Feature Artist - Friendship - Welcome Brenda!!

Hello Everyone!

Anne here, to introduce the winner of my Summertime Fun Challenge in July.  I am completely thrilled to introduce you to the super talented Brenda Brown of Bumblebees and Butterflies.

Brenda has a wonderful vintage/shabby style, her art is always stunning, beautifully crafted and always incredibly elegant!  Not only that but Brenda loves to share her techniques on her blog.  She is a published artist, a tutor and is part of an international design team.  She is one very inspirational lady!

Brenda's project is perfect for Branka's Friendship Challenge, it celebrates Friendship so well.  The project includes some wonderful techniques and celebrates Brenda's style perfectly.  Brenda has included a quote about friendship at the end which is so very true too!

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Hi fellow crafters and artists, it is Brenda here from Bumblebees and Butterflies I am super excited to be here today with a guest post and project for you

I love my 'work', I am able to get up every day and choose what I would like to do. I always seem to have a to-do list of projects that need making but I always seem to get them done even if it is by the skin of my teeth sometimes. This year has been amazing with so many doors opening for me and I feel blessed and honoured that people follow me on my blog and on Facebook and often leave me wonderfully supportive comments. 

Thank you for being here today to see what I have designed. What makes it thrilling is that I don't get the chance to enter challenges very often these days and was so pleased to be able to take part part in the Summer Fun challenge and then found myself totally flabbergasted when Anne and the amazing team chose my frame as the winner. Thank you all so much.

I love the theme Branka has chosen for September, FRIENDS are such an important part of our lives and need to be loved and celebrated often, so here is my contribution to add to all the other wonderful makes from the super talented team and the entrants who have already taken part.

Process steps

~ Adhere a piece of designer paper to the board, sand the edges to smooth them and rub ground espresso distress ink all round them.

~ Stamp a patterned stamp using black archival and paint in some of the design, I used raw umber fluid acrylic from DecoArt.

~ Seal with a layer of clear gesso.

~ Start to gather the added layers for a collage, I did a quick rust technique on some wooden letters to spell the word 'friends'

~ Begin by painting over the letters with raw umber, make sure you catch the sides and dry.

~ Stipple over some paynes grey and yellow oxide.

~ Apply a coat of quinacridone gold.

~ Repeat any of these steps if you need to add more layers to get your required effect.

~ Rub coffee archival ink pad round all the edges.

~ Gather other collage embellishments some of which are left over pieces from other projects. I also found a vintage picture of a group of friends together which fitted the challenge theme and focus for my board perfectly.

~ Add some colour to the clipboard, I used watery washes of  quinacridone red, yellow green light, vermilion and titanium white. I also added some of the paint to the actual clip mechanism and attached it back on the board then rubbed in some iced espresso metallic lustre.

~ Finally I layered all the pieces up  to complete the board ....,.

...... splattering with white paint .....

 .... and finding the 'just celebrate' which seemed to fit in perfectly.

Thanks for letting me be a part of your 'Friendship' group this month 'Anything But Cute' I have so enjoyed it.

Remember - 

BEST FRIENDS

are people you don't need to talk to every day.

In fact you don't need to talk to each other for weeks,

but when you do, it's as if you'd never stopped talking.

I'm sure we all have some of these.

hugs Brenda xxx

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WOW, what a beautiful project!  Isn't that a wonderful way to celebrate friendship?  We would love to see you join in Branka's Friendship Challenge and we hope that Brenda's project has inspired you to do so!

You have until the 4th of October to play - and you'll find all the challenge details as well as lots of inspiration from the brilliant Anything But Cute design team by clicking on the challenge link.

Happy Crafting
Anne xx

WINNERS - Challenge #15 - Summertime Fun!

Hello and welcome, Anne here and firstly I would like to say a HUGE thank you to those who entered the Summertime Fun challenge.  I was completely blown away to see so many wonderfully creative and truly inspiring entries.  I could have chosen at least ten winners and thoroughly enjoyed pouring over all the gorgeous creations. In the end there can only be one winner though (or two in my case) and so the winner is:

WINNER - #43 Bumblebees and Butterflies

Brenda created the most gorgeous watery background, it made feel as if I could dive into the beautiful turquoise water and explore the sea floor...  The bubbles look so realistic, the seahorse is delightful and the frame is so beautifully textured it just makes you want to reach out and touch it.  The whole piece is just exquisite and Brenda has a fabulous tutorial on her blog too!

Congratulations Brenda!  Pamellia will be in touch by email to send you a personalized winner's badge and to provide details about being our Feature Artist for the next challenge.

RUNNER-UP - #24 Suzzstampingspot

Suzz created this stunning canvas and also a gorgeous card, they are both so opulent and elegant, full of gold sparkle and shine.  I can just imagine these seahorses glinting in the light.  Suzz has close ups on her blog and it is definitely worth a look at how she created the fabulous sea bottom!

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Now let's have a look at our DT favourites:




Autumn's Favourites

- #42 Mimi of She's Crafty

What could represent summertime fun more than two best girlfriends planning a summer wedding together!  Mimi's gorgeous shower decor stole my heart!  The letters are absolutely lovely against this stunning layered and textured background.  The lace up ties are so romantic and the beach vibe is perfect for a casual party.  Well done Mimi!

AND - #38 Drea of Drea's Scraps of Inspiration

Drea's lake collage reminds me of summers in South Carolina, with days spent at the lake, searching for that shade tree here and there.  I just love her loose layering style and stitches, along with the gorgeous banner she created.  The colors are perfectly balanced and draw you in to inspect this beauty!  Love it Drea!

Branka's Favourites

#43 Bumblebees and Butterflies

This utterly stunning under the sea project has stolen my heart! Brenda has managed to achieve such fantastic rich textures and to incorporate so many amazing elements together in such an awesome way! I love it to bits!

AND - #24 Suzzstampingspot

I was so impressed by this magical and dreamy canvas with those fantastic golden sea horses! This is so elegant and absolutely beautiful! I am completely in love with this project!

Lisa's Favourites

#43 Bumblebees and Butterflies

I feel like I'm swimming under the ocean, experiencing the amazing colors and textures of sea life when I look at this stunning project!! The details are just amazing and the elements blend together perfectly!!

AND - #24 Suzzstampingspot

I love this card!! One of the most beautiful seahorses I've ever seen!! Her canvas is spectacular, too, but I love how the seahorse takes center stage here, in all of it's sparkly, golden glory!! Wow!!

Niki's Favourites

#12 Catherine's Craft Corner

Catherine has created a fun and whimsical design with a free from thought process. She has enjoyed the moment of the creation and the memories evoked from her summer garden. Gorgeous colors and layers to this fantabulous piece of art!

I just have to list another favorite of mine! With so many stunning entries, I had to include
#6 Creative Journey 

Katelyn's use of the netting and those wonderful raw chippies is exceptional! Her photo is the perfect focal image for this background and the soft ocean colors and breathtakingly beautiful. I would visit this place in the summer in a heartbeat!

Sara Emily Favourites

#43 Bumblebees and Butterflies

It was incredibly hard to choose just one favorite this month, but in the end I chose Brenda's textural and realistic underwater reverse canvas. I fell in love with that little seahorse and her watery mixed media background! She has posted a fabulous tutorial which is the cherry on the top!

AND - #36 KAVA craft

I was so happy Pamellia gave me the thumbs up to list  another favorite, because I could not resist Anna's sea themed reverse canvas! I fell in love with the texture and colors on the frame and that lovely sea and beach. The simplicity of this scene is charming!

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16. Maria                17. tofa                  21. Nicola                29. Ann Chuang

      

37. Karen H            40. SARI              41. Laneen               44. Irena's art

      

A huge congratulation everyone! Thank you so much to everyone who played along with us last month and don't forget to grab your badges! You earned them!!

There is still plenty of time to enter Lisa's current challenge Shabby Garden Mood Board! We can't wait to see what you come up with this time!

Hugs to all, from the 'Anything But Cute' Design Team

Challenge #15 - Summertime Fun!

Hello Everyone!

Anne here and I am your hostess this for this month's challenge here at Anything But Cute. Thanks to all those who joined us last month, we truly did have some fabulous entries! Don't forget to check back with us next Tuesday when Niki and the team announce the winners of the Birds and the Bees challenge. Now on to this month's theme.

Here in the UK we don't usually get great summers, but we love to flock to the seaside, come rain or shine.  Many of us head off to beautiful foreign places to soak up the sun and local culture, while others prefer a stay-cation, enjoying the garden or exploring our own beautiful countries.  I love hearing about and seeing photos of holidays that family and friends have taken and that is what inspired me to choose the theme this month.  So, bring on the ...

SUMMERTIME FUN

What does Summertime fun mean to you?  Spending time by the seaside, foreign travel, camping in the great outdoors or simply enjoying time in the garden?  Create a MIXED MEDIA project focusing on how you like to spend your Summertime.  Don't forget to tell us how your project relates to our theme.

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And now for some inspiration from the talented Anything But Cute design team!

Anne - Redanne

Those who know me, know how much I love the seaside and anything to do with the sea. My dream has always been to own a beach hut by the sea and since part of every holiday includes visiting and photographing beach huts, it seemed natural to create my ideal beach scene....

Autumn - Sew Paper Paint

Branka - Vintage Handmade

I enjoy riding my bicycle during the Summertime and it makes me feel so free.  I created this messy and bright jumbo tag using my fluo acrylic paints to express  how much fun I have during my Summertime.

Lisa - A Mermaid's Crafts

My most favorite thing about the summer is time spent at the beach (must be the mermaid in me ;) I used just about every medium in my craft room to create this ocean-side canvas: texture paste, crackle glaze, grunge paste, texture sand, glass beads, heavy gesso, sprays, paint and even real sand. The sentiment says it all for me...life is better at the beach!!

Pamellia - My Little Craft Things

I think my favourite thing about summertime is how beautiful the world is. All the blue skies and water with colourful flowers and fresh green foliage. I love it! And you can forget the beautiful creatures too! For my tutorial part of this summery card, I have put together a video. Enjoy!

Sara Emily - sarascloset

I made an art journal page to depict my Summertime Fun. I used gesso, sprays, paint, crackle mediums, and few other mixed media products to bring to life a warm summer day at my favorite summer vacation destination.  It's more than a place--it's an experience! I hope you'll enjoy a walk through a West Virginia meadow and then sit a spell on porch with me at my blog.

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My teammates have certainly risen to the challenge with their stunning Summertime projects, don't you think? Please hop over to the team blogs to see more photos and get some details on how these projects were made. And don't forget to leave some bloggy love while you're there.

I hope that we have inspired you to create a mixed media project showing us how you love to spend your Summertime!

The winner will receive the honour of being our Feature Artist for an upcoming challenge!

Here at Anything But Cute we just love to see all the seasoned and expert mixed media artists, but we also want to encourage those who are just getting their feet wet. Our design team will always be on the lookout for these exceptional projects and artists. You just never know when we might be giving out something special to a lucky mixed media newcomer. We all have to start somewhere, right?

Challenge runs until August 4th - we can't wait to see what you come up with! Happy Crafting from the entire team and thanks for visiting Anything But Cute!

An InLinkz Link-up

WINNERS - Challenge #13 - Celebrate Your Style

Hello everyone! 

Pamellia and the entire design team here and we are back to announce the Winners and Runner-Ups from our first anniversary challenge "Celebrate Your Style". We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who entered our birthday challenge last month and supported us for our one year mark! It was so amazing to see all those gorgeous projects that were posted! You all put a lot of love into your fabulous creations and we are completely blown away by the variety of projects and creative ideas! 

As we tallied up the votes, it turned out that we had a three way tie for the winning spot and a two way tie for the runner-up. So without further ado (in no particular order)

WINNERS

Coco #18

Maria #68

Suzz #79

Congratulations to Coco, Mari and Suzz, you really impressed us with your projects!  Please contact Pamellia (pamellia1162@gmail.com) with your full name and mailing address to receive your Gift Vouchers. Deadline is June 25.

We would like to send out a special thank you to the sponsors who donated these wonderful Gift Vouchers and helped to make our Anniversary challenge one to remember:

THE FUNKIE JUNKIE BOUTIQUE:

Store - The Funkie Junkie Boutique

Blog - Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog

Facebook - The Funkie Junkie Boutique

EMERALD CREEK:

Store - Emerald Creek Craft Supplies

Blog - Emerald Creek Dares

Facebook - Emerald Creek Craft

ALLEYSTAMP:
Store - Alleystamp

Etsy Store - Alleystamp

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And now on to our Runner Ups!

Aisha #34

Jenny #83

Congratulation Ladies! Your work is amazing!

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Random Prize Winners

27. Becca Cruger
54. Melissa SunshineHoneyBee
73. Paper Talk With Samra

We would like to thank Linda at the Funkie Junkie Boutique for donating a box of products for our random draw. I have divided it up into three packages, please contact me (pamellia1162@gmail.com) with your full name and mailing address to receive your prize. Deadline is June 25.

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Now let's have a look at our DT favourites:




Anne's Favourite - Ruth - No. 119

Ruth created the most beautiful textured background and the flowers are cleverly made with more beautiful mixed media backgrounds.  A stunning creation.

Autumn's Favourite - #116 Miranda

Miranda's genius mix of drawing and mixed media stole my heart!  This fabulous stylized owl is unbelievably cool and inspiring.  I am totally blown away with Miranda's drawing skills and use of color!

Branka's Favourite - #119 Ruth

I am really impressed by this fabulous canvas with amazing rich textures and breathtaķingly beautiful handmade flowers! It's a fantastic vintage looking make!

Lisa's Favourite - #67 Nikki

I am mesmerized by the gorgeous colors in Nikki's canvas!! I love how they go from bold stripes to a subtle, muted blend!! The butterfly is a perfect touch!! It's absolutely stunning!!

Niki's Favourite - #32-Lys

I was drawn to this gorgeous design by Lys because of the dark and gorgeous background and the texture! Bling, bling! I just wanted to reach out and touch this! Can you believe that the texture was created from potpourri!?! Talk about an upcycle and genius was to use a household item. Wowzers Lys!

Pamellia's Favourites -

93. Jane's Journal

Jane's tag hypnotized me with the amazing colours, and the black and white accents create such a whirlwind of contrast and interest, I LOVE the entire look! So dreamy!

128. boozybear

This layout is just incredible. One of those projects I wish I could reach into my computer screen and touch! So many wonderful products and they all work together in harmony!

20. Electra

I've never seen so many wonderful colours used together before! I would expect a jumbled mess, but instead, this gorgeous piece of art just shines! Well done!

Sara Emily's Favourite -#119-Ruth

The background on this canvas is mesmerizing--I wish I could reach out and touch the texture! To top it off, Ruth finished it in the most beautiful colors and topped it with handmade flowers cut from handmade mixed media papers. This is a must see up close, so be sure to pop by Ruth's blog!

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Honourable Mentions

2. MARYVONNE         16. Isle of Crafty         24. IRIT SHALOM         25. Cara

      

39. Asmah Zainal          48. Ann Chuang         52. Jane's Journal         59. Joi@RR

      

65. Mixed media lerret             81. Karen P              92. Elina              104. Ikemo

      

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A huge congratulation everyone! Thank you so much to everyone who played along with us last month and any month last year! We thank you for your continued support and look forward to many more Birthdays!! Don't forget to grab your badges! You earned them!!

There is still plenty of time to enter Niki's current challenge THE BIRDS AND THE BEES! We can't wait to see what you come up with this time!

Hugs to all, from the 'Anything But Cute' Design Team