The colours of Summer for Country View Crafts summer challenge

For my second offering for the Summer challenge over at Country View Crafts , I have again used the gorgeous summer seahorse die to create summery card - hopefully reflecting the colours of the sea and the creatures hidden beneath .x

I created an inky layered and stencilled background, building soft layers of stencilled ink , spritzing with water and finally adding walnut stain distress ink to the edge.. I love the watery feel the splashes / spritzes of water give when mottled with the inky layers..

For the seahorse I applied some texture paste through a stencil and left to dry and then added orange tone distress inks, adding walnut stain lightly to the edges.. Some die cut winter foliage from Tim Stack paper...lightly inked made for the sea weed

To complete the card I added a hashtag stamp to the bottom...

To finish off I added some tied , dyed seam binding to the card tied to form a bow.

So there is my simple summertime make ...as time has been a bit short....

keep those fingers inky!

trace x

Travel the world with those you love for Country View Crafts

Well the new challenge theme over at Country View Crafts is 'on your travels' and for my second offering I have made a little mini travel journal using lots of DecoArt goodies and my passport die designed by Eileen Hull...I think this is such a versatile die and sure to be used a lot!

So here it is :

and here is the inside : ready to be filled with all your travel pictures, souvenirs, holiday memories and whatever else you want ...

So some step x steps of the cover part ... I die cut the cover pieces from v thick card ( about 500gsm ). I then applied some DecoArt crackle paste through one of Andy Skinners new stencils -and left the crackle to do its magic! I then coated the pieces in titan buff paint (one of left painted )

I like to use my fingers brushes and semi dry baby wipes to apply my paint , swiping layers of colour across ..I started by swiping various colours, building up the layers including paynes grey, blue green light, burnt umber,

English red oxide, cobalt turquoise .. sorry got carried away so layers were built up until I was happy with how it looked...

I then , when happy -ish applied some interference gold ...applied here to one of left..

When happy I sealed with matte sealer to keep the layers I have already in tact...when dry I dripped some washes of quinacridione gold down ..to mimic rusty stuff!

To complete I added a layer of black antiquing cream, left to dry and then wiped back to reveal some of the colour underneath...I love the look this gives the finshed piece...the great thing is you can rub away as much or as little as you like...I then sealed with matte sealer (all DecoArt ).

To add to the front I die cut a movers and shapers Tim globe and treated with crackle, painty layers and antiquing cream before sealing...

Now for the inside ...I die cut all the pages using correspondence paper stack , inked the edges and added some rub ons to them..

I added ... some of my favourite photo booth images....these two look ready for some adventures...and one of the great small talk quotes, copped into sections and inked around the edges...

Inside the back cover I used the great new envelope die from Tim Holtz to create a little matching envelope to store tickets of any other small bits and bobs from your travels...and there is a perfect rub on for all you want to say... here ..collector of memories...

So here is the front cover complete with globe...all the ages were tied in in groups using dyed seam binding and tied on outside to form bows. I added a chit chat sticker to complete the cover ..

and on the side I added one of the gorgeous travel charms from idea-olgy range..

So hope you like my make, you have plenty of time to join in and it would be great to see what you make .xx

you could be one of the lucky guest designers or the winner of a voucher to spend in Susan's jammed shop, so why not pop across here to see plenty of inspiration and pop in an entry xx

So safe travels on your journeys...however near , or far....

Life is meant to be a great adventure - For Country View Crafts

Well today is the start of a new challenge over at Country View Crafts and I am lucky enough to have chosen the new theme : which is on your travels... so here is my first make : (make sure you hop across here to see my team mates wonderful makes ..and don't forget you have a whole month to join in , you could be chosen as a guest designer or be the winner of a gift voucher for Country view crafts shop..and believe me Susan has it jammed of all sorts of yumminess!) So here is my first make :

For my this piece I created two mdf panels that make a pair  ..
I covered my boards with ivory card and trimmed to size, I then coloured using distress sprays and stains in frayed burlap, pumice stone and antique linen. I also added some DecoArt modelling paste through Industrial elements stencil.

I also added some modelling paste through a stencil onto one of the pocket cards.

I also inked through the stencil using walnut stain distress ink ( I did not stick the layers down , just laid ontot the background to place where I wanted to add the stenciled detail)

Again I added stencilled detail to the other panel.

I then placed my found relatives picture and pocket card ephemera onto the piece (again not glued yet) to guide where I stamped this fab handwritten stamp from Tim Holtz Handwritten thoughts.

This picture shows how I built up the layers in my background using layers of distress ink, stencilled and stamped details. The new distress spritzer gives great effects too...love those splatters!

I inked the edges with walnut stain distress ink and covered the sides in tissue tape to make the piece finished .

Here is a close up of the details... I added some idea-ology, a die cut using new movers and shapers plane...crackled and then coloured using paints and inks..and plenty of layered pocket cards and ephemera...topped off of course with one of the wonderful found relative cards ..

Here is the second panel :

with a crackled globe from movers and shapers die cut, more idea-ology and ephemera

I had such a lot of fun creating this piece.. and you have a whole month to join in the challenge ...you could be one of the lucky guest designers or a lucky winner of a gift certificate for Susan's lovely shop..

Make sure you hop across here to see all my team mates fab makes ..

Create memories for Country View Crafts

For my second offering over at Country View Crafts where the theme is shabby chic, I have continued to use my favourite neutral palette, plenty of ephemera and another of my own collection of vintage photos. So without further ramblings here is my make :

This is completed in the same sort of way as my first piece for the shabby chic theme which can be found here .

So for the background another piece of mdf cut to a square...and covered again with old music paper, softened with picket fence .. so instead of step by step ...as the process is similar ...a focus on some of the details ..

Again I sued one of my collection of vintage photos ...and even added the piece from the back of where the photo was taken . i added her inside a cabinet card from idea-ology range, some handmade outer flowers with bought swirl inside flowers...a flashcard...plenty of lace and some rhinestone trim..

I layered up different lace trim and some mother of pearl buttons for the vintage shabby chic feel...I hope ! x

More buttons added at the side..

 And here she is ... I wonder who she was and if she would like this ? who knows?

Anyway there is still plenty of time for you to play along with the shabby chic theme...over at Country View Crafts and you could be the lucky winner of a voucher for the wonderful Country View Crafts shop....and you could be a guest designer..

keep those fingers inky!

and those hearts full x

trace x 

A gentle beauty - for Country View Crafts

Well it is the first of a new month and therefore a new challenge over at Country View Crafts and the theme this month is shabby chic chosen by the very talented Astrid.  
Now I went for neutrals which will come as no surprise to many of you I am sure and a very vintage feel for my shabby chic project number one, I will be back later in the month with another offering..so without further ramblings here is my make :

I started by covering a square piece of Mdf with some old music paper and then covering with picket fence distress stain to soften the music . After this I layered a piece of calico and then a piece of music ( from my vintage stash) - I chose this piece because of the crinkled and scuffed edges...love the texture .

I covered the sides of the mdf piece in tissue tape, gluing it into place to ensure it did not come off.

For the focal point of the piece I used one of my stash of vintage photos an encased her inside one of Tim Holtz cabinet cards, scuffing the edges to give it a worn feel.

I just love her ... the gentle look in her eyes ... I added some flowers made using tattered floral die with centres of rolled flowers..that sadly I bought as I have not mastered how to make these :( .

I added another at the top to balance the composition , complete  with some smaller flowers

I left this piece of writing alongside the photo.. as I liked it ..

To complete the shabby feel I added some lace layers and some dyed seam binding all in my adored neutrals..

and a metal idea-ology embellishment , coloured lightly with antique linen paint.

A couple of mother of pearl buttons complete this shabby chic feel piece... 

Make sure you hop across to the countryviewcrafts challenge blog to see lots more inspiration from my team mates and remember you have a whole month to join in the fun..

keep those fingers inky! trace x