I'm back from my creative coma.....

Sometimes life just doesn't go as planned. Sometimes you can be surrounded by the nicest of stamps, crafty things and inks and just not feel the love or inspiration. And that's exactly how I've been feeling for the past 2 months. Creativity can't be forced so I didn't. Although it can be frustrating when you so desperately want to create and the energies don't flow that way! But I feel a little more creative again and although blog posts will still only be an odd occasion at the moment, I would like to share this canvas with you today.
It was inspired by some pieces Dina Wakley did in a recent Stampington publication, it's very messy and inky and painty, using photos of my family.

I'm also delighted to say that I'm Guest Designer on the Stampotique blog this month so watch this space for some lovely Stampotique creations and check out their blog!

2011 - 2012

So we say goodbye to another year that had been filled with crafty inkyness and hello to a new year which once my Mojo returns should hopefully be even more colourful.
Looking back at the year it has certainly been an interesting one. I managed to get my crafty creations published in both Craft Stamper and Stampers Sampler and started as a permanent team member for Just Stamps magazine.
I also went to my first ever workshops starting off with the Tim Holtz Artsy Crafts one in February, followed by another 2 Artsy Crafts where I met some lovely people and learned new techniques, esp off the lovely Lynne Perrella.
I took part in my first craft fair, a fun day and great confidence boost as people really enjoyed my makes.
I lost my mojo a bit in June which was scary but I soon turned it around by taking up art journaling or at least the techniques used in art journaling. I am not much of a journal writer but I gave it my own twist and created home decor objects in a painty, inky art journal style. Some of my favourite creations were my mirrors last year hence I am entering this one into The Stamp Man Awards for favourite project of 2011.

I also discovered my love for Stampotique stamp.


These are two of my favourite projects. The card I sent to my sister's boyfriend for his birthday, I think he wasn't too impressed with Uncle Buck on the front. Ah well, I think he's such an adorable character.

I also started painting canvases last year, mainly using collage sheet images as the main focus. I esp like working with the kids pics from Lisa's Altered Art, and also my own family photos.

These are just a few things I really enjoyed making last year, of course there were many cards and challenges I entered, let's hope 2012 will be just as fun filled. I have set myself a few goals for the year and once my mojo returns I will get making. I am currently updating and redesigning my whole website so I am concentrating on that for now. There will be some candy coming soon too. I had promised this a while ago but never got round to taking a picture of the goodies and writing the post so I will make that a priority!

Happy 2012 everyone!!!

What's the point - Mixed Media Canvas using Tattered Angels

This canvas was created a few weeks back when I was playing with my spray inks and I set myself the challenge to only use spray inks to create this. It's difficult layering spray inks when they are water soluble cause anything you spray on top will just "melt" the layer underneath but you can still create nice effects with stencils and by lightly varnishing one layer then spraying over the top.
I also used some Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze for the splatters, gives a nice shiny splatters effect, I'm not sure what else to use the stuff for to be honest. It's just one of those products I haven't found great use for yet.

Abstract Canvas inspired by Dyan Reaveley

Sometime this summer (if you can call it that) I was browsing some blogs and one post stood out. It was Dyan Reaveley's blog post about a canvas class she tought. Here is the original post.
It inspired me so much that I wanted to try out my own large canvas. I had until then only stuck to smaller canvases and used photos and collage sheets to fill it out and I was a little scared of tackling the big white canvas.
But with the help of the post and loads of peeking at the student's canvases I worked out this canvas here.




I liked that one very much but thought I could have done some things a little better so I made a second one. So this is the new and improved version.

I won't give you any instructions as Dyan is teaching these as classes and I don't want to give away her secrets. If you're clever work out your own or maybe take part in one of her classes. My time off if very limited and as I'm always working weekends I can't get to as many workshops as I'd like otherwise I would have loved to go to this one.

As these were painted in the summer holidays my boyfriend's daughter was here too and she joined in as well. She is 13 and this is her canvas.... this one is a bit work in progress and not entirely finished but almost there.

Thanks to Dyan for letting me post these and for the inspiration.

Dyan's Blog

Butterfly Wax Canvas

The inspiration for this canvas came from a You Tube Video by Stampington.
I haven't played with my meltpot in a while so this inspiration was just in time to get waxy.

I am entering this into the first ARTSpecially Challenge, although the website is in Dutch, thank heavens for Google Translate.
I love their magazine, I bought some back issues from a shop in Germany last time I was home and although I didn't know what the articles were about, the pictures and projects were still amazing and very inspiring!

Mixed Media Canvas

I've not shown a canvas for a while so here goes.
This is actually one of my larger pieces. The background is a crazy mix of paints, spray inks and splatters. Some stamping for the numbers and writing and the dina wakley stamp has been stamped, scanned, colours inverted and printed out in A4.

I'm not very confident when it comes to messy crafting, I like to have a plan and know what goes where but with this one I just got in there and went a bit mad.
Turned out ok I think!

Alter it monthly - September Theme - Trees & Twigs

It's Alter it monthly time again.
I had two months out from the DT as the themes were a lil bit not my cup of tea and so the amazing Kim Dellow took my place for two months. She did a much better job of the 2 themes than I ever could have so a huge thank you!

This month the theme is trees and twigs. Any kinda trees, parts of trees you get the idea.
As I have been making a lot of canvases recently it just had to be one for this theme, and here is my tree of thoughts.
I have recently done a photo tutorial on how I create my messy, painty backgrounds so scroll down for earlier posts if you fancy getting painty yourself.

I hope you do join us for this months challenge, there is of course a prize up for grabs from our lovely sponsor Calico Crafts. So I'll cu there!

Eye can see you.....

Here is something I prepared earlier.... well last week to be precise. It's a canvas (what else!).
I used an image that Kate Crane used in some of her journal pages, it's rubber glove moulds and I just love using any kinda hands so I had to have a play with these ones. Do check out her blog - The Kathryn Wheel - it's full of great colour and inspiration! And the original image too if you wanna create something with those hands yourself.

If you like my inky background I used once again on this, scroll down for a previous post on how I create my inky backgrounds. There is step by step instructions with photos.

Can you take any more canvases?!

up canvas1
Originally uploaded by Anikraft

Have you seen enough canvases yet?!
I hope not cause I am working on a few more and there is also a tutorial coming soon on how I create my messy, painty backgrounds.

I just wanted to share this one with you today. I discovered the hand image in one of Kate Crane's journal pages and fell in love with it. It's by Tumble Fish Studio and even though this particular image is not available anymore there are so many other great collage sheets to pick from. Check them out!

Go Wild Challenge.... an yet another canvas....

fairy canvas1
Originally uploaded by Anikraft

Yes it is indeed another canvas. I just can't stop making them. I am very quickly running out of space in my house now.

I made this one for the new Tando Creative Challenge where this month the theme is Go Wild. I know a butterfly is not really that wild but still an animal, also I went a bit wild on the colours with the pink and orange. Not normally a colour combo I'd go for.

Fashionable Stamping Challenges and yet another canvas....

As always I have been really busy and there just hasnt been enough time to craft and blog. But I got up really early on Monday to get working on some canvases and in true German fashion I have been very efficient and created 4 canvases at once. It's quite handy cause whilst one dries you can get working on another one and make the most of the time.

Oh, I also had to chase the postie halfway down the road in my slippers on Monday, lucky I did cause the parcel he had for me contained my new Dina Wakley stamp which I love and now I want all the others too. I used it straight away for this canvas. I am loving the beige/teal colour combination at the moment - I think they work so well together.

So I am entering this into the Fashionable Stamping Challenges where the theme is "Anything goes".

Also I have been asked on flickr whether I'd consider doing a tutorial for my painty backgrounds and how I created some of my mirrors recently so I have decided to do one and will get working on that next week. So watch this space!

Where would you fly?!

I've been playing with some canvases again and this is the result. I used an old photo of my dad, the photo just works so well with butterfly wings behind it.

I made this for the Artistic Stamper Challenge where the themeis Male/Men. And I am also entering this into the Sir Stampalot Challenge where Anything Goes.

Stampotique Challenge - Red, Yellow, Orange

Til a few months ago I never looked at Stampotique stamps twice, they just didn't suit my style and mood. But people change and moods change and styles too and since I started painting canvases in an art journally style i have found myself wanting more and more stampotique stamps.

For this canvas i had to re-size the little man a bit so I stamped him, scanned him and printed him in the size I needed, I hope this is acceptable for he challenge. The hearts hanging from the top are one of my favourite stamps at the mo, I just hang them from every page and card possible. Hehe.
The blablabla stamp from Stampotique is on my shopping list but I have not yet been able to afford it (have ordered many others though) so I had to make up my own BLAS!
I made this with the Red, Yellow and Orange Challenge in mind and this will be my first ever entry, sure it'll be one of many to come.

My first ever market.....an experience!!

So I have finally completed my first ever market. I have to say I was a bit scared but also excited beforehand. I just didn't know what to expect. Would my stall look ok, would everyone look more professional, would people be nice?

I have taken on a few tips from more experienced friends of mine and asked lots of questions and advice beforehand and it has paid off.

I got to the venue (Miller pub near London Bridge) at 10am and was shown my space straight away and started setting up. I did have some help from my boyfriend and his daughter and we all got to work straight away. pretty much did the table set up as I tried it at home on the dining table, a few things didnt want to stand up but everything found its place at the end and I was very pleased with it. My table looked colourful and busy with loads to discover.

I got chatting to some lovely people, picked up new ideas (and lots of business cards) and enjoyed a look around to see what everyone else had made, lots of amazing stalls!!

The loveliest suprise was my bloggy friend Kim Dellow of Crafty Makes popped by, we had not yet met in real life so it's was really lovely to meet her. She also took that picture of me.

As for sales, I did well. Much better than some of the stalls around me who had more larger items and didnt sell as much. I took on a tip from Zuzu who said to have smaller, cheaper items as people are more likely to pick up a little something for a £1 or £2. So I had bottle cap fridge magnets for sale. They are so much fun to make too.

I also sold this canvas I made last week for the Try it on Tuesday Challenge (sponsored by The Craft Barn).
Someone picked it up as a present for someone.

Overall it was a very positive experience and I would like to do it again but as these things always happen at weekends it makes it difficult for me cause I'm always working. But I hope to do more fairs like this, definitely.

For now I have to concentrate on my shop adventure. A local shop has offered to sell some things for me, which is amazing news, but I can see a lot of work coming my way. I better get making!!!

Mixed Media Canvas

I was working on 2 things at once the other day, one being a mirror that I will share with you in the next few days and the other is this canvas.
I've nit worked on canvas for ages as I always like to make "practical" things like picture frames or mirrors or clocks. But I like this little picture, in fact it's goin on my wall rather than towards the craft fair I am making things for at the mo.
It is made up from enless layers of paints and sprays. It is also the first time I worked with printed images from Lisas Altered Art. I'm not normally one for using digital sheets but she sells some great images or kids and also old photographs.

Alter it monthly - June - Canvas

It's time for another month at Alter it monthly and this month the theme is canvas. This could be a piece of canvas or a canvas frame, use your imagination. We look forward to seeing your entries. And as always there is a prize to be won!

I had some fun with sticky back canvas and as I recently found out you can print on the stuff very easily I printed another old photo. This time it's my sister outside my grandmas house. I covered some chipboard with the canvas, distressed the edges and spritzed it with some silver shimmer mist. Add some fibers, a type charm with my sisters initial and there you go, a lovely little present.

Mini Canvas Frame Tutorial - Alter it monthly

This month is my first month with Alter it monthly and it's an honour to be part of such a fun blog! The theme this month is Shrines, Alters and Nichos... if that sounds like a fun challenge why don't you come and join in, there is a prize to be won.

A for my piece this month I used two mini canvases to make a deep frame and I just wanted to share with you how my piece was created.

This is my first little picture tutorial so any comments and ideas for improvement are more than welcome.

Get yourself some mini canvases, although this would work with any size canvas. Cut the canvas out of one of them and glue onto the back of the other one so you have a deep frame to decorate. In this case I covered it with Terra Texture paste, you can apply it as rough or smooth as you like. The reason why I like using a texture paste on the back of canvases, it's because it covers up and stapled bits of canvas or canvas edges very nicely.

When dry, paint in a neutral colour like Traditional Tan.

I then rubbed over some Inka Gold, this is an amazing product almost like shoe polish. I apply it with my fingers, bit messy but great fun. I just rub it over the frame to pick up bits of the texture.

Now find yourself some items you want to display in the frame or decorate it with. I had two old chess figures lying around. I painted one in Modern Masters Iron Paint and the other one in Modern Masters Bronze Paint. These come with different type activators......

For the Iron Paint I used a rust activator and for the Bronze Paint I used a blue patina activator. The effect is particularly visible where more activator was applied. Gives a nice aged effect, I love these paints. Next step is to place them in your frame and decorate to your liking, I used tissue tape to add a little playful touch.

Get some more embellies ready.

Assemble it all.

Lastly I sprayed the whole thing with a bronze shimmer spray.

Now get yourself some canvases and get making, it's great fun and as these are fairly small it is also a very quick project.

A week of firsts ..... meltpot & mini canvas

I finally got my meltpot the other day and already have a load of ideas in my head of how to use it. First one is these mini canvases. I used the back of them and painted them in pale umber as a base, then crackle paints and glimmer mists over the top. Pop a picture inside, these are from the tim holtz lost and found stack. I do wanna make more of these using actual family photos, I think it's a great way of displaying photos and only last year I dug out LOADS of old pic from my grandparents and stuff.

So anyway, I poured in some clear utee but it did set a bit funny and I re-melted the whole thing with a heatgun til almost all of it was liquid in the frame again and kinda swooshing around. It set a little better after that. But I was aiming for perfect anyway, it's supposed to look old and vintage.

Add some idea-ology and that's it!

I can see myself using a lot of utee doing this again. Also, I got to stock up on mini canvases whilst their on sale. Something to do in my break today I reckon!!!