Faith Tag

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This was made for the April challenge on The Bunny & The Bee's Crafty Hive Facebook group, to make a tag with a positive message to encourage others through the present Coronavirus crisis.

I wanted to present the biblical theme of 1 Corinthians 13 from the New Testament.. Faith Hope & Love, and as I have a collection of Christian-themed stamps that are almost from that era, it was obvious to use them! The first is the lovely background that I stamped in Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide. The stamp is wood-mounted, 'Faith Hope Love' (ref. G7070) from Paper Inspirations*.

The 'Faith' lettering came from another stamp, and I masked out the smaller text and superimposed the bold word in Versafine Onyx Black on top of the background.

This stamp, also ancient and wood-mounted, is 'Faith' (ref. S089-N ©2003) from Wordsworth* stamps.

The butterflies are both from the same stamp, also wood-mounted.. 'Butterfly #2' (ref. CDD-677C) from Cat Dancing Design (made by Cornish Heritage Farms*).

The poppy heads were cut from stamping the Crafty Individuals' 'Pretty Poppy' (CI-210), twice, and raised slightly on recycled cardboard. 

The 'love' word comes from my growing stash of obscure dies and die-cuts that I've been collecting for a while now... some from eBay, some from kind friends on groups. This word started out as 'lovely', and I cut the last two letters off. I wanted to add 'hope', too, but that's on its way and hasn't arrived yet. Delayed in the post because the Royal Mail is short-staffed, thanks to the virus, bless them.

It was fun revisiting some old favourites. Sadly, *Paper Inspirations, *Wordsworth and *Cornish Heritage Farms are no more. Such a shame. I miss them. Hand me a tissue. From 2 metres away.  #sniff

Blue Sea

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I have to admit that I really love this one. The background paper is designed by Flo Langley for Crafty Individuals.. one of a pack of papers and complementary stamps by the same designer for making backgrounds. I can't stop looking at them; they're gorgeous! Due for launch on Crafty Individuals shows on Hochanda on 7th April. Don't miss them! :-)

The seahorse is 'Sammy Seahorse' Signature Dies SD365 by Joanna Sheen. (The seaweed fronds are part of the same die.) Tim Holtz for Sizzix is responsible for the typewriter alphabet dies.

The white panel is raised on recycled cardboard, and sequins added from stash.

A Birthday Card for Jean

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This was for Jean Hardy, the founder of Crafty Individuals, for her birthday in February. I used her 'Baroque Splatter Script' stamp in the background, and the beautiful 'Rose Stem Script' from Chocolate Baroque, fussy-cut out (as I didn't want both scripts). The 'Happy Birthday' text is a Sara's Signature die set from Crafter's Companion. A few random pale green and pink sequins complete the picture.

Art Journal Page

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This was made to launch the current March Challenge on The Bunny & The Bee's Crafty Hive Facebook group. The theme this month is to create a journal page. I have done a bit of scrapbooking, but never journalling, as we know it. I had to put this together in a hurry, so I used a card front from a Crafty Individuals creation made for their January 2020 Challenge. (Here's the original blogpost HERE.)

I also used the Totally Dotty stencil in the background, from AALL & Create, and their lovely Bursting Buds die, cut in half (cut in rose gold, to reflect the pinks in the CI paper I used on the cardfront. They are there.. honest, but very subtle.).

Beach Tag

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This was made to launch the March Challenge on the Crafty Individuals Facebook Group. In between Jean's shows on Hochanda every other month, the members of the group choose the theme for the Monthly Challenge by voting in a poll. This month, it's tags. You guessed that, didn't you? Lol ;-)

The boy and the words background are from the Crafty Individuals stamp set CI-459 'Sandy Toes & Salty Kisses', the large seagull on the left is from CI-397 'Call of the Sea'.  The black gulls are Memory Box 'Flying Gulls' dies. The sun is part of the Tim Holtz Scribbles & Splats die set from Sizzix. The starfish is from a Kaisercraft die set, and the 'summer' word is from Tim Holtz Handwritten Vacation words die set.

The sky is using the Totally Dotty stencil from AALL & Create to reflect clouds, though you can barely see them, and the sand on the beach was created using one of the new background layering stamps that will make its debut on Jean's next Hochanda shows on 7th April.

Springtime In Paris

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My final sample for Crafty Individuals' Hochanda shows on 4th February (Ticket to Ride theme), using their new stamp CI-538 'Eiffel Tower', designed by Ellie Mulligan, fussy-cut and placed on top of CI-430 'Baroque Splatter Script Background' (with a few extra ink speckles added by me in the same shades of Distress Oxide).

The silver die-cut is from one of my favourite Russian die suppliers a while ago, but I can't recall which.. Could be Scrapman Dies or Fantasy Dies. Both supply gorgeous dies!

Paper roses on top for a floral touch, and a few sequins. The 'Springtime in Paris wording was computer-generated in Word using the Lydia Puente (TrueType) font.

City Icons ATC Accordion

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This is also one of the samples I made for Crafty Individuals' 4th February Hochanda shows, with a Travel theme. This uses the new stamps set, CI-537 'Icons of the World', and some co-ordinating images from CI's Miniatures glossy pictures pad, and one of CI's papers in the background.

I made them as individual ATCs (Artist Trading Cards), but mounted them as an accordion to keep them all together. Turns out, someone else in the Design Team had a spookily similar idea! :-)

Voyage of Discovery

I wasn't too keen on this one, either. It was also intended as a sample for Crafty Individuals' 4th February Hochanda shows. The stamp is gorgeous - CI-295 'Voyage of Discovery' - but I could have done a better job. Matted onto black, then holographic gold, then Crafty Individuals paper background.

Nearly all my cards have sequins on them to complete the picture. This is no exception.

Hot Air Balloons

This is not one of my favourite pieces. Not my best work. It was made for samples for Crafty Individuals' shows on Hochanda on 4th February, starting with a brayered background. I used the new stamp set, CI-535 'Fly With Me', with beautiful hot air balloons in different sizes. The stamp superimposed on top is an older CI stamp, CI-336 'Around The World'.

The balloon in front was raised up, and then I spoiled it with a black shadow. Ah, well.

Computer-generated text and gold sequins completed the effort.

Vintage Spring

This is my most recent piece, but there has been a bit of a gap, I'm afraid, and I have some posts to catch up with.

This one was just for the fun of it, using Crafty Individuals supplies. The background paper is from CI's paper pad, 'Book 7' - Shades of Summer, the stamp is CI-302 'Floral Postcard' and the little girl is from CI's 'Miniatures - People & Places 2' pad of glossy images.

The extra touches are a generic honeycomb die that I cut in half, so I could have bits cut in embossed gold card showing at either end of the postcard, which was distressed by tearing and using deckle-edged scissors with Dark Brown Chalk Eyes ink around the edges. I stamped a second image, coloured and cut out the flowers, and mounted them on top of some curled up dark blue cotton for that touch of random abandon!

The bluebird is cut out from the paper that would be hidden by the postcard, and I brushed it with blue watercolour (leaving its throat paler), to make it stand out more. Some gold sequins finish the effect.

I hope you like it, and as those of us who are at risk face quarantine for (at least) three months, and the rest are close to being cut-off socially, I wish you all well. Stay safe. Hugs.. xxxx

Cog Train

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This card was made for Crafty Individuals' 'Ticket To Ride' shows on Hochanda last week. I am not an official member of the Design Team, but Jean Hardy very kindly invited me to send her some samples, and this one made it on to the show. Hurrah! :-) It is also entered into the February 'Travel' Challenge on the Crafty Individuals Facebook Group.

I used Crafty Individuals fabulous CI-404 stamp, 'Chunky Steam Train Tag', stamped in Onyx Black Versafine and heat embossed with clear powder. 

Mounted on a black mat, the background paper is a beautiful smudgy grey from Phill Martin's recent 'Sentimentally Yours' Stamping Magazine (box), Issue #2, which I have spattered in black & white gesso. The cogs and 'travel' word are die-cuts from Sizzix/Tim Holtz 'Gearhead' and 'Handwritten Vacation' sets. Silver thread and sequins from stash.

Dragonfly Accordion

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This one is for a current (hurrah!) challenge on Tracy Evans - Craft Addicts Facebook group, which is to produce something monochrome, with a pop of colour. I've got four pops, so I'm not sure if that's kosher, but I wanted to incorporate last month's theme, which was accordion cards, and of course, I missed the deadline for that one! #sigh

So anyway, I used Tracy's most beautiful stamp set, 'On Dragonfly Wings' (AALL & Create #230), stamping the background in Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide ink, the words that I've highlighted are in Versafine 'Smoky Grey', for emphasis. The little dragonflies are stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on panels inked with Distress Oxides - Cracked Pistachio, Squeezed Lemonade, Picked Raspberry and Salty Ocean, and I've glittered the wings with slightly diluted translucent glitter glue by Craft Planet. I was too lazy to fussy-cut each dragonfly, but I did give a watercolour shadow around the two panels.

I'm not sure I'm totally pleased with this, and if I'd had more time, I would probably have done better, but it is what it is. Hope you approve! :-) Thank you for looking. xx

Bright Fairy

This was made for a January Challenge on The Bunny & The Bee's Crafty Hive (Facebook group), and - as you can tell from today's date - I missed it! Lack of time, energy, etc.. excuses, excuses. Ah, well. I'm an admin on that group, anyway, so I wasn't eligible for the prize draw. Poo.

However, I am a 'Completer/Finisher' (eventually), so had to do it. The theme was 'Bright & Beautiful', and I'm not one for colouring, much, so I used the brightest alternative background I could find... from DCWV, 'The Blossoms & Butterflies Stack', with a cute fairy by Janet Klein at AALL & Create, with accompanying sentiment from the same set.

I added some sequins (obvs), and some glitter (not so obvs). In an attempt to show the bling, I have also made my first attempt at adding a video to a post... below. If it worked.

Escape Across Europe

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This card was made for the February 'Travel' Challenge on the Crafty Individuals Facebook Group, using their fabulous CI-404 stamp, 'Chunky Steam Train Tag'. To me, this image is evocative of a story I was once told by an Eastern European aristocrat, who was fleeing across Europe by train during WWII. How true the story was, I have no idea, but it was an intriguing tale of mystery and romance.. very Agatha Christie! Lol ;-)

I created the background by smooshing grey paint across the card, and adding splats on top with a fan brush. I thought it might pass for smoky steam! I used number stamps from Tracy Evans' Brushflower stamp set (AALL & Create) to add to the background, and added some cogs from Crafty Individuals CI-353 stamp set, 'Cog Workings Clock Face'. I used black cotton thread to wrap around the card, and added the stamped & embossed train image on top, cut out and raised onto recycled grey board for a touch of dimension. I added die-cut cogs from Sizzix/Tim Holtz 'Gearhead' die set, the 'travel' word from his 'Handwritten Vacation' die-set, and scattered some silver sequins on. (My 'thang', lately.)

CRAFTY INDIVIDUALS HOCHANDA SHOWS - TUESDAY 4th FEBRUARY
Jean Hardy will be live on Hochanda at 10.00 am and 2.00 pm, and you can catch up on Rewind on Hochanda's website for several weeks afterwards. Watch out for some giveaways! :-)

Thready Roses

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This was made in honour of my crafty santa, Lisa, who was very generous with her crafty Christmas gifts to me. In fact, she's always very generous, bless her! So I used some of them here, and some of my general stash.

I chose a piece of the decorative paper from 'Jenine's Mindful Art Collection' 6"x6" paper pad by Studio Light, and to complement it, I matted it onto a piece of rose gold mirror card, from Tonic Studios 'Craft Perfect' 6"x6" pad, 'Moonlight & Rose'.

I used an old, worn out Chalk Eyes inkpad in dark brown to stamp a faded out script and numbers from Tracy Evans' 'Brush Flower' #234 stamp set from AALL & Create down the right hand side, and the bottom, and used a Versafine Sepia to stamp the main sentiment more boldly, which is from the 'Friendship' stamp #232 by Olga Heldwein, also for AALL & Create.

The numbers die on the left is one of the new standalone dies by AALL & Create..  'Code' #12. I just love it and can see it will be a regular feature on my cards! :-)

The roses are from a stamp #229 and die sets #15 & #16, 'Blooming Fields' by Olga Heldwein, also - you guessed it - from AALL & Create. I don't have them yet, but Lisa sent me some die-cuts with my Christmas gifts. I am totally smitten with these. Also the black & white look. I don't enjoy colouring.. so I am thrilled by this trend! You can produce great results with much less effort!

The roses are raised up slightly on recycled cardboard, and I used a technique I learned from Janet Pring's show for AALL & Create on Hochanda earlier this week, and that is to make an outline for a shadow for the roses by running a black watercolour pencil around the shapes before sticking them down, and use a waterbrush to pull out the shading. It is subtle here, but it's there and works brilliantly.

To finish off, I used Tracy Evans' signature touch with some loose black threads just tucked under the edges of the roses, and allowed to trail loosely, and a few gold sequins.

Can you tell that I am delighted with this one? :-) Thank you, Lisa. xxx

Summer Dreaming

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I love how this one came out. All credit to Crafty Individuals, again! This one is also for the 2020 January Challenge on their Facebook Group. I won't be entered in the prize draw, as I am the administrator for the group, but the team members can enter for fun!

The background paper is from Crafty Individuals' 'Background Papers 'Book 6' (The Seaside)' 6"x6" paper pad, and the stamp is their 'Sandy Toes & Salty Kisses' (CI-459). (So cute!) I've raised him up slightly on recycled cardboard.

Additional elements: Memory Box 'Flying Gulls', ref: 99734, a starfish from a Kaisercraft die set, 'Underwater Scene', and computer-generated text.

Time For Change

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I made this one for the first monthly challenge on the Crafty Individuals Facebook Group, using a stamp I bought years ago, and the die. I love them, but had not previously had occasion to put them to use. Not only is the butterfly gorgeous, but I thought it appropriate as a symbol for change, and the clock in the stamp emblematic of New Year.

The background paper is from Crafty Individuals' 'Background Papers 'Book 3' (Springtime)', and the stamp is their 'Take A Little Time For Tea' (CI-389), trimmed and raised slightly on recycled cardboard. The pretty butterfly is Crafty Individuals 'Lacewing Butterfly' die, designed by Linda Edwards.

Additional elements: Silver thread bows (x 2, folded in half), white acrylic paint spatter and pink sequins.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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My mojo did a runner today. This was meant to be an entry for the Sizzix Tim Holtz Facebook group's Christmas Challenge, which ends tonight, and although I've used Tim Holtz's Sizzix Bigz die, 'Weathered Clock', and a Tim Holtz font (and the numbers that came with the Sizzix Sidekick), and I used Ranger's Stickles glitter glue, it's nowhere near the standard of entries I've seen in the group, and certainly not Tim Holtzy enough to submit as my entry. Ah, well... at least it's sparkly! Lol..

Wishing you all a very sparkly New Year's Eve, and a happy and healthy new decade!

Crafty Individuals Christmas

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These are my last batch of cards for Christmas. Hurrah! Using up 'waste' backgrounds from cleaning spare ink and paint from brayering & stencils, and then over-stamping with Crafty Individuals 'Noel Border' stamp, CI-502. I have also cut Memory Box's 'Star of Wonder' dies in black, and computer-generated the sentiments.

The background above is using up the ink from the AALL & Create 'Steam Cogs' stencil.

It's unlikely I'll be posting again before Christmas Day, so thank you for visiting my blog this year, and here's wishing you a very Happy Christmas (and if you don't celebrate Christmas, I'm sending you a virtual hug!) xxx

O Christmas Tree

Click on photos for larger images. Apologies for the poor quality, because of very poor (non-existent) winter daylight.

I am privileged to be responsible for running the Facebook group for Crafty Individuals, the long-established and very popular British craft company (amongst other things). I have been a huge fan of their stamps and beautiful papers for as long as I can recall, more or less since I started card-making in the early noughties, so I was thrilled to finally have chance to get down to making some Christmas cards with some Crafty Individuals products.

These were part of a batch-making session, using CI-479 (the slightly grungy starry background), which I stamped in Versacolour 'Cool Grey' for some subtlety. Then I stamped Ellie Mulligan's beautiful O Christmas Tree (CI-530) on separate card in Onyx Black Versafine with clear heat embossing and cut it out.

I have been seeing a few black and/or grey themed cards around, which I quite like, so used Black Soot Distress Oxide to blend around the outer sides. Not sure I like it.. possibly a bit dark for Christmas.

I mounted the tree on recycled cardboard for a touch of dimension, and to lighten the mood slightly, I added silver Stickles to the star. an image from Crafty Individuals 'Merry Christmas' Miniatures glossy images pad (matted onto some black card for structure and definition), added some random silver sequins and a computer-generated sentiment.