Together

Hello, I'm over on the Artistic Outpost blog  using this lovely image from the Generation Redux set of stamps.
If you would like to find out more, please pop over here for the details.
Avril xx

Starry Night

Hello, thanks for popping in, today sees the start of a new challenge at Try it on Tuesday which this fortnight is Sun/Moon/Stars.  
I've made a door hanger for DDs Goddaughter, and I've used a Lavina fairy image.
I stamped the image with black, masking off the stars and heat set with a Stewart Gill EP called Marcasite which gives a very subtle sparkle.  I stamped the image stars with Versamark and heat set with an old holographic EP.  The moon was masked off while I made a little hilly scene, and coloured the sky.  The extra stars were stamped with Versamark and heat set with silver EP and of course because it's for a little girl, there's lots and lots of Glamour Dust added - but please tell me why my face was also sparkling for the rest of the day!
The rest of the DT have some wonderful inspiration for you, so please pop over here where you will find all the details.

I am entering this at:
  Everybody Art - Stars

Have a great week and I hope to do some catching up as I don't know where last week went.
Avril xx

Altered pages THE END

Hello, and thanks for visiting today, I've just realised I forgot to show you the last of the altered pages and cover that I did following Astrid's tutorial on her blog here.

These are the last two pages in my little book, again I used papers from the Madam Payraud collection, if you missed the others, you can find them here and here.

and the two pages together.
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Front cover, which was cut from plain card,

and a matching back cover.

As I said before, I just followed Astrid's instructions as if it were an online workshop, and I loved how it turned out, so thank you Astrid for clear instructions.

I can't believe how quickly the weeks seem to be flying past, his little book was made in July! and I had such plans to make another, think I'd better do a re think and maybe go for a Winter theme next time!

I am entering this at The Craft Barn - Books
                              Love to Create -  Challenge 20 Anything Goes

I'm off now for a glass of wine and a cosy night with a certain Cornish gent by the name of Capt Poldark,
Avril xx

Today I am Thankful

I'm over on the Artistic Outpost blog today with this Harvest Wall hanging.  If you'd like to find out more, please pop over to the blog.

Thanks for popping by, have a great day
Avril xx

Brick wall

Hello and thanks for popping in.
I've had some more play time with the Distress Crayons this week,  and I must say the more I use them, the more I love them.
I began with a coat of gesso on some linen card, then I used a brick stencil with crackle paste on one side.  When it was dry I rubbed Walnut Stain and Vintage photo over the bricks, loved the way the crayons settled into the cracks.
I had cut some Wildflowers, tinted them with distress markers and clear embossed them a couple of weeks ago for another project, but after they were heat embossed I thought they were too pale for what I wanted.  I tried smudging the crayons over the embossing, not really thinking it would work, but after letting them air dry, the new darker colour had dried fast, perfect for what I wanted.
I smudged green and blue colours around on the unstenciled sided of the card to look like grass and sky, layered the flowers, adding foam pads to some of the flower heads for dimension and finally some stamped words.

I've just received the 2 new colour sets, and hopefully I'll get to use them over the weekend.

Have a great weekend.
Avril xx

Born to Stand Out

Hello and thanks for popping in, I'm over on the Artistic Outpost blog with this card, made using the Hats Off background stamp and the gentlemen from the Generation Redux set of rubber stamps.
If you would like to find out more, please pop over to the A.O. blog.

I am entering this at Stamping Sensations - One for the Boys

Avril xx

Coffee and Cream at Try it on Tuesday

Hello, time to tell you about the new challenge at Try it on Tuesday which this fortnight is a colour combo - Coffee and Cream - but if this is too much out of your comfort zone, you can pick your own, but you must stick to 2 colours only.
I stuck with coffee and cream and made a little wall hanging.  My base was painted with a mix  paints after using the burlap stencil with texture paste, there's also some stenciling with the schoolhouse stencil.
My main image is from Tim Holtz  and stamped in black archival and layered up on various bits and bobs from my stash and some little tiny tattered florals.
The rest of the DT have some fabulous inspiration for you, so please pop over here for all the details.

I am entering this at:  Crafty Cardmakers - Layer it Up
  Artistic Stampers - Monochrome
  Love to Create - Challenge 19 Anything Goes

Avril xx

Autumn Colours for FSC

Hello, time to tell you about the new challenge at Fashionable Stamping which this month is Autumn Colours.  We have  Flonzcraft as our Sponsor and they are offering one lucky random winner a $20 spend in their online store.
I've used that sassy lady from the Dylusions Couture stamps as my focal image and paper pieced her clothing.  The background was coloured with Distress Inks before stamping a leafy canopy with Versamark and heat embossing with Bronze EP , I've also added some leafy branches using DIs. through a stencil.
The rest of the team have some wonderful inspiration for you, so why not pop over here and you will also find all  the challenge details.
It would be lovely if you could join us, but don't forget, we are a stamping challenge and do need to see real stamping on your project.

I am entering this at Rubber Dance for their 2 yr Anniversary challenge and picking the colours from October.
Also at Addicted to Stamps - Trees/Branches and or Leaves
           Fantasy Stampers - In the Fall

Thanks for visiting, enjoy the rest of your day,
Avril xx

Paris

Hello, I'm over on the Artistic Outpost blog with my weekly inspiration, this time using an image from the Paris Exposition set of rubber stamps.  If you'd like to find out more, please pop over for all the details.

Avril xx

Embrace the Moments

Hello and thanks for visiting today and I must say 'thank you' for the encouraging comments on my first play with the new Tim Holtz crayons and as it rained non-stop yesterday, I had another scribbly play day.
Again another piece of gessoed card, flourish stencils  and then the Tim Holtz butterfly, stamped in black archival, heat set with clear EP and fussy cut before water colouring with crayons.  I smeared some Glossy Accents over the wings with my finger for a gorgeous shine.

Just a short post, as the family have just left and I have my front row seat booked for 9.00p.m. for the return of Poldark.

Avril xx

Special Delivery

Hello and thanks for visiting today.
I've just  given in and bought the new Distress Crayons,  I was thinking did I need another colouring medium, considering I always tend to go back to Distress Inks but after seeing them used in various ways, well it would have been a shame to have missed out.
This was my first play, I didn't really know where I was going, if at all and just scribbled and blended randomly on a piece of card that had been gessoed for something else.
Then I decided to try scribbling on my craft mat and used a blending foam and a couple of stencils, liked that.
Then I tried  scribbling again and used a water brush on a leftover flower image that had been embossed with white. Also scribbled on the image and blended with my finger and that's when I thought too good to waste.  I also stamped the sentiment, in black and heat embossed with clear and then scribbled over and then wiped with a dry tissue to remove the excess.
So pleased I succumbed to the temptation as it was fun to scribble away.

I am entering this at:
  More Mixed Media Challenge - Bright colours
  Simon Says challenge - Anything Goes
Thanks for the visit,  I do appreciate it,
Avril xx