Week 25 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

Here we are at the end of the journey with the final Craft Barn Quotes and Lyrics Challenge and I am finishing this one as I have on many times throughout it, just skidding in at the last minute. The given words for challenge 25 are "harmony" and "faith".

Both of my postcards this week do shimmer  - well it is Christmas - but sadly my scanner hasn't picked it up so please just imagine!

I went with the first song lyric containing "harmony" that came into my head and it was of course "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing in Perfect Harmony". I'd like to say that I put five treble clefs on because they represented the five continents but no, it was just that odd numbers of things are better than even! It wasn't until the postcard was finished that I saw any relevance!
The background is sprayed with Dylusion and Cosmic Shimmer and over stamped with music staves.

Card Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth, Super White, Printer Card 300gsm
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 250gsm
Black card
Inks
Dylusions - Fresh Lime, Squeezed Orange, London Blue
Cosmic Shimmer - Rich Gold
Ranger Archival Inks - Watering Can & Jet Black
Distress Inks - Frayed Burlaap, Black soot
Stamps
Kaisercraft - Music Staves
Kaisercraft -t Texture Film Edge CS154 
Other
Treble Clef - Marianne die LR0167
Words computer generated - "Please Write Me a Song" & " AlphaMusicMan" fonts
World - computer generated

I had a rummage in my box of rejected backgrounds but nothing shouted out "use me" but what I did find was a little off cut of a background I had created some time ago so decided to make another piece in a similar way. It is all stamped with Brillance pearlescent inks onto a white background with just a little Distress ink added around the edge of the die-cut and postcard.

Card Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth, Super White, Printer Card 300gsm
Inks
Brilliance Pearlescent - Jade, Orange, Crimson
Walnut Stain Distress Ink
Stamps
Collage stamp - Crafty IndividualsCI-237
Flower - Crafty Individuls CI-206
Feather - ArtemioRef 10001192
Crackle - Kaisercraft CS876
Diamonds - KaisercraftCS152
Butterfly - Kaiser craft
Script - PaperArtsy MN75
Other
The Crafter's Workshop Mini Circle Explosion stencil
Die cut  Spellbinders Labels Four
Words computer generated - Lucida Handwriting font 

Well that is my final contribution for the year done and dusted (without a duster!). I know I've learnt a lot along the way and had great enjoyment taking part. So a very big thank you to the Craft Barn for making it all possible.

Thank you to everyone who has looked at my entries each fortnight and to those who have left such encouraging comments. In the last couple months or so I have looked at all the entries and left comments where I could. However I am not on all the social media platforms so sadly there were some that I could only look at and pass onto the next entrant.

 A happy 2015 to one and all.

 

Week 24 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

We have reached the penultimate Quotes and Lyrics challenge and the words given to play with are heart and risk.

My brain has been concentrating on Christmas cards and it's had little time to think about and plan my entries for this 24th challenge. I'm not very happy about either of these postcards but, fortunately, they look far better on screen than they do in real life. However I do treat this challenge as a learning curve and I hope I have learnt something this week.

For my first postcard I chose the words of the Buddy Holly song "It's raining in my heart". The heart and sun are directly inked onto the card after creating masks. I recently bought the water droplet stamp and this was its first outing. Fabulous deep etched rubber so stamps beautifully. I went over the droplets with Glossy Accents.

  
Postcard Recipe 
Card 
Anna Marie Design  Super Smooth, Super White, Printer Card 200gsm & 300gsm 
Inks
Distress Inks -  Scattered Straw, Dried Marigold, Broken China, Victorian Velvet
Ranger Archival Ink - Watering Can
White Posca pen  
Stamps
Water droplets - Designs by Ryn Water Effects 1 UM-M1
Birds - Stampscapes 302A 
Other
Words - computer generated - Typewriter font
Glossy Accents

For my second card, I used a quote by Ray Bradbury, the American author, "Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down". I found a piece of Distress Inked background that I tossed into my scrap box and stamped lightly over it before stencilling the poppies and adding the birds.

Postcard Recipe  
Card
Background from scraps box 
Inks/Paints
Distress Inks - Wild Honey, Dried Marigold, Frayed Burlp Walnut Stain
Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black
Ranger Archival Ink - Watering Can
PaperArtsy Fresco Finish - Snowflake
Eco-Friendly acrylic paint - Black
Adirondack Metallics Dabber - Gold
Pen-touch Callighpher pen - gold
Stamps 
Script - PaperArtsy MN75
Diamonds - Kaisercraft CS152
Birds - Stampscapes 302A
Stencils
Poppies - PaperArtsy  PS004
Mini Chickenwire reversed - The Crafter's Workshop TCW259s 
Other
Spellbinders die - Labels Four
Quote - Computer generated - Brigitte font

Week 23 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

It may have taken time for my brain to spring into action with ideas for the current round of the Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge but I have to say I'm quite pleased with the results. The words to be used this time are journey and/or friendship.

I decided to use a lyric containing "journey" and chose a couple of lines from Wake Me Up by Avicii . I printed the background snakes and ladders board from a web image. It was a bit too bright for my liking so I toned it down with Distress Ink and also Distress Inked the arrows before stamps some script on them. I coloured the face very lightly with watercolour pencils.

 

Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Super White Printer Card 300gsm & 200gsm
Inks/Paints
Distress Inks - Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain
Versafine Ink Onyx Black
Prismalo I Aquarelle pencils
Stamp
Crafty Individuals CI-188
Script (on arrows) - Artistic Stamper's dance definition  
Other
Computer generated words - "Papyrus" font
Arrows & snakes & ladders board from web images

For my second postcard I used a background technique I saw Helen Chilton demonstrate at a Craft Barn Extravaganza a couple of years ago. Oil pastels were scribbled on the base card before rubbing lightly with baby oil. I then stamped the image before using embossing folders around the edge and highlighting with Treasured Gold.

Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs - High White Card 300gsm & Super Smooth, Super White, Printer Card 200gsm
Inks/Paints
Faber-Castell oil pastels - no. 125, 154, 171
Ranger Archival Jet Black
Bundled Sage Distress Ink
White Fire Treasured Gold
Stamp
Crafty Individuals CI-283
Other
Computer generated words - "Amano" font
Embossing folders

Week 22 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

We are now at number 22 in The Craft Barn Quotes and Lyrics Challenge and the words given to illustrate this time around are "moon" and/or "sensation".

A moon lyric come into my head immediately. It's from "To the Moon and Back" by Savage Garden and you can hear it here. I stamped the moon first and then brushed on a hint of Scattered Straw DI before masking it. I then applied Distress Ink to the background and stamped the birds.

Postcard Recipe
Card 
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer 300gsm & 200gsm
Inks
Distress Inks - Scattered Straw, Weathered Wood
Ranger Archival Watering Can
Versafine Onyx Black   
Stamps
Moon - Stampscapes
Birds on a Branch  - Personal Impressions Swirly Birds set PICS013
Other
Computer generated words - "Typewriter" font

It took some time to find a short "sensation" quote - so many of them were more like essays. I finally plumped for one by John Ruskin, a Victorian who was an art critic, art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. A very busy man!
I used PaperArtsy Fresco paints on the background and stencilling before giving the circle stamp it's very first outing.

Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs High White Card 300gsm
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm
Inks/Paints
Ranger Archival Ink - Coffee
Walnut Stain Distress Ink.
PaperArtsy Fresco Paint - Cheesecake, Tango, Limelight
Stamp
IndigoBlu Circle Dot Background - Code: CDB 1
Other
Word stencil - The Crafters Workshop CW261s Mini Art Is
Numbers and letters stencil
Words computer generated - "Goudy Handtooled BT" font
 

 
 

Week 21 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

The words to use in episode 21 of the Craft Barn Quote & Lyrics Challenge were "nowhere" and "hug".  Continuing as I have throughout this challenge I made two postcards - one for a lyric and one for a quote.

I chose "nowhere" for the lyric and being a teenager in the sixties The Beatles figured a great deal in my musical taste, so I had to go with "Nowhere Man". Haven't a clue what the words mean but I thought the image I used sums up the couple of lines I picked out of the song.

Postcard Recipe
Card 
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer 300gsm & 200gsm
Inks
Distress Inks - Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmalade, Wild Honey, Walnut Stain
Ranger Archival Jet Black
Stamps
Man on bench from Stamp Addicts plate "Sunday Morning" SA-5014
Ducks S023A & Birds 302A both from Stampscapes
Other
Computer generated words - Lucinda Handwriting font


I recently bought a set of Brusho paints and I used one of colours in my background and then I dropped bleach from a pipette onto the wet painted paper.

Postcard Recipe 
Card
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm
Watercolour paper
Inks
Brusho - Scarlet
Household bleach
Versafine Onyx Black
Ranger Archival Jet Black
Distress Inks - Scattered Straw, Worn Lipstick
Copics and Promakers
Stamps
Girls -Crafty Individuals CI-277
Kaisercraft Edges CS155
Other
Computer generated words - Asenine Wide Handwriting font

Week 20 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

Don't know what's come over me this week - here I am way ahead of the challenge closing!

It's week 20 already and we are rapidly heading towards the end of the challenge and in turn Christmas and the close of 2014. Yikes!! This time we were challenged to use the words "gift" or "destiny" (or both).

I just so happened to have a stamp with a quote containing the word "gift", so no searching the internet required.  The background is embossed and I inked the embossing folder before putting it through the Big Shot. The stamp behind my quote has been in my stash for some years and I think I have only used it once before. Although I used the same ink on it as on the embossed background they look completely different colours used in those ways.

Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Super Smooth Super White Printer Card 300gsm
Inks
Brilliance Pearlescent Olive
Walnut Stain Distress Ink
Ranger Archival Coffee
Pen-touch Calligrapher Gold
Stamps
Hero Arts - Pod Branch Background G4614
Sentiment - unknown maker
Other
Embossing folder - Creative Expressions - Flourish EF-001

For my second postcard I used lyrics from "My Destiny" sung by Lionel Ritchie. The tissue tape along the top and bottom was made some time ago  at a workshop by stamping onto micropore tape with archival ink. This was a bit of a stash buster all together as the background paper and the picture have been languishing far too long waiting for their fifteen minutes of fame.

 

Postcard recipe
Card
White card
Background paper
Inks
Distress Inks - Festive Berries, Victorian Velevt, Frayed Burlap, Peeled Paint
Memento Tuxedo Black
Stamps
Flourish - Crafty Indivdulas CI-182
Flowers from Crafty Individuals "Butterfly Mornings and Wildflower Afternoons" CI-1062
Script - PaperArtsy MN75
Other
Picture - manufacturer unknown
Words computer generated - Holiday Springs BTN
 



 

Week 19 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

Skidding into week 19 of the Craft Barn Quotes and Lyrics Challenge by the seat of my pants. The words we were given this time around were "better" and "patience".

For the song lyric I have chosen a Christmas ditty which contains the word "better". This will probably be my only nod to the festive season until December - I always leave things to the last minute but you never know, this might be the year I get organised and can sit back with a couple of weeks to go and a smug smile on my face. Ummm, I don't think its likely to happen!
I Distress Inked the background and stamped the snowflakes (or are they stars?).  The houses were repeat stamped along the bottom edge and the windows painted with Distress Ink. Santa was coloured with Copics, cut out, glued on. Then the obligatory festive glitter was applied.

Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Super White Printer Card 300gsm & 200gsm 
Inks
Distress Inks - Stormy Sky, Scattered Straw
Versafine Onyx Black
Memento Tuxedo Black
Copics
Stamps
Houses from Crafty Individuals plate CI-257
Wizard Santa designed by Lindsay Mason for Fun Stamps FM152
Snowflakes - Judikins CM350E
Other
Stampendous multi ultra fine crystal glitter
Words computer generated - Papyrus font

Patience is a thing I lack. When they were giving it out I was far too impatient to join the queue! I really ought to take on board the Saadi quote I have chosen.
I found a piece of card in my scrap box that I had used to place some die cuts on to spray and felt it should be given its fifteen minutes of fame for my quote background. Not entirely happy with the end result. My word "patience " looks rather odd partly because I couldn't decide which of three stamps in an alphabet set was an ' i '.  Having finished the postcard, I had a another look and I think I've worked out which is the J, which is the I and which is the L - they all look very similar and I think in fact I used the L in upside down mode but it's too late to undo it.

Postcard Recipe
Card
Copier card
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Super White Printer Card 200gsm
Inks
Dylusions - London Blue, Vibrant Turquoise
Salty Ocean Distress Ink
Cosmic Shimmer - Rich Gold
Pen-touch Calligrapher gold metallic pen
Stamps  
Postage franking - Crafty Individuals
Studio G alphabet stamp set
Other
Words computer generated - Century font
 

Week 18 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

Firstly thank you to everybody who visits this blog and to those who have left much appreciated comments on my entries to the Craft Barn Q & L challenge. I have managed over the past month or so to get around and view all the participants lovely projects. Sadly, there are a few where, because I'm not a subscriber to Facebook and don't have a google G+ profile I have not been able to leave a few words.

The words given for the eighteenth  challenge are "childhood" and "easier".

My chosen quote for this week's postcard is attributed to the Victorian author Samuel Butler. I felt these two ducks were having a good gossip putting the world to rights and could well be quacking the quote in their conversation. The background is sprayed with Dylusions inks and then stamped. The ducks were stamped, cut out and glued on.

 

Postcard Recipe

Card

Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 300gsm & 200gsm

Colortec+

Inks

Dylusions - London Blue, Vibrant Turquoise

Distress Ink - Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean, 

Ranger Archival Jet Black

Copic marker

Stamps

Ducks - CI- 373  Favourite Ducks

Diamonds - Kaisercraft

PaperArtsy script - MN75

Chicken Wire - Creative Expressions

Other 

Computer generated words - Typewriter font

I found quite a few song lyrics containing the word "friendship" and in the end chose Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses. For this postcard I went for a clean and rather cute look so I could do some soothing colouring and cutting out. The boys t-shirt, shorts and kite are paper pieced and the rest of the image coloured with alcohol pens and then a touch of Distress Ink around the edges.

Postcard Recipe

Card

Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 300gsm & 200gsm

Scrapbook papers

Inks

Memento Tuxedo Black

Distress Ink - Broken China 

Copic & Promarker pens

Stamp

Docrafts PMA 9061300 Nostalgia by John Byars

Other

Computer generated words - Kidprint font

Spellbinders dies

Week 17 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

For the 17th Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge we were given the words "grace" and "peaceful". I found both a quote and lyric quite easily again this week.

I have used a line from Elegy IX: The Autumnal by the 16th/17th century poet John Donne. You can read the poem here The leaf was stamped onto a piece of wrinkle free distress background, masking off before stamping the next one, then cut out and glued onto a Distress Ink background. 

Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs super smooth printer card 300gsm & 200gsm
Inks
Distress Inks - Spiced Marmalade, Mowed Lawn, Vintage Photo, Mustard Seed, Shabby Shutters, Dried Marmalade, Rusty Hinge
Ranger Archival Jet Black
Pen-touch Calligrapher gold pen
Stamp
Leaf by Inkadinkado
Other
Computer generated words - Black Chancery font

My  lyric is taken from the Christmas carol "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" which I discovered was written by an American. I had always assumed it was an English penned piece - this challenge is very educational! I stamped the butterflies directly onto my card before masking them to stamp the seed heads.

Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs super smooth printer card 300gsm & 200gsm
Inks
Ranger Archival Jet Black
Memento Tuxedo Black
Distress Inks - Squeezed Lemonade, Peacock Feathers, Frayed Burlap
Stamps 
Seed head - PaperArtsy Hot Picks HP1005
Butterflies - Kaisercraft C55854
Other
Computer generated words - Asenine Wide font

Week 16 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

Unlike some previous weeks it didn't take any time at all to find a song and a quotation using the words "family" and "thing" for my entry to the current Craft Barn challenge. We are permitted to make a word plural so I took that route and used "things".

Both of this week's cards have just simple Distress Ink backgrounds.

For my first postcard I chose "We Are Family" sung by Sister Sledge and felt the stamp (which I had to doctor a little) fitted the lyrics perfectly. On reflection I feel I should have placed the image on the left hand edge rather than being left high and dry in the middle but I think that's what challenges are about - the process and the journey and if you learn something along the way that can only be good.

  
Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 300gsm & 200gsm
Inks
Distress Inks - Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge, Barn Door, Bundled Sage
Ranger Archival Jet Black
Stamps
Crafty Individuals - CI-230 & CI-234
Other
Speech bubble and words (Bookworm font) computer generated

I used a quote from Coco Chanel on my second card "A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous". That must have fallen on deaf ears - I'm certainly neither of those!

Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 300gsm & 200gsm
Brown card
Inks
Distress Inks - Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge
Memento Tuxedo Black
Copic & Promarkers
Pen-touch Calligrapher gold pen
Stamps
Crafty Individuals - CI-322
Words - Tim Holtz Papillon set (CMS106) 
Other
Tando Stencil - Code MSKLEAVES2
Corners, plate, dots - Spellbinder dies
Words (Annifont) computer generated
Treasure Gold - White Fire

Week 15 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

The Craft Barn Quotes and Lyrics Challenge number15 has given the participants the words "mind" and "ignorance" as inspiration.
I found plenty of lyrics to chose from and finally plumped for Phil Collins "Two Hearts". My background is brayered in the style of Leandra (PaperArtsy) and then stamped and coloured with PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paints. The words are computer generated.

 

Postcard Recipe

Card/Paper

Anna Marie Designs super smooth printer card

Inks/Paints

PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paint :-

Background - Pansy, Eggplant, Orchid, Tango, Limelight, Snowflake

Foreground - Inky Pool, Limelight, Yellow Submarine, Tango

Archival Ink - Jet Black

Distress Ink - Black Soot

Stamps

PaperArtsy JM20 & JM33

Other

Words - computer generated - Dymo font

My quote is widely attributed to Derek Bok, an American lawyer, educator and former president of Harvard but there are also references that suggest it's much older (Benjamin Franklin).

I embossed the letters in white before applying Black Soot Distress Ink over the whole of the card.

Postcard Recipe

Card/Paper

Anna Marie Designs super smooth printer card 300gsm & 200gsm

Inks

Versamark

Wow Opaque Bright White super fine embossing powder(WLO1SF)

Distress Ink - Black Soot

Archival Jet Black

Stamps

Alphabet - Hero Arts

Girl - Crafty Individuals CI-277

Other

Words - computer generated - Kidprint font

Week 14 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

For the first time ever I managed to visit all those who took part in challenge 13. There were a couple of Facebook entries that I was unable to leave comments on as I'm not on that social network.Thank you to everyone who visited my blog and left comments - it's very much appreciated.
Someone asked in one of those comments whether I have posted any of my postcards. No I haven't. I do ensure when I'm making them that they are flat and could be sent by Royal Mail but I intend to make them into a book at some stage.

For challenge 14 the words "inspiration" and "logic" were our starting point. I choose to use imagination for my song lyric postcard and chose Runaway Daydreamer by Sophie Ellis Bextor. If you are not familiar with the song here is a video of Sophie.

 Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Anna Marie Design 300gsm super smooth printer card
Xerox Colortech+
Copier card 160gsm
Inks
Distress Ink - Squeezed Lemonade, Peacock Feathers
Ranger Archival Jet Black
Posca white pen
Stamps
Dreaming of Dragonflies - Crafty Individuals CI 409
Girl in hammock & dog - from Stamp Addicts plate Sunday Morning SA-5014
Grass - The English Stamp Company
Other
Words computer generated - Typewriter font

My background for the quotation postcard was created by sponging three colours of Distress Inks onto a stencil, then spritzing with water and placing my watercolour on top to "print" the pattern. I then sponged Peacock Feather over the top.   

Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Watercolour card from Craft Creations
Xerox Colortech+ 
Inks
Distress Ink - Peacock Feathers, Dusty Concord, Black Soot
Ranger Archival Jet black
Watercolour pencils
Stamps/Stencils
Feathers - Artemio Ref 100001192 
Charlotte Bronte - PaperArtsy - Plate 4 Buttons
Other
Words computer generated - Aria Script SSi

Week 13 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

With the completion of Week 13 we are at the half way mark of the Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge. Since each Challenge "week" lasts a fortnight (!), I've actually been post-carding for twenty-six weeks. Six very short months. The last half-year has passed so quickly, it doesn't bode for the next ...........it will be Christmas again before I know it!

This time around, the two words given were "path" and "horizon". It was certainly easier to find lyrics and quotations for these two words than those given to us in challenge 12.

I have used words from the Circle of Life but there's not a lion in sight on my postcard. The background was brayered using Fresco paints. The main stamp was one of several I found in a local charity shop (bargains!).

Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Craftworks Cards Digital Cardstock 
Inks/Paints
PaperArtsy Fresco Paint - Bora Bora, Guacamole, Very Berry, Limelight
Distress Ink - Walnut Stain
Ranger Archival - Jet Black, Watering Can
Stamps
Mother & Child - E26 The Stamp Pad, Dublin.
Leaves - Crafty Individuals CI-234
Lattice & Butterflies- Kaisercraft  Flutter CS853
Chicken Wire - Creative Expression
Script - PaperArsty MN 44
Other
Words computer generated - Copperplate Gothic Light font

My quotation comes from the the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of West Germany, Konrad Adenauer. A simple background using alcoholic inks with the birds stamped, fussy cut and glued on.    

  
 Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Chromolux glossy card by Card Creations
Xerox Colortech+ 
90gsm copier paper
Inks
Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Stonewashed
Jacquard Pinata Alcohol Ink - Blanco Blanco, Sapphire Blue
Distress Ink - Rusty Hinge
Ranger Archival - Coffee
Stamps
Seagull -Crafty Individuals CI-397
Birds - Crafty Individuals CI-329
Other
Words computer generated - Asenine Wide font

Week 12 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

This week proved to be a challenge finding quotes and lyrics for both the given words: "proud" and "vintage". I found few songs that tickled my fancy for either word. The majority of quotes containing the word vintage seemed to be rather wordy sayings by so-called "celebrities". Instead I found the rousing Battle Hymn of the Republic and used the line "Trampling out the vintage" for my lyric postcard.

The background on the card uses the wrinkle free distress technique. The grapes and leaves were stamped, then coloured with a combination of DI's and watercolour pencils before cutting out and gluing on. 

Postcard Recipe
Paper/Card
Anna Marie Designs 300gsm super smooth printer card
Xerox Colortech+
Inks/Paint
Distress Inks - Vintage Photo, Old Paper, Walnut Stain, Rusty Hinge, Frayed Burlap, Mowed Lawn, Peeled  Paint
Memento - Tuxedo Black
Watercolour pencils
Stamps
Script - PaperArtsy MN44
Flourish - Crafty Individuals CI-182
Crackle - Kaisercraft CS876
Grapes - The English Stamp Company
Other
Die - Spellbinders Labels Four
Words computer generated  - "Addict" font


I'm not sure this quote from Voltaire is strictly true. Do we not have times when we are on our own and think we did this or that well or mull over our children's achievements and get that inner glow? 

I only used Distress Inks for this postcard (apart from the words).

Postcard Recipe
Paper/Card
Anna Marie Designs 300gsm super smooth printer card
Copier paper 90gsm
Inks
Distress Inks - Peacock Feather, Squeezed Lemonade, Dried Marigold, Rusty Hinge, Wild Honey,
Vintage Photo
Stamps/Stencils
Script - PaperArtsy Mini MN75
Lin Brown's poppies stencil - PaperArtsy PS001
JOFY's dots stencil - PaperArtsy PS007
Other
Words computer generated - "Always Forever" font

Week 11 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

Following a busy couple of weeks, I'm skidding in on the seat of virtual pants to join week 11 of the Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge. This week's given words were "mistake" and "mountain". If you want to read up on the challenge all the details are here.

Last weekend I met up with friends from the Cardmaking Paradise forum at the Craft Barn Extravaganza and what a fabulous time we had. Thank you to Sandy and her staff for all the hard work they put into staging the event. I, of course, had to do a bit of spending while I was there - it would have been very rude not to. The "Build a Meadow" plate from Crafty Individuals has been on my wish list for awhile so having watched Helen Chiltern using it in a demo, I hot-footed to the shop cash at the ready. Today seemed a good time to give its first outing on my quotation postcard. I need a lot more practise to reach Helen's standard but we all have to start somewhere! As I had very little time I just used Dylusions sprays for a quick background.

Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card
Xerox Colortech+
Inks
Dylusions - London Blue, Pure Sunshine, Cut Grass
Archival Jet Black
Distress Ink - Old Paper
Pen-touch Calligrapher Gold
Stamps
Crafty individuals CI-395 - Build a Meadow
Other
Words computer generated - Typewriter font

For my lyric postcard I chose the song "Reach" by S Club Seven which contains the word mountain. Those outside of the UK may not be familiar with this little ditty  - you can find here if you wish to tap your toes!

Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card
90gsm copy paper
Inks
Distress Inks - Stormy Sky, Weathered Wood
Versamark
Stamp
Stars - The Artistic Stamper
Other
Silver embossing power
Hands - image from web
Words - computer generated - Asenine Wide font

Week 10 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

We've arrived at week 10 of the Craft Barn Quotes and Lyrics Challenge and the prompts this time are the words passion and music.

I bought a Gelli Plate a couple of weeks ago and thought it was about time I peeled off the packaging and covered it (as well as me!) in ink. I have used a couple of the resulting prints for this week's challenge but I haven't got much idea what colours of Paperartsy Fresco paints I used  - I just kept adding colours. I do know there were a lot of bottles to put away when I'd finished!

I'm using a postcard format for this year's challenge and here is my quote for "passion".

Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Anna Marie Designs High White 300gsm
Xerox Colortech +
Copier paper 90gsm
Ink/Paint
PaperArtsy Fresco paint
Archival Ink - Coffee
Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Stamp/Stencil
Finger stamps - Deep Red Clingstamps - "Point the Way" (SKU 3X404408)
Alphabet - Hero Arts Signature Lowercase Letters LL931
Stencil - That Special Touch "Honeycomb"
Other
Computer generated words - "Addict" font

I have never been interested in art journalling and this weeks offering has answered my "why not" question - I really don't like my handwriting on the projects I do! My perfectionism kicking in - sadly nothing I make is perfect in my eyes!

I've chosen "Don't Stop the Music" by Lionel Ritchie for my lyric this week. It's a good few years since this stamp saw the light of day but it seemed to fit the bill.
 

 

Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Anna Marie Designs High White 300gsm
Xerox Colortech +
Black card
Ink/Paint
PaperArtsy Fresco paint
Archival Ink -Jet Black
Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Stamp/Stencil
Lovers - maker unknown
Heart - foam stamp
Stencil - Crafters Workshop - TCW202s Mini Harlequin 
Other
Treble clef die - Marianne Creatables LRO167

Better Late Than Never!

Way back in the mists of time, at the beginning of January to be precise, I had yet another birthday and here finally are the beatiful hand crafted cards I received.

 

The first one came from an old work colleague, Lynn.

 

 

All the rest of the cards came from my lovely buddies at Cardmarking Paradise and this first one is from Sara who owns and runs the website. She has used one of her own templates to create the card and you can find it on the website 

Sara

 

 Glennis

Annie

Christa

 

Heike

 

Hilda

 

Jill

 

Marion

 Sheel

 Pam (Nanna)

 Linda

All so very different from one another. All so beautiful.

Thank you so much.

 

Week 9 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

The given words for week 9 of the Craft Barn's Quotes and Lyrics Challenge were "fame" and "unique."

In football parlance, it proved to be a game of two halves! For my lyric postcard  I chose "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News and the first chorus. (It's a bit long so I just used the first two lines) 

You don't need money, don't take fame
Don't need no credit card to ride this train
It's strong and it's sudden and it's cruel sometimes
But it might just save your life
That's the power of love
That's the power of love

What was in my head didn't all together transfer to the card. I wanted to blur the credit card word, Hello magazine logo and money into the background as  "you don't need money........." but it looked too stark after painting over with Nougat Fresco so I then went over it again with a mix of Nougat and Mud splat. By now it was  looking very messy but I didn't have time to re-do it so I've had to go with it. I have to say it looks a lot better on the scan than it does in real life!

Postcard Recipe 
Card/Paper  
Anna Marie Designs white card
Copier paper & card
Inks/Paints
PaperArtsy Fresco's - Very Berry, Dolly Mix, Nougat Mud Splat, Stain Glaze
Claudiine Hellmuth - Matte Multi-Medium
Copics
Other
Images downloaded from internet
Gold pen
Words computer generated - Tropical script BTN Bamboo font

I was really happy with my second postcard for a quote containing the word "unique". It all went according to plan and I didn't even get an inky finger mark on it just as I was finishing which is often the case.

Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper 
Anna Marie Designs white card
Copier card
Inks
Distress Inks - Broken China, Worn Lipstick, Frayed Burlap, Mowed Lawn, Barn Door, Tumbled Glass
Memento Tuexdo Black
Copics
Stamps
Jasmine - Stampotique
Butterfly - Crafty Individuals
Other
Words computer generated - Asenine Wide

Week 8 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

Firstly, thank you to those who have visited this blog to look at my projects over the past months and to those who have left comments - they're very much appreciated. I do try to get round to some of the other challenge participant's blogs but time seems to always be at a premium. So I'm sorry if I haven't visited yours yet.
 
We're now onto week 8 of the Craft Barn "Quotes and Lyrics" challenge - the year seems to be racing along! You can find the challenge details here. The words for this week's challenge are "hurt" and "knowledge".

As in the previous weeks I have made two postcard size pieces - one lyric and one quote. I envisage that these could (but will not) be sent in the post and therefore the finished article needs to be flat. My scanner has dulled the colours on both my cards but they are more vibrant in real life.

I added an "s" to hurt which is permissible within the rules and used a favourite song of mine, "Everybody Hurts" by REM. A simple Distress Ink background with added stencilling and stamping. The girls were stamped and cut out.  

  
Postcard Recipe
Card
Base card - Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 300gsm
Xerox Color tech +
Inks
Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry, Shaded Lilac, Old Paper
Versafine Onyx Black
Stamps/Stencil
Background swirl - Crafty Individuals CI 182
Girls - Crafty Individuals CI 283
Dots - Stamp Addicts
Copic/Promarkers
Mini Harlequin - Crafter's Workshop stencil
Other
Words - computer generated - Century Gothic font
Black Zig drawing pen

My first card was pretty basic but my second was much more time consuming. Last weekend I went  to Lin Brown's Artful Canvas workshop at It's Crafting Time. It was a fabulous day and Lin is such a lovely tutor. I haven't quite finished my canvas so cannot show it yet but I thought, for my postcard, I would use the bumping technique we learnt to keep it fresh in my mind. I'm sure some of you will have seen Leandra and Lin demonstrating this at shows and they make it look so easy! If you haven't, its using a stencil to lay down the first coat of paint and moving the stencil just a fraction and then painting with another colour which gives you just a small shadow effect. It's not as easy as it looks - well, not for me anyway.

I covered my base card with a book page and painted matte medium over the top, applied translucent paint, then stencilled on some white dots before painting over the top. I stencilled the leaves before adding more dots. My quote by Bertrund Russell is not showing very clearly but it reads "There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge". I think I can vouch for that by the amount of time I surf the net!

Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
White base card
Book page
Black card
Paints
Claudine Hellmuth Studio matte multi medium 
Black Eco-Friendly acrylic paint
PaperArtsy Fresco paints - Snowflake, Pumpkin Soup, Smoked Paprika, London Bus, Toad Hall
Stencils
Crafter's Workshop Mini - Microbial
PaperArtsy Lin Brown design PS002
Other
Words computer generated - Typewriter font

 

Week 7 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

The starting point for the challenge this week was the words "change" and "truth".

I'm not a great lover of "swing music" - I became a teenager in 1960 and so pop/rock and I grow up hand in hand! However I do like the words of "The Way You Look Tonight" which came from a 1936 Fred Astaire film and contains the word change.

I tried to make my lyric postcard look like a picture frame. The oval and the scrolls were cut from embossed  thin silver metallic card which I dulled by covering with black paint and wiping off excess.

  
Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Base card - Anna Marie Designs Dottie Card Salt & Pepper
White card - Xerox Colortech +
Silver metallic thin card
Inks/Paints
Versafine Onyx Black
Black Soot Distress Ink
Eco-Friendly black acrylic paint
Stamp
B Line Designs LF127E
Other
Tim Holtz Elegant Flourishes die
Spellbinders oval die
Embossing folder - Crafts Too Polka Dots
Words computer generated - Asenine Wide font

My quote comes from Mark Twain. As I get older and more forgetful, I'm thankful that I've always been truthful!

I used a brayer for most of the background with a little paint added here and there with a baby wipe.

Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Anna Marie High White 300gsm card
Xerox Colortech+
Book page
Inks/Paints
PaperArtsy Fresco Paint - Bora Bora, Claret, Very Berry, Cheescake, Inky Pool, Nougat, Satin Glaze, Crackle Glaze
Versafine  Vintage Sepia
Archival Watering Can
Distress Inks - Vintage Photo, Black Soot, Faded Jeans
Stamps
Bottle tops
Script - Paperartsy MN44
Ink spots - PaperArtsy MN57
Feather - Artemio Ref:10001192
Other 
Alphabet stencil
Ink pot image from web
Words computer generated - Aria Script SSi