Country View Challenges - Mixed Media With Autumnal Hues

This month Rachel has chosen the topic of Mixed Media with Autumnal Hues.  Perfect for this time of year - the leaves are certainly changing colour and I love looking at the different tones.

For my first project this month I created a card:

I started off by putting together PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paints that reminded me of Autumn.

How fabulous do these colours look!!

These were then brayered onto a sheet or card and a separate scrap sheet of card. Once dry (and these paints dry very quickly), I die cut a variety of Wildflowers from the Tim Holtz Wildflowers Set 1 and Set 2.

I also die cut the wildflowers into black card.

I went back to the separate card that I had brayered and added background stamping using Sara Naumann stamps.

I then played around with the die cuts on to the card until I was happy - then glued them down.

To finish, I added a quote from the PaperArtsy Alison Bomber stamps, and scribbled a border around the edge.

I really hope that I have inspired you to join in with the challenge this month.  Don't forget that you can be in with a chance of winning a £20 gift voucher to spend at Country View Crafts.

Make sure you pop over to see the entries from the rest of the design team.

I am also entering this into the Vintage Journey challenge - Crazy for Autumn Colour.

Thanks for joining me.....

Metal Can Look Pretty!

I'm here with my second project for the Country View Crafts Challenge this month.  You may remember that I chose the topic 'Metal' for the month.  This time I wanted to create a softer project as a contract to my first, and so I altered a wooden board.

I started by covering a board with DecoArt Texture Sand paste.

Next, I blended sections of Moonlight, Egg Plant, Dolly Mix and Sour Grapes PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paints

I was really happy with how well the colours blended.

Next, I created a metal flower by die cutting and stamping 3 Paper Artsy flowers then shaping them into a 3D flower.

These were then shaped into a 3D flower.

I added a bead to the centre which I coloured using a metallic Promarker.  The flower was then glued onto the dry board.

To finish I added lots of metal embellishments,  a Tim Holtz metallic quote and a Prima rusted metal butterfly.

The edges of the board were drawn around with a metallic Promarker.

I hope you have enjoyed my project today.  Do make sure that you pop over to the blog  throughout the month to see the gorgeous inspiration from the other design team members.

And a reminder that if you join in with this month's challenge you will be in with a chance of winning a voucher to spend at Country View Crafts.

Thanks for looking......

Country View Crafts Challenges - Metal

Hi there,  It's my turn over at Country View Crafts challenges.  For the topic this month I have chosen 'Metal'.  For those of you who visit my blog you may have noticed that I am partial to using metal in my crafting!

My project to launch this month's challenge is an altered 'bits and bobs' box.

The box started out as the container for a mini Camembert.  This was given a coat of chalk  followed by midnight PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paint.

Next I embossed foil tape sheets using a Seth Apter embossing folder.  I then rubbed black paint over it to give it some 'tooth'.

Next, I added Rusty Car PaperArtsy Infusions onto the metal, spritzed with water and dried with a heat gun.

I love the effect that this created - like rusty metal!!

I then die cut circles and edges which I adhered to the box by peeling the tape from the back of the metal.

To finish I stamped the wording onto music paper and adhered it to a book plate.  I then had great fun playing and arranging metal cogs, buttons and a crown to finish!

I had great fun creating this little box.

Make sure you pop over to the Country View Crafts Challenge blog to see what the other design team members have created.  And don't forget, that if you enter the challenge you can be in with a chance of winning a £20 gift voucher to spend on the Country View Crafts website.

Thanks for joining me today - I hope myself, along with my team members have inspired you to join in!

A New Hybrid In Town

Tonight I am sharing a project over at the PaperArtsy blog.   The theme for the fortnight is Hybrid inks.  For my project I chose to experiment with the new Tonic Nuvo Hybrid Inks.  My PaperArtsy post shows all of the experimenting that I did with the new inks. The results really surprised me too!

Here is the finished project that I created for the topic:

I started by stippling Granny Smith Fresco Finish paint onto a card blank.

I then mixed Safari Green ink with Grunge Paste and used this to stencil through the gorgeous Kay Carley stencil.

Next, I painted a canvas fabric panel using Granny Smith and Smurf Fresco Finish paints. I then added The Sage Infusions to the fabric panel.  I also inked around the edges using Acorn Brown Nuvo Hybrid ink.

I love the colours and texture on this panel.  I then added stamping in Safari Green and Acorn Brown Nuvo Hybrid Inks, using Lin Brown sets 32 and 34. 

Next, I painted a chipboard frame and stamped using the same stamps and inks.  The Nuvo inks work wonderfully on so many materials and surfaces.

The focal image was stamped onto acetate using Acorn Brown Nuvo Hybrid ink and the quote from set 28 in Black Nuvo Hybrid ink.

This was one of my favourite techniques with the inks.  They didn't smudge, didn't need heat setting and dried really quickly.

I then assembled my project together

I was delighted at how many different mediums and materials I could use in one project with these inks. 

It really opens up a world of possibilities (and crafting projects!).

I hope that I have inspired you this evening.  Make sure you pop over to the PaperArtsy blog to see the other creations for the Hybrid Inks topic, and also to see the results of my experimenting with the Tonic Nuvo Hybrid Inks.

If you enter a project during the challenge fortnight you could be in with a chance of winning a £50 voucher to spend at the PaperArtsy shop.

Thanks for joining me.....

Country View Challenges - Blue & Green - Inspired By Seth Apter

It's my turn over at Country View Crafts Challenges.  I hope you have been enjoying the fabulous art from the design team members - I always find them so inspiring.

For my second project of the month I chose to create a project inspired by the techniques that I have learnt from workshops with the multi-talented Seth Apter.

Here is my finished project - it is a panel to be attached to mount board ready for display.

As you can see U have gone to town using lots of amazing Seth goodies.

The them at Country View Crafts Challenges this month is 'Blue and Green' and so I started off by collecting some of my favourite Paper Artsy Fresco Finish Paints.

For my project I ended up using Smurf, Midnight, Dusty Teal and Zucchini.

I started by painting a watered down coat of midnight onto a sheet of card.  This was then followed by a thicker coat of Zucchini.  After this coat I immediately added drops of water...

....and then using a paper town to pick the droplets up.

I really like the texture and added layer that this creates.

I then added more layers of paint by 'kissing' painted card to my project card.

Next, I set about stamping using Seth Apter set 1 ,set 2 and set 4 from PaperArtsy.  I also added highlights and scribbles using a white gel pen.

For the next step I cut a 6x6 inch panel and tore around the edges - this was then edged with Black Archival ink.

This was then set aside so that I could create the focal image of my project.

For this I die cut Seth's Broken Maze and the largest of the Robo Stars.   These were painted using the same paints, but this time with my finger!

I also coloured the small star from the PaperArtsy Seth Apter Wood Chips and stamped the co-ordinating stamp from Set 4. 

To finish I assembled all of the pieces until I was happy with the finished project.

I was really pleased with how this turned out. 

Don't forget, there is still a few days left to enter this month's challenge.  There is a voucher up for grabs too!

Thanks for joining me again today - I hope you pop back again soon.

Zinski Fun!

Last week was one of our nephew's birthdays.  Thomas is full of life and fun so I wanted to make him a fun card:

A card blank was covered using distressed looking papers.  I then drew a scribble line around them.

The images were stamped onto water colour card, painted using Prima water colours and then cut out.  I adore these images - they are perfect for children and adults!

To finish the card I stamped a Paper Artsy sentiment from an Emma Godfrey mini stamp.

I had great fun making this card and hope that Thomas likes it too!

Country View Crafts Challenges- Blue & Green

It's that time of the month already!  I don't actually know where July went! 

The new challenge has launched over at Country View Crafts Challenges.  The theme for this month is Blue & Green - two of my favourite and most used colours.

Here is my project for this challenge

I started by colouring a panel of watercolour card using Distress Oxides in Broken China and Peeled Paint.  I know I keep going on about these but they really are fabulous!

I then sprinkles some water to activate the oxides.  This, to me, gave it a lovely glistening summer look.  I then stamped various grasses and coloured them with Distress Oxides in Salty Ocean, Peeled Paint and Lucky Clover.

Using PaperArtsy JOFY 49, I then stamped the larger flowers and  coloured them in using the same Oxide colours.

To finish, I inked around the edge using Walnut Stain and then mounted it onto a panel of navy card stock.

This photo shows how wonderful the Oxides react with water.

Make sure you pop over to the blog  to see what the other design team members have created.... and make sure you enter this month's challenge to be in with a chance of winning a voucher to spend in the CVC shop.

Thanks for looking.....