The Car Salesman

Hello Everyone
A card with a masculine theme for this post.  I made this card as a submission to Stampington & co so I was thrilled to see it published in 400 More Ideas (formerly Catch-Up).  Being published is great fun (and always what I call a “pinch me” moment) and that fun is doubled when you share such happy creative moments with friends.  My lovely friend Darlene is published in this annual publication (Dar’s blog can be found HERE) and my lovely blogging friend, Marjie, whose blog is HERE.  It is an honour to be published alongside my talented friends.
The main stamp used is Crafty Individuals CI-325.
CI-325 was repeatedly stamped to form the background, it is actually a wonderful stamp for backgrounds.
Stamping further elements such as the ledger stamp and postal cancellation whichI brought together with found paper and corrugated cardboard which I had applied walnut ink to (I use dissolved walnut crystals) and distressed.
This is an image from one of the Crafty Individual image books which was layered behind one of their frames which I’d painted with copper acrylic and distressed. A fragment of mica was added.Returning to the main stamp I stamped it once more and cut out the car to add as an embellishment. Crafty Individuals recently released some wonderful new stamps and also a note to say there is a Crafty Individuals challenge underway, so if you are a fan of Crafty Individuals there’s lots to interest you at the moment.
Thank you for taking the time to visit this post.
Wishes
Lynne

Sweet Adele

Hello Everyone
For this scheduled post I am sharing a card made at the beginning of this year for Crafty Individuals  yet I obviously didn’t  post it on my Blog at that time.  If it looks familiar then I believe Jean did  share it at the Crafty Individuals blog.
This card uses quite an old stamp and an Elements set consisting of perfume bottles and labels.

Card size: 8″x8″
As I like to do, I used paints and stamps for the background. The colour is slightly distorted in the detail photographs but it gives you an idea. Perfume labels, bottles and Paris are some of the stamps that make up the background.The perfume labels were also used to create stamped embellishments. This has to be one of my all time favourite Crafty Individuals stamps. Time will pass when I haven’t inked it up and then when I do, I am reminded how beautiful a stamp it is. Pearls and lace and another stamped perfume bottle.
If you are looking for some challenge fun then you might like to know that the Crafty Individuals Challenge is underway. You will find all details at the Crafty Individuals Blogs (see my sidebar).
Thank you for visiting this post. I next return on Sunday with DT post for That’s Crafty. In the meantime, have a lovely weekend, hope it is a creative one for you.
Wishes
Lynne

Sun, Sea & Beach @ Crafty Individuals

Hello Everyone
A new challenge theme has been announced for the month of June at Crafty Individuals. The amazingly talented Sylvie has picked the theme of Sun, Sea and Beach.
Normally I would have a team sample created but it will come as no surprise that I had to contact Jean to say I would be unable to create a sample.   Beyond this challenge I am taking it one challenge at a time.
Here are some details from Jean’s Blog to explain the challenge.

To enter this month’s Crafty Individuals Challenge please put together your project, following the subject material outlined above (your project must include at least one Crafty Individuals product please), then:
Post your Challenge project on your Blog, before the end of the month, and include a link back.  Leave a link in the URL box displayed to take us directly  which will then appear here on this Blog as a thumbnail image – so we can all see your wonderful arty work.
At the end of the month the CI team and/or guests will set about choosing five lucky participants, each of whom will win a CI rubber stamp of their choice.  And don’t forget that as per usual, once you have linked in your creation, you can also claim a lovely 25% discount code to use on anything you purchase from the CI website valid until the 10th July.  Please do join us and create your own project based on the idea of ‘Sea, Sun and Beach’ and just for linking in you will be able to get a code from us that will enable you to have a huge 25% discount from any order you place with us at Crafty Individuals valid until well into July this time.  When you have linked in your image please email us atinfo@craftyindividuals.co.uk to obtain your discount code.  So don’t be shy and do make a seasidey kind of a card, or altered art kind of sunny, beachy project, and link it in soon!
PLEASE NOTE:  TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR CHALLENGE YOU MUST INCLUDE AT LEAST ONE CRAFTY INDIVIDUALS PRODUCT IN YOUR ENTRY PROJECT.

They are always so generous at Crafty Individuals, imagine, 25% discount on an on-line order in July, now there is an excuse for some crafty shopping!
Have lots of fun with this challenge theme.
Wishes
Lynne

Such Fashionable Girls (CI Challenge)

Hello Everyone
The start of a new week and a new month. To kick off this new month there is the announcement of a new challenge theme at Crafty Individuals.  The challenge theme has been set by the fabulous Gio who asks you to be inspired by  Spring In Fashion.  To enter you must include at least one Crafty Individuals product on your artwork. To read rules of entry and the prize up for grabs please visit Jean’s Crafty Individuals’ Blog.

Stamp – CI-324
I am lucky to have a few fashion related Crafty Individuals stamps and looking at  CI-324 the women look as though they are dressed for a beautiful Spring day with their pretty dresses. As soon as I read the theme I knew it would be a tote bag I would alter as I adore bags and it worked perfectly with the fashion element of the challenge theme. Wanting to infuse colour into this project I decided to layer fabric onto the canvas tote and I knew I had just the fabric to use, which  I was lucky enough to receive from my lovely friend Maria (please visit her beautiful blog if Maria’s name happens to be new to you – Made By Maz).
I wanted to stamp onto fabric  but the pattern would obscure the stamped image so I tore another piece of the same fabric, flipped it over and stamped CI-324 onto what is the back of the fabric. The result, you see the faint design of the fabric coming through on the stamped side which creates a background for the stamped image and all I had to do was add some extra colour to their outfits to co-ordinate with the fabric.   A vintage style button adorns this panel.  To finish, I layered pink lace and trim at the top adding a piece of torn fabric and the final adornment, a piece of lace tied to one of the handles.
At Jean’s blog you will also be able to view what the other Crafty Individuals team members created for this theme.
Thank you for visiting this post.  For April I have quite a few projects to share:-  some new, most created earlier in the year and one or two from the end of last year.  I certainly look forward to seeing your creations throughout this month.
Wishes
Lynne

Hello Cupcake!

Hello Everyone
This is another post for Crafty Individuals, a post which shouldcome with a warning – “Must Be Viewed With The Aid Of Sunglasses” ….why? The reason is that I have ventured into colour. Yes, quite a shock to the system and possibly the only venture I will take into colour in the year 2013!
The reason for colour is the Crafty Individuals’ Alice Palace Hello Cupcake stamp
The Hello Cupcake stamp is sold as one stamp but I wanted the flexibility of using the images independently so armed with precision scissors I cut around the stamps.  The only part of the stamp I did not use of this card is the sentiment “Hello Cupcake”.
The background – layering Gesso, paint and stamping.
I do love to use tags on cards.  You can see the stars stamped onto the painted tags before I added the cupcakes.  A sugarcraft flower tops each cupcake! Just me being silly although that is what the paper flowers remind me of.
Scraps of lace which I had previously dyed blue and you can see a peek of Cath Kidston fabric. A dimensional chipboard sticker  on the middle tag. This card was made with a cousin in mind which is why I added the Happy Birthday sentiment.
I have my lovely friend Doli to thank for the dimensional stickers.  They are so perfect for the theme and colours of this card.Normal service (!) will resume on my next post which is scheduled for 16th March. Until then, thank you for visiting and a note to say Thank You for the lovely comments on the Love, Lovely Life! fabric hanging (previous post).
Wishes
Lynne

A Sweet & Lovely Life

Hello Everyone
I am starting my Blogging week with a Crafty Individuals project.
When I received their new stamp collection I was keen to use the Alice Palace stamp Love, Lovely Life! (CI-382) with a sweet and Summery colour palette.
Love, Lovely Life! was stamped onto a painted panel before I had fun layering fabrics and lace.  A sweet mini MOP heart shape button and shabby stitches are all that adorn the stamped panel.Cutting a piece from a vintage doily I stitched a vintage button to a paper flower as an embellishment. I like the idea that this might represent the sun high in the sky. Snow is fluttering around many parts of the U.K. and if your part of the country (or world) happens to have a snowy landscape then maybe for a little while this will remind you that Springtime is surely just around the corner when birdsong will fill the air and colour explodes in the glorious flowers that start to peek their heads above the ground.
Thank You for taking the time to visit this post, your visits are always appreciated by me.
Wishes
Lynne

Dancing Cheek To Cheek

Hello Everyone
This post for Crafty Individuals uses one of their new releases, a collage style stamp of a man and woman dancing.
Alongside this stamp I made use of some other Crafty Individuals stamps so here is the list of all Crafty Individuals products used:-
CI-194
CI-377
CI-350 Elements set (Lace)
CI-366 Elements set (Musical)
Shabby Tag

On this 8″x8″ card I wanted overall a very muted, almost diffused appearance so for the background I prepared it by building up layers of paint, stamping and scraps of Tissue Tape and carried on in this fashion until reasonably satisfied after five layers or so.After painting and stamping the tag I stamped the couple onto painted cardstock.  With the silhouette aspect of the collage stamp it makes for quite a bold statement and as I wanted a sense of softness I painted over the stamped couple, blending two colours to enhance the softness.  The paint also brought added texture and blended in with the painterly appearance.Another detail photograph shows the sheet music stamp tucked to the side. I have to thank my lovely friend Alison, who many of you will know (Craftytrog) as she kindly sent to me  a bundle of die cuts and here I used one layered with stamped lace at the top of the card. Not only that, she gifted me with some beautiful pins, one of which I used tucked into some stained lace and layered to the left of the tag.I have a post scheduled for Sunday but in the meantime, have a lovely weekend and thank you for visiting this post.
Wishes
Lynne

Sweet Music

Hello Everyone
At some point I will be sharing some samples using some of the newest Crafty Individuals stamps but for this post I want to re-wind to the previous stamp releases, in particular CI-366 which is an Elements set with a musical theme.
Here is a list of Crafty Individuals products I used on the 8″x8″ card.
CI-366
CI-194
Mixed Pack of Tags
I actually remembered to take a photograph of the background before I completed the  card.  I used the sheet music stamp and four stamps from the Elements set building up gradual layers of paint and stamps.  I would push back a stamped layer before creating another and worked this way for five layers, resulting in a hint of each layer.  I also incorporated scraps of Tissue Tape.Stamped this beautiful text stamp and then layered onto lace and  a lovely sticker, in the form of a scalloped trim, from a sheet of Melissa Frances stickers that my lovely friend Maria (Made By Maz) included in a Giveaway I won last year. The tags were painted and stamped and for this tag the violin was stamped onto the tag and then stamped onto scrap and layered to the main image.For the other stamped tag I stamped onto a sticker, again from the Melissa Frances sheet. If you are looking for a challenge then there is still time to enter Jean’s Crafty Individuals’ Challenge For A Friend. You can read details for entry and prize available at Jean’s Crafty Individuals’ Blog.
Thank You for visiting this scheduled post. I have another post scheduled for over the weekend but I certainly plan on catching-up with your art.
Enjoy the weekend.
Wishes
Lynne

They Dreamed Of Romance

Hello Everyone
For this post I am sharing a card for Crafty Individuals which I made at the beginning of this year, a  card which is unapologetically  romantic  with a  soft colour palette and a dreamy transparency image.  Unfortunately this Crafty Individuals image is no longer available as they no longer stock their transparency image sheets but the same image is available in the glossy paper format.
Crafty Individuals Supplies
Transparency Image (no longer available)
Shabby Tag
CI-307
CI-341
CI-342
CI-350
My initial idea was merely to decorate one of the Shabby Tags (how I love those tags and you will see them crop up again very soon) but once the tag was completed I decided it would become an element on a large card, a 8″x8″ card.The background was painted before stamping the hearts repeatedly.  The same stamps were used to create stamped embellishments along with a perfume label stamp and one of the lace stamps used to create a faux lace border.  The Shabby Tag on the left side of the card had paint applied, torn vintage text and stamping, building up layers. The end result is very muted with the text and stamping only peeking through here and there.
Can you see another piece of the stamped lace which I used to embellish the top of the tag.  The beautiful transparency was layered onto vintage text.Forever is one of those wonderful free sample stamps that Crafty Individuals are generous enough to include with on-line orders.  I keep any torn pieces from Shabby Tags I’ve used in previous projects, this is what I stamped Forever onto and attached to the edge of the main tag.Thank You for visiting this scheduled post. I am sure that tomorrow (Tuesday) I will manage to catch-up with some Blogs, I sure hope so as I am missing so much visiting your Blogs and viewing your artwork.
Wishes
Lynne

Sweet Friends Are Treasured (CI Challenge)

Hello Everyone
It does seem an age since there was last a Crafty Individuals Challenge so any of you who regularly joined the challenges you will be pleased to know that a new theme has been announced for the month of February, For A Friend.  To join in with the challenge you must include at least one Crafty Individuals product on your entry, all details are available at Jean’s Blog.
For my team sample I used some of the newest Crafty Individuals stamps, including one of the Alice Palace stamps.
Crafty Individuals Supplies:-
CI-372
CI-365
CI-231 (Elements Set Butterflies)
CI-356 (Happy Days)
Friendship stamp (included with a previous order as a sample stamp)
Paint (cream, a creamy-yellow and the softest of pink) along with Distress Stain in Antique Linen was built up to create layers on the flag before I used the nature silhouette stamps to create pattern randomly. They are great stamps to give backgrounds pattern and texture.Fussy cutting some butterflies from the Elements set and also adding some sweet porcelain style flowers (from Crafty Individuals also).Enjoy the first Crafty Individuals Challenge of 2013.
Wishes
Lynne