Underwater Scene

Hi

The Weeks just seem to fly by these days I turned around and The Craft Barn have announced another letter in the Alpha Challenge I am trying to keep up with lol.

This time the letter is S and the twist is use a shell, well I immediately thought seaside......wish I was there.........but after reading through my dictionary I found the word Seaweed so I ran with it.

on my page I have included several S words......Seaweed, Seahorse, Shells in my Underwater Scene

Firstly I washed over the whole page with Aqua Tint Inks using lots of water, next I wiped over with a damp baby wipe to lighten areas. 

My stamps are from Sheena Douglas A Little Sketchy Range - I used 3 sets in all I will put all the details at the end of the post, using  2 different colours of Aqua tint Colour I painted them  onto the seaweed stamps they were quite wet and stamped I love the effect this gives and was really pleased with the resulting seaweed which really looks like it is under the water. 

I had to add a Seahorse to the scene as I adore these cute little animals they fascinate me and the male looks after the babies!!, would love to see one in real life.
The seahorse was inked up with distress inks peacock feathers and over stamped in vintage photo, there is one solid stamp and one detailed which is great for this effect.  The little fishes were stamped in vintage photo and with damp paint brush I moved the ink around the images.

Lastly I stamped the shells in distress paint -  fossilized amber and tea dye, there was a lot of paint on the image which I painted into  the shell shape which gave an opaque cover, dried this with heat gun and over stamped in vintage photo and spiced marmalade to give back the shell definition. The edges of the pages were inked with vintage photo, also the dictionary quote edges and the letter S which was firstly painted with the same distress paints and lastly there is a great quote stamp with the set and it just seemed to fit........

To discover a seashell is to discover a world of Imagination - Michelle Held

Phew hope you hung on in to the end lol,  this took longer to type than to make. I had great fun making my mixed media Art Journal page and am really pleased with the result, thinking I might make another one in a similar way but on canvas and hang in the bathroom I have just the space........

Many thanks for the lovely comments left on my last AJ page post everyone is appreciated very much.

I would also like to join in the following challenges

The Artistic Stamper - All things Distress
As You Like It challenge - Favourite animal and Why - Seahorse-they fascinate me
A Bit More Time to Craft -Anything goes

Ingredients used

Sheena Douglass A Little Bit Sketchy Stamps range, Hidden Stars - Seahorse, seaweed; Underwater Angels - Seaweed; Sea Shells.

Spectrum Noir Aqua Tint Inks -  Bright and Beautiful set;

Distress Inks - peacock feathers, vintage photo, spiced marmalade; Distress Paint - Fossilized Amber, Tea Dye;

'till next time

Pretty in Pink

Hi everyone

Todays post is another AJ page, as you know I have been playing along with the Craft Barn Alpha Challenge and the letter for this 2 weeks  is D with a twist Pink has to be included! I have missed the last two challenges but I do intend to do the pages so my journal is complete.

Dragonfly and Spring popped straight into my head and I have this fabulous stamp set  from Sheena Douglass Range of stamps with matching dies, I  love this set, and any excuse to use it and I'm there.

I used distress Inks picked raspberry, mown lawn and vintage photo, using a stencil again from Sheena Douglass range I inked the wild flowers moving stencil across page, I then blended the same inks over the page and spritzed with water, the flowers wicked slightly, I really like this effect it softens the stencil a little and the background goes nice and splodgy....I like that word lol......

The Dragonfly was stamped in vintage photo straight onto the page, also stamped and die cut twice from copy paper and white card.  The Paper Dragonfly was coloured with picked raspberry and then stamped in black archival, I also used  gold pebeo gilding wax on the wings this really shines in real life photo doesn't really pick it up, the card dragonfly was painted in gold metallic paint and stamped over in archival ink.  I choose to cut them out first and then stamp them I find it an easier process.

Lastly I used the beautiful corner stamp in vintage photo and the word Dragonfly both stamps come in the set.

I would also like to join the following challenges

A Vintage Journey #40 - Spring is in the Air
Country View Challenges April - Spring
The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog- All things Distress
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge - Pink and Green
Craft Stamper Magazine Make It Take It April Challenge - Spring Flowers

Time for Love

Hi
Today I am here with my AJ page for the Craft Barn Alpha Challenge with the letter L, I have gone with the word Love not very original I know but while I was sorting out some stamps I came across a set of  Hearts and this beautiful verse and a page was born.

my page was firstly brushed with pink and lilac acrylic paint I then stamped with the various heart stamps in same paint (this doesn't show up in the photo, then using various distress inks I built the layers of stamping.  The verse was stamped in versafine black and lightly brushed with same paint as it was far to bright and clean for the page. In real life you can read the verse still the photo seems to have dulled the ink........sorry.  I added the definition from the dictionary and with a black fine line pen I have drawn some hearts and written the words LOVE and SWALK in various places over the page.  Together and Cherish die cuts were added to the page and brushed over with the paint.
Thiss page also fits in with the challenge at Our Creative Corner - Return of the Challenge.

I have chosen to revisit challenge August 1st 2013, Words Words Words, this is a great challenge, also great fun.

I would also like to join in the following challenges

Creative Artist Challenge - anything goes
The artistic Stamper Creative Team blog - Springtime
Mixed Media World - Love is in the Air
Our Creative Corner - The Return of the Challenge - Chosen - Words Words Words August 2013


until next time
.

Feathers

My AJ page today is F for Feathers joining in at The Craft Barn Alpha/Dictionary Challenge

My main chosen stamp was from the  A little Bit Sketchy collection from Sheena Douglass - Falling Feathers.
I gathered some paints and inks together, Pebeo Iridescent Gold was brushed directly onto the stamps and randomly stamped, this paint is gorgeously iridescent but unfortunately not showing very well in photo.
I also used up some Spectrum Noir inks which had dried in the palette I sprayed with water and applied to the stamps these were very wet and soaked into the water colour paper giving a lovely washed look, lastly I used Memento ink pad London Fog, a nice light grey colour.
Bird stamp is Tim Holtz and stamped with spectrum noir inks spritzed with water.
A Grungeboard "F" was painted with the gold paint and stamped over in memento grey with the small feather stamp.

Thanks for looking, 'till next time

HO! HO! HO!

Santa is coming to Town....bet you are all singing along...........lol. 

We are nearly at the end of the Altered Dictionary Challenge at the Craft Barn with the last two letters X and I so I am here to post my X page no prizes for guessing what my choice was.............what do you mean you can't guess...............ho ho ho.  With only 3 words to choose from which were   xray  didn't have a stamp for this one,  xylophone no that didn't do it either so I went with........drum roll   Xmas  oh you had already guessed.............although that word grates on me I had fun with the page being short of time I grabbed the Christmas stamps that were sat on my desk Tim Holtz of course.

Now you will have spotted that Santa has a very yellow tint to his beard this is due to the very yellow page for Y which is overleaf and I tried white paint but the yellow soaked through so I gave that up, perhaps we could imagine Santa has been busy in his workshop and got yellow paint in his beard........yep that works for me!!
Pine branches were stamped in top corner and I added tissue tape all around the page (don't tell anyone this is hiding the very yellow paint). I loaded the page with glitter but I couldn't get a photo which showed it well  it looks really glittery in real life.

I will be back hopefully soon with my I page, I also have to alter the cover of the book, thanks for looking.

'till next time

Queen of Hearts

Here I am again with another page in my altered dictionary for the letter "Q" at The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge the word Queen had jumped off the page at me even though I went with Quill for my first page Here.  

My 2nd page for this letter was born after I found some small playing cards and  part of the definition was "a playing card with a picture of a queen" this was glued to the centre of the page and an assortment of images were added.







I  used a postage stamp by Papermania Portabello stamps in Archival Ink Vermillion and chipped sapphire distress ink  and added a little gold  by embossing the crown and lion (Tim Holtz) stamps

 

 

Thanks for looking
till next time


Stamps Papermania Portabello Road Urban Stamps, Tim Holtz stamps, Archival and Distress Inks
Gold sparkle embossing powder (unknown), playing card

Q is for

Time for another page in my altered dictionary and this time "Q" is the choice at The Craft Barn Challenge.    Not many words to choose from so I went with the one that jumped off the page at me Quill.   I apologise for the photo it is such a dark rainy day here today I will edit photo tomorrow if it is a better day!

 

Photo edited 

 



The definition "the hollow stem of a feather"
 I used this feather stamp from Sheena Douglass falling feathers set. Also added  corners and splodge stamp from her ageing beautifully set. Ink Archival black and I crossed out some words with a fine line pen, I wanted the page to be messy like mistakes on a page written in ink......I achieved messy alright not sure if I got the look I was after though......lol,
Edges of pages were inked with black soot distress ink.

Thanks for all the lovely comments
'till next time



Reciepe

Stamps Sheena Douglass A Little Bit Sketchy Range, falling feathers and aging beautifully
Inks Archival Jet Black, Black Soot DI;
Fine liner pen, Alpha Stamps (unknown)

Room with a View

Time for another letter for the Alpha Challenge at The Craft Barn this time it is the letter "L" with a twist there has to be  a window included.  Straight away I knew my word was going to be Landscape looking out through a window, for some silly reason I forgot to post the finished page and have only just realized. must be an age thing but better late than never though as I haven't missed a letter so far.......

I started by cutting out a "window" from the pages on the right and then glued them together.  The landscape was stamped using Sheena Douglass set of stamps in  the A Little Bit Sketchy range and painted with distress inks and attached .  A window was cut using Spellbinders die in brown card and I cut up a frame which was in my bit box into pieces to make curtains, the ornate pieces I cut from the window die were used to highlight the word "Landscape"

At the bottom of the left page was the word " landing stage" and as the set of stamps I was using had a landing stage stamp I just had to use it didn't I!  So this was stamped in vintage photo distress ink and with water I dragged the colour into the design added a little water with faded jeans

It is nearly time for  another letter to be announced will it have a twist or won't it, all will be revealed on Sunday not long to wait I am still enjoying this challenge and visiting all the other entries is such fun and everyone has great ideas even when the words are the same the pages are so different.  I'm off to link mine and have a good look round over the next day or so. 
Thank you all so much for the lovely comments on my jumping stickman it was such a fun page to do.


 thanks for looking.
'till next time

J is for .................

...............Jump

Not much crafting going on here at the moment due to my attempt to have a major sort out in
the room of stash and it has taken me longer than I thought.......nearly finished now  hopefully but  I had to make time and clear a space for me to make my altered dictionary page in the on going Alpha Challenge at The Craft Barn which I am hopelessly addicted to.

 After reading through the J words only one word jumped out at me so I ran with it all puns intended lol!

Very simply I stamped J in various colours of Addirondak inks and drew my stickmen jumping over them.  I will be catching up with all the other entries as soon as possible, thanks for looking

'till next time

T is for..............

Hi from sunny Cornwall just a short post today while I have WiFi signal for my Altered Dictionary page for the Craft Barn challenge which is the letter "T".  my page is predictable I'm afraid 2 things made the page, 1 this was the only stamp I had with me that fitted....and 2nd I have drunk more of this than ever over the last few weeks..... so my word choice is Tea

Distress markers were used to stamp with and colour around tea cups love this stamp it is from Artistic Outpost collection first time it has been inked!!!   Very quick page with limited time and supplies just had to make sure I didn't the challenge.  Will pop by and have a look at all the entries as and when I get a signal.

 

 

 

St Ives Beach

 

 

 

 St Ives is just one of the places we have visited I love to mooch around all the little streets and shops lots of inspiration  and beautiful views... have to admitted it was a little busy for me but then we usually are not here in the peak holiday season.

 

Until next time

 

by for now

 

 

Y is for..................

Yellow............
Hi everyone from scorching North Devon, we are on our travels again in the Motorhome and on our way to glorious Cornwall where I always feel I have arrived "home"..........anyways I suddenly realised I hadn't posted my Alpha Page so here it is..............The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge for week 14.....already wow.....is the letter "Y" and the twist being to use the colour yellow. Well I haven't many word on my page for "Y"  and have limited stash with me so I went with the word yellow.......I coloured page with  distress markers (never leave home without them) scattered straw, wild honey, stamped design with vintage photo and wild honey, ripped a page from a magazine ripping the pieces I wanted to use and stuck them to the page, inked around all the white edges with vintage photo and stamped over with same design.

 



I haven't got palm trees here but the weather and stunning sunsets have been just as idyllic as these pictures that I'm sure is why I was drawn to using them.  I'm sorry I haven't been around to visit but I will catch up when I can

bye for now from sunny Barnstable and tomorrow I will be in Cornwall Yippee............

'till next time

 

B is for............................

.............butterflies
Hello everyone and another Alpha challenge post from me, a short one today as I have one eye on Wimbledon and one typing this and the matches are getting very exciting so must hurry lol. Not much crafting being done this fortnight hope Andy wins later!

The Craft Barn  Alpha challenge is "B" and as I love love butterflies this was an easy choice for me.
I have used Distress inks and stencilled through a butterfly die cut left overs, stamps are inkadinkadoo and coloured with watercolour pencils water added for a light wash.

 

I will be popping over to see all the other entries as soon as I can between breaks at Wimbledon, it is lovely to see what everyone's has been up to  and once again thank you all for your visits an  lovely comments.

 

Blogger is playing up and I have been ages trying to add photo grrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

till next time

 

R is for.........................

Roost.......

This letter caused me to scratch the little grey cells and after reading through my dictionary several times I came up with "Roost" for the Alpha Challenge at The Craft Barn mainly I think because I nearly used Perch for my "P" word last time and I needed to use some Tim Holtz stamps as I was getting withdrawals..............lol

 

 

I decided to keep to  black and white  leaving the dictionary page unaltered apart from the stamping

with Black Versamark ink. 

 

 

 

 

I have used some of my fav Tim Holtz Bird stamps I love the distressed silhouette effect they give, thanks for looking and once again huge thanks for all the kind comments you all left on my "P" pages.

 

Hope you have all had a good Easter break despite the cold weather and stayed warm and eaten lots of chocolate.........

 

 

'till next time

Ingredients Stamps Tim Holtz, Versafine Ink, Black fine liner pen

M is for Marigold...........

Hi again bloggers and welcome to my new followers nic to have you along with me on my crafting Journey and also a great big thanks to all of you who have been following my Alpha Challenge journey and have left lovely comments...Thank you! 
We have a little twist in the challenge this fortnight from The Craft Barn as we can only choose words between Ma-Me....I had already decided my word for M was going to be Marigold as I love these cheerful flowers so was pleased that my word came within Ma-Me. Only problem being how was I going to achieve this.......
Now you all know I can not draw for a toffee (or chocolate) so off to my trusty stamp stash to find a "Marigold" I soon found the ideal stamp which is from The Paint Fusion Range of stamps from Sheena Douglass, now the stamp in question was designed to be a daisy but with change of colour I have found it can become a variety of flowers and today bloggers Daisy is going to be.............yes you guessed a Marigold........

 

I started as usual with gesso over my pages that I had stuck together and stamped the image which I then painted Fusion style with Pebeo Acrylic Paint in manderine, mango for the petals and  burnt umber was used for the middle and a little mango.  I also used a mask for the brickwall and distress inks frayed burlap and vintage photo. I do  love the texture this painting style gives to the page I just wish it showed up well in the photo!

I also added a little journaling ...A first for me as I'm not comfortable writing my thoughts on my page...........but this challenge is a whole new journey for me as it is the first altered book I have done too.

 

As we can only choose between Ma-Me this means there are quite a few pages left in M unused so I think I may stick them together and decorate so the book when finished will have all the sections decorated......what are you all doing?!

 

Apart from my Alpha challenge I have not had much time for crafting hope this will change soon as I have missed getting into my craft room and getting messy.  Thanks for looking 'till next time

 

 

 

H is for House

Here I am  again with my second page for letter "H" in my altered Dictionary for the Alpha Challenge over at the Craft Barn I know House has been popular but when I was rummaging through my stamps for my first page Hedgehog here I came across this stamp  and just had to use it!!

I have used a stamping wheel from Stampin' Up! for my houses and using Distress Inks I gave everything a simple watercolour wash, the word House is stencilled through a die cut from Tim Holtz Alphabet  I never throw the negatives away as they are always useful I outlined with a black fine liner. Chipboard flowers are Tando which I painted.

 

A quick page keeping it very simple was the idea

Not long now to wait until the next letter is chosen..............mmmmmm I wonder...........   :)

Thanks for looking

 

'till next time

 

 

Splashing about in the Rain

H is for ......Hedgehog which is my chosen word for the Alpha Challenge at The Craft Barn. I have to admit that this letter had me scratching my head ......just couldn't seem to get anything on paper so while rummaging  through my stamps for some inspiration I came across these Penny Black stamps which have not been out to play for  a very long time (hangs head in shame) they are so cute I just couldn't resist....

 

 

I used Pool ranger paint dabber for the background which I then wiped off with a wet baby wipe, water coloured my images with Distress Inks, Barn Door, Vintage Photo, bubble wrap and pearl paint dabber were used to stamp on the background I also used a selection of background stamps from Creative Expressions



On the closeup the pearl paint is shinning and hiding the words - sorry

Again thanks to everyone who visited my blog and left comments I had great fun visiting the entries for the last challenge and seeing some great pages.  I may be back with another page later

'till next time;  I'm off now to visit the other entries if you have chance pop over to see some great work!


 

Items used
Distress Inks, Ranger Paints
Stamps - Penny Black, Stampin' Up! Creative Expressions

Evergreen...............

 
I have to admit I nearly forgot to post these pages as I did them last week and today is the first time I have ventured into the room of craft after having a terrible week trying to sort out a water leak at Mums house, nothing serious as in no flooding but a big water bill arrived which suggested there was trouble.......after much searching and numerous visits and meter checks etc., she is now sorted but this made for a very stressful week for her as she does worry so......still she does well for 91!!!!!

Anyhow.......Week 3 of the Alpha Challenge over at the Craft Barn is the letter "E" and I couldn't resist doing another page this time I have chosen "Evergreen" using some of my favourite stamps by Sheena Douglass A Little Bit Sketchy Range.   Firstly I gessoed pages then used dried marigold and rusty hinge distress inks for background.

Trees were stamped in walnut stain DI and using DI markers in pine needles, forest moss and peeled paint I filled in the trees and blended with water, I have to say I love to do this with stamps and it works well on water colour paper.  Birds were Tim Holtz stamp which I inked in black archival ink.

Can't wait until tomorrow for a new letter......so excited....... lol;  thanks again for all my visitors for leaving such lovely comments on my first "E"  page here and I have really enjoyed looking around all the entries I'm off to post this now and catch up on any I've missed.

'till next time

Alpha Challenge...

Here I am again with my altered dictionary page for the Alpha Challenge at The Craft Barn
The letter for this fortnight is "E". after flicking through the E section of my dictionary this word jumped out at me....elevenses.......I wonder why....lol.......so this is what I have done

I splashed distress stains over my pages stormy sky dried marigold and antique linen, then I splattered a few spots, next came the pictures from a magazine, then to fill in the spaces I sorted out some stamps from my Tim Holtz collection stamped in Adirondack express...fitting I thought...lol

 

I added a few words and lastly covered everything with Ranger stick and seal which will protect the page.

 

I have already started on another page not too happy about the outcome so far.........but may show later if not have another word too..........so many choices............so you may see another entry......lol.

 

I am really enjoying this challenge and would like to thank everyone who visited me and left wonderful comments..........Thank you they all mean a lot to me!   I enjoy visiting everyone as much as I do making my pages so much talent and every page/project is so different.

'till next time

Wish I was there.................

...by the Sea

I am having so much fun altering my dictionary, this is my first altered book project thanks to The Craft Barn and the Alpha Challenge which has inspired me to get started......now I can't stop waiting and wishing the days away until they announce the next letter of the Alphabet.

This is my second page for the "C" word and I have chosen Coast.......sooooooooooo wish I was by the sea and not snowed in.

I have used Tim Holtz Distress markers and water to make a wash over the page the dictionary paper is not good for this process but I was happy with the uneven look so I ran with it.  Stamps are Hobby Art clear stamps Faraway Set I am ashamed to say I have had this set for oh..............1 year ish and this is the first time I have inked them.........bad stamper!!

Thanks for all the positive comments I have received for my "Capital" page they are much appreciated.  Before you go ...........................

anyone for Alfresco Eating.................

.........................no...................rofl..................taken yesterday (wednesday)

'till next time

London Calling......

Another page for my Altered Dictionary Page over at The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge.  The letter chosen for this fortnight is "C" and I have chosen Capital, I really couldn't choose just one as there is so much choice with this letter so I may be back with another page...........sooon lol.

Firstly I used gesso on the pages after I had stuck them together left to dry.  I used Artistic Outpost Stamps London Elements, Distress Inks for background and Studio 490 masks, Adirondack Ink in Red and Black. Also street names which I cut from a magazine.

Telephone box was stamped in Adirondack ink onto white card so this gave the effect of glass panels, the telephone image was cut from magazine.  All the stamps used are from the London Elements Set of stamps. Studio 490 mask was used for the bars and spots.  Before you all shout at me about the bridge.....it isn't London Bridge.............. I know it's Tower Bridge...........

 

Have really enjoyed altering these pages and really enjoying this challenge pop over to The Craft Barn and join in the fun also great tips and projects shared there everyday.

 

Items Used

Stamps 

Artistic Outpost

Inks

Distress Inks faded jeans; barn door; frayed burlap; chipped saphire

Ranger Archival Ink; Vernillion;  Jet Black

Distress Stains Picket Fence

Gesso

 

'till next time