Because I am a little mad I’ve joined in on another Christmas challenge …. this time the one Martin is hosting.
Day 1 was … Something Red … so here is my card using the lovely Paperartsy stamps my friend Darcy designed. Coloured them using ink blending, embossed a layer and added a ribbon. Sentiment heat embossed with a dark red colour powder.
I raised the sentiment circle and the leaves up on foam to give dimension. Cute! Well I think so.
Will be unlikely to do every day for the 30 day’s but will share what I do/did make.
I’ve really got a thing for journalling at the moment… especially junk type journals. Well this was following s class that Lollipop Box Club’s Lisa is doing Patreon and I decided not only to follow the class but to make a similar themed journal as her sample/demo… a journal of things that make me smile.
I had loads of fun with an old Ladybird book, taking it apart (carefully) and then decorating it and putting it back together to make a journal.
I started with this second hand book which I bought off Etsy. I’d love to go to a second hand book shop in real life, but it’s just not possible in lockdown so etsy it had to be!
I carefully removed the pages from the book, it handily came out in three signatures and then added some gesso to the cover.
I chose some patterned papers to add to the signatures and then realised I needed to widen the spine so I cut the spine and added patterned paper to create the wider spine. I strengthened it to make sure it was going to hold and then went to town decorating the front.
I used a lot of scraps I had to hand some bits and bobs I had lying around. I included some things that are favourites of mine… bright colours, the Darcy heart, sari silk ribbon, tags, bookprint and glossy accents on the die-cut smile.
Then I bound the signatures in using the brightly coloured twine.
Really looking forward to working in this journal adding in the things and stories that make me smile. Not sure if I have mentioned on the blog already or not but my word of the year is smile so this seems like a good project to help me achieve my goals of bringing a smile to every day.
On this particular day (I made it a couple of weeks ago) what made me smile a lot was sharing the table to create with my daughter who was working on her textiles gcse work. I got so much pleasure out of watching her create.
These little pics may well need printing for inclusion on the first page of the journal in fact!
Today I have two postcards to share with you because two separate groups had heart themed swaps this month… and I thought why not share them both at the same time! (Actually you will see this isn’t right … but read on to discover more!)
First up is the heart card I made for the Inchies, Twinchies and more group and I used the Darcy paperartsy stamp…
I embossed it onto a Gelli print and then added some colour to the cogs.
I decided to sew a border on the panel to add texture. I then embossed the title onto some card and added that too.
The base was some chipboard painted with black gesso. I added some doodling round the edge and called it finished!
Next up I made this postcard for the Hearts a Flutter challenge at Postcard Art Swap…
I used distress oxides and the smooshing technique with different shades of pink and purple. I also did a bit of subtle stamping in the background.
Then I used Indigo Blu stamp for the wings and then using the wipe up from the oxides onto glossy photo paper I stamped and embossed the heart stamp (another Darcy one) and stuck that down.
I doodled and chose a sentiment from the stash and embossed that before glueing the strip in place.
I finished it off with some enamel dots and some glossy accents on the heart.
So that was me thinking I was done with heart postcards but after I had posted them to the recipients I realised I had made a mistake and the swap for Inchies, Twinchies and More was actually for four postcards … doh!
So off I set again! I chose to use Darcy hearts and keep to the theme…
Card 1… a Gelli print using the mini Gelli plate and a heart stencil and lots of paint splatters and adding the panelled heart on top.
Card 2.. stencilled with distress oxides and gloss gel through an aall and create stencil. Then scrap of cardstock and the cog heart embossed and lightly watercoloured. I love peacock feathers.
I taped off the edge and then watercoloured using the metallic paints from a Rainbow Moon set I bought a while ago. Then when it was dry I stamped the funky hearts into the middle and coloured them with Inktense pencils. Then I added versamark and clear emboss over the whole postcard to give it a glossy finish.
Finally I used vellum and created a pocket for the heart confetti and then sewed around the edge. I added the dotty washi and the embossed heart I coloured with a red pen.
OK think I have now come to the end of heart postcards…. but probably got a few more heart projects to blog about before the month is out!
A challenge at the Inchies, Twinchies and more group for this month was to make 12 twinchies with the theme of hearts. I had so much fun pulling out all my heart themed stash!
First up is my favourite Darcy paperartsy stamp with the text. I stamped and embossed it in black and then added some metallic watercolour paints. Then a doodled edge!
Second a three layered twinchies and the top one stamped the Alpaca Pals stamp in pink. Then a sticker with a small layer of vellum underneath to finish off.
Next I used a heart stencil and embossed with some modelling paste… then when it was dry I added brushos with some sptays of water… love the texture and the joy if brushos. I added some twine and then an embossed heart on red card stock and then a canvas sticker.
This one more Darcy hearts (she has designed so many great heart stamps over the years) in the background. Next I added some Alpaca Pals stamps… the sentiment stamp I added on the white panel. The back panel I added the red blending. Then added the sentiment and the red little heart. I finished with some glitter glue for the heart.
This one is a play with the fresco finish paints to create the background and the panel to emboss the hearts on. I added some punchinella with staples. I added the smaller panel with the embossed hearts and then the sticker with a mount of the purple cards.
Next some more Darcy hearts… this time a simple stamping and colouring in job with Stampin Blends and promarkers.
The next a Darcy stamp embossed… then some washi on the panel underneath onto the Blackberry Bliss cardstock. Finished with the sticker sentiment and some gems.
Another embossed background with a different heart stencil. This time I added the colour with distress crayons. Then a larger sticker sentiment added to vellum and a piece of washi and stuck down with staples.
Another Alpaca Pals stamp with the cute doodled text hearts. Simple. Stamped on the Melon Mambo card and then added to the white twinchie with a black border to each layer. Added a gem to finish.
Another Darcy heart stamp embossed in silver as a stripe across the pink card twinchie. I also added the pink washi and then the heart gem and the sentiment, which I added glossy accents to so it was shiny.
The final one is a little pocket with some hearts in the middle and sewn around the edge with the top layer of vellum. I then added a heart on the top which I added glossy accents to. Finished with the sentiment sticker with a layer of red cardstock underneath.
Absolutely loved the playtime I had with this project… so much fun! Hope the recipient enjoyed them all as much as I enjoyed making them.
Yup it’s the heart day! We don’t really do anything exchange cards for valentines day… although this year it being all weird with lockdown etc I did order a special cheesecake to celebrate!
Anyways I did make a card for both the hubby and one for the teenager… because well why not?
I used a scrap of the Tim Holtz collage tissue paper and then some stamping for my card for the hubby. I added some sewing and some splats of Cherry Cobbler and Black gesso.
As the focal point I added the embossed heart which is my favourite Darcy heart. I coloured the heart with the Cherry Cobbler Stampin Blends and then adding the ink around the edge of the panel. I found an old stamp with the right sentiment and added that too.
I added the panel and then some doodles round the card. I also added the star sequin for a finishing touch.
Entering this card into the hearts challenge at Addicted to CAS.
For the teenager I went for a completely different look but also a Darcy heart and some sewing!
I used dsp from the stash in several layers with a layer of the white cardstock. I also added some lace tape some stamped and inked card and a Darcy heart which I raised on dimensionals. I love the sewn element with the contrasting pink thread. I also added the gem and the sentiment.
I don’t always join in with the ATC swap at UK stampers forum, but this month the challenge was hearts and I am still absolutely in love with this stamp Darcy designed for Paperartsy. It’s been one of my favourites for a long time.
I kept to the theme of using the same dsp on the ATCs as I did for the coins… the red gingham from Berry Delightful. Then I embossed the heart onto white and cut it out.
I decided that it needed something behind the heart so I added strips of black washi tape. Then I added the red heart punched shape and added stickles to it for some bling.
I outlined the cards in black pen and called it done. Super simple and super effective!
Entering these for the red/pink challenge at GET CREATIVE
I have another set of coins made from scraps. This time for my UK Stampers Forum swap.
I used gelli prints left from the Russian art dolls project. I covered the background entirely with one print and then stamped the letter and number stamp (from Craft stamper magazine) onto the whole base to make them all similar.
I then added the canvas heart sticker and took some other scraps and embossed the flower stamp (another Craft Stamper stamp) and fussy cut them out.
I added the paint dried up bit off the top of the bottles and a gem to the centre of the flowers.
I then used a Darcy stamp for the sentiment embossed on black card.
I have a card I made to share with you today which uses all Darcy stamps which I had on the desk from making the heart coins I shared last week.
I started by masking off a section of a card blank with washi tape and then stamping and masking the word hearts. This really is one of my favourite stamps.
I then coloured the stamps using watercolour pencils and a water brush. There is a bit of shimmer to the hearts because I hadn’t cleaned my brush out from using it in my shimmer paints! Ooops! Happy accident!
Next I stamped one of the Darcy characters and coloured with promarkers and fussy cut them out to add to the card.
I finished the card off with one black gem.
Love this! Such a simple card to make really… might do this again with other stamps to make an interesting panel on the background.
Inkyfingeredcat 