Thursday, February 27, 2014

Steampunk with Blue & Yellow

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well.  It is freezing cold here with strong winds.   It doesn't feel like Spring is going to arrive anytime soon.   But the sun is shining. 

I have a Steampunk Design today that was fun to create.


Chocolate Baroque Stamp sets:   Artistic Expressions, Steampunk Butterfly, Steampunk Christmas (gears fragment).  I also used a script stencil and Spellbinder Gear dies.

The background is Mustard Seed and Salty Ocean Distress inks blended on Mixed Media paper.  I flicked water over top to create the water marks.  When dry I blended Salty Ocean DI over the script stencil.   I flicked black Dylusions Ink using the applicator randomly (inspired by an article in the March 2014 Craftstamper Magazine).     The gear die cuts were sprayed with blue Dylusions ink and I blended black Distress Ink around the edges.  

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day !
Shirley

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Mackintosh Windows

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well.   I would also like to extend a warm welcome to the new followers, I appreciate everyone's interest, visits and kind comments :)

I have one more design using Chocolate Baroque's new Mackintosh Windows and Mackintosh Beauty sets which are on special until the end of February.     


The background is design paper from my stash.  The windows were stamped with black Archival ink and coloured with Prisma Pencils.   I popped them up on a black mat but it's hard to see that in the photo.

I'm looking forward to more play with the fabulous Mackintosh stamp sets.

Thanks for your visit and have a great day!
Shirley

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Inspired by Suzi Blu

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a fabulous weekend.   I would like to welcome the new followers, thank you for your interest and visits !

I have something different to show today.   I enjoy drawing 'not real' and 'doodle style' faces.   Recently a friend pointed out a book by mixed media artist, Suzi Blu that she thought I would enjoy.  It's titled "Mixed Media Girls" and she is right I love the book, it's great fun.   Here is my first 'folk art' girl that I drew and painted in my Journal.  


It's difficult to see but the background has texture from acrylic paint, which I stencilled over.   I stamped Design by Ryn's Sea Bubbles to add some fun texture to her hair.  The colouring was done with Prisma Pencils and Neocolour II (water soluble) crayons.   I also used TCW stencils:  Starfall, Circle Explosion and Cubist with Distress Inks and a white pen for the highlighting.

And here is a photo that shows how buried a couple of chairs are in snow.   It's a bit milder today, it's melting a little but it's going to get quite cold this week again.......Spring please come soon !  



Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day,
Shirley

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Designs by Ryn meets Chocolate Baroque

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well.   We are still buried under mountains of snow, but the sun is getting higher in the sky and it's not as cold.   However it will be some time before we see the ground and plants blooming.   I was envious to see Crocus blooming in photos taken in Europe.

I have a design today using both Chocolate Baroque and Design by Ryn stamps.     As you must know, I love both of these company's designs and finally have combined them together on a card.


Stamps used:
Designs by Ryn - Raindrop Set
Chocolate Baroque - Eccentric Edwardian Set (the man with umbrella & background script) and Words of Inspiration.

TCW Stencil:  Time Travel

The background is Salty Ocean and Mustard Seed Distress Inks using an Acrylic block.    The colours blended creating the green.  I blended Salty Ocean Distress Ink with TCW Time Travel stencil and over stamped with the same ink using a script stamp from Chocolate Baroque's Eccentric Edwardian set.   The rest of the stamping was done with Black Archival ink and highlighted with a white Gellyroll pen.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day
Shirley

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Best Wishes

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well.

I have another design today that features a stamp from Chocolate Baroque's beautiful Mackintosh Windows A5 set.   


The background is Evergreen Bough Distress Ink using an Acrylic Block.  I over stamped using a fragment from Texture Fragments with the same ink.   The Mackintosh window was embossed with black and coloured with Picked Raspberry & Evergreen Distress Inks (using a craft mat, water & brush).

I cut thin strips of black card stock and placed them randomly behind the main image.  My original plan was to place them straight, but I bumped the card which caused them to move and I liked how they placed themselves :)   I popped up the window over top.  

'Best Wishes' is from Loving Sentiments.  Chocolate Baroque also offers their popular Mackintosh Sentiments clear set which compliments the new Mackintosh designs very well.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day,
Shirley

Friday, February 14, 2014

Playing with Blue and Lilac

Happy Valentine's Day !  

I hope everyone is doing well.  I was away enjoying some time with family in warm sunshine and now back to the land of snow and cold.   I'm behind visiting in blog land but will try to catch up over the next few days.

When I had a look at the beautiful DT samples for the February's Blue or Lilac Challenge at Lavinia, I wanted to join in.   But I only own three of their lovely fairy stamps and nothing else to create a scene or to add other stamping.   So I came up with this design, I tried adding flowers but they were not working for me.

Lavinia stamp used:   Fleur Silhouette.
Dies:  Spellbinder - S4-383 Marvelous Squares
Stencils:  TCW - Circle Explosion and Star Fall

I stamped the fairy with black archival ink on glossy paper that I blended Blue & Lilac Alcohol inks over.   The two mats were created with After Midnight and Crushed Grape Dylusions inks.  I blended Shaded Lilac Distress Ink over the two stencils.   I added a little glitter to his wings.

Thanks for your visit and enjoy your day,
Shirley

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Pink and Black Stained Glass

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well.

I have a design today from Chocolate Baroque's new Mackintosh Windows A5 set.  I've had a lot of fun working with these new beautiful designs.


The background was created using Seedless Preserves Distress Ink with an Acrylic Block.   I embossed all the images with black, cut them out and coloured with Distress Inks (on my craft mat with water and brush).   I added little strips of black card stock to the background before attaching the window images.

Thanks for visiting and have a great day,
Shirley

Thursday, February 06, 2014

Beautiful Bride - Mackintosh Style

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well.

I have a design to show today using the beautiful lady from the fabulous new Mackintosh Beauty A5 set by Chocolate Baroque.   It was fun to play with some of my dies.


I stamped the beautiful lady on mauve designer paper with a faint pattern and added some colour using Prisma Pencils.   After die cutting the flowers from white card stock,  I stamped them with a fragment from Textured Fragments and rubbed a little Tea Dye & Seedless Preserves Distress Ink over the flower after it was glued together.  I also used a metallic luster on the Flourish and added little half pearls.

Diecuts:  Heartfelt Creations Vintage Floret (flower) & Bella Rose (flourish), Spellbinder Elegant Labels 4 & Labels 4.

Thanks for visiting and have a great day,
Shirley

Saturday, February 01, 2014

Mackintosh Hearts

Happy Weekend everyone, I hope you are doing well.

Chocolate Baroque has launched gorgeous (I always say that but it's true) stamps this month.    They used Charles Rennie Mackintosh artwork as inspiration for two new A5 stamp sets -  Mackintosh Windows and Mackintosh Beauty along with a clear set - Mackintosh Sentiments.     And as always, the new sets are offered at an introductory price for the month of February.

I have two heart designs today using stamps from the Mackintosh Beauty set.


The background for the above card was created using Persimmon, Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserves Distress Inks with an Acrylic Block.   I stamped a couple of the roses from Mackintosh Windows with the same inks.  The main heart was stamped with Cobalt Archival ink and coloured with my Prisma pencils.  'With Love' is from the new Mackintosh Sentiments.

I used a Gelli Plate print for the background below:


I used black Archival ink for all the stamping and again coloured with my Prisma Pencils.   I cut the rose out and also cut around it on black cardstock to make it pop out from the background.   'With love' is again from Mackintosh Sentiments.

Here is a look at the Mackintosh Windows and Mackintosh Beauty A5 sets:



If you have a chance to visit Chocolate Baroque's Design Team Blog  my talented teammates have beautiful designs to show using the new stamps.   

Thanks for visiting and have a great day,
Shirley