AALL & Create Archway

Hello Friends

I have created a mixed media diptych as my Guest Designer project for AALL & Create this week.

To create the images I used two of Bipasha BK's newly released stamp sets - Archway #264 and Flourish #269 to embellish the doorway along with Stencil #60 for the background.

The diptych is from my stash and it was the perfect size for the doorway.

I attached watercolour card to the diptych, stamped the doorway and a further archway edging as I wanted some dimension.

I used watercolour paints to paint the background and the door and archway.

I stencilled the area around the doorway and I stamped, coloured and fussy cut some of the leaves from the Flourish stamp set and added these to the doorway.

To finish off I added some fussy cut leaves to the right hand side, along with the sentiment from the Flourish stamp set.

You can find a list of worldwide stockists for the stamps I used HERE at AALL & Create.

Thanks so much for your visit, I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs, Anne xx

Light at the end of the Valentine tunnel...

Hello Friends

My lovely soul mate and I have been together for 25 years this year, he is a great railway enthusiast. So for Valentine's Day, and my Guest Designer project for AALL & Create, I used Bipasha BK's fabulous newly released stamp set #264 Archway,  to create a mixed media 3D project.

I know it doesn't have any hearts on it but I have saved those for his card.

I also used Stencil #38 Cracked Walls 2 by Olga Heldwein.

I started by decorating the inside of the box, for the 'tunnel' element.  This box has an arched front  and is self assembly (from That's Crafty) in the UK.  I used the stencil and some texture paste to line the walls of the 'tunnel' and painted the back wall with black gesso, dry brushed with some white gesso.

Next, I stamped the arway from the stamp set, I did this a few times, coloured them with Distress Inks in various grey and black colours.  I wanted to cover the archway completely so I cut up and paper pieced the stones to the front.

To give a little realism to the stonework I gave them a coat of Distress Clear  Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint which I hope you can see in the photo above.  Once dry I applied a coat of Matte Medium to dull the shine a little and then highlighted a few areas with some Hickory Smoke Distress Spry which settled nicely into some of the cracks.

Next, I cut away the track from my stamped and coloured train image and 'laid' the track in the opening of the box.  To give the base a more realistic look I glued down some of Seth Apter's Rocky Road Embossing Powder between the tracks.

I coloured the train with watercolour paints, fussy cut it out, layered it up in three layers to give some dimension and attached it to the back of the box.  I added some greenery and the tunnel number 25.

So, you may wonder why I mentioned the light at the end of the tunnel in my title.... well, that's because I added a light to the top of the box so that the train can be displayed at any time of the day or night....

I am pleased to say he loved his train, I have kept his card as a surprise though!

The stamp set and stencil I used are available from a worldwide list of stockists HERE.

For once I have made a project that actually fits in with a challenge!  I am entering this into Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the theme is 'Crack it up'.  I used Distress Crackle Paint on the tunnel and a Crackled Wall stencil on the inside.

Thanks so much for your visit, I really appreciate it!

Hugs, Anne xxx

Botanicals and Sputniks for AALL & Create

Hello Friends

My Guest designer project this week for AALL & Create is a pair of quick and easy cards

using a left over paint brayered background, along with a beautiful stamp set (Scripted Botanicals #197 by Bipasha BK) and a stencil (Sputnik #79 by Olga Heldwein along with a little decoupaging to create some extra dimension.

This paint and stencilled background is one I had left over from a Gelli plate session, not all that successful but of course, I don't like to throw anything away and I needed two quick cards.  I used the Sputnik stencil and several colours of PaperArtsy paints.

After cutting the background into two I stamped the image, using Versafine Clair ink.

Using some scrap watercolour card I stamped the image again, twice and fussy cut the dragonfly and moth.

Using some watercolour paint I coloured the fussy cut images.

I mounted the images using 3D glue gel and layered up the cards onto white card bases.

You can find a list of worldwide stockists of AALL & Create Stamps, Stencils and Dies HERE.

Thanks so much for your visit, I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs, Anne xxx

Masculine/industrial for Mini Album Makers

Hello Friends

The first day of the month means that we have a new challenge starting over at Mini Album Makers and I have gone Masculine/Industrial, creating a mini sketchbook using my newfound skill of Coptic binding and adding some industrial covers to give a masculine feel to the book.

I have watched quite a few videos on the Coptic binding technique but my favourite tutorial, which shows the process very simply, can be found HERE by Sea Lemon.  I will admit, it does take a bit of practice but once mastered, it allows the sketchbook to lie flat, making sketching and painting so much easier.  I have not repeated the process here as Sea Lemon explains it so much better than I could ever do!

The difference between her book and mine is that I created a set of five bindings spaced 1" apart across the whole edge and I used 7 signatures (you could add lots more to create a thicker book).  However, I do suggest using a small number of signatures until you really get the hang of it.

The photo above shows how beautifully the Coptic bound book lies flat, perfect for a sketch or watercolour book.  My finished book measures 6" x 4" and for each signature I folded paper sized 8" x 6", one paper for each signature.

For the covers I cut 300gsm cardstock to just over 6" x 4", one for the front and one for the back cover, as I wanted to cover up the binding on the front and back.  I used Tim Holtz's 3D embossing folder (Mechanics) and embossed each of the covers.

I took silver gilding wax (Pebeo) and used my finger to lightly coat each of the covers and then used a soft cloth to buff over each cover.  I just love the industrial look this creates.

To decorate the cover I die cut Tim Holtz's Bigz die -  Steampunk Parts and pieced it together before applying gilding was again to the pieces, silver for the outer edge and gold for the 'propeller' to make it stand out a little more.

Below is a close-up.

Another view of the completed sketchbook.

We hope you can join in the fun at Mini Album Makers this month, it would be lovely
 to see you there.

This will be my last month with Mini Album Makers, I have taken the difficult decision to
step down from the team.  I would like to thank Autumn for giving me the opportunity to be on the team and my lovely teamies who I have enjoyed working alongside.

Thanks so much for your visit, I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs, Anne xx