Alcohol Ink Backgrounds

Hi, and a very happy Friday to you. Whilst tidying my bench this week I was putting away some painted card stock and came across some coated card that I had coloured with alcohol inks before Christmas and I instantly knew what I wanted to make with them -------

So I shall give a quick summery of how these 2 cards were made.

For the background I used Mushroom, Lettuce and Citrus alcohol inks on glossy coated card. Then using a Tando-Creative stencil coloured in the facial features with Versa-Magic ink in Perfect Plumeria, Sea Breeze and Ocean Depth. The edges of the background outside of the face were darkened with DI in Walnut Stain.

Next I made the hair and flowers.

The hair was made from 3 colours of wool plaited and the top part doubled up and sewn together. The flowers are a mix of Prima turquoise pre-made and some stamped onto a book page, coloured and cut out.

Once trimmed to size the corners of the coated card had crackle paint added to the corners and the card blank was stamped with TH corner frame in walnut stain and then brushed with copper mica powder. Sentiment was stamped onto white card and mounted onto trimmings of the background. Beads and pearls were added to the hair.

The second background was coloured with Mushroom, Watermelon and Peach Belini and lightened by adding some blending solution.To darken the outside of the face I added a drop more of the mushroom to the felt pad. The facial features were added using Sage to all parts first of all then touches of the following Pumpkin Spice, Sea Breeze, Starlight Black, Ocean Depth, pearlescent Crimson and Perfect Plumeria.

The lefthand side of the face was stamped with the script from Studio 490 Art from the Heart in 2nd generation Archival Watering Can. Then over stamped in Black with the word Dream from Clarity word chain and then clear heat embossed. Once cool I touched the edges of Dream with Treasure Pewter. The hair was made from plaited string.

The flowers were from a tube of Prima which had the edges touched with the Treasure Pewter and pearl beads added to the centres.

Once trimmed to size was mounted onto a dark turquoise card and then some TH Milled Lavender card. Finally this was stuck onto a kraft card.

I would like to enter these into Tando-Creatives Challenge titled 'Anything Goes'

Thanks as always for stopping by, have a great weekend and perhaps spend a little time 'Creating'  Jane x

Deconstruction and Reconstruction!

Good evening to you and thanks for stopping by, tonight I'm sharing my entry for PaperArtsy's Challenge for Theme 5 titled 'Deconstruction'. This includes a list of reconstruction / altered items / repurposing and much more - to find out about the challenge and view an interesting video please click on the link here.

To start with the dish / stand is made from just 4 items; and empty cheese box, an empty cotton reel, a bamboo garden cane and one end of a belt buckle.

For this I only used the base of the box which I gave 2 coats of slate paint to cover up the writing on the sides. 

A slit was cut into the top of the cane and the buckle was stuck in place with epoxy resin glue.

Then the cotton reel, cane and box were painted all over with a coat of China and Snowflake mixed. Once dry streaks of claret, pumpkin soup and inky pool were added. A hole was made in the centre of the base for the cane to go through.

Next onto the decorations for the outside, for this I used stamp sets Jofy 15 and 29. 

The 3 birds were stamped in Archival watering can onto card that had been coloured with shaving foam and pumpkin soup, autumn fire and claret. These were then embossed using clear powder.

The trees were stamped in black onto card printed on a gelli-plate using guacamole and toad hall, these were also embossed with clear powder.

Finally the bird houses were stamped onto white card using DI in vintage photo and embossed with clear powder. They were then painted with a mix of inky pool and chartreuse for the roofs and lake wanaka on the sides.

The tree trunks were given some french roast and the birds beaks and wings high-lighted with chartreuse. These were then all cut out.

Tweet- tweet was stamped onto white card and a strip was attached to the centre of the cotton reel. Before attaching the cane through the base and cotton reel I gathered a length of broidery-anglaise lace to go between the reel and the base.

A piece of tissue paper was cut to line the base and then the trees, birds and houses were added to the rim of the box.

And then filled with chocolate eggs!!!

This has not been an easy piece to photograph so I hope you can get the fun feel of this item.

Well I'm off to make a cuppa, I do hope your week goes well and that it may allow you some 'Crafty Time'. Take care and thanks for all your lovely comments, they really are appreciated. Jane x

'Mother's Day' or 'Anniversary' ?

Hi, today I thought I'd share with you a card I started off making for my Mother-in-Law for Mother's Day but now having finished it I think it would make a lovely Anniversary card instead, so it's probably back to the "inky bench" to make another for next Sunday!

I would also like to enter this for 'Crafty Individuals" bi-monthly challenge, which is run by Sylvie this time and titled 'The Animal World' but it is including birds in the theme.

To view the other entries and Sylvie's wonderful examples click on the link here.

Stamps Used

CI 218

CI 248

CI 350

To begin with I painted a piece of white card using Fresco Chalk Acrylic in Chutney and then lightly over the top with Tikka. Once dry I stamped the bird box in Versa-mark ink and embossed with white powder. 

Next I coloured an A4 sheet of white card with Pan Pastels using a range of colours and merging them together, this produces so lovely muted tones. This I then stamped with the 2 birds and various flowers from the stamp set 248 again in Versa-mark and white embossed. These were then cut out.

After cutting the birds out I felt they needed a little more colour so added touches of the Fresco Chalk paint in Inky Pool, Autumn Fire and Pumpkin Soup. These are all translucent colours so added depth to the colours underneath.

The flowers were curled and layered and pearl embellishments added to the centres.

Then using tissue paper I stamped the medium sized lace stamp continuously across the sheet using Brilliance Pearlescent Olive ink. Once dry, and this did take a few minutes I then cut the lace out and with a small running stitch gathered the lace up.

The edges of the card blank were inked using DI in Milled Lavender and then with the same ink sponged through the stencil.

The stencil was giggled around as I only used elements of it.

The hessian was cut to size and the edges frayed, then lightly touched with Inka Gold in Platinum and  Treasure Gold in Sapphire.

I then decided to stamp a different colour heart for the top of the bird box, which I did in blue and white embossed ---- didn't like this, -- so then found a turquoisey piece on the pan pastels coloured card and stamped in black and was happy with the result.

Finally I crocheted a ring in cream cotton for the bird box to hang from. Then it was a case of giggling things around before sticking them down.

I am pleased with the finished card but the more I look at it I am more convinced it will be used as an anniversary card!

So I'll be off as I have a Mother's Day card to make --- Hope you have an enjoyable and restful Sunday. Take care and thanks for stopping by.  Jane x