Author: Catherine

Quite some time ago I wiped off a few stencils onto a page in my Dylusions journal and also added some texture paste that I had coloured through a Seth Apter stencil and then just left it be… well on Friday I decided it was time to finish that page and this is what I ended up with.

I added Inktense over the full page using the blocks and then adding water to give it a wash. I also added some white gesso and then more Inktense using the pencils and waterbrush to activate.

I added a little bit of stamping using the Gummiapan text stamp and archival inks. I also added some doodling with charcoal which added some interesting effects.

Then I added some sentiments/titles using the distress oxides and clear embossing powder. These are some Visible Image stamps.

Of course I also added splashes … I’m addicted to my fan brush! … of both white gesso and the dark blue inktense.

Super happy with this page and how it ended up… not bad for a work in progress of about 18months!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Another of the massive set of gelli print ATCs used from before Christmas.

This just needed a little bit of embellishment and I chose to do some stamped feathers and some doodles around the edge.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

This week the prompt of “pretty short sighted” had me a little stumped… but then I popped into Poundland on my lunch break and spotted a fancy dress monocle and immediately I had the idea of adding it to a card somehow and using pretty colours! Weird I know but that’s what I went with!

Want to see how I got to this final card… well I videoed the process! Here is the link.

Loved the playtime and quite chuffed with the eye drawing too.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Earlier this week I shared the page I made in Marie’s journal… well I had to do both sides of the envelope so today I am sharing what I did with the other side. I also have an apology for the wobbly video as I kept bashing the camera! Ooops.

Anyway… check out the video here to see the process…

And here is the final piece…

Absolutely love this … and the fact it is such a contrast to the other side of the envelope. This side was a much softer page and more about nature and flowing … the other side more graphic and edgy…. which do I prefer? Neither and that is the joy of art journalling… Everything can be different and take you in a different direction and style.

Here is a close up of the yummy textures and colours…

Happy crafting!

Catherine

A little while ago I got a magazine that had a kit for making some vellum cards…. I didn’t do a brilliant job of the ideas that the magazine suggested but was happy with these two cards.

Both of them were designed as easel cards and I think they look quite pretty.

So here are my two pretty pretty cards from the kit!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I bought some shimmer watercolours a little while ago and the first thing I did was make a couple of backgrounds… and finally I got round to making them into cards.

The top one I used some Tim Holtz stamps and also flicked a bit of the art alchemy sparks paint on for dimension and added sparkle. I mounted it onto a blue textured card and with a purple organza ribbon.

The next one I used the Petal Palette leaves stamp and kept it quite simple with some string and a brown background.

Love these shimmery paints and can imagine using them a lot!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Hello… I have a tag to share today that I made for a swap. I decided as it would be received near Valentine’s that a heart theme was appropriate. I grabbed a canvas heart and added to my tag I made from mixed media cardstock. I added colour using Dylusions paints and a baby wipe. I then added some stamping using the paints a pattern stamp from Serene Silhouettes. I then added lots of splatters using the Art Alchemy Sparks and metallique paints and then added stamping using the hugs and kisses stamp from Good Greetings. I love the font on these stamps. I added some more ink to the edges and then finished it off with the same sentiment on white and some drops of glossy accents. Love both the sparkle and the texture on this and the contrast with the silver grey ribbon. Happy crafting! Catherine

Hello. It’s been a while since I’ve shared any circle journal pages as we had a little break to allow for people to catch up. So I’ve been holding onto Marie’s journal for some time.

I did play with the video recording…

… So pop over to You tube to check out how I did this…

I adore the colours and the layers and how something so small such as the patterned paper Marie had included in the envelope sparked my mojo to make this! Such fun!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Another day, another swap… this time a postcard. I watched a Jennifer Maguire YouTube video before I made this about using alcohol inks and lifting colour through a stencil. So I gave it a go! I added the alcohol ink using an applicator to create stripes across a piece of vellum and then used the blending solution to lift colour through the stencil. This created a really soft finish. I then tore the vellum and affixed it to some card stock using my sewing machine… this is by far my favourite way of added vellum to anything. I then heat embossed the Tim Holtz wildflower using the mixed metal colour embossing powder from WOW. I love the finish of this… it looks so textural. And then I added a little sentiment to finish off. I did add some black cardstock to the back to strengthen the postcard for going through the post. Happy crafting! Catherine

The prompt for this week’s playing card challenge was clear and transparent.

I knew immediately I wanted to play with my alcohol inks on acetate and to create a window/frame. But it was yesterday before I got the chance to start.

I did a little playtime first and then remembered to film the process …

Here is the link.

And the final piece…

I love the texture and depth I got on this. And that lovely colour on the acetate layer too.

Happy crafting!

Catherine