Rooted To The Earth

Hello
Although I am no longer on the Crafty Individuals team, I still have samples made for one of their appearances on HOCHANDA.  At the time, we were asked to work with specific stamps, those that would be available via HOCHANDA.  Some of the stamps selected were tree designs.
Crafty Individuals have some of the most beautiful tree stamps available. If you do a search for trees, you will also see greeting cards, images and of course stamps or click HERE.
This is a #10 tag

Most often, when I am working with Infusions, I will stain a whole bundle of items and then store them.  Now, I’d like to present the image that they are stored in colour ways and textiles are separate from papers but please, erase that image from your brain, it is a hotpotch of Infusions goodness all packed into one bag!

Infusions appear on so many elements on this tag, it would easier to eliminate that which hasn’t been stained, if there is anything.

This tag is smaller than the first sample, a regular shipping tag.  It was only ever regular shipping tags I would use, buying in bulk but I do like the variation of working on a larger surface which Ranger tags provide.  I don’t know why, it seems impossible for me to source outsize shipping tags in the U.K., other than those from a craft company.

Stamped onto vintage dressmaking tissue paper and layered over a piece of torn book text.

The “scribbles” are journaling, of sorts.  I am enjoying, now and then, picking up a pen, allowing words to free flow.  I first tried this many moons ago when reading, for the first time, Julia Cameron.
It might seem strange but I read her books, it probably was in the 90s, when I was not leading a creative life, I did dabble in various hobbies, dipping in and out of some with cross-stitching and tapestry as the constants but it didn’t resemble the creative life I have now.
I was always very precise with my penmanship and I found that not only was it freeing, getting thoughts onto paper without filtering or editing and also, it was freeing in the sense that I was not being deliberate with my handwriting.  Little did I know at the time, the value of this for me in the here and now and although I do struggle with visible journaling, I realise that writing that has the appearance of a chicken having scratched its way across the project, is of benefit, as no one can read my thoughts.

Thank you for your visit and if you are in the U.K., have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend.
Wishes
Lynne

It’s In Your Heart, To Live For Today

Hello
Not so long ago, Crafty Individuals released new stamps, amongst them  CI-468., which can be used to stamp a block of various sentiments/words, useful for creating speedy backgrounds but you can also zoom into particular sentiments to make them the focal of your project.  That’s what I decided to do for this heart.

The heart itself is ceramic, lovely and smooth but for someone who likes texture, it had to get the rusty, dusty treatment!
Live for Today was stamped onto fabric scrap which had previously been stained.

Layered onto corrugated cardboard heightens the textural elements with scraps of beautiful re-cycled waste silk sari ribbon.  I didn’t stain the sari ribbon, it is a beautiful oxblood colour.

Layered beneath the sentiment are three Bohemian Jewels.  They are from RELICS & ARTIFACTS and were just the perfect something to add.  They are available in various colours, you can view them HERE.

RELICS & ARTIFACTS Dresden Trim is what I edged the heart with, of course, also giving this the rusty treatment.  You can view the full range of Dresden Trim HERE.

To view what other creations are being made with Crafty Individuals stamps, visit Jean’s blog.
Thank you for your visit.
Wishes
Lynne

The Lone Tree

Hello
Sharing another sample, made recently for Crafty Individuals for HOCHANDA.
If you are interested in sourcing Crafty Individuals tree stamps, then please visit HERE.
This sample sees a That’s Crafty large, white/greyboard tag as the substrate.  They are invaluable substrates because you can throw so much media at them, you have no idea how much I saturated this tag when working with the Infusions!

This tag features a partially inked stamp from CI-287
Fortunately for me, there was a mishap, no one’s fault, the e-mail from Jean requesting samples was in my junk folder and it had been overlooked for some time before a tidying up session when I spotted it.  This meant that time was against me for making samples so you can imagine how thankful I was to have a stash of book pages, found papers, calico, etc that had previously been stained with Infusions.  This is why I always stain in batches because ultimately it is a timesaver when time is tight.
The book page had been stained too enthusiastically with Infusions so I flipped it over to stamp on the rear where there were some marks from the Rusty Car Infusions.

We were allowed to work with the crackle stamp on our samples, it came in useful for adding some stamped texture to some of the papers around the tree focal.

If you are a fan of Crafty Individuals, then look-out for their recent newsletter, featuring wonderful card samples from fellow DT member Florence along with a Special Offer.
Many thanks for your visit to this post.
Wishes
Lynne

The Trees

Hello
Sharing another sample made for Crafty Individuals (for HOCHANDA show).
This sample, which is a substrate of a That’s Crafty white/greyboard panel, sees me using one of Crafty Individuals new stamps,CI-460

The same trees were stamped onto Infusions stained book pages twice, tearing into panels, with a scrap piece of stained book text in the centre, with that lovely Whispers in the Wind stamp from CI-209.
That lovely piece of stylised leaf applique is a piece cut from beautiful lace panel gifted to me by my friend Sharon.  I stained it with Infusions. The other textiles were also stained, they look as though it could be Rusty Car they were stained with.

A scribbled, doodled border around the book page panel.

Book pages have been a constant for me, really since I started stamping.  Even with this detailed stamp, the text peeks through and I so love the extra layer that brings to a project.

Literally, a scrap of corrugated cardboard – no scrappy piece is safe from my grasp!

I still have a few more of samples made for Crafty Individuals HOCHANDA show and will share them over the coming weeks.
Thank you, again, for your time visiting here.
Wishes
Lynne

Crafty Individuals @ HOCHANDA

Hello
The Crafty Individuals team have news to share that on Tuesday 28th February, Lesley Wharton will be demoing Crafty Individuals stamps and other products on HOCHANDA. There will be 3 shows, beginning at 10.00 a.m.
We were asked to make samples for the shows, this is one of my samples.  I don’t really know what to call it, it can hardly be called a book as there are no inner pages, so is it simply a folded tag, a faux booklet or maybe it doesn’t need a label!

The  #12 tag is a generous size to play, allowing room to play with textures on the cover. Infusions where used throughout, staining the actual tag and also lots of found papers – most often, I am working with mop-up/under papers and also staining sari ribbon and other textiles.
I was surprised how well the tree stamped onto the crinkled paper.  I no longer have the sample, it was mailed to Jean, so I cannot remember what type of paper this actually is but it is very crinkled.

This is why it isn’t technically a book, as you can see, inside there are no actual pages.
Since Infusions were launched, I fall in love with them a little bit more each time and they are just gorgeous when working with nature themed stamps.   It was the “pattern” of the Infusions which actually determined the path this project took because it conjured up a storm brewing.

The tag had an application of Grungepaste, I am very free with my applications, allowing texture to build which if you are aiming for perfect stamped impressions, it could be a problem but I like to use this as an advantage.  Those are all stamped trees but I played around, adding my own touches to make them appear more impressionistic in style, as though they were quick drawings in a field notes journal and not stamped.

Texture and layering without bulk, as does the stained lace which you can see in the photo above, the lace representing the ground.

This stamp was exactly what I needed for the upper corner, tattered and layered.

Thank you for your visit and if you manage to tune in to the shows on Tuesday, there will be demos, great deals and samples made by all the team.
Wishes
Lynne

Festive Tree

Hello
Some of you might have received the latest Crafty Individuals newsletter with news of their recent releases which, for a limited period, are on special introductory offer.
(Also, see below for the link to Jeans’ Giveaway)
With CI-462, Large Christmas Tree I made this rustic style card.You wouldn’t realise it but the book page has hints of Fresco Old Gold (along with Gesso).  It is a subtle effect which is more prominent IRL.A simple, stippled background with snowflakes stamped (from CI-465)From an older Elements set, CI-447, I cut into one of the tag stamps, making use of only the word Peace.More scrappy layersAll of the stamps used on this card along with the new releases and old favourites, are available from Crafty Individuals website.
Visit Jean’s blog to learn of a Giveaway!
I hope you are all cracking on with your festive preparations.  Shame on me, but this year I have also bought cards to send, knew it would be impossible to make all my cards.  Still, I cannot believe it will be December any day now!
Wishes
Lynne

The Gift of Giving (Somerset Life)

Hello
In the latest issue of Somerset Life, one of my articles features festive packaging.  Although Somerset Life is not a dedicated stamping magazine, it is a lifestyle magazine the tags in the article all feature Crafty Individuals Festive Curly Sentiments, generous sized sentiments which can be the focal on festive cards or tags.All the cardstock and papers were painted/stained, also utilising mop up/under paper.
I mixed a variety of metallics:- brass, gold, copper, platinum.
Tiny accents of pearl stickers, rhinestones and tiny pieces of lovely crushed velvet ribbon with the gorgeous copper fabric gifted from my dear friend Dorthe.So, even though this post relates to the festivities, I am still not convinced that Christmas is galloping towards us. Where has this year gone?!!!
Wishes
Lynne

All Is Peaceful

Hello!
I am back amongst my supplies and managed to make this card,  I suppose it could be a Christmas card.
This tree stamp is a beauty from Crafty Individuals.  I’d go so far as to say that if you like tree stamps then it would be worth your while taking a look at Crafty Individuals.  This particular stamp is an individual stamp, CI-453 but if you are prepared to spend more money, then CI-450 would be such a good investment, an A4 size sheet of stamps devoted to trees with some lovely sentiments.There is subtle shimmer and glimmer here and there on this card with a Stardust pen scribbled onto the stamped image, not that you’d know because no sign of that Stardust in this photograph!!!Painted tree bark and rhinestoneswith a pop of contrast in the form of this scrappy piece of sari ribbon.Thank you for your visit to this post, your visits are always appreciated by me.
Wishes
Lynne

A Day At The Beach

Hello Everyone
My previous post shared news of Crafty Individuals most recent releases.  Amongst them, Elements set, CI-459.  I was drawn to the various seaside related words in this set so decided that I would focus on that stamp alone.

One of the main reasons I love stamping so much, is the freedom to stamp onto almost any surface.  I stamped onto calico and seaglass and as you can see, I was not overly bothered about ensuring that the pieces would accommodate the words.  Strangely, because of the beach themed context, even though the full words are not visible, the brain seems to know it is sandcastles and seashells.The textiles are frayed because I wanted them to have a tattered appearance, as though windswept and battered by the seashore.Another piece of the seaglass.You can see that I painted the compartment tray in a random fashion, to have a distressed, worn appearance that would tie in with the frayed textiles.A coconut button seemed to suit the theme but it was too dark against the washed out colour of the tray so I flipped it over, drybrushing with a Fresco, might be Chalk.Onto a piece of driftwood, all the way from Denmark, (from lovely Dorthe) a smattering of pearls, mica flakes and starfish.Jean is sharing lots of inspiration at the Crafty Individuals blog, including samples made by the other team members. If you are interested in this stamp or any of the new releases, then it is worth noting they are available, for a limited period only, at a special Introductory Offer price.
Many thanks for your visit.
Wishes
Lynne

Dream A Little ……..

Hello Everyone
A new challenge theme has been announced at Crafty Individuals.  Here are a few words from Jean:

We have our lovely Florence in charge of it this month, and she has picked a great topic to work to … ‘Mini Masterpieces’, which is very inclusive and it would be lovely to see lots of entries again.  Small is what we are looking for, but I guess that could be anything from a pendant or brooch through to a card, an ATC, or a small wall hanging.  As CI stuff is all on the small side that should be a pretty nice one to make for and link in to don’t you think?!

All challenge guidelines can be read at the Crafty Individuals blog.  Remember, at the end of the month five winners will be selected 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, which will be valid to use until the 10th of August.

When Jean shared with us the theme for the July Challenge, I couldn’t help but make a piece of jewellery, playing with ICE Resin and a stamp from CI-256 Handy Sentiments Element Set. Actually I partially used the stamp as the actual stamp says Dream A Little Dream, the bezel wasn’t nearly big enough!
A few months ago,  I created a submission for Stampington & Company.  I am awaiting my copy of the magazine to arrive but my article features a trio of pins. So when I learnt of the July challenge I thought about making another pin, different supplies and outcome compared to the pins in my article but they were the springboard for this pin.My lovely friend Dorthe, recently gifted to me, amongst other goodies, a lovely paper napkin which had beautiful script on it.  Teeny pieces of this paper napkin were used as the background for the bezel with the Crafty Individuals stamp, stamped onto fabric.I am still very new to playing with ICE Resin and had a few mishaps, hair taking a dip into the resin (!) but I have to say, I love this product, especially achieving the doming.  This was a very shallow bezel, you can probably see that, so I didn’t expect to achieve any doming …. at all.  Honestly, is there something wrong for me that I get such a buzz on seeing ICE Resin dome LOL.So there we have it, my miniature sample. You know we would love to see your creations for this challenge.
Wishes and Thanks for your visit to this blog. So lucky to have such loyal friends to me and to my blog.
Lynne x