Playtime Adventures

Hi everyone!

      This is a creation that started as just a playtime!

     I realised one day, while trying to organise more space in my art cupboard, that I haven't used my Distress stains very often...I have about 15 of them, but they just sit there....Time to change that.

I had no ideas at all when I sat down to make this....My only initial plan was to pick out some Distress Stain colours and began to play..

I chose Salty Ocean, Tumbled Glass, Shabby Shutters and Peeled Paint. I dabbed some on to a craft mat and flicked it onto white card using a paintbrush. I spritzed with water and then dried with a heat gun, lifting the card to move the diluted stain around. I didn't actually like it at this point...but I figured I may as well see where it goes - so I just began to have some fun, mainly looking to rust effects for inspiration...

I used a layering stencil to add a splatter effect with white acrylic paint.

I stenciled letters around the corners with Decoart Quinacridone Gold

I stamped several text and flourish stamps with Jet Black Archival ink

I stenciled some words using an Andy Skinner stencil....some were double

 stenciled to add a layered effect - I used Burnt Umber/Black and Black/Titan Buff

I dabbed around the edges of the card with Quinacridone Gold using a foam pad

I spritzed the card with Cosmic Shimmer Vintage mist in Ancient Copper - Really hard to capture in a photograph but the effect when looking at it in RL is amazing....just a beautiful splatter of rusty brown when viewed straight - but turn it to the side and there is the most gorgeous vintage copper explosion!

I then added bolts to the corners with Decoart Liquid Glass

 When dry I covered the bolts and the edges of the card with Decoart Texture Sand paste. I then brushed this with a wash of Decoart Media Paynes Grey acrylic paint. This was then covered with Quinacridone gold and I repeated the layers of grey and Gold until I got the rusted effect I was after...

When brushing the Quinacridone Gold over the rust I swiped some brush 

strokes down to add streaks of rust

I added Chit Chat stickers edged with Walnut Stain DI and some embellishments which included an photo-booth picture, salvage stickers number, a key, pen nib and button.

Hope you like it!

Thanks so much for being here

Happy Crafting

Laura 

xxx

Industrial Grunge

Hi everyone!

        I finally got a pack of Tim Holtz papers - after much debating which set to buy! and thought I should use them rather than do my usual hoarding! I still have papers I bought 13 years ago!

 First I covered some card with embossed card that had been covered with Spiced Marmalade and Hickory Smoke DI. I stamped some script stamp with Potting Soil archival ink

     I then used several ephemera images from the Tim Holtz papers along with a photo from the Tim Holtz Photo booth collection.

     I added some metal embellishments

A numbered brad and spinner 

A pen nib

a metal button 

I added a metal hinge 

............and spritzed the whole creation with white paint

      Simple and easy...and lots of fun to do!

Hope you like it!

Happy Crafting

Laura 

xxxxxxxxx

A Sepia Christmas

Hi everyone!

         Another Christmas tag today....!

 I got a white tag and dry brushed some Frayed Burlap DP onto it...I then added some Frayed Burlap DP to a craft mat and dabbed a credit card into the paint before dabbing it onto the card to form rustic lines of paint. I occasionally smeared the card across to create smudged streaks of paint...I love this effect!

     



















 I stamped a postcard stamp from the TH Christmas stamp set in Potting Soil archival ink at the side of the tag and spritzed with some watered down white acrylic paint.

  I recently bought a snowflake die so I was keen to try it out. I cut it out of white card before dabbing with Frayed Burlap DI and covering with Rock Candy distress glitter. 

 I stuck it onto the card on top of a bronze filigree metal decoration

      I added some die cut leaves that had been covered with French Dictionary paper

A wooden corner decoration was added to the tag

A piece of Kraft card was stamped with the word 'Believe' in Potting Soil Archival ink and spritzed with White Linen Dylusions spray

A bow made out of twine was added to hang the tag up

And there is the finished tag....

 I loved making this and hope you like it!

 Happy Crafting!

Laura 

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Teacher's Gift

       I had a request to make something a while ago very much at last minute...my creations usually take quite a bit of time, but this one had to be done super quickly!

       It was quite late one evening when my daughter and her friend realized that they hadn't organized anything for their form teacher's birthday the next day.....When my daughter mentioned that I sometimes make cards her friend replied "Can she do one before tomorrow?" As always I love a challenge!

       This was quite easy though....my daughter and her friend quickly discussed colour and theme and they agreed on a nature themed, autumn rusty coloured card....

       To make it much easier on myself (it was already quite late at night and they wanted it for the following morning) I raided my leftovers - I never throw anything anyway...scraps of card, leftover flowers, bits of lace, and 'gone wrong' bits and pieces always come in handy.

    I used a piece of embossed card and I covered it with Vintage Photo DI. I stamped it with script stamp using Potting Soil Archival ink.

     I had some leftover card that had been coloured using wrinkle free distress inks....colours unknown I am afraid!. I stamped this with a Tim Holtz stamp and stuck it to the card base

I raided the leftovers for flowers and found several roses that suited the colour scheme...

I added some dictionary covered leaf die cuts and frantage enameled flourishes. I also added some rusty wire

    An embossed heart was dabbed with Brushed Corduroy Distress ink and I also added some twigs because I knew they wanted a very nature based card.

 A hemp string bow was added and a final spritz of glimmer mist in gold and the card was done....

       Oh...it needed a sentiment....I didn't really have anything suitable in my craft stash. Rummaging in the stamp drawer I came across a stamp I didn't even know I had - "Make a wish" - quite a nice birthday quote for the card....

       So there it is - the quickest and easiest card I have ever made....I should use the leftovers more often instead of growing the collection!

P.S....The teacher loved it!

Happy Crafting!

Laura 

xxxxxxxxx