Creative Time to Play

First post in a very long time. I have been struggling to find time and headspace to make and the idea of posting allways seemed a step to far but Tim Holtz in his recent live was talking about both making time to work and to share so lets hope I can keep sharing as well as making. Making a card is, for me, often the easiest project to find time for especially if you are someone who remembers all those birthdays. I now have decided to follow another TH tip and try "compartmental making" just siting and working for however long I have on one thing, diecutting, inking, stenciling pastes or preparing card bases. This along with a determination to use all those dies!!! 

Come on! it is always so easy to be inspired by all the makes out there, buy the die (before it dissapears) and then never get round to actually creating and using all the ideas you had for it. So the first neglected new die I pulled out was: 

Sizzix/tim Holtz Abstract Elements. The plan being to make some funky fun notelets to give as gifts. I had an inking session ages ago after the release of my favorite distress ink colour ever Uncharted Mariner (mixed in with some Crackling Campfire, Mustard Seed and Mowed Lawn, I think). It was a while ago I had that inking session (One year! according to Youtube), the idea was to just use the colours I liked and have fun. Next 'compartmetal session' was die cutting with the die set. So many fun shapes and lots of inspiration out there. Pete Hughes at Sizzix and Cheiron Brandon both Tim Holtz makers, especially got me excited. Having created a whole box of die cut pieces they then sat on my desk for months while I was distracted by life, the internet and lots of random shiny things. Finally yesterday I die cut frames with a stitched square set of dies, trying to pick out colours of cardstock that matched the colours from my inks. Today using both the frames and solid inner square and the long neglected die cut pieces I made a stack of cards. 

It did feel like play and having done whole sessions of inking and die cutting allwed me to make lots of cards in a free and easy way. Now I have happy inky fingers and sets of cards to give away Win Win!

And to top it all I have found time to blog again. Now I need to make my compartments join up quicker!

So finally, a big THANK YOU to all those who have continued to call into my blog, to Tim Holtz and his makers for keeping me inspired and finally the cat for sleeping outside in the sun all day just so she would not distract me.

I do hope to be back again soon, much sooner than a year! 

Wishing you all happy inky fingers

As these cards began with a day of colourful play and ended with vivid graphic cards I am linking up with Time Out Challenges this week "Colourful"

and Colorful Options  whose challenge for August is Yellow- Green

and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge which asks you to keep it clean and simple

Sympathy Card

Just in case people are checking in a worrying I am fine but just too busy to blog for a while. I had to make a sympathy card this week and realised how few cards I see for these occasions that I like. For me a card for these occasions is a delicate balance that has to do so much. Something you know suits the person grieving but in your own style,  using all of your usual techniques but not looking too playful, sensitive to the occassion but not too sad.

I sometimes think it is sensible to make several at a time but then realize it is more meaningful when you take the time to think of those involved as you make it. As its the first card I have made in a long time I thought I would take time to check in and share it.

As its Wednesday I am also going to link up with WOYWD.

Valentines card

Prompted by A Vintage Journey's Challenge "Your Hearts Desire" I got out my romantic colours, Valentines to me says pinks and reds.
I tried a few stencils straight onto a cream card base creating a patterned heart stamped with some text but I wasn't happy with it. I tried it on watercolour with a coloured background and red speckles embossed in red and gold but it just seemed too flat.

The embossing called for more layers and texture and seemed to suit a more vintage design. Heading off in another direction I cut some foliage with a memory box die and used paper from my stash to create a collaged heart to cover the original design.

I embossed a graphic 45 sentiment in gold on a rich red card. I glued the heart over the foliage so it framed it and finished off with the sentiment mounted on some foam tape. A few red speckles on the heart pulled the card together.

I wonder does Valentines day get more people making cards than Christmas? Christmas is so busy  and most of us do not need stacks of Valentine cards. Whether you are making cards or not a Happy Valentines day to all.

Thank you for all your comments I do read and appreciate each of them it is good to know you are not just talking to yourself!

Link for Vintage Journey Challenge

Warm Golden glow for the Winter Chill

January seemed to be a hard month for many of us, I struggled to get anything creative done. My studio in the attic is a bit arctic since Christmas so I have been avoiding it. As the weather is not getting warmer any time soon I have dug out a heater and cosy clothing, so its back to work before February passes me by too.

To take my mind off the chill I have made a warm coloured card. Lots of distress ink, embossing powder, stencils, a lovely golden sun from Lynne Perrella and ferns - the hardiest plants in my garden.

As this card is neither wintry or valentine themed I am linking up with a few Anything goes challenges today.

I am linking up with Crafty Stamper's Take It Make It Challenge 
And it is Anything Goes this Wednesday over at Simon Says Stamp
Also linking up with Fashionable Stamping Challenges Anything Goes Challenge #143

Lovely to be back in the blogosphere again and looking forward to catching up with everyone. Hope you get a little warmth in your week.

Lynne Perrella Card

I went through some of the abandoned backgrounds in my studio. A couple of smooched distress backgrounds in deep, dark purples grabbed my eye. They were too dark for the project I had been working on at the time. I decided to bring them out now and play with gold embossing powder.

I stamped and gold embossed text all over. Then I added random areas of gold around the card. It looks almost spilled over the text.

Happy with the effect I worked on the embellishments. First I die cut some flowers from one of the plain purple pieces. I made a brown postage stamp. I stamped in purple using a Lynne Perrella stamp and finished it by edging in gold ink. I stamped coloured and fussycut a lovely lady from another Perrella stamp set and then mounted them all on the card front. I added a tiny touch of green flowers just to lift the purples a little.

I love it when I can use up the pieces I have abandoned. I am so tempted to clear them all away as they gather into messy piles on occasion. Now my hoarding is justified.

As this is so purple I am linking up to  the Mix it Up Challenge

Scrapcosy card

This card is an opportunity to use a stamp set by Scrapcosey/Paperartsy.  Scrapcosey (or Raquel) has some great videos on her blog and YouTube using infusions and embossing powders I love her cheerful friendly tone and her stamp sets have lots of vintage illustrations which I am drawn to. I love the vintage plant illustrations in this set and all the map elements. Not sure what it is about old maps that makes them so popular. Perhaps it is the sense of a time when the whole world presented an opportunity for adventure and exploration. That and the great skill in all those illustrations full of tiny details. 

My favourite stamp in the set is the flower. The watercolour paper on the whole card was first lightly tinted with spun sugar distress ink. After stamping the two decorative oval map images I played around with some tape to mask a central area that resists the green ink and creates three distinct areas. I stamped some of the map and plant images in sepia and potting soil archival ink. I also used a small Latin text background stamp to add more texture to the side panels. I used Ranger Rock Candy Crackle paint on the two side panels leaving the surface of the centre matte. This highlights the lovely flower image.

I like the way the rock candy distress crackle changes the colour of the Sepia archival ink I used. It is a darker and almost red under the shiny surface. 

The finished card front is mounted on rust coloured cardstock and a card base made from green cardstock.

I can't remember when I last made something with no embossing round the edge!

Embossed Magic Card

My second embossed card uses my all time favourite Vintage Beeswax embossing powder. This powder adds a yellowy translucent tone that ages any paper perfectly it looks textured and all the bumps catch the light beautifully.

I used the same technique on this card as the robin egg card but this time I used the Seth Apter/ Emerald Creek's Vintage Beeswax embossing powder on the raised embossed areas. It completely changes the tone of the paper. It is much darker and richer looking. The beeswax has a very different effect to the normal clear powder I used on the Robin egg card. it really does add a yellow wax encaustic look. Adding a single layer on the 'Magic Garden' element gives it texture as well as deepening the colour  of the paper.

I was tempted to emboss the little boy but I didn't want every element to have similar tones. I also left the book paper fragment with just a hint of green ink and no embossing. I have had a great time experimenting with the resists that embossing offers Vintage beeswax really is magic! I am off to play with my Deep Sea powder now . . . watch this space.


Im linking this to Paperartsy's Baked Texture challenge

Robin Egg Embossed Card

I was playing around with embossing this week and made a couple of cards. In the first I finally used the egg stamp Yey!

I have also used an embossing folder that I have had for ages and never tried out. I was prompted by both Paperartsy's Baked texture challenge and Vintage Journey's resist challenge. It all turned into quite a stash project. I started with patterned paper from my stash. I stamped some text to add detail to the green and cream open spaces on the paper. I embossed with the folder adding a little extra embossing with the folder at the bottom to make a longer piece. I used 2 coats of versamark and clear embossing powder to create a resist and then inked it with gathered twigs DI. I love the grungy, gritty effect created where small particles of embossing powder have stuck to the debossed areas and resisted the ink.

The snippet of book paper is from an old encyclopedia. Luckily I still had the bird entry

I avoided the bottom section with the embossing powder so the ink covers it all and creates a darker area giving a different effect. The card is finished off with my stamped fusycut egg, a coloured scrap of book paper and a pensive young lady from Tim Holtz Paper dolls. These colours all relate to the colours of the egg and the card is mounted on cardstock called - "Robin Egg." How appropriate was that!


Joining in with
Vintage Journey's challenge How Can you Resist
Artistic Stamper's challenge Anything Goes

Embossing folder used is Anna Griffin 'Aviary'
Stamp set Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous 'Bird Feather'
12 x 12 patterned paper by Bo Bunny 'Et Cetera - Watermark'
Robin Egg cardstock is by Kaisercraft

Using your Old Stamps Up

I truly think stamps are addictive. Once you get the bug you cannot stop coveting or simply buying the next one. Several times a year there are new stamps released and there will always be those that you decide you just cant do without! It is easy to spend hours chasing down some stamp used in a project you have admired on someones blog or Pinterest. There are always new exciting products coming out. You could easily spend your days shopping rather than making. Often I find myself looking at a stamp and thinking of all the things I could make with it. Its so easy to persuade yourself that the new shiny stamp will make the best ever project and forget the multitude you already have.

Often your own stamps become invisible, you forget them amongst the thousands. Lets be honest, it probably goes beyond the hundreds. I think it is important to spend more time experimenting and creating than shopping and using what we have I will exercise our imagination. I will certainly be richer! I do not like to think of the amount I have spent on stamps since I started using them.

I am setting out to use more of my stamps. To be creative with what I have. It will be my own personal challenge. I am sure I am not alone in having many stamps which I have not used in years or even some which remain in their cellophane waiting for their first taste of ink.

Four months until the end of 2018 I will try and go cold turkey with the shopping and use as many of my virgin or neglected stamps as possible. For fun I will post the total in the New Year. Please feel free to join in!

To start off I am using a set lusted after for over a year and finally bought, in January! Bird Feather by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous. This lovely set has 2 birds, eggs, a beautiful twiggy nest and a large feather. Ironically the stamp that pulled me in most was the smallest, the row of Fig 1-7. This is the only stamp I have used since I bought the set.

I haven't made a clean and simple card in ages so I am trying to keep this nice and easy. I did use watercolour cardstock as a base because I have run out of white cards.

The larger bird from the set is stamped on the edge of the card. I have stamped a bit of nest so he appears to be sitting on the edge of his nest. The figs 1-7 are stamped in the same sepia archival ink. The stamped image is heat dried so I can wet the card. The final element is a quick spritz with water then a little sprinkle of infusions in "Slime." I mounted the finished card front on green coloured cardstock.  I have added no sentiment to the front as I can stamp whatever is appropriate inside when I use the card.

I love the infusions splatter and I do love this stamp. Not sure what the fascination with figure numbers is. Perhaps it comes from hours poring over old botany and other books with beautiful engraved black and white illustrations.

Im linking this up to Crafty Creations challenge #372 which is Anything Goes

I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls

Frilly and Funky has been challenging us to make something using some type of marble effect, arches or columns. I managed to include all three.

I was interested to see if I could make a marble effect with distress ink. The green patterned paper I used has a faint crackle design. I put several colours of distress ink onto my craft mat and spritzed it once or twice then applied it to the paper using a crunched up cellophane bag. I mopped off any dark spots immediately so the effect was quite soft. Then I stamped a tiny hint of cracks using some of the dark green distress ink from my mat. My arch was cut with a Movers and Shapers die creating two openings in a three fold card.

I have managed to get columns in on the front using a lovely old stamp by Beeswax. On the other two panels I stamped small areas of Latin text and some stonework in Watering Can Archival ink

I wanted to use one of the arches cut from the paper to make a kind of Roman icon image on the back section. I have tried gilding random areas on previous projects but for this I wanted to try and make a totally gold background around a stamped image. First I stamped the image in black archival ink. Then I carefully painted size all around it with a very fine brush. The size is like a tacky glue. The idea is that the gilding should only stick to the sized areas around the image.

Next I applied an imitation gold leafing sheet right over the whole thing. Then I wiped away the gold leafing in the image area (I used my fingers as I was wearing cotton gloves for the process). And Yay it worked!

Finally I coloured the image with distress ink mixed with a little water. Again I used a very fine brush. I love the delicate effect of distress colouring with the lush gilding. I think it adds a real touch of magic to the image which has the drama and mystery of all Lynne Perrella's stamps. The finished 'Roman icon' is coated with a glaze to stop the gold leaf from tarnishing (you don't need to glaze real gold leaf only the imitation stuff).

This stamp is called Sweetbriar which is the name used for Sleeping Beauty in lots of traditional versions of the Grimm's fairytale. I wanted this fairy tale woman to be surrounded by tendrils of ivy. My ivy leaves are die cut from green patterned paper and darkened with green distress inks.

The leaves are shaped on a foam mat and then glued individually on top of the stems (cut from a branch die) on the front and back panel. The figure can then be viewed though the ivy arches.

The edges have a tiny touch of texture and glint from a mix of embossing powders (Ranger Antiquities California Stucco, clear and regular gold powders, and some Stampendous Frantage Aged Silver). I often combine my powders to create something that tones in with my project. I love the way the frantage leaves big splatters of gold randomly over the paper.

I really enjoyed making this card and following my inner fairytale.

I am linking this card to Frilly and Funkie's challenge

And also
Stamping Sensations who are challenging you to Use your 'current' favorite stamp.
The Artistic Stamper  whose August Cretive Callenge is anything goes so long as a stamp is the centre of your project and for me it usually is.

Stamps used:
Latin Text from Woodware
Stones from Paperartsy - Architecture Plate 3 (Ink and the Dog A6)
Arches  from Beeswax
Sweetbriar Lynne Perrella stamp by Stampington

Dies used:
Sizzix Susan's Garden Thinlits set "Leaves, Fern & Ivy"
Memory Box Graceful branch oval
Sizzix Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers sized arch

Mint, Sage, Claret and Gold Lynne Perrella Card

Working my way through the many backgrounds I have made for the Paperartsy topic 13 Challenge which was to use this colour combination. I would not have naturally been drawn to these colours but I am now thinking that they would make lovely Christmas card colours. This is the first finished project to come out of lots of painting inking and embossing.

I had a sage coloured piece of cardstock which I embossed and edged with gold embossing powder. The paler 'mint' piece is coloured and stencilled with crimson pearl Brilliance Tsukineko ink.  I then stamped text using the same ink. 

One of my favourite Lynne Perrella ladies is stamped onto another background piece and fussycut out. This piece is book paper painted with green and cream paint. The top of the lady's foliage was a little off the page so I stamped a tiny crimson house from another stamp in the set and placed it on her headdress to cover this. 

I finished off with some design tape from Tim Holtz. This piece has text in just the right colour I love this mention of "Medals for Chrysanthemums." Seems appropriate for this very floral lady, she certainly looks determined enough to win in life. I also edged this piece in lots of gold embossing powder emphasising the torn edges.

Finally joining in with Paperartsy's Topic 13 Mint, Sage, Claret and Gold  Challenge.

Oxide Ink birthday card

Got out some of my oxide inks to make a quick birthday card with a Crafty Individuals stamp set I love using. This card is intended for an Irish friend whos turning 60. Hares have a special place in Celtic mythology and are seen as magical and wise animals. In my mind anyone reaching 60 has the right to be considered very wise. The hares in these stamps are quirky but suggest the intelligence I equate with these animals.

I did start photographing the process while I began with smooshing oxide ink onto my mat and misting and dipping. I made a few extra pieces at the same time to use for my hares and sentiments.

Then some stencilling. I stencilled circles and then wet them and removed some ink to get a subtler effect.

At this point I got distracted and forgot to photograph for a while. I added some numbers using a stencil and Peacock Feathers oxide ink. Next I stamped a some random text in Manganese Blue archival ink. Happy now with my background  I stamped plants at the bottom in Potting Shed  Archival ink. I used the same ink to stamp the two lovely hares onto one of my spare background pieces and then fussycut them and edged them in brown distress ink. I had a little fun creating some embossing powder from a mixture of ancient antiquities Verdigris and Frantage Aged Aqua embossing enamel. I love the large white pieces that create a kind of splatter and it has also has blue glitter for a little magic. I stamped sentiments on more of my spare background peices and edged them with the embossing mixture. When I arranged them I decided it looked far too busy. Instead I used a small circle die to cut a hole in my card. Then I mounted the card on a larger peice of teal cardstock.

I die cut number 60 from spare smooched paper and glued it into the teal circle. The finished card front is attached to a pale blue card base and the sentiments are all stamped inside. It looks a little like hares are gazing up at a blue moon.

After choosing hares for their magical qualities I had to join in with the August challenge at That's Crafty whose theme is "Animal Magic."

I also think hares are quite wild enough to join in the "Wild Things" Simon Says Stamp Challenge this Monday.

Finally as the number 60 was the whole point of this card I am playing for the first time with Stampotique and thier current Challenge - "Number It"

Animal magic
Wild Things
Number It

Crafty Individuals Bird stamp Card

I have enjoyed being able to work in my studio again now we have a little cloud to cool the sunny Irish sky. I dont feel like I had been back at work long since my visitors left when I was forced out by the heat. I tried to at least look in on all the blogs I follow but somehow if  I am not working creatively I dont feel part of that world. It seems so much more vivid and meaningful from inside. Just looking is not as engaging. I see and creative sparks start firing off but they cannot take flight or develop without experimenting. There is a lot to be said for a very messy desk and sticky stained fingers! This week I have been playing with a lot of paint and oxide but nothing I am happy with. My pile of discarded backgrounds is growing. I will have to get out the Big Shot, maybe then I can die cut them into something wonderful.

I went back to my distress ink and made a thank you card. Always feels good to finish something before I leave my desk.First I made a blue and green distress background. I love the way you can create rich jewel colours, like stain glass with a lot of light but intense too.  I used a crafty Individuals stamp "Bird," stamped onto my coloured background in black archival ink. I stamped a couple of times so I could chose the area that looked best and had the option of extra design elements.

After cutting out each element I mounted them on book pages, edged them with a distressing tool and a little black ink. Then I mounted the book page pieces onto two green cardstock panels and glued these directly onto a Kraft card base. The sentiment was stamped in black archival directly onto the card base. The sentiment is from a set by Avery Elle "Oh Happy Day."

Now I have to return to the world of domesticity and wash my inky fingers. Do your kids laugh at your brightly stained fingers? Mine often comment and make up strange activities I might have been up to to get green, purple or red fingers. 

Im linking up with Julia at WOYWW this week

little Girls Blue Card

I am much more confident with regular distress ink than the Distress Oxides. I was playing with Distress Oxides trying to redress the balance a little. I did some wrinkle free distress with Cracked Pistachio and Vintage photo  then I blended through a couple of stencils with both colours trying to use brown on top of green and green on top of brown. I finished off with some archival ink stamping in Manganese blue and black, some of my yummy Tim Holtz Design tape and a couple of stamps from my ephemera box.

It still seemed a little dull and flat to me, could be the colours I used but I think after years of the glowing colours of blended distress ink I find the oxidised finish challenging. To try and fix this I mixed some Manganese Blue archival ink into Paperartsy Grunge paste. I used another stencil to create some texture on the smaller piece.

I scraped the left over paste onto the edges of the larger piece added some versamark over the dried paste and embossed it with a mixture of  Seth Apter's Deep Sea and Ranger Antiquities Verdigris embossing powder. Happy now with a  little more texture and shine, I assembled the card, added a sentiment and some Tim Holtz Paper dolls (I coloured their dresses with a touch of peacock Feathers Distress ink).

As I used lots of inventor and scientific stamps in the background I thought it would be good to have little girls rather than boys or gents. Challenging us all to any dream we imagine.

Hope you are all getting a little time to play this week. Thanks for your visit.

Stencils used are all Crafters workshop 6x6
Mini Numerals
Mini Ledger
Mini Harlequin

I am joining in the Vintage Journey Challenge for June stencil it
Also joining in with Creative Artiste Mixed Media at:
www.creativeartistemixedmedia.blogspot.com.au  Challenge 39

Also joining in with the Country View Challenge which is 'The Written Word'  I was thinking how much the words change the way we see these girls making us think about all their potential and the possibilities before them. Also makes me wonder did they fulfill all their dreams?. I do hope so.