The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge - May

Here we are almost at the end of yet another month. They seem to be passing at an alarming rate this year. I'm skidding into the May Craft Barn Calendar Challenge with just over one day to spare. May's challenge has to feature the colour magenta and flowers.

I started by painting my tag with PaperArtsy Fresco Limelight and then stippled Distress Ink through a dot stencil. I stamped the flowers on the bottom of the tag and painted the dots. The image was stamped again several times on a separate piece of card before painting the flowers and cutting them out and gluing in place. Finally, I stamped the words directly onto the tag and added the seam binding which had been coloured with Distress Ink.

Tag Recipe
Card
Anna Maria Designs Super Smooth Super White Printer Card 300gsm
Anna Maria Designs Super Smooth Printer Card
Inks/Paints
Ranger Archival Jet Black
Distress Ink - Wild Honey, Mustard Seed
PaperArtsy Fresco paints - Limelight. Banana, Bougainvillea
Stamps
Flowers - PaperArtsy  JOFY JM34
Words - PaperArtsy Lin Brown ELB05
Other
Stencil - Tim Holtz Dot Fade Layering Stencil THS006
Seam binding

The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - Make a Bag

 The Craft Barn Challenge this week is to make a bag. All the details are here .

I've made a mini gift bag (H 6 x W 4.7 x D 2.4cms) which could accommodate a gift of jewellery. I used a template found on the Martha Stewart website and cut the bag from brown wrapping paper. I stamped the flowers randomly over the paper and coloured them with Spectrum Noir pencils before adding some glitter in the centres.

Gift Bag Recipe
Paper
Brown wrapping paper
Copier paper
Inks
Ranger Archival  - Jet Black
Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink
Spectrum Noir pencils
Stamp
Crafty Individuals CI-206
Other
Butcher's twine
Sentiment computer generated - Typewriter font
Stickles - Star Dust

The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - Bunting

It's been a busy week here so it had to be a quick make to enter into this week's Craft Barn Challenge (to use bunting in a project).

I used some offcuts of scrapbooking paper for the flags and found the sentiment already stamped and coloured sitting in my scrap box waiting for its fifteen minutes of fame. With hindsight I feel I should have added something to the background paper as there is too much uninteresting green space for my liking, perhaps some stencilled dots of various sizes would have done the trick.

Card Recipe
Card/Paper
Base card - Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth, Super White, Printer Card
Scrapbook paper
Inks
Ranger Archival Jet Black
Shabby Shutter Distress Ink
Stamps
Flag and sentiment - freebies with Craft Stamper magazine
Other
Butcher's twine

The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - Words

This week's Craft Barn challenge is to use words as the main feature of our entry, so plenty of scope there.

As I need a birthday card this coming week that was going to be my obvious make. I've used a word embossing folder and covered one side in a good coating of Distress Ink before putting it through the Big Shot. I cut two rectangles of Bazzill card and one of copier paper for an insert. I scored the edge of one piece of the card before fastening the sandwich together with eyelets. The I attached the embossed piece to the front and added a few flat back pearls and finished off the card with a bow.

The first picture is a truer colour of the card.

 

Card Recipe  

Card
Pearlescent Bazzill
Craftworkcards Digital Ultra Smooth Premium Card
Ink
Worn Lipstick Distress Ink
Other
Cuttlebug embossing folder
Flat back pearls
Ribbon
Eyelets

The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - Night & Day

The weekly challenge on the Craft Barn blog is to make the same project twice - one coloured for night-time and the other for daytime. I've chosen to make two simple ATCs. I stamped the flower heads first and then the moon/sun area was masked before applying the Distress Ink background to the card with a brush - in my mind much easier to apply than with a foam pad on the wood applicator. I gave a very light dusting of colour to the moon to take away the starkness of the white card and then coloured the sun before stamping the ducks.

 

 

ATC Recipe

Card

Anna Maria Designs Super Smooth Super White printer Card 300gsm

Inks -Nightime

Weathered Wood Distress Ink

Ranger Archival Jet Black

Memories Dye Ink Pad - Sand

Inks - Daytime

Distress Inks -  Broken China, Peeled Paint, Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmalade 

Ranger Archival Jet Black

Stamps

Darkroom Door Wildflower DDRS005

Stampscapes - Ducks 023A 

 

 

  

The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge - April

The April Craft Barn Calendar Challenge has to feature the colour blue and an umbrella/umbrellas somewhere on the piece.

I made a watery background using the wrinkle free Distress Ink technique and Stormy Sky coloured ink. I inked up the raindrops from the Water Effects plate by Ryn. These are fabulous deep etched stamps, so no risked of catching the ink pad on the edge of the rubber and spoiling your project. The Rain Man die cut was coloured with Distress Ink with some stencilling added to the umbrella before stamping on the raindrops. I cut a large raindrop from Distress Inked card and printed it with the words from the song in Bambi - the first film I saw at the cinema. The raindrops and the large drip were then covered with glossy accents.

   

 

Tag Recipe
Card
Anna Maria Designs Super Smooth, Super white, Printer card 300gsm
Inks
Distress Inks - Stormy Sky, Weathered Wood, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain
Stazon - Midnight Blue
PaperArtsy Fresco Paint - Snowflake 
Stencils/Stamps
Tim Holtz Stencil - Burlap THS007
Water Effects 1 UK-M1 by Ryn
Other
Tim Holtz Umbrella Man die-cut
Computer generated words - Comic Sans MS
Glossy Accents
Seam binding coloured with Stormy Sky Distress Ink

The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - Masculine Pastimes

This week's Craft Barn challenge is a project featuring a masculine pastime.

I chose to use a large fishing collage stamp by Woodware (JGS305 Gone Fishing). I made a wrinkle free Distress Ink background to give the impression of water before stamping the image. I stamped it again on another piece of a card and cut out the middle fish, covered it in glossy accent and then attached it with a foam squares. Job done!

The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - Quintessentially English

Quintessentially English is this week's Craft Barn challenge. Decisions, decisions which of my stamps to use that would fulfil the brief. I finally plumped for an English cottage garden conjuring the fabulous sights, sounds and aromas of a warm summer day.

I stamped the image three times masking the previous image to ensure they overlapped and then hand-coloured the flowers (a marathon task!) with my newly acquired Spectrum Noir pencils. Followed by brushing some distress ink around the top and sides before adding the sentiment and 3D butterfly.

Card Recipe  
Card   
Card blank made with Anna Maria Designs Fine Linen Embossed Card 290gsm
Papermania Kraft Card
Craftworkscards Digital Ultra Smooth Premium Cardstock 250gsm
Inks
Memento -Tuxedo Black
Ranger Archival Jet Black
Ranger Archival Watering Can
Broken China- Distress ink
Spectrum Noir Pencils - Essentials set
Stamps
Flowers - Crafty Individuals CI-411
Sentiment - Woodware JWS03
Butterfly - Darkroom Door Wildflower set DDRS005

The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - House

The project challenge this week set by the Craft Barn team is to incorporate a house.

I've gone with the clean and simple look this week with a New Home card. This is great for using up those little bits of off-cuts that you don't have the heart to throw away but just seem to multiply in the scrap box.

Not a brilliant photo - one day I hope to improve my camera skills!

Card Recipe
White card
Distress Inks
Ranger Archival - Jet Black
Crafty Individuals stamps CI-273
Sentiment computer generated - Papyrus font

The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge - March

For the March calendar challenge we had to include the colour yellow and a rabbit (rabbits) in our task.

Now, yellow in nature is fine by me but it is not a colour I would immediately grab for a project and I certainly never wear it or would paint the walls with it. A very nearly all yellow finished article is an absolute first for me!

I used Paperartsy Fresco's to paint and stencil the tag and Distress Ink to colour the rabbit.

Card Recipe
Card
Anna Maria Designs High White Card 300gsm
White card
Green Bazzill card
Paints/Inks
PaperArtsy Fresco Paints - Cheesecake, Banana, Haystack, Nougat, Tangerine Twist
Distress Ink - Pumice Stone
Stencils/Dies
Burlap - Tim Holtz Layering Stencil
Flowers stencil - PaperArtsy JOFY PS008
Rabbit - Tim Holtz Alterations, Mini Bunny & Bow Set
Other
Yellow paper flowers
Seam binding dyed with "Cheesecake" Fresco paint

The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - Creating a Background

The challenge set this week on the Craft Barn blog is to create an interesting background using Brusho, inks or paints.

I've had a set of  Brusho for quite a while now but only used them a couple of times. So time to dust them off and make a bright, cheerful background for a birthday card. I used Fresco paint to stencil the dots, add some rings and credit card lines. The flags, puffin and speech bubble were stamped onto card, cut out and coloured with Distress Inks before gluing to the background.

I'm also entering this card into the Crafty Individuals March Challenge .

Card Recipe
Card/Paper
Card blank - Craftworkcards
Gold/black pearlescent paper
Craft Creations watercolour card
Anna Maria Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm
Ink/Paint
Brusho - Lemon, Orange
Paper Artsy Fresco - Nougat
Ranger Archival Jet Black
Distress Ink - Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick, Festive Berries
Stamps
Party Puffin - Crafty Individuals CI-376
Flags - Crafty Individuals
Other
Sentiment computer generated - Asenine Wide font

The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - Something Flowery

This week's challenge on the Craft Barn blog is to make something using handmade flowers, be they die cut, punched or hand cut.

With four Easter cards to make for our grandchildren this was the call I needed to stop procrastinating and get started.

I've used a digital stamp for my image and coloured it with alcohol markers. The leaves and flowers are die cut and coloured with Distress Stains and edged with Distress Inks. 

That's one down, three to go!

Card Recipe
Card
Anna Maria Designs Super Smooth, Super White, Printer Card 300gsm
Anna Maria Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm
Blue pearlescent card
Inks
Promakers/Copics
Distress Inks - Broken China, Spiced Marmalade, Mowed Lawn
Distress Stains - Peeled Paint, Wild Honey
Dies/Embossing Folder 
Leaves - Tim Holtz Sizzlits Decorative Strip "Spring Greenery"
Flowers - Tim Holtz Sizzlits Decorative Strip "Tattered Flower Garland"
Other
Image from DigiStamp Boutique
Sentiment computer generated - Font "Please write me a song"
Flower brad



 

The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - Tando

This weeks Craft Barn challenge is to use something from the Tando range on a project.

As I have lots of cards to make for March birthdays, it's the ideal opportunity to get cracking on them. The Tando flower stencil I've used on my card has seen plenty of action but I can't say the same about the two bags of Tando butterflies that have been in my possession since the Craft Barn Extravaganza two years ago! I'm sure I bought them with a project in mind but whatever that project was the idea drifted from my brain some time ago.

To begin, I applied a background of Distress Inks before brushing around the flower stencil, again with Distress Ink. I had intended the postmark to be at more of an angle and slightly off the top edge but it didn't go to plan and as this was second attempt (I dropped the postmark stamp on my first piece, sadly nowhere near were I wanted it) and was running out of time so it had to do. The butterfly was painted with Fresco paint, stamped and then covered in Fresco Metallic Glaze.

The photograph has distorted the colours somewhat - the butterfly is a paler pink in real life and the background is more orangey than red.

Card Recipe
Card
Craftworkcard Digital Ultra Smooth Premium Cardstock
Bazzill card
Card Blank - Anna Maria Designs, Super Smooth, Super White, Printer Card 300gsm
Inks/Paints
Distress Inks- Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door, Worn Lipstick
PaperArtsy Fresco Paint - London Bus, Snowflake, Metallic Glaze
Ranger Archival Ink - Watering Can
Stamps
Wishing You - Crafty Individuals CI-410
Postmark - Crafty Individuals
Happy Birthday - Woodware JWS03
Script - PaperArtsy MN44
Trail - 4th Dimension
Other
Tando Butterfly BUTFLYGRB

The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge - February

Red and hearts have to feature somewhere on February's Craft Barn Calendar Challenge entry.

I used the wrinkle free distress ink technique for the background of this tag. Rather than just using red (Festive Berry Distress Ink) which may have looked like a nasty nose bleed on the card, I mellowed it by adding Crushed Olive. I stamped  a couple of extra hearts and stuck one directly onto the stamped image and the other under Glossy Accents on a bottle cap. The bottle cap was painted around the edge with PaperArtsy Fresco's "London Bus" and then a coat of their Metallic Gloss was added at which point it turned a bit pink rather than the red I hoped for. A little lace was added and a piece of seam binding coloured with Distress Ink and that's February tag in the bag. I feel as if the year is already rushing by!

Tag Recipe 
Card
Anna Maria Designs Super Smooth, Super White, Printer Card 300gsm  
Ink/Paint
Distress Inks - Worn Lipstick, Crushed Olive, Walnut Stain
Versafine - Onyx Black, Satin Red
PaperArtsy Fresco Paint - London Bus, Metallic Glaze 
Stamp
Crafty Individuals  CI-224  
Other
Lace
Bottle top
Seam binding

The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - Shoe

The weekly challenge on the Craft Barn blog is to make a shoe related project.

My entry is a shoe birthday card using one of Sara Sandberg's  templates to be found on the Cardmaking Paradise website.

I don't own a cutting machine so any template has to be hand cut and this one is so easy to cut. I added some distress ink around the edges of the shoe and a bit of glitter on a few of the flowers but neither of these show up very well in my photos.

Card Recipe
Bazzill card
Scrapbook paper
Worn Lipstick Distress Ink
Self adhesive tear drop pearls
Stickles glitter

The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge - Mini Albums

Way back in August 2013 I took part in an atc swap over at Cardmaking Paradise but I have never got around to displaying the cards properly. This week's Craft Barn challenge was just the spur I needed - to make a mini album.

I started by cutting a piece of 12"x 12" down to A4 size before stamping and stencilling both sides with Fresco paints -  Bora Bora and Nougat mixed together. I then folded the paper to make the mini album. Card for the covers were inked over with Distress Ink and then homemade dimensional paste coloured with the paint mix was applied through the cornflower stencil. Touches of were Treasure Gold applied once dry. I attached eight polythene atc sleeves to the inside pages to hold and  protect the cards. I have misplaced one but I think I know where it is but probably involves removing a lot from my craft room before I can retrieve it. I (or it) may be gone sometime!

 Mini Album Recipe 
Card/Paper
Tim Holtz "Vintage Shabby" scrapbook paper
Xerox Colortech + card
Paints
PaperArtsy Fresco paint - Nougat and Bora Bora
Frayed Burlap Distress Ink
Homemade dimensional paste
Treasure Gold - White Fire 
Stamps/ Stencils
Swirl stamp - Judikins C351
Stencils -The Crafter's Workshop - Mini Cornflowers TCW375s and Mini Art Is TCW261s
Circles - punchinella 
Other
Ribbon
Atc polythene sleeves

The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge - January

This year the Craft Barn are running a calendar challenge. All the details can be found here. As I made atcs for the Alphabet Challenge in 2013 and postcards for the Quote and Lyric Challenge last year I'm going to use a tag format for this one. The tags will be attached to a book ring throughout the year. So that I can use the calendar again I will fix a calendar pad on a piece of card to hang below the tag. For the course of the challenge I will just attach a the relevant month. 

We will be been given two words to be use each month,  The first word is a colour to be used on the piece of artwork and the second is an object which has to form a part of it. January's words are aqua and snowflakes.

I mixed Bora Bora and Mermaid Fresco paints to make aqua for the background before embossing the right lower part with snowflakes. I sanded over the raised part to reveal a little of the white card underneath before stamping the sentiment and the snowflakes. I highlighted the snowflakes with a Posca white pen. The piece of ribbon is a piece I found already coloured aqua in my ribbon box - it will be replaced idc with some seam binding but I have run out and so, it seems, has every shop on the web!

Tag Recipe
Card
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth, Super White, Printer Card
Ink/Paint
PaperArtsy Fresco's paints - Bora Bora, Mermaid, Snowflake
Ranger Archival Watering Can
Posca pen - white
Peacock Feathers Distress Ink
Stamps
Sentiment - Crafty Individuals
Snowflakes - PaperArtsy JOFY JM07
Other
Snowflake embossing folder - Cuttlebug
Snowflake - Spellbinders die
Flat-back rhinestone

Kickstarting 2015

It's time I got back into posting my makes other than entries in Craft Barn challenges.

My craft room became such a mess on the run up to Christmas - it was a case of make it, push back what I'd used and start on the next project. I closed the door on it over the festive period and it took some time to find the desk at the start of the year only to find I must have filed away my mojo in the big clear up. So I had to carry on without it because making a card for our youngest grandson was something of a priority. It wasn't the best card I have ever made but it kicked me into action.

Card Recipe 
Card
Craftwork Cards card base
Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card
Scrapbook paper
Black card
Inks
Broken China Distress Ink
Copic and Promarkers
Stamp
Digital stamp from DigiStamp Boutique
Other
Self adhesive number
Sentiment computer generated - "Please Write Me a Song" font

The next card off the production line was for my great niece's second birthday. Happier with this one and beginning to feel the mojo is fighting its way back.

Card Recipe  
Card
Craftwork Cards card base

Anna Marie Designs Super Smooth Printer Card 200gsm

Scrapbook papers

Copier paper 90gsm

Vellum

Inks

Worn Lipstick Distress Ink

Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue 
Stamps 
Digital image from Wee Stamps

Flowers - Dimension Fourth

Other

Spellbinders border die  from Lace Doily Accents Set

Scalloped circle – Nellie Snellen Multi frames MFD 005

Flat back pearls

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