Crafts Galore Encore January 2019

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Personally, I'm glad to see the back of 2018. It's been a roller coaster ride for our family. Some of it very good, some of it very bad and the effects will last us a lifetime. But, there is hope that 2019 will be better and easier to cope with.
Now ...

.... Welcome to my first post of 2019 for

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog. 

Thank you to everyone who joined in with December's challenge. The winners have been announced on the challenge blog. This is a month long challenge and you can enter up to three times. There is a full list of rules on the challenge blog.

Our theme every month is the popular

"Anything Goes"

and our sponsor this month is:

Sparkle N Sprinkle
who are offering a $15 voucher to our lucky winner.

I have made an 8"x 8" card to celebrate 2019.

For the background I layered red, white and blue card and wrapped the layers with green silk ribbon before mounting onto the front of a card blank.
I then punched out lots of stars and stuck them down all around the outside.

The team were generously given a choice of some Sparkle N Sprinkle images to use and I chose the Balloon Bunch set. I ran the main balloon image through a graphics program and changed the colours to the ones I wanted.

The 'happy everything' words are part of the Balloon Bunch set. I added the rest of the words to make a topical sentiment and placed it next to the image before printing. I edged the topper with red ink before placing on the card front.

Now please visit the  Crafts Galore Encore challenge blog where you can see the wonderful projects and cards created by our talented team. Grab some inspiration while you're there and enter your "Anything Goes" creations in the January challenge.

Thank you all for your support this past year.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy, prosperous and crafty filled 2019!

I have entered this card in the following challenges:
https://morgansartworld.blogspot.com/2019/01/morgans-artworld-open-challenge-01-1st.html

Creative Artiste #45 December 2018

The tree has been beautifully decorated and the fairies have added chocolates as a reward.  The rest of the festive preparations are coming along nicely but the month is speeding by too quickly for the adults and not quickly enough for a certain excited little lady. In the meantime ....

.... Welcome to my December post for

Creative Artiste

Creative Artiste is a challenge blog for everyone who likes to mix their media. So, as long as you like to use various mediums on your creations we'd love to see you enter the challenge.
We also have an added bonus this month as ....

We are holding a
***Design Team call***
We are looking for a few new members to start in February 2019 who:

-Can commit to one mixed media project a month for a minimum term of 12 months.
-Have their own current blog.
-Will comment on a regular basis throughout the month on challenge entries.

If you are interested please email us using the Contact Us form at the top of the left sidebar with your blog and contact details. 
The DT call will remain open until January 5th 2019.

Now, today's business ....

A big Thank You to everyone who entered Challenge #44 in November. Your projects were all fabulous and our winner has been announced on the blog.

Our theme is always
"Anything Mixed Media Goes"

This month we are sponsored by the fabulous

Paperbabe Stamps
where the lovely owner Kim is offering a £15 voucher to use in her online store for the winner and 10% discount code for the Top Three.


Inspired by Kim's fabulous creations I have made something completely different to my usual style this month ...

This is a 12"x 10" (30cm x 26cm) canvas board. It started life with an acrylic pour in greens and yellow. It then lived in a box for over a year until I thought it would make a perfect background for this project.

I used the Female Profile Head and Torso templates and the Female Profile Wavy hair templates from Paperbabe Stamps to create the lady. I made a few adjustments but she's mostly the shape of the templates.
I painted her in with acrylic paints using lighter and drier brush strokes for the hair to let the original background show through in places.

I masked the lady off and added some stencilling with white and yellow acrylic paints through Stencil #27 by Kassa Hayselden from AALL and Create. I then stamped the stars in brown Archival ink.

Lastly, I doodled some flowers with Posca pens and darkened the edges with Distress Ink.
I love how the textures from the original acrylic pour show through and I'm delighted that I finally found a use for this canvas board. This lady is now off to pastures new as a unique and personalised Christmas present.

Now it's your turn to have fun and create your mixed media projects. You can enter the challenge up to three times. A full list of the rules is on the challenge blog. For more inspiration please visit the Creative Artiste Challenge Blog to see the wonderful mixed media projects created by our talented team.  Remember to have fun crafting and enter your "Anything Mixed Media Goes" creations in the challenge.

Don't forget the DT call at Creative Artiste!
Enjoy your weekend everyone.

I've entered this canvas into the following challenges:

Crafts Galore Encore December 2018

Well, Christmas is rushing to greet us so I'd better start getting prepared to create a magical time for a very excited little girl. But, before I do ....

.... Welcome to my December post for

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog. 

Thank you to everyone who joined in with November's challenge. The winners have been announced on the challenge blog. This is a month long challenge and you can enter up to three times. There is a full list of rules on the challenge blog.

Our theme every month is the popular

"Anything Goes"

and our sponsor this month is:

Oddball Art
who are offering a $10 coupon code to spend in store.

I have made a fun 6"x 6" (15cm x 15cm) tent fold Christmas card.

The background is made with two papers from the First Edition Jolly Holidays paper pad. I cut them to create a starburst pattern.

The team were allowed to choose from three of Lizzy's digis and I chose this cute Santa Baby Christmas Unicorn. (Unicorns are very popular in our house right now due to a certain little lady). I coloured the adorable image with Copics and die-cut it into a circle.

The fun sentiment also comes with the image. I printed it out and coloured the background with inks to tie in with the papers. It's mounted on foam pads for dimension.

The sweet little string of fairy lights are from Docrafts Love Santa range.

Now please visit the  Crafts Galore Encore challenge blog where you can see the wonderful projects and cards created by our talented team. Grab some inspiration while you're there and enter your "Anything Goes" creations in the December challenge.

The Christmas tree is going up today and once it's beautifully decorated the fairies will come and hang chocolates on it. What family traditions do you have?

If I don't see you before,
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE,
however you celebrate.

Creative Artiste #44 November 2018

Chilly temperatures and the clocks going back means Autumn is here and it kick starts with fireworks this weekend in the UK as we celebrate the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. We are looking forward to a local organised firework display and hoping that all animals and people stay safe. 

Now, welcome to my November post for

Creative Artiste

Creative Artiste is a challenge blog for everyone who likes to mix their media. So, as long as you like to use various mediums on your creations we'd love to see you enter the challenge.

A big Thank You to everyone who entered Challenge #43 in October. Your projects were all fabulous and our winner has been announced on the blog.
Our theme is always
"Anything Mixed Media Goes"

This month we are sponsored by the fabulous

Tando Creative

I have made another tag, and yes, I've used blue again ...

The base is a 7"x 4" (18cm x 10cm) greyboard tag from Tando Creative. I started by giving the tag and some random greyboard shapes from my stash a coat of white gesso.

I used Distress Oxides, Spiced Marmalade and Broken China, with water to colour everything by dipping and drying until I was happy with the results.

I then used an ephemera stamp and  Carabelle's "Un regard sur mon histoire" stamp over the tag and the shapes. Once dry  I fixed them onto the tag with gel medium for dimension.

I took one of the butterflies from Tando's Butterfly Grab Bag and gave it a thick coat of white gesso. While it was still wet I dipped it into the leftovers of Oxide ink from colouring the tag. I wound some of Hannah Oxberry's super rusty wire available from Tando and fixed it to the tag with the butterfly on top.

Now it's your turn to create your mixed media projects and enter the challenge up to three times. A full list of the rules is on the challenge blog. For more inspiration please visit the Creative Artiste Challenge Blog to see the wonderful mixed media projects created by our talented team.  Remember to have fun crafting and enter your "Anything Mixed Media Goes" creations in the challenge.

Enjoy your weekend everyone and stay safe if fireworks are involved.

I've entered this tag into the following challenges:

http://alteredeclectics.blogspot.com/November challenge
http://rheddscreativespirit.blogspot.com/2018/11/novembers-challenge.html x
http://notjustcardschallenges.blogspot.com/2018/10/october-challenge-anything-goes.html x
https://lovetocraftchallengeblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/ltccb-28-november-anything-goes.html
https://mixitupchallenge.blogspot.com/2018/11/miucb-19-anything-goes-aperture.html

Crafts Galore Encore November 2018

Hope everyone enjoyed their Halloween celebrations as much as our little fairy did. She went to bed tired, happy and with her teeth thoroughly cleaned!

Welcome to my November post for

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog. 

Thank you to everyone who joined in with October's challenge. The winners are on the challenge blog's 'winner's page'. This is a month long challenge and you can enter up to three times. A full list of rules are on the challenge blog.

Our theme every month is the popular

"Anything Goes"

and our sponsor this month is:

Beccy's Place
and the prize is one free set of images from the store.

November is the month of remembrance and thanks and the beautiful poppy is the most common symbol. I have made an 8"x 5.5" (20cm x 14cm) tent card.

I wanted this card to be about the poppies and sentiment so, to keep it simple, I matted and layered red and black cardstock for the background.

I used Beccy's wonderful free image called Anzac Poppies and printed it out a couple of times. I coloured the images with Copics and trimmed one to fit the card.

I added the stamped sentiment and cut out the other two poppies and some leaves. I mounted them in the corner on foam pads.

Now please visit the  Crafts Galore Encore challenge blog where you can see the wonderful projects and cards created by our talented team. Grab some inspiration while you're there and enter your "Anything Goes" creations in the November challenge.

I have entered this project in the following challenges:
https://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.com/2018/11/a-perfect-time-to-craft-november.html
https://classicdesignteamchallenge.blogspot.com/2018/11/classic-design-team-open-challenge.html
https://justkeeponcreating.blogspot.com/2018/10/november-2018-anything-goes-link-up.html
http://craftingwithanattitude.blogspot.com/2018/11/challenge-45.html