STAMPlorations Inspiration #73

Guess what - more Groovy Shoes!  And more Mark Schwartz-inspired technique.  For this one, I needed my MISTI.  Firstly I inked the shoe with coloured Distress Inks, stamped, spritzed lightly and once it was dry, inked the stamp with Black Soot, stamped and spritzed very lightly.

The dotty background is from the ARTplorations Dots All Over stencil to echo the pattern on the strip  of washi, and the border is Tim Holtz Tissue Tape.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for more fabulous inspiration, and don't forget to leave a comment there for a chance to win a gift voucher.

STAMPlorations Stamp Release, Blog Hop and Giveaway!

Ok, today's the day that you get to see all of the STAMPlorations Inspiration Design Team's creations with these new stamps in our Blog Hop!  So much inspiration in one place - you'll be wowed!

Did you see Shery's new set, Trendy Feathers 2, on Monday?  Here's what I made:

It's also a CASE of Donna Mikasa's CASEplorations card for April (five half-coloured feathers, five colours, sentiment, splatter) - if you haven't joined in yet, there's still time...

On Tuesday it was my turn to showcase Groovy Shoes.  I went all Warholesque with this one:

Pretty obvious - stamp, colour, stick.

Then on Wednesday Deepti showcased her new set, Smile.  Here's what I made:

I stamped that gorgeous lily image onto mixed media paper in Antique Linen, then watercoloured it with Distress Inks and painted out the background with black gesso.  It's becoming quite a habit with me, this black gesso thing.  Here's a close-up:

Then yesterday, Becca was showcasing her Strong Women set.  Here's my card:

Well, that sentiment's just made for birds, isn't it? The chick looks like it's taking its first flight.   I stamped the kingfisher first, then the chick, then drew in branches and tree trunks and painted in some leaves.  The 'fly high' sentiment is from Shery's Art Marks set.

Make sure you leave us all a comment for maximum chances to win fab prizes!  Click here for the main STAMPlorations post with links to all our blogs, and good luck!

Guest Designer at CAS(E) This Sketch!

Hi peeps!  I'm delighted to be guest designer at CAS(E) This Sketch today!  I stuck to Hannelie's sketch, honest - can you see the likeness?  The balloon in the large top right quadrant, the sentiment bottom right, the bird bottom left with the hand-drawn string helping to define the quadrant, and white space top left.

The balloon is a die-cut from MFT Die-Namics Balloon STAX, the bird is from The Bee's Knees SmallBirds, and the sentiment is from Penny Black Salutations.

Pop on over to the CAS(E) This Sketch blog for some fabulous inspiration from the Design Team, and join in.

Thanks for having me, girls!

The Bee's Knees New Release - Groovy Shoes - and a Giveaway!

Today's the Day!  It's the launch of my latest stamp set, Groovy Shoes over at STAMPlorations.

So retro - it takes me back!  I've got a few cards for you today, I just couldn't stop playing with these stamps :) Sit back and enjoy the show!

If you're wearing groovy shoes, you need some equally groovy trews! (BTW I've just looked up the word 'trews' and have learned that they were originally Scottish military trousers, usually tartan, but to us growing up in northern England, 'trews' was just slang for trousers.  Funny what you learn in the course of cardmaking and blogging!)

Anyway, my trews had to be floral, in keeping with the groovy flower-power theme.  I cut a negative mask, stamped the flowers then painted the background with Distress Inks.

Remember those Dr Scholl wooden exercise sandals?  You could also buy clip-on flowers for them, that's why there are some flowers included in the set.

In my teens I used to have a pair of wedge-heeled shoes just like these, made from beige suede (not the best choice in rainy England, but I loved them anyway).  I did a bit of selective inking on the shoe with Brushed Corduroy, omitting the far side of the shoe and strap, then lightly pencilled in the leg and painted it with a wash of Brushed Corduroy.  The sentiment comes from the latest STAMP Club set, Born To Roam.  The panel is matted onto chocolate brown card then onto the white card base.  I think this is my favourite so far :)

For this card I stamped and white-embossed the flower images, then sloshed some Distress Ink watercolours around, adding a bit more colour to the flowers to make them stand out.  The panel is edged with Pickled Raspberry.

And finally, a bit of fun.  This one took on a life of its own.  I'd stamped the shoes, then decided I should draw some legs.  This was before I made my other 'leg' cards, and I hadn't thought about masking the far side of the shoes, so I just added some flower toppers then drew in a painted toe in each shoe.  The sentiment is from Art Marks.

Fancy your chances at winning this set?  Leave me a comment here, and also on the STAMPlorations post, where you'll see the prizes on offer.  Keep checking back on the STAMPlorations blog all week - Shery was showcasing her new stamp set yesterday, it's Deepti's turn tomorrow, Becca's on Thursday, then we're having a blog hop party on Friday - not to be missed!  There'll be more inspiration from the four of us, and also from Cornelia, Maria, Monika, Kim and Vicki!  And more chances to win prizes!

STAMPlorations Inspiration #72

We've got some more inspiration for you over at STAMPlorations.  It's Stamp Release Week, starting with Shery's Trendy Feathers set yesterday, and if you pop back here in one hour's time, I'm showcasing my new set, Groovy Shoes.  This card is a little taster for you.

I've been fascinated with the artwork of Mark Schwartz, shoe designer and artist.  I love the way he lets the lines and colours bleed.  This is one of my many attempts at recreating the technique.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration, and don't forget to leave a comment there for a chance to win a gift voucher.  Then pop back in an hour!

Don't forget to pop back here in one hour for more Groovy Shoes!

Showcased at Online Card Classes, and a Floral Background

Online Card Classes have launched their new website, and I'm thrilled to have one of my cards from the Watercolour for Cardmakers class featured on their gallery page!  You'll have to scroll all the way down the page to see - my card is bottom left.  My original post is here.

Bragging over, on to today's card.  The lovely Bev from Happy Dance made a gorgeous card for three challenges, and it prompted me to make my own version.  I am now the proud owner of some Altenew stamps, albeit freebies from a magazine.  The set contains a three-part layered rose, a three-part layered leaf, a rose die, a leaf die and some sentiments.

I stamped the middle rose and middle leaf stamps with Distress Inks (Pickled Raspberry, Carved Pumpkin, Peeled Paint) onto mixed media paper then spritzed lightly with water.  The bleed varied depending on the amount of water I was spritzing.  The birthday die-cut is a Winnie & Walter Cutaway, and the 'wishes' is from STAMPlorations Sentiment Builders: Love.

So, thanks to Bev, I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Colour Throwdown (why have I never played here before????)

Task For Two Tuesday - Make Your Own Background

and CAS(E) This Sketch (flip it, stretch it!)

I'm over at A Sprinkle of Imagination with another card today.  Here's a sneak peek:

Mixed Media Card Challenge Reminder

Have you played along with The Mixed Media Card Challenge?  There's still time, you know.  Our challenge this month is Sunshine with an option of bricks.

I started with an abstract gelli print background which was mainly in lime and teal with a touch of purple acrylic paints, then stencilled brickwork (Winnie & Walter) using Dylusions Melted Chocolate paint.  The sun was created by twisting a mini blender and Dylusions Lemon Zest, then I scribbled around the sun and the bricks with a black fineliner.

The JOFY flower was already coloured (probably with Distress Inks) and sitting waiting patiently in my stash for its moment of glory, but I think it's being outshone (geddit? sunshine?) by that crazy bird.

I wrote the sentiment with black pen, then added some white highlights and went around the edges of the panel with black Neocolour II and a wet paintbrush.  I added a couple of pieces of ripped washi tape to finish.

Pop on over to the Mixed Media Card Challenge blog for inspiration, and join in with our challenge, why don't you?

Seize The Birthday - Anything Goes

It's time for a new challenge at Seize The Birthday, and it's Anything Goes.

I used the ARTplorations Dots All Over stencil for the card base, and a stencilled Gelli print for the tag panel, part-edged by black card.  The ballerina image (Stampingbella?) was coloured with Distress Inks, and the sentiment is from STAMPlorations Party Time.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous inspiration, and play along!

I'm adding my card to the Time Out challenge - Celebrations with the optional twist of die cutting/fussy cutting.  Yup, done that :)

and also Tag You're It, where the inspiration is provided by the lovely Carol of just me:c

Stencilled base: check.
Tag: check.
Dragonfly: erm, well she looks like she's flying ;)
Black sentiment on tag: check.

Girlie City Girl

I've been playing around with the new Born To Roam set from STAMPlorations, pairing it with City Girl and World Birthday Cakes to make this card (full details over at STAMPlorations).

I'm adding this to Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Make It Girlie.

STAMPlorations Inspiration #71 - More Groovy Shoes

Still playing with my Groovy Shoes set :)  I don't recall having shoes like those on the left, but I had a pair of beige wedges, and I also had a pair similar to those on the right, in red.  Got them on my first overseas holiday to Italy many moons ago.

We've got some fabulous inspiration for you over at STAMPlorations today, and if you leave a comment on the STAMPlorations blog you'll be in with a chance of winning a $10 gift certificate.

I'm entering my card into "Less Is More" - haven't played along in ages!  The theme is 3 stamps - I wasn't sure whether the sentiment made it four, but some of the design team have used 3 plus a sentiment, so it must be ok ;)

Best Foot Forward

I've got some new stamps out next week - Groovy Shoes - so retro!  This wedge shoe is just one of the images in the set - check out the others below.  (The sentiment on this card is from the STAMP Club stamp set for April, Born To Roam.)

On white card I stamped the shoe in Black Soot (masking the far side of the shoe and the back of the ankle strap), then lightly drew in a leg and watercoloured the image with Black Soot and Candied Apple for the bow. Then I painted out the whole background with black gesso.  I love how it's turned out :)  The sentiment is stamped on a spare strip of white card, then the whole thing mounted onto white card base.

I'm entering this card into The Card Concept, Simplicity

and AAA Cards, Anything Goes.

You'll be seeing a lot more of these stamps over the next few days ;)

ARTplorations Blog Hop - Day 3 and CASEplorations Reminder

It's Day 3 of the ARTplorations blog hop, and we've got more stencil inspiration for you.

I've used the flower masks from the Bloom Silhouettes stencil/mask set.  I laid the masks onto a piece of mixed media paper, sprinkled Brusho powders on, then spritzed until the colours burst.  Where the colours started mixing too much, or there was too much water pooling, I just mopped it up with kitchen roll.

The sentiment is from a new set that Shery's designed - you'll be seeing it in a couple of weeks.

Hop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for more fabulous inspiration, and leave a comment here and on the main blog for a chance to win:

• THREE (3) winners will receive their choice of ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from all comments left on the designers' blogs.
• ONE (1) winner will receive a $15 gift certificate OR her choice of 2 ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from comments left on the STAMPlorations blog. 

Extra prizes for those who participate in the Flash Stencil Project Linky Party and link up by April 15:

• TWO (2) winners whose projects feature stencils (any brand) will each receive their choice of one (1) ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7)
• ONE (1) winner whose project features an ARTplorations stencil will receive her choice of three (3) ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7) OR a $15 gift certificate to the shop.

My card is also a reminder for this month's CASEplorations where we're CASEing this gorgeous card by Donna.

Five focal elements, a rainbow of colours, splatter (plenty of that!!) and a thoughtful sentiment.  How will you CASE Donna's card?  Check out the challenge here.

STOP PRESS:  I'm entering this card into Virginia's View impromptu linkup party, details here.

ARTplorations Blog Hop - Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of the ARTplorations Blog Hop.  Did you enjoy all that fabulous inspiration yesterday?  We've got another feast for the eyes today.

I've used the Dots All Over stencil on my background, inking it with Distress Inks, spritzing then laying the inked side down onto my card panel.  Love that technique!  I sponged the edges of the panel with Pickled Raspberry to define the edges.

I stamped three flowers (Dee's Blooming Buds), sloshed on some colour then fussy cut them and arranged them on the card panel, cutting the stem of the back flower.  Wrapped a bit of purple jute around the panel, then adhered it all to the card base, and added a bit of dotty washi tape to echo the dotty stencil pattern.  The sentiment is from Fond Expressions.

Hop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for more fabulous inspiration, and leave a comment here and on the main blog for a chance to win:

• THREE (3) winners will receive their choice of ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from all comments left on the designers' blogs.
• ONE (1) winner will receive a $15 gift certificate OR her choice of 2 ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from comments left on the STAMPlorations blog. 

Extra prizes for those who participate in the Flash Stencil Project Linky Party and link up by April 15:

• TWO (2) winners whose projects feature stencils (any brand) will each receive their choice of one (1) ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7)
• ONE (1) winner whose project features an ARTplorations stencil will receive her choice of three (3) ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7) OR a $15 gift certificate to the shop.

I'm adding this to Loll & Bonnie's CAS Mix Up - Stamps + Stencils + My Choice - watercolouring.

ARTplorations Stencil Blog Hop

Have you seen all the fabulous ARTplorations stencils over at STAMPlorations?  For the next few days we're having a stencil blog hop, so you'll get to see plenty of them in use by the STAMPlorations girls.  Here's what I made:

I glued a couple of pieces of dictionary paper on a 12-inch square canvas then covered it with white gesso. Once that was dry I stencilled a mix of gold pearl embossing paste and glass bead embossing paste through the Shutters stencil.  

When that had dried I stencilled Graphite texture paste through the Happy Flowers Large stencil.  More waiting till that dried, then I got to work with the colouring.

(You can see the sparkle of the Graphite texture paste in this close-up).  I used red, orange and magenta Neocolour II crayons for the flower centres, grey for the shadows around the flowers and Antique Linen Distress Paint for the background.  It's a few weeks since I made this, and I can't remember what the pink drips are - either Distress Paint or Neocolour II, daubed on then spritzed so that it dripped down.

The sentiment (from Art Is) was stamped onto tissue paper then glued onto the canvas.

Ready to hop?

Hop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for a gander at all the lovely projects from the rest of the STAMPlorations girls, and leave a comment here and on the main blog for a chance to win:

• THREE (3) winners will receive their choice of ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from all comments left on the designers' blogs.
• ONE (1) winner will receive a $15 gift certificate OR her choice of 2 ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from comments left on the STAMPlorations blog. 

Extra prizes for those who participate in the Flash Stencil Project Linky Party and link up by April 15:

• TWO (2) winners whose projects feature stencils (any brand) will each receive their choice of one (1) ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7)
• ONE (1) winner whose project features an ARTplorations stencil will receive her choice of three (3) ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7) OR a $15 gift certificate to the shop.

STAMPlorations Inspiration #70 - Stencilled Bird

Time for some more STAMPlorations Inspiration.  I can share this card now that I know it's reached its destination!

I used the mask from the Perched Bird stencil and mask set, inking it with Distress Inks, spritzing and then turning it onto my card panel.  I love how the colours mingled.  The sentiment is from Party Time.  I was tempted to colour the 'birthday' but then decided it might detract from the bird, so I left it uncoloured.  The outer edge of the card base is watercoloured with Distress Inks to match.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the Design Team.  Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win our random monthly prize of a $10 gift certificate.

Craft Stamper Take It Make It Reminder - Spring Flowers

Are you playing along at Craft Stamper Take It, Make It?  Our theme for this month is Spring Flowers.  The flowers don't necessarily have to be stamped, as long as there's stamping on your project.  I had to have this gorgeous new Penny Black stamp, The Unfolding.  Love it!

This month's sponsor is Traplet, the publishers of the fabulous Craft Stamper Magazine.  There's a fabulous prize on offer for one lucky entrant - all six of Kate Crane's Art Journalling DVDs!

Then the winner chosen by the Design Team will have their winning entry published in Craft Stamper magazine, a winner's profile post on the blog, and a guest design spot in a future challenge - yay!

Pop on over to the Craft Stamper blog to see all the fabulous inspiration from the rest of the Design Team, and join in for your chance to win!

ETA:  The sentiment stamp is by Stamps Away.