Dream In Colour (2)

Hi everyone, today I would like to share a second set of ATC’s I made for this month’s Tracy Evans FB swap on the theme of Silhouettes. These are closely modelled on a set of ATC’s I made a year ago for a different swap using a different brand of stamps, but I thought the idea  adapted well to some of Tracy’s silhouette stamps. I have called this set “Dream In Colour II”.

I cut 4 pieces of watercolour paper, and on each one I used a rainbow coloured selection of Zig pens and a watercolour brush to drag out pools of colour to form dribbles. I then stamped a focal flower on each one using Nocturne VFC, a little background circle in Morning Mist and some teeny hearts for added interest. I stamped the sentiment onto separate snippets of black card, heat embossed in white, then cut out and attached. I added a few white Oosca highlights to the flowers and leaves, then to finish I edged each finished piece with black marker and matted onto standard ATC size pieces of black linen card stock cut from more snippets!

Here are some closeups.

ATC1

ATC2

ATC3

ATC4

Stamps: all ATC’s - AALL & Create #340 Paint Your Dreams, Tracy Evans Boutique Designs TE30 Garden Elements (background circle), TE10 Quirky Birds (hearts); ATC1 - A&C #987 Periwinkle,  ATC2 - A&C #985  Flower Smudge, ATC3 - A&C #896 Forget Me Not, ATC4 - Tracy Evans TE 13 Delight In Nature;

Media: Kuretake Zig Clean Color watercolour pens; Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Morning Mist); Versamark; WOW ultra fine white embossing powder; Posca pen (white).

Challenges I would like to enter:

Allsorts #802 - Anything Goes (2nd entry) (ATC1)

Beautiful Blossoms #22 - Anything Floral Goes

Colourful Options (October) - Rainbow Inspired

Dragonfly Dreams (October) - Anything but a Card (2nd entry)

Dream Valley #323 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Outlawz (October) - Anything Goes in a Card Free Zone (2nd entry)

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2441 - Anything Goes

Path of Positivity #124 - Anything Goes Positive

Snippets Playground #491 - Use Snippets

Word Art Wednesday #669/670 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

I’m off out later as the weather seems FINALLY to have cleared up after the horrendous downpours of yesterday. Take care everyone, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

I Spy With My Little Eye #20

Hi everyone, it’s the third Wednesday in the month again, so it’s time for a new I Spy With My Little Eye... challenge over at Ellibelle's Corner.  Thanks so much to everyone who joined in last time … please do check over on Ellie’s blog to see if you are one of our top picks. 

Ellie chose the challenge theme this month, and it is

I Spy With My Little Eye 

*** Colours of the Season ***

The gorgeous colours of autumn are all around us to give you inspiration! Don’t forget if you live in the southern hemisphere, you are welcome to use spring colours … just let us know! Please do pop over to Ellie's blog to see her fab creation and link up your entries here.

Here’s my card for the challenge - I have recently made a few straightforward autumn cards so decided to go in a slightly different direction with a magical Lavinia scene. 

I started by creating a background on a square of white stamping card by blending progressively  deeper shades of dye ink outwards from the centre. I then stamped Luna using Nocturne Versafine Clair, then added Mooch looking up at her, and various foliage and mushrooms in Pinecone. I added some silhouette leaves on and falling from Luna’s branch using Elements inks, then coloured the mushrooms and leaves using my Zig pens and Luna’s wings with Stardust pens and Wink of Stella. I added some landscaping using Vintage Photo Distress ink and Mini Hill Masks and stamped some trees in the background and an owl in flight. I added some background wording using Sand Dune VFC and highlights with white Posca pen. Finally I matted the panel onto a black border and my card blank, and added a sentiment which I  stamped onto cream card and cut out.

Here’s an angled picture to give a hint of the sparkle on Luna’s wings.

Stamps: Lavinia Tree Goddess Luna, Mooch, Brodwin & Maylin, Oak Leaf Flourish, Oak Leaves, Small Trees, Elfin Cap Cluster, Slender Mushrooms Mini, Leaf 1 Mini, Mini Maple, Winter Spice; sentiment - Visible Image Erika’s Maple;

Media: Lavinia Elements ink(Sundance, Sahara, Russet Orange, Paprika); Spectrum Noir Harmony Dye ink (Bordeaux); Tim Holtz Distress ink (Vintage Photo); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Pinecone, Sand Dune); Kuretake Zig Clean Colour watercolour pens; Sakura Stardust pens (red, orange, yellow); Wink of Stella; Posca pen (white);

Tools: Lavinia Mini Hill Masks.

Challenges I would like to enter:

613 Avenue Create (October) - Anything Goes with option Lots of Leaves (3rd entry)

Allsorts #802 - Magical, Myths and/or Legend

Crafter’s Cafe #313 - Fantasy

Crafty Catz #680 - Anything Goes with option Autumn Colours

Creative Inspirations (October) - The Season of Autumn (3rd entry)

Festive Friday (October) - Fall Colours (2nd entry)

Heart’s Quest Fantasy Challenge #10 - Anything Goes Fantasy

Moving Along With the Times #171 - Autumnal Colours (3rd entry)
My Time to Craft #544 - Autumn Season Colours (3rd entry)

Paper Funday #70 - Anything Goes with option Colours of Autumn (3rd entry)

Simon Says (Monday) - Fall Mood Board

Sparkles #181 - Toadstools/Mushrooms

Stamping Sensations (October) - Autumn Colours (3rd entry)

We Love Stamping (October) - Autumn (3rd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #669/670 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

The I Spy Challenge will end on the Sunday before the next challenge starts at 23:59 US Central Time - so this time that is Sunday November 17th, and the next challenge will begin on Wednesday November 20th.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Blowing In the Wind (2)

Hi everyone, this month’s theme for Tracy Evans FB ATC swap is silhouettes, and I decided that for once I would pull my finger out and get them done in good time. I started out with a particular idea in my mind, but when I started getting my supplies together I realised it wouldn’t work as I hoped so I decided to go in a different direction. Whilst riffling through my stamp drawer I found a silhouette stamp that not only had I forgotten about, I’d never inked it up!! It spoke to me as being perfect for this theme as it enabled me to make some specific “October” autumnal ATC’s. 

I cut 4 pieces of white card each 3.25” x 2.25” and created the backgrounds by smooshing Elements inks then spattering with water. I stamped onto each one in Pinecone VFC - my A7 stamp was more or less the perfect size for an ATC to form both the focal point and background.  I then stamped again onto separate pieces of cream card, fussy cut  the leaf and attached to each ATC, then cut out the sentiment “Blowing In the Wind” and attached that too after stamping a teeny bird to sit on it. I stamped the word “Oct” (October) onto separate snippets of card, fussy cut and attached, then edged each panel with brown ink and matted onto brown linen card stock cut to standard ATC size.

Here is a closeup of one of them.

Stamps: AALL & Create #982 Windy Willows, #455 Seasons; Tracy Evans Boutique Designs TE30 Garden Elements;

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Sahara, Russet Orange, Paprika); Versafine Clair (Pinecone).

Challenges I would like to enter:

613 Avenue Create (October) - Anything Goes with option Lots of Leaves (2nd entry)

Allsorts #801 - Falling Leaves (3rd entry)

Creative Inspirations (October) - The Season of Autumn (2nd entry)

Daisy Chain #90 - Autumn and/or Hallowe’en (2nd entry)

Dragonfly Dreams (October) - Anything but a Card

Four Seasons (October) - Anything Goes Fall (2nd entry)

Incy Wincy (October) - Autumn (2nd entry)

Moving Along With the Times #171 - Autumnal Colours (2nd entry)
My Time to Craft #544 - Autumn Season Colours (2nd entry)

Outlawz (October) - Anything Goes in a Card Free Zone

Paper Funday #70 - Anything Goes with option Colours of Autumn (2nd entry)

Stamping Sensations (October) - Autumn Colours (2nd entry)

Stamps & Fun = Creativity #461 - Orange and/or Brown

Try It On Tuesday - Autumn Magic (2nd entry)

Unicorn #103 - Autumn and/or Hallowe’en (2nd entry)

We Love Stamping (October) - Autumn (2nd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #669/670 - Anything Goes

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Falling Leaves

Hi everyone, autumn is definitely upon us and there are many challenges around with autumnal themes. I felt inspired to rest my Christmas card making and use a set of leaf dies I’ve had for ages but not used until now, to make a “falling leaves” card for this week’s Allsorts Challenge plus various other autumn challenges. After the struggles I had with yesterday’s card I’m pleased to report that everything just seemed to flow with this one … don’t you just love it when that happens?

I created a panel of autumnal coloured inks by smooshing various Elements and Spectrum Noir inks onto white card, spritzed with water and set aside to dry. I then die cut a variety of leaves and spritzed with a home made gold mica spray, and set aside to dry again. I die cut a large stitched square from cream card and background stamped using some of the newest Tracy Evans stamps in Sand Dune VFC, with autumn season words over stamped using Portobello. I arranged the leaves and attached, then blended Scorched Timber Distress Oxide around the edges of the panel and added gold Posca spatters. I stamped the word “autumn” onto a separate snippet of kraft card, cut out and attached with 2 small birdies stamped to sit on top, then matted the finished panel onto a kraft card blank.

Here’s an angled pic to show the gold mica and spatters a bit better.

Stamps: Tracy Evans Boutique Designs TE30 Garden Elements, TE27 Insect; AALL & Create #455 Seasons;

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Sahara, Russet Orange, Paprika, Olive); Spectrum Noir Harmony Dye Ink (Bordeaux); Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink (Scorched Timber); Versafine Clair (Sand Dune, Portobello); Posca pen (gold); 

Tools: Hunkydory Moonstone Duo-Stitched Square Die, unbranded leaf dies from Amazon.

Challenges I would like to enter:

613 Avenue Create (October) - Anything Goes with option Lots of Leaves

Allsorts #801 - Falling Leaves (2nd entry)

Craft Rocket #119 - Autumn and/or Hallowe’en

Creative Inspirations (October) - The Season of Autumn

Cut It Up #314 - Inspired by a Song

(“Autumn Leaves” by Ed Sheeran)

Daisy Chain #90 - Autumn and/or Hallowe’en

Die Cut Divas (October) - Use a Die Cut (celebrating World Cardmaking Day)

Four Seasons (October) - Anything Goes Fall

Incy Wincy (October) - Autumn

Inspiration Station #66 - Inspiration Prompt

(I have chosen the autumnal leaves)

Moving Along With the Times #171 - Autumnal Colours

My Time to Craft #544 - Autumn Season Colours

Paper Funday #70 - Anything Goes with option Colours of Autumn

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Things With Wings (4th entry)

Sparkles #180 - Autumn/Fall (2nd entry)

Stamping Sensations (October) - Autumn Colours

Try It On Tuesday - Autumn Magic

Unicorn #103 - Autumn and/or Hallowe’en

We Love Stamping (October) - Autumn

Word Art Wednesday #667/668 - Anything Goes (6th entry)

Feeling mellowed out now, though I dare say that will soon pass as the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” gives way to cold and wet weather!

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Christmas Kraft

Hi everyone, well I’m still playing with my new Tracy Evans Christmas stamps, and a good job too as the pressure is now starting to ramp up to get on with Christmas makes. Today’s card features the larger silhouette bauble stamps, stamped on kraft card which I always like for Christmas crafting, and is also inspired by the fact that Tracy has made a few sample Christmas cards using kraft with white accents.

I have to confess that I had quite a bit of trouble with this card … it was one of those crafting sessions where multiple things seemed to go wrong - I think a lot of the problems may have been caused by the kraft card I used which absorbed a lot of ink! Anyhoo I soldiered on and here’s the result.

I cut a 5 1/4” square of kraft card, and stamped two large baubles using Strawberry and Green Oasis Versafine Clair, then stamped holly branches in various shades of green and berries in 1st and 2nd generation red. I added shading to the baubles and shadows using Zig pens, though I wasn’t as happy with this as on my previous card as the kraft card seemed to soak up the ink making it impossible to blend satisfactorily. I then added background script stamping heat embossed white, and  this was where I hit my second major problem … despite drying my project with a heat tool and using an anti static bag beforehand, white embossing powder stuck EVERYWHERE!! In fact this is my second attempt .. the first attempt didn’t bear scrutiny! I think the large amount of ink I needed to stamp the baubles onto kraft card caused it so clearly a longer drying time will be required in future! 

Anyhow, I carried on regardless, adding more background script stamping in Sand Dune, and adding lighter definition to the baubles with a Stabilo pencil and my sparkle pen. I added white Posca accents to the baubles and leaves, and some Posca spatters over the whole surface. I stamped the sentiment onto a separate snippet of Kraft card then cut out, edged and attached with a pair of teeny birdies stamped to sit on top. Finally I matted the finished panel onto a white pearlescent card frame and a Kraft card blank.

Stamps: Tracy Evans Boutique Designs TE18 Decorations, TE21 Holly & Berries, TE11 Background Elements, TE30 Garden Elements;

Media: Versafine Clair (Strawberry, Green Oasis, Shady Lane, Rainforest, Sand Dune, Portobello, Pinecone; Kuretake Zig Clean Color watercolour pens; Stabilo pencil (white); Posca pen (white); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear).

Challenges I would like to enter:

12 Months of Christmas #115 - Anything Christmas Goes (3rd entry)

Allsorts #801 - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore (October) - Anything Goes

Crafty Calendar (October) - Anything Goes

Dream Valley #323 - Anything Goes

Love to Craft #82 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Love to Scrap #169 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Merry Little Christmas #58 - Anything Christmas Goes (5th entry)

Simon Says (Monday) - Christmas/Winter Card (3rd entry) - DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Things With Wings (3rd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #667/668 - Anything Goes (5th entry)

This card was very much an experiment, and although I love the overall design of it the execution is rather rough and ready! However onwards and upwards .. I guess it’s all a learning process!!

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Tweet!

Hi everyone, following from yesterday’s post of my first card using Tracy Evans’ latest Christmas stamps, I had another play yesterday afternoon. This card was inspired by one of Tracy’s sample cards from her product launch in July which she reposted on her FB page yesterday. It reminded me that as well as the new baubles, holly and berries etc. I also have Tracy’s first snippet stencil “Tweet” which unfathomably I have never used … until now! I made a few small changes to the detail of Tracy’s layout, background stamping, sentiment, and one of the colours … however it is still very much based on her beautiful design.

I started with the focal bird, blending Warm Breeze and Avocado Versafine Clair through the stencil to make my bird outline.  (Tracy used Bali Blue rather than Warm Breeze but I don’t have that yet … though it is now on order!! ) I stamped the holly at the top of the card in Avocado, followed by berries in 1st and 2nd generation Warm Breeze, and stamped some more holly inside the masked bird outline. I then stamped the baubles … I had been ruminating how best to stamp these silhouette stamps to get a shaded effect, and for this first attempt I stamped in VFC topped with Zig pens to add definition and blending, white Stabilo pencil and some Spectrum Noir sparkle pen on one side of each bauble. I then added some grey Zig pen shading to the baubles and “grounding” for the bird, and hand drew bauble strings with a silver Gelly roll pen. I then stamped random background words in 2nd generation Morning Mist VFC, and the sentiment in Twilight. Finally I stamped a teeny bird in the corner holding a berry in its beak, added white Posca highlights and spatters, then matted  onto a frame and card blank.

Stamps: Tracy Evans Boutique Designs TE22 Christmas Wishes, TE 21 Holly & Berries, TE23 Winter Delights, TE10 Quirky Birds; sentiment - Visible Image Poinsettia Grunge;

Media: Versafine Clair (Warm Breeze, Avocado, Twilight, Portobello); Kuretake Zig Clean Colour watercolour pens; Stabilo pencil (white); Gelly roll pen (silver); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); Posca pen (white);

Tools: Tracy Evans Snippet Stencil SS1 - Tweet.

Challenges I would like to enter:

12 Months of Christmas #115 - Anything Christmas Goes (2nd entry)

ABC Christmas - S is for Stencils (2nd entry)

Allsorts #800 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Crafty Catz #679 - Use a Stencil

Crazy Is Our Fame, Stencils Are Our Game (October) - Use a Stencil (2nd entry)

Festive Friday (October) - Christmas

Merry Little Christmas #58 - Anything Christmas Goes (4th entry)

Simon Says (Monday) - Christmas/Winter Card (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Things With Wings (2nd entry)

Sparkles Christmas #165 - Use the word “Christmas” (2nd entry)

Triple B (October) - Birds, Butterflies and/or Blooms

Word Art Wednesday #667/668 - Anything Goes (4th entry)

That’s all from me for today., though I can’t seem to stop playing with my new Christmas stamps so I may well be back soon! Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Baublicious!

Hi everyone, last Friday I treated myself to some of Tracy Evans’ Christmas stamps which I had been coveting for a while, and I was quite taken aback when Royal Mail delivered them on Sunday!! Today was my first chance to have a play with them, and here is my first card.

I decided I wanted to make a scene inside a bauble, so I started by creating the bauble outline using the bauble stencil and Distress Oxide inks. I added some landscaping using acetate Mini Hill masks, then stamped the trees using masking and various shades of blue Versafine Clair. I stamped the two cute penguins in black, blotted out the background colour in their chests with water then coloured with Zig pens and added some Spectrum Noir sparkle pen. I stamped the mistletoe using Grass Green VFC and added white Posca highlights, then outlined the bauble using Sakura Stardust pen, which I also used to highlight the trees and snow - this is another very sparkly card but I couldn’t seem to capture that on camera today! 

 I added some background text stamping in Morning Mist VFC then stamped, cut out and attached the sentiment. I finished by adding some shadow with pale grey Zig pen and white snow spatters, then matted the finished piece onto dark blue card stock and a card blank.

Stamps: Tracy Evans Boutique Designs TE23 Winter Delights, TE22 Christmas Wishes, TE19 Mistletoe;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Chipped Sapphire, Stormy Sky); Versafine Clair (Twilight, Very Peri, Arctic, Grass Green, Morning Mist, Nocturne); Kuretake Zig Clean Color watercolour pens; Sakura Stardust pen (clear); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); Zig fine tip acrylic pen (white);

Tools: Tracy Evans Snippet Stencil SS6 - Bauble; Lavinia acetate Mini Hill masks.

Challenges I would like to enter:

12 Months of Christmas #115 - Anything Christmas Goes

ABC Christmas - S is for Stencils

Allsorts #800 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

As You Like It - Favourite Cardbase Shape (and Why)

(My favourite is definitely square .. I love the amount of space for creating a scene)

Crazy Is Our Fame, Stencils Are Our Game (October) - Use a Stencil

Double Trouble #176 - Anything Goes

FarmQuest Country Christmas #12 - Anything Country Christmas Goes (2nd entry)

Krafty Chicks #736 - Stamps

Merry Little Christmas #58 - Anything Christmas Goes (3rd entry)

NBUS #67 - Use Your Never-Before-Used Schtuff

(All stamps, bauble stencil and Grass Green VFC)

Peace On Earth #72 - Anything Christmas Goes (3rd entry)

Simon Says (Monday) - Christmas/Winter Card

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Things With Wings

Sparkles Christmas #165 - Use the word “Christmas”

Word Art Wednesday #667/668 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

I’m really loving my new stamps and stencil, and hope to be back with further makes as soon as possible!

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Hot, hot hot!

Hi everyone, this month’s theme for Tracy Evans’ FB ATC swap is 

Use Hot Colours

so I decided to make a series of floral ATC’s in shades of red, orange and yellow, using a variety of both older and newer floral stamps by Tracy. I love this monthly swap as the other participants produce such fabulous little pieces of art, so it inspires me to make more than I normally would for a swap as that way I receive a great variety of other crafters’ work 😍

Allsorts is also having a special challenge this week to mark week #800 - wow that is over 15 years of weekly challenges!! They are offering some awesome prizes to mark this milestone, so that is well worth entering - congratulations ladies!

I cut six pieces of white card, each 3.25” x 2.25”, and created a vibrant inky background on each one by smooshing Paprika, Russet Orange and Sundance Elements inks then spattering with water. I stamped a focal flower onto each ATC, then stamped each flower again onto separate snippets of card and coloured the flower heads with Zig pens, adding highlights with white Posca pen. I decided to add some of Tracy’s small die cuts, and this is where I really got going with my last snippets of some very old distressed gold mirri card!

I added some random background stamping to each ATC heat embossed white, before fussy cutting the coloured flower heads and attaching along with the die cut grungy circles and pen nibs. I then added some teeny stamped hearts and the stamped sentiment before matting the finished pieces onto standard ATC size black cardstock. Finally I decorated the flower centres with Glossy Accents.

Stamps: Tracy Evans Boutique Designs TE11 Background Elements, TE10 Quirky Birds (hearts); AALL & Create #533 Bring On the Sentiments; 

ATC1: Tracy Evans TE13 Delight In Nature;

ATC2-4: AALL & Create #924 Flower Trio;

ATC5-6: AALL & Create #980 Anemone;

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Paprika, Russet Orange, Sundance); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Tulip Red); Versamark; WOW ultra fine white embossing powder; Kuretake Zig Clean Colour watercolour pens; Posca pen (white);

Tools: AALL & Create dies #35 Heartnook.

Here are closeups of the individual ATC’s with the challenges I would like to enter.

ATC1

Moving Along With the Times #170 - Not a Card

Outlawz (September) - Anything Goes in a Card Free Zone - TOP PICK

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2438 - Anything Goes

Triple B (September) - Birds, Blooms and/or Butterflies (2nd entry)

ATC2

Allsorts #800 - Anything Goes

Beautiful Blossoms  #21 - Anything Floral Goes

Make My Monday #235 - Create Your Own Background (2nd entry)

Snippets Playground #490 - Use Snippets

We Love 2 Create #9 - Anything Mixed Media Goes

ATC3

Classic Design Challenge #9 - Anything Goes

Creative Crafters #80 - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations (September) - Anything Goes

A Gem of a Challenge #19 - Anything Goes

Little Red Wagon #775 - Numbers - TOP 3

ATC4

Love to Craft #82 - Anything Goes

Path of Positivity #123 - Anything Positive Goes

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

We Love Stamping (September) - Hand Coloured Image (3rd entry)

ATC5

Ally’s Angels #86 - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz #679 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Mix It Up #73 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Paper Funday #69 - Create Your Own Background (3rd entry) - TOP 5

ATC6

The Card Concept #209 - Fall Florals

Love to Scrap #169 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday #667/668 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Hope everyone is having a great weekend, whatever you’re doing. Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,