Pattern Play Birthday cards

Hello again - it is my final week as guest on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge blog. This weeks theme is Red, White and Blue. I have created some small birthday cards featuring another Tracy Scott / PaperArtsy stamp set - TS059

I used PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics - Cherry Red, Midnight and Heavy Cream for my backgrounds and the base for my embossed hexagons.

I began with my gel plate adding one colour, stamping on the plate to remove paint or add it. For some I stamped the image directly onto the plate first - with paint - letting it dry before brayering paint over the top. I build my layered, organic prints like this.

Once I had a few backgrounds I cut them to size and created the patterned layers with archival ink. (Tracy Scott uses her geometric stamps to create 'Pattern Play')

With the remainer of the background, I stamped hexagons with versamark and heat embossed with white embossing powder.

Thanks to the Simon Says Stamp team for inviting me to join them for June! Do, as always, check out the designs of the their design team - they are fabulously creative!

Nikki x

Gel plate Mash Up

 

Hi - a short one from me tonight - I am over at PaperArtsy sharing these cards for our stamp mash up blog theme!

Mixed Media Birthday cards

I'm delighted to back as a guest this month on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge blog. This week the theme is 'Mixed Media' with a focus on the products of Dina Wakely. 

I've created a couple of cards using Dina's paints, with one card featuring a Scribbly bird - an old, but go to stamp set!.

Both cards started with some texture paste applied through a couple of Tim Holtz circle stencils - I used Splotches and Bubble. I then added my paint in patches, merging a little or adding some white paint to tone down the 'joins. I used Turquoise, Fuscia, Tangerine and Ocean. Once dry I added some details with pen work, paint dots and lines (applied with an old credit card) and washi tape.

As my surface was textured I stamped the bird on tissue paper before adhering to the surface.

If you play along with this week's challenge at Simon Says stamp - you could win a $25 gift card to spend in store. I'll be back next week, for another challenge. Thanks for stopping by...

Nikki x

Birthday Lines

Hi everyone. Today I am over at PaperArtsy once again to share on the current topic of Lines. I am showing how I used various lines in this card to build the composition.

Do pop over to see lots more.

Nikki

Making Marks at Paper Artsy

I am over on the PaperArtsy blog tonight with some masterboards and cards made using new stamps from Courtney Franich. To pop over to see more details.

Nikki

xx

Celebrating our Anniversary at A Vintage Journey

Hi everyone. A Vintage Journey is celebrating it's 6th Anniversary! I know blogs and challenge blogs have lost some of their popularity but this one is very dear to me. I have made good friends, many of who I have met because of this blog. I have also been inspired by many artists both from the Design Team and those who have entered our challenges.

Brenda who created and started this blog is our host this month. We are looking for Celebration themed creations - let us know what you are celebrating!

My card is for one of those crafty friends who celebrate their birthday this month.

My background is some printed paper which I added some washes on paint to to tone it down a little. I painted and crackled some corrugated card as the base for my Tattered Butterfly.

The butterfly was cut from greyboard and texture paste added which I randomly stamped into to create texture. Once dry I painted black, dry brushed with white and then added washes on paint.

Under the butterfly are some weird extra wings. These are actually part of a wildflower die that I altered and really wanted to use but it didnt work with my layout so I improvised. 

A few crackled arrows, some fibres....

and some little squares complete my card. I hope you like it!

We hope you will join us for our celebratory challenge. 

Nikki 

xxxxx

Medallions and more.....

It is another of those redirects from me tonight - over at PaperArtsy using some newish stamps from Gwen Lafleur along with my Gelli Plate.
Happy crafting
Nikki

Tattered Butterfly Birthday

Just stopping by to share a some cards I have made using the new Tattered Butterfly die from Tim Holtz. I made a few more but were sent in the post before I took photos! They are all a similar design - just different colours and papers.

On some I created inky layers to contrast with the printed papers. Love this effect of inking a stencil, spritzing and stamping with it.

Back soon!

Nikki

xxx

Snarky Birthday Fun

Mixing it up it up a bit for some fun birthday cards! PaperArtsy Zinski Cat and Dog stamps and fab Tim Holtz Snarky Small Talk stickers.

Nikki

Large Stems Bigz Die - Birthday Greetings

Hello! It is great to play with some new stuff this time of year! Here are a couple of cards I have made with Tim Holtz's Large Stems Bigz die. I bought this as I do love to work in greyboard but on these cards I have just cut from paper and coloured with Distress Paints and inks. I sponged a couple of paint colours before filling in the gaps with inks. Simple designs but the dies to the work!

Nikki

Faceted Heart for Valentines!

Today we see the start of a new challenge at A Vintage Journey - Your Heart's Desire. Our host is the lovely Annie and here is what she says...

Since February is the month of love, include hearts as the main focus of your project. Just be sure your design is in keeping with our vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk styles we prefer.

For my project I have incorporated some 2019 Tim Holtz new releases - the Faceted Heart and Large Funkie Florals dies. I used Metallic Kraft core cardstcock in red and black. The base layer has been embossed and sanded to highlight the texture, the die cut elements also given some sanding.

I couldnt resist also introducing some crackle - the central panel included Deco Art Crackle paste with Aged Mahogony Distress Paint added, a few spatters with gesso were added too.

It's good to be back - I haven't blogged in a while! As always do head over to A Vintage Journey for lots more inspiration.

I would like to join in with Simon Says Stamps - Monday Challenge, where Love is in the Air!

Nikki

Tissue Stamping card

Hi there. We are one week into the new challenge on the Craft Stamper - Blog. As usual it is Anything Goes - as long as there is some stamping! There is great prize up for grabs this month - the new Ranger Alcohol lift ink and reinker.

 It was my good friend Cathryn's birthday recently and her favourite colour is purple! 

I created a multicoloured background with paint on card and added some stamping and stencilling. I then took a piece of tissue paper and stamped the wildflowers carefully in archival ink on the tissue before adhering to the coloured card underneath. I love the subtle effect this achieves.

I added a Wildflower die cut and my greeting before matting and layering.

Nikki x

Resist Technique with 3D Texture Fades and Distress Oxides

Happy Friday! It is the first Friday of the month - and time for a new challenge at A Vintage Journey. Amanda is our host and the theme is How can you resist. Here is the description:

There are any different products in mixed media that you can use to do a resist technique - gesso, distress glaze, wax, embossing powder, etc. We would like you to use at least one resist technique on your vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk project.

I recently treated myself to one of the (relatively) new 3D Texture Fades from Tim Holtz so decided to use this for my resist technique.

I started with a Distress Oxide background in blues and greens. I then added versamark to the embossing folder and ran it through the big shot so the versamark transfers to the card in the 'flat' areas rather than the embossed areas. I heat dried with clear embossing powder.

This allowed me to add as much Distress Oxide as I liked to the embossed area along with some spritzing and the colour easily wipes away from the background blue/green.

I also used a wax resist on my Distress Paint background layer - but I think I have managed to hide most of this!!!

Have a great weekend!

Nikki

x

Theories Cards

Hi 

Back for my second post today - if you missed the launch of our new challenge at A Vintage Journey you can find my post here. 

We also have a new challenge today on the Craft Stamper blog - Take it Make it challenge. As always it is anything goes with stamping. 

I chose to make some much needed cards for forthcoming birthdays using Tim Holtz's Theories stamp set. My backgrounds are all Distress Oxides.

Nikki 

x

Gelli Stamping with Distress Inks and Oxides

Hello - today we start a new challenge on the Craft Stamper blog - as usual it is anything goes with stamping.

For my inspiration piece I decided to use my distress oxides (and inks) on a gel plate. I used a small rectangular gelli and brayered one colour of ink on the surface before stamping onto it. I then stamped the gelli onto card. I repeated with different colours and stamps covering the surface and sometime overlapping colours.

The cards were made from the gelli printed masterboards - adding layers to create extra interest!

Nikki

xxx

Collage and Kraft card

Hi everyone - just a quick post to redirect you over to the PaperArtsy blog this evening where I am sharing my take on the current theme of using Kraft Card. Be good to see you there.

Nikki

Oxides and AALL and Create stamps (Tracy Evans)

Just a quick card today made with new stamps from AALL and Create - Designed by Tracy Evans. I treated myself to a couple of sets having seen them, and some wonderful samples, at the NEC recently. 

I have used Stamp Set #45 and Border Stamp #34. My background uses Distress Oxides with one of the border stamps (love the circles!) and also the small Serenity Prayer text stamp off Set #45. I also added this text to the butterflies.

Thanks for visiting!

Nikki