Artful Times... missed post...

Well, Christmas is over for another year. Toys are everywhere and the Kiddies are overloaded with chocolate. Back to reality, well maybe not for another week or so.
But here is something I made a couple of weeks ago. I initially created it for the Artful Times Challenge Blog - but then missed the post date for the challenge.... yep I'm blaming the Christmas rush, but I like it anyway so I'm blogging!!!

The Challenge was "Diecuts and Punches" so I decided to use a selection of both.

First, I played around making a background. I wiped over a piece of card with Peeled Paint and Vintage Photo Distress Inks, added a bit of Crushed Olive DI and pounded it with a ink applicator brush to create a textured 
background. 

I played around with a selection of my punches. I used the ribbon punch and threaded through green ribbon. And used a selection of X-cut punches on different papers. 

I stamped the Vintage Santa stamp from Visible Image on to white card and cut it out using a Spellbinders die and inked around the edges. 

I also used a Spellbinders die to cut the background panel. For this, I used Core'dinations card and sanded it back to create a distressed background. 

I used another Spellbinders die to cut out the floral sprig from parchment paper. 

I layered up all the pieces on to the inked background and slotted in the different punched pieces. 

What I used...

* Distress Inks - Vinatge Photo, Crushed Olive, Peeled Paint
* Selection of punches
* Selection of Spellbinders Dies
* Ribbon
* Parchment paper

I would like to enter this creation in to the following challenges....

* Visible Image - December Challenge  

DIGITALLY SWEET - challenge #68

Hope you've all had a lovely Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year.

I have a tiny bit of news too.... Karen at Digitally Sweet Challenges has offered me the chance to stay on the team for a while longer. And as I'm having sooooo much fun, I said yes, yes, yes!!!

So, this week at Digitally Sweet we were given a Lacy Sunshine Image to play with. I chose Hula Hoop as my image and you can find it here in the Lacy Sunshine shop.  

I chose this image as a bit of inspiration for the New Year - to lose a bit of the excess flabby bits and do some exercise.

Here is what I did with my image.

I coloured the image in using my ProMarkers and went with a red/purple colour theme.

I chose a white 8 X 8" card blank and inked it round the edges with red ink.

I used a piece of red stripy paper and some purple glitter paper which I cut in a 4 x 4" square and cut a tag out of another piece.

I placed the background papers at different angles and created a layered effect.

I placed the image on top and to finish added three lilac gems and a purple bow. 

Items I used...

* ProMarkers - lilac, lavender, amethyst, ruby, poppy, apple, cinnamon, caramel, henna.
* Red stripy paper.
* Purple glitter paper. 
* Purple ribbon.
* Lilac gems.

Thanks so much for popping by during the busy festives. hope you are all enjoying your Christmas.

All things (not) so Christmasy...

Well, here it is, Christmas Day 2013!! And I still can't resist to blog, blog, blog away....
But, I just had to share another one of my creations using Visible Image stamps. 

I created this for a special friend of mine who "doesn't do Christmas". So I always tend to make her a special something around this time of year. 

This year, I decided to make her a over-sized tag and I chose vintage pinks for my colour palette. 

Here is what I did...

I cut a over-sized tag shape out of watercolour paper and inked it using a brown and a pink Distress Inks concentrating making it darker around the edges. 

I dry embossed the bottom half of the tag and inked it again. 

I gathered a selection of different sized paper flowers and brushed them with the distress inks. 

I added a thin piece of lace along the bottom and some green sprigs to the arrangement. 

I added a wide pink satin ribbon around the center, threaded a dragonfly charm on to pink/white bakers twine and wrapped it over the top. 

At the top half of the tag, I stamped the Visible Image Large Butterfly stamp twice using the same pink Distress Ink to create a very subtle effect. 

I then stamped the VI 'thanks so much' sentiment stamp using Vintage Photo Distress Ink over the butterfly stamped image. I used Vintage Photo DI as black was far too harsh and I wanted to create a soft look to keep in with the vintage look. 

I added a piece of crochet lace along the top edge and added a small flower arrangement opposite. 

I threaded a butterfly charm on to pink organza ribbon and tied it at the top of the tag.

To finish I die cut a butterfly from parchment paper and added it to the satin ribbon around the center. 

Anyone who knows me, knows I adore butterflies, any shape, pattern or size... and this stamp from Visible Image is no different. Its a great stamp will fantastic detail. 

 Check out the Visible Image website here for more fabulous stamp designs. 

What I used to make my creation....

* Distress Inks - Vinatge Photo, Victorian Velvet, Tattered Rose.
* Ribbon - lace, crochet lace, satin, organza.
* Paper flowers, green sprigs.
* Charms.
* Parchment paper.
* Spellbinders die.


Thanks for having a toot at my blog today, hope you all had a fantastic Christmas Day 2013. Lis xxx

I would like to enter my creation in the following challenges...

* Visible Image Blog - December Challenge

* Loves Rubber Stamps - Holiday Blitz AG

* Sweet Stamps - #149 AG 

Santa's comin.....

Hello to all my lovely blog followers.... well for the past couple of weeks I've been playing with my lovely Visible Image stamps. I'm a HUGE fan of VI, their stamps are amazing. Great designs, excellent quality and they always deliver in super quick time!! Check out the Visible Image website here. 

I bought a couple, few, loads, of new stamps in their black Friday sale and I still can't decide on my favourite.....

But here's what I did with the Vintage Santa stamp.

I made a Christmas tag using kraft card as the base. I stamped Santa's beard numerous times around the edge of the kraft card to create a soft background.

I stamped the Vintage Santa stamp on to card and cut it out using a Spellbinders die and inked around the edges.

I created mini berry and holly leaf bundles and tied a knot of red ribbon and stuck it in the center. 

To finish, I tied a wide piece of green organza ribbon through the hole in the top of the tag and heated it with the heat gun to create a crinkled effect.

I absolutely adore this stamp, it can be used in many different ways from using the whole image, to breaking it up in parts. 

What I used...

* Visible Image vintage Santa stamp 
* Super smooth card
* Kraft card
* Ink - Vintage Photo Distress Ink
* Spellbinders die
* Berries and holly leaves
* Ribbon - red and green 



I would like to enter this creation in to the following challenges...

* Visible Image - December Challenge
* Loves Rubber Stamps - Holiday Blitz AG

DIGITALLY SWEET - challenge #67

This week at Digitally Sweet was quite a challenging one. I've had two poorly daughters who seem to have caught ever germ they could get their little mitts on over the past few weeks. So, unfortunately this weeks challenge was a last minute creation. But, I am still rather pleased with it.

This weeks challenge is sponsored by Template Dreams... 

and we also had an inspiration photo to work from.

As I am not fully confident going 100% digital, I prefer to 'stick to what I know' and go 50/50. I chose a personal photograph to work with and played about with the colours and size before printing on to photography paper. 
Here is my creation....

I used a photo of my eldest daughter and Papa (my Dad) putting the fairy on the Christmas tree which was taken last year.

This is my favourite Christmas moment. It's a family tradition in which me and my sister used to take it in turns every year putting the last decoration on the top of the tree. Now, my daughters have seemed to take over the job!! 

I wanted to use colour on the background and embellishments to keep the focus on the photograph being black & white. 
I cut a piece of watercolour card to 7" X 7" and inked it with a few different Christmasy colours. I stamped a border edge down one side and inked the opposite corner and bottom edge with clear embossing ink. Then heat embossed it using sparkly powder.

I arranged the photograph at an angle in the center. I tided a wide piece of lime green ribbon in a double knot and did the same with a thin piece of red ribbon and added them to the opposite corners. 

I die cut the numbers 2 & 5 and inked them using red ink, then embossed December using my Dymo and arranged in the top corner and in the opposite corner, used silk holly leaves and black berries. 

I thought I might use this as a calender page as I always buy a personal one of the kiddies for the grandparents but this year thought I might do a handmade one. So this is my December. 

To create this...
* watercolour card
* personal photo
* border stamp
* Distress inks - Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint
* Other inks - clear, True Red 
* snowflake sparkle embossing powder
* ribbon
* die cut numbers
* Dymo
* silk leaves, berries

Thanks for visiting my blog today. Please leave a comment if you wish - I do read them all and they inspire me to create.
Lis xxx 

BAH HUMBUG - OSAAT challenge #194

It's our last challenge till next year at OSAAT and to finish of the year of 2013..... 

My image this week was.... Bah Humbug.

I wanted to stick to a monochrome colour palette with this image so chose a black/white/grey theme.

I used my new but-getting-a-lot-of-wear-out-of-them watercolour pencils to colour in the image.

I cut round the image using my EK Success Circle Scissor Pro (Love this tool!) And then using two different black and white pattern card, cut out expanding circles to create layers. 

I cut a background piece of white paper, tore and crinkle around the edges and inked it. 
Then layered it on to the same patterned card.

I tied a knot using silver wired mesh ribbon and black satin ribbon together. 

I used my Dymo to emboss the words 'Bah Humbug'.

I loved using this image as it was so different than the cutesy, traditional, father Christmas image you usually see.

All in all, a perfect finish to 2013's OSAAT creations.

Ingredients:
* Watercolour Pencils
* Patterned paper
* Distress Ink - Pumice Stone
* Ribbon
* Dymo embossing machine


This weeks challenge is sponsored by StitchyBear Digi Outlet will run up to 11th January 2014 10pm GMT (that's 5 whole weeks) so you have plenty of time to get cracking with your creations.

The winner of the challenge get all the images the DT used for challenge #192.
Have a look on the blog for some fabulous inspiration by the Design Team here.


Thanks for popping by and I hope to see you in the new year over at OSAAT. Please feel free to leave me a comment. Lis xxx

I would like to enter this creation in to the following challenges:

* Digi Galore - anything goes
* Crafty Hands - seasons greetings/winter theme
* Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
* Come and get it challenges - Christmas challenge
* Dream Valley Challenges - Christmas
* Here Come The Boys - anything goes for the boys

DIGITALLY SWEET - challenge #66

For this weeks Design Team challenge at Digitally Sweet I used a gorgeous vintage Merry Christmas image from Lunagirl.com

We had an inspiration image to work from.

And here is the image I chose from Lunagirl.

This image reminded me of a vintage postcard, and so this was what I went with. I decided to create a holiday postcard.

And this is my creation...

First, I chose to work on watercolour card so when I was stamping, it created a softer look.

I masked off a section at the top and bottom of the page and stamped a snowflake image using two different shades of pink.

I added two strips of red ribbon to the top and bottom.

I die cut the image using the whole set of Spellbinders dies to create a decoupage. I inked each section then decoupaged it using foam pads.

On the other side of the paper, I stamped a script stamp using brown ink rather than 

black. 

I cut out a old postage stamp from a book and stamped the postage stamp over the top then on the bottom of the page. 

Ingredients:

* Gorgeous vintage image from Lunagirl

* Snowflake stamp

* Script stamp

* Postmark stamp

* Distress Ink - Victorian Velvet, Tattered Rose, Vintage Photo

* Spellbinders die set

* Red Ribbon

* Stamp from book

Hope you like my take on a vintage postcard.

Please leave me a comment with your thoughts. See you soon, Lis xxx