The Greatest Thing in Life

This is my DT project over at the That's Crafty shop blog, That's Blogging Crafty today.

This started life as a Gelli print that just didn’t work so it became a wiping up sheet for smooshing left overs onto and over time I grew to really like it.  So I glued it into my journal and awaited inspiriation which arrived in the form of the iStencil girl stencil which I coloured using black paint.

I tidied up any rough edges and added more hair using the Artist Pitt Pen. Next I stamped the Dylusions stamp across the bottom and again tidies with the Fude pen, it is quite tricky to stamp on the left hand side of your journal  as it has less support. 

Next I started to mess around with That’s Crafty Dinky Stencils and paint and DecoArt Modelling Paste – I don’t seem to be able to make anything without this stuff these days I luuurrrve it.  To add a bit more texture  I added random stamping using paint caps and credit card.

Finally I came to add the Donna Downey quote stamp.  I decided against stamping directly onto the page as there was some texture form the page originally and I was not sure it would stamp clean so instead I stamped onto spare paper cut up and stuck on with Matt Medium and a little final doodling.

There's a Flower in my Soup

The new theme at That's Crafty is Alphabet Soup.This is my DT piece it is a sheheet of a  That's Crafty! Surfaces - White/Greyboard - Pack of 6, with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics and two Donna Downey Signature Stencils - "Alpha Re-run" and "Find Your Balance".  Looking forward to seeing your entries.

Poppy Mirror

It's my turn today over at the Blog for the That's Crafty Shop, That's Blogging Crafty.  I've gone for a piece of home decor with a painted mirror.

Mirror

Gesso

Donna Downey Stencil

DecoArt Modelling Paste

Palette Knife

DecoArt Media Acrylic Paints – Cobalt Teal, Cobalt Turquoise, Diarylide Yellow, Quinacridone Magenta,  Viridian Green Hue

Pitt Big Brush Pens

Fude Pen

I started with one of those square mirrors from a well known Swedish interiors store, it measures about 10 x 10 inches, but the wide border means there is lots of space for painting. (pic 1)

I added a layer of gesso then DecoArt Media Acrylic Paints in Cobalt Teal, Cobalt Turquoise, and Diarylide Yellow mixing them with gesso as I went. 

When dry mixed I DecoArt Modelling Paste with Quinacridone Magenta  and spread the coloured paste the Poppy part of the stencil over my mirror, moving the stencil round to get my poppies where I wanted them.  Next I mixed DecoArt Modelling Paste with Viridian Green Hue and added the stalks to the poppies.

When the poppies were dry itmay well, if you are a messy crafter like me, look a mess and need tidying up also at this stage  l went over them with Quinacridne Red and Pyrole Red Yellow to get multiple shades in the poppy leaves.

Next I  used my Pitt Big Brush Pens to define the flowers and stems and add grey shading under the petals.  A final touch was to outline my poppies with the Fude Pen to make them pop.

One Stamp Set and 4 Tags

These tags are for my DT piece today over on the That's Crafty Blog, That's Blogging Crafty.  I get stuck sometimes thinking of ways to use the same stamps so I challenged myself to make 4 very different tags but using the same set of stamps, in this case Pink Paislee London Market Set.

Grungy Distress Tag

I inked the tag using the Broken China, Mustard Seed and Rusty Hinge Distress Inks with the Ink Blending Tool.  I over stamped the Parisian style swirl pattern from the stamp set in Rusty Hinge and the sheet music in broken China layering all the way up the tag.  I then stamped the butterfly in Archival ink and added the Idea-ology bits and pieces.  Finally a rub round the edges with the Distress Tool and a brush of Frayed Burlap to complete.

Vintage ShabbyTag

I smeared the Modelling paste though the Heartwood stencil and left to dry.  Then I spritzed with various Glimmer Mists and Cosmic Shimmer Mists. Again when dry I added touches of Gilding Wax.

I stamped the main image, which is in my stash and I am not sure who makes it on cream paper in Versafine Sepia ink and went over with Pitt Big Brush Pens to add colour.

Wonderful Sweet Smile Tag

 This tag started life as a card I keep by me to use up left over mixes of modelling paste and paint and to clean stencils.  I cut a tag out and added any additional stencilling with coloured modelling paste to make a single tag.  As stamping was now not possible I cut a tag from acetate and stamped the three words from the London Market Set in StazOn ink and attached the two together. 

Cute Distress

I swiped the Shaded Lilac, Broken China, and Worn Lipstick Distress inks on my craft mat, spritzed with water and swiped my tag through the puddles of colour.

When dry I over stamped various images from the London Market set in different Distress Inks

I stamped the butterfly 3 times in Peacock Feathers on my tag then stamped again on white card in different ink colours and fussy cut them.  I outlined with my Pitt Pens and stuck them over those stamped in the Peacock Feathers only sticking the bodies so the wings were free.   This meant the Peacock Feather images below provided nice shadows for the butterflies.  I finished them off with stickles bodies and hand drawn antenna.  The bird was a punch from my stash.

Under the Sea - That's Crafty Challege

This is my piece for the latest That's Crafty Challenge "Under the Sea".  The winner of the Challenge will receive a £20 voucher to spend in the That's Crafty online store. So if you would like to be in with a chance of winning pop over to the Challenge Blog and have a look at the fabulous samples my team mates have created. 

Mirrors should think longer before they reflect

Another Journal Page today.

My starting point was this Jean Cocteau quote.  I'm no philosopher so not entirely sure what it means but for me it was about thinking more before speaking about ones opinions.  I  am sometimes guilty of opening my mouth before engaging the brain, so it's a personal reminder.

The background was a Gelli Plate print  I had from my last humungous gelli print making session.  I tend to batch make with no particular project in mind then pull from the stack as and when I want to use one.  All my pens and brushes are now in tins with Gelli print wrappers.  My Gelli plate is the large one so a print just fits a two page spread in my journal.

I placed the Donna Downey Collage Face stencil on the Gelli print and went round the edges with Dina Wakley paint in Blackberry Violet  using a foam pad.  When dry I reversed the stencil and put the face on the other side in a mirror image.

I adhered the Gelli print to my journal and cut round the edges.

I went back into the image with additional mark making  using the oil pastels and hand carved stamps with  paint to add some more depth and my Fude pen to sharpen outlines. 

The text is computer generated and glued.

A little bit of Neon

I do have a weak spot for bright neon colours, so for this card, featured today over at Thats Crafty blog "That's Blogging Crafty", I decided to go neon.

The main stamp is  from the Carabelle Studio stamp set Kiss, I stamped then masked the face.  I went over the face with the DeoArt Americana Multi Surface Neon paints in green, pink and orange. I removed the mask and coloured the face with water colour pencil and the rest of the features with the Letrarest Neon Markers.  The numbers are from the Tim Holtz Ideaology Remnants Rubs Numbers.