Sunday 24 January 2016

The Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge 2016 - Letter B

This year the Craft Barn is running an Alpha/Dictionary Challenge. In the previous Alpha/Dictionary Challenge in 2013 I made a set of atc's, so for this year I wanted to use a different format. I made portrait orientated postcards for the Lyrics and Quotes Challenge in 2014 and I've decided to return to that format this year but make them landscape which may well be a bit more challenging.

The postcards will be 6" x 4" and made as flat as possible so they could be posted - they wont because I intend to collate them into a book. The first letter in the challenge is B and and I have been rather predictable with my choice of subject to start off the year.

I started by brushing Distress Inks over the card. I then stamped the large bee image and masked it before stencilling and stamping the background. The flower image was stamped several times and roughly painted (perhaps a little too roughly!) with Distress Ink. I added some small bees to fill the gaps and coloured their bodies with pencil. I couldn't bring myself to cut up a dictionary so I printed out the definition on paper and attached.



Postcard Recipe
Card 
Anna Marie Super Smooth Printer Card 250gsm
Copier paper 90gsm
Inks 
Distress Inks - Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge, Walnut Stain, Worn Lipstick
Ranger Archival Jet Black
Spectrum Noir pencils
Stamps/Stencils
Hexagons - Kaisercraft CS160
Script - Crafty Individuals CI-161
Stencil - The Crafter's Workshop Mini Chickenwire Reversed TCW259s
Flowers - PaperArtsy
Bees - Stampotique
Other
Dictionary definition - computer generated  "Typewriter" font

9 comments:

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

It was so good to see you back at Craft Barn again, Maggie. I loved your postcards from the quotes/lyrics challenge, and I know I am going to love this set, too. You certainly started out with a good word, because we certainly need bees more than many people realize. This is a great first entry, because I always love your stamping and coloring.

WendyK said...

A great first postcard for the challenge, now why didn't I use bees, I have loads of bee stamps.

Craftyfield said...

Not predictable at all... there are lots of Birds but no Bees so far! Q is going to be a different matter... Great first page.

gardenpinks said...

This is a very uplifting postcard Maggie with a feeling of spring to it and my favourite creatures too :)

buterfliecrafter said...

lovely, and the flowers are not painted in too roughly,it looks great and authentic.

Luvcreatincards said...

Hi Maggie what a lovely bright sunny postcard you have created here. I really love the subtle hexagon stamping you have used to make up your background along with the different sizes of bees which gives such a great sense of depth. Your postcard feels as if it is radiating warmth just looking at it. I think this challenge is going to be such fun, don't you.
Hugs
Su
-x-

Crafty Claire said...

A lovely postcard. I really like all of the subtle detail in the background xx

daisy said...

So bright & cheerful. I like your idea of making the postcards into a book at the end of the challenge & look forward to following along with your progress.

Silvia(Barnie) said...

Such a beautiful page,makes me longing for summer.