NOT ALL WHO WANDER - by Fran Chalmers

Hello everyone! Today I have made a quick tag for you.

 For the background, I blended distress inks in blocks of colour.

I splashed some water on the colours with a fine fan brush, making sure the splashes were only small.

I stamped the swirl in black, with the looping heart trailing from it.

I then stamped the man, and embossed him so that he stood out from the other stamps.  I wanted him to look like he was beginning to walk down a tunnel.

I shaded the swirl with pastel pencils, then stamped the sentiment (slightly crooked, unfortunately!) and drew a line round the tag in fine liner.  

To finish it off, I added a ribbon.

Stamps Used:

Twilight Zone Swirl 20506

Looping heart line 20443

Not all who wander 19413

Businessman silhouette 19418

Other Items Used:

Distress inks in Mowed Lawn,  Squeezed Lemonade, Wilted Violet, Twisted Citron, Peacock Feathers and Blueprint Sketch

Versafine Clair in Nocturn

Black fine liner

Pastel pencils

Ribbon

DREAM BIG - by Fran Chalmers

Hi everyone - and Merry Christmas!

Today I have made a postcard using the lovely unicorn stamp!

First I made the background.  I wanted it to be fairly dark so I blended distress inks in Uncharted Mariner and Villainous Potion, leaving the middle lighter.

  

I then stamped the edges with the tree branches - I used Versafine Fantasia because I didn't want it to be black ink.

I stamped the unicorn onto thick card and coloured it with copic pens, just for some shading.

I stuck the unicorn onto the postcard, then stamped the plants over the top.

I used a moon mask to make a moon behind the unicorn's head, and went round the edges with a white pastel pencil to give it some definition.

 I stamped and embossed the sentiment in white, and made some dots as stars with a white gel pen.

Lastly, I used a white gel pen to make some rough marks on the plants, to represent the light from the moon

I love the contrast of the white and blue together.

Stamps Used:

Unicorn 19044

Dream Big 19047

Wildflowers silhouette 19666

Weathered Tree 19467

Other Items Used:

Distress inks in Uncharted Mariner, Villainous Potion

Versafine Clair ink in Fantasia

Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black

White Gel Pen

Moon Mask

Ground Mask

White Pastel Pencil

Versamark ink

White Embossing Powder

That's all folks! See you in 2023 :)

IMAGINATION by Fran Chalmers

 Hi everyone!

Today I have made three ATC's. Children have great imaginations when playing, which I am showcasing with these stamps.  

First of all, I stamped out all the images onto thick paper, using my stamping platform to make sure no detail was missed.  

I made all the backgrounds using distress inks and a small brayer.  Once I had made the backgrounds, I coloured the images, cut them out and stuck on to the backgrounds.

(I can see I've missed a bit of colouring on this one - will have to sort that!)

I added the word "imagination" on each ATC (leaving out the "pure" part of the stamp)

Stamps Used:

Boys Playing with Shopping Cart 19803

Kids in Futuristic Hats 19656

Boy in tub boat 19542

Pure Imagination 19041

Other Items Used:

Distress inks in Spiced Marigold, Candied Apple, Cracked Pistachio, Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean, Uncharted Marine

Small Brayer

Memento ink in Tuxedo Black

Copic Pens

Chrome Pen

See you next time!

THE SIDESHOW - by Fran Chalmers

Hello everyone!

Today I have made a card using the lovely Banksy bear on a unicycle! Here's how I made it....

 First of all I made a background by smooshing distress inks in Kitsch Flamingo, Mustard Seed and Picked Raspberry, drying between layers.

I then added background stamps in different colour inks (see below) to add a bit of texture.

I stamped the bear onto thick paper and coloured with copic pens.  I fussy cut it out and edged it with a black marker.

After placing the bear, I edged the mat with Spiced Marmalade distress ink, and coloured the bunting and the inside of the chevrons.  I stamped the sentiment in black straight onto the mat.

I glued the mat onto a white card to finish off.

Stamps Used:

Banksy Circus Bear 19977

Library Return Dates 20342 

Row of Scribble Circles/Eyes 20172

Row of chevrons 19829

The Sideshow 19061

Other Items Used:

Distress inks in Kitsch Flamingo, Mustard Seed, Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade

Versafine Clair inks in Warm Breeze, Nocturn and Chianti

Copic Pens

Black pen

See you next time!

BANKSY ATC's by Fran Chalmers

Hello again everyone!

Today I have made some ATC's featuring Banksy stamps (which I love).

 I had all the gelli plate backgrounds in my stash, so cut them to 3.5" x 2.5" size.

For the first ATC, I stamped the image and then cut out the zebra and the woman.  I stamped the image onto the card so I wouldn't have to cut out the stripes.

I added washi tape to add interest to the finished ATC.

For the second ATC, I edged the card with blue to frame it, then stamped the image in black.  I added washi tape to add interest.

With the third ATC, I edged it with purple and stamped the image onto the ATC, and then thick paper so the sign is left white.  I cut it out and added washi tape to finish it off.

I coloured in his Peace necklace with gold glitter pen to add a bit of interest too.

Hope you like them :) See you next time.

Stamps Used:

Banksy Zebra Washing 20297

Banksy Girl Watering TV Antennae 19603

Banksy Rat Protester 19489

Other Items Used:

Elements Inks in Blue Lagoon and Violet Chalk

Copic Pens

Assorted Washi tape

Gold glitter pen

MY FAVOURITE HUMAN by Fran Chalmers

Hello everyone!

Today I have made a card for a boy or a man (or a girl!) which I hope you like.

 First of all I embossed the circuit board a few times on black card with silver embossing powder

I then stamped the robot on thick paper, coloured him in and fussy cut him out

After I had cut the robot out I stuck him on the black card and added a sentiment, which I mounted on silver card.

I then used fabric paints to add colour to the circles at the end of the wires.  Once they were dry, I mounted the black card onto silver card, and then onto a blue card blank.

Stamps Used:

Futuristic circuit board 19153

Whimsical Scale 19912

Other Items Used:

Black card

Silver card

Blue card base

Silver embossing Powder

Copic Pens

Fabric Paints