Stamps Be Gone! at Frilly and Funkie

Hi everyone and welcome. It's the second week of the current challenge over at Frilly and Funkie and this time our fabulous host Pamellia has chosen a great theme, 'Stamps Be Gone'. How would you decorate your project if you didn't own any stamps? Embossing folders, stencils, or perhaps a little hand doodling? Well, let's put it to the test for this challenge. Other than a small sentiment you need to use no stamps at all on your vintage or shabby chic creations.

And why enter? The Design Team will choose their top four picks with the winner being invited to join us in a Guest DT spot at Frilly and Funkie and the next three will receive 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.

At this point you're probably wondering if I've lost the plot! If you haven't seen my Facebook page recently, you'll not know that a long held dream of mine came true at the beginning of September when my darling hubby booked a romantic trip for two to Venice (to celebrate our Silver Wedding Anniversary)... oh be still my beating heart! Visiting Venice has been on my 'bucket list' for ever and it COMPLETELY lived up to all expectations. I have so many wonderful memories and took hundreds of photos, and my 'Stamps Be Gone' project focuses on one of these...

(click on each image for a closer look)

Wherever you look in Venice there's another gorgeous view featuring it's famous canals and colourful crumbling architecture. Renovation is an ongoing battle when you are surrounded by the sea but, like a fine wine, they seem to have improved with age and even dilapidation looks fabulous! I took this photo along one of the many tiny side 'streets' enchanted by the ornate archway and exposed brickwork. Warm colours and wisteria blended beautifully and I wanted to capture all of this on a canvas, keeping the photo as the focal point.

I adhered paper from Tim Holtz's Wallflower Paper Stash to a blank canvas with Glue n Seal, sanding the edges for a worn look. Mixing Frayed Burlap Distress Paint to texture paste I scraped on an uneven layer of 'plaster', then added Fired Brick, Fossilized Amber and Hickory Smoke flavours to what was left and spread it through the Wendy Vecchi Basically Bricks stencil. A quick spritz of Pumice Stone and Frayed Burlap Distress Stain Sprays added extra mottling.

To echo the photo I added a similar die cut pediment and kraft core window directly onto the canvas. I'd already layered the photo onto similar sized pieces of Tim Holtz Menagerie Paper Stash, sanding back all the edges and adding some spare mountboard to ensure it 'floated' above the surface of the canvas. It allowed for the trailing leaves to be inserted underneath and in-between those layers to echo the foliage in the photo. Having used various shades of green Distress inks on manilla card these were die cut with the Garden Greens and Fall Foliage and layered with brass leaves and Heirloom Roses. I finished as usual with some splattering - Hickory Smoke and Antique Linen Distress Paints with Lindy's Stamp Gang Golden Doubloons Moon Shadow Mist (an essential these days!)

It has to be said I did miss using my stamps but as Pamellia said, there are plenty of other ways to add interest and detail to your projects. I can't wait to see what you come up with! Now, for some more inspiration a trip to the Frilly and Funkie challenge blog is essential where my Funkie team mates have some stunning projects to share with you.

Whatever you're up to this Wednesday take care of yourselves. Jenny xxx

Iris Canvas at IndigoBlu

Hi everyone and welcome. It's my turn to share a brand new project using some of the new 'Floral Vignettes' Mixed Media Papers over at the IndigoBlu blog today. Here's a sneak peek to whet your appetite...

And if you'd like to see more of what can be done with these wonderful designs the Design Team are focussing on them this month so remember to take a look at the other posts too.

And as the weekend approaches I'm gearing up for a demonstration day down at Poppycraft in Wallingford, Oxfordshire. It's one of my favourite craft shops ever, crammed from floor to ceiling with everything you could possibly need (like the craft room you've always wanted!) so I'm really excited to be going back and would love you to join me if you are in the area.

Whatever you're up to this weekend take care of yourselves. Jenny xxx

Friday Focus at Frilly and Funkie

Hi everyone and welcome back to my second post of the day (you can find the first one HERE). This one's a quick heads up to let you know its my turn to host the Friday Focus slot over at Frilly and Funkie today.

With the focus on all things IndigoBlu, I'm back as promised with a step by step tutorial for the gilded card I shared in my post on Wednesday.

Hope you can join me over at Frilly and Funkie!

Take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

Home Sweet Home for A Vintage Journey

Hi everyone and welcome. Today sees the launch of the latest challenge over at A Vintage Journey. Our host for this month is Jennie and she's picked the theme 'Home Sweet Home'. Here's what she has to say about it; "For most of us the summer holidays are over, schools are back and it is nice to be home and back in the usual routines. So for this challenge let's create a project which sums up "home" for each of us (either past or present), using Tim's fabulous array of products and techniques. Just make sure Tim's style is evident in what you make."

(click on each image for a closer look)

It was one of those rare occasions when I knew exactly how I wanted to tackle the theme, adding a heart to the centre of a 3D house, as for me 'home is where the heart is'. Then when the pages of my 'Compendium of Curiosities 3' fell open at the page showing Tim's Altered Burlap tutorial it seemed as if fate had intervened to show how to cover my little house. And as it progressed further many more of Tim's ideas came into play too.

I'll move on to the outside later; for now let's look inside this little home. As I planned to apply the Postale Tissue Wrap once the house had been constructed covering the inside with it would have been tricky but for the fact that Tim has shown previously how to wrinkle it for added texture. With a blend of Tumbled Glass and Frayed Burlap Distress Paints over the top it soon transformed into a 'grotto'.

I have a lovely crafty friend who, along with her husband, is taking a leap of faith and following a dream to relocate to the coast. They were both increasingly in my thoughts as this project developed and it occurred to me that we can survive without so many of our material possessions as long as we have special people to share our lives with. In one way that explains the saying 'home is where the heart is'.

With all this in mind I cut the loving couple from a Found Relatives card, added the Chit Chat stickers and covered it all in Glue n Seal to give a matt finish, mounting them inside the house. To emulate a coastal grotto I added small shells and created Tiny Tattered Florals with sanded kraft core cardstock. The heart was easy and effective; die cutting small heart shapes from acetate packaging I glued these together with Glossy Accents (sandwiching a piece of Idea-Ology Jute String between those layers from which to hang the finished heart). Once dry I followed Tim's Faux Cracked Glass tutorial to add texture and colour, finishing this centrepiece with a Heart Charm and suspending it through the chimney.

As mentioned previously I followed Tim's Altered Burlap tutorial for the outside of the house adding the burlap to the card before die cutting the box shapes which were used in the initial construction. The same Tumbled Glass and Frayed Burlap Distress Paints were daubed over coordinating Ephemera, used in this case to represent the everyday working life that my friend is leaving behind. Keeping the finishing touches (Industrious Borders, Small Talk stickers and Remnant Rubs) flat seemed essential in this case as I don't want to add too much complication to their packing!!! It also made the house even more tactile. Here it is shown from the other angles...

Now you've seen my 'Home Sweet Home' it's time to hop on over to A Vintage Journey where my fellow Creative Guides are sharing their own amazing projects. Then it's over to you - the challenge will remain open for a month so there's plenty of time to get those creative juices flowing and link up your entries to be in with a chance to win!

I'm back later this morning with a Friday Focus for Frilly and Funkie and hope you can join me for that.
For now though, take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

Distress Paints, Inks, and essentials, Idea-Ology, Sizzix Dies and Tim Holtz Stamps can all be purchased at Country View Crafts.

Touch of Gold at Frilly and Funkie

Hi everyone and welcome. It's the second week of the current challenge over at Frilly and Funkie and this time our host, the lovely Georgie, has chosen a truly bling theme, 'A Touch of Gold'. Here's what she had to say about it; "Metal elements, glitter, embossing powder, paint, ribbon, whatever it is lets see a splash of gold in your vintage or shabby chic projects!!"

And why enter? The Design Team will choose their top four picks with the winner being invited to join us in a Guest DT spot at Frilly and Funkie and the next three will receive 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!

My post today is going to be brief as I'll be sharing a full tutorial for it on Friday for the Frilly and Funkie Friday Focus. Here's my tag card (with a little more than a touch of gold I must confess!)

(click on the image for a closer look)

I had fun experimenting with gilding, paints and inks to create an aged tiled background for this card and look forward to sharing my ideas with you.

For now make sure you head over to Frilly and Funkie to see what my Funkie team mates have created (amazing projects again!!!).

Take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

It's All In The Chemistry... Tim Holtz Tag August 2015

Hi everyone and welcome. First off, thank you so much to those of you who've joined me in celebrating my second Craft Stamper Magazine front cover!!! I feel incredibly proud, honoured and humbled by your reaction and by the faith our amazing editor, Trish Latimer, has in me. Trish has been working tirelessly to give Craft Stamper an overhaul, with varied and inspirational projects leaping from every page, so if you've not reached for a copy recently I urge you to take a look. The October issue is out this Friday 4th September (subscribers have already been receiving their copies!)

Now to the business of today - my last minute entry into Tim Holtz' 12 Tags of 2015, August challenge. Yep, I'm diving in under the wire again as DT work has had to take precedence over the past couple of weeks. With time at a premium (and a full tutorial of all the techniques/products involved from the great man himself on his blog) I'm keeping it short and sweet...

It's a card (for someone special!) and the colours include Fossilised Amber, Hickory Smoke, Rusty Hinge and Brushed Corduroy. Must admit that this is my second attempt - the first (with a different colourway) went wrong when I didn't leave enough of the bottom layer exposed. This version worked so much better and the monochromatic scheme allowed my 'chemist' to stand proud amongst the mix of ephemera and stamping. Hope you like it!

OK, that's it from me for today but I'll be back on Wednesday with the latest offering for Frilly and Funkie. Hope you can join me then.

For now, take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

Wendy Vecchi UK Workshop 2015 and more...

Hi everyone and welcome. I've been working hard on commissions and DT pieces recently, hence the reason for my 'radio silence' here on the blog, but today saw those done and dusted (almost!) and I had chance to play (with purpose). Needing a gift tag/card for a special present I reached for a tag base created at the Wendy Vecchi UK Workshop in August (more of that below). You'll possibly spot the dilute Archival Reinker on Specialty Stamping Paper in the background of the finished piece...

(click on the image for a closer look)

I used Archival Inks through Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi stencils to add to the background before turning to the stamping and stencilling - I love the ease with which layers can be added to a detailed image when you employ a SiSi set. You may notice the Mini Mat pot, covered in my own blend of Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi embossing powders and the raised flowers, stamped onto Newsprint and added to Clearly for Art. And finally some Remnant Rubs and a seam binding bow added a flourish. I've just got time to add this to the August Make ART Challenge, a fabulous home for anyone who adores anything Wendy Vecchi - I highly recommend you check it out!

Now back to that wonderful Wendy Vecchi workshop at the beginning of August. It's feels like an age since we gathered in London for a day in the company of this very special lady (and her lovely husband Rick) - I know everyone else posted their photos of the day way back when but for me a holiday in Paris followed the very next day and since then I've been chasing my tail!...

We got to create a beautiful box of tags (which I'll share soon) and learn so many clever techniques along the way...

... and got to meet up with so many crafty friends during the day (and for a few hours the night before). You may recognise many of them...

It was a privilege to spend the all too brief time in the company of such creative talent and I shall treasure these memories. The only question now remaining is when can we tempt Wendy back over the pond?!!!

OK, more work to be done so that's it for now. Whatever you're up to take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx