mixed media

ABC Christmas Challenge – A and B

Hello once again. The ABC Christmas Challenge is at the beginning of the alphabet again. Helen is hosting this time round, and we want to see your ‘A for Anything goes’ and ‘B for Bears’ Christmas creations. Here are my cards:

As you can see – two very different styles of cards.

The first CAS card is using s Clearly Besotted image, stamping, colouring with Copics, then using an oval to die cut, layering that white oval with black, then adding a foiled sentiment.

The second definitely not CAS card took a little more preparation.

I sprayed some Tim Holtz mica spray onto some Distress Heavystock card, splattered with white acrylic paint and set aside to dry.

I then totally channeled Tim Holtz from one of his YouTube videos, and die cut the bear from white and grey wood grain card stock, layered together, then added a pink scarf using a previously created ink smooshed panel.

The trees were die cut from a panel of card onto which I had glued some tissue paper, added water, added Brushos, then when dry added some gold wax. The die cutting of the trees flattened the ridges on the trees – but if you add the wax prior to die cutting then the detail is still there.

I snipped and placed the trees, added the bear, added some white glitter drops for the snow on the ground, then added the sentiment – die cutting the ‘board’ from the same white and grey card stock, and adding the letters in a haphazard fashion – I struggle with straight when I do a sentiment like this, so I went overboard with the higgledy-piggledy.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CAS card:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Creative Knockouts – anything goes

Crafting Happiness – celebrations

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Bear card:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with critter as main focus

The Four seasons Challenge – anything goes winter

Challenge Up Your Life – ice, ice, baby

Most Magical Time Of The Year – anything goes Christmas or Halloween

Shimmery Golden Merry Christmas

The next Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge is now live. Here is my card:

The background is an ink smooshed creation – lots of different green Distress Inks – multiple layers – so much fun to create.

Once that had dried, I splattered Liquitex acrylic metallic ink in gold and white and let that dry.

The sentiment is from Hero Arts, the shadow in vellum, and the main words in Spellbinders matt gold card stock. If the shimmer on the background wasn’t enough – I also dotted some iridescent sequins around.

This is certainly a very shimmery card and so much fun to create. I feel another ‘messy’ play coming on to create more backgrounds – even though I have plenty – but I just love to play and ink smoosh instead of always feeling I have to create a card.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks – occasions

Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Creative Fingers – anything goes

TTCRD – anything goes

U Got This…..

I have a card to share today using lots of bright colours and die cuts:

The base panel is a previously created panel when ink smooshing and mixing some bright colours, then I embossed it with a Stampin Up embossing folder. I splattered this some black acrylic and set it to dry.

I then turned to die cutting all the pieces from the Tim Holtz die set – choosing bright colours – and using more previously created ink smooshed panels from my stock. I also found some black glimmer card which I had used some glimmer polish on so thought that would be ideal for the eyes.

Once all the pieces were die cut, I played with layout and decided to go with the face as you see, sticking down with a combination of 3D foam and glue.

The sentiment is also from Tim Holtz – using the letters which fell out of the metal die – a big ‘U’ instead of the full word as I felt it wouldn’t fit in and look right……

A bright and cheerful encouragement card – I have someone in mind – with a lot of fiddly work – but I like the result.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Cut It Up Challenge – big image or sentiment – include a die cut

CYHTP – embossing folder – option orange and black not taken

Time Out Challenge – cancer awareness/friendship/encouragement

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Allsorts Challenge – add a sentiment

Addicted To Stamps and More – die cuts/stencils

We Love 2 Create – anything goes mixed media

Compliments Of The Season

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new ‘anything goes Christmas’ challenge. Here is my creation:

To create the box, I used the Elizabeth Craft Designs ‘Shadow Box Frames’/ I watched her video to create the box, and once I got my head around the pieces, the folding, and the gluing I was pleased with the result.

I used some brown marbled card to create the box, as I wanted a darker frame, and once the box was created, I used some patterned paper as the base, and built everything from there.

I searched through all my Tim Holtz Christmas ephemera – of which I have a lot – and haven’t used very much. I’m currently going through my patterned papers and ephemera collection to try and use them as I bought them after being inspired by his and his creators posts – the style isn’t my usual – but I’m enjoying creating – just going with the flow!

I adhered poinsettias – from his ‘worn wallpaper’ around the outside of the frame, as well as bells and candy canes. The inside were some of his pocket cards – cut down a little – and other ticket ephemera, with a little button on the bottom corner.

I wanted to use the deer, and put some natural raffia – coloured with Distress re-inkers – behind to support the die cut, and lend a ‘woodland’ feel.

I hope you can come along and join us with your Christmas creations – I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Animals Challenge – anything goes with an animal

Paper Dragonfly Challenge – Christmas in July

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge – anything goes with patterned papers

Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge – anything goes with mixed media

Aud Sentiments – anything goes with a sentiment

Christmas Craft Creations – Christmas and patterned paper

Love To Craft – anything goes

Because Nice Matters……

Hello. Another messy crafty time creating – trying my hand at some mixed media creations:

Onto \ piece of white baseboard, I stuck another piece of card, some crackle paste, and a couple of stencils to create the diamond area in a couple of places, and there are some dotty areas too – but I think they are covered.

After those areas were dry, I added a layer of Gesso, let it dry, then applied some Sizzix acrylic paint in a yellow and a teal blue/green, sprayed some water, used a brush and basically moved it around the piece to create some messy shadow areas. Before that layer was dry, I also added some mica shimmer powder – wet them down a little more to create a more concentrated colour.

I used a whole host of flowers I had in my stash, keeping them mostly to the same colour or tone – or I even altered them a little with some paint. I also used some Tim Holtz die cut wallpaper flowers.

I also used a rectangle of Tim Holtz wallpaper, distressed the edges, ink blended around those edge, then stuck it down – leaving the edge kinda curly.

Then I played with my stash of flowers and die cut leaves – tinting the leaves with the same acrylic blue/green paint, the edges of the some of the flowers, and even used some mixed media art stones – coloured yellow for the centre of the flowers. They are a little fiddly to get where you want them – but I persevered because I only wanted them in the centre of the flowers.

The flat die-cut flowers are also from Tim Holtz, and I used them as a base layer on the small panel, and glued the rest of the flowers down – hot glue gun – as you see.

I added some clear glass cabochons and used a Tim Holtz ‘Quote Flair‘ as the sentiment.

After all had dried, I applied some dots of glue then glittered select places – some flower petals in particular.

So – lots of layers, lots of messy crafting, drying time required – though the heat tool comes in handy sometimes. I really enjoyed playing this way for a change – I am sure I will learn more about the techniques and layers as I continue to play – and watch YouTube, of course!

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – add some green

We Love 2 Create – anything goes Mixed Media

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge – make something to make you smile

ABC Challenge – W and X

Hello there. It’s my turn to host the challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge. Having reached the letters ‘W’ and ‘X’ – the Christmas themes we want to see are ‘W for Whimsical‘ – think playful, quaint, amusing – and ‘X’ for Xerox – multiple stamping, multiple images – whatever you think fits with the theme.

Here are my cards:

Whimsical

Xerox

On the first card, I used a Clearly besotted stencil – Trimmed Trees – and inked each different tree with s different colour – masking off the one next to it on the stencil – but also overlapping each tree to create the row of what I think are quite whimsical trees.

I then used a Tim Holtz sentiment stamp, then used a Zig glue pen over all the colours and added some glitter.

For the second card, I stamped one image from the Pretty Pink Posh stamp set multiple times on a Kraft card base with ‘wheat’ ink from Concord & 9th, to create a tone-on-tone look. I then used another of the the images from the same stamp set, coloured them with Copics, die cut them out, and placed them as you see. I also added some glossy accents to the leaves and berries.

The sentiment is from a Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous stamp set, which I stamped, used a stitched rectangle to cut it out, then distressed the edges with the same ‘wheat’ ink to enable it to stand out a little more.

I hope you can come and join us for this challenge – I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Whimsical card:

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – atg Christmas

Cards Galore Challenge – atg

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – atg Christmas

Xerox Card:

Just Us Girls Challenge – Leaves

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – atg

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – any holiday occasion

Love To Craft Challenge – atg

Please feel free to copy to your sidebar

SPREAD THE MERRY LITTLE LOVE AND GRAB A BADGE!

Lantern and Poinsettia

Hello once again. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new challenge. The theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas/Festive’ – here is my card:

During the past year I have taken some online classes with Susan Tierney-Cockburn – moving out of my comfort zone and trying something new. I struggled – and still do – when creating these flowers using her Spellbinders collection of dies – but I keep trying. I am pleased with how this poinsettia turned out….

The only thing I didn’t really feel I got to grips with was the centre – I really messed that up – which is why there is Nuvo drops and some glitter there……..!

I managed to create these flowers and leaves following her YouTube videos, and have even invested in the flower forming tools – I feel they would help as I was using my ball tools when I created this and didn’t quite get the detail and lines and veins of the leaves – you will probably see another variation on this theme….

I didn’t put a candle in the lantern either – and I don’t think it’s missed – maybe another variation for the future…..

The base card was layered with squares using Sue Wilson stitched dies, and one of her embossing folders too to add the holly swirl details in the white background piece.

The lantern was die cut from Tim Holtz metal coloured card stock, then I used some of his embossing powders on it to try and create a more weathered and metallic look.

I am definitely going to create this flower again – maybe in other colours – as I actually quite enjoyed stepping out of my comfort zone.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas/festive creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

My Time To Craft – embossing (I used wet and dry embossing)

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Mix It Up Challenge – anything goes mixed media – option monochrome

Mixed Media Lovers Challenge – anything goes Mixed Media

12 Months of Christmas Challenge – Christmas with option of metallic

Shimmery leaves and a dove

Hi. I have been inspired to create this card using the elements from the current challenge at Festive Friday. They proved an inspiration list, and you have to use at least three elements from that list. I must admit I think I used more than three elements – I enjoyed playing and constructing my card. Here it is:

I started by using one of the new Tim Holtz mica sprays, and sprayed two pieces of card, as I knew I wanted at least a 6 inch square panel, and I also wanted to die cut the leaves from it.

Whilst that was drying, I die cut the dove from Simon Says Stamp – putting some tape on the back to hold all the pieces together – minus the legs. I couldn’t figure out a way to keep the legs on the dove – so it’s juts sitting there instead!

I then took another piece of black card and dry embossed the basket weave from We R Memory Keepers, by which time the sprayed panels were dry – and so, so shimmery!

I layered the square of green onto the black card base, added the embossed panel, then played the layout of the leaves, and ended up with them as you see. I didn’t stick the entire leaf down each time, leaving some just kinda flapping and giving movement, then added the dove with some foam squares.

So let’s have a look at the inspiration list:

It appears I used a dove, white, leaves, non-rectangular card base, die-cuts, and spritzing………

I shall also be entering this card into the current challenge at Beyond The Blue – with the theme of ‘let it shimmer’ – those mica sprays are really, really shimmery – whether I’ve managed to catch the shimmer in the photos or not – it’s certainly there. xx

Attempts at glue gun art

I had a great playtime yesterday afternoon and evening, inspired by Maremi Small Art of YouTube. I have been subscribed to her channel for a few weeks – and what she can’t do with household stuff for creating mixed media and texture probably isn’t worth knowing! Kitchen towel, cotton wool, egg shells, tea bags – you name it, she has probably tried it. All I can do is watch and listen to her videos, and be inspired to think about doing something – well, not actually doing it. Until yesterday.

She posted a video about using a glue gun and creating a bubble technique, which really got my creative juices flowing. I have a glue gun, I have some glue re-fills, I have small and large canvases – all waiting for that special thing to make. They have been waiting for quite a while………and on one of her videos she did say we spend a lot of time looking at things for inspiration, without actually doing it. I think her phrase was something along the lines of ‘just go and do it’.

I hunted out my glue gun, plugged it in, then got my canvasses – and went for it! I tried the small 6 inch squares first – not brave enough to attempt the larger one first time.

I glued a flower shape that vaguely resembled Altenew’s stamp set ‘Adore You’ main flower shape, after coating the base with a mixture of acrylic inks I had. Let that dry, coloured the canvas with some inks, coloured the flower with a red ink, then smoothed on some gilding wax to the outline of the flower.

I then moved onto the leaf – glued the main leaf shape, and filled-in the rest of the canvas as I thought it was too plain, (I keep trying for clean and simple, honest), added ink over the whole canvas, then used different colours of gilding wax to the raised glue areas.

The largest one was a challenge. I covered the whole canvas with a mixture of three or four different colour acrylic paints, let it dry, added some straight lines at the bottom (because I could!), added some vague flower outlines in glue, then realised it almost looked like cliffs, a beach, and the sea – so I attempted an outline of those images.

I again went in with some more inks and colours, then rubbed different wax colours over the raised sections.

Oh what fun! Loved it. May not be to everyone’s taste, but I really, really, loved playing. It’s messy, too. Well, it is for me, anyway!

I am entering one of the makes into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge – showers and/or flowers

Altenew Inspiration Challenge – photo inspiration (inspired by Sveta’s card)

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media

Messy playing

Oh my goodness. I have never, ever played like I played when making this canvas. I loved the messiness, the sheer fright that I would do something wrong. Who says that crafting doesn’t involve adrenaline? Sheer and utter fear. What if I messed it up? Did it matter if I messed it up? Who cares? Have fun. Play. Enjoy – and I certainly did.

I wanted to take myself into a new arena. For some reason, mixed media hasn’t been attractive to me. I usually prefer a more focused, planned, and tidy sort of card making. Always knowing the basics of what I was doing, even though many things changed during the course of making cards. But with this – no clue where it was going…

As most of us do, I had many items I have never used, I just bought them because we ‘had’ to have them – and there they were, sitting in my cupboards and drawers. They didn’t even talk to me! How very ignorant of them.

Then – I was searching through YouTube, saw an Indigo Blu video of Mike Deakin making – very easily and simply – some mixed media canvas. He made it look soooooo easy. It got me thinking – I have some 6 x 6 canvas, some gesso, plenty of small MDF and other items I can stick on. I had a search through my stock – hey presto – loads of stuff I can play with.

So – girded my loins, straightened my spine – and got down to playing. I covered the canvas with a layer of white gesso, used texture paste. Covered in black gesso. Embellishments were stuck on, then covered with black gesso. I thought it looked good just in plain black. The next bit is where the fear kicked in….added some colour. Looked rubbish. Let it dry. Looked rubbish. Added more white and it looked better toned down slightly. Scraped some black gesso everywhere in small slight strokes of a brush and it looked a bit better.

This is when my stubbornness and determination went into overdrive. I kept going. Added some Gansai Tambi gold, then more gold, then toned it down again. Added some spritz of my cosmic shimmer sprays. Toned it down again. Then more fear kicked in – had I ruined it? What do I do now? Is it done? Do I keep going? When do I know it’s finished? Oh my goodness…….

Eventually, after three days of playing, waiting for drying, working, sleeping, playing again – I decided I was done.

I have no idea whether I will do this on a regular basis, as I am a creature of habit – but you never know!

I am entering this into the ‘crafting while we can’ challenge, and ‘love to create’.

loopyloocards

loopyloocards

mixed media

ABC Christmas Challenge – A and B

Shimmery Golden Merry Christmas

U Got This…..

Compliments Of The Season

Because Nice Matters……

ABC Challenge – W and X

Lantern and Poinsettia

Shimmery leaves and a dove

Attempts at glue gun art

Messy playing