effect had been achieved with the shiny acrylic, and looked like chamois leather. The two 'art' words are quite clear irl. I dyed the ribbon to match.

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Stamps: Simple Expressions People 2; Time to Stamp Leo's Plate; Crafty Individuals 21

Inks: Kaleidacolor Bouquet; StazOn Midnight Blue; Adirondack Acrylic Butterscotch

Extras: Masking Tape; Prima Flowers; Purple Brad; White ribbon; Gesso

Promenade

The Saturday Workout technique for this week is distressed gesso backgrounds. I love working with gesso, so really enjoyed making this card. I used 2 pages from a vintage book about London Promenade concerts, both of which I gessoed and inked twice over. I continued the distressed look along the borders too.

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Stamps: PaperBag Studios Dress Up; DarkRoom Door Little Dreams

Inks: DI Aged Mahogany, Worn Lipstick, Tattered Rose and Old Paper; Versafine Onyx Black

Extras: Vintage paper; Gesso; PM Pearl Brad; 2 different sized Flower Punches

Timeless

The Saturday Workout challenge is to use the soot technique. I wonder how many people set their smoke alarms off doing this! I didn't, but regret doing it in my bedroom as there's now a burning smell in there. I hope DH doesn't notice!!

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Stamps: Paper Artsy Nature 3 and Man of Numbers 2; Time to Stamp Leo's Plate

Inks: Adirondack Latte, Stream and Slate

Extras: Glossy card; Candle; Hairspray; Gesso; Dymo Labeller; MM Ribbon; Black Paper

Darkroom Door

Two things to share today. Firstly a card using stamps from the Darkroom Door Christmas set which is for a challenge on their blog. And the swaps I received from their photobooth atc swap. In reading order the atcs are by me, Sherri Field, Teresa Abajo, Gloria, Rachel Greig, Sarah Schwerin, Rhiannon Riddell, Marie Shiel and Lorri Lennox

Materials for card:

Stamps: Darkroom Door Christmas set

Inks: Adirondack Wild Plum, Eggplant and Denim; Versamark; Archival Black; DI Black Soot

Extras: Plain and Mini Alphabet Grungeboard; Gold Ribbon; Clear EP; Gesso; Black card

Crown for a King

The Created byHand challenge is red and green.

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Stamps: Stampington Fresh Flowers Elements and Christmas Found Elements; Inca Stamps Merry Christmas; Funstamps Crown

Inks: Adirondack Red Pepper, Cranberry, Willow, Lettuce and Meadow; Marvy Pen Crinson Lake; StazOn Olive Green; Brilliance Galaxy Gold; Gold Gel Pen

Extras: Gesso

Pen and ink

The Saturday Workout challenge has an open theme on using your favourite technique. As I have many it was difficult to choose, but finally settled on a couple: homemade glimmer mist spritzing, and gesso. I also love stamping and making my own backgrounds - to be found here as well! (Am I allowed 4?!)

To make the backgrounds I spread around some gesso, blended the dabbers with a babywipe, stamped, and spritzed.

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Stamps : Paper Artsy Schooldays 1, Letters 5 and Travel 4; Invoke Arts Pens and Nibs

Inks : Adirondack Dabber Stream, Pool, Snow Cap, Sunshine Yellow and Lemonade; Archival Black; StazOn Saddle Brown;

Extras : Perfect Pearls 'Pearl'; Brads; Gesso

Damask Butterfly

This is a card I made for a challenge on the Artylicious site to use stampbord. This created many problems for me, and nearly didn't get made. The butterfly on the stampbord turned out paler than I wanted but I couldn't tamper with it as it's my only piece and I would probably have wrecked it!

Then the background ended up much brighter than I wanted so I streaked diluted gesso on it and kept sanding the colour away. I suppose I can't hide from the fact that I'm a bright colour lover!

The only way of copying it to here was to photograph it, in the dark, on a white cloth. So it is really a square card!

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Stamps : Elusive Images Delightful Damask and Butterfly Whimsy

Inks : Adirondack Stream, Willow and Lettuce; Inkessentials White Gel Pen

Extras : Gesso; Sandpaper; Stampbord; Ribbon; Prima Flowers; Brad; Black Paper

Paddlers

Yesterday I achieved 400 posts, so to celebrate this I'm giving away this set of stamps. Please comment on this post by Monday 18th August by 10.00 pm UK time. I will pick a name out of the hat. Please leave some way of contacting you.

This is my first attempt at a thrinchie - a 3x3. This is for a swap on the Lots to do forum which also has the theme of children.

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Stamps : Time to Stamp Beach Memoirs

Inks : Adirondack color wash Stream; Archival Black; Adirondack Aqua and Stream; DI Scattered Straw

Extras : Gesso; Magic Mesh

Blogaversary, winner, and Hero Arts cards

Firstly, the winner of my celebration on 20k hits is:

!! WILLY !!

Congratulations to you, and your package is on its way. Thanks to everybody for their comments.

Secondly, I want to celebrate again - this time a whole year of blogging! I have a stack of 6x6 papers to give away. They are from lots of different companies - see some of them on the picture to the right. Please leave a comment on this entry and a contactable address, by Tuesday 3rd June 10.00pm British time.

These 2 cards are entries for Hero Arts challenges on flowers, and circles.

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Stamps : HA Small Concentric Circles, Scalloped Hello, Clear Fanciful Flourishes and Wild flower set; Tim Holtz Enjoy the Journey; Invoke Arts Nibs and Pens; Elusive Images ATC set

Inks : Adirondack Wild Plum, Red Pepper and Sunshine Yellow; Versamark; H2Os in Snapdragon, Cranberry. Passion, Pink Arthurium, Garnet and Icy Iris; DI DustyConcord; Archival Black

Extras : Prima Flower; BB card; PM buttons; Clear EP; Gesso; Waxy Flax Plum and Watermelon; Yellow brads; sheer ribbon

Dream and imagine

I thought I would contribute to the Arty Girlz challenge on 'wings'. In the scan the wings have been flattened, but irl they are more 3D. I alcohol inked the metalware as the silver just wasn't happening for me.

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Stamps : BLine Tic Toc; Paper Artsy One Penny 2; HA Brushstrokes Letters; Dragonfly unknown; Time to Stamp Addison; Tim Holtz Flourish

Inks : DI Pine Needles, Shabby Shutters, Broken China and Scattered Straw; AI Stream and Lettuce

Extras : Gesso; PM Silver brads and tags; Sheer Ribbon

Winter landscape

One of my friends challenged me to use 'grungy' colours. So here is my wintry looking tag for the Wednesday Stamper theme of trees. Lots of gesso and spritzed distress inks.

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Stamps : Paper Bag Studios Addison; Stampington Recommendation

Inks : DI Walnut Stain, Frayed Burlap, Pine Needles and Black Soot; StazOn Black and Olive Green

Extras : Tissue paper; Elusive Images tag; fibres from my collection; Gesso

Ismaki Challenge no7

Here is the sketch and my version of it. I've wanted to try this colour combination for some time. The optional extra was the use of metal - in this case the brads.

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Stamps : PaperBag Studios Addison; Time to Stamp ATC set1; Stampington Fresh Flower Elements; Blade Rubber dandelion

Inks : Adirondack Sunshine Yellow and Sailboat Blue; StazOn Ultramarine

Extras : Gesso; PM brads; Tracing Paper; BB and DCWV card

The Mathematician

The 4x4 Friday challenge for this week is open themed. This gives me the opportunity to try out this more masculine colour combination.

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Stamps : Crafty Individuals 77; Paper Artsy Numbers Mini and At Home 3

Inks : Adirondack Caramel and Butterscotch; StazOn Saddle Brown; Glimmer Mist Walnut Gold

Extras : Gesso; Pearlescent copper paper; Domed epoxy sticker; Tissue Paper

Deck of Me, weeks 46 - 48

I'm still playing catch-up on Emily Falconbridge's Art Journey cards. Here's the next 3 :
Week 46's prompt was rejuvenation.

I find it amazing that nature knows when we need a burst of colour to cheer us up after the bareness of winter. The bulbs are poking through in the garden - the promise of spring to come.
Gen 1.14.

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Stamps : AudDesign; Stampington Martha's Bulbs; Lakeland Ltd Ornate set

Inks : H2Os Cherry Sorbet, Pink Arthurium, Cedar Wood and Olive Vine; Archival Black; DI Walnut Stain

Extras : PP by Aunt Gertie; SGme Clear EP; Z Design RubOns

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The prompt for week 47 was ideas..

The ideas that I have for my craft work are prompted by words, colours, images, techniques, or the work of others. I love to join in challenges. I praise God for inspiration.

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Stamps : AudDesign

Inks : Archival black; DI Spiced Marmalade

Extras : logo images from challenge sites; PP by SU; MM RubOns

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The last challenge in this set was my happy place..

I guess this has to be within me. I am generally a happy person, and like to laugh a lot. Cheerfulness can often be infectious. Proverbs 15:13 - A happy heart makes a cheerful face. This is so true!

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Stamps : Crafty Individuals 118; AudDesign; Stampington Christmas Found Elements

Inks : ColorBox French Blue; VersaMagic Aegean Blue; Archival Black and Grape

Extras : Gesso; Me!

Deck of Me, weeks 42-45

Happy New Year everyone!!

I am in the process of fulfilling my new year's resolution - to complete my deck of cards, which I have neglected lately. Week 42's prompt of a grateful week had me stumped for a while, but then I realised how many thank yous I was saying, so recorded it here.

I am grateful to the pupils who came to extra rehearsals to prepare for the school concert. We played music from the recent Narnia film. I wonder if the Seikh girl who chose it realises that it's based on Christian principles!

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Stamps : Stampington Small Violin and Small Trumpet; AudDesign

Inks : StazOn black; DI Fired Brick and Broken China

Extras : 2 Narnia images from internet

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Week 43's title was sCaRy.

Some might say that it is scary when you receive a word of knowledge; eg. I 'knew' when my Nana died, despite being hundreds of miles away. I would say this is a blessing.

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Stamps : Lakeland Ltd Ornate Set; AudDesign

Inks : Kaleidacolor Melon Melody; Archival Black

Extras : brayer; Gesso; computer text

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Week44's challenge was home...

The first day we looked at this house we knew it was ours. It was empty, dirty and rundown, but I sensed God's prompting that this would be our 'home'. It certainly is!

It is a house that retains some of the original Victorian features, one being the floor tiles in terracotta and black, which I based this card on. The keys and lock are there to express the joy I felt the day we moved in. This is an open house to our friends.

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Stamps : Paper Artsy Letters 5; Time to Stamp ATC sets; AudDesign

Inks : Adirondack Butterscotch and Caramel; DI Fired Brick; ColorBox Charcoal; StazOn Black

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Week 45's title was self realisation

I was recently invited onto the prayer ministry team at church, and have been greatly blessed by this. My realisation is that God can use me more than I'll ever know - I have to be ready and open.

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Stamps : Stampington Collage Cube; AudDesign

Inks : Adirondack Wild Plum; Glimmer Mist Black Cherry; Castaway; StazOn black; ColorBox Eggplant

Extras : Image from chicks57 on flickr

It amuses me that some of the inks used have fruit names. Reminds me of the fruits of the Spirit!