Dragonfly In Autumn

Click on photos for larger images.

Now, I am not a fan of Hallow E'en, but I do love the visual impact of the colours we associate with the season, so here's the closest I might get to a Hallow E'en card!

I have used the wonderful 'On Dragonfly Wings' stamp set #230 by Tracy Evans for AALL & Create (heat embossed using Onyx Black Versafine and clear embossing powder), some background and border stamps from Crafty Individuals (the script and harlequins) and Bee Crafty (the grungy border details).

The 'in Autumn' part of the text is computer-generated, using a typewriter font from Lisa Bearnson, and the King & Queen font.

I've experimented with some grains of chunky embossing enamel in both black & white, as an alternative to paint splats, but not sure I'll do it again for that purpose. Splatting is quicker!

Three amber-coloured faux gems on the thorax finish the card.

Blue New Home

Click on photo for larger image.

This is a very simple pair of cards for a New Home challenge on
The Bunny & The Bee's Crafty Hive Facebook group.

I used die-cuts from a die given to me as part of a little RAK packet from a friend in the USA. It didn't have packaging, so I can't give you any info about the die, but there are many like it on the market.

The backgrounds are 'clean-ups' from leftover ink on my glass mat, and the circles were created when making spotlight effects. It seemed a shame not to use them.

The flowers and foliage are snipped from one piece, which has also been hanging around my craft room for a few months.

Effective, do you think?

Dragonfly Wings

Click on photos for larger image.

There are a couple of tales to tell about this one. Firstly, the dragonfly and the 'On dragonfly wings' sentiment are from Tracy Evans' stamp set #230 by AALL & Create. It is one of their range of wonderful designs from their brand new, hot off the press Autumn release. I love so many of those stamps!

I was chatting online with my bestest crafting buddy, Lisa Vipas, and we were singing the praises of our favourites from the new release, but I was boasting about how disciplined I was being, as I have other (boring but necessary) things to pay for right now. All of a sudden, out of the blue, she says, "I have just bought the dragonfly stamps for you." You could have knocked me down with a feather! What a generous friend! Everybody should have a stamp fairy like Lisa. So this one is for her.

The next storylet is that I downloaded that beautiful font onto my PC about 11 years ago. It's called The King & Queen font. I used it a couple of times back then, but then forgot about it, and it's been gathering dust in the files of an old laptop ever since. Until I saw it on Tracy's stamp set, and I'm so pleased to be reminded of it. So I used it to create the (almost) matching sentiment 'Sending Thanks'.

The Workings

The card base is 6" x 6".

The background was from a Gelli plate play session, practicing techniques inspired by Tracy Evans' first One Day Special on Hochanda, back in August. I added some glitter paste through another AALL & Create stencil, but it got messy and you wouldn't recognise it if I told you! I edged the panel with Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide.

The dragonfly is stamped onto dark brown card and cut out. Glued onto the card and the antennae are drawn with black fineliner, copying the stamp.

I stamped the wings onto another old piece of random background that also had traces of glitter paste on. Smart alec me forgot to dry the ink, though (Onyx Black Versafine), and it got horribly smudged while I was cutting out the wings. So I went over the design again with black fineliner, and tell myself it adds to the grungy style!

I wanted a pop of red, and I found some gems in my stash that would fit the bill, and added them to the thorax. 

The first part of the sentiment is computer-generated, and the second part is stamped. I tore the panels, and edged them with Peeled Paint Distress ink. They are applied to the card on recycled cardboard to raise them up a tiny bit.

It was too plain, I thought, so I added the rosebuds and pine needles die-cuts, with a couple of silver bows, folded in half and tucked underneath.

I wasn't sure about it (my composition) last night, but it's growing on me. I hope Lisa likes it. As soon as I can get to a Post Office, it will be on its way!

Thank you, again, my friend. xx 

AALL & Create Circle Challenge - Christmas

Click on photos for larger images.

This was made for AALL & Create's Circle Challenge. If you fancy having a go, the deadline is 23:59 tonight (UK time). For info about the Challenge, click HERE.

This one really was a challenge. I wanted to make one with a Christmas theme, as I've not seen anyone else do it for the challenge, but I could not find anything with festive motifs in the AALL & Create range, so I've had to get creative to comply with the rule that products used should mainly be AALL & Create! #craftwithaallandcreate

Here's how I made this:

1. I used a side plate to draw around for the circle on my A3 Pink Pig journal, and on an 8"x 8" piece of greyboard. I left the circle in the journal until I had completed the paint and ink part of the project.

2. I used the drip technique I've learned from Abs on his demos in his Hochanda shows, starting with a light blue matte acrylic paint (Grandma's Teacup by IndigoBlu), diluted to drip effectively. On top of that, I smooshed some Chipped Sapphire Distress Oxide onto my glass mat and spritzed it well to also apply for the drip effect.

3. Once dry, I used a tiny dotty stamp from Swedish company, Gummiapan to add further interest, and an AALL & Create paint splash stencil #10 from Autour de Mwa to add splashes in dark blue and spots in white, and used the straight lines in that stencil to add a vertical.

4. I used AALL & Create stencil #6 to add to the vertical with a dark blue string of mini triangles.

5. For horizontal effect, I used both of AALL & Create's border stamps from 'Landscape Lines' by Lousie (Louise?) Nelson, and heat embossed the lines in white. I used one of the stamps also to add a vertical, also embossed.

6. For more horizontal background interest, I added a stamped Christmas greeting in Chipped Sapphire Distress Oxide: Stampers Anonymous K6-1971.

7. I added lyrics from one of my favourite carols, 'O Holy Night', handscripted around the edges. (Not sure that works, but I'm going with it.)

8. Then I cut out the circle and pasted it to the greyboard circle for structure. I sponged Chipped Sapphire ink around the edges.

9. I used the AALL & Create stencil #30 as a template for creating the numbers, 25, edging them with the same sponge (Phatfoam from IndigoBlu) that I had been using, and raised them up on recycled cardboard.

10. The 'December' comes from AALL & Create's 'Strings n' Scripts' stamp set #54 by Bipasha BK.

11. I added some stars and holly swirl die-cuts from Memory Box and waste from a Sizzix stars die.

Wishing all the best to everyone who entered the Challenge! x

AALL & Create Circle Challenge - AT Coins

Click on the photo for a clearer image.

Not a great photo, but the light is very poor today. I'll try and get better pics tomorrow.

So.. the story is that my favourite stamps, stencils and dies brand is AALL & Create, if you hadn't guessed already! They are holding a competition with amazing prizes! I have zero expectation of getting anywhere close, as I've seen so many breath-taking entries so far, so I'm just entering for fun and to challenge myself. #craftwithaallandcreate

The challenge is to make a circular project, hence the Circle Challenge. Click on the link to the details HERE.

This is my first entry, and they are AT Coins (Artist's Trading Coins, 2½" diameter). Very tongue-in-cheek in reference to some things Abs (Autour de Mwa) shared on his inspirational Hochanda shows which are linked to on the Challenge page.

I have used 300gsm black card, with That's Crafty! Light Texture Paste and a selection of AALL & Create stencils, all by Autour de Mwa... #7, #21 and Lotza Dotz #39.

The doodling is in white gel pen, and the words were created on my computer.

I hope they make Abs smile! :-)

Black Flowers

This one is also inspired by one of Tracy Evans' demos from her AALL & Create ODS in August, but it's my version; I've used different colours, a different shape (DL) and had to improvise on the stamps, as I don't have those that Tracy used. Yet!

To make this, I started with an old background of Twisted Citron Distress Oxide that was smooshed when I was cleaning up my glass mat from a previous session. On top of that, I smooshed Salty Ocean using a piece of acetate so I could be a little more precise. (I cut my acetate into an irregular shape, as you don't want to get straight edges in your smoosh. Unless you do, of course!)

I did use Tracy's idea of placing a spritzed Lotsa Dotz stencil over the top, and dabbing it with a kitchen towell to remove some of the ink, but I must have done something wrong, as it didn't work for me. Will have to try that again another time.

Once dry, I stamped over with the scripty half of AALL & Create's 'Strings n' Scripts' #54 stamp set by Bipasha BK - using the scripty side, but using random sections of it, dabbed on. I used Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide. I really like the effect.

Then I created the spotlight effect using a circle die-cut and Faded Jeans Distress Oxide, and, using the negative circle die-cut to mask the shape, I used That's Crafty! Light Texture Paste through the 'Human' stencil #22 by Autour de Mwa (Abs).

Next, I used the flowers from the 'Botanicals Modified' #207 stamp set, also by Bipasha BK, and coloured them in black to emulate the silhouette effect of the flowers Tracy used in the example I was following. She used the teasel-type flowers from her 'Hope' stamp set. (Also on my wishlist! Wish I could afford to get them ALL.. or should that be AALL! Lol )

I doodled around the edges, and put some shadow and highlight around the circle, and created my own sentiment on the computer using a typewriter font from an old scrapbooking CD I have from Lisa Bearnson. A bit of silver thread wrap completes the card.

Brayered Butterfly

This is another card inspired by Tracy Evans' demos from the AALL & Create ODS shows on Hochanda. In fact, this is virtually a direct copy. I'm just practicing techniques, and knowing Tracy and her generous nature, she won't mind a bit. Her card is much neater and more polished than mine. Mine looks as though the decorators have been in my craft room and sploshed all over my craft desk! Lol ;-)

I brayered two of IndigoBlu's matte acryclic paints, and ended up making half a dozen backgrounds from the two blobs I put on my glass mat!

Once dry, I used That's Crafty! Light Texture Paste through AALL & Create's 'Human' stencil #22 by Autour De Mwa (Abs), and left that to dry.

Next, I stamped the butterfly, dragonfly and hexagons from AALL & Create's stamp sets (#45 and 'Hexagonal Stem' #206, both designed by Tracy Evans) onto one of the spare backgrounds I made, cut them out, blackened the edges to get rid of that raw whiteness, and glued them in place, raising the wings up. The hexagons were given dimension using a strip of recycled cardboard.

I splashed Daler Rowney 'System 3' white acrylic paint all over the card (and me!), and added the sentiment, also slightly raised, which I'd stamped onto some scrap that already had some stamping on from a previous session, but I think it looks cool like that.

Mounted onto a black mat and then white card. I think that does it.

Shaving Foam Turtle

This is the third and last of the examples of Tracy Evans' inspiration using her Shaving Foam backgrounds techniques. (Scroll back to the previous post to see the other two.)

For this one, you just lay a piece of card on top of the foam that you've coloured and swirled, press slightly, then lift off and scrape the foam from the surface of your card using a piece of plastic of some sort. (I used a ruler.)

As mentioned yesterday, I used Faded Jeans and Peeled Paint Distress Oxide re-inkers for my colours, so I ended up with the messy blue and green finish you can just about see underneath the stamp below.

The stamp I've used is the bottom half of AALL & Create's A4 stamp set, Tropical Vibes #141 by Bipasha BK, which I think perfectly complements the blue/green sea colours I used. And I have a thing about green sea turtles, so any excuse...

So.. I used my big stamping platform for this one, as I have not yet acquired the A4 acrylic plate from AALL & Create. (It's on my wishlist.) I heat embossed both the main image, and a second one of just the turtle, which I cut out. The 'Travel' word came with it, so I cut that out, too.

I painted the turtle with Twisted Citron Distress Oxide ink, and the Travel word in Salty Ocean. I raised the turtle up with some recycled cardboard (I don't use foam pads any more), and to help it stand out, I 'painted' around the turtle shape with some white pigment ink. Not sure it worked, but it's OK-ish.

The Travel word was just stuck down directly on the card.

The three 'Positive' sayings were taken from stamp set #7, also by Bipasha BK, separated into three lines, mounted on black and then raised up on recycled cardboard.

What do you think? Does it work?

Shaving Foam Flower

Continuing on with techniques demo'd by Tracy Evans during her 'One Day Special' shows for AALL & Create on Hochanda, back in August, this example uses two of the ways Tracy showed for using backgrounds made with shaving foam.

One of them was to scrape a layer of coloured foam through a stencil, and the other I've used involves an old credit card (or similar piece of plastic) to scrape more of the coloured stuff through a circle cut in some card.

For those who don't know, to do the shaving foam technique, you spray about 6" square of foam onto brown paper, or something equally disposable and environmentally friendly. Then you use Distress Oxide re-inkers (in this case, but you can use sprays, too), and drop drops onto the surface of the foam. (I used Faded Jeans and Peeled Paint.) Then you use the end of a paintbrush to make a swirly pattern.

Lay your stencil on a card (I used the 'Lotza Dotz' #39), and smooth a layer of the coloured foam through the stencil and peel it away. Same goes for the afore-mentioned circle, except by the time I got to this stage, the colours had all blended together and green was the dominant shade.

I edged the circle with a Peeled Paint inkpad, blended on with Phat foam from IndigoBlu. I used Tracy's stamp set, 'Eclectic Stems' #199, for the flower and the sentiment. I stamped the flower with Versafine Vintage Sepia, edged them with green Koh-I-Noor Aquarelle watercolour pencils, and joined them with a green gem brad from stash.

The sentiment stamp was inked firstly with Brushed Corduroy Distress ink, lightly spritzed on the stamp, stamped onto spare card and then stamped over with black Versafine. I edged the sentiment panel with dark brown Chalk Eyes, and added some more grungy Peeled Paint.

I finished off with an old piece of string, but wasn't satisfied, so added some tiny dots with texture paste through the stencil on the circle and sentiment. Wishing now that I had also added some stamped numbers, or something else. Ah, well. You have to stop somewhere, right?

More of Tracy's inspiration to come!

Spotlight Flower

This one is part of a practice series, following the demos of Tracy Evans, one of the brilliant designers for AALL & Create, during the shows she did on Hochanda for her One Day Special, back in August. It has taken me a while to get around to it, but I've been compiling step-by-steps so I wouldn't forget anything.

For this card, I used Tracy's Spotlight technique. You'd think that at some point in my 17 years of cardmaking, I might have made a moon background at some stage, but no.. this was my first time... and so easy! I'm delighted! I'm also pleased with the layers of stencilling, the flower... and the very pretty coloured circle that's been left behind. That will come in handy for something else, I'm sure.

Anyway, here's the run down on what I used:

1. I started with a background I already had.. just a touch of blue glitter from cleaning my palette knife after using Cosmic Shimmer Ultra Sparkle Paste in Periwinkle on a previous project.
2. Over that, I used my AALL & Create 'Lotza Dotz' stencil #39 with Distress Oxide ink in Faded Jeans.
3. I edged the card with the same ink.
4. Then I die-cut a circle and following Tracy's advice, blending the Faded Jeans ink outward from the middle of the circle.
5. Next, I spread That's Crafty! Light Texture Paste through the 'Lotza Dotz' stencil.
6. I stamped one of the cone flowers from Tracy's 'Eclectic Stems' stamp #199 onto the card, and then three more images of the flower head onto spare card with Black Onyx Versafine ink, heat embossing the last one with clear embossing powder. I painted them with spritzed Distress Oxide in Picked Raspberry. I also coloured the leaf in green, but it's barely noticeable. The leaf and the final flower layer are also covered with Glossy Accents, and a touch of light blue Stickles on the centre of the flower. All the layers are decoupaged, without adding extra dimension by way of foam pads, etc, but allowing the petals to be unattached, which gives some dimension anyway.
7. The sentiment is also from the 'Eclectic Stems' stamp set, also edged with Faded Jeans ink.
8. I wanted to balance the pink, so I used Abs' (Autour De Mwa) stencil #6, which has paint splashes and other random effects on it, and Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide so there would be some pattern peeking out from underneath, and I added a few pink sequins.