Lynne Perrella Card

Its been a long time since I got time in the studio or even longer since I had time to blog. I have had so many other comitments I decided when I actually managed to get some creative time  I should just make and not worry about photos and blogging. I dont want to fall away completly so popping in with a fairly simple card using my new favorite Lynne Perrella stamp set from Paperartsy, LPC046.

I made a few sheets of this paper using distress ink blended and spritzed with water. I added the two stamps I use the most at the moment, some speckles and text from the Tim Holtz set "Tiny Toadstools" They make it so easy to create an undistracting texture. I used mostly Mermaid Lagoon and Seedless Preserved DI. The dome lady is stamped on a sheet created the same way but using lots of Worn Lipstick and seedless preserves DI. Then I used a third sheet to diecut  lots of tim holtz wildflowers. This sheet was created with pinks and purples in distress oxide spray. 

All I did then was use some foam tape to add a little dimention to the dome and a peice of blue Kraft-core paper to matte the card. I love the feminine but qwirky look of this stamp.

It was great to get inky fingers and lovely to be back online. Hope to have more time soon. Thanks for checking in after such a long silence. Hope you are getting time to colour your hands too.

As this is so feminine I am linking with the Wednesday SSS challenge which is 'something feminine'

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.

Red Distress Ink Christmas Cards

My studio is pretty much all covered in a sprinkling of glitter and I look like the sugar plum fairy as I make more cards for Christmas. Lots of my relatives and non-crafting friends seem to think I am some kind of martyr making all my own cards but it is one of the things I love to do in December. Suddenly you 'need' loads of cards and you can bring out all those seasonal and special tools and stamps. It is part of my preparations and as much fun as decorating the tree or planning the Christmas lunch. Giving each friend a personal design is part of the gift of this season. Rather than being a chore it makes "doing my Christmas cards" into a moment when I can think about all the people I know and have perhaps not managed to spend time with in the year. I think the time spent on making each card is always appreciated by people and makes them feel considered and important - not a chore on your Christmas list.

As well as a dusting of glitter I have red fingers from all the red distress ink I have used this weekend. I wanted to try some layered distress ink cards using my Christmas stamps This is my first Perrella Christmas card I love the black archival on the rich red.

I tried to come up with Christmas blends but then just gave in to red all the way. It is fun to use all the different reds to layer the stencils and background stamping. I have a blend of Festive Berries, Aged Mahogany, Barn Door, Worn Lipstick, Fired brick and a little Ripe Persimmon. Ive used Geranium red and Sienna archival ink to stamp the background.

I made a few red cards with these two stamps the Russian doll is from Lynne Perrella 016 and the Santa is an old Graphic 45 stamp from twas the night before Christmas set. I was able to use all my latest new Tim Holtz stencils and make each card different with the same basic materials. All of them are mounted into kraft card bases.

This is definitely my favourite Christmas cards to make this year, and I got in some gold glitter too.

Hope you are enjoying your own Christmas preparation, thanks for spending a little time here Im sure you are all busy this fortnight.

Im linking these warm coloured cards at
Sadly the last Challenge over at Stamps and Stencils It's Got to be Christmas
Simon Says Stamp Warm Winter Wishes Monday Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Christmas Wednesday Challenge
That's Crafty Anything goes
Country view Crafts Christmas Challenge

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

First Card for Christmas 2018

Only those who buy all their Christmas cards think it is too early to be getting ready for Christmas.

I made my first Christmas card and my desk is covered in Christmas stamps, lots of silver, white and gold shiny stuff. I love all of the Christmas preparation and card making is usually my first task. I am trying to move away from green and red this year.

Ive used Oxide Distress in Antique Linen and a Tim Holtz stencil to add turquoise stars to the background. I used a mask to keep an area in the card clear where I wanted to stamp an image. I stamped the Lynne Perrella lady onto the card front using a mask I gave her some wings decorated with a hint of grey and a touch of blue sparkly Stickles. I also added sparkle to the stars in the background. I always get my Stickles out at Christmas and the room is covered in lots of drying, sticky, glittery decoration. I added a sentiment from Tim Holtz 'Simple Sayings" stamp set. Finally some embossing powder in Shabby blue and frozen lake (by Stampendous) and a tiny touch of gold embossing to edge the grey mount card and sentiment.

I have just noticed a bit of bare card in the corner at the top of my card which I will have to touch up.

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.

Lynne Perrella card

A rainy day yesterday and how happy is my garden and the frogs in my pond. I think after all this unusual hot dry weather in Ireland I am not alone in welcoming the familiar wet days home. I had a great time sitting in the attic painting and stamping as the rain did all my watering for me. I got out a Lynne Perrella stamp I have been wanting to use for ages.

I love this veiled woman with her mysterious hat. She suggests all sorts of journeys and adventures to me but her eyes give away none of her secrets. I used Paperartsy grunge paste and a stencil then lots of layered fresco finish paints and a touch of distress ink in chipped Sapphire.

The stamping in the background is minimal just some crackle effect and text and a hint of ephemera. I think this lady can stand alone.

Hope you are creating at your desk or in your garden. x

Sweetbriar Paper doll

At last got time today to do some stamping and blogging. After a week where I got no time I had all weekend to craft. Of course once I was free I could not get back into it at all. Sometimes everything seems to turn to mush.  I especially wanted to join in the Paperartsy theme this fortnight which was paper dolls. With only 3 hours I got out my old Sizzix fairy die and cut out the pieces from watercolour paper. A short deadline is never a good thing for creating and  I threw several attempts in the bin.

These were decorated with oxide inks and a little archival ink in darker colours to add some script details.

I used Lynne Perrella's Sweetbriar stamp to make the head of my paper lady adding colour to the flowers in her hair. Happily then I found I had perfect purple brads to assemble her with.

Next I cut and inked a bodice from German book paper and a skirt in watercolour paper. I used similar colours to add colour and pattern to these.

It is not the doll I set out to make but then that is often how it goes. If I can steal enough time this week I will keep going and make a few more.

Thanks for your visit and hope your muse is flowing.

Im entering this in Paperartsy Paper Dolls topic
Joining in with happylittlestampers Anything goes with dies
And another die cut challenge at MOO-MANIA 

Kraft Card Tattered Florals

I spotted the latest Paperartsy challenge Kraft Card weeks ago but then  I was away from my desk all week ill and frustrated.  Today I'm delighted to get back to my studio and play with lots of layers all in Kraft. I have been meaning to get out my dies for a while and Had great fun with them this morning.

This card is made entirely in Kraft card with corrugated card flower centers. I have used lots of different Paperartsy and Lynne Perrella stamps on the flowers which are cut from Tim Holtz Tattered Floral Bigz die. The greenery is cut from Tim Holtz Garden Greens Bigz die and all the elements are stamped with archival ink then smooched in distress ink and finished with some Queens gold embossing powder.

 The card base is mounted on a  Kraft card. The sentiment is from an old Crafty Secrets stamp set Garden Girl. Thanks for looking.
Paperartsy Challenge #7. 2018 Kraft Card Paperartsy Challenge #7 2018
 Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme is Flower Power so I will link it there too.SSS:

Lynne Perrella Card

Ive been wondering about challenges this week.  I started couple recently that I was not happy with. Making a card or project that is not going where you want it to is very time consuming and frustrating. Perhaps I am a bit of a perfectionist or maybe a control freak? Having abandoned two cards I started another challenge. This time it is colour based and I used a new stamp I wanted to try out. Happy to say it worked out this time.
On reflection I think that the benefit of challenges is in reaching out and connecting with other crafters. The most rewarding aspect is the connection it creates through visiting and commenting on each others blogs or projects. One of the joys of blogging is this connection with the artists and designers across the globe. I was looking at my stats and discovered a significant number of Portuguese visitors. So hello to any Portuguese visitors today, welcome! and welcome to all the Americans, French and many other nationalities please say hi and leave me a trail to your blog.

The challenge I am going for is Mixed Media Monthly Challenge # 47 using Split-complementary colours Orange and the two colours adjacent to its opposite on the colour wheel: blue green and blue violet. Sounds complicated but if you check out the link it is made clearer. It was a colour combination I would not usually have used but I stuck to my happy place with distress ink water and lovely stamps. I also used Paperartsy grunge paste applied through a stencil and some Renaissance Treasure Gold. I am not entirely sure the violet is blue enough, but its distress so its always an adventure!

Stamps used:
Sweetbriar, a wood mounted stamp by Lynne Perrella from Stampington & Company. (I bought mine at Blade Rubber Stamp shop in London)
The stamp used to add a leafy 'collar' is from Lynne Perrella collection 036

Matchbox houses and Lynne Perella stamps

I saw a lovely project by Teresa Abajo on her blog at the Tamarisk and on Crafters Cupboard blog. I love Lynne Perrella stamps and have a few sets. Inspired by Teresa I made my own version of these as gifts for two of my friends.

I chose different colour schemes that suited each of them.