Pink Elm Leaves

Hello everyone !

I have a design today using images from Designs from Ryn.    My last post for Ryn featured a card with her Maple Leaf  in the background and this time I've used her Elm Leaf.      Ryn's leaf designs are great for creating texture in backgrounds, you can find them in her Flora section.  I know pink leaves are odd, but this is fantasy right?

Using the Acrylic Block Technique I added Picked Raspberry, Barn Door and Seedless Preserves Distress Inks to the background.      I was inspired to use this colour combo from designs in one of Miranda's Art Specialty books. 

I stamped Elm Leaf with Imperial Purple Versafine ink and then stamped Sea Bubbles with Moonlight Brilliance and then the Purple Versafine over the background.    Sea Bubbles is another favorite image to use on backgrounds.   I spritzed an area on the background with water and blotted with paper towel to lighten it up so that I could stamp the sentiment.   'Friends' is by Inkadinkado.

I painted African Daisy with all three Distress Inks (add ink direct from the pad to craft mat and use a brush with water), then decoupaged and covered it with Stardust Stickles.  I love the textured centre of this African Daisy image but for a change I added a large pearl brad.       I stamped the leaf a few times, added a little Picked Raspberry Ink and cut the texture around it off to create the petals for the flower.

Here is a look at the Elm Leaf image:

Thanks for stopping by & have a great weekend,
Shirley

Colorful Snowflakes

Hello everyone !

I'm back again with two more Christmas designs, the last ones for this month.   I've had a great time working with Chocolate Baroque's new Christmas stamps and happy that I've made a solid start on Christmas cards for this year.   It's never to early to start !

I used one of the new Big Bold Background stamps - Solid Snowflakes to create these cards.

I used Fruitcake Kaleidacolour Dye Ink on the background for the above card.    I used a brayer to apply the rainbow ink to get even coverage.   Next I added Versamark Ink directly from the pad over the entire background and embossed with a clear holograph Embossing Powder.   You can see the sparkle on the close-up at the top of this post.    Noel is a single clear stamp - CBCL0020 Noel.     I added rhinestones to the centres of the snowflakes.

This next card was quicker to create as I didn't need a brayer to ink up the stamp.

I used both Evergreen Bough and Pine Needles Distress Inks on the background stamp, which gives the variation in colour.   I stamped the sentiment from Warm Christmas Greetings with Crimson Red Versafine Ink.   I added sparkly rhinestones to the centres of the snowflakes.


I'll be back soon with card designs using new releases from Chocolate Baroque that celebrate another season :)  


Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day !
Shirley

Batik Watercolour Tulips

Happy Monday everyone.    We are excited to see rain today as we've had several weeks of drought, our plants and trees must be happy. 

I have something different today.   I've decided to be brave and show you a Batik watercolour painting that I created in a recent workshop with Linda Virio.  Linda is a patient teacher and talented artist, we had a great time in her class.

In the workshop we learned what happens when you apply wax as a resist with watercolour paint.   Batik is not about perfection and I found it enjoyable.    The painting is on Japanese Rice Paper with wax applied between layers of water colours, starting with the lightest.  The finished art is a surprise when you iron off the wax as the final step.   Linda has wonderful metal stamps (for encaustic work) that was used on the edges with wax. 

Thanks for stopping by!
Cheers,
Shirley

Gold Snowflakes

Hello everyone, I hope you are enjoying the weekend !

I'm back with another Christmas design, this time using Chocolate Baroque's beautiful new Big Bold Background - Snowflake Shadow.     This card can easily be duplicated to make a quick batch of cards.  I plan to make more in different colours :)

I stamped and embossed the background with Gold.   Next I blended a little Picked Raspberry and Peacock Feather Distress Inks over the background.   'Merry Christmas' is from Gothic Angels which I also embossed with gold and blended a little Seedless Preserves Distress Ink around it.  The die is Spellbinder S4-322.    I added a couple of snowflake charms hanging out in my embroidery stash and rhinestones in the centres of the flakes.   Easy !

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day,
Shirley

African Daisy and Maple Leaves

Hello everyone, I hope your week is going well.   I would like to welcome the new followers and also thank everyone for your visits and kind comments.

I have a card today created with Design by Ryn stamps.    Ryn has designed many wonderful Leaf stamps (located in her Flora Section ) that create the most wonderful texture for backgrounds.  I used Maple Leaf on this background and if the colours were changed to reds, oranges and browns, the leaves would work well for Fall & Thanksgiving designs.

I started by applying Peacock Feathers and Picked Raspberry Distress Inks using an Acrylic Block.  (apply the inks direct to block, spritz with water & apply to paper).       Next I sprayed a little White Linen and Teal Dylusions Inks (just can't leave those bottles alone!) and blotted off with a paper towel roll.

I stamped Ryn's Maple Leaf with Imperial Purple Versafine Ink around the parameter of the background.   I embossed African Daisy on watercolour paper with a deep purple powder, coloured with Tombow markers using a brush and water, cut them out and attached to the background.   I added Crealies CL CS 02 swirl die cuts.    I left the centre of the flowers white to keep them prominent, love the texture :)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
Shirley

Gothic Angels in Purple & Blues

Hello everyone

I have a couple more cards today that feature another Angel from Chocolate Baroque's beautiful new set - Gothic Angels.

I created the background with Victorian Velvet and Seedless Preserves Distress Inks using the Acrylic Block technique.   I stamped the Gothic letters from Gothic Angels and a Fragment from Gothic Fragments with Seedless Preserves, spritzed with a little water on the ink before stamping.

I added the brick using a stencil and molding paste.  When dry I coloured over the bricks again with the Distress Inks and added a little silver Inka Gold.

The Angel and window were coloured with Prisma Pencils.   I added glitter to her dress and wings.   I attached a gothic style key that was hanging out in my stash and sheer silver ribbon to finish off the card.

I used the Acrylic Block Technique as described in a recent Monday Mojo Magic Tutorial (great tutorials by Glenda, owner of Chocolate Baroque, it's free to sign up) for the background below:

 

 

The acrylic block that I used has wavy edges and left marks that you can see on the above background.   I used Peacock Feathers Distress Ink on the block.   When dry,  I blended a little Vintage Photo around the edges which I distressed.   I also added the same ink to the lace.    I stamped one of the fragment windows from Gothic Fragments a couple of times after spritzing water onto the inked stamp.   

I coloured the angel and window with Prisma Pencils.  Yuletide Greetings is also from Gothic Angels.    

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day,

Shirley

Let the Adventure Begin

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a great week.  It's hard to believe but here we are in mid August already.  Our weather has been cooler than normal, it's been wonderful but our gardens could use some rain.

I have something that is not for Christmas today :) 

I worked on the cover of my small Art Journal made with Gelli Plate prints, (I created the journal in a recent workshop).

The background was created with a Gelli Plate, Acrylic Paints and stencils.    I used black Acrylic paint with TCW mini cornflowers stencil and outlined in white.   It looks like I was unsteady but it's the texture on the page that created bumps along the way.
 
Design by Ryn stamps:   Waterdroplets 2 and Dancing Faerie Set.  
Chocolate Baroque stamp:   The sentiment is from Artistic Affirmations

Below is the cover page with the front flap opened.   

The faerie was on another project that I wasn't happy with so I rescued her for this cover.   I cut her out out and used Tombow glue to adhere.  She is coloured with Inktense pencils - she was stamped over acrylic paints with Gesso over top.


And below is a beautiful card that I received from my Tante Saakje recently.   She used stamps by Designs by Ryn.   It was a nice surprise to receive in the mail.   She used Ryn's Leafy Branch and Gerbera stamps.

This card above was created by my Tante Saakje !

And here is another look at the Faerie :)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
Shirley

Gothic Angel

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well.

I have another Christmas design today using Chocolate Baroque's beautiful new Gothic Angels set.  This one could probably be used for a non-Christmas card as well.   I added images from Gothic Fragments  that compliment the new set.   The corners are from New England Winter, they matched the foliage on her head piece.   I love how so many of Chocolate Baroque stamp sets compliment each other and give endless possibilities for designs.

I stamped the beautiful 'feisty' angel from the Gothic Angel set with black Stazon Ink.   Both Glenda, owner and Judith, DT member have nicknamed her 'feisty angel' which I think is a good description.  She looks like a strong woman.  I coloured her with Prisma Pencils and used Spellbinder dies to accent her.
 
I created the background with Evergreen Bough Distress Ink on craft mat spritzed with water and then sprayed a little Teal Dylusions Ink over top (of the cardstock).  I used two fragments from the Gothic Fragments set and the Gothic letters fragment from Gothic Angels with Evergreen Bough & Salty Ocean Distress Inks that were lightly spritzed with water.  The corner flourishes from New England Winter are stamped with black ink.      .

Thanks for stopping by, I'll have more Christmas designs to show this month.
Have a great day
Shirley

Christmas Baubles

Hello everyone !

I have two more Christmas designs today using new designs by Chocolate Baroque and will have more to show this month.    I used Christmas Baubles, one of the new Big Bold Background stamps to create these cards.   

This stamp image is so beautiful, I spent enjoyable time colouring it with Tom Bow Markers.     I didn't want to add anything else except for the gauzy ribbon and a couple of rhinestones.   I used a white Gelly Roll pen for the centres of the Poinsettias.    

For the card below I cut out a couple of the baubles from the larger image.

The background sheet is from Chocolate Baroque's digital Printable Pages - Love Letters.  I over stamped with the Pine Cone branch from the New England Winter set.   I highlighted the cones a little with a white Prisma pencil and added a little stickles on both baubles.    I attached the two baubles that were painted with Tom Bow markers.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
Shirley

Christmas Angels

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the weekend.

Chocolate Baroque has launched some exciting new Christmas Designs!   Yes it seems like Christmas is a long ways off, but personally I like to get started on my holiday cards early.

Along with a many new beautiful Big Bold Background stamps, a gorgeous new set - Gothic Angels has been launched.  It's a great partner with Gothic Fragments which I've used in many of my designs for this month.   I have lots to show in August and today I have two cards and small gift tags using designs from Gothic Angels.

The background for the above card is created with Blue & Teal Dylusions Inks.  I've over stamped with a Fragment and Window from Gothic Fragments.  I coloured the window a little with Prisma Pencils.  I embossed the window/wheel fragment from Steampunk Butterfly with silver around the edges.    I also embossed the Angel with Silver, coloured with Tombow markers and decoupaged her over the background.  Yuletide Greetings is from Gothic Angels.

And here is my 2nd design with the same beautiful Angel. 

Again Dylusions inks (blue & purple) were used in the background.  I also used TCW mini Solace Stencil and stamped a fragment from Gothic Fragments (hard to see in photo).    The collage of beautiful background images stamped in black are from Gothic Angels.  I embossed the edges of the background with silver.   The angel is also embossed with Silver and coloured with my Tombow markers. I had some pretty borders of pearls & rhinestones in my stash to finish off this design. 

Here is a look at the Gothic Angels rubber stamp set which is on a special introductory offer for the month of August:

 I also made up some quick gift tags using the smaller images from the above set.

I used Cherry Pie & Grape Soda Dylusions on the backgrounds, stamped with black ink and highlighted with a white Gel Pen.   I coloured a little on the Angel as I was 'testing' my new Inktense Pencils, they are going to be great fun :)   

I've rotated & enlarged the photo here

My talented team mates at the Chocolate Baroque Design Team have lots to show this month as well, if you get a chance please drop by the CB Blog.

Thanks for visiting and have a great day,

Shirley