Country View Crafts Challenges - Sun, Sea and Sand

Can you believe that it's August already!  What it does mean is that it is time for another challenge over at Country View Crafts.

The theme for this month is 'Sun, Sea and Sand'.

Here is my first project for the challenge.

I wanted to try something different to my 'normal' posts and so dug out my small journal.  I love this journal as it is a good size and the scallops are cute!  It was actually a set of 3 that I bought from Cath Kidston.

I started by lightly brayering PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk paints in Baltic Blue, Caribbean Sea and China.

I then used Archival ink to stamp the seaweed and coral from the PaperArtsy Eclectica ScrapCosy set ESC10.

  

Next, I stamped the fish from the same set using a different shade of Archival ink.

The sea horses are die cut from a Tim Holtz die that is sadly now retired but I adore.  These were painted using Coral Fresco Finish paint and then I drew in the eyes.

Once I added these to my journal page I drew around them using a Stabilo All pencil and softened the line with water.

To finish I stamped the fab quote from PaperArtsy Eclectica ScrapCosy ESC12.

I really enjoyed making this page.  

Make sure you pop over to the blog to see the inspiration from the other design team members.  

I hope that I have encouraged you to join in with this month's challenge.  It would be great to see your take in this month's fab theme.

Thanks for joining me.

Country View Crafts Challenges - In The Summer Garden

I'm back with you to share my second project for this month's Country View Crafts Challenge.  The theme for this month is 'In The Summer Garden'.  It has been super easy to be inspired this month because of the beautiful weather that we are having.

My project this month is similar to one that I made for Creative Expressions earlier in the year, however, this time I have missed it up a little.

My substrate for this is a large MDF tag.

I started by applying a coat of gesso over the tag.

Next, I laid down the Gerbera stencil that Creative Expressions released earlier this year and stencilled Grunge Paste through it.  I then left this to dry thoroughly overnight.

I simply love how the detail of this stencil looks when dry.  It is a beautiful stencil.

Next, I added Magenta and Golden Sands Infusions.  The method I like to use when using Infusions is to spritz them with water, pat with a paper towel and then apply and repeat again until I'm happy with the depth of colour.  When happy, I dried this thoroughly with a heat gun and left it aside.

The shed,fence and flower were all part of a garden themed Pop-ems set from Creative Expressions.  These sets are really good value for money.  I painted the shed and flower pot using Paper Artsy Fresco Finish Chalk paint in 'Brown Shed', the picket fence in 'Snowflake' and the Flower in 

'Bougainvillea'.

To finish, I used a quote from PaperArtsy Eclectica Alison Bomber ELB03.

I was really pleased with how the tag turned out.  The Infusions are bright and colourful, just like summer and they make me happy, which suits the quote perfectly.

Pop over to the Challenge blog to see he inspiration from the rest of the design team.  I hope that I have inspired you to join this month's challenge. You still have time to join in with this month's challenge, and one lucky entrant will be selected at random to win a voucher to spend in the Country View Crafts online shop.  

Thanks for joining me.

CVC Challenges - In The Summer Garden

Hi again,  this time I am sharing with you my first project for Country View Challenges this month.  The theme is 'In The Summer Garden' which is very apt as the weather is currently wonderful in the UK.

Here is my finished project

I started off my brayering Magic Moss and Smurf  Paper Artsy Fresco Finish Chalk Paints onto a card blank.

Once this was done, I stencilled flowers from the new PaperArtsy Darcy stencil onto the background, using Lilac for the flower heads.  Once dry, these were highlighted using a white gel pen.

The Tracy Scott and Jo Firth Young stamps were stamped, coloured using Polychromo pencils and then cut out and mounted onto the background.  

Another of Darcy's new stencils were used with Stone paint, again highlighting in white once dry.

To finish, I stamped the sentiment from another set by Jo Firth-Young.

This was so much fun to create.

 Make sure you pop over to the Country View Crafts Challenge blog to see the inspiration from the rest of the design team.

I hope that I have inspired you to create a project for this challenge.  Don't forget, by linking it to the Challenge blog you will be in with a chance to win a gift voucher to spend in the online shop.

Thanks for joining me...….I'll be back with my second project soon.

'Enshrined' Using PaperArtsy Hotpicks

Good evening,

I have a project over on the PaperArtsy blog again tonight.  The topic for the fortnight is "Enshrined" and I knew just what to use - I chose the fabulous MDF Shrine created by Danny Macintosh over at That Craft Place.

Here is a sneak of my finished project

Pop over to the PaperArtsy blog to see the full reveal of my shrine and to find out how I created it.

Happy Father's Day

Today, in the UK, we celebrate Father's Day.

Here is the card that I made for my Dad - I kept it quite fun and colourful for a change.

For some reason I forgot to take pictures as I was going along - which meant that I must have been having fun!

The papers used are random papers that I have had in my stash for a while.

The Super Hero image was stamped and coloured using Alcohol markers.

The sentiment was included in the stamp set.  This was such good value for money as it also contains other sentiments to be used for other occasions - but I thought this was perfect for Fathers Day.

Thanks for joining me today.  I hope everyone has a great day.

Country View Crafts Challenges - The Written Word

Me again, showing you my second project for the challenge this month - The Written Word.

I have again used a Gel Press masterboard as my background for my project.  Here is the finished design

A few weeks back I spent a couple of hours making Gel Press backgrounds so that I had some ready for when I wanted to use them.  This is how my masterboard looked before I cut it up.

To create this I used various PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic paints, a Carabelle Printing Plate, circle stencil and a white gel pen.  I also added touches of Gold paint using an old credit card.

Here is a closer look at some of the detail

I cut this to size and the stamped and embossed in black a quote from Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Ponderings CMS252.

I love this quote!

The flower is from PaperArtsy JOFY set JOFY64.  I stamped it using Archival ink and then coloured it using Polychromo pencils.  I was really happy with how it turned out.  It was then mounted to the background image using foam pads so that it had dimension.

To finish, the panel was added to a larger card blank.

I was really happy with how this turned out.  If nothing else, I used colours that don't come naturally to me.

Do keep popping over to the Challenge blog to see the design teams contributions this month - they are all amazing!  And I hope that you are going to join in with the Challenge yourself.  I always love seeing what you create.

Thanks for joining me.

Country View Crafts Challenges - The Written Word

Hello again.

The theme for the challenges this month is "The Written Word".  So, I got my thinking cap on and have incorporated two of my favourite things in my first project this month:

1. Quotes
2. Alice In Wonderland

Here is my finished project

The background is a gel plate masterboard that I created using PaperArtsy Seth Apter Chalk Acrylic Paint, PaperArtsy Seth Apter Stamp Set ESA01, and a Carabelle Printing Plate.  I love the texture that has come through on the finished print.

The quote is from Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous set CMS165.  I love this quote and use it a lot.  I highlighted it using a white gel pen to make it stand out on the painted background.

The main image is one of the original Carabelle stamps.  It was this stamp that led to me Carabelle.  I am always on the look out for Alice themed stamps - and I totally adore this one!  

The image was stamped and then coloured using alcohol markers,  then cut out and mounted.

I added strips of washi tape so that Alice didn't appear to be floating and drew around her with a Stabilo All pencil which I then softened with water.

So, there we have it.... my first project of the month.

Do pop over to the CVC Challenge blog and see the other amazing projects that the team have created.  And I hope that I have inspired you to join in - don't forget, for every entry there is a chance of being picked at random to win a £20 gift voucher in the Country View Crafts shop.

Thanks for joining me.  

Happy crafting!