Brushos and Farewells

Today is the start of a new challenge over at Try it on Tuesday and we are looking for Things with Wings. It is also my last outing on the design team; a new job means I have a little less time currently for craft (boo hoo!). 

I recently attended a workshop with Eileen Godwin and got to play with brushos for the first time. These aren't the class cards but ones I did in a bit of playtime we had on the day.

Have a great day!

Nikki

xxx

Life is Good

Hi everyone - today I am over on the Country View Crafts project blog sharing a step by step on this little creation. Lots of distress sprays and cracked pistachio on offer! Be good to see you there.

Thanks for stopping by.

Nikki xxx

Compendium of Curiosities Challenge 24

I haven't managed to do any of the Compendium of Curiosities challenges of late so pleased to get something made for the latest one - Remnant Rub Resist. (P51 of Tim's book.). Lots of distressed layers, crackle paste, embossing and, of course, remnant rubs.

Details of the challenge can be found on Linda Ledbetter's blog and the latest challenge is sponsored by the Funkie Junkie Boutique.

A few more photos:

Thanks for visiting. 

Nikki 

x

March Tim Tag part 2

Morning everyone. Here is my March Tim tag version 2 - you can see version 1 here if you missed it. This one started as a mop of up tag of distress sprays so no paint marbling for the background as Tim did. I also embossed the butterfly twice as I tried to use a more subtle colour which didn't work so I went over with black ink and embossed again. This has created a slightly different effect but definitely lost the crispness of the image!

Thanks for taking time to stop by. 

Nikki 

Xxx

Tim Tag - March 2015

I do hope you are having a lovely weekend. Just a quick post today to share my version of Tim Holtz tag for March. You can find his version here. Best laid plans and all that.... this is not how it started out! I started with some fairly neutral distress paint marbling but halfway through I decided to spritz the whole tag with broken china distress spray - so not much marbling on offer!

I am halfway through I slightely more colourful version which I will hopefully post in the week.

Thanks for looking today.

Nikki

xxx

Dreamy

Here is my second DT offering for the Country View Crafts challenge this month where the theme is Anything Goes.

I had some leftovers from a scrapbook page I did a few weeks ago - here. I had used Paper Artsy chalk paints to create my background and some embellishments. The colours used were London Night and Blush (just brayered onto cardstock). I cut a couple of hearts and had some left over for the trimmed edge and matt layer. 

As there were still white areas I went over with cracked pistachio DI (large heart) and Milled Lavender (small heart). I added black soot around the edges.

I took the numbers stamp from Tim Holtz Perspective stamp set, stamped in black archival and then added cracked pistachio to the card. The word is taken from one of the sayings on the same stamp set.

Nikki

xxx

Crazy Birthday Bird

Hi everyone, back 2 days in a row - it works out like that sometimes. A big thank you and hello to a few new followers - I really appreciate you choosing to follow me and for all the lovely comments.

Have I mentioned I love these stamps - yes I may have once or twice! The theme at Try it on Tuesday today is 'Hats' - well I thought I would add a birthday hat to one of the crazy birds.

Pretty simple card really; stamped the bird, masked him off, stencilled around, water coloured the bird and added the hat and sentiment for a bit of dimension.

Colours used - cracked pistachio, scattered straw and peeled paint distress inks. Stamps - Tim Holtz Bird Crazy and Simple Sayings and Stencil - Tim Holtz Bubbles.

Have a great day and, as always, thanks for stopping by. 

I would like to enter the latest challenge at That's Crafty - Wings n Things

Nikki

xxx

Papillon and Peacock Feathers

Just a quick post here today. I am sharing a Destination Inspiration post over at A Vintage Journey on the making of this tag. For those that don't know, our new style posts on a Monday are based on four ingredients chosen by members of the team - we each then create a project using these named items.

A little reminder too that there are fantastic prizes up for grabs this month donated by Tim Holtz to celebrate the first anniversary of the blog. Do check out this months challenge for a chance to win!

I would like to enter the latest challenges at:
 That's Crafty - Wings n Things
Mixed Media World - Anything goes
 and a Sprinkle of Imagination where anything goes.

Thanks for looking today.

Nikki

xxx

Sunday Playday

The weekend before last I went to my friends for a crafty Sunday and some play time. It has taken me this long to photograph and post my rusty canvass. Life has been getting in the way of crafting and blogging of late so I apologise if I haven't visited you for a while. I am really happy to have a few new followers - thank you so much.

I can't remember exactly what went onto this canvass - it definitely including some old dominoes pieces, leftover string and cardboard, some old beads and some mesh. Some texture paste was also added before I covered it all in gesso and then painted with various paints, mostly Deco Art. My die cuts were given a similar treatment with some additional Treasure Gold. The flowers were spritzed with distress sprays including tarnished brass and then given a good blast of hairspray.

A few close ups:

I would like to enter the following challenges:

The Mirror Crack'd - Wings

Mixed Media World - Anything Goes

Our Creative Corner - Junk in the Trunk

Thanks for looking today - have a lovely weekend.

Nikki

xx

A Little Perspective....

Just a quick post today to say I am sharing this project over on the Country View Crafts project blog. Be great to see you there.

Have a wonderful day.

I would like to enter:

Simon Says Stamp Weds - Things that Fly
Eileen Hull - Art with Heart - Go Green

Nikki

xxx

Crazy birds on vacation

I had an idea over the weekend but was a little short of time to do it quite as I planned, but here is the quick version! Over at Frilly and Funkie the theme is 'Time for a Vacation' and I wanted to send the crazy birds away... they have got a little burned in the sun (rusty hinge). Not sure this is Frilly or Funkie really but just a little fun!

Fortuitously Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge are on 'B' this week - so it's Birds on the Beach here and I would also like to play along with Anything Goes at The Craft Stamper Challenge this month.

Have a great day whatever you are up to - it's off to work for me shortly.

Nikki

xxx

I imagine, I believe, I create...

 

It's Friday and an exciting day over at A Vintage Journey! We are celebrating our first birthday and there are some seriously exciting prizes to be won. Ok, ok, I know we all say that - but this month I wish I could enter, really I do! Do hop over and take a peek. Not only are there some cool prizes up for grabs but there is a new format to the challenge blog too.

So onto by make, the theme is Anything Goes with a Tim influence so I had a play with the new Runway stamps to make this wall hanging.

The background is greyboard, covered in some Tim Holtz paper - although pretty much covered it up with some stencilling through the latticework stencil and some sanded, blackened edges.

I took some corrugated card and painted and shabbied it up a little.

My tags were sitting on my desk from mopping up but I decided to recolour them. I used a variety of brown and blue distress paints to create a marbled background. I then stamped over them with picket fence distress stain.

For the girls I used frosted film on acetate. I stamped in stayzon, lightly coloured with alcohol inks and then added the blue for the clothes with a promarker.

My words are from Tim's new Big Chat stickers and the 'I's' cut from grungeboard, painted and finished with glossy accents.

Here are some close ups (these were taken in a little more sunlight if the colours look slightly different!)

Thanks for visiting today, and hope to see you over at A Vintage Journey for lots more inspiration, exciting news and prizes.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Craft Stamper - March - Anything Goes

That Craft Place - Anything Goes

Altered Eclectics - Anything Goes

Nikki

xxx

Pearls and vellum

 

Pearls and vellum, not regular things for me but the theme starting today at Try it on Tuesday is 'Pearls for Girls'. 

I have used Stampin' Up products on this card including the lovely lace background stamp (on vellum), petite petals, and my favourite colour crumb cake!

Lots more inspiration from the rest of the team over at Try it on Tuesday.

Thanks for stopping by, have a lovely day.

Nikki

x

Be yourself

The first of the month and a busy time for new challenges including Country View Crafts - where to celebrate our Blogaversary the theme is Anything Goes.

I had to get out the fabulous Bird Crazy stamps from Tim Holtz. I started by spraying Iced Spruce distress ink and Dylusions Fresh Lime - and added some spashes of Cracked Pistachio distress ink. I only have the ink pad so just did this my spritzing my inked craft mat and swiping my cardstcock through it. I stamped my chosen crazy bird and added some mustard seed DI with a water brush.

The frame is the Tim Holtz postage stamp die on kraft core card - sanded back and vintage photo added.

For the background layer I added texture paste through a stencil and once dry spritzed with iced spruce and pumice stone distress sprays. As I wanted it to compliment the frame a little more I dry brushed some paper artsy chalk paint (space cadet). I added some stencilled letters with black soot distress paint and edged with vintage photo.

Finally I took some words from the new Big Chat stickers and added a little vintage photo.

Do pay a visit to the Country View Crafts challenge blog to see what the rest of the team have come up with.

I would like to enter my crazy bird into the following challenges:
The Artistic Stamper - Spring is coming
That Craft Place - Anything goes
Pan Pastel - Stencils It
Mixed Media Card Challenge - Hints of Spring (+ bird option)

Have a great Sunday.

Nikki

xxx