Happy Bird-day

Hello Crafty Friends!

Happy New Year to you all! May it be a joyous, prosperous, healthy and magical one ... and of course, a crafty one too.

We are back over at STAMPlorations showcasing makes for the Inspiration Posts. Here is my DT piece ...

I fancied using some loose watercolouring with this sketchy puffin. I used markers, scribbled them on an acrylic block and picked the colour up with a damp/wet brush.

The sentiment, Birds of Paradise, and the little dots, Folk Flowers, are simply stamped.

I am keeping it short and sweet today. For more inspiration, pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog to see the beautiful projects my teamies created and whilst there you can leave a comment for your chance to win a gift certificate redeemable at their store.

Enjoy the start to the new year!
hugs
Monika xxx

here is what I used from the STAMPlorations Shop:
Small Birds, Birds Of Paradise, Folk Flowers
  
For a 20% discount on their stamps, dies and stencils, feel free to use my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA at checkout.

January Mixed Media Challenge

... and sprinkling a little fairy dust ...

Hello, Crafty Friends!

Welcome to January 2017 and the start of a new Mixed Media Challenge over at STAMPlorations. As you know Anything Mixed Media Goes as long as it is not a card and you use at least one stencil.

My DT contribution for January is ... an Art Journey page ....

I wanted to do a piece of work on canvas trying out a few things, and given that this week the Inspiration Girls were showcasing Shirley's stamps from The Bee's Knees Range, which are still available at a 10% discount apart from World Birthday Cakes at 20% discount until Monday 9th January, I thought I might go for some sprinkling of magic.

I made a little slide show video to take you through my process ...

Well the Art Journey page is based on the idea of an art journal, but I had to give it my own spin. Check back tomorrow for my Mixed Media Tutorial to find out more.

I am entering my little canvas at:
Craft Stamper Make It Take It - Anything Goes
Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #32 - Put A Stencil On It 

I hope you feel inspired to dig into your crafty resourcefulness and create something to enjoy  .... why not link it up with the Mixed Media Challenge over at STAMPlorations. The theme for the Mixed Media Challenge is always Anything Mixed Media Goes except cards which means projects such as tags, ATCs, canvases, layouts, art journal pages etc,are perfect for entering, and you must have used at least one stencil (any brand) in your project. The challenge will close at the end of the month. You can find the full challenge details plus more Mixed Media inspiration here on the STAMPlorations Blog.

Ooops, almost forgot to mention the prizes: one winner as chosen by the Mixed Media DT will receive a $10 gift certificate and two Top Picks will receive a $5 gift certificate each, all of course redeemable at the STAMPlorations Shop ... but that's not all ... if there are 25 or more entries one lucky randomly drawn winner will receive two standard sized stencils of their choice.

That's it from me for today. I shall be back soon with another project to share.

Have a lovely day!

hugs
Monika xxx

here is what I used from the STAMPlorations Shop, remember to apply my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA (not case sensitive) at check out for a 20% discount*** on their stamps, stencils and dies:

ARTplorations Stencils: Bubble Dance, Delicate Links
 

STAMPlorations Stamps: Faerie Door, Birds Of Paradise, Folk Flowers, Winged Things
   

CUTplorations Dies: Magical Word Die

*** The personal discount coupon STAMPGIRLMONIKA works on already reduced items too, but can not be combined with any other coupon codes.

Working Stencil Prints

Hi All,

It's time again for more inspiration over at STAMPlorations. I pulled out a couple of prints from my Gelli Plate demo at Craft Club last month to create some cards I could take to this month's meeting. The prints I used were taken off the stencil, Artplorations Stencil: Bloom Factory, whilst the paint was still wet.

First up are two cards using half of the print each ...

These were so easy to make ... I chopped my stencil print in half, die cut a curved stitched border from one piece, stamped my sentiments from the Fond Expressions 2 set, layered on red bases and finished off with gem and sequin. It really was that easy and quick ...

The print I used for my next card was yellow and red ... me being me, I had to add some Grape gelato to the flowers and some Grey to the background. That's when the fun started ...

... as happens at times I didn't know where I was going to go with it hence it was more a case of 'fasten seat belt and get ready for the ride' ...

I added some dots and/or doodles to the flowers using a white gel and a black fine liner pen before using a lilac fine liner to add a bold outline to three of the larger flowers. Next I decided to lend the edges with Elegant Eggplant (EE) ink before deciding that a touch of Folk Flowers was needed in form of some 2nd generation stamping of the small flowers and dots combined with 1st generation of the larger stems, all in EE. I black embossed my sentiment from the Noteworthy set, layered on a matching base card, added a doodled border and the card was finished. For more inspiration, pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog, where you can leave a comment for your chance to win a $10 gift voucher. They also still have a little Special Stamp Release Blog Hop, which finishes later this week. Why not hop along and have fun!

A spot of Garbarek's Visible World convinced me that I must post my last creation on my blog right away ... Live Life Out Loud!

Have a wonderful day!

Hugs
Monika xxx

here is what I used:
ARTplorations Stencil: Bloom Factory, Fond Expressions 2, Noteworthy, Folk Flowers
   

STAMPlorations Blog Hop

Hi All!

Welcome to Day 5 of the STAMPlorations January Stamp Release Blog Hop. Today My Teamies and I are showcasing all of the sets with each of us having made 4 cards, one for each set.

Let's start with Becca's Big Grins Reindeer Games. Reindeer are not just for Christmas, right?! Rudolph has to have some fun the rest of the year too ...

I've gone for a folksy look for this belated birthday card and added some flowers from the Folk Flowers set using the reverse side of the flower head stamps to add some colour. The rest is straight forward stamping with a white embossed sentiment plus Promarker colouring and some doodles for the border. I rather like this unconventional colour scheme, it would make a great card for the man in your life. The mischievous part of me feels like adding 'or so you thought...:-D' on the inside.

I am entering my Reindeer card at:

613 Avenue Create - Birthday ... Happy 3rd Birthday to all of the team at 613 Avenue

Time Out Challenges - Birthday with optional twist of sponging

Cardz 4 Guyz - Happy Birthday ... Happy 2nd Birthday to all of the team at Cardz4Guyz 

Next up is Deepti's Dee's Artsy Impressions New Beginning ...

I blended Crushed Curry and Melon Mambo for my background and added some random stamping in Basic Grey using two of the sentiments from Dee's set. Once dry I randomly dabbed Champagne and Frost White All Purpose Ink (Tsukineko) all over hence the shine and sparkle shimmer. Next I stamped the sunrise image on a piece of acetate using Archival ink and coloured it on the reverse using Peel-Off Markers. I then edged my pieces using my gold Tinge Alcohol Marker and attached my acetate image to my background with a couple of star eyelets before layering on my base card and finishing off with a sentiment strip (Vignette Tree Silhouettes) and some sequins.

I am entering my card at:

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More - Anything Goes

Mixed Media Card Challenge - Beginnings with Sequins, it's in the background (with the new day comes new strength and new thoughts; even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise) plus wishing you well could be for your new adventure, new job etc

Next up is Shirley's The Bee's Knees Winged Things ...

I chose to work with the butterflies of the set and arranged them in an arc before stamping them using Jet Black Archival ink on my already sponged background (Soft Sky and Lost Lagoon). I then coloured them using silver metallic acrylic ink from the pound shop which gives a translucent finish and adds a lovely shimmer to the wings. I finished off with a sentiment from the New Beginning set.

I am entering my butterfly card at:

The Sisters of Craft - Anything Goes

Crafty Calendar - Something New, 5 out of the 6 stamps were never used before plus it's my first time of colouring an image with acrylics on a card.

Next up is a card inspired by this week's theme over at Less is More using Shery's Shery Russ Designs Big Greetings ...

... which I simply combined with a flourish from the Distressed Floral Swirls set to create my one-layer card stamped in black Crushed Curry and a hint of Melon Mambo on linen effect card and finished off with a couple of clear gems.

I am entering my one-layer card at:

Less is More - One Layer Card featuring a flourish or two as in my case.

As with every Blog Hop leaving a comment will give you a chance to win one of the fab prizes below. Commenting closes on January 19. Winners will be announced on January 21.
Check out what the rest of the team made! You'll find links to all our projects here.

Prizes:

ONE (1) commenter randomly drawn from all comments left on the STAMPolrations blog and designers' blogs (January 15/Day 5 post) wins a $25 gift certificate to the shop
TWO (2) commenters randomly drawn from all comments left on the STAMPlorations blog and designers' blogs each win a $15 gift certificate to the shop
FOUR (4) commenters randomly drawn from Designer & Stamp Spotlight posts (Days 1 to 4) win the stamp set featured for that day

That's it from me for today. Pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog for all the links you need to participate.

I shall be back again tomorrow with another project. Until then ...

have a lovely day!

hugs

Monika xxx

What I used in today's projects, links are in the above text

      

All That Sparkle

Hi All!

It's Inspiration Time again over at the STAMPlorations Blog which also serves as a reminder for our monthly CASEplorations Challenge. If you like CASEing then this might certainly be for you.

For today's project I kept thing very CAS. I was working with the Folk Flowers and the Friends and Flowers sets to create my card ...

I used embossing powders and glitter to match starting off by stamping first the flower and sprinkling it with pink embossing powder. After I removed the excess powder I stamped the leaves and used green embossing powder for those. Again I removed the excess and stamped and silver embossed the little stems. After the powders were heat set I used glue and glitter to fill my shapes. To finish I stamped my sentiment and added some gems for more sparkle.

Here is another look at my glittered flower ...

That's it from me for today, back again soon with more inspiration. In the meantime pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog for some fun, tutorials and more challenges.

Have a lovely day!

hugs
Monika xxx

the stamp sets I used, links are in the above text
 

STAMPlorations October Stamp Release Blog Hop

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to Day 3 of the STAMPlorations Stamp Release Blog Hop and Flash Fall Flowers Linky Party! Today we'll be shining the spotlight on  FOLK FLOWERS by The Bee's Knees designs by Shirley.

Given that good things are supposed to come in batches 3's, I am hoping to delight you with a third offering of two projects for your inspiration. First up today is a square card using the Folk Flowers set to create my own pattern.

I started by stamping the swirl into the center. I then added the tulip style flower and the teardrop leaf to create my main image. Once coloured with my alcohol markers, I felt that it needed something extra, and I added the mustard stamped dots and white gel pen doodles. To finish I simply added some gems and layered as seen.

Next up is a folksy paper pieced bloom, another one of my skinny card creations.

I stamped and fuzzy cut all of my elements and layered them on an outline stamped flower on my base card. I then used a stem to add the 'stitched' border and grounding before stamping my sentiment (Graphic Squares) in place and adding crystal effects to my leaves and bloom. Once this had dried, I felt that a doodled border around my flower and some stamped dots would enhance the overall appearance of my card. The flower ended up being quite cute, as if  it was waving.

TIP!: Next time I shall be using Archival ink. My black dye ink has bled out a little due to the application of glossy accents.

As always with a blog hop there are prizes to be won for commenting on the posts. Commenting will close on Sunday 25th October. You can also link up a floral themed project (one entry per person, you can use stamps from other companies) for an extra chance to win one of the sets from the release, the link up will close on the same day commenting closes, October 25th. The winners will be announced on October 27th.

Check out what the rest of the team made! You'll find links to all our projects here.

Prizes:

• SEVEN (7) commenters randomly drawn from the designers' blogs will each win a $10 gift certificate.
• ONE (1) commenter randomly drawn from the STAMPlorations blog will win a $25 gift certificate.
• THREE (3) players randomly drawn from the Fall Flower Flash Linky Party will each win a stamp set from the new release.

links to previous days: Day 1 - Day 2

That's it from me for today, back again tomorrow with more inspiration

Have a lovely day!

hugs

Monika xxx

what else I used:

Graphic Squares, link in the above text