Creative Artiste #22 January 2017

Welcome to my first challenge post of 2017 for
Creative Artiste.
We are 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. This is a month long challenge so you have time to create projects and enter up to three times. A full list of the rules is on the challenge blog.

A big Thank You to everyone who entered Challenge #21 in December. Your projects were fabulous and our winner has been announced on the blog. 

Our theme is always
" Anything Mixed Media Goes"

This month we are sponsored by

Things To Alter

This canvas was made as a gift for someone special who inspires other crafters every day. (Except Sundays when her shop is closed).

This is an 8" x 8" (20 x 20 cm) canvas. I started with a honeycomb stencil and some texture paste. I added two strips of lace and painted the whole canvas with a mix of turquoise acrylic and white Gesso. I then dry brushed acrylics in turquoise, blue and brown.

I made some decorative pieces with clay and moulds. I painted them once dry. I found silver charms, a frame and buttons to add to the canvas.

I cheated with the flowers and used ready made ones but I did lightly brush them with acrylics.

I die cut lots of cogs with the Tim Holtz Sizzix Bigz Gadget Gears die. I glued several layers of the cogs together for dimension. Once dry I added sand texture paste and painted them. I added touches of Pebeo silver gilding wax when they were dry.

Lastly I stamped the word Inspire with a stamp from Bee Crafty onto card I'd painted. I then cut it out, distressed the edges and added touches of brown paint.
This canvas was made with a wonderfully inspirational lady in mind and I hope it's inspired you too. If you've never tried mixed media maybe 2017 is the time for you to give it a try?
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 and enter your "Anything Mixed Media Goes" creations in the challenge.
I've entered this project into the following challenges:
http://rheddscreativespirit.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/januarys-challenge.html x
http://alteredeclectics.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/december-challenge.html
http://countryviewchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/january-2017-anything-goes.html
http://thatscraftychallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/anything-goes-2016-challenge.html x
http://abitmoretimetocraft.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/a-bit-more-time-to-craft-challenge-35.html winner
http://moremixedmediachallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/more-mixed-media-challenge-anything.html

Crafts Galore Encore January 2017

Happy New Year everyone!

May 2017 bring you peace, good health and happiness. And lots of crafty fun!

I hope you all had a lovely time over the festive season but now it's back to work. And that starts with the first challenge of the year on the Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog. 

Thank you to everyone who joined in with December'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 this month is the popular
"Anything Goes"
and our sponsor is

Sparkle N Sprinkle
who will offer a prize of a choice of three digis to the lucky winner.

I chose a summer image to work with this time as a nice antidote to the winter weather here in the UK.


I made a 6" x 6" (15 x 15 cm) card with an extra front fold. The seascape paper is from an old Kraftyhands CD.

The car image is part of a digi set titled VW Bug that includes the surfboards. There is a green coloured version of the car as well as the black and white. I chose to colour my car in red.

The surfboards also come in a coloured version or in black and white. I used the black and whites and coloured them in similar colours to the pre-coloured ones.

I finished the card with a computer printed banner on a wooden stick.
Now please visit the  Crafts Galore Encore challenge blog to see the wonderful projects and cards created by the rest of the talented team and to enter your "Anything Goes" creations.
Happy New Year everyone!
I've entered this card into the following challenges:
http://craftyfriendschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/challege-48-and-winners-of-challenges.html x
http://lilpatchofcraftyfriends.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/challenge-49.html x
http://abitmoretimetocraft.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/a-bit-more-time-to-craft-challenge-35.html x

Christmas Cards Part Three

One more sleep to go then we can all relax for a few days and wonder what all the fuss was for. 

Some people like to make their Christmas cards throughout the year but I prefer to gather all my Christmas themed craft goodies together in November and spend a couple of weeks making my cards. I find it easier than dipping in and out making a few cards at a time.
Today I have the last of this year's Christmas cards to show you.

These cards were made with acetate and stamps from Chloe. Lots of stamping, heat embossing and cutting out was involved.

The papers are from First Edition which were matted onto silver mirri card.

I used my Sizzix Bigz Tattered Poinsettia die for the flowers and a Spellbinders die for the sentiment panels. The sentiment stamps are from Docrafts. The cards were finished with seam binding ribbon bows.

The last variety of cards I made this year were made with all the layers of the Tim Holtz Tattered Poinsettia die. Some of the papers I used were coloured with Brushos. The background is an X-cut  embossing folder and the ribbons are from my stash. The flowers were finished off with Shabby White Frantage.

All that remains now is to wish you all a 

Merry and Peaceful Christmas.

Christmas Cards Part 2

Barely a week till the big day to go now. How are your preparations coming along? Just food shopping and festive fun left for us. It's the last Saturday before Christmas. The shops are going to be manic so I'm staying home and will be spend the day wrapping up the last of the presents. 

I have some more of my mixed media cards to show today. 

Again these cards involved papers from Maja Design, Dovecraft and Paper Studio. I used texture paste, stencils, gesso and paint on some of them.

The cards all (just about) fit into 6" x 6" (20 x 20 cm) envelopes.

I loved going over the top with the die-cuts and glitter on this style of cards. The pretty laces and trims are from NoorDesign and Docrafts.

The bows are made with white seam binding. Some have been coloured using Distress Inks. The berry sprigs are from NoorDesign and the poinsettias were made using the Sizzix Bigz Tattered Poinsettia Tim Holtz die.
Not all the Christmas cards I made this year are in this style. I still have time to show you different cards next week. In the meantime have a fun weekend and enjoy your Christmas preparations.

Christmas Cards Part 1

I hope you are all enjoying your Christmas preparations and are not panicking too much.
I did say I would show some more of the Christmas projects and cards I have made recently and seeing as now that all my cards have been mailed I am showing some of those cards.

I made a few different types of cards. These are some of the 'mixed media' ones.

All of these cards have been made using a mix of papers including Maja Design, Dovecraft and Paper Studio. I've used texture paste and paint to 'enhance' some of them. These cards all fit in 6" x 6" (15 x 15 cm) envelopes - just.

The vintage images were sourced from the internet. I printed them in colour and again in a more muted version.

I cut the die-cuts mostly in white and used Distress Inks to colour or shade them. I also painted some of them with Glamour Dust and added extra glitter.
The majority of the Christmas cards I made this year are this style and I really enjoyed making them. I have more to show so will be back in a few days with another batch.
I'm off to teach my last class for this year today. The ladies - and some men - are going out to lunch afterwards to celebrate. I hope you all have time to do something fun during this busy time.