Hand Carved Flowers

They are finally coming in, Lin Brown's fantastic new stamps, Carved Flowers from Paper Artsy. They are part of the new Eclectica3 range, and I am in love with them. I just have the one at the moment but I shall be stalking the delivery man tomorrow.

I found them so versatile with ink or paints, the possibilities are endless. You must pop over to Lin's blog at Yours Artfully where she is giving a free tutorial on the stamps. I'm trying to resist having a look till after I have posted this blog.

Here's a few photo's of the samples I have done:

The backgrounds are Chalk Acrylics sponged onto a piece of mount board. The main flower on the board is stamped up using distress inks Broken china and wild honey and the cut out flower was painted with Beach Hut and when the paper had dried stamped using Butternut paint, and the colours matched really well.

The wording is off Paper Artsy Petals Plate 6 and a few other bits from older PA stamps.

The centre of the flower is highlighted with Adirondack Dimensional Pearls in Butterscotch.

Same idea for the background but on this picture you will notice a few of JOFY's new stamps have sneaked in. Even though Lin's and Jo's stamps are completely different styles they do complement each other.

These flowers have been stamped onto painted card with Archival Ink and highlighted with a White Posca Pen.

Maybe just a word of warning it can became a bit addictive, by the time I had decided which flowers to use my desk looked like a flower garden, not a bad thing though.

See you soon

Sharon x 

Just for Fun

Hello everybody,

Well the sun seems to be hiding today but we have had some glorious days. On Sunday, Jamie and I went to the NEC trade show. There was lots of new products and a real sense of excitement around the show, I cannot wait waiting to get cracking with the new lines we have ordered.

Dont forget to Like us on our home page of the shop, then when Jamie posts about the new goodies you will not miss out.

Before the show I had a little play time just for me.

So out came the Dylusions Inks, stamps and stencils. My new Posca pens, which are just brilliant for journaling as they will write over just about everything.

I made a seat for pondering putunia out of washi tape and created a figure using hands for body a bit strange but fun.

I used the letter jumble stencil 9 x 12 for my lettering Have Fun and Create Art just by using a black posca pen to trace and then highlight with some white dots.

Hope you like

I was going to show what we made at the NEC but Jamie didn't think it was fair until we had got the stamps in. Sorry (hope they come in soon they are fab).

See you soon

Sharon x 

Happy Valentines Day

Jamie and I would like to wish all you lovely people a Very Happy Valentines Day. (just in case the other half forgot).

So I made you all a little card, you have just got to share it between you.

close up

I wanted to see what effect you would get when you blend Paper Artsy Paints and Distress Stains together.

So I applied a small amount of Sherbet and Rose Chalk paint along with Brushed Pewter Distress stain onto the craft sheet, spritzed with a drop of water and then swooshed my card through it. 

And that's the effect I got, I blended in Broken China Distress Stain to a small area so that it wasn't too pink.

The stamp in the background is 'Love Is' by Indigo Blue, and the sweet Crowned Bunnies are designed by Alice Palace for Craft Individuals.

I cut out the hearts from the sizzix Mini Hearts set and run it through the Diamond plate Embossing folder and coloured with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink and edged it all with Aged Mahogany.

This time last year Jamie and I moved into our new house in Mid wales, we didn't have the furniture that was arriving the next day, but we were nice and cosy in our sleeping bags.

Hope you have a great day and love to see you again soon

Sharon x 

My February Tag

Hello everybody, not sure where the time has gone, guess that is what happens when your are really busy. Not complaining though, we have had a lot of fun creating projects for our new upcoming workshops. 

We have so many super ideas, if you are interested pop and have a look at ATP. But of course the most exciting news that Finnabair is coming to Derbyshire to do a workshop for us, the details have yet to be finalised but we know that there will be 4 separate classes and there has been a lot of interest already.

I received a new stamp from the lovely people at Craft Individuals and because he is such a cutie I thought he could feature in my february tag..... So here's Party Puffin.

  

I painted the background with Paper Artsy's Baltic blue, then added snowflake to Indigo Blu's Bubbles (BB1) Background stamp. When completely dry I applied a coat of Satin Glaze all over to give it a sheen.

I then stamped Party Puffin (CI-376) onto white card and cut it out, I also stamped it onto a scrap piece of black cardboard to give it some depth. He was coloured in using distress markers and his crown painted with Old gold paint.

"Love" is from Tim Holtz stamp Stuff to Say (CMS110) and coloured again with distress markers. The I and U are grungeboard letters that I have had for ages.

The tag has been matted on black card and a heart ribbon added, very easy to do and I think it would make a super Valentine's card.

Here is a quick peek at a background I did in my journal. I really love doing backgrounds, but my problem is I don't like covering them up.

It is Paper Artsy Acrylic paints and Crafters workshop stencils. Thanks again to Leandra from Paper Artsy for the super Video on You Tube of how to do the Bump Stencil Technique.

Don't forget go over to the shop to have a look at the workshops, there will be new one's arriving, and there's new stock coming all the time, soo.. exciting.

Well i'm off Pondering Petunia is waiting to be sprayed and painted, if only it was that easy to look gorgeous, I think I will have to settle for a pair of striped socks.

Bye for now, thank you for popping by and leaving lovely comments.

Sharon xxx

New Dylusions are here too :)

Just arrived, the new Dylusions Ink Sprays :)

We are also trying a different layout for the blog, is it an improvement?

thanks 

Jamie x

New Ranger products have arrived

Just to let you know we have just received a delivery of the new Ranger goodies. 

We have the Tim Holtz Distress Paints, Dylusions Stamps and Claudine Hellmuth Stencils

We also have the new colours of Dylusions sprays coming in tomorrow (fingers crossed) they got separated from the rest of the order.....

Thanks

Jamie :)

True Intentions

I have decided I am going to try and do my own tag each month. The theme for my Tag for January is Found Stuff. As much as I love Tim's tags I am trying not to be influenced in my design.

Most of the embellishments I found on my craft desk after doing a mixed media canvas, you know what it's like you have an idea, make something and then it doesn't fit in with what you are doing, so it sit's there but you don't want to throw it away.

The quote on Tim Holtz stamp "Words for Thought" CMS132 sums it up perfectly and I also like his new burlap panels, but I am so impatient I want them now. Well I have had to settle for a scrap of hessian and some organic muslin, which look really good sprayed with Dylusion Ink Sprays.

A large NO 10 tag went through my Big Shot Machine in a Sizzix honeycomb folder then coloured with distress inks.

The smaller tag was embossed with white powder so it resist's  the distress ink. The stamp used is CMS087 "Shabby French".

Theres small cogs, which have been given some texture and others cut out of metal and coloured with paint and alcohol inks. Half of a weathered clock cut out is placed under the tag and behind the name plate. On top of that is a tattered flower and leaf.

Well I think that's enough about my tag, hows the weather with you. It snowed on Sunday but was gone by Monday Morning but it's looking a bit black at the moment, so more could be on it's way.

You may have read that I have signed up for the Lifebook 2013 course and I am really enjoying it. It's taking me out of my comfort zone, but I am also making good use of my stash. So if you need some inspiration and would like to learn new technique's go over to Willowing.org. Here's a peek at one of the pages of the book I have done.

The words inside the ballons are be grateful, be happy, be honest, never give up and make good memories, these are my True Intentions for 2013.

Hope you enjoy my pages see you soon,

Sharon x