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

Frankenstein portrait

Well the lockdown is stretching out far longer than I imagined. I am finding creating and gardening are making it bearable. The weather here in Ireland is still surprisingly sunny. I dont do hot weather so I neglected the garden today and went to the attic where the breeze it cool and I can still hear those lovely summer sounds. Ive been playing with lots of textures using paste, stencils and distress crayons - more Tim Holtz Live prompts.

He uses Idea-ology frames in lots of his demos. I love the look of them but I am always more tempted by inks and stamps when I shop. The packs of frames seem expensive in the UK and I think I would be too tempted to hoard rather than use them. I do have an old disintegrated photo album which has old frame windows. I took the plunge this week and covered it in paste and crayon. I had no idea what I might do with it when I started out. When it was finished I decided I wanted to frame the anatomised head. I cut  the page into two and got out one of my favorite stamp sets, "Cadaverous," yes they are all my favorites. I love the anatomised head and he does remind me of Frankenstein. I also used a prompt from an ephemera pack and made an advertisement for an old imaginary bookshop window, propped up infront of stacks of leather bound dusty books. Everyone creates in a different way often what I make is based on a story in my head.

The backgrounds for the stamped images were made with mixed media paper. I sprayed a little  distress ink stain in frayed burlap and antique paper and then spritzed it with water and blotted the centre to create space for the foot and head.

The images were stamped with embossing ink and embossed with walnut stain glaze and then watercolored with reinker. It makes it easy to wash colour over an image. the gloss repels the ink and it settles into the white spaces.

As well as using the album pages for the first time I used some tiny 'mini metal fasteners' screw heads to attach the booksellers sign. I didn't do much to the images as the frame was so textural and colourful. I left the images simple and understated.

I loved the way the crackle paste worked along with the distress crayons it was fun to do and so forgiving if you dont like a colour it just wipes off and it blends beautifully. There are lots of oil/wax colouring sticks Gelatos, Scribble Sticks and others but these are a joy to blend with and the colour stays perfectly vibrant. I love using them.

My garden will get attended to tomorrow but today I enjoyed the studio. Hope you are all enjoying your creative space and your gardens! Thanks for visiting and stay safe and creative xox

I think this qualifies as a "A Man Thing," as that is the theme over at Simon Says Stamp this week I am linking up with their Monday Challenge.

I am also linking up with Creative Artiste's Challenge which is Anything Goes.

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'

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

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.

Entomology stamps and framlits card

This is my first card using the Tim Holtz Entomology Framelits and stamps.

I used one piece of design tape on the left of the cream card front the whole surface was then covered  with brown Paperartsy fresco finish paint. I rubbed it back a little to allow the tape to show through in some areas. Next I used the crackle glaze over the whole card, let it dry and covered it in a coat of eggshell fresco paint. Once the paint had dries and the crackle effect was visible I stamped images onto tissue paper and collaged them on top of the painted surface. I wanted more crackle so I added decoArt Media crackle Glaze over the stamped areas. When this had air dried (after dinner) I rubbed over antiquing cream in Raw Umber and Red Oxide. I removed most of this colour and then used regular distress ink in Forest Moss, Vintage Photo and Rusty Hinge to create an aged wood look and bring out the crackle more. I intended to cover most of the centre of the card so all my attention was given to the edges.

I layered the card with; some of the label embellishments I made earlier and some of my new coloured bugs.

I love the luminescent colours on the largest bug.

The text stamp is stamped onto a piece of old book paper. I folded, rolled and scrunched it up a little inking the edges to suggest a page from an old note book. The card is matted onto some rust coloured cardstock and a brown card base.

I am linking this up to the current More Mixed Media Challenge Anything Goes + Brown

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

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

Shrine to female botanists

I posted the tag accordion last night just after midnight so it looks like I have been super prolific today! I made this today but I am still thinking of nature themes. I wanted to join in with A Vintage Journey this month. I started with a stamp. I love this thoughtful looking Victorian woman surrounded by fossils and plants. She reminds me of all those amazing lady botanists who never gained recognition for their work but whose discoveries lie demurely hidden within the publications of many famous male botanists. Like Ellen Hutchins who is considered the first female botanist in Ireland, or Jeanne Baret a botanist who was the first woman to sail around the globe. if you are interested in finding out more about them I have put links below. The sentiment I settled on was by Richard L Ratliff:

"I tend the flowers of my mind
Watering our memories as they bloom"

These words seemed perfect for all those women who persevered in developing their minds and enriching their lives despite the way women in those days were discouraged from taking their 'work' seriously. Once I had settled on this subject and stamp. I wanted to make a sort of shrine to these inspiring ladies. My husband cut out three base pieces for me in plywood and I cut three sheets of book paper to use as my background papers.

I had great fun dipping the paper in puddles of distress ink and infusions to create three backgrounds. I used my lovely new stencil by Sheena Douglass. I used some crackle paste on the left panel. On the right hand panel I use Paperartsy grunge paste.

this image is of the finished panel

The centre panel I simply used for the stamped image. While these dried off I stained my base panels with a dark brown distress stain and then some Distress metallic stain. I ended up covering this up later!

I used Washi tape to create hinges for the shrine.

I stamped the fossil lady onto the centre piece with black archival ink and added a bit of the tree branches from a Tim Holtz tree stamp onto the right panel to balance the strong black out a little. While everything was drying I printed out my sentiment with the computer and tore it into strips. I coloured these pieces in puddles of wet distress ink and edged them with a little brown distress so they would blend into the background a little. Once all the ink and paste was dried I glued on my decorated papers and  the sentiment pieces. I added rock candy crackle paint pretty much all over. You can see it created a great shine and texture. It also intensified the colours of the ink which were quite dingy when I first inked the paper.

I finished off the edges with treasure gold because lets face it a shrine has to have a little gold.

I just made it in time to join in with A Vintage Journey for their July Challenge  Get Sentimental
Im also going to join in with Love to create who say Anything Goes this month Challenge #10

Products Used:
Stamps - Paperartsy Ink & the Dog Collection A6 Petals Plate 3 and Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz Regal Findings
Stencil - Sheena Douglass Wild Foliage
Sizzix Tim Holtz movers and shapers dies -  Mini Vintage Cabinet Card
Treasure Gold Renaissance
Distress ink - Crushed Olive, Mustard Seed, Mowed Lawn, Spiced Marmalade, Shabby Shutters, Gathered Twigs,
Paperartsy Infusions in Rusty car
Paperartsy Grunge paste
Deco Art Crackle paste
V&A Floral Washi tape
Tim Holtz Rock Candy crackle paint
Tim Holtz Distress stain in Ground Espresso and Antiqued Bronze
Book pages from an old book on fly fishing

If you are interested you can read more about Ellen Hutchins here and Jeanne Baret here