Rainy Days

 

Here is a postcard I made for the current Sunday Postcard Art Challenge. I stamped using some Claudine Hellmuth clear and foam stamps. The ink colours are from a Kaleidocolor inkpad. My umbrella image was a shot I took myself and the digitally altered. Of course the quote is from a Carpenter's song. The weather in the UK has been foul and so this fits the mood! To add some rain I sprayed on some Goosebumps Texture spray.

I am also going to enter my postcard into the Simon Says 'Anything Goes!' challenge.

Another Unruly Column

Head over to Unruly PaperArts Blogzine to see my gift inspired column. Here is a sneak peek:

Retro Trio

I needed to make a birthday card to get into the post this week and so have been looking through the latest batch of blog challenges for some inspiration. I used the sketch from Freshly Mades Sketches and went with three colours/gems for the current Fab n Funky challenge. Lime and Turquoise Dylusions ink sprays through a stencil and then reverse inked with Black Soot Distress ink. I also used a band of some newly acquired blach washi tape!

I am also going to enter my card into the Artful Times challenge with its 'Anything Goes' theme.

Got Journaling in The Bag!

 

I have had this packet of printable fabric for a couple of years and never quite got round to doing anything with it! This year I have really tried to get into art journalling and while sorting out all my pages into a box I thought why not? My favourite pages were scanned into the computer and printed  onto the fabric sheets. So now my art journal pages are displayed proudly on lavender bags and what great gifts they will make for Christmas.

I am going to enter these into the Anything but a Card 'a stitch in time' challenge.

Patchwork Star

There is no chance that I would make this wrapping paper for all my presents, I would be here until next Christmas but thought I'd make some for some crafting pals presents. People I know would appreciate the thought and with any luck spend at least 5 seconds looking at the wrapping before they tear through the paper to see what the gift is! I used some really old square ink pads which rarely see the light of any more but worked really well with this project and the star stamp is from a Craft Stamper magazine. The tags are some Tim Holtz journalling ticket which a craft pal gave me in a swap. Thanks Cherry.

I have designed this wrapping paper for the following challenges ABC Christmas 'W for wrapping' and By Cute and By Girly 'Twinkle Little Star'.

My Safe Haven

Over at Artists in Blogland the forth prompt for the Fall, Fearless and Fly art cleanse is all about our safe places and use of cool colours. When sat thinking about my safe place I decided that it was my craft table in my home. That is the place where I truly switch off from my troubles and drift off into a world of creativity where I feel no fear!

I have created my canvas page using Dylusion Ink sprays, Gelatos, Inktense blocks and watercolour pencils.

I have also posted this page over at Paint Party Friday and Our Creative Corner.

A New Star

I love the colour theme challenges over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown and this month it is 'pink, black and white' now that is a combo I couldn't resist. I went for a nice modern twist and also added a chipboard star I altered because this week the challenge over at Cute Card Thursday is 'starry, starry night'. I'm loving my Christmas card making again as I have realised I can go modern and arty with the designs to create something original that will certainly stand out on the mantle piece!

 

And of course this month over at Sparkles Christmas challenge they have a contemporary colour scheme challenge too.

I'm ready for my close up...

Over at the Moo Mania challenge the current theme is 'Stars/Starlets'. So here is my Moo, the background was created by sketching through some sequin waste and colouring dots with Pumice stone DI's onto some canvas. The image was a freebie from Stampington and Company.

 

I am also going to enter this into the Papertake Weekly 'Anything Goes' challenge.

I pointed out the stars...

This page has taken a while but I finally pieced all my ideas together! It started with the vibrant colour faux batik background. The silhouette was a struggle but after several attempts I got there in the end! There are so many fabulous African proverbs out there but the one I decided on reads 'I pointed out the stars to you but all you saw was the tip of my finger'. It seemed to strike a cord with me!

I made this art journal page over the weekend for the following challenges:
Art Journal Journey: Africa
Our Creative Corner: Silhouette
One Stop Crafting: Colour Challenge
Raise the Bar: Anything Goes!

Things are never just black and white...

Over at the Craft Bubble forum Kathy set our November challenge 'if I could keep time in a bottle' and my thoughts on the theme led me on a similar train of thought as the current challenge over at Artist in Blogland 'triumphs and defeats'. I went with a black and white colour scheme, I didn't personalise this page with journalling but all sorts of thoughts went through my head...very cathartic! The quote I chose really summed up my feelings.

 

I got out my handcarved stamps as they look great in black and also I could then enter the Art Journal Cafe challenge. As I used lots of black too I am also going to enter this page into Anything but a Card.  



Contemporary Star

After an early morning visit to the dentist I felt I needed to head straight to my craft desk and looked through some of the latest challenges to inspire my card design. I spritzed turquoise Dylusion ink through a mask and once dried inked through a different mask using bright yellow. The Magnolia star was stamped using Worn Lipstick Distress Ink. The card itself was all cut out using my Cricut Create.

 

I have designed this card for the following challenges:

By Cute and Girly: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Sparkles Christmas: Contemporary Colours

DYSU: Brads

Simon Says: Get in Shape

ABC Christmas: Vibrant Colours

My Mum's Craft Shop: Bold and Bright

 

Don't forget we have a shaped card challenge over at CCAYR see post early today. x



CCAYR # November Challenge

Over at Christmas Cards All Year Around our challenge is to created a shaped or fancy fold card. This month our challenge is sponsored by Beccy's Place and the design team have used one of her images. My image is called Quilt Puddings and I decided as Christmas card panic will be setting in for many of us to go for a very simple treatment of this image by printing it out and layering up using a black and white colour scheme.

I am going to enter my card into Christmas Card Challenges with the theme 'pop up' and Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas which has the theme 'no patterned papers'.