Some textural oomph

It was fun to make some dimensional mixed media again. I was inspired by two challenges, one asking for 'touchy feely' texture, another for chalk paint. It seemed obvious to marry the two, and so this card came to be. It is 5"x3" and thus large enough to allow for the use of dimensional and flat surfaces.

The base is a craft card (with black print as this was repurposed from a promotional post card). I created some swirls in the corner areas with texture paste. When that was dry I painted with white chalk paint over everything.

 That black thingy is something I found on the sidewalk. It is either rubber or foamy plastic (hard to tell at this stage), but it is dimensional as well. The bird is fussy cut, then adhered with glue and with foam dots on the upper part to raise it to the level of that black thingy-

Lastly came some stamping. I made the berries and the bird's eye look more 3D with the help of Glossy Accents.

Entering in:

Funkie Junkie: Chalk it up

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Touchy feely

... said the raven

 A couple of challenges coincide again very aptly, at least for my taste calling for distress and shimmer. The summer was very short and hefty here in the High North and is busy turning into fall. I am longing for the first pumpkins to hit the market stalls, but until then this photo had to do.

 

I completely mistreated it - as I so often do with magazine cuttings - distressing it first with a sanding paper, then applying distress markers and Gelatos into the roughened texture.

The backbround is kraft stock where I had smeared some leftover black acrylics a while ago. Those marks are now hidden under the green paint. I then stamped the trees (stamp by Viva Las Vegas) with black Versamark ink - and while it was still wet I sprinkled a wonderful shimmer powder onto it and rubbed it in. The excess can be removed, it only sticks onto the ink, totally changing it's color. Here the green powder on black ink gave me metallic shimmering trees. (This wonder powder is called Blonde Moments 'Friends Pearl Pigments' and it may be already retired.) The raven stamp is by Lost Coast, I stamped on copy paper and then fussy cut.

The card was completed with black and white splatters and a sentiment that the raven might well express when he has found a heap of pumpkins that he deems to be his, and his alone.

 Entering this in:

Frilly and Funkie: De-stress with a little distressing This is definitely on the funky side!

Simon Says Monday challenge: Glimmer and sparkle 

A Place to Start: #8 What's your style? I love doing collage on mixed media and adding text to it.

Dare 2 be Artzy: Anything goes

Word Art Wednesday: #505-506 Anything goes

Washi galore

 I love washi and own several. For this lovely challenge over at Simon Says I selected a few different ones. I aimed to make a group of three Skinny-sized cards.

 

 

I selected red, black and mint green as my colors, but each card got their own. Here, for example, I only used the two black-and-white ones.

I am entering my set into following challenges:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Wild with Washi

 

Leaping off the page

 I have forever been wondering what animals are referred to by the word 'critter'. Small animals? Small and cute?Do bigger ones, say a horse, qualify? I had to look it up in Merriam-Webster (online version) and to my surprise - as my bet eas on small and cute - the word 'critter' encompasses all animals. It's just another word for animals.

Well then, nothing could stand in way of this mighty buck, a stamp that I bought some time ago but have never used. I had wanted to make a card with an opening, but not the normal kind where you see through. The idea of a deer buck jumping up and colliding with the top layer as if trying to jump off of the card really applied to me.

The background was first colored in with distress ink, then stamped and heat embossed with bronze. I took a craft paper with newspaper print as my top layer. I then took a blunt instrument and struck it through the back of that paper, peeling off the paper around the opening. I created some depth in the folds and put my critter in place. 

Entering in:

Mix it Up Challenge: #51 Anything goes + Aperture

Lost Coast Stampers: #126 Critters

We Love 2 Create: #7 Anything mixed media

Frilly bits with numbers

Today I made a skinny size card with lots of frilly bits. The background was inspired by two challenges: I used a background stamp with numbers and letters and embossed it. I then added paper lace, die-cut frothy Queen Anne's lace flowers and a badge.

Entering in:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Emboss it

Frilly and Funkie: Funky and Frilly

Stamps Fun & Creativity: #393 Numbers and letters 

A Bit More Time: #143 Anything goes July

Stamplorations July Challenge

Dream

 Koukussa kortteihin vintage-haaste pyörähti toiselle kierrokselle ja tällä kertaa valitsin rivin: 

revitty - runsas - ruudullinen

Pohjapaperit on revitty ja numeroruukko kortin alaoikealla kyllä hieman hukkuvat runsauden alle...

The background was made with several papers including a tissue paper that I had printed with Gelli plate. The flowers and bird are fussy cut.

I'd like to enter it in the following challenges:

Creative Moments: # 218 Anything goes

Love to Craft Challenge Blog: #60 Anything goes 

Creative Fingers #212 Anything goes

Make a wish

 I love new stuff - I mean who doesn't? But then there are papers, paints, stamps and ephemera just lying around and asking to be used.

I have been holding on to this ScrapBerry bird themed paper for ages, not daring to use it up. But why save? There will be other gorgeous papers!

I started by painting the background all white. Then I added stamped images (ancient Above the Mark rubber), the said bird and a bough of rose hips for good measure. Lastly I flicked with black and white paints to create some interest and adhered a piece of text that seemed suitable.

This is an uncharacteristically sober piece for me, but I am glad I challenged myself.

 Entering this in:

Use Your Stuff: Black &white with a pop of color

Everybody Art Challenge: #494 Anything goes/ Alles geht

Aviation

 The colors red, white and blue call aviation to mind. This is what I had on hand: a dapper, courteous crew, some destinations tags and an air mail stamp.

Entering in:

Simon says Wednesday challenge: Anything goes

Thinking of you

 I needed a card for a dear friend. She is a poetry lover, so the text is taken from a poem.

"The wind threw the petals into air

like snow falling from low to high"

First I painted the background in acrylics. I started with pure turquoise and mixed it with more and more white towards the top to give it an ombre look. When it was dry I glued Tim Holtz tissue on it. Next came black gesso through a flourish stencil. Then I stamped my beloved cherry bough stamp (Paper Source) both onto the card and white copy paper so I could color in the blossoms and cut them out. 

entering in:

A Place to Start: June 2021 / Make your own challenge

More Mixed Media: Anything goes with optional purple

B is for butterfly

 I was inspired to stamp on different types of paper. They give the image some interest and texture.

I used several papers and stamps by Dina Wakeley (the girl). Stampers anonymous (butterfly) and tulip by Tin Can Mail. That one is ancient, but I love it to bits. Part of the background is a dictionary page that was used in gelli plate printing, but I also used 'store-bought' papers there to get a nice flow.

entering in:

Allsorts challenge: Use design paper 

Sweet stamping: Something beginning with a B mine is Butterfly 

MixitUp challenge: Anything goes with optional stamping

Inchie Twinchie

 I was very inspired by Lost Coast Designs current challenge to create my own background.

My substrate was a book page which was first given a coat of gesso before painting over with acrylics (tan, lemon, grey). I then stamped it with terracotta ink with several stamps from my collection, Lost Coast, Viva las Vegas, Paper Source, Stampers Anonymous and more.

The paper was cut into one and two inch squares and pasted onto 5" by 3" cards.

I then stamped the focal image and added a scrap butterfly in matching colors along with a sentiment.

 

 

 Entering this in:

Lost Coast Challenge: #124 Inchies and twinchies

We love Chocolate Baroque June challenge: Hand stamped and paper pieced image

What happened to the other background? I couldn't resist some fun...  

Summer feeling

 Today I made this summery card. Flowers for me are the quintessence of summer. I have a flower garden and gather a different bunch for my desk every week.

I started this by tearing a piece of tissue paper that I had prepared with Gelli printing. I often use reclaimed cardstock as my base, this was an invitation to a gallery opening. The dark shapes are still visible behind the tissue and give it some depth.

Next I stamped three flowers with green Versamark ink on printer paper. I have had these stamps for ages, one is Hero Arts, one of my first purchases so it must be at least from 2009, perhaps earlier. The other one is fromArtistic Stamper botanical plate, purchased around 2018. I use them too seldom! The flowers were colored with Gelatos, then cut them out.

Entering this in:

Retro Rubber Challenge: #161

Try it on Tuesday: Here comes summer 

Avenue613: Anything goes June challenge

Red white and blue

 Vacation time is upon us. Red, white and blue give this carefree, breezy summer feel.

I made a skinny-sized card (5" by 3") using a mix of elements: some stamping, a magazine cut-out, paper piecing and inks for the background and found a Tim Holtz saying that fits to a tee.

Entering this in: Simon Says Wednesday challenge  Red /white and/or blue

Celebrate

 Country View Challenges is celebrating its 100th challenge.

I am participating with this Skinny-sized card (5" by 3"). I was inspired by Corrie's beautiful background. I used a TH numbers stencil, but my numbers did not show as clearly, for whatever reason. So I added the number 100 with rub-on numbers.

linking to: Country View Challenges

Game night

 I have had a busy year, and finally have some quality crafting time again. One of my favorite challenges is Use your Stuff - mainly because I have 'stuff' and want to use it. And I love challenges, because they offer themes and ideas I would not necessarily think of myself.

Enough said! This is a simple collaged Skinny-size (5" by 3") card on their theme Game night. I have used magazine cut-outs, washi tape, Tim Holtz Remnant rubs and a bit of game-themed paper.