Monday 31 March 2014

Just a bit of fun

 


A little card I made for a mate - mens cards never easy - it was a special occasion.
Made this little tag card for a bit of fun!

I would like to share my fun with

Sisters Anniversary Card


I thought I would share an 8x8 card I have made for my sister's wedding anniversary in a few weeks - lots of embossing, inking, gilding wax and a bit of paint and stamping!

It seems appropriate to share this with:
and also with all that inking:
Nikki
xx

Thursday 27 March 2014

Guest Designer Make for Frilly and Funkie


Following being chosen as favourite for the stencils and texture challenge over at Frilly and Funkie, it is a pleasure to be their guest designer for the current challenge - Time after Time

I love all those phrases - living in the moment, the time is now - enjoy every day etc - so I chose this as the theme for my piece. 

I decided to make a wall hanging using a chipboard frame. The overall size is 10.25 x 8.25 inches with the aperture 7x5 inches. I wanted to age it so used Paper Artsy fresco finish paints and crackle glaze. The base colour was chocolate pudding and following a thin layer of crackle glaze I added stone. It ended up too light so I went in later with a dry brush subtly adding  some more chocolate pudding paint and walnut stain distress ink, making sure I didn't lose my crackles!

For the panel inside the frame I took some card and just starting adding various bits and pieces; old die cuts, stamped material, book pages etc. I sealed these randomly using matte medium and let it dry. 







 I realised this needed subduing a bit so added a watered down gesso wash and some paper artsy paints to tone in with my embellishments. (Ice blue, space cadet and chocolate pudding) - looks a tad messy now!





I die cut 3 clocks (Cheery Lynn Clock w/Angel wing) and proceeded to add more Fresco paints and finally some aged taupe embossing enamel. I then cut them up and added them to the border of the inside panel.





My butterfly (also Cheery Lynn) was changed several times before I was happy with it – finally I just painted it with Chocolate pudding and added UTEE. If it looks like anything else then its the just the various inking embossing and gilding that had preceded the final version!




 ‘Live for the Moment’ was stamped on a book page distressed with walnut stain and mounted onto a piece of die cut corrugated cardboard which I painted, distressed and inked. Again I used the same colours of paper artsy paints plus distress inks.

It took me a few versions of this too - sometimes your first plan just doesn't look right or pop out enough.... being the main sentiment I wanted this to stand out!




I love my new Heartfelt Creations – Once upon a Time stamps – so I proceeded to stamp and die cut some clocks to embellish the frame. I treated them all differently with inking, paints, gilding, mica and embossing powders. 



The final embellishments included some chit chat stickers - 'smile everyday, live everyday'. I inked and edged these (faded jeans, walnut stain) and stuck onto a grungy scrap - then embossed it all with UTEE.






My finished piece - hope you like it!
Nikki
xxx



Tuesday 25 March 2014

Embrace Imperfection






Found this lovely little quote and thought I'd use it for a couple of 'Words' themed challenges.

A Quick summary:

The card is based on a Tim Holtz die - one part corrugated card, 2 parts card, 1 part a textured background I had made with acrylic texture medium etc. (Die borrowed at recent crop so not sure what it is!)

Painted all parts with fresco paints and added Rusty Hinge distress paint to some. Bit of stencilling (bricks), stamping (flowers with picket fence DP) and text and script in archival.
Some edging with gilding wax and ink.

I would like to add my words to:
A Vintage Journey - 'Say it with Words'
The Artistic Stamper - 'Letters, Words, Numbers'

Bad lighting for photos - may replace when I have more light!!

Nikki xx




Friday 21 March 2014

Gelli Plate Tags - Flower Power



This is colourful for me! The latest clarity challenge 'Flower Power' means vibrant colour to me, love and peace!

The background is mountboard - c 12x6 inches coloured with various inks.

I used the Clarity Flowers Stencil and my gelli plate - creating different coloured prints - including my fluorescent pink acrylic!

I cut 5 of the prints into tags and died some fabric for the ties. The Flower Power letters were die cut from the flourescent pink print and the flowers punched from another.



The Love and Peace letters were stamped using the Clarity letterbox set.

Ok, back to subdued and grungy for me now

Nikki xx


Monday 17 March 2014

Frilly and Funky Favourite

Challenge Winner Frilly and Funkie

Exciting news .... my Stencils, Textures and Layer Canvass has been named favourite in the Frilly and Funky challenge...

Thanks all
xx

Remember Tag


A combination of rub ons, stamps, chit chat, tissue tape, die cuts, inking and gilding wax.


I would like to enter this into:
A Vintage Journey - 'Anything Tim'
Frilly and Funkie - 'Neglected Dies'

Monday 10 March 2014

Stencils, Textures and Layers



This is a 12 x 9 inch canvass which I prepared with lots of stencils (with embossing paste), material and die cuts to create texture before painting and lots of inking. 
Further stencils, stamping and embellishments to finish .... lots of bits and lots of play!



I would like to enter this into:


Sunday 9 March 2014

Live in the Moment


Sunday morning and the sun is shining!

Recently started using MDF and here is my latest little hanging.

Used lovely Bazzil paper to cover the heart (which you can now hardly see!) and then Paper Artsy Fresco Finish acrylics.

Some stamping and stencils for the background.

The two clocks were Inkylicious stamps. The first was stamped on the same Bazzil script paper, and I used the outer ring of a cog die for the border on Kraft card with added ink and brass gilding wax. The second one was stamped onto card which I had painted with the same acrylics as the heart, edged it it black and then embellished with some cogs (with ink and gilding was as above). Finally a few grungy flowers and some chit chat stickers to finish.

I would like to enter this into:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge (Tick Tock)
That's Craft (Anything Goes)
Paper Artsy - Clare Lloyd Inspired (it was the use of my new Acrylic paints as Clare had used particularly on her pencil case that inspired me!)

Have a great Day
Nikki x