Magical Mystery Tour

I am really enjoying art journaling at the moment and decided to be brave and enter an art journaling challenge!

The theme at Art Journal Journey is Magical Mystery Tour.

I decided to choose one of my favourite places - Venice. The background is printed from Serif Daisytrail which was a mixed blessing because as I added water it bled! However it added to the watery feel of the page. I used a rubber stamp I have for the main scene and a script border stamp for the text.

It was also my first go at using Texture Paste which because of the thinness of the paper was a bit of a disaster! I managed to cover it with some white acrylic. The square images are from a Crafty Individuals pad and I edged them with Brass WOW! Embossing Powder.

I hope you get a little inspired by my art journal!

Flowers and Lace

Are your ready for another challenge? This week at Crafting By Designs we are looking for projects that use Flowers and / or Lace.

Our sponsor this week is Lacy Sunshine

I decided not to use a digital image this time but to do something a bit different - embossing onto dark card.

I used a stamp from the Folk Floral range by Docrafts. I stamped it with Perfect Medium before using White Super Fine Embossing Powder by WOW!Embossing Powder.

I had run out of stick on pearls so I used Liquid Pearls to create mine. 

The piece was mounted onto white then a blue card. I then die cut some flourishes in white card to decorate the corners.  

I have to say I was so pleased with this and hope mine and the rest of the Design Team provides some inspiration for your projects.

Come and join in!

I am entering my card into the following challenges:

The Crazy Challenge - Lace

WOW Embossing Powder - Anything Goes with Embossing Powder

Penny Black and More - Anything Goes with a Stamp

Beautiful Rose

I loved the recent freebie with Simply Cards and Papercraft Magazine. 

It was this lovely embossing folder and stamp set. I embossed the design and then used Worn Lipstick Distress Ink over the raised areas. The rose was stamped with archival ink and then watercoloured with Distress Ink and a waterbrush. I also used Crafters Companion Clear Sparkle Pen to add some bling. Its such a striking stamp you need little else to make it stand out.

I am entering this into the following challenges

 Simply Papercraft Challenges - Anything Goes

AAA Card Challenges - Anything Goes

Embossing in Gold

I hope you enjoyed your Easter break. I managed to sneak in some crafting during the school holidays!

This is one of my all time favourite stamps from Crafty Individuals.  This time I decided to make it a little more modern by using this colour combinatio - Barn Door and Broken China

I stamped the images and decoupaged some of them for added depth. I then added WOW! Pale Gold Embossing Powder to some areas. The card background was made by spritzing ink in corresponding colours onto the card.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

AAA Cards - Clean and Simple

WOW! Embossing Powder Challenge - Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

ATC - Tim Holtz Style

A bit of a blast from the past as I haven't made an ATC for ages. That's what really started me off crafting seriously some years ago.

Over at A Vintage Journey Challenge the theme is to make an ATC with "a little touch of Tim" (Holtz)

I created the background by embossing the background with a Tim Holtz embossing folder and then embossing with gold powder. The washi tape, images and tickets are all from my "Tim Holtz stash"

Enjoy Your Crafting!

Christmas Crafting

It is so hot here in the South of England I have been trying to keep cool with some Christmas crafting. The thought of snow and ice is appealing right now!

For this card I made a tag and embossed it with snowflakes using White WOW! Embossing powder. This created a resist effect once I had gone over the top with Distress Ink. I stamped the deer image and again embossed with white powder before mounting it onto blue card. This gave a nice border to the deer. I then stamped the greeting and added the embellishments. For the background card I stamped a snowflake stamp with Broken China and Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink using first and second generation stamping.

At least that is one card off the list for Christmas!!

I am entering the following challenges:

Crafty Boots - Christmas in July
The Glory of Christmas Challenge - Christmas
Christmas Cards All Year Round - Non traditional colours
Addicted to Stamps - Holiday
Artistic Inspiration Challenge Blog - Anything Goes

The Crafting Cafe Challenge

Today it is my turn to share my DT card at The Crafting Cafe Challenge blog. 

This month our fabulous sponsor is The Stamping Boutique and we had the choice of some gret images to work with.

I chose Rocking Horse and came up with this card.

I printed the stamp onto cream card, having recoloured the outline to brown to give it a vintage feel. The backing card was embossed using a folder and I rubbed over the raised areas with a Distress Ink Pad. I used Distress Markers to colour in the image and then diecut it using an X-CUT die.

I created the embellishment using a paper flower, buttons and ribbon. The sentiment is stamped in Distress Ink and mounted onto a die cut.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you will join us at The Crafting Cafe for our Anything Goes Challenge.

You have until the end of the month to enter!

I am entering the following challenges with this card:

Allsorts - Buttons and Bows

Brown Sugar - Anything Goes

Stampin With the Dragon - Anything Goes

One Crazy Stamper - Anything Goes

Black and White

I hope you are all enjoying some sunshine. Here on the South Coast it is quite warm today. I have been enjoying sitting in the garden, sipping chamomile tea and reading the life story of Natalie Wood.

I have found time for some crafting too. I wanted to join in with the Docrafts challenge, which this week is "Black and White"

I embossed the bottom of the card with a dotty embossing folder. Then I cut a frame using my Cricut machine. The ornamental metalwork is amazing! The stamp is one of Michael Powell's stamps which I enhanced with a black artists pen. I made the flowers using a Marianne Die and the swirl was an offcut from a Cricut cut. Finally I added pearls to the flowers and a sentiment.

Other Challenges I am entering:

Craft Bloggers Network - Anything Goes

Vintage Powders at the WOW! Blog

Today it is my turn at WOW! Embossing Powders Blog to share my project with you. The powders we had to use this month were the set of Earthtones powders which are some of my favourites and to create a card for a man. Visit the WOW! Blog to see how I created this card and also to join in the challenge with us.

Have a great weekend!

Challenges I am entering with this card :
Craft Room Challenge - Emboss It
Crafty Cardmakers - For The Boys
Ooh La La Creations - Make it Manly
Come and Get It Challenges - For The Boys
Sparkles Forum - Men Only

WOYWW - Not enough room but fabulous backgrounds!

Well there is not much space for a start on my desk at the moment! I haven't entered WOYWW for quite awhile, but after spending so much time at my desk yesterday as the weather is so bad I thought I would show you what I have created. I spent yesterday playing with WOW! Embossing Powders, Cosmic Shimmer Inks and Bead Dazzles to create these pieces you can see here. I also tried embossing some Mulberry paper and spraying with inks which I love.

Midnight Garden

I love moon scenes and am so pleased that I had time to finish this for Craft A Scene's Challenge - create a moon scene.

I had trouble sleeping the other night so I got up and created the background for the scene using watercolour card and Distress Inks. I then spritzed over the top with Perfect Pearls mixed with water in a mister bottle. The next day I stamped the flowers from the Creative Expression set Meadow Flora and embossed them using Black Glint WOW! Powder. Then I randomly stamped more flowers with Distress Inks. I highlighted areas using a white pencil and gave a final spritz using Perfect pearls again over the image. The final piece was mounted onto black card.

Your comments are always appreciated and I try to return the favour!

Emma - The Sparkly Fairy

Black and White Embossing

Firstly I would like to wish all mothers a Happy Mother's Day. I think card making must run in the family as my son made a fantastic creation at school.

I've been really busy making samples for WOW! Embossing Powder this week and thought I would share one of my creations.

This was made with the fantastic new stamp set from WOW!. I stamped the dandelion heads in Versamark ink and embossed with Seafoam white powder. The butterflies I embossed with clear embossing powder. I stamped the text in black ink and mounted it on black and mirri card.

Do visit the WOW! blog to see more creations from the talented design team.

Other challenges I am entering :

Craft Lounge - Flower Stamps

Party Time Tuesday - Monochrome

Whimsy Stamps - Embossing

Grungy Monday - ATC Inspired by Tim

I haven't entered Grungy Monday challenge for a while, but just found the time to squeeze in this one. The challenge is to make an ATC using at least one Tim Holtz product or technique. For mine I embossed a piece of card using the Bingo embossing folder. Then using foam and Distress Ink I tinted the card and the ticket. I added a piece of tissue tape around the bottom before adding the ticket. The heart was a grunge element dipped in Gold UTEE into which I added Bedazzle beads.

Other challenges I am entering with this piece are :

Rainbow Lady Challenge - Have a Heart

Stamp Man Challenge Awards - Favourite Project of 2011

The Stamp Man is running its 3rd Annual Awards to present your best project of the last year.  The top prize is £30 worth of Stamp Man Vouchers! I have decided to enter this card I made back in August. Here is the original post, where you can find a list of products and techniques I used.

Try It On Tuesday - Guest Designer

Very excited this week as I am a Guest Designer over at Try It On Tuesday. The theme this week is Dig Out The Old - make a tag using a stamp you have had for awhile but never used. For mine I used a bird stamp I've never used, stamped and embossed onto coloured card and highlighted areas with Promarkers. I added a flower and chain to finish. So why not pop over and join in the challenge - and you might even see who the The Sparkly Fairy is!

Its been a hectic (and emotional!) week with my little one starting big school, but it means that I should get back on track with posting on my blog!

Tag with a Face

There are two challenges this week asking for tags - Tag Tuesday with the theme of using a face and Simon Says Stamp - A Tag. I created the background for this tag using watercolour card and Glimmer Mists. I then stamped with Versamark ink and embossed with silver embossing powder. This powder is from Papermania and I love it as it gives such a metallic shine. The face I created with air drying clay and a mould from Crafty Notions. When it had dried I painted it with Stamps Away Mica Paint.

ATC Spotlight Challenge

These are three ATCs which I thought I would enter into the Spotlight Challenge which at the moment is on ATCs. I stamped the text then over stamped the butterflies, and flowers. I used a variety of techniques - embossing, colouring with Promarkers and using Pearl Powders over versamark ink.

Hearts for the Stampman Challenge

The theme at the Stampman Challenge this week is Hearts. This is my entry. I used a Crafty Individuals stamp as the main image. I created the backgrounds from an embossed piece coloured with distress inks and I hand embossed a piece of metal and a metal heart. I made the embellishment from a button and lace.

Sparkly Trees

Here is another card using the Creative Expressions stamps. I made the background using the big and juicy pad, with the cosmic shimmers over the top. The trees were then stamped and embossed in silver.