3rd Birthday Blog Hop for Topflight Stamps

Hi everyone and welcome. Today is a special day for Topflight Stamps as they reach their 3rd birthday!!! To celebrate they are hosting a Birthday Blog Hop, showcasing birthday cards created by a team of Guest Designers using the unique products available at Topflight Stamps. Please hop along with us and see all the beautiful talent from this group of amazing designers! You should have arrived here from Ericka Strange's blog. If not, no worries, catch the details at the end of this post.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a birthday celebration without prizes! Topflight Stamps is giving one lucky winner a $50 Gift Certificate to the store. But wait, there is more, each stop on the hop has an additional $15 Gift Certificate up for grabs for some lucky commenter. For a chance to win, make sure to visit every stop on the hop and leave a comment by March 28th. Winners will be announced on the Topflight Stamps blog on March 31st. Good Luck!.

And with so many of us having to shop online now you'll be pleased to see this...

So following the birthday card theme I made this non-traditional collage style card using Sara Naumann's stamp set ESN36 from PaperArtsy, available from Topflight Stamps.

Here's a quick tutorial to show how this card came together;

The background card was made by taking a Gel Plate print from brayered layers of PaperArtsy Steel Grey, Cloud 9 and Granny Smith Fresco Finish Acrylic Paints.

The torn textured paper pieces were created using a combination of Mahogany/Toffee and Mahogany/Caramel Fresco Finish Acrylic Paints.

I used a small Gel Plate to apply Guacamole Fresco Finish Paint onto a tea stained piece of copier paper as the basis for this section. After stamping the nail and script image from the set with Tea Rose Archival Ink I used an embossing ink pen to draw over the nail, covering and heat setting it with a layer of Seth Apter's Chunky Rust Baked Texture Embossing Powder from Emerald Creek Crafts.

The ledger image was stamped onto more tea stained copier paper using Jet Black Archival Ink.

The small leaf and script image from the set was stamped onto white card with the same black ink before being heat embossed with Seth Apter's Dusk Baked Velvet Embossing Powder from Emerald Creek Crafts.

Left over from a previous project I had some more painted copier paper, this time brayered with layers of Gold Rush, Sorbet, Rose and Blush Fresco Finish Paints. Having cut into it to create a layer underneath the nail and script piece, I stamped the leaf from the smaller leaf and script stamp with embossing ink onto the paper and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. After cutting around the leaf I layered it over the Dusk embossed image.

As can be seen below I took all of these stamped/painted pieces and combined them over a 5 1/2 inch square white card base, adding a little Brushed Corduroy Distress Oxide Ink to all the edges. The little piece of cotton lace trim was coloured with Buff Fresco Finish Paint and the sentiment from the set was stamped onto more tea stained copier paper, mounted onto thick card. Adding extra mats and layers to a card always helps to give them a more polished and cohesive look so I used a pink card layer in between the white base and the kraft coloured card base, machine stitching the edges of the white card for added texture.

Here are a couple of close ups of the finished card;

That's all from me. Follow along with the rest of the Birthday Blog Hop by hopping over to Autumn Clark's blog here and if you get lost you can always start at the Topflight Stamp Blog. And don't forget to comment on each of the blog posts to be in with a chance of winning!

• Topflight Stamps
• Lisa Hoel
• Jennie Atkinson
• Cornelia Wenokor
• Jenny Colacicco
• Karen Bearse
• Dina Kowal
• Kathi Rerek
• Connie Mercer
• Toni Maddox
• Lindsay Weirich
• Ericka Strange
• Jenny Marples (you are here)
• Autumn Clark
• Rachel Greig

Little Things for The Funkie Junkie Boutique

Hi everyone and welcome. It's time for another challenge over at the The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog. I'm your host for this one and I've called it 'Little Things'.

"Sometimes it can be the littlest of things that can mean the most. For this challenge create a small vintage or shabby chic project (or if you're feeling adventurous even a set!) It could be an Artist Trading Card/Coin, a tag or a little card for example, or you may have something else in mind - we can't wait to see them."

As ever, the Design Team will choose their top four picks, with the winner being invited to join us in a Guest DT spot at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog and the next three will receive Top 3 Badges to display on their blogs. Everyone who enters and follows the rules will be entered into the draw to have the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

I wrote this challenge theme a while ago, and now, in these uncertain and difficult times, even more it's the little gestures, offering to help where we can, looking out for our friends and neighbours, thanking people who are putting their lives on the line to look after us, that can mean more than we know. And maybe, in some small way, sharing our art with each other can be a positive focus where so much seems so negative. I hope you all stay safe and come through this in good shape.

So for the challenge my 'little things' are a set of 4 x 3 inch trading cards which have afforded me the opportunity to play with some older supplies. Here's how they came together;

I started by using a Gel Plate to pull prints onto a couple of pieces of 12 x 12 smooth card. The first used layers of Ancient, Turquoise, Sterling and finally Sedona Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint applied with a brayer.

The second print was pulled from layers of Peacock, Penny, Mineral and finally Turquoise paint, also from the Dina Wakley Media range.

After misting the first print with water I let drips of Rust Alcohol Ink run down the surface. Any Alcohol Ink with an orange/brown tone to it would work equally well.

The second print was again misted with water before drops of Pebble Alcohol Ink were applied. Again, similar pale brown shades such as Mushroom would work equally well.

To make the cards I chopped a 3 inch wide strip cut into three pieces 4 inches long from each print (leaving a good chunk aside for future projects or more cards). The edges of each card were dabbed with a little Black Acrylic Paint using foam.

The same paint loaded foam was used to stamp 'Ledger Script' onto the rusty coloured cards. Make sure to wash your stamps thoroughly and quickly when using paint on them.

Using the alpha pattern from Tim Holtz 'Mixed Media #3' Thinlits Die Set I cut letters, numbers and symbols from the rust coloured cards before sticking them over the blue coloured cards, retaining the leftovers for future projects. A hint or two here; it occurred to me after cutting into each card that it would have been sensible to add double-sided adhesive sheets to the reverse side first making it easier to stick the two layers together and giving the added bonus of self adhesive leftover letters. Also, concentrate when cutting into your cards - after answering a phone call my mind must have wandered and I ended up cutting one of them upside down! (you'll be looking for it now, I bet!!!)

To finish the bases I hand stitched patterns through them using a template - you could use your stencils and a basic running stitch, marking out your design with a white gel pen before sewing through the layers. To enhance the blue background I wrapped some aqua coloured wire along the length of each of the cards, securing it at the back with some masking tape.

Moving on to the decorative toppers I took a piece of tea stained copier paper (left over from making notebooks and journals) and stamped a couple of the Tim Holtz 'Fragments' images in a repeat pattern using the Black Acrylic Paint on foam sponge.

As the paper is quite thin I mounted it onto a couple of layers of card cut away from a regular manilla file. As well as being a thrifty base it's also flexible yet firm when used together. From this I die cut a Tim Holtz 'Tattered Butterfly', a Tim Holtz 'Large Stem' and a Tim Holtz 'Patchwork Bird', adding a few of the elements to make them slightly more dimentional.

When laying these focal elements onto the backgrounds (which are already highly patterned) they got lost so I went back over with a thin layer of Buff Acrylic Paint to tame down the pattern without obliterating it, blending Walnut Stain Distress Oxide Ink onto the edges for added definition.

After mounting these focal elements onto each card I finished them by adding a Mirrored Heart coloured with Turquoise Alcohol Ink and a die cut word - the new Tim Holtz 'Alphanumeric Tiny Type' dies would be great for this.

That's my take on the theme 'Little Things'. My hugely talented team mates have also come up with their own little things for this challenge so make sure you hop on over and check out their gorgeous projects HERE. And remember to link up your own shabby chic or vintage projects to be in with a chance of winning one of the fabulous prizes that's up for grabs.

Thanks for visiting,
Jenny xxx

Products used to create this art box are available from The Funkie Junkie Boutique and are listed/linked below.

Tim Holtz Stamp Set - Ledger Script
Tim Holtz Stamp Set - Fragments
Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations Bigz L Die - Large Stems
Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations Bigz Die - Tattered Butterfly
Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations Bigz Die - Patchwork Bird
Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterarions Thinlits Die Set - Mixed Media #3
Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations Thinlits Die Set - Alphanumeric Tiny Type Lower
Dina Wakley Media Paints and Gessos
Ranger Alcohol Inks
Tim Holtz Ideaology - Mirrored Hearts
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink - Walnut Stain

Aquamarine for The Funkie Junkie Boutique

Hi everyone and welcome. It's time for another challenge over at the The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog. Cec is our host and for her theme she is focusing on the colour 'Aquamarine'.

"Aquamarine, the birthstone of March, has a rich color and has long been a symbol of youth, health and hope. Its mesmerizing color ranges from pale to deep blue and are reminiscent of the sea." The challenge is to create a shabby chic or vintage project using the colour aquamarine in any of its shades along with one other colour (it could be white or brown or whatever you wish). The definition has lots of other prompts you could also use in your creation but the colour requirement is the main focus."

As ever, the Design Team will choose their top four picks, with the winner being invited to join us in a Guest DT spot at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog and the next three will receive Top 3 Badges to display on their blogs. Everyone who enters and follows the rules will be entered into the draw to have the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

For this challenge I was inspired by a photograph of delicate flowers resting on some ageing painted metal and decided to experiment with textures for this aqua coloured box.
Note: Hands up, I confess to not having remembered the only two colour rule for this challenge (aqua plus one) so please if you're entering make sure not to follow my lead!

I began by cutting and gluing together an Eileen Hull Designs 'Gift Box', painting it with a thin layer of 'Sky' Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint. Initially this looks more blue than aqua but I knew there would be some yellow/brown tones going on top which would alter the final colour.

The first of these layers was one of Seth Apter's 'Vintage Beeswax' Embossing Powder, applied unevenly to the majority of the sides and base of the painted box. I also added some to the scalloped border on the box pull.

For the second layer I painted 'Umber' Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint over the embossing, wiping away the excess while it was still damp with a dry cloth. The majority of the paint was resisted but the pitted parts instantly became more noticeable by doing this.

For the top of the box I mixed some Tim Holtz Distress Grit Paste with 'Espresso' Alcohol Ink before applying it. It's important to ensure the application is uneven for the next stage to work.

Once the paste had air dried I dry brushed over it, first with some 'Umber' and second with even less 'Olive' Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint, allowing each layer to dry before applying the next. Then the uneven application of the Grit Paste came into its own as I gently sanded the surface to reveal some of the lighter colour below.

With the surfaces complete I created some embellishments for the lid of the box. Flowers were cut using a die in the Tim Holtz 'Funky Floral Large' die set from thick paper painted on both sides with 'Carnation' Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint. After shaping them with a ball tool I layered three flower die cuts together, catching the edges with 'Walnut Stain' Distress Oxide Ink. A beautiful druzy cabochon from Linda's store was glued into the centre of each flower.

Using dies from the same 'Funky Floral Large' die set I cut thin card branches painting them with more of the 'Umber' paint, and leaves from thick paper painted with 'Buff' Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint. Again the edges had the 'Walnut Stain' Distress Oxide Ink applied.

To finish the box the die cut flowers, leaves and branches were clustered together with metal leaves from Linda's shop and some pink glass shards. For a similar effect I would recommend using Pam Bray's new 'Cotton Candy' Rock Candy Embossing Powder.

That's my take on the theme 'Aquamarine'. My hugely talented team mates have also come up with beautiful aquamarine projects for this challenge so make sure you hop on over and check them out HERE. And remember to link up your own shabby chic or vintage projects to be in with a chance of winning one of the fabulous prizes that's up for grabs.

Thanks for visiting,
Jenny xxx

Products used to create this box are available from The Funkie Junkie Boutique and are listed/linked below.

Sizzix Chapter 1 Scoreboards Bigz XL Die - Gift Box w/Scalloped Edge by Eileen Hull

Tim Holtz Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 6PK - Funky Floral Large
Tim Holtz Distress Grit Paste - Opaque

Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paints and Gessos
Ranger Alcohol Ink - Espresso
Tim Holtz 'Walnut Stain' Distress Oxide Ink
Seth Apter 'Vintage Beeswax' Baked Texture Embossing Powder by Emerald Creek Craft Supplies

Pam Bray Designs Rock Candy Embossing Powders by Emerald Creek Craft Supplies
Bronze Leaf Embellishments - Set of 4
Drusy Resin Dome Seals Cabochon Round Fuschia - Set of 5