International Art and Soul Challenge 134

 It's my turn to choose the challenge theme for this fortnight, and I've gone for one of my favourites, and I hope it'll be something you find fairly easy too. I want you to Say it with Flowers!

I first started following Susan Tierney-Cockburn when I got her book showing how to make realistic flowers from punched shapes. I've still got a box of punches, many of which were bought specifically for that purpose. Snowflakes make pretty good calixes! But dies are much easier, and I've been collecting her dies since her first collection  with Sizzix. I haven't bought too many of her more recent collections largely because there have been a lot of repeats, but the one flower I've been waiting for is the freesia. Not only do I love the perfume from those, but it was my mum's favourite flower. So, when I spotted freesia among the latest Spellbinders collection, I had to get it.

The frame is 12in square, and due to a miscalculation, I've had to leave the glass out as the flowers are a bit too three-dimensional! But the result is intended to be a placeholder until I can finish a piece of blackwork to go with one I've already completed. Anyway...

The background was made using Distress Oxide, and I blended, stencilled and used a rubber texture spatula to create the various effects. The flowers are ll freesia, and I've added some more of Susan's foliage to the arrangement. I used green card for the foliage, but the freesia (and their own leaves) used white card that I'd coloured with Promarkers, and added further detail with Pan Pastels. I love how freesia can have different colours, so that's what I went for here.

I'm looking forward to seeing your flowers, whether they're stamped, drawn, die cut, clay, wire, or however else you want to make some flowers.

International Art and Soul Challenge 133

 The challenge for this fortnight was set by Jane, and she wants to see projects where there are three of something. That could be three embellishments, three images, three ribbons, whatever you like.

I've been working on backgrounds a lot of late, and after some inspiration on You Tube, I came up with this:

The background started with Distress Oxide inks which I blended together, Then I added some more detail with Pan Pastels before stamping the Lavinia fairy, foliage and words. I added some further detail with a glitter gel pen, a white gel pen, and some Posca pens.

It's not obvious from the photo, but the black background is quite twinkly. I embossed it using a Crafter's Companion folder, then applied some Versafine Clair ink with a brayer too the very fine leaf detail. I had hoped for more colour transfer, but when it didn't happen, I heat embossed using some clear holographic powder.

To finish, I added three flower gems and three tiny clear gems I've had in my stash for a very long time. I suspect it's about three years since I last even opened the box where I keep sticky gems, so it was nice to get them out.

I do hope you can join us this time.

International Heart and Soul Challenge 124

 It's a new year! I hope you all had a lovely Festive Season and that 2022 is very kind to all of us.

The challenge for this fortnight is to make something that isn't a card. Apart from that, the choice is yours. In fact, I feel a bit of a cheat compared to my team-mates who have made some amazing things, but right now, (mid-December) I don't have time to do anything I don't urgently need, so I went for some Christmas tags.

I started with 2 sheets of A4 Hobbycraft smooth card. Using Distress Oxide ink in Speckled Egg, Broken China and Hickory Smoke, I 'smooshed' the damp card to create a pale background. When the sheets were dry, I went to work. I used Distress Ink in Blueprint Sketch, Broken China, Evergreen Bough, Pine Needles, and Festive Berries which I applied lightly with blending brushes.

Then, with a stencil from Stamperia, I applied some Crafter's Companion metallic ink in Silver and Pewter. Then, I stamped both sheets randomly with snowflakes (from the most recent edition of Creative Stamping Magazine, and a Lavinia text stamp using mainly Versafine Clair ink, although for a few I used some Blueprint Sketch),.

Then, I cut sections of both sheets using part of a Tonic die set. I then finished each piece by edging with a suitable ink, before sticking the result to more white card cut using the same die set.

To complete, I added some silver cord, and they're ready to write and apply to gifts.

I do hope you can join us this time!

International Art and Soul Challenge 123

 The theme for the next four weeks, set by my team mate Maggie, is to use dies or punches. Other that, you can do whatever you want to do.

In April this year, I was very happy to take part in a workshop on spring flowers by Susan Tierney Cockburn. I've enjoyed using her dies for some years, and even have a copy of a book she wrote before there were any dies. There, she showed how to use punched shapes to make a variety of flowers which were remarkably realistic. So, for this challenge, I decided to make a floral arrangement using some of her dies old and new, along with a frame die.

I started by colouring card for the frame. I used a range of blue Distress Oxide inks, and did another sheet for the back board. The frame pieces were cut using a die from box Elizabeth Craft. I bought it quite a long time ago, and have often considered buying another similar die which would allow me to make bigger frames than this die is designed to do - up to 8in end to end. But I've always thought it would be possible to extend the Elizabeth Craft die, so that's what I did here. The frame is 11in end to end, so that I could cut it from A4 card. It took me a few attempts to get it right, and I discovered I need to use a score board rather than my usual trimmer to score the extended fold lines, but in the end, it worked well enough.

The central part of the background was stamped (again in Distress Oxide ink) using a Clarity solid frame stamp. 

That done, I cut a range of pieces for various flowers and ended up using about half of them (as usual...) The orange flowers are Kerria Japonica which were included in the April workshop. The large white flower is a Gerbera Daisy, and the cream/yellow flowers are Forsythia and also uses a Susan's Garden branch die.

And another one - this time using a Tonic hexagonal frame in shades of green, and the flowers this time are Cattleya, again from Susan's Garden.

And that's it. I've no idea what I'm going to do with the results, but I'm fairly happy with it. I think I managed to stop myself adding too much - that's my usual problem.

I do hope you can join us for this, our last challenge of 2021!

International Art and Soul Challenge 111

 The challenge for this fortnight was set by my team mate Jennie, and she wants creations on the theme of 'Holidays, here or abroad'.

This card took a surprising amount of time - especially since I only had two options that occurred to me. I finally decided to use a fabulous stamp from Creative Stamping magazine and went from there.

That's where my problems started. First, I thought I'd try a watercolour version, but didn't like the result. Then I decided to colour the image with pencils, and that worked well enough. The image is of three beach huts, so I've repeated the stamp giving a partial hut each side of the original three. I added a little distress ink to both the sky and sand to even out the tone and edged with some more.

I was playing with multi-coloured backgrounds made using distress oxide ink, and this was actually the third one I did. It's not that I didn't like the others - more that they just didn't work with the image for whatever reason. Finally, I did tis one and it seemed to work for me. I edged it with Versafine Clair ink, matted the image and put the whole package on to a 5 by 7 inch card.

I do hope you can join us this time.i

International Art and Soul Challenge 110

 The challenge for this fortnight was set by my team mate CG, and it's to use a pre-coloured topper.  Now, that's not something I do very often, although as I get more in to designing and decorating my own background papers, it's becoming more frequent. I recently bought a couple of packs of Hunkydory Topper Decks, and I've used a couple here.

For both, the backgrounds started as gelli prints. The first was first generation and fairly clean, the second was a second generation print to which I added ink through a stencil. In the case of the first card, I just added some inky colour to the background to take away the whiteness. In both cases, the ink was Distress Oxide.

I do hope you can join us this time.

International Art and Soul Challenge 107

 The challenge this fortnight was chosen and is being hosted by my team mate Jennie, and it's a card or gift for a man.

I recently donated some cards to a local hospital for patients and families to use, and it occurred to me that there were very few male-themed cards (if any). I do make cards for men - I've got a husband, two sons, my daughter's partner, two brothers-in-law, but I don't tend to make male cards 'just because'. Because, of course, those 'just because' cards are done because I want to make something pretty! Anyway, during the post Christmas sales, I obtained a couple of topper decks from Hunkydory, and one of them, with all vintage style transport images, was intended to give me some inspiration.

I started by creating an A4 background using Distress Oxide inks and smooshing them on to stamping paper.

I added some stamping on top - mainly to give some texture, and used it to cover both the display and base sections of an easel card. The image is simply matted, and I used a die (from Joanna Sheen, I think) to create the stopper. Nothing too complicated, but I think it works.

Also in the Hunkydory sale, I got some stamps, and decided to play with one.

I did like the idea of these stamps - circular landscape type silhouettes, with corners to match, and while I think the card is usable, I'm a little disappointed without really knowing why. Again the background uses distress oxide ink, smooshed on to stamping card, with the images stamped in Versafine Clair ink.

I do hope you can join us this time.

International Art and Soul Challenge 106

 The challenge for this fortnight is Winged Creatures chose and hosted by my team mate Christine. I normally immediately go for butterflies for this sort of challenge, but not this time. Two cards, and not a butterfly in sight!

I have been inspired recently by some Lavinia Stamps videos, and this has resulted in both the cards in this post. This first one, started with a second gelli plate impression with distress oxide ink and a stencil. (The first impression will be used elsewhere!) The result was very understated, but I liked it, and added some more detail. First, I used a circular mask and Victorian Velvet distress ink. Then I added the foliage and added the raven using stamps from Lavinia stamps. I coloured the blossoms with pencil. I wanted a bit more texture in the background, so I used a couple of stamps from Creative Stamping magazine - some text and another small one with a 'cracked' appearance. And that, apart from some silver mirror card to matt, is that.

The second card used very similar techniques:

This card used similar techniques, although the gelli print was first generation, and a lot bolder as a result. I added some trees, and the fairy on a toadstool image. The fairy was from my first ever set of Lavinia stamps - I think they were a subscription gift for a magazine some years ago. The toadstool isn't opaque - so I added some colour using coloured pencils. And again, some mirror card to finish, and a fairly simple card.

I do hope you can join us this time.

International Art and Soul Challenge 102

 The challenge theme for this fortnight is Off to Dinner. I chose to use a stamp depicting two very glamorous ladies drinking cocktails as I imagine their next stop will be dinner somewhere very exclusive.

The stamp is from Crafts and Me which I've had for several years. I know the company went out of business a while ago, and I don't know if the image is available from anyone else now. I coloured with watercolour pencils and added some glittery accents with Sakura Stardust pens. I gave the background area an extra glitz with a Crafter's Compaion glitter marker.

The background started as a simple smooshed piece with Distress Oxide inks, but I wanted to add something to it, so I added a gel press impression with white acrylic paint and a stencil.

I do hope you can join us this time.

International Art and Soul Challenge 101

 This time at International Art and Soul, the theme of the challenge is Hearts. You can interpret that as you wish. I decided to make a card using a Gorjuss stamp I bought a few years ago.

I coloured the image with pencils - my newly-purchased Koh -i-Noor Polycolor pencils. I'm by no means an expert at colouring with any media, but I was reasonably happy with this effort. I envy those who can see where to shade darker and lighter and do it successfully, but I do struggle with that.

The bacground uses plain black card and a piece of embossed and Distress Oxide shaded card which was left over from a previous project. I do hope you can join us this time.

International Art and Soul Challenge 98

 This challenge lasts for four weeks, taking us through the festive season, and it's an easy one - Anything Goes with a Bow! So, what are you waiting for?

I decided to have a go with my new hexagonal frame dies from Tonic. I already have a couple of sets of square/rectangular frame dies from Elizabeth Craft and I like those, but was intrigued by the different shape. I finally got something that worked well enough, but I need to find a way of reliably getting the angles between the sides more accurate.

It looks ok, but I can't line the inside with a decorated background because the angles between the sides aren't quite right. Still, I made the best of it by filling it with some flowers. Apart from some greenery which I cut using a Sue Wilson die set, the rest were cut using various dies from Susan Tierney Cockburn. The doily in the background was cut using a pink die which I think means it's Marianne, but I'm honestly not sure. Both the bucket and the doily were shaded with a variety of Distress Oxide inks, and flower details were achieved with Pan Pastel and Liquid Pearl. The silver decoration on the frame was cut using a very old Spellbinders die, and the bow using a Creative Expressions/Sue Wilson die set.

And that's it. I do hope you can join us this time.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 264

The theme for this fortinght is Shabby Chic.

Now, I've never really got the hang of exactly what is and isn't shabby chic. So, I've got a couple of different projects to share in the hope that one of them fits!

I'm scheduling this post in June, and at this time, the hospital where I normally volunteer (but currently can't visit because of public transport restrictions) asked for donations of face masks for volunteers and visitors. I've made quite a few for my own family, and to make it more interesting, started stamping and shading plain cloth before hand-stitching the result. This is what I started with:

And these are photos of the finished result:

The instructions I used to make the masks is here. I'm not in any way a sewing expert and I don't own a sewing machine so the masks have all been hand-stitched. The edge pieces are the same cloth as the main part - I just didn't stamp or shade it at all.

The stamps are from a range of suppliers including Inkylicious, Craft Stamper magazine, Crafter's Companion and the inks are either Versacraft or Versafine Clair. The former is intended for stamping on cloth. The latter isn't, but in my not-very-scientific tests, when I heat set the images with an iron, they seemed to last as well as the Versacraft in a single wash. Beyond that, time will tell!


The second project is a card.

I recently saw a faux bleaching technique demonstrated on Create and Craft and liked the effect so much I had to have a go. I created the background by blending four shades of Distress Oxide ink on glossy card. I placed a Crafter's Companion stencil over that and sprayed with water. When it was dry, I replaced the stencil, slightly offset from where it had originally been, and dabbed black ink. Finally, I added some butterflies from a different stencil - this one from Imagination Crafts. I matted the result on black and then pastel green (not obvious in the photo against the white card) and that's it!
I do hope you can join us this time.

International Art and Soul Challenge 87

The theme for this fortnight is Tiny Things. How you interpret that is up to you!

I used quite a few 'tiny things' in my card, and even came up with a sentiment that seems to me to work too.

I started with some Mixed Media paper and gave it a background tint using Distress Oxide ink, then added some flowers and butterflies using some Card-io Majestix stamps (the first 'tiny' thing.) I added a little Perfect Pearl powder to add a little shimmer, but that's not obvious in the photo. Next, I cut a 'trellis' using a Tonic die, and added some branches and lots of tiny flowers. The branches are a combination of Spellbinders and Cheery Lynn as were the flowers. I then added some flower centres and 'leaf buds' using liquid pearls.

Finally, I designed the sentiment in Photoshop Elements and printed it on photo paper. In case it's hard to read, it says, 'The Greatest Successes in Life are the Culmination of Lots of Tiny Things'.

I do hope you can join us this time.

International Art and Soul Challenge 79

The theme for this fortnight is to use green as the main colour.

I decided to go for something that seems quite spring-like, and came up with this:

I first heard of Susan Tierney Coleman when she published a book showing how to make realistic flowers out of punched shapes. I then followed her when she turned to die cutting - first with Sizzix, then Elizabeth Craft and most recently with Tonic, and I've used mainly her dies to create the arrangement above.

I started with some card which I tinted with Distress Oxide ink in a variety of green shades. Then, I stamped a floral trio repeatedly and heat embossed.

The dies include the Japanese Fern and Galvanized Tub from Susan's most recent Tonic collection, along with Dogwood and Gerbera Daisy from the original Sizzix range. I've also used a few leafy sprigs that came from The Works. I shaded petals in a pale blush pink using Pan Pastel and added a slightly stronger colour to the edge of the dogwood petals using Promarker. To complete the flowers, I dabbed some glue on the stamens and sprinkled some magenta shaded glitter.

I do hope you can join us this time.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 252

The theme for this fortnight is Green.

I have a son with a birthday at this time of year, and since there's normally a 'green' challenge around now, he seems to always end up with a green birthday card. And this year is no exception.

I started with some card which I treated with Distress Oxide ink in a variety of green shades. When that was dry, I took the larger piece and added some Pixie Powder in Peacock Green. The smaller piece I stamped using green Versafine ink. The stamps come from a couple of Creative Stamping magazine issues. To finish the card, I found a border die which I think was made by Crafts Too. and that's it! I do hope you can join us this time.

International Art and Soul Challenge 78

The challenge for this fortnight is one I found hard: Use a Photo. I found it hard because I don't like to post photos. I use them when crafting, but since they're normally of people, I don't then put them on my blog. So, I had to do some thinking.

And here's the photo I chose. Not at all personal!

When I got a new laptop, I decided to say goodbye to Photoshop Elements which I've used for many years and try Gimp instead. Let's say the learning curve has been rather steep, and I've barely scratched the surface of its capabilities. But I've tried hard to work out how to do some of the things I used to do regularly, and one of my favourites is making a background out of an area of an image. I often do that when I want a background for a digital image, but I've never used one of my own photos before. So, I digitally cropped a small section of the flowers above, shrank the cropped image, mirrored it so that the edges all matched, and tiled it to make a background. And this was the result!

I printed the result on to photo paper, and with the addition of a stamped image and some matting, this was the final result.

The background to the image was shaded with Distress Oxide inks, and then I stamped the image (stamp from a recent issue of Creative Stamping) and embossed it in white. I added a little green to the leaves, brown to the trunk and red to the pendants using Promarkers and completed the card with a little lace.

And that's it. I hope you can join us this time. So long as you use a photo, it doesn't matter how you use it!

International Art and Soul Challenge 74

Our first challenge of 2020 is to create something that is monochromatic. The project can be anything you like, and any theme.

I've got a Christmas card I made using a Woodware stamp.

The image was stamped using Versafine ink, and the background shaded using Distress Oxide ink. The background paper is a magazine freebie from several years ago.

I hope you can join us this time.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 246

The challenge for this fortnight is to do away with patterned paper. Leave your stash of pretty papers alone, and other than that, any project is allowed!

I made a card and matching box for a friend who retired last month.

I started with some white card which I coloured with Distress Oxide ink in several of my favourite shades.

Then, I embossed two roughly 8in by 8in pieces using an Embossalicious folder. I then added a little more distress ink on some of the embossed areas and finished with a little gilding wax.

I made some flowers using dies from Sizzix's Susan's Garden range, Elizabeth Craft's Susan's Garden Notes range and finally a die from Printable Heaven along with some greenery cut using a Sue Wilson die. To complete both the box and card, I put together a label in Photoshop Elements which I die cut using Spellbinders dies. After photographing, I removed my friend's name from photos of both the card and box because I don't think it's fair to include that sort of detail in public without permission.

And that's it!

I do hope you can join us this time.

International Art and Soul Challenge 64

The challenge for this fortnight is to use embossing - either heat or dry.

I've done some heat embossing on a Chocolate Baroque stamp I've had for a long time. It's fair to say it comes out most years as I get into making Christmas cards, and I'm always searching for a different look.

I stamped with Versamark ink and embossed with gold detail powder. I added some colour to the diamonds using a Spectrum Noir Glitter marker. The background was made using stencils and a gelli plate with distress oxide ink and gilding wax. Even though the script in the background isn't the same as on the image, I do like this combination. Some gold mirror and white matting and that's it!

I do hope you can join us this time.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 237

The challenge at Crafty Cardmakers for this fortnight is to use a die or punch. Once you've done that, there are no restrictions on what you produce!

For this card, I started with a background which I created using my gelli-plate, some Distress Oxide ink and a stencil. The die cuts were cut using a die from Tonic's Sew Pretty range. I stitched them with metallic gold thread. The sentiment was stamped with a stamp from John Lockwood/Creative Expressions, and I highlighted the pretty flowers with a little glitter using Crafter's Companion glitter pens in yellow and teal. I completed the card with some sticky gems.

I do hope you can join us this time.