Sweet Moments

This was the first of the stamps I used out of the gorgeous bundle sent by the lovely Leann for the fabulous new launch from Crafter's Companion. When the packaged arrived I wrote a list of my top 3 favourites…it took a while. After much deliberation I started with Sweet Moments.

Using my Spectrum Noirs I took myself off on my colouring journey, it’s amazing how quickly the time flies and how relaxing a journey it can be.  My journey was mainly one of water colour pencils as I wanted to create an ethereal look, especially on their dresses and wings. But I did use by Spectrum Noirs on the flowers and their hair.

I used the following Spectrum Noirs:

Hair: GB6, GB10, GB11
Flesh: FS1, FS2, FS5

I also added some gold acrylic to their hair to add some golden highlights.
I made my own tag template out of Co-ordinations Roy G Biv (pink) and a slightly smaller one in papers from the cd. I altered the paper by stamping a letter scroll image from Inkylicious in pink ink and in Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet. Each tag layer was distressed with ink and with the bon folder and I attacked the pink tag with my Sand It Gadget.
Once the tag was layered up I added some beautiful white lace and threaded some thin pink velvet ribbon through it and a small piece was added to the top of the tag.
The sentiment was stamped from the Sheena Douglas, Little Bit Sketchy – Only Words from theHeart in Versamark and then heat embossed in ultra fine antique gold powder. I stamped it onto a left over piece of paper that the smaller tag was made from. I die cut it using the Grace Frame from Die’sire and ink distressed the edges in Tim Holtz Walnut stain.

I made a large rose from 2 small rose quills and 3 large rose quills using the Die’sirequilling Rose Small and Large. I used my large embossing tool to curl the leaves. I also spritzed them with water and scrunched them slightly. Once dry I used my Tim Holtz distressing inks and some water and painted the leaves to the desired colour. The small pink rose was made with 5 small rose quills, from the Co-ordinations Roy G Biv. Again I used by embossing tools to curl the petals and painted the edges with Tim Holtz Tattered Straw. I also made a rose bud from the same paper and same die.

The leaves where cut using the Die’sire die Leaf 2. Cut from Co-ordinations Vintage. I sanded them once cut and painted with Tim Holts Walnut Stain. I sptritsed them and scrunch them into shape.

The matt and layers are from Co-ordinations Roy G Biv in pink and a paper from the cd. I aged both by running my bone folder around the edges and inked with Tim Holts Tattered Straw and Walnut Stain.

Once all the layers where built and the elements and embellishments added I added a free hand pearl swirl. I love the swirls you buy in the shop but hate how you can see the sticky stuff that joins the pearls together. So I drew some swirls and using my pricking toll punched through the template I had drawn onto the card and the added my stick back pearls with my fine tweezers by placing a pearl on the dot impression left by the pricking toll, easy.

Please remember to tune in to Create and Craft to see these amazing stamps and all the fabulous samples the Design Team have made x 

Sweet Baby Rosebud

This is my second sneaky preview of a new set of stamps and digital images launching this week from Crafter’s Companion on Create and Craft TV.

I think of all the stamped images Baby Rosebud has to be the sweetest, without seeing the image the name conjures up the sweetest little image, surrounded by beautiful little delicate roses.

Using my Spectrum Noirs I set to work colouring her in…I wanted to keep her dress white so the additional colouring needed to me be delicate, just like her.

I used the following Spectrum Noirs:

Greens & Browns: DG3, DG4, CG3, CG4, GB1, GB2, TN7

Pinks & Purples: PP2, PP3, PP5, BP2, BP3, LV1, HB1

Flesh:  FS1, FS2, FS5

 With a fine paint brush I added some gold acrylic paint to her hair to create delicate gold highlights.

Added Glamour dust with my quickie glue pen to the edges of her dress, her wings and the roses, then set about cutting her out with my craft knife.

The backing paper on this cd-rom are amazing, delicately faded designs that suit the images so well. After much deliberation I selected a pink clover design and a pink and white brushed effect paper. Distressed the edges with my inky dusters with Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet. And joined using some stretch lace and ribbon, both in cream.

With some cream paper I made a rose from the Die’sireq uilling flower range, large and small rose. I made one small rose and curled them in to make the centre bud, another small rose but curled the petals outwards and then three of the large rose all curled out. Once they were all quilled I sprayed the rose with Crafter's Companion Spray and Sparkle Iridescent.

The little rose bud image needed a frame around her…in my crafty stash I found a pack of lovely lace frame from K&Company. I backed the frame onto a piece of cream velum layered on a piece of cream card – I didn’t want to see the pattered paper showing through.

I wanted to play about with the layout – normally the image is to the right of the card and the floral embellishments to the left so I swapped them round. I think the image lends itself to that…I wanted it to look like she was behind the rose…

Added some clear gem swirls for some more sparkle. The acetate butterflies are from Inkylicious and I coloured them with my Spectrum Noirs and a light spray of Spray and Sparkle Iridescent and attached with Collall silicon glue.

The sentiment was cut using the Die’sire Scalloped Tag, edges inked with Tim Holt Victorian Velvet and some Glamour Dust added with quickie glue pen.

You know you need to buy these stamps, this images are so versatile and could suit any occasions, maybe next time I use  this image I’ll use more muted colours.

Remember and tune into Create and Craft on the 19^th x

Timeless and Exquisite

Timeless, exquisite, ethereal, decorative, breath taking. There is simply no other way to describe this new collection of digital images and stamps from the remarkable artist Christine Haworth.

Crafter’s Companion will launch this gorgeous design this week...keep reading for a sneaky peak…

I have a little confession to make…faeries aren’t my thing…until I received these beautiful images through the post. After doing a bit of research on the www, I thought I’d have a go and just see where my trusty Spectrum Noirs would take me…

I think I was instantly drawn to Poppy purely for her exquisite red colouring. I wanted to do something warm and autumnal. Once I stamped the image I spread my ever growing collection of Spectrum Noirs on my craft desk and set to work. It’s amazing how a little bit of colouring-in can soothe the heart and the mind.

I used the following Spectrum Noirs:

Reds & Purples: DR2, DR3, CR8, PL3, LV1

Greens & Yellows: CT4, GT3, DG4

Browns: EB1, EB2, BG3, BG4, BG7

Flesh: FS3, FS5, FS9

Once she was coloured in added some sparkle – a faeries isn’t a faeries without some glittery dust. I used some WOW embossing powder in Violet and some glamour dust.
Now what to do with her? I did try and make a box frame as wanted to have her sit in a frame on a card with lots of quilled flowers behind her but didn’t like how it was going. So after a bit of research on the www (remember I’m new to the faerie world) I thought the image suited to being capture in a jar. I did think about putting her actually in a real glass jar but not sure how it would have survived the mail on its travel from Bonnie Scotland to the Create and Craft studios. So how do I make her look like she is in a jar but not in a jar? Simples, I found a free mason jar template doing an image search on the www and lots came up. Found the one I liked and printed it onto Crafter’s Companion printable vellum and left to dry. Once dry I coloured in the outline and lid with a silver pen, and once that was dry I cut round the edges with my craft knife.

I selected two backing papers from the cd and distressed the edges with Tim Holts Tattered Straw and Walnut Stain with my dusters. With my bone folder I ruffled up the edges and corners.

Selected a co-ordinating piece of red card and with my dusters brushed Momento Gold ink around the edges and again with my done folder ruffled.

I wrapped a piece of red and white gingham ribbon around the card and over laid with a piece of ordinary garden twine.

Craft paper was used to create the rose, and yes I know it should really have been a poppy but I don’t know how to make one…yet.  I used by ball tool to curve the edges of the petals before quilling and once formed used by fine tweezers to pinch the edges of the petals to make them look more realistic.

I had some red mixed twine left over from Christmas that I bought in IKEA and wanted to create to bows, but once tied the knots where too large so I made four loops. Attached the rose with Collall silicon glue and then attached the twine loops under the petals to give the impression that the flower is on the bow, I think it works ok.

I had a cute little lady bird in by crafty stash and the butterflies are acetate from Inkylicious. I just coloured them with my Spectrum Noirs, cut out and attached with silicon glue.

The sentiment is from the same stamp set and was cut out using the Die’sire Scalloped Tag set, smallest tag and stencilled the edges with Tim Holtz Tattered Straw. A little bow made from red raffia was tied and attached.

I thoroughly enjoyed making this card, although it’s been the first I have blogged I actually made three but the other two are more girlie and pink, please keep checking in to see a sneaky peak of them. I hope you like this card and if you are a bit like me in thinking faeries aren’t for you, then please think again. Have a go with these gorgeous images and I bet you they change your mind…if they don’t then I’ll eat my Spectrum Noirs x