Good friends are like...

There is a new challenge over at Artists in Blogland.

 

 

I started my page with the thoughts of patches. So used three new colours of Dylusions ink recently launched at CHA and some The Crafters Workshop stencils.

 

 

Then did some stamping with some hand carved stamps.

 

All the pieces of my patchwork were stuck down onto another sheet and I added some washi tape to patch things together! A few more stamps following this time by Claudine Hellmuth and Chocolate Baroque. Here is my final page with a few buttons and the quote:

 

 

I am also going to enter this page into the Anything Goes challenge over at Simon Says.

 



Coming Soon...

Lesson 3 of From Cardmaking to Art Journaling. In this lesson we will be using more patterned papers, matt medium (or wet glue), gesso and glitter (or for those already into altered art Sparkle Mod Podge). Oh and also some bubble wrap would be good, what an excuse to buy some new stash...it often comes wrapped in that...LOL! The lesson will be launched on Friday 8th February. Here is a little teaser:

 

Plus a linking thing so you can all share and post your work here if you aren't a member of the Craft Bubble forum. I will launch that too with the next lesson. Here is a test of the link so you can share your work from lesson 1 and 2 (plus I will know whether it works or not before lesson 3):

 

 

Time is...

 

precious on many levels. I love my blogging and time online, but every now and then it occurs to me that I would have much more crafting time...if pinterest had never been invented...LOL!! So while having a quiet 5 mins yesterday I sat staring out of my bedroom window and then looks at the curtains at the window. Then thought perhaps...so this page is inspired by my bedroom curtains and a few minutes of quiet time!

First came the background, created with some stamping using Pitt Big Brush pens, then some matt medium for the resist and dye based inking, plus a splatter of water.

 

Next I used some newly acquired Glimmer mists to create some background papers for my flowers and leaves. The flowers are hand drawn but I stamped and paper pieced the leaves. My words reflected my thoughts over the last couple of days.

 

 

My finished page, much softer than my usual style. I am going to enter it into the Simon Says challenge which is paper piecing and Totally Gorjuss with a flower theme.





This Groucho...

Marx quote was just the thing to make a fun arty ATC. The banana made me think yellow, so out came my yellow Dylusion ink spray and a quirky zebra print mask. I used several of my newly carved stamps on this ATC stamped in black Staz on and yellow Brilliance ink.

As luck would have it when rumaging for old ribbon I found an oddment of yellow ribbon when matched perfectly! The layout almost makes me think wrist watch now I look at the photo and what a fabulous wrist watch it would be in real life!

 

I designed this ATC with following challenges in mind:
Anything but a Card: Ties it up
ArtfulTimes: Call Time on ATCs
Shopping your Stash: Use your oldest ribbon
So Artful: Time or Neutral (I went for time...definately NOT the neutrals!)

A Happy...

 

Accident. I first created my background using some scrappings of matt medium, once dry inked up and a splat or 2 of water. The accident... I tipped my pot of water so I got more than a few splashes. But I liked the way it turned out anyway!

 

I spent some time drawing and colouring my focal image to add to my page. Then went back to my background, using the same coloured ink I did some stenciling. Also a splash or 2 of Picket Fence Distress stains and some stamping with it too. More stamping with black and some washi tape finished my page. A voyage of creativity...so the sentiment I chose was perfect!

 



 

I created this page with the following challenges in mind Fall Fearless and Fly Challenge 8 and Art Journal Journey with the theme Crowns.

Alpha Trinchie...

 

This time with the letter C. I decided on the word 'Create'. So wasn't held back by anything and just went for it! I began with the background of my 3" x  3" trinchie and added a very small amount of matt medium with a palette knife. Once dry I inked using some bright colours from a Kaleidocolor ink pad, the matt medium acts as a slight resist. I added some water droplets which pulled off some of the ink.

 

I then added some Gelatos around the edge to add some intense colour. Over stamped with my floral sprig stamp with the Kaleidocolor inks. Once dry, I rubbed the image away on top of the resist area. Out came the Black Staz on ink and overstamped.  Some oddments which I had used to test my ideas out became my 'Create' quote and was layered up with some black net material and of course that tiny little black safety pin.

 

 

This Trichie was designed for:

The Craft Barn: Alpha challenge C

The Corrosive Challenge: Put a Pin on it!

Wishy Washi

 

Found some nice rolls of washi tape in my local art shop and so thought i'd better make some use of them! I used Gelatos and scribbled nice thick patches at the top of the page. Then spritzed lots of water to create my washy watercolour drips. Added some washi tape and stamped first with Gelatos again, then with some Staz on ink. I added my word for 2013 'Create' .

 

I designed this art journal page with the followin challenges in mind:

Faber-Castell Design Memory Crafts: January challenge

A Year in the Life of an Art Journal: Word for 2013 and watercolours

Simon Says: Washi tape



Gelli Plate, Lessons Learnt!

 

I have to say I have had my Gelli Plate since just before Christmas and didn't get chance to play. So decided it was high time I got messy and indeed you do get messy! That is the first lesson I learnt, washing up required!

The next lesson learnt was think carefully about the colours you use if you add more than 1 to the plate! My first choice went a bit muddy on the plate when I brayered over it! I also noticed that when doing the second print there seemed to be a lot of paint, so that was my third lesson (less is more!)

So in the end I used 1 colour at a time and used the selective print technique I had seen over at the Colourful Gelli Party and layered up the 3 primary colours.

 

Much better, I still have several lessons to do and so I am sure to be back with more gelli prints, despite the washing up involved if you use mask!

 

So that was Saturday and today I made this triptych card using my prints and some black stamping.

 

 



 

 

 

An Alpha...

 

Trinchie. My first Trinchie (3" x 3") I have decided to join in with the Craft Barn Alpha challenge but didn't want to alter a dictionary so going to make a set of trinchies instead. The first letter was V and so after a flick through the dictionary I found the word Vermilion! Perfect so out came the correctly coloured stash:

 

And here is my finished Trinchie. I used both card and some canvas. I also added some glass bead gel medium inside those circles by Dylusions.

From Cardmaking to Art Journaling Lesson 2

I am so pleased with the feedback I received about the first lesson in my course 'From Cardmaking to Art Journaling' and there was some fantastic work produced by everyone who joined in! I have had 99 plays on Vimeo so think that is a good start. I would also like to welcome my new followers as well and of course thanks to all my blog followers who left some lovely comments. So here we are lesson 2 and there is only one material that traditional cardmakers may not have 'Gesso' but hope you will be encouraged to get hold of some and try out the technique shown in the video.


From Cardmaking to Art Journaling Lesson2 from miss craft mad on Vimeo.

Don't forget to check at more information about the lessons and see past lessons HERE. Why not join the CraftBubble forum and post the work you produce HERE.

For the Love of...

BUTTONS! I made a trio of handcarved button stamps and they will become a gift for a crafty pal in the next few months. First up I have made a card using my new purple Dylusions ink spray and stamps. Crafty gifts to follow next so will be heading back to craft desk in a mo!

 

I am going to enter this card into the following challenges:
Freshly Made Sketches: Sketch
Allsorts: CAS
Crafting for all Seasons: Something New! (handcarved stamps and purple inkspray)

DON'T FORGET: I will be launching Lesson 2 of From Cardmaking to Art Journaling tomorrow.

January Challenge @ CCAYR

Our new Christmas Card All Year Around challenge for January 2013 goes live today and to get us all started on our Xmas card stash the theme is 'Anything Goes!' which is just the thing to get us motivated! I used my brand new London Blue Dylusions ink spray and the positive/negative print from the mask. The main stamped image is by Penny Black and the circles are by Dylusions.

 

I am going to enter it into the Winter Wonderland challenge which is Travel.

A game of...

 

Noughts and Crosses! That is the just for fun challenge Debs set us over at the Craft Bubble forum. First, I made my own stencil using my Cricut Create machine:

 

Then I spritzed and inked through it to create the background. I chose the pink and aqua colour scheme for the current Our Creative Corner challenge. After a few stamps and a sentiment I made my twinchie for the Show us your Twinchies challenge which is 'Anything Goes!'

Thinking...

...Christmas (eeek!) I have not had that Xmas card panic for a couple of years now because of the nice flow of challenges out there in blogland. So here is my first of 2013! I used the sketch from 52 Christmas Card Throwdown and decoupaged the Paper Artsy Baubles for the Crimbo Crackers challenge. I am also going to enter it into CraftyHazelnut's Christmas challenge with the theme NO Santa.