Basilodes pepita

Hello.  Welcome.  PaperArtsy have a metallics challenge.  I have tried freehand embossing on metal before without too much success, but, emboldened by Linda's tutorial, I thought I'd have another go.  

I cut the moth from a gold metal sheet using a PaperArtsy moth die and added detail using some ball tools.  Then I used Whimsy FaDoodles stamps, that I was lucky to win in a giveaway from Mrs A.  Thanks Mrs A.  These are really cool and a great help for those of us with attention deficit LOL!  Lots of different styles and sizes of lines and then some little cuties to fill in the gaps.  In keeping with the metallic theme I went for gold embossing.  Sentiment by Unity.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
PaperArtsy Topic 13 - Metallics
Whimsy Inspirations Challenge 99 - Anything Goes

Wasteland of Lost Projects

Hello.  Welcome.  I haven't played over at PaperArtsy for a while and the theme this fortnight has been Hidden Things.  Well, this one has certainly been more of a challenge than anticipated.  I am going to hide all the things that have bitten the dust on the way to this final card.  Once I find the desk that has become hidden by them.  Good job I lost Thrifty Crafter LOL.  Is that enough things hidden Leandra?  No?!  OK, here's one more.  I was inspired by Helen's hidden text project. 

I've used Paperartsy Chatsworth paper for my panel, PA Moth stamp and Flower from petals 2 set .  I stamped the flower twice on patterned paper, embossed with black powder and fussy cut.  The moth was stamped and embossed on Chatsworth paper.  There's a little slot behind the flower to hide the moth's tail.  

Cos the tail has a hidden message

 ,

Zooooommmmmmmm.   Sorry, it just looks like he might be zooming.  

Joining the fun at

Paperartsy

Penny Black and More June Challenge -Wings

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Hot Pink and Cool Blue

Hello.  Welcome.  Just a quick post to share the card I made for April CCC and sent to Marga in Spain.  Hi Marga.  If you don't know about Deborah's Card Chain Challenge you can check it out HERE. 

I used the sketch option and played with my blue brusho's.  Pleased with the background.  More luck than judgement.  Still not sure if it's better to spray first and sprinkle, or sprinkle and spray.  And is it less is more or is more better??  I've used my Simon Says Stamp stitch dies for the card, layer and also the little tag.  The sentiment and the butterfly are Unity stamps and the moth is PaperArtsy.  I believe this may be my first successful use of sequins.  Yeah.  

If you would like to sign up for the May exchange go HERE
If you would like to see all the cards sent around the  planet in April go HERE

This post is being linked to Friends With Flair.  Be sure to leave a comment.  Every week Unity draws a winner from a comment on one of the linked blogs.  Last week they drew a comment from my blog and the lucky winner was Michele Henderson.  Congrats Michele.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
OCS May Challenge - Anything Goes 
Winnie & Walter INSD 2015 - Product Challenge - Sequins
FSC Challenge 97 - Things With Wings 
Unity Stamp Co. Friends with Flair 

2000 Beads On The Floor, And More

Hello.  Welcome.  It was going so well!  I had just found the perfect bead.  And suddenly they were all over the floor.  How did that happen??!!  My man says you opened them upside down!!  Nope, would have remembered that.  And that's why there are little 'open up the other way' stickers on selected items which contain 'many small parts'  LOL.  One second the tray was full of well organised beads of great variety.  The next second the tray was amazingly empty and beads were everywhere.  I think it may have been a cosmic shift.  Or maybe the North Atlantic Elevator has reversed.  I know I didn't say anything complimentary.  Ah well.  A pity some little elves didn't turn up to put them neatly into place again.  I now have a tray of assorted unsorted beads.  And will probably be finding strays for ever.  I got the card finished though *happy dancing*

This was inspired by a canvas Wanda made over at the PaperArtsy blog.  I loved the textures and colours and decided to try using embossing paste on burlap.  Yeah, like that's going to work......

I started with a piece of doty Bazzill, which wasn't the right shade so I hit it with a selection of brown inks.  A sensible person would have done the whole sheet but I just fiddled with one corner. 

I stuck down my piece of burlap and used Dreamweavers Matt Black embossing paste through PaperArtsy stencil PS007.  Sounds like a reminder for James Bond.  Oh, we are in a strange mood tonight.  Anyone would think it was a full moon.  Or after midnight.  That always brings out the crazy crafter.  

I really liked the style of the letter Wanda used.  So I improvised.  I used Sizzix Alpha Bubbles dies and pieced black and white card together.  Then I drew a circle and a cross and added some tiny bubbles.  The green is VersaMagic Hint of Pesto chalk ink.  Don't you have a whole alphabet in this style Leandra?? 

My gilding wax wouldn't play.  Too cold.  Or maybe too old.  So I hit the embossing paste with Brilliance Galaxy Gold.  Not sure it's an improvement but it does highlight the hessian texture which has come through the paste.  Cool.  Was actually quite pleased with the embossed effort.  Not too much paste seeped despite being applied on a semi-raised surface.  I made my flower as Wanda did but used Spellbinders cogs dies.  Steampunk flower!  Must remember that one.  There's the perfect bead.  Looking all innocent.  And a little metal leaf peeking out.  

I stamped and die cut the PaperArtsy moth and added a Hint of Pesto.  There's a couple of pieces of lace, obviously, and I mounted the panel on a green base card.  

Joining the fun at
PaperArtsy
DREAM It UP - Thankful

Thanks for dropping by.  Hope you are having a crafty weekend.  Hugz

The Only Good Reason to Iron

Hello.  Welcome.  I admit, housework holds no pleasure for me.  OK, it's satisfying when everything is in it's place but it seems you turn around and the kitchen gremlins have thrown the flour in the mixer and every pan is miraculously dirty again.  And ironing!  Sorry, never understood that one.  Except, when you have gone a bit mad with the watercolours and the card will not lie flat.  Ahhh, the perfect time to reach for the dreaded flattening tool.  In this case my endeavors were only partially successful.  Gotta love those springy moths though........

 

I liked Keren's post over at PaperArtsy where she stamped on vellum and then added wire.  I was feeling green and summery and started by painting my base card with Cosmic Shimmer iridescent watercolour paints.  A bit sad that the shimmer doesn't show in the picture.  If you have never used these the effect is pretty amazing.  I used various green shades.  I stamped the botttom of the card with black archival using Crafty Individuals CI-395 Build a Meadow stamp. 

I stamped 6 moths from PaperArtsy USNT4 onto vellum using VersaMark and embossed with white embossing powder.  I used the PaperArtsy moth die to cut them out and coloured with green DI and green Wink of Stella.  I curled some green florists wire and stuck it between two moths.  The sentiment is from STAMPlorations Subway Art Builders Create set.

Love how the moths bounce gentle at the end of the wire over the summer meadow.  

Joining the fun at

PaperArtsy

WOW Embossing Powder Challenge - Monochrome

STAMPlorations August Challenge - Stamps and Dies

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Make It Sparkle

Craft-room Challenge - A Summer Garden 

Thanks for your visit.  Hope you are having a great day.  Hugs

Cherry Picking

Hello.  Welcome.  Just not enough hours in the day at the moment.  Had to fit in a couple of unscheduled hours cherry picking because the birds and the wasps are stripping the trees and we won't get a look in.  What with trying to get enough water to the vegetables to keep them alive and growing, feeding the rabbits and hens, keeping an eye on the chicks that are hatching as I type and now I have a load of cherries to do something with.  Busy, busy.  Crafting?  Maybe just a little snuck in between jobs.  

OK, over at PaperArtsy there are just too many gorgeous projects.  It's the same ever week.  If you haven't checked it out you should.  I really liked  Keren's stencil technique so here's my take.  

I used Pronty 30x30 Fantasy stencil and DI Picked Raspberry, Salty Ocean and Mowed Lawn.  I loved this stencil when I saw it but this is the first time I have used it.  It's got letters, so I says to myself, make sure you ink the back so the letters will be the right way round.  OK.  Did I?  Of course not!!  Ah well, call it ART lovey.....

I inked straight to a card but Keren had mounted her panel with a white border so I cut out a pleasing bit.  I also wanted to scale down a bit because my shrink plastic embellishment is quite tiny.....

I found a piece of paper in the scraps with a nice diagonal grid on and cut a tag.  I stamped the moth from PaperArtsy USNT4 in Mowed Lawn and covered with Wink of Stella.  I liked Keren's microscope slide so I wrapped the edges of my tag in silver foil tape and filled it with glossy accent.  Then added another moth stamped on Chatsworth paper and cut using PaperArtsy Moth die.  While waiting for GA to dry I stamped the moth onto clear shrink plastic, die cut, coloured with DI (colours see above), shrank and then painted the back with white acrylic.  It's only 1.5 x 2.5cm.  So cute

It all went together like this.  I decided it needed a hot pink mount and some scarf yarn.  That's what it says on the packaging.  Well actually it says Skjerfgarn, so next time you are in Norway and feel the overwhelming need to knit a scarf you know what to ask for LOL. 

Joining the fun at
PaperArtsy
Country View Challenge - Stencil It
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Start From Scratch 
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Let's Be Clear 

Thanks for your visit.  Hope you are having a great weekend.  Hugs

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Hello.  Welcome.  A extra big hello to Dunja and Jamie who have joined my little following.  A pleasure to have you along.

I have been spending way too much time checking out all the fab posts over at PaperArtsy.  Have you been there this week?  They are releasing stamps and paints and stencils and there are just so many things to look at, and yes I must admit, things to buy!!  I have started with a modest little order which I hope will soon be winging it's way across the sea.  Speed bonny postman, speed......

With so many new product and samples I've been a bit sidetracked.  This project was going to be based on Julie Ann Lee's posts but I spotted a lovely tag on the JOFY post which just jumped out at me.  I don't have any JOFY flowers (speed bonny postman, speed) so I have used flowers from ELB04 and SM12 and given them a bit of a JOFY look.  Well, I tried.....

I started by stamping flowers from ELB04 in white acrylic onto kraft card.  Then I added some Pansy FF paint highlights. Then I cut it to make a large tag

I coloured some card with FF Pansy and Inky Pool and stamped the flowers from SM12 and SIEN10F and cut them out.  I've added some grass using a white paint marker and a green pro-marker. 

I added a moth Julie Ann Lee style and some pretty fibers.


My tag joining the fun at
PaperArtsy
Country View Challenge 12 - Painty Pleasures
Stamping Sensations - Wings, Fantasy and Fiction
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Get Krafty
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - We Love Stamps

Thanks for dropping by.  Off to post this before Mr Linky closes........ Then I have to empty a load of stuff from my craft room.  I have a single bed in here that just acts as somewhere to put stuff.  After remarking on it numerous times my man has decided it needs to be moved and he will put in a work bench instead.  Hurrah.  So I need to get all my stuff moved out so he can do his thing tomorrow.  Must help to make the transition a smooth one.  Hope to be back crafting in a much more spacious and organised way very soon.....

Bang, Bang, Bang

Hello.   Welcome.  Yesterday it was spring.  I was out in the garden.  Today, winter again!  Brrr, yukkk.  Hail, snow, rain...  Craft time!!  

Inspired by the challenge at Eclectic Paperie to alter some playing cards and by Julie Ann Lee over at Paperartsy I started with some playing cards

 I bought these a while ago because thought they were a bit different.  They will be soon.......

I painted two with gesso and then stippled four shades of blue acrylic paint.  Remembering from my brayer adventures that white and red gave a lovely lift......

 

I used the small leaf stamp from PaperArtsy ELB04 with white paint and then made some red lines using the edge of a scrap of card.   Some blobby bits, all good texture. 

I took elements from Julie Ann Lee's third post stamping the egg and sentiment from Urban Snapshot Nature 4 onto some MME card.  I distressed the edges of the sentiment, OK, seriously distressed, and added some VersaMagic chalk ink.  I embossed the eggs with gold embosssing powder.

I stamped the moth from the same stamp set with Inky Pool fresco finish paint.  I added some more of the eggs which I cut with zig zag scissors.  

 

I thought they were tags but think they might make good bookmarks.  The fibres are from a Basic Grey Urban Prairie fibre pack. 

Joining the fun at

Eclectic Paperie Get Altered Challenge - Altered Playing Cards

Paperartsy

Country View Challenge 12 - Painty Pleasures

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - We Love Stamps

Stampotique Designers Challenge 134 - Perfect Pairs

Thanks for dropping by.  I really do appreciate the time you take to visit and comment.  I hope you are avoiding the wild weather and keeping safe, warm and dry.  Take care.