Timeless Moments Captured Within The Petals Of A Rose

Hello Everyone
When a few weeks ago I found myself making a crackle background for a DT project, I continued with the crackling so that I would have some panels to hand for whenever needed.  I thought the crackle would be nice teamed up with Darkroom Door’s rose stamp.
On this card all the stamps are from Darkroom Door:-
Eclectic Rose stamp
Full Bloom Vol 1
Word Block Stamp – Journey (Timeless Moments)
I wonder if any of you have played with Darkroom Door Word Block stamps, which are so useful, (I will be sharing more cards featuring a different Word Block stamp very soon) as they can be stamped to create a background, or use the stamp to make a quick card with the stamp being the focal adding only a simple embellishment but the way I like to use them is to single out particular words/sentiments. With so many words/sentiments on one stamp the Word Blocks are brilliant value for money. For this card I only inked up Timeless Moments. This card was made as a birthday card and it seemed that the Timeless Moments sentiment was a nice one for such an occassion.
With the Eclectic Rose stamp as the focal, stamped onto the crackled tag, I wanted to continue the rose theme in the background but the Eclectic Rose was too large for the background so instead I reached for Full Bloom Vol 1, for the beautiful rose stamp. This was repeatedly stamped onto the crackled background panel,  turning it at different angles and also incorporating second generation stamping.Rustic details embellish the card with tiny scraps of washi tape to bring out the blue of the background.This is another scheduled post which might be the situation for a wee while longer.  I decided that even if I am not able to be around in Blogland that I would try to keep my blog as active as possible which is the reason for the scheduled posts.
Wishes To All Of You
Lynne

Don’t Doubt The Strength Of My Delicate Wings

Hello Everyone
Welcome to this scheduled post where I am sharing two more cards which relate to this blog post, HERE.
The beautiful butterflies on the two cards I am sharing in this post are from the quite gorgeous Butterflies stamp set from Darkroom Door.When I made this collection of four butterfly cards for Take Ten (although it is The Stampers’ Sampler where they were published) the idea was a common theme of butterflies and for a similar colour palette across all four cards. The backgrounds were painted with Twinkling H20s and if I remember correctly, NeoColor II watersoluble crayons, with subtle stamping. You can see some of that stamping on the right side of the photograph below.
I always prefer to lay down colour prior to stamping instead of stamping and then colouring the image. All the butterflies were stamped onto watercolour paper which had been painted with the mix of paints used for the backgrounds. You can see I had fun with paint splatters.  I do love a splatter or two!Some found papers painted to co-ordinate with the cards.
Another butterfly card:-
This angle shows how the butterfly is raised from the background.  I was so happy it managed to withstand the journey to the U.S.A. and didn’t arrive looking squashed and rather sorry for itself.
The Butterfly Watch feature can be seen in the Oct/Nov/Dec issue of The Stampers’ Sampler.
Thank You so much for your visits which I hope you know are never taken for granted.
Wishes
Lynne

The Lone Butterfly

Hello Everyone
As I draft this I am in the middle of sharing festive related posts and it will be after Christmas before I will manage to share this card which was amongst a few in a feature article, in the Oct/Nov/Dec issue of The Stampers’ Sampler, of cards which all featured Darkroom Door butterflies, from the beautiful stamp set, Butterfly.
I don’t know how many of the cards I will end up sharing with you but for this post, here is one card which I gave the title of The Lone Butterfly. I wanted the butterfly to be raised from the cardbase, giving the impression that it has alighted there merely for a second before it takes flight on the summer’s breeze.A fragment of found paper which had several colours applied and if I remember, different paints.  I liked the way that there are veins of gold appearing on the paper.
Lots of paint splatters, am I at my happiest when creating splatters!  There is something about creating splatters which is so childlike,  maybe it is the way it is done with abandon, a very carefree way to apply paint.  What  is missing from the photographs is the shimmer created by the Twinkling H20s which you can almost pick up from the close-up of the painted fragment of paper. The colours on this card are far removed from the colours viewed from our windows at this time of the year but one thing is for certain, it might well be December but in no time at all, we will be in the summer months of 2015 wondering where the past six months have disappeared to and why time is passing us by so quickly!
Wishes
Lynne

Winter Garden Visitors

Hello Everyone
A short(ish) post to share with you some mini cards I created back when I received the new Robin Eclectic stamp from Darkroom Door.
As I organised the photographs I realised that again red has popped up. Have no idea why I have been drawn to red this year, sometimes you just cannot explain things!
Since at least September there have been so many robins paying a visit to the garden, moreso than any other year.  There is something joyful about seeing that flash of red in the garden.  In fact every time I spy one I will say out loud, there’s another robin!   
A trio of mini cards which are essentially variations on a theme with the same stamp, colour palette and fragments. Kraft, red and white with lots of sparkle although slightly grungy appearance. Actually this background is the same as what I used for the one of the cards shown HERE.The large Christmas Script background stamp was stamped onto the actual Kraft cardbase with heat embossing providing the twinkle. Swipes of Gesso which was also given a twinkle with a dash of Glamour Dust and generously applied to the Robin’s, especially to his tummy to make that red breast shimmer.  

Darkroom Door Stamps:-
Christmas Script Background stamp
Brushed Christmas Vol 2
Eclectic Robin

Thank You for your visit.
I am trying to keep my blog as active as possible but with time being most precious at this time of the year for all of you I will be aiming to cut down on the text so that visits here are as swift as possible for you.
Your visits are always appreciated but all the moreso this month because it is such a hectic time especially for any of you who are creating your own cards, tags, gifts, etc, so a big Thank You from me to you.
Wishes
Lynne

Merry and Bright on A Winter’s Night

Hello Everyone
I have two small cards to share with you, cards featuring some of the newest Darkroom Door stamps.
Darkroom Door stamps:-
Brushed Christmas Vol 1
Christmas Script
Red is a colour I usually shy away from when making Christmas cards (although I have a sample to share for another DT where I used some gorgeous new, to me, red paints) but I do like a dash of red ticking especially.  It was with the ticking in mind that I decided on a kraft, white and red colour palette.
On both cards I used the wonderfully large background stamp, Christmas Script, which I either heat embossed with white detail e.p. or twinkly e.p.
A generous dash of Glamourdust sprinkled over the focal sentiment makes it shimmer beautifully.This is the background where the twinkly e.p. was used.Have a lovely weekend and thank you for visiting this post. I will return on Sunday with my scheduled blog post for That’s Crafty.
Wishes
Lynne

Merry & Bright

Hello Everyone
I am starting this new week with a quick, scheduled post, sharing something which I have made to send to a friend for Christmas but which is also a sample for Darkroom Door.
I try to send to a friend and her family a Christmas ornament of some nature.  Last year from That’s Crafty I received Indigoblu MDF baubles from which I had only used the heart but decided this year to use the remainder of the baubles.
I thought the sentiments from the Darkroom Door Brushed Christmas sets would be perfect to stamp onto one of the baubles.
This bauble will appear on the Darkroom Door Blog at some stage so within this post all I will share are the stamps used and a couple of photographs.
Darkroom Door Stamps:-
Brushed Christmas Vol 1
Texture Stamp Dots
I seem to be in the mood for pastel pink and blue with touches of winter white at the moment.
I did wonder if I would need to stamp onto tissue paper but the sentiment stamped beautifully which I was pleased with especially as I wanted to heat emboss with some twinkly embossing powder.
More heat embossing in the form of the Texture Stamp Dots with white embossing powder. If you are in the middle of Christmas preparations then I hope they are going well.  I am glad I made an earlier start this year although I still have a feeling that I might not achieve all I want to do.
Have a lovely week.
Wishes
Lynne

 

A Rose Garden, I Never Promised You

Hello Everyone
One of the recently released stamps I received from Darkroom Door to play with was the Eclectic Stamp, Rose.
I am sure you will relate that sometimes when you receive a stamp you let ideas percolate until you decide on which direction to take and other times you know instantaneously what your plans are.  For my sample I knew I wanted to create a paperclay embellishment as a focal on a canvas.  However what was interesting, when I have used paperclay before for stamping into, the stamps have not been photo real.  Of course, we all love a challenge!!!
As I was working on this canvas the song, I Never Promised You A Rose Garden would not leave my head.  This song I remember so vividly from my childhood but when I Googled to see what year it was released, 1970, I realised I was too young to remember it from that year, I was only 2 years old but my Mum had the vinyl (now, there is a word that can date us all!) single.  Little did I know that during those years, fast forward a few decades and I would be making reference to this song in a blog post!
(This canvas involved many stages and as it has already appeared on the Darkroom Door Blog I would say that if you are interested in the supplies I used and how I used them, especially creating the rose with the paperclay, then please visit the Darkroom Door Blog post, HERE.)Although I usually set out with a rough idea, I always like to go with the flow but in this case, alongside knowing I would be using paperclay, I also wanted there to be a romantic feel to the canvas but also for their to be texture.  This might sound silly and it might also sound pretentious but I wanted that sense of peeling plaster on buildings in Mediterranean countries with their pastel buildings which look so pretty in the sunshine even when showing signs of age and decay, which, for me, simply adds to their beauty and their story.
(This photograph is more true to the colours of the paints.)This is what started this particular story, paperclay and the Eclectic Rose stamp.Which became this after painting.I so enjoyed working on this canvas, that doesn’t mean I am completely satisfied because there is much I would do different now but as for the actual process, it was a lovely canvas to work on for Darkroom Door.
Thank you, always, for the time and trouble you take to stop by and seeing what I have been doing and thank you always for your continued support and encouragement.
Wishes
Lynne

A Glamorous Christmas

Hello Everyone
One of the Darkroom Door releases I recently received was the Brushed Christmas Vol 2. Generally I like Christmas to be muted tones, wintry whites but the brushstroke baubles brought to mind Art Deco.  Please don’t ask me why that popped into my head but I know that all of you relate when I say that sometimes notions strike and we feel the need to go with it!
A trio of petite Christmas cards are what I created with three of the baubles from the set along with sentiments from Stitched Christmas stamp set.
(The cards appear as a post HERE, on the Darkroom Door Blog which is where all supplies and instructions will be available)
I was very liberal in my application of shimmer and sparkle on each card as I aimed to try and capture the glamour of the Deco era.My use of embossing powder has been more in the past month or two than it has in the past five years!For each cardbase I used for the first time a Distress Stain Spray.  I really wasn’t too sure if I would be impressed with the spray because I have only 3 of the actual Distress Stains but with my mind turning towards festive projects I thought I would take a gamble with the Brushed Pewter and I was so impressed.  What I was most pleased with was with one product I could inject some life into the black cardstock and also stain items to match.As always, I need to finish by saying thank you for visiting this post.
It is strange because I might be in the middle of making cards, gifts, etc for Christmas yet at the same time I cannot get my mind into the place where it will soon be countdown to Christmas. In my world it is only March, possibly April but certainly not November LOL.
It will not be all about Christmas projects from hereon in, I will mix up the blog posts otherwise I will become too weary myself of Christmas even before it has arrived!
Wishes
Lynne

Let’s Sit Quietly And Read

Hello Everyone
New Darkroom Door releases is always fun especially knowing that one set featured books, the Bookworm stamp set.
It is no secret that I love books.  My Mum and I are the readers in the family with my sister and Dad being the sporty ones.  When I was a child, at that time, the local Library was housed in an imposing building with countless steps to climb before entering the inner sanctum of the Library itself.  It was my Mum who would take me to the Library where she would select her books for borrowing and then we would head to the Children’s Library which had its own room.  This was a time when there were signs stating “No Talking” and you know that those words were not to be fooled with!  When I think of books it brings a flood of warm feelings to me.
When a book touches me I am happy to re-read it and I have, some would say, far too many books stored in the loft.  In recent years the book which touched me the most and actually saw me sobbing (very much in contrast to my character) is “The Book Thief”.  However I am not here to chat about books, I am here to share with you my DT sample for Darkroom Door which is an altered papier mache book.
(This will also appear over on the Darkroom Door Blog so I will only share the stamps used and a brief outline of the instructions. )
An aged appearance to the book was called for with me wanting to bring a feeling of worn gilding on a book’s cover. To achieve this I used the wonderful Damask Texture Stamp.
Opening the cover reveals a sentiment and a stack of books.
It is barely visible but around the edges of the left panel is another of the new stamps, the Torn Text Background stamp.To the right the recess is deeper so I formed a stack of vintage book pages, tearing to fit into the recess,  with the Darkroom Door books stamped onto the top page.
You can see in this photograph that I really did man handle the papier mache book to give an aged, distressed appearance, including cracking the spine.The Darkroom Door blog is continually being up-dated with many samples featuring the new stamps on display. This DT sample is my first featuring one of the new stamps but soon I will be sharing some more samples featuring other recently released stamps.
Thank You for your visit to this blog post, always much appreciated.
Wishes
Lynne

Santa & His Twinkly Beard

Hello Everyone
For the moment I want to stay with Christmas but this time it is for Darkroom Door.
If you are a fan of Darkroom Door then you will know that new Christmas stamps were released recently and in due course I will be sharing samples using some of the new Christmas stamps however, prior to their release I had already made a start on my Christmas cards.
It is possible this card will appear on the Darkroom Door blog, although for the moment the focus is on DT samples featuring the new stamps, but I have decided not to share detailed instructions in this post.  Anyway, the card is quite self-explanatory but I will share with you the stamps I used, just in case you are interested.
Darkroom Door Stamps:–
Flourish Texture stamp
Dear Santa Vol 2
Yuletide Vol 2
This colour palette, for Christmas, is new to me but I simply had fun playing around with paints which were lying out from another project. I stamped the Flourish Texture stamp very randomly and not with ink but with paint.  Sparkly edges, a mix of fabrics, a dash of raspberry velvet ribbon are some of the textures on this card.At the time of having the paints out I created a batch of backgrounds so that any evening when I am able to do so, I will sit and assemble the cards. I have another Santa Claus card which I will share another time. It has the same colour palette but I used different stamps.
In the meantime, apologies if it seems too early to be sharing Christmas samples!  It will not be solid Christmas from now until 25th of December as I will be sharing bits of this and that as I have DT samples featuring butterflies, birds and books, to name a few.
Thank You, as always for your visit to my Blog.
Wishes
Lynne