Loving Luscious

Hi everyone and welcome! It's been a busy week here, with the IndigoBlu team working hard behind the scenes to create samples for Kay Halliwell-Sutton's shows this weekend on Hochanda. And we've had a new toy to play called Luscious... you're gonna have to tune in to see Kay in action on Saturday and Sunday to find out more about it - I'm not spoiling the surprise! What I will share here are the samples I made...

Isn't that shimmer divine! And Lucious is so versatile - I've only scratched the surface with the possibilities... more time required in the craft room methinks - oh life's so hard!!! (not). Make sure you tune in to see Kay's shows so you don't miss out on the fun too.

Whilst it was a busy week, I got the chance for some 'time out' on Wednesday for a very special 'meet up'. I'll share more about it soon together with some beautiful gifts from a very special lady. Until then take care of yourselves. Jenny xxx

IndigoBlu Resident Guest Designer

Hi everyone and welcome back to my second post of the day (the first can be seen HERE). I'm so excited to finally be able to announce my new role as an IndigoBlu Resident Guest Designer over on the IndigoBlu blog today.

I hope you can join me over there to see what's in store for the year ahead.

In the meantime have a great weekend and whatever you're up to take care of yourselves. Jenny xxx

Friday Focus at Frilly and Funkie - Wendy Vecchi Stamps

Hi everyone and welcome. It's my turn to host the latest edition of Friday Focus over at Frilly and Funkie today - I've been having fun with Wendy Vecchi stamps and stencils this time. Here's a sneak peek of the finished canvas...

To see the whole project and find the link to an extra discount on Wendy Vecchi stamps I'd love you to head over there and join me.

I'll be back in a few hours with some exciting news and hope you can join me for that too.

Whatever you're up to this weekend have a great one and take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

All Lined Up at Frilly and Funkie

Hi everyone and welcome. It's my turn to host the current Frilly and Funkie challenge 'All Lined Up', and today it's the turn of the Funkie side of the team to share their projects. For this one we need you need to think in straight lines! Be it rows or columns, stripes or even grids make sure those vertical and/or horizontal lines or rows of things are a clearly visible part of your vintage or shabby chic projects (the edges don't count!)

The winner will earn the chance of a Guest DT spot at Frilly and Funkie, and everyone who enters and follows the rules will go into the draw for the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. And there are Top 3 Badges for three further outstanding entries. The challenge closes on July 26th so there's still plenty of time to get those projects linked.

This canvas is one of those that was in my head in almost complete form, a rarity I have to say! so getting the chance to create it and use my brand new Seth Apter stamps and dies was exciting. For those of us who were desperate to get our paws on them, Linda did a special order; if you're interested in these or any other products, you can contact her at customerservice@thefunkiejunkie.com. For this canvas I used the Spellbinders 'Robo Square' die set, and the Impression Obsession 'Pattern Play' and 'Solar System' stamp sets. There are gridlines faintly visible beneath the layers of paint and paste, and lines and circles stamped onto and underneath the row of ink stained squares. I'm particularly in love with the largest Robo Square that was given a faux rust look with gesso, paints and ink. Bronze pieces and jewelled flowers surrounded some real rusted nails straight from my old decking (a piece is still attached to one of them!)

The background consists of layer upon layer of different pale colours over a textured base with a final swipe of white gesso and some Latte Alcohol Ink to add the aged areas. The stamping on this base was done with paint as I've found after many failed attempts with inks that paints are much better at leaving an impression on a painted textured background. To ensure the nails are secure I tied twine around and through the squares before mounting them on the canvas with the other embellishments.

I'm entering this canvas into the following challenges;

Creative Artiste Challenge #16 - Anything Goes

Country View Challenges - Have Fun With Circles

I love adding lines and rows to my projects as they help build and ground the design. Do you do this? Have you created a project which uses lines in some way? We'd love to see them over at Frilly and Funkie. To give you even more inspiration be sure you hop on over to see the fantastic creations from the rest of the Design Team, including the latest ones from the Funkie side.

Thank you for joining me today. I'll be back on Friday with the latest Friday Focus post. For now I'd like to wish my bestie Anne Redfern a very Happy Birthday and am off to do some celebrating of my own. Whatever you're up to for the rest of the week take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

More Catch Ups with a Country House

Hi everyone and welcome! Feels like it's been non-stop since returning from Europe prepping for and appearing on the IndigoBlu shows on Hochanda last Sunday. I was thrilled and honoured to be sharing lots of World launches as part of the brand new IndigoBlu Christmas 2016 range, particularly as one had been designed by Kay Halliwell-Sutton just for me!

Bearing in mind my shows were on at the same time as the Formula One race at Silverstone, Andy Murray et al winning at Wimbledon (yay!!!) and the Euro 2016 finals there was a lot going on that day on the tv, but the good news is Hochanda have a Catch Up service HERE until the end of the week and some of the shows from Kay and I are also being repeated. It's a great chance to take a look at all the fabulous new designs and see some clever ideas from the Design Team for using them (plus of course the live demos!) I'd love to know what you think of them.

So I mentioned there was a design Kay Halliwell-Sutton created at my request; a little while back during a brainstorming session some of the team were coming up with a Christmas wishlist and at the top of mine was a beautiful front door, and oh boy did Kay deliver! Let me introduce you to 'Country House' and this, the first canvas I've made using it...

The original door is your typical country cottage frontage with topiary, side lanterns, an aged brick wall with climbers and even a little boot scraper. Imagine cutting around that door frame to allow an opening on the front of your card, colouring it in fresh Spring colours with dappled sunlight or Autumn colours for a fall look! Doors and openings in general have so many of those important themes attached to them and are also easily adaptable to suit other occasions - step forth Christmas! With the addition of an embellished holly wreath (from the new 'Vintage Frame' set, sized perfectly to fit the door) and a traditional sentiment (one of many from the new 'Sparkle and Glisten' set) you have a fabulous festive look. Can you tell how much I am in love with this design?!!!

Having shared this canvas on Instagram/Facebook in the run up to my shows I've received a number of requests for a tutorial, so that's in the pipeline. I've used a number of the Metallic IndigoBlu paints to create a watercolour look to it having used layers and repeat stamping to elongate the design. There are in fact only two topiary trees on the original design but as you can see it's easy to add more.

If you want to see those new Christmas releases hop on over to the IndigoBlu website where pre-orders are now being taken. Again, I'd love to get your feedback on them - which one is your favourite?

Before I go a quick heads up that the latest Frilly and Funkie challenge 'All Lined Up' has launched today with gorgeous projects from all of my fabulous Frilly team mates. I hope you will join in with that one to be in with a chance to win.

Time to head back to the craft room here. Whatever you're up to take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

Catching Up with Eroded Damask Wallpaper

Hi everyone and welcome! Yesterday I shared my latest Frilly and Funkie DT project HERE featuring an Eroded Damask Wallpaper background, and a tutorial was promised so here goes...

Check out How to Create an 'Eroded Damask Wallpaper' Background by Jenny Marples on Snapguide.

It needs to be acknowledged publicly here that a big thank you goes out to the legendary Tim Holtz for his own Eroded Metallic technique on which this tutorial was based and developed.

Now for the catch up portion of this post; as mentioned yesterday we've just returned from a much needed family break taking in the delights of Burgundy in France and then Geneva. We thoroughly enjoyed our 'time out' and I came back with hundreds of photos to capture those precious memories and inspire future creativity. I won't bore you with lots of them here but just wanted to share the fabulous coloured roofs at the Hotel Dieu in Beaune and the glorious weather/scenery in Geneva;

Imagine my surprise to discover on my return that I'd been picked as a winner at Our Creative Corner for my Summer Sunshine canvas!!! This was made particularly more poignant by the news that this will be the final OCC challenge for the time being as they are taking a hiatus from Blogland. You will be sorely missed ladies - thank you for awarding me this honour.

OK, break over, it's time to hit the craft room and get in the festive spirit as there are two sets of IndigoBlu shows coming up this weekend. The wonderful Kay Halliwell-Sutton is back on your screens this Friday 8th July (1pm and 5pm) and I'm back at Hochanda on Sunday 10th July (3pm and 6pm). We'll be sharing lots of brand new never been seen before stamps, stencils and mixed media products in a Christmas frenzy. Hopefully you'll be able to join us (don't forget, there is a catch up service on Hochanda too).

Whatever you're up to for the rest of the week take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

All in The Family at Frilly and Funkie

Hi everyone and welcome! After a much needed family break to France and Switzerland I'm back with a new canvas as part of the latest Frilly and Funkie challenge. The amazing Suzanne Czosek is our host for this one and has chosen the theme 'All in The Family'; "With the summer months we spend more time with the family at celebrations and it had me thinking about some of our favourite traditions, memories and just funny stories we tell about what we have had happen as a family. So for the latest challenge create something inspired by your family. Whether it is your ancestors, a favourite family memory or family outings, create a vintage or shabby chic project reflecting your family."

At the end of the challenge the team will choose their top four picks. Our first place winner will be invited to join us in a Guest DT spot here at Frilly and Funkie. Three additional talented participants will receive badges to display on their blogs. Everyone who enters and adheres to the challenge guidelines will be entered into a drawing to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique!

If you are wondering what this canvas has to with family well in mine the skills of silk weaving and stitching run deep. In the course of researching my family tree, aided considerably by another member of the family, I discovered that for many generations on my maternal side East End silk weavers toiled away on their wooden looms to create silks for the ladies and gentlemen of the day. In fact the roots of this tradition spread back to my Hugenot ancestors who arrived from France fleeing persecution. Sadly as fashions and economic conditions changed so their trade died out.

I've looked to capture the feel of aged, faded damask wallpaper as the base of this canvas (there's a new tutorial to come for that) and then layered on sewing ephemera; the tape measures come from the Dapper paper stash collection and there are pieces of die cut lace together with canvas spacers to represent the struts from the weaving frames (simply by applying Walnut Stain Spray they turn from a pale pine to rich teak with nail heads providing the perfect accents). The quote band, coloured with alcohol ink, sums the whole piece up to me; "Your greatest creation is always going to be your life story" and if that story is remembered then the legacy will continue to live on.

So this is my tribute to one important part of my family tree - what will yours be? Or will you recall those family traditions and funny stories? Make sure you share them with us at Frilly and Funkie to be in with a chance to win. And to give you even more inspiration for your entry be sure you hop on over to see the fantastic creations from the rest of the Design Team.

Thank you for joining me today. I'll be back to share the tutorial for the eroded wallpaper background shortly and there's lots more to come now I'm back from those travels abroad. Whatever you're up to for the rest of the week have a good one and take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx