Deb’s Patwits circle journal 

Hello there

I have another circle journal page to share for the Patwits envelope journal. This time it is Deborah’s journal and her construction is similar to mine but bigger! 

I decided to go all Teesha Moore style. I started with painting the envelope with the Bora Bora paint.
I then cut a piece of paper to the size of envelope (not the base where it opens) and added a base of Autumn fire Paperartsy fresco finish paint and then added all the magazine collage papers.  I then added stamping to them using a mix of number and word stamps from my Hot Picks stamp sets. 

I then stamped the queen stamp onto some paper I had coloured with Paperartsy fresco finish paint. I then added that to the envelope and added black paint for the borders and then some doodling and the sentiment.  I used white paint pen to add the dots. 

I then added some dots through the stencil for the inside part of the envelope still visible as it needed some pattern too!

Next I decorated a tag to peek out of the envelope.  The envelope is partly sealed which means it fits perfectly in the gap and sits in the middle! 

I decorated both sides … but the back gas a message for Debs so only showing the front of the tag here…

I used brushos and distress stains to add colour and then black paint through a stencil to add the zig zags.  Then I used gesso to mute a bit of the colour and pattern and added Darcy’s feather stamp and gilded it with the gilding flakes.

I added the tiny dots to add some interest to the left hand zig zags and then stamped the sentiment from the same Darcy stamp set onto a scrap of paper I had stamped a background onto with Distress oxide. I cut that out and added that on the top. 

And a sneak peek of the other side of the tag…  I used distress oxides and another Paperartsy stamp set to create this autumnal leaf tag! I stamped the leaves with a mix of archival inks to make it a red and brown leaf and then clear embossed… I love my stamp platform for making these techniques so easy!

So there you go… another Patwits circle journal page complete. I hope Debs likes my experimental Teesha Moore style page.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Geometric postcard

Hello! 

Today I have the latest postcard I made for a swap. The theme is geometric shapes. So I decided to use the triangle gelli plate to add the distress oxide ink to the white card. 

Once this was dry I stamped the Layering the Love sentiment stamp and then the stitched circle stamp that I moved into an oval to frame the words. 

I mounted it onto a black card panel ready for posting when I get my swap partner announced at the end of the month. 

Happy crafting! 

Catherine 

World cardmaking day

There really is a day for everything these days… And today is world cardmaking day… So it would seem rude not to make some cards!

I stuck the video on and recorded the process of making these four cards with bits from the stash and some papers left from an Artful Days Goodie Box. 

After I had made the video I decided to use some of the leftover bits and bobs to decorate one of the Acetate boxes from Stampin Up to create a pack of the cards as a gift for a family member/friend at Christmas. 

Hope you like these… And managed to get some cardmaking done today! 

Happy crafting!

Catherine 

ATC’s numbering 340 – 343

So I can’t believe how close I am to my target of 365… and there are still 3 months to go before the end of the year. Not sure I’ve ever managed to fulfil a challenge before. I am amazed! 

Anyways … the idea for these ATCs came from Wanda who shared a project on the Paperartsy blog using distress oxides and transparent gloss texture paste. So I had to have a go! 

I took some pieces of mixed media cardstock and layered the fired brick, candied apple and black soot distress oxides until I was happy with it. Then I added the texture paste through different stencils.

I finished them all off with stamps and doodles, mainly using the Paperartsy stamps.

These first three are all for a UK stampers forum swap. 

The final one I treated slightly differently. 

Once the texture paste was dry I took a baby wipe and wiped off a lot of the colour. I LOVE how this came out.  So different. Will definitely be trying this again.

So that’s 4 more towards my target! 

Happy crafting!

Catherine 

Let them eat cake postcard 

The theme for September in the Facebook postcard art swap group I am part of was “Let them eat cake, or bread” or “Marie Antoinette”.  So I had to use the fabulous Marie Antoinette Octopode Factory digital stamp! 

Of course it is very unlikely that Marie Antoinette uttered the infamous phrase “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche” herself… in fact no proof at all that this was attributed to her… and that was why I went with the title I did for my postcard. 

I printed her off on the linen cardstock and then coloured her using distress oxides and my waterbrush.  I then diecut a frame from another piece of the cardstock and sandwiched them together with glue. This was she looks like she it looking out of a frame. I added a little ink to the edges with a waterbrush to add some soft definition. 

Next I added a cake that I stamped and cut out from the Happy Moments stamp set. I did cut the candles off though and then added colour using the distress oxides and a waterbrush again.  Next I added the hand stamped sentiment and edged that with the same colour ink as the frame. 

I then added the topper to a piece of Berry Burst cardstock that went well with the Seedless preserve distress oxide ink I had been using.

Finally a little wink of Stella for Marie Antoinette’s crown and the cake flowers and stand to add that little bit of sparkle! 

Love it! And hopefully so will Sally-Ann, the recipient of the postcard. 

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Wow with Watercolour class

Hi

Tonight friends will be gathering at mine for a crafting session where the theme I chose was watercolour!   Now given I am not an art teacher nor do I know how to watercolour in the way you might be thinking…. I instead chose to add colour in a watery way… or use stamps designed to give a water colour appearance. 

So here is what I have got prepped… 

Watercolour wings with brushos and some embossing. 

Watercolour words with some inky circles using a gelli plate.

Watercolour wash background stamp with a silhouette.

And finally… 

A scrapbook page just for a change. Using the gelli plate to add the inky large circles and the circles from Happy Celebrations set which I applied ink to using the Stampin Write markers to keep with the sketchy look. 

Hopefully we will get through these projects in no time at all… or at least get most of them done! Regardless I am sure we will have fun! 

Happy crafting!

Catherine 

Tag swap with layering the love

I made this tag using some leftover distress oxides from other projects and stamping using the Happy Celebrations set. 

I then used timeless textures too and the Layering the Love for the main sentiment. I then added dragonflies from the awesomely artistic set.

I am so in love with Distress Oxides and how they layer. So much fun! 

Happy crafting!

Catherine 

DT: Craftyhazelnuts patterned paper challenge 

Hello … how is it already the 1st of October? Wow! This year is zooming past! And apologies no blog posts for the last couple of days… but I am back up and running (well stumbling along may be a more accurate description) again! 

Well as it’s the first of the month I have a Design Team contribution for Craftyhazelnuts patterned paper challenge.

I used Memories and More card pack from the Colour Theory suite and made an anniversary card. 

I love how this came out, especially with the acetate overlay. Nice to use these project life style cards that I know I am unlikely to use for the reason intended! 

Rightio… with that card shared it is now time for me to go check out what my fellow team mates have been up to with their stash of patterned paper! 

Happy crafting! 

Catherine 

I made a card… whoop!

Ok so the title of the post is a little uninspired… but given how I still feel pretty grotty it is the best I can do! 

I managed a while in the craft room though and made a card. I had no plan and just set my camera to record and this is what I came up with… 

Loving the marbled background (so elegant) and the ombre Happy and then the shimmery die cut dragonfly.  Such fun! 

Enjoy watching my jabbering on video here! 

Happy crafting! 

Catherine