Beautiful Elizabeth Bennett

 Here is a gorgeous stamp I recently purchased from the Ali Pally show framed on a piece of altered art. Lisa Baker inspired me to have a play and this is my first independent go with this kind of art and I am already hooked! The hearts are from Indigoblu as well as the main stamp itself. I have also used one of their fantastic flourishes for the background and a sentiment from a Creative Expressions stamp plate. I have used a large pink and small pink ribbon from my stash to hang it all (stuck together) and also some pastel roses.
The hearts have been initially based with gesso and then covered in acrylic paint (I mixed to a colour I liked). Once dry I have coated the hearts in PVA glue, let this dry and applied a thin layer of Indigoblu's Kroma Crackle. I have dried this with a heat gun for quickness and a soft crackle effect. Once all set I have stamped Elizabeth onto tissue paper and placed her on the main heart with a layer of PVA to seal. I have stamped the flourish around for interest using a raspberry Adirondak, and also added colouring detail to the flowers in her hair with shades of the same colour (using a water brush). I am really pleased with the effect and it has
inspired me to alter all sorts of things! Indigoblu has also inspired me a lot lately, I love their products and the 'Englishness' of the images.

It seems less restrictive to create something in this way, the rules simply aren't there and you can make something to your own taste. Here's to many more creations...

I am going to enter Miss Bennett in the latest Indigoblu challenge Forever 21 challenge 3 - flowers (have just discovered they do one!).

Party Girl!

A friend of mine at work is very excited about her birthday, and as she is a little bit of a party animal, this card was made especially for her! I had to (!) treat myself to some of the new Strawberry Kisses stamps, and as Crafter's Companion had some offers on the range for their birthday week, it seemed the perfect time! I have used some papers from a pad called 'Dreamcatcher' for the background and flowers. I have coloured the image using Promarkers and have used a mask to 'Spray and Sparkle' the shoe (although you can't really see it in the photo). Spellbinders have been used to cut the image and layer it. I hope she likes it on Monday! As the Crafter's Companion challenge is also about flowers this month, I am also going to enter this in it...

Anniversary Men's Cards

 I had a tricky request for this card; a card for someone's husband on the occasion of their 4th wedding anniversary. It had to have male colours, be traditional and also have flowers... Well, I took the opportunity to use my new Persian Spellbinders Dies and had a play! I have also used Standard Circles and printed the text onto card using my computer (I never seem to have the sentiment I need!!) The flowers were done whilst also playing with a new Cricut Cartridge - Flower Shoppe. I LOVE this cartridge! There are so many combinations and it's so much fun! It's worth buying the machine just to use that cartridge and be able to make coordinating flowers! The papers on this card were embossed green coordinations card and some dotty card left over from my stash. I have also used some chocolate organza ribbon bought from Crafting.co.uk. I was not sure at first but this card is growing on me...

and another one...

This was the second option I did, same dies, same cartridge, but this time with some lace and shiny sparkly card. This was the card chosen and dare I say it: I rather like this one! As it happens weddings are the theme for Lisa Baker's monthly challenge for April, so I will enter these; you never know!

Bright and Magical

 This time I have gone a little bright with some Lavinia stamps for the new April challenge, Bright and Beautiful. A little away from my normal colours so took me a while to get used to it, but why not! I have used Jones Tones glitter for the wings and Adirondak colours for the scene. Although you can't really see it in the photo, I have also made my own backing papers using 2nd and third impressions of ink and a swirly stamp from Hunkydory. I am sure that my trip to Ali Pally this weekend will result in me purchasing a few more Lavinia stamps; I have a long list ready!