52 week cafe card challenge and D is for Dragonfly

D is for Dragonfly and for this card I really wanted to keep it very simple and let the dragonfly be the focus of the card.

I used a couple of layers of gesso for this card and I heated both long enough to make the gesso surface bubble (I call it boiled gesso background lol)  Over the top I simply added some diluted decoart acrylic and over that I added some blue radiance paint to give a shimmer. The dragonfly was made from two layers both stamped onto vellum and heat embossed.

I really like the simplicity of this one.
Until next time
Cxx

52 week cafe card challenge and C is for Coffee

The 3rd in the series of altered playing cards for the 52 week challenge...and it is C is for coffee.

 As always I started with a layer of gesso to which I added a few layers of torn paper to add texture. I stuck to a range of coffee coloured inks to do the back ground and the stamping... All the stamps used here were from VLVS. The mouse was stamped onto linen paper, coloured and then adhered to the card with a distress medium.

Considering I do not like coffee at all I was quite pleased with my take on the theme.

Until next time

Cxx

Postcard crazy

I am  going a little postcard crazy this month... With  the intention of boosting my motivation to get things done and set them free, I signed up for several swaps this year, including a couple of post card based events.

This postcard was made to fit a monochrome theme. I really wanted to step away from the obvious black and white and since the definition of monochrome also includes shades of one colour with the addition of either black or white, my choice was to take the sepia route.

All the stamps used here are from VLVS and I used the simple combination of vintage photo distress ink and black archival ink to complete the project.

I hope my swap partner will enjoy the postcard I have made for her...I certainly had lots of inky fun in the making of it.
Until next time
Cxx

Create Art...altered frame

On Saturday my lovely niece and I ventured out at silly o'clock on that cold frosty morning and took a train to Market Harborough (yep I had no idea where it was either...but it turns out its on the Leicestershire and Northamptonshire borders) to attend a one day workshop with the lovely Ali Reeve...and this was my favourite of the four projects we made that day.

A wooden frame totally transformed, by layers of collage,  some texture stencilling, assorted embellies, a ton of black gesso and topped with  marvellous Radiance Paints. I had such fun with this and absolutely loved how it turned out.

If you get the chance to attend one of Ali's workshop days then do it...you'll have fun and come away with some great ideas.

Until next time

Cxx

52 cafe card week two... B is for Bubbles

This is my altered playing card for week two...where the theme was Bubbles.

For this one I added an extra thick later of gesso and purposely painted it on in waves and ridges. I used a  teal acrylic and then a turquoise dylusions spray over the top.

Once this was dry I stamped the rising bubbles (by Ryn) using archival ink direct to the card...and I also stamped the interconnecting circles (by VLVS) onto textured paper and coloured them with watered down acrylics and then used alcohol markers over the top of a few of them... Once dry I cut them out and adhered them to the card with matt medium. I stamped the wording  and then added some glossy crackle medium to a select few circles. I dry brushed the edges with darker blue acrylic to finish it off.

I do find working on such a small scale quite a challenge but I am enjoying it so far.

Until next time, take care
Cxx

52 Cafe Card Challenge

I am taking part in a year long challenge with the  group at  Maremi Creative Cafe ...the aim is to  to alter a playing card (from an ordinary standard  pack of playing cards) each week with each one being themed by using a letter of the alphabet.

So we started week one with the letter A...is for Art.

For all the cards I start out with a base layer of gesso  (I gessoed a dozen to start me off so they are ready when I am ready to start) and then for this one I added some decoart acrylics in multiple colours over the top. I  stamped the paintbrush stamp (from VLVS)  and the wording (from Chocolate Baroque) onto white textured paper and added colour to them. I adhered the brush to the card with matt medium and then added some more acrylic paint which I allowed to drip off the ends of the brush. Once that was dry I adhered the words and ink edged the card to finish it off.

I hope you like it, I had fun making it.
 Week two to follow very soon...
Until next time, take care
Cxx

Find your Tribe....

I have been away for a while - we spent December in Las Vegas and it was fun catching up with friends and just taking a break from real life....Vegas is possibly the easiest place to break from reality for sure and we had a great time... but we picked up (and brought back) what is known at "the Crud Virus" and it is a real beast. Brit papers report it as a virus which mimics or results in severe bronchitis I think the Americans have a better name for it as it really does make you feel like poop on a stick...and it is relentless.

To add to my general misery we began a major renovation on our kitchen a couple of days after we landed back in the UK...so jetlag and the crud virus plus a renovation finds me escaping into the craft room for a huge dose of the inky painty antidote to all that chaos

And its postcards again...I joined up to a couple of postcard swaps groups - one is UK based and the other International...and then another craft group I am a member of decided to have a postcard swap this month...so I have been concentrating on postcards...and they are very addictive indeedy.

I made six yesterday but I think this is my favourite so far. I used 99% stamps from VLVS....(along with one stamp form Andy Skinner's Toxic set) I love their quirky designs and they do some really great sayings too. If you can't find what you want elsewhere, VLVS probably have what you need.

Anyhow this postcard was  fun to make and I decided to enter it into the Craft Stamper January Take It Make It challenge. There will be more postcards following shortly...but that's it from me for now.
Until next time,
Cxx