This is just getting ridiculous!

I have been horrendously bad at blogging recently, so I thought I better do some papercrafting to get back on board...after all....tis nearly the season!!!

I have a huge collection of stamps, and haven't played with them for ages, so I dug out this selection from Papermania (Urban stamps)....

I chose and stamped one of the images, and coloured with promarkers.

If you buy stamps with coloured images on the reverse you can use them as a colouring guide, which makes the experience less daunting.

Next i decided to cut them out, leaving a thin white outline for easy cutting.

Now to select backing papers ....I has a huge stash....and found these awesome "Blonde Moments" papers that had a similar artistic feel as the stamp set...

Leaving a white border helps the stamped image stand out from the papers, but you can soften the edge by choosing a marker in a light tone that is sympathetic to the background. 

Now for a sentiment...and I have lots of those too...especially Anna Griffin ones...

Using just 2 papers, I ripped strips to make a collagey background then edged with red marker...

The fairy is raised on teeny tiny foam pads.

 So now I decided to decorate the envelopes.

I chose another small stamp from the same collection, masked off the centre of the envelope and stamped a border. I decided to leave these just as outlines, but then stamped another as a seal on the flap and coloured it in.

I really enjoyed making these, had forgotten how much fun stamping and colouring could be.

And now I have several more paper projects to do "for the season", so hopefully will have more to blog(plus finishing up a knitting project to share)

I would like to enter these cards for the following challenges...

Paper Saturdays - decorating envelopes

Crafting When we Can - Winter (spirit of the season)

Country View Challenge - Bah Humbug

Artistic Stamper - Anything Goes (must include stamping)

Enjoy :D XXX

I have been arting...honest!!!

Actually, I've been a tad obsessed with an image that formed in my head after reading another of Magaly's short stories about two sister's who got more than they bargained for after being rude and nasty to someone.

This is a pen and marker version I made...

but it lacked texture.

So I took a canvas, and used a drop sheet that I'd tested a couple of stencils on (perfect for the base layer lol)

and started growing my grumpy shrub.

For this I used tissue paper and matt medium.

Once dry I started adding paint in thin layers so as not to smother the texture.

*oooow...nummy texture*

To add the faces, I scanned my original drawings, and printed them onto tissue paper in the required size...

cut them out, and applied carefully with more matt medium. Using tissue paper for this means the image can be pushed back into the texture of the layers below.

I then added a bit of depth and detail with thin washes of acrylic and inktense pencils, as well as punching out and painting some small flowers....

before a final coat of gloss medium to bring out the colours and bind the layers.

This final image is scanned, and shows the true depth of colour used.

Well you didn't expect me to be working on anything cute this time of year did you...mwahahahahaha!

Enjoy :D XXX

I would like to enter this as my "Piece a Week", for "Paper Saturdays Challenge" and Country View Challenge "Something Spooky"

sometimes the pieces just all come together....

Yesterday whilst reading through my bloglist, several themes just blended together for me, and this is what I made..

A postcard from Skegness :D

Anything Goes Challenge #99 is By the Sea, Country View Crafts asked for "Quotes and Sayings", while Inspiration Avenue wanted Postcards. Sounded like the perfect combi to me :D

This is a photo of my hubby and youngest son following me to "the perfect spot" on the beach at Skegness...

I printed is out onto a 4 x 6 piece of card...

 Stamped some letters out onto scrap card, inking the edges for a little definition...

 then glued them onto the "postcard" to form the classic sea-side quote :D

I think this would be a lovely way of "scrapping" holiday pics, and you could write little memories on the back, as if you had been sending the cards home whilst on holiday.

It is also my "Piece a Week", and my Paper Saturdays challenge entry

Enjoy :D XXX