Honeybee ...

Hello Friends

I hope you are still staying safe and well.  We are still in lock down here, just watching the world going by from a distance.

My Guest designer project this week for AALL & Create is a mini album using Tracy Evans' wonderful newly released stamp set - Honeybee #330. 

 I absolutely love the stamp set and can think of lots of way I want to use it.  I also used the Cells die by Bipasha BK #14 as the cells were a good match with Tracy's stamp set.

I started by cutting one of Eileen Hull's Notebooks (Sizzix 663635) from matboard and covered the outside with Tim Holtz Distress paint in Fossilized Amber.  I used some Tim Holtz Tissue Wrap and stamped the honeycomb randomly over the tissue.

I attached the stamped Tissue Wrap to the Notebook with Matt Medium.

I stamped, coloured and fussy cut the bee hive and the bee.

I attached the beehive to the cover, adding some tiny bee charms and some wire for extra detail.  The numbers, top right are from Bipasha's Cells die (I didn't want to waste them!).

I created two signatures for the inside, by painting more card in Fossilized Amber, stamping the honeycomb in black and adding the die cut Cells, the lovely stamped bee and the beehive.  I coated the bee with Glossy Accents. 

I also stamped the bee onto shrink plastic, coloured it and attached the shrunken bee to the bottom right side of one signature.

To finish off I added some bee charms to a Tim Holtz binder clip to add to the side of the mini album.

You can find a list of worldwide stockists for the stamps and die that I used HERE.

Here is a final look, I am really pleased with the result.

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

Keep safe and well.  Hugs, Anne xxx

Magnify It by Bipasha BK

Hello Friends

Well, another week has passed us by.  Those of us who are being 'shielded' have been told we can now go out after 12 weeks in lock down, but I have to be honest, I don't feel quite ready yet so am giving it another couple of weeks to be sure... keeping myself busy with lots of crafting!  I hope you are keeping safe and well.

My Guest designer project this week, for AALL & Create, is a mixed media board, using two newly released stamps by Bipasha BK and a stamp set by Autour de Mwa.

I started with an 8 inch circle of mixed media paper and created my background with lots of Distress Spray Stains (Spiced Marmalade, Scattered Straw and a little Picked Raspberry).

I stamped Bipasha's Magnify It (#319) stamp set onto the circle in black Archival ink. 

Next, I cut a circle from the background, using a Sizzix dome as my guide for size.  I attached the circle onto a canvas board, added flowers from Bipasha's Blooming Beauty (#324) stamp set which I had already stamped and fussy cut.

I placed the dome on top of the circle/flowers and glued them all into place.  I stamped and fussy cut all of the flowers again from the Magnify It set.  I also stamped the magnifying glass from the same stamp set, fussy cut it, embossed it with clear embossing powder and placed it to one side.

To finish off the base I stamped Autour de Mwa's Intersecting Circles (#364) to the bottom of the circle using Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink.

I added the base over the dome, onto the canvas board and then added the fussy cut flowers from Bipasha's Magnify It stamp set along with the embossed magnifying glass.  The dome doesn't actually magnify the flowers underneath but I like the illusion it creates.

To finish off I stamped the sentiment again (from Magnify It) and raised it up so that I could attach a mini magnifying glass charm.

These are the stamp sets I used and you can find worldwide stockists for the stamps

at AALL & Create here.

Finally, here is another quick look at the completed piece.

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

Stay safe and keep well.

Hugs, Anne xxx

Nature Elements

Hello Friends

I hope you are all staying safe and well.

With the warm sunny days we have been experiencing of late, I have spent more time than usual sitting in the garden.  It is such a joy at this time just admiring the flowers, birds and butterflies.  I felt inspired to create a summery coloured butterfly tag for my AALL & Create Guest designer project this week.

I used Tracy Evans' gorgeous butterfly stamp set together with a slight variation on a paint technique that I learned from Tracy in one of her weekend Facebook classes. I created a large size mixed media tag.

Tracy taught us a finger painting technique (messy but great fun) direct to card.  I changed it up a little by finger painting onto my Gelli plate, taking a print and then reverse stencilling on top with the Totally Dotty stencil #87 by Autour de Mwa, using white paint.

I added the background to the large tag, then stamped and fussy cut the butterfly, twice, from stamp set #267 Nature Elements by Tracy Evans.

I watercoloured the butterfly and added it in two layers to the tag.  I added some further stamping here and there using Tracy's Heartfelt #304 stamp and #350 Splattered Numbers.

I added some chicken wire, a sentiment and an acrylic dome to finish off my tag.

I really enjoyed making the tag and will definitely be experimenting more with the finger painting on the Gelli plate (thanks for the idea Tracy).

Worldwide stockists for the AALL & Create stamp sets I used can be found HERE.

That's all for today, thanks so much for your visit.  Please stay safe and well.

Hugs, Anne xxx

 

Iris by Tracy Evans

Hello Friends

I hope you are all still staying safe and well.  I have lost count of the number of weeks I have been cocooned in lock down, but I know it is for the best.  My lovely and talented friend Tracy Evans has been doing a series of Facebook Live sessions and also doing some closed Facebook classes, all of which have been keeping many of us busy as well as entertained.

Edited:  How wonderful to wake up today to find that the incredible Captain Tom Moore is to receive a Knighthood for his efforts in raising over 30 million pounds for our NHS.  Well done to Boris Johnson for nominating him and to the Queen for recognising such a wonderful achievement by a 100 year old man!  Congratulations Captain Tom!

Tracy's newest release of stamps for AALL & Create includes a gorgeous Iris stamp set (#333) and I have become slightly addicted to using it.  After doing a little research into colours of Iris, I used it for my Guest designer project for AALL & Create this week.

For the card on the left, I started by creating a background, brayering paint onto my Gel plate and then adding a layer with the Totally Dotty stencil (#87) in a contrasting colour.  Once dry I stamped the Iris where I wanted it to be on the background.

I stamped the Iris several times onto mixed media card and coloured it with Polychromo pencils, just as a change from watercolour pencils.  My plan was to decoupage the Iris to give it some dimension.

I fussy cut the Iris, shaped the petals and layered it together with 3D glue.

I cut the card down, then mat and layered it onto my card base.  I stamped the '829' and the sentiment from the same stamp set.

I made the second card in a similar way, brayering the background with paint and adding a touch of stencilling using the Broken Circles stencil (67).  The Iris was again stamped, coloured, fussy cut and layered up to give dimension to the flower heads.

I simply lengthened the stem on the second flower  and again added some stamping from the Iris set.

I ended up making 3 more cards but I will save those for another day!

A full list of worldwide stockists for the stamps and stencils I used can be found HERE.

Thanks so much for your visit, I really appreciate it.  Take care and stay safe.

Hugs, Anne xxx

Faded Grandeur

Hello Friends

Are you doing well since my last post, two weeks ago, and keeping safe?  I hope so.  Not much change here, we are still in total lock down but not complaining!

I have been doing lots of day dreaming lately about wonderful holidays in Greece, Spain and France, and so for my Guest Designer project this week for AALL & Create, I used a couple of stamp sets by Bipasha to create a mixed media board, attempting to show the faded grandeur of so many of the buildings we experienced on our holidays there.

The process was pretty straightforward to I condensed the photos showing you a few steps.

I started by colouring my base using Distress Oxides, layering them until I achieved what I thought looked like an old wall.  I stamped Bipasha's Shuttered Window #268 and then used her Archway stamp set #264 at the top and bottom to create some 'crumbling' stonework.

I watercoloured the elements and then stamped and coloured a separate window part which I added to create some extra dimension.  I also wanted the windows to reflect the sunlight, rather than create a dark interior.

The bottom part of Bipasha's Shuttered Window stamp set has a lovely key which I stamped, fussy cut and added to the bottom of the board. I just adore the little bird.

These are the stamp sets I used and you can find a list of worldwide stockists HERE.

Another look at the finished project.

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

Keep safe and stay well.

Hugs, Anne xxx

Tremendous Friend

Hello Friends

I really hope you are fairing well during this awful pandemic.  We are in our 7th week of lock down in our house now but we are doing our best to keep ourselves entertained.  David is spending time doing lots of things in our tiny garden and I have re-organised my craft room several times!

My Guest designer project this week for AALL & Create is something a little different from me, it is a shaker card.  Janet Klein has done sets of the most adorable little girl and boy stamps and I love this little girl with her butterfly friends and the fabulous sentiment.  I used Janet's AALL stamp set #299 - Tremendous Friend along with Autour de Mwa's Lotza Dotz stencil (#39).

I have a few pictures to show you the process, I am sure you all know how to create a shaker!

A close up to show you the fabulous sentiment...

You can find a list of worldwide stockists for the stamp and stencil I used HERE

I thought whilst I am here, I would share what I made in one of Tracy Evans's on line workshops at the weekend.  We used Eileen Hull's Notebook die by Sizzix along with Tracy's beautiful stamps.  It was great fun and I loved it so much, I made two!  I will definitely be doing more of Tracy's classes!

As always, thanks for your visit.

Stay safe and well.  Hugs, Anne xx

Tiny Houses and Passion Flowers

Hello Friends

I have created a mixed media project for AALL & Create this week, using a couple of  Tracy Evans' recently released stamp sets along with the Tiny Houses die by Tim Holtz for Sizzix and his Brickwork 3D Embossing Folder.

I have condensed the photos, so as not to make the post too long. 

First I cut the tiny houses from thick black card and then embossed each piece with Tim's 3D embossing folder, before dry brushing each of the pieces, first with white gesso and then Quinacridone acrylic paint.  Before putting the houses together I randomly stamped with Tracy's Mesh stamp (No. 262).

Next, I stamped Tracy's Passion Flower stamp set (No. 278) onto Tim Holtz tissue wrap.  I coloured the flowers on the reverse side with acrylic paint and then ripped the tissue close to the flowers before applying these to the tiny houses with matt medium.

I added the roof to each of the tiny houses and added a further strip around the bottom of each house.

To finish off I added some hessian string along with some words to the front and back of each house.

You can find a list of worldwide stockists for the stamps I used HERE.  We do encourage you, wherever possible, to purchase from your local stockists, particularly during these difficult times.

I do hope you are all staying safe and well and continue to do so.  As always, thank you so much for your visit, it is appreciated.

Hugs, Anne xxx