Wednesday 30 April 2014

Stampotique Flowers


The latest Stampotique Challenge is Flowers

The background to the main flowers was done making swirls with my fingers with acrylic paint
and then brushed  with Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint
I then splattered all over with Distress Ink, once dry I stamped Jo Capper-Sandon Dandelion and Jo's Flower block and added more texture into the background using Honeycomb
Finished highlighting the flowers with a white Sharpie


Wednesday 23 April 2014

Srampotique Postcard

 Smushallaum's Postcard

Snoozing and cruising on the Beach and the Sea
Happy holidays from me!


The Latest Stampotique Design Challenge- Postcard

For the background I used Tim Holtz alcohol inks on the amazing Ranger Inkessentials card applying drops of Butterscotch, Purple Twilight, Clover and Pitch Black and dripping alcohol blending solutions to dilute and then moving it around to merge and get the drip effects

I then stamped Stampotique Smushallaum and did the same process with Pitch Black, Eggplant, Purple Twilight and Wild Plum and cut a fringe around the edge, with Seaweed and Stalk stamps for the foreground foliage

Sunday 20 April 2014

A Vintage Journey- Spring Flowers

Floral Easter Egg

The latest challenge over at  A Vintage Journey
Spring Flowers

This was a major challenge for me, it's not that I don't like flowers absolutely love them but I have always resisted using in my craft projects even when I've done workshops and they've been included in the project, I haven't used them just taken them home with a promise to use later!
So best to jump in with both feet forward and embrace flowers in abundance!

The main feature flower was done using Cricut cartridge Giant Flowers as you can see I only managed one! All of the other flowers were made using spiral templates in a variety of styles and sizes cut by hand and Tim Holtz Mini Rosettes
These were stamped with Tim Holtz mixed media stamps, then cut to size and assembled.
I really enjoyed making them and it reminded me of my Nan who made flowers all the time, from an amazing array of materials
I coloured them with Dylusions Inks and a lustre spray made from DecoArt Metallic black shimmer lustre and dried in the oven as they were saturated



The Egg was a polystyrene blank covered with Ranger - Inkssentials Metal Foil Tape Sheets embossed with Tim Holtz Rivet Set
Once covered, I coloured it with Eggplant, Espresso & Black Soot alcohol inks this was placed on a plant pot that was decorated, with a base coat of Deco Art Gesso, Elegant finish in Shimmering Silver.
I then applied a coat of DecoArt Weathered Wood medium, once dry a coat of Carbon Black Acrylic paint and waited for the crackle effect to appear
I then arranged and assembled everything on a painted polystyrene pizza tray!
Phew! That really was a challenge, but I think that sometimes doing challenges especially out of your comfort zone are most rewarding


Thanks for looking, Happy Easter
Jools
:)


Wednesday 16 April 2014

Stampotique April Showers


Toby looked out through the rain drop covered window at dusk and was pleased to see that Mothloved was walking through the garden on her way home as it looked like the rain showers were about to get heavy

The background was created with Distress Inks, Peacock Feather, Persimmon, Seedless Preserve, Walnut Stain and Black Soot and then spritzed allowed to drip and spread and left to dry

I then dry bushed white acrylic diagonally to symbolize rain

I then stamped Tenticurl, Seaweed, Stalks, Spidergrass and Dandelion in the foreground

Mothloved was stamped on a separate piece of card, her umbrella was made from Goosenecks skirt and legs and coloured with Promarkers

Small Moon was shining brightly on the Owl Tree highlighted with white acrylic

Tuesday 15 April 2014

Clarity Challenge Monochrome


I love the Tim Holtz Peacock Feather beautiful turquoise, so a great opportunity to use it to full effect

The background was stamped with Laurel Hedge stamp using Peacock feather, then spritzed with water. I then applied DecoArt TItanium white to fade and mask out in areas

I then used the Lone Tree Stencil, using the fabulous stencil brushes with Peacock feathers at the base
Then stamped Meadow Dance and the Dandelion leaves, the paper was still slightly damp so the the colour bled and faded slightly which has added to the varying shades of the colour 
The Dandelion Fairy was stamped with Peacock Feather and Evergreen Boughs and cut out and raised on foam pads

The word stamp is from the Wedding word chains and stamped in peacock feather too

Stampotique Challenge Paint & Pen

Paint Ballpoint Pen

Rufty Tufty Twinkie thought that paint balling was a load of Pollocks! and that the Pen was a mightier weapon!!

I added embossed card to a 8" x 8" chipboard sheet, and raised them slightly with scrunched paper behind to add dimension and texture in the centre
Then painted all over with a base coat of turquoise acrylic and then the fun started Splattered and splashing a variety of colours and this was left to dry for a few days

Stampotique Twinkie and the pen were coloured with Promarkers and coated with DecoArt triple gloss glaze and left to dry over night

Sunday 13 April 2014

Angel Mini Book


Amazingly workshop at the Craftbarn yesterday with the lovely Kathy Byrne
It was the third class of the year and the complexity has stepped up, more folds, pockets, pages and magnets!
Daunting to start with but with her guidance it all came together and was very rewarding
I used the gorgeous Kaisercraft Key to my heart papers, beautiful vintage floral and angels which worked perfectly with the crimson base card
The note papers were parchment and the labels and tags were distressed with Crushed Olive, Aged Mahogany and Walnut Stain
Embellished with Tando chipboard hearts and finished with silk ribbon




Friday 11 April 2014

A Vintage Journey- A little bit of French

The latest Challenge over at A vintage Journey 
A Little bit of French

 Paris a place that I fell in love with as a young Art student and a place that will always be in my heart

I decided to alter a jewellery gift box, the sides were covered with embossed card using Tim Holtz Carte Postal and painted with Decoart Acrylic Burgundy and Carbon Black followed with a wash of Quinacridone gold, dry brushed with white gesso and a further wash of Quinn gold T
The cover was produced with Tim Holtz Papillion Script and Artemio Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe Covered with a wash of DecoArt Quinacridone Gold, crinkled and distressed with inks Walnut Stain and Black Soot

The base of the box was covered DecoArt white gesso, washes of Quinn gold and Carbon Black, distressed with the same inks as above around the edges and corners Applied DecoArt One Step Crackle, once dry washed with Carbon Black and then sealed with Glue & Seal
The inside of the base and lid was covered with Elegant Finish Glorious gold, and stippling with a wet wipe

I was inspired by the beautiful altered playing cards that Astrid MacLean the Challenge host has been producing http://astridsartisticefforts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/a-new-little-venture.html
I wanted to start to do something similar for this project as the box is perfect to keep them in
I have made a start with a selection of eight, some are French themed for this challenge with hearts featuring prominently throughout I used a variety of embossing folders, stamps, paints and mediums, if you want any more information on these please ask






I'm really looking forward to producing more of the altered playing cards & ATC such a fab ongoing project

Thanks for looking


Jools :)

Wednesday 2 April 2014

Stampotique Humour


I made the frame by randomly tearing the centres out of some 6" x6" papers, torn, curled and roughed up then distressed with black soot
Then mounted them on a piece of card with a paper in the background, then splattered with DecoArt Carbon black acrylic
I used Stampotique Peggy, Three Smiles and the Tools cube, coloured with promakers and distressed as before
The sentiment which describes me perfectly! is from Dylusions