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

Catching Up With January

I have only had time to post my entries to the Craft Barn challenge over the past year so it's time to do a bit of catching up with my other makes. I don't intend trawling back through the things I made last year but to start at January 2014. I like to use my blog to record for my own reference what supplies I've used to create a project. Although in the case of these three cards the information is not complete as I've had to rely on memory because the notes I made at the time of making have disappeared..

My first card was for our train-crazy youngest grandson's fifth birthday. To make the background clouds I made a stencil from a piece of card, and then dusted Distress Ink with a brush around the edge. The picture of Thomas was found on the web. I cut an additional face which I adhered with foam pads for a 3d effect. 

Card Recipe
Card
White card
Inks
Distress Ink
Archival Jet Black
Stamp
Sentiment - Crafter's Companion Popcorn the Bear set. (PST-SML) 
Other
Thomas image - downloaded from http://www.dltk-kids.com/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/transportation/images/cposterthomas.jpg

The second January card was made for my brother and sister-in-law for their wedding anniversary. The embossed background card was attached to the base card with foam pads and the heart was left free to swing.

Card Recipe
Card
White card
Ink
Versafine Satin Red
stamp
Freebie with Craft stamper
Other
Red Satin ribbon
Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder

Finally a first birthday card for our great niece. The number template came from Sara Sandberg's Cardmaking Paradise site.

Card Recipe

Card/Paper

White card

Paper - free download from Crafter's Companion

Pink Card

Ink

Distress Ink

Other

Letters - Prova Craft "Hippie Chick" die

Bear - Spellbinders die

Flowers - Carl punch

Flat back pearls

Week 6 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

Goodness! The week 5 Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge Wall of Fame last week was a very surprising accolade. There wont be any prizes for this weeks endeavours - what was in my head just would not translate onto my postcards. The sentence "it's all about the process not the product" from my pre-retiremnet days working in a pre-school come very much to mind. 

The given words for week 6 of the challenge were" flower" and "travel". As  in previous weeks I have made two postcards - one lyric and one quote  You are allowed to use plurals so for my lyric I transported myself back to 1967, the very start of my twenties and Scott Mckenzie's "San Francisco" (be sure to wear some flowers in your hair). I wasn't sure whether this image, which I stamped with purple ink, really suited the background and flowers but then I had one of those light bulb moments as I tackled the pile of ironing - purple haze! I'm sure there was plenty of that around San Francisco in the sixties. 

My photo doesn't show the full brightness of the piece.

Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Anna Marie Designs High White 300gsm card
Background paper downloaded from the web
Colortech+
Fluorescent paper
Inks
Versafine Imperial Purple
Distress Ink - Dusty Concord, Ripe Persimmon
Dies
Letters - Prova Craft Hippie Chick
Flowers - Prova Craft
Other
Words computer generated - Victor Moscoso font

I found it quite hard to find a quote that I liked or even really understood for travel. The colours of my travel quote postcard are in complete contrast to my lyric card although my scan has muted the colours somewhat. 

Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Anna Marie Designs 300gsm super smooth printer card
Colortech+
Travel Book Pages
Inks/Paints
PaperArtsy Fresco paints - London Bus, Inky Pool, Pumpkin Soup, Nougat
Archival Jet Black
Distress Ink - Faded Jeans, Black Soot, Vintage Photo, Rusty Hinge
Brilliance Pearlescent Jade
Stamps
City names - Tim Holtz - Papillion set CMS 106
Paper Artsy Small splatsMN72, Script MN44, Pen Nib MN07
Postcard stamp - Crafty Individuals
Other
Mask - Crafter's Workshop Mini Harlequin

Week 5 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

Firstly, thank you to everyone who visited my blog and left comments on my Week 4 Craft Barn challenge entry. I'm pleased to say that I finally got round to look at some of the other entries. Things are looking up!

I had no problem finding a lyric and a quote for this week's words - road and/or art.

For my lyric I was transported back to my teenage years in the 60's and to a song that a local group often played at our youth club. It was written and recorded by John D. Loudermilk in 1960 but I remember The Nashville Teens version. It was semi-autobiographical, the composer grew up in Durham, North Carolina a tobacco growing area. Hence the map on my postcard.

Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Anna Marie Design 300gsm Printer card
Xerox Colortech+
90gsm copier paper
Inks
Distress Inks - Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge, Walnut Stain
Memento Tuxedo Black
Archival - Coffee
Copic markers
Stamps
Boy - Crafty Individuals CI-277
Leaves - Crafty Individuals CI-234
Other
Map from the web
Word computer generated - Tropical script BTN font
Plaque computer generated - Century Gothic font
Mask - Crafters Workshop Mini Microbial
Peel off dots coloured black with Sharpie pen

I bought one of the new sets of Lin Brown's flower quotes recently and this seemed a good time to take off the packaging and get inking. My postcard is more vibrant than the scan shows. The flowers and sun were stamped onto tissue paper, coloured with Copics before gluing to my Fresco painted background.

Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Anna Marie Design 300gsm Printer card
PaperArtsy Crackly Tissue Paper
Inks/Paints
PaperArtsy Fresco Paint - Bora Bora, Orchid, Haystack
Picked Raspberry Distress Ink
Brilliance Pearlescent Moonlight White
Memento Tuxedo Black
Archival Ink - Jet Black, Watering Can
Copics/Promarkers
Stamps
PaperArtsy - Lin Brown's Quotes ELB05
Kaisercraft - Texture Diamonds
Flowers - CI-206
Sun - freebie with Craft Stamper 
Masks/Stencils
That Special Touch - Large Polka
Sequin waste

 

Week 4 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

It's week 4 already on the Craft Barn challenge. Is it only me that finds each year seems to disappear faster than the previous one?

This week's words to conquer are marriage and/or age. I have set myself an extra challenge throughout the duration of this challenge by making two postcards each week - one for a lyric and one for a quote. For my current lyric I have chosen Nina Simone's "Marriage is for old folks", a song that I wasn't familiar with until now.

Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Anna Marie Design 300gsm Printer Card
90gsm copier paper
Inks
Distress Inks - Vintage Photo, Old Paper, Weathered Wood, Stormy Sky, Rusty Hinge, Black Soot
Archival Jet Black
Stamps
Cats - Inkadinkado 6709-N
Moon - Seascapes
Other
That Special Touch Mask - Stone Wall
Words computer generated

For "age" I have used, in this centenary year, words from "For The Fallen" penned by Laurence Binyon in 1914 and a poem we are all familiar with as it is spoken at Remembrance Day services each year.

Postcard Recipe
Card/Paper
Anna Marie Design 300gsm Printer Card
90gsm copier paper
Inks
Dylusion Inks - Cut Grass, Melted Chocolate
Distress Inks- Old Paper, Black Soot
Archival Watering Can
Copic & Promarkers
Stamps
Chicken Wire - Creative Expressions
Script - PaperArtsy MN44
Other
Prim Poppy Memory Box die 98310
Photo corner die - Spellbinders
Viva Gold
Words computer generated  - Papyrus font

 

Week 3 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

The given words in this week's Craft Barn challenge are "strong" and "miss".

I made a lovely background to start with for my "strong" quotation only to mess it up when stamping the tree image. My next effort joined it in the bin. I then went about it in a different way only to finish up with a very plain background but I liked the rather brooding atmosphere which seemed to suit the quote and the man to whom it's attributed.

It wasn't until I came to post my entry that I realised my quotation had also been chosen by Gio for her Design Team example. Oh well, great minds and all that jazz. 

Card Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Design 300gsm Printer Card
Xerox Colortech+ 
Inks
Distress Ink - Old Paper, Black Soot
Archival Jet Black
Stamp
Crafty Individuals CI-209
Other
Computer generated words - Typewriter font
Zig black pen

I'm not too keen on my postcard for the word "miss" but the clock has beaten me this week and there's no time to redo either of the challenges.

I used Distress Ink for the base card, bordering it with the top half of a heart stamp (freebie from Craft Stamper mag.) to compliment the heart at the centre.

Card Recipe
Anna Marie Design 300gsm Printer Card
Xerox Colortech+
Inks
Distress Ink - Worn Lipstick
Versafine - Satin Red
Stamps
Stamp Addicts - Etched Hearts SA-7036
Heart - Freebie Craft Stamper October 2013
Love - maker unknown
Script - PaperArtsy MN44
Other
Spellbinders frame
Picture - Crafty Individuals
Computer generated words - Papyrus font
Gold Pen-touch Calligrapher pen

Week 2 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

The words for week 2 of the Craft Barn Quotes and Lyrics challenge are "silence" and "dazzle". My first thought for a song was "Silence is Golden" but then could only find one quote for dazzle, so I then looked for a song containing that word and discovered "Pure" by the Lightning Seeds. Finding a quote for silence was a much easier task.

For this year's challenge I am making postcards and am already finding that a challenge in itself having to keep things 2 dimensional.

For my song lyric postcard I used Lumière Pearl Blue for the night sky. I stamped a circle of white card with Versamark and then poured on Sticky Stuff embossing powder which for some reason left a bobbly surface when heated. Not what I had intended but I rather like the texture. I then applied a silver Tonertex foil with a 'spilt petrol' effect to the sticky stuff. Sadly, my scan hasn't picked up the sheen of the Lumière paint or the dazzle of the moon. 

 

Postcard Recipe

Card/Paper

Xerox Colortech+

90gsm copier paper

Silver paper from Craft Creations

Inks/Paints

Lumière Paint - Pearl Blue

Distress Ink - Stormy Sky

Versamark

Other

Judikins - Sticky Stuff embossing powder 

Tonertex foil

Words computer generated - Annie BTN font

For the background of my quote postcard I applied Fresco Paints and then stamped the diamond pattern in Archival ink before applying a coat of pearl paint.The music came from a childhood recorder book of mine that I found when clearing my mother's house. Not sure why she still had it, she couldn't play the instrument!

I inked and then dripped some water on the music score for an aged look and at last I found a use for the treble clef die I bought some time ago for a bargain price.

 

 

Postcard Recipe

Card/Paper

Xerox Colortech+

90gsm copier paper

Music manuscript

Black card

Inks/Paints

PaperArtsy Fresco paints - Bora Bora, Inky Pool, Ice Blue

Adirondack acrylic paint dabber - Pearl

Ranger Archival Ink - Coffee

Distress Ink - Vintage Photo

Stamps

Kaisercraft - Texture Diamonds  C5152

Other

Marianne Creatables Die - Treble clef LR0167

Words computer generated - Asenine Wide font

Week 1 - The Craft Barn Quotes & Lyrics Challenge

A new year, a new challenge over on the Craft Barn blog. This year it's Quotes and Lyrics and all the details are here.

As I made a series of atc's for last years Alpha challenge I thought I would go for a larger format this year and will be making postcards (6"x4"). Although I will display these in a book I will make them as though they would be posted so I will need to bear in mind that they need to be flat as if I were to pop them in the postbox.

The choice of words to be used in the first week are "smile" and "up". I decided that using both words in just one quote or a lyric would be a too hard task but I wanted to use either all quotes or all lyrics in my year's makes. I dithered which subject to go for and in the end decided to make two postcards - one for each category. If I carry on this way I just hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew!

The lyric for "up" popped into my head immediately. Not necessarily my most favourite song in the world but I still went with it.

Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Design 300gsm  Printer Card
Computer paper 90gsm
Inks
Distress Inks - Vintage Photo, Old Paper, Fired Brick, Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge, Barn Door
Versafine Onyx Black
Stamps
Cat - Katzelkraft Mini 03
Birds - Crafty Individuals CI-234
Other
Mask - That Special Touch - Stone Wall
Words computer generated - Typewriter font

The background for my quote is the wrinkle free distress ink technique. I had the "smile" stamp in my collection, uninked, so it's the perfect time to use it.  The colours are much brighter than the scan is showing.

Postcard Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Design 300gsm  Printer Card
Computer paper 90gsmInks/ Paint
Distress inks - Peacock Feathers, Squeezed Lemonade, Shaded Lilac
PaperArtsy Fresco Paint - Mermaid
Ranger Jet Black Archival
Stamp
Smile - maker not known
Other
Mask - Crafter's Workshop - Mini Cornflowers
Words computer generated  - Papyrus font

The Final Letters - The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge

I find it hard to believe that I've managed to keep  up with the Craft Barn Alpha Challenge to the very end. Little did I know when I started the challenge what the year had in store for me and that 2013 would become my annus horribilis. However taking part in this challenge a couple of hours every two weeks took my mind off life's events.

The final two letters in the challenge are X and I. There is not a lot to choose from for the letter X and I have my husband to thank for coming up with the word xenogamy - a word I'd never heard before and probably one that I'm unlikely to slip into every day conversation! The flowers on my atc were stamped onto tissue paper, coloured on the reverse before sticking to my Fresco painted grey board. The little bee that was a freebie with an order from Crafty Individuals was yet another unused stamp in my collection. :-)

  
ATC Recipe
Card/Paper
Craft Creations greyboard
Tissue paper
Colortech+
Safmat
Inks/Paints
PaperArtsy Fresco paints - Haystack, Guacamole, London Bus, Satin Glaze
Memento Tuxedo Black
Ranger Archival Jet Black
Wild Honey Distress Ink
Stamps
Flowers -Crafty Individuals CI-206
Bee - Crafty Individuals
Honeycomb/Chickenwire - Creative Expressions
Other
Yellow glitter
Definition text computer generated

For my very last atc of the year I chose the word "Inspire" and a made a little homage to The Craft Barn in recognition of the inspiration they have given me over the years not only with their blog but also the fabulous Extravaganza weekends.  I once again used a previously uninked stamp from my collection - the word inspire is part of  a Crafty Individuals stamp and I masked off the words I didn't need before stamping it.

    
ATC Recipe
Card/Paper
Corrugated packaging
Colortech+
Recycled envelopes (flowers)
Inks/Paints 
Paperartsy Fresco paints - Bora Bora, Ice Blue
Versamark
Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Personal Impressions Gold Sparkle EP
Inka Gold
Other
Craft Barn logo and dictionary definition computer generated
Provo Craft flower die
Flat backed pearl

Finally thank you to the Craft Barn for running this brilliant challenge and to everyone who has visited my blog and left comments, they are much appreciated. I'm excited to see what next year's challenge will be.

 

Week 24 - The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge

We are nearing the end of the Craft Barn Alpha Challenge and I'm amazed that I have kept up. Sadly I've had little time to look at other entries but I thank those who have left messages for me. They are much appreciated. This week's letter is S and I have chosen the word serene. This is not a word I'm particularly au fait with, especially as we fast approach Christmas!

My background was painted with Fresco paints and stamped  with a swirly stamp I had bought in a sale at Stamp Addicts shop several years ago but never used it. So my quest to use an unused stamp from my collection on my weekly challenge continues.The lace flower, with hindsight is a bit too big, perhaps I should have folded the piece of lace in half when I stitched it.

 ATC Recipe 
Card/Paper
Craft Creations Greyboard
Colortech+ 
Paints/Inks
PaperArtsy Fresco Paints - Very Berry, Orchid, Snowflake
Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Memento Tuxedo Black
Archival Coffee 
Pen-touch Calligrapher Gold
Sakura Gelly Roll pen 
Stamps
Background swirl - Judikins C351
Lady - the Artistic Stamper 
Other
Lace
Heart gem
Dictionary definition computer generated - Typewriter font