At The Seaside

Hello there again,

I have another one of my latest CI samples to share with you all.  Now I'm very proud of this one, if I do say so myself as this is the first frame that I've ever made.  I love this CI stamp of the 'Grace Darling' lighthouse but after stamping and colouring it, I felt that it needed something else to give it a bit of a wow factor and also to showcase a few more of Jean Hardy's beautiful stamps.  The frame is very basic and I followed a couple of YouTube videos to give me an idea of what I needed to do.  I started with an A3 sheet of light grey paper of a reasonable weight, then used various stamps and stencils in the same colour tones as my main focal image.  I also added some all purpose filler to the waves to give them some texture (My very cheap version of embossing paste.)  Finally, I finished by using an image that I stamped and fussy cut of the seagull and suitcases.  I was more than pleased with this one as It feels quite sturdy and as I also made a matching stand which I attached to the back of it so that it can be stood up.

 I'd like to add this piece of mixed media to the following challenges:

Allsorts - Make It Masculine

The Artistic Stamper - Anything Goes

Country View Challenges - I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside

Try It On Tuesday -  Words/or Numbers

That's all from me for today but just before I go, I would like to leave this message to one of my followers 'Magic Maggie'  

Maggie, I really wish that you had a blog so that I could follow your too.  You are always so kind with your comments and you make me smile with your great, Yorkshire sense of humour, thank you.  As you don't have a blog, I just wanted to say how much I appreciate your on going support of my artwork, you are a star x

Needless to say, I appreciate each and everyone of my followers and I notice that I have a couple of new followers, which doesn't happen often in these days where social media platforms have taken over from blogging, so thank you for joining me on my creative journey xx

We're Under The Sea Today

Hello there my crafty friends,

I hope that you're all enjoying your weekend so far.  I've been enjoying re-visiting some of my older, neglected stamps.  When you have so many, it's very easy to over look some of your old favourites and I have to say that I tend to gravitate to my newer stamps.  

The card that I'm sharing with you today is one from my latest set of Crafty Individuals samples and I think that this one was my favourite of them all this time around.  

I've used Distress Oxides and VersaFine Clair inks in the background, which was built up gradually with Stamps and stencils.  The sentiment is from an older stamp set by Crafty Individuals and the Seahorse is from their latest collection of new stamps (CI-540)   I stamped the seahorse using VersaFine and then coloured it using my Giotto pens as water colours.  The pens are great to use like this and then you can always use the pens directly if you're wanting to use bolder colours.  When my scene was finished.  I added a couple of coats of Spray and Shine by Crafters Companion.  This protects the image and also helps to intensify the colours that you've used.  I finished my card by using a few of my Tim Holtz die cut florals...who says you can't have flowers under the sea! :)

That's all from me for today and I wish you all a week with lots of happy crafting xx

I'd like to add this card to the following challenges:

Country View Challenges - I do like to be beside the seaside

The Artistic Stamper - August's Creative Challenge - Anything Goes

Try It On Tuesday - Words/or Numbers

The Wonder Of The Sea

Hi there,

I'm here today to show you the first of my samples from this week's Crafty Individuals Shows on Hochanda.  This one uses of of their latest background papers which are actual photos taken by Malcolm, Jean's business partner.  They really are beautiful papers and just lovely to use with their seaside stamps.  Here it is:

All the stamps that I've used on here are by Crafty Individuals.

I hope to be back with you over the weekend to share more of these samples xx

Crafty Individuals On Telly Tomorrow

Hello there my Friends,

I'm here today to let you know that Crafty Individuals will be back on Hochanda with two shows tomorrow.  Jean Hardy will be sharing some new stamps and papers, which are gorgeous.  It's a seaside theme, so just what we all need to cheer us up while many of us are still spending the majority of our time at home.  The shows will be on Hochanda TV at 7am and 1pm.  Pyjamas will be totally acceptable for the 7am show :).  If you can't catch the shows live, then you'll be able to watch them of Hochanda Catch up for the next few weeks.

The card that I'm sharing with you today is a sample that I made previously but haven't shared before on here:

This card features some fabulous background stamps designed by lovely Flo Langley from our Design Team.  I use them so often now on many of my projects.  I liked this card because of it's colours. although I had no idea how it would turn out when I started!

Here's a little sneaky peek at some of my samples that I've made for the shows tomorrow.  Let me know if you spot any of them:)

Here are some of those background stamps again

That's all from me for today and I'll be back with you to share these samples in full after the shows have aired, so until then, take care, stay safe and be happy xx

Make It Masculine

Hello there,

It's time for another new challenge over at Stamping Sensations and our theme this time is 'Make It Masculine.'  We quite often struggle to make cards for the men in our lives, so here's a chance to add to your card stash.

The card that I've made has all been done using free stamps that came with a Creative Stamping magazine last year.  The Elephants were designed by Crafty Individuals and I find them so useful.
I brushed my card with a layer of yellow ink and then masked off the sun before adding more colour to my sky. Next, I used a mountain stencil to create my mountains before stamping the grass and trees.  The elephants were stamped, coloured and then fussy cut out before adding them to my scene.

That's my inspiration, so I do hope that you'll join us in this month's challenge.

We would really love it if you could join us with a piece of your artwork featuring this month's theme but please remember that Stamping Sensations is a 'STAMPING' challenge, so we must see a stamped image, sentiment or quote as the focal element of your artwork, this means: Stamping must be the central point of attention and interest.

All the details of our challenge rules can be found here

Wishing you all a happy and colourful day xx

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Moving Along With The Times - Elephant/s

Allsorts - Make It Masculine

A Diamond Wedding Anniversary

Hello again,

It's not often that we get a chance to make Diamond Wedding Anniversary cards and this is only the third one that I've made in the last seventeen years.  It's just a rare few that are lucky enough to make it through life's ups and downs and remain together for sixty years and what an incredible achievement.  I've made the card that I'm sharing with you today for a very special couple why will be celebrating their Diamond anniversary next week.  Sadly, due to the current Covid situation, there won't be a big party, just a quiet family celebration.  Here's the card that I've made:

 

For the main focal image, I've used the beautiful Harlequin Rose stamp by Chocolate Baroque.  I've coloured the rose using Victorian Velvet Distress ink.  I've also done something that I very rarely do which is to use a few silver peel offs but I felt that it just needed some finishing touches.  I've also added four diamond effect gems which I thought were quite appropriate. 

That's all from me for today but I hope that you all have a lovely day, whatever you're doing.  If I don't see you before, then I'll be back on Sunday with a new challenge over at Stamping Sensations xx

I'd like to add this card to the following challenge:

Allsorts - Flowers All Over

Anyone Fancy A Cuppa?

Hello there,

I'm here today with another one of my samples from June.  I've been looking though some old photos of my cards and I've realised how many of them I haven't posted, so I'll try to do some catching up over the next few weeks if I can.

The card that I'm sharing with you today is another CI sample from June:

The Tea Cup is one of the latest stamps by Crafty Individuals (CI-547) 

I painted the cups using distress inks and then mounted it onto a CI paper.  I do find their papers really pretty and they are strong enough to stamp on and colour too.

Jean Hardy from Crafty Individuals is back on Hochanda next Tuesday with more new gorgeous stamps and papers.  I know that the first show is on at 7am, so good if you're an early bird and you may need to set a recorder if you're not lol.  I'm not sure about the time of the second show but I'll let you know in my next post.

That's all from me for today and I hope to be back with you all very soon xx