TWO BUTTERFLY TAGS - by Fran Chalmers

Hi everyone!

Today I have made two small tags using the same stamps and similar colours, but they are quite different. I hope you like them.

 For the first tag, I made a background using Salty Ocean and Blueprint Sketch distress oxides, mixed with water on a mat.

I then stamped round the edge with Writing and Scibbles Collage stamp  in Versafine Clair Blue Belle to add some interest.

I then stamped the main image in Versafine Clair Nocturn in the centre of the tag.  I masked off the top butterfly so the image would fit on the tag!

I went round the edge of the tag with Wilted Violet Distress Oxide, and added some sequins to give some texture and sparkle.

With the second tag, I started by stamping the image onto white card with Versafine Clair Blue Belle. I then went round the edge with Distress Oxide in Tumbled Glass.

Again, I added some interest round the edge using the Writing and Scribbles Collage stamp, this time stamped in Distress Oxide Tumbled Glass  

I then added some splats in blue Posca pen, and went round the very edge with Distress Oxide in Blueprint Sketch. I also added some clear dew drop gems for some bling.

To finish both tags, I added some threads in coordinating colours.

Stamps Used:

Butterfly Specimens 19415

Writing and Scribbles Collage 20695

Other items used:

Distress oxides in Blueprint Sketch, Tumbled Glass, Wilted Violet, Salty |Ocean

Versafine Clair inks in Blue Belle and Nocturn

Blue Posca Pen

Sequins

Clear Dew Drop gems

Threads

See you next time!

CRAZY FRIENDS by Fran Chalmers

 Hello everyone!

Today I have made a simple postcard as I haven't been able to do much crafting due to illness.

First of all I smooshed a Distress Oxide background in Squeezed Lemonade, Fossilized Amber and Salty Ocean.

I added some interest to the background by using Blueprint Sketch through a stencil I had,

I also added some numbers and inked the edges in the same colour 

I stamped the main image in thick paper, and cut it out, leaving a white edge.  I decided not to colour the image as I thought it had more impact in black and white.

I added the sentiment, stamped onto card.

Stamps Used:

Five ladies 18537

If you have crazy 18569

Library return dates 20342

Other items used:

Distress Oxides in Blueprint Sketch, Squeezed Lemonade, Fossilized Amber, Salty Ocean

Versafine Clair ink in Nocturn

See you next time!

SPOOKY OLD HOUSE by Fran Chalmers

Happy Halloween everyone!

Today I have made a card topper/tag (I haven't decided yet!) which is a bit spooky!

First of all I blended my background with Distress Oxides in Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn and Wilted Violet.

 I then went round the edges with Element Ink in Dark Denim.

I used a moon mask and added the Dark Denim round the outside so the moon picked up the Twisted Citron underneath.  I then stamped the old house and coloured parts of it with a black pastel pencil.  I also used a bright yellow gel pen in the windows.

I added some tree branches round the edges and stamped the raven onto a piece of thick paper, and added Blueprint Sketch distress ink to the white parts (their feathers do have a bluish black tint, don't they!)

Once I had stuck the raven onto the tag, I used a Titanium White pan pastel to give the impression of mist.

As I haven't decided yet how to use this tag/topper, I didn't put any sentiment on it.  I quite like it without anything on it and I hope you do too!

Stamps Used:

Old House 19741

Raven Looking Up 20269

Weathered Tree 19467

Other Items Used:

Distress Oxides in Wilted Violet, Mowed Lawn, Twisted Citron, Blueprint Sketch

Versafine Clair in Nocturn

Elements Ink in Dark Denim

Black pastel pencil

Yellow gel pen

White Titanium pan pastel

See you next time!

ATCs WITH CHECKS AND PATTERNS by Fran Chalmers

Hello everyone!

Today I have made 3 ATCs.  I wanted to play with patterns, so the backgrounds and the stamps used all have patterns on them.

Firstly I made all my backgrounds using stencils from my stash and coloured with distress oxides.  I wanted the backgrounds to match the stamps I was using with them - for example, waves for the fish.

I stamped the images I wanted to use on thick paper and fussy cut them out.  You will notice that they all had black and white checks on them somewhere. I decided not to colour the images to give more impact.  

I edged each ATC with a pattern that echoed the pattern from the stencil using a black fine liner.  

I hope you like them!

Stamps Used:

Monkey in hat 19066

Sheep with Legs 19067

Whimsical checker fish 19528

Other Items Used:

Various stencils

Distress Oxides in Squeezed Lemonade, Fossilised Amber, Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Salvaged Patina and Peacock Feathers

Black fine liner

Versafine Clair Nocturn

Tiny Art Journal Page- Sometimes I get so weird I freak myself out

 Hellooooo out there!

Aimee here.

I recently rejoined the design team and I'm so happy to be here. 

For my first project I have a teeny, tiny art journal page to share. 

This year's art journal was created with watercolor paper scraps. I gathered 'em all up and cut them into uniform rectangles. There's many different sizes, but they all fit together now. I put the papers onto two binder rings for now. I'll bind it into a book (or just make covers, who knows) at the end of the year.

I've filled a few bound journals over the years but I really prefer this method since I can remove a page and get all the edges easily. Also, I can get the pages nice and flat!!

On to the project!

Here's a photo of most of the supplies. A few Distress Oxide inks, some gold watercolor, and a few stamps. I ended up adding Jet Black Archival ink for stamping, and my party mix bowl of embellishments.

First, let's grab some watercolor paper and Distress Oxide inks. I used Lost Shadow, Twisted Citron, and Picked Raspberry. Start with your lightest color (in this case, Lost Shadow) and ink a small random area.

Continue with your other two colors, blending the edges slightly.

Next, throw some water at that paper and let those Distress Oxides do what they do 😁

Blot, and dry.

Next, get your washi grid background stamp  and some black ink (I used Archival ink) and stamp this down the left edge. 

The focal image is this fun (cricket? grasshopper?) from plate 922. 

He kinda reminds me of myself HA!

Stamp him near the middle of the page in black ink.

Stamp the sentiment below the critter, also in black ink.

Now add some splatter! I use Daniel Smith gold watercolor but there's oh so many ways to splatter. 

After the splatter, take your black ink pad and rub around the edges of the entire page, leaning the ink pad in onto the front of the page a bit. Rub the ink pad down the entire left edge to ink over the grid stamp.

Add some color to your critter in whatever way you choose- I used three alcohol markers- a bright green, bright yellow, and hot pink.

My final steps were to color the crown gold with a gel pen, and to add a little bling from my party mix.

Supplies-

• Plate 922 
• Washi grid 
• Sometimes I freak myself out stamp 
• watercolor paper (mine was 3" x 4")
• Distress Oxide Inks- Lost Shadow, Twisted Citron, Picked Raspberry
• water
• Archival Ink - Jet Black
• colored pencil, markers, or whatever ya wanna color with
• heat tool to speed up drying if you're impatient like me 😂
• bling
• glue/adhesive