Steampunk Heart For Lost Coast Designs

Good afternoon and happy Friday! The weekend starts now!
It's day 2 of our new release event at Lost Coast Designs and without further ado, here's my Steampunk Heart notebook.

You should know by now where the sentiment has come from, yep good old Miscellaneous Words! If you don't have this stamp yet you really NEED it!
All the paints are from the DecoArt Media Line.
As always check out the inspiration over on the Portal and I'll see you soon. I should warn you I'll be bringing my spooooooky side!

I'm also entering this into the Happy Little Stampers  Mixed Media 'Texture' challenge.

Have a wonderful day, and thanks very much for looking x

Mistletoe Goth for Lost Coast Designs

Good afternoon and happy Thursday. Lost Coast Designs and Carmens's Veranda have got some amazing new stamps out, and I have to say that this is one of my favourites. It's OK to have favourites 'cos when I use one of the other stamps that will be the new favourite ;-) 

Meet Mistletoe Goth, isn't she a beauty. The sentiment stamp is from my (also favourite) Miscellaneous Words set. I think she looks especially icy with gesso on kraft card.
If you head on over to the Portal there's lots more inspiration there, and I'll be back soon with another sample.
I'm entering her into the Happy Little Stampers Christmas challenge.
Have a great day and thanks very much for looking x

Use Your Wings

Good morning and happy Tuesday. We're still winging it over at Country View Crafts, and here's my second piece.

This was one of those pieces that almost looks that same as it did in my head - these are very few and far between!

All of the paints used are by DecoArt in the Americana Chalky Finish range.
My A4 clipboard was gessoed then brayered.

Layer two...

And three. The Delicate is a lovely fresh shade of yellow. Time now for some stamping and stencilling.

Like a Muppet I forgot to take a photograph of the stencilling and stamping before I started to colour, but here are a couple of corners.

The deeper yellow stencilling is Inheritance. This is my new favourite colour (for this week at least).

All the stamps are by Dina Wakley. I've used Scribbly Birds, Scribbly Birds on Branches, and Scribbly Insects. 

They've all been very simply painted with the same colours as the background, and the quotes are from the same Dina stamp sets.

I'm entering this into the More Mixed Media challenge 'Use Pastels' 
That's Crafty 'Anything Goes',
Double D Challenges Pastel Party, and 
Craft Stamper TIMI  Anything Goes.


There's loads of time for you to join in with our challenge, so I hope to see you over there.
Have a great week, and thanks very much for looking x

Happy Happy Happy

Good afternoon and happy Friday. I'm here with a few more details and pictures of how I made my happy tag. All paints and mediums are from Deco Art.

I started by painted a large wooden tag with Media acrylics in red and yellow.

Then added some greens and purples. I'm really liking how it looks now.

Well we can't have that! time to cover it all up. I put some vaseline in random patches, then painted with white acrylic and stamped all over with the script stamp from Leonardo's Accessory Set.

When this was dry I rubbed the tag with a damp cloth to remove the patches of vaseline and anything that went over the top. This is my favourite part 'cos it's always so unpredictable.

Then I went over again with a coat of transparent yellow oxide to age it a little more.
Time for some more stamping now.
I've used Rustic Checkerboard, Leonardo's Accessories, Doodle Dolls 1, Fish and Hearts Set, and CV Happy Place

There's still loads of time for you to join in, and what could be easier than 'anything goes'. I hope to see you over on the Portal.

Have a fun weekend, and thanks very much for looking x

Hearts For DecoArt

Good morning and happy Tuesday. A while ago I had a play with a canvas, some moulds, and just about every piece of DecoArt Media Line that I possess. This is what I made.

I started by making my plaster of Paris hearts. These are quite detailed moulds and I was very happy with how they turned out.

While they were drying I prepared my canvas. I've used doilies, and DecoArt Crackle paste through a stencil. I've also stuck various bits and bobs like sand balls and tiny beads.

When the crackle paste was dry I added lots of watery washes of DecoArt Media Paints. I then decided that multi coloured worked better in my head, so I would need a plan B. I brought out all my shades of purple and the Quin colours for their transparency.

Much nicer! You can still see the colours underneath but it has a much more coherent feel.

I love how the watery paints have pooled.

I've used gold Metallic Lustre over the heart, it gives it a wonderful shine.

So does the silver.

Stamping and embossing on tissue paper.

The sentiment has also been stamped and embossed on tissue paper, and a few sequins added to finish off. I was lucky enough to have this included in Craft Stamper magazine this month, so I'm a very happy bunny.

I'm entering this into the Mixed Media Monthly challenge Altered Embellishments.
Have a great week, and thanks very much for looking x

Find Your Happy Place

Good afternoon and happy Monday. As always on the 1st Monday of the month there's a new challenge at the Lost Coast Portal To Creativity - try saying that 3 times quickly! This time around it's 'anything goes' So what could be simpler - actually a lot of things 'cos I even forget my own name when I see 'anything goes' I do like a nice prompt with a challenge (unless it's CAS then it's anything goes all the way) Anyway this is what I made. All of the paints used are by DecoArt.

For this one I've used Rustic Checkerboard, Leonardo's Accessories Set (the text), Doodle Dolls 1, Fish and Hearts Set, and Happy Place. Pop on over to the Portal for lots more inspiration, then find your happy place and come and join in.
Have a fun week and thanks for looking x

Wherever I Lay My Mug...

..thats my home. Or the song goes something like that. Slightly off topic but which version do you like best, Marvin Gaye's or Paul Young's. For me it's Marvin's every time. It brings back memories of Monday night Mecca - the only school night I was allowed out lol, but I digress.

It's a new month and a new colour challenge at Rubber Dance, and this is what I've made.

And this is the mood board - doesn't it just scream Summer.

I started off by gessoing my kitchen tiles then putting down the base colours - one on each of the tiles.

Then a bit of stencilling using the same 3 colours.

And then a bit more, finishing off with white to give them all a lift.

Then some background stamping with Old Bookpage and Vintage Script.
So background in place, time for the main images.

I think this one speaks for itself lol. We have Poodle Power. The bones were stamped direct and coloured with a white Posca pen. The main poodle-dude was stamped, coloured, and stuck down. 

If I was allowed a favourite it would be this one :-) Bonny Bunny just makes me smile.

The colours on this one are like a  slap on the face, but in a good way. I've used the butterflies from Antique Botanicals, and the words from Let It Be.

They've all had a few coats of matte sealer so are safe to use for my early morning coffee.

These colours can't fail to inspire you, so I hope to see you over at Rubber Dance. The winner will receive rubber chosen especially by Bibi, and she always makes really good choices. If you need new rubber before then, remember to quote SDFreeShip on orders of 15 Euros or above and it will come winging it's way P&P free.

I'm also entering my coasters into the following challenges;
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday anything goes,
Deep Ocean Lots of Layers, and 
Simon Says Stamp Monday Stencil it.

Have a wonderful July, and thanks very much for looking x

Dare To Be Different

Good Morning and Happy Saturday, welcome to the weekend! I've been retired for over a year now, and I still think that one of the best bits is not working Saturdays (even though I only did one each month before) 
So new month , new challenges, and the lovely Jane has chosen a fun one for Country View Crafts, it's Things With Wings.  Here's my first piece.

Every so often I get the urge to get to grips with my Gelli plate. Then it usually goes away, and I'm left with a lot of mess and about 4 pieces that I actually like.
This is one of them.

So what to do with a busy background - make it busier of course! I cut a piece of fun foam and stamped with Distress Ink.

Then added some stamps from AALL & Create, and Gabi's Loose Threads from 49 & Market.

My leggy birds are a Lin Brown PaperArtsy set which have been paper pieced.

The wings and quote are from the same set.

This quote is by the lovely Tracy Evans and I thought it fitted my bird perfectly.

I couldn't have a PaperArtsy piece without a bit of Darcy, so here's a snail - he's quite happy around the birds as he's Googled them and they're not snail eaters! Other search engines are available, but my snail uses Google ;-)

So all done. It's your turn to put your best wing forward and join in.

I'm also entering this into the following challenges;
Deep Ocean Lots of layers, and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday anything goes.

 Have a great weekend, and thanks very much for looking xx