Nature’s Bounty (Take Ten)

Hello Everyone
Recently I shared a card, Portia, which was published in Stampington & co’s Take Ten (Spring) as part of a feature.  In the same feature, alongside some other  Stampsmith cards (which I will share another time), were two Crafty Individuals cards. As I don’t want to repeat myself I will wait until I share some of The Stampsmith cards to explain the focus of the feature in Take Ten.
The two cards feature stamps which I had picked up on E-bay, they are older collage stamps from Crafty Individuals.   They might still be available over at the Crafty Individuals on-line store so it would be worth taking a peek if you like the stamps.
The two cards were submitted to Take Ten’s V.O.A.T. (variation on a theme) category which is why both cards share the same colour palette and composition and also style of stamps. The Crafty Individuals stamp was stamped onto a stained shipping tag and then I selected elements in the collage stamp to layer up. On the first card it was the flower and lace. Tea stained lace was added beneath the stamped lace, something I like to do when working with a stamp depicting lace as the real lace seems to enhance the appearance of the stamped lace.  Some stained fibers and a fragment of stamping were added to the card.On both cards I stamped another Crafty Individuals stamp, a handwritten letter, to create a contrast for the shipping tag against the kraft cardbase.
As you can see, both cards are positively minimal in the use of scraps/fragments or other embellishments. This shows that I stamped the buttons, border and postal mark again then layered onto the main stamped image. I hope to catch-up with you soon to admire your latest creations. In the meantime, thank you for visiting this post today.
Wishes
Lynne

The Reader

Hello Everyone
This being Sunday it is time for a sneaky peek at my DT post for That’s Crafty.If you would like to see it in full then you can visit HERE.
This is the first of two scheduled posts for this Sunday.
Have a lovely Sunday.
Wishes
Lynne

New Releases From Crafty Individuals

Hello Everyone
If you are a fan of Crafty Individuals then you will be pleased to know they have released some new stamps. As always, there is a broad subject range, something to please every stamper.
Let’s start with the Elements stamp, CI-383, perfect for all of us who like the theme of sewing, especially vintage sewing. There is a mannequin, sewing pattern, the sentiment stating Domestic Goddess and little elements such as a button card and hook and eye card.
Now for the first of the individual stamps.
CI-384 depicts Longstone Lighthouse on the Farne Islands. CI-385 is a Linda Edwards’ designed stamp. I imagine this will become a very popular stamp. The final stamp is CI-386.This stamp is crammed full of images. The main image, the hot air balloon is set against a vintage postcard which is surrounded by a kite, butterfly, a day out ticket and lots of flowers.
A little reminder that the Spring In Fashion challenge is still open for entries at Jean’s Crafty Individuals’ Blog.
Thank You for visiting.
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

Crafty Individuals – New Stamps

Hello Everyone
Crafty Individuals have released some new stamps! There are six new stamps which also include some from the Alice Palace range.
If you want to view some samples then Jean has them on display at her Blog  along with details of the latest special offer at the Crafty Individuals on-line store.
CI-377 a collage stamp with two dancers as the focal CI-378 a bird with a background of an elaborate frame. CI-379 a collage stamp consisting of lilies and butterflies CI-380 and CI-381
CI-380 is called Fine Day – we have a goose (?) saying “It’s a fine day and I’m perfectly happy” and CI-381 which is called Anything & Everything – a dog who has his eyes on the cakes! The text on this stamp is I love to eat just about anything and everything” and from the speech bubble we have the dog stating “Yes Please!”and finally CI-382, another Alice Palace stamp called Love Lovely Life where we have a border of hearts, trees and flowers with some quirky birds.
Stamps that cover a broad range of styles.
I have another scheduled post for later in the day. It is lovely to be able to spend a little bit more time on-line.
I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend and finding some creative time.
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