Imagine Life with no Art

I have finally got round to doing my first journal page - hurray! I started this at the Dylusion's workshop (Country View Crafts with Brenda Brown) but it has been sitting on my desk for a couple of weeks, unfinished.

The background is all dylusions spraying and techniques using stencils. Some stamping, doodling and chit chat stickers.

I would like to play along at:

Paper Artsy - inspired by Liesbeth Fidder's use of ink and colour and

The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge - using spray inks and mists.

Thanks for looking

Nikki 

xxx

Face in the Crowd for Compendium of Curiosities Challenge 5

Over at Linda Ledbetter's Compendium of Curiosities it is time for Challenge 5 - Distress Watercolouring. I decided to take the classic faces images and watercolour the beautiful girl. I had to go a bit weird and set her on a some eyes and lips each cut to create tiles. Still trying to decide is this is a terrible composition or not - it feels wrong, but I strangely like it. They are all mounted on chipboard which I covered with Tim paper and sanded and distressed at the edges.

This time the challenge prize is provided by Inspiration Emporium - $50!!

Here a couple of close ups:

Thanks for looking

Nikki

xx

Girl with a pearl earing

Over at Frilly and Funkie the challenge is to 'case' one of Linda's Christmas tags with a summer theme.  I decided to case Week 5.

I have cased the framing of an image (not Father Christmas in mine) and the addition of a big flower. I also initially incorporated lace but it was too much so removed this. My summer theme is the rose red flowers (Stampin Up rose red) and also the watercolouring of the ladies face with the same colour, although not sure this has come out too will on my photo. (It is raining and dismal here today, not the best for photos.)

Thanks for looking.

Nikki

xxx

Wish you were here

I have the pleasure of hosting the latest challenge at A Vintage Journey - the theme is to use every stamp in a set. I used one of Tim Holtz Visual Artistry sets - French Market with the addition of a hash tag sentiment.

I love the way Tim uses layers in his work; so this project really focusses on that rather than lots of techniques. It's all about the layers and composition.

I used most of the stamps to create different background layers to my card, saving the Eiffel Tower as the top layer and the postage stamps to embellish. I couldn't resist adding some crackled hearts as additional embellishments.

Do head on over to A Vintage Journey to see some more fabulous projects from the Design Team. 

Thanks for looking.

Nikki

xxx

Floral Hanging

Just a quick post - great to have blogger back on form!

This started as the cardboard at the back of an A4 pad of paper. Gesso, paper artsy fresco paints, stamping, stencilling and some die cuts, punched butterlies and flowers.

I would like to enter into:

Sugar Creek Hollow - Floral

Vintage Stamping Challenge - Summer Blooms

Pan Pastel - Flora and Fauna

A few close ups:

Thanks for looking

Nikki

xxx

Texture tag number 5 and series to date

It is time for a new challenge at Try it on Tuesday and the theme is 'Tags Anywhere' so I thought I would share the last of the five tags I made a few weeks ago. The tags featured a series of texture techniques plus various stamped images and embellishments. 

Please follow the links to see the details of how these tags were put together:

First three

Number four

Do hop over to Try it on Tuesday for lots more inspiration.

Thanks for looking

Nikki

xxx

Fly Away

Today I am sharing a project I have made for my Top Talent spot at Our Creative Corner. What an honour - thank you ladies.

I have been making a few projects using the bird from Tim Holtz Flights of Fancy set, so decided to continue with this theme. I decided to set my bird in a wooden environment so started searching my stash for different things I could use.

I created by background panel out of mount board and covered it with this fab paper (sorry cant remember the make) - I sanded the edges and added some Walnut Stain DI.

 My second layer was corrugated cardboard treated with gesso, some fresco paint and distress ink. I then added some tissue tape and some stamped cracks.

The bird sits on what was a pair of tags, but I changed one to just a rounded rectangle. The lower one is a Stampin Up hardwood stamp in Pumice stone DI with the same DI colouring the white card. The rectangle is created from a woodgrain embossing folder and again DI's added. (Vintage photo and walnut stain)

I finished my panel with some flowers and leaves - coloured with the same Distress Inks and finally some alpha tiles.

Thanks for looking

Nikki

xx

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