Craft Stamper Take It Make It Challenge June Reminder

Just a quick reminder that the June Challenge is underway over at the Craft Stamper Magazine Blog where we would love you to share your stamped projects with us. Check out the instructions for entry on the blog via the link above and get creating.
Not only do we have a fabulous prize up for grabs from Just Jolande, but also the chance to be featured in the magazine it's self.

So have fun creating!
Elizabeth x

Craft Stamper Magazine June Challenge - Take a Stamp

It's time again for the start of another fabulous new challenge over at the Craft Stamper Magazine Blog where we would love you to share your stamped projects with us. As always we have a fabulous prize up for grabs along with the chance to be in the magazine it's self.

We are being sponsored by Just Jolande and have a fabulous set of stamps and a really cool stencil, check out that fish!

So get creating, make sure you have stamping on your project and follow the guidelines for entry on the blog.

Have fun, Elizabeth x

The Worker Bee's

 These are the Worker Bee's, you may not notice the work of one lone Bee, but when strength and support are needed, the Worker Bee's pull together and support one another.

You will find these Bee's all over my home town of Manchester, from the litter bins to the mosaic floors of the Town Hall. They represent the hard working proud people of the City.

I couldn't think of a better saying at this time, love is the honey for these Worker Bee's.

Elizabeth x

IndigoBlu ODS Sample

I always, always forget to share pictures of the samples I make for Kay Halliwell-Sutton's shows on Hochanda.

So this young lady was created for the One Day Special launching Saturday 13th May at 8pm, there will be further shows on Sunday at 9am, 12noon, 4pm and the last show will be at 7pm.

Craft Stamper Magazines Take It Make It May Challenge Reminder

Good Morning, just a little reminder that the May challenge is under way over at the Craft Stamper Magazine Blog where we would love you to share your projects which include stamping on them. I've been doodling Mermaids "James Burke" style again and using the Ecoline Ink Brush pens to colour them in. Love these water based ink pens as they are so versatile. I've drawn, waterbrushed and  stamped using them, and not lost any of the gorgeous rich colour.

Once they are dry you can work over the top with Paint pens and Micron Fineliners to add in extra details. Just remember if the colour get wet again, they will move!

I've added one of the new sentiments from IndigoBlu's Dreams Come True stamp set, the fonts are beautiful, and I wish I could write like that!

So get stamping and join in the fun. We have a fabulous prize up for grabs as well as the chance to be in the magazine it's self, how cool would that be!

Please check out the entry details before adding your link, and have fun creating.

Elizabeth x

Craft Stamper Magazine - May 2017 Take It Make It Challenge

I can't believe we are in May already,  our new challenge over at the Craft Stamper Magazine blog has just opened and summer is on it's way.

We would love you to share your stamped projects with us, just check out the entry guidelines over on the blog first and get creating!

This time around we are sponsored by Imagine Design Create and have three sets of stamps up for grabs, along with the chance of being featured in the magazine it's self, how cool would that be!

So here we are in my favourite time of year, everything is waking up after winter, and my walks along the beach are getting warmer, thank goodness!

A Mermaid swam onto my journal page, inspired by the very fabulous (and gorgeous) James Burke, using his brushstroke style, and my very yummy Ecoline Brush pens. I love the rich intense colour you get from these, and a big bonus you can also use them on your stamps, as I did with the Numbers and Bubbles stamps from IndigoBlu's new Collectors series.

So get designing, get stamping and get entering!!

Elizabeth x

Make Time For Your Art

I was super excited to be asked to share my take on one of Eileen Hull's amazing Journal Die. The journal die is a Bigz XL so will cut through all kinds of materials, including leather, canvas and mount board. All the scoring and holes are in place, so two passes through your machine and all the parts are cut and ready to go.

So here's what I created using Eileen's fabulous die and one of Jane Davenport Petite Stencils.

Using a purple Inktense pencil, I traced through the stencil, I love using these as the pigments are so rich, and once the wet paint touches the outlines, it blends in beautifully to create a natural shadow, where it would be, clever hey!

Then I spent several happy hours chilling with various paints, creating skin tones, bright eyes and pouty lips. I could spend days just painting like this, it's so relaxing.

I drew long flowing hair across to the back cover of the journal, not sure that it shows up too well on the photo here, but you get the idea. Then I added colour to the hair using diluted grey paint, as I wanted her gilded and sequined crown so be showcased.

 I coloured the background next, starting with a layer of purple all over the background and then building up the colours, adding some dry brushing and stencilling with an assortment of different colours. I added lettering, splatters of dilute black gesso and doodles.

Anyone that knows me, knows I have been a huge fan of the Artist Jane Davenport for many years. I adore her photographic books, style of art and of course I have my own little family of Ladybugs here on my work table keeping me company.

I added elastics through the holes cut by the die, and tied them on the inside ready to slip my signatures in. Then I added some of Jane's washi tape to a metal rimmed tag, attached it to a larger tag, then tied it on the the elastic on the spine using ribbon. The same ribbon was used to create the fastening for the journal. Et voila my new travelling art journal, filled with different types of mixed media papers, ready to work on.

So without a doubt I knew the first book I would be making would be a travelling art journal, and somewhere for me to have inserts of mixed papers and cardstock to easily carry around with me on my travels.

I don't have any of Jane's own paints yet as here in the UK we won't be able to get hold of them until the end of May/June.  I did order a few bits and pieces as soon as the range came out, directly from Australia, but the Tax Man here in the UK is brutal!!! So I had to be restrained. I've used washi tape on a metal rimmed tag as decoration on the spine. And papers from Jane's paper pad are mixed in with other papers in the three hand sewn signatures.

I love this idea, as the books are filled with my scribblings and idea's they can be replaced with fresh, new, empty ones ready to start again.

You can get hold of Eileen's amazing die at Country View Crafts where it is on pre-order with deliveries starting at the end of April. I can't wait to start another journal, I've already decided on my next theme!

Happy Crafting
Elizabeth x