Halloween inspired journal pages

I used stamp plate CI-286, Abbeys and Arches and CI-077, Three Gentlemen to make these Finnabair styled pages for the October themed challenge at Crafty Individuals this month. I loved playing with the crazy stamping technique again, particularly around the gents, but because I used black card for the background I stamped with picket fence distress paint. Love it.

A double spread, created together, but each page can stand as an individual too.

I used the images separately to create the composition on the left page……

…. adding rusted calico fabric and other elements.

Even some of the thread from the weave of the fabric got stuck on as well.

Splats with the distress paint, a spray of Dylusions white linen ink and some copper mica spray over the background.

Stamped ephemera and TH chit chat stickers.

I used a chalk pencil to outline the images and to doodle and scribble in places too.

The iron gate on the edge die created that spooky look at the bottom of the pages, with more rusted elements.

These pages were great fun to make and if you have a Halloween project on your blog, leave me a message and I will be able to pop over to take a look.

Thanks for joining me today

hugs {brenda} x0x

Golden Days of Autumn for Crafty Individuals

My piece today celebrates those golden autumnal hues of autumn when the browns and golds are bordering on the frosts and snows of Winter and is made for the Crafty Individuals October challenge.

The background was prepared on kraft card edged with gesso and a coating of gesso stained with distress stains over it.

The stamp is CI 287 and depicts the trees when the leaves have fallen and they form a golden covering on the ground.

Metal embellishments fit in with the theme of crunchy, crispy and fading foliage that we love to kick around on those gorgeous breath making walks on frosty days when the air is still and light mists hover in the air.

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
~George Cooper, "October's Party"

I hope your Sunday is going well. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

hugs {brenda} x0x

Tim’s Tags of 2013 – October

Got my October tag done and loved making this Halloween one using distress glitter, for the details how to apply it pop over to Tim’s blog to see his great tags and the instructions for distress glittering and distress paint marbling, which is what I used for the background on my tag.

I also used the tarnished silver technique learnt on the Creative Chemistry 102 course, just love the effects on bottles. makes them look like old mercury.

I used The Chemist stamp set for the text in the background ……

…. and Simple Sayings for the sentiment ……

……and  the woodgrain embossing folder for texture on the shelf,

Distress glitter was used on the inkwell,

quill, bottle top,

skull and pediment, which are all from TH dies except the skull which is from tando creative.

Entering this to Tim’s collection for October.

We are off to Birmingham today for a long weekend, I hope you enjoy whatever you have planned. Take care and have fun.

Thanks for stopping by to see my Tim tag.

hugs {brenda} x0x

Funkie Junkie 12 Tags of Christmas #5

My next Christmas card for Linda’s fabulous challenge at The Funkie Junkie came about by taking these things as inspiration from her tag – a script stamp and Santa image (TH Listen to Santa), a frame (TH Ornate Frame) and a crinoline tattered poinsettia with snowflake.

The background is distress paint resist.

The frame was cut in silver but then covered with vintage photo distress embossing powder.

I used Barn Door DI to colour the crinoline poinsettia petals..

A remnant rubs sentiment, bow and charm finish the look.

Linda has the full details of this challenge on her tag 1 post but in essence make a tag or card etc. and take something as inspiration from Linda’s tag for your own make, link this up to her post and enter all 12 challenges by December 22nd to be eligible for the draw. Linda is very generous with her prizes so you could win a $50 or $25 voucher to her on-line store ‘The Funkie Junkie Boutique’ and even get 10% discount over January 2014.

I hope you have been having a good week. I have been out in the garden getting the autumn tidy up underway, but there is still alot of colour from the summer bedding as you can see.

But the autumnal colours are beginning to show.

And this was the last pear off the tree.

And what an incredible sky the other night.

Have a great end to the week and a fabulous weekend. We are going to see friends in Birmingham who became grandparents a few months ago and we are going to the Christening on Sunday. I have made a card and hope to show you that next week.

Take care and thanks for stopping by.

hugs {brenda} x0x

CVC – Something Spooky 2

Trick or Treat

Having fun with Halloween supplies again. I made this card whilst taking a break designing the Halloween Apothecary frame that was my DT sample for Country View Crafts Challenge - Something Spooky 1. 

Mostly Tim Holtz supplies again for this one……

… I used the cobwebs texture fade with textured Bazzil cardstock and black soot inked over the inside before putting through the big shot. Then I sanded the cobwebs to get some of the white core to show through and inked the edges having torn the bottom and cut to size.

The image is from the seasonal paper stash covered with clear embossing powder, mounted on black, distressed edges and again tore the bottom off.

Die-cut the movers and shapers mini bat and the memory box spider…

…. stamped the numbers from little labels to get the 31 and the ‘Happy Halloween’ and ‘beware’ are computer generated.

There we go, assembled with some string and one easy card made for Halloween.
No tricks here, just treats. LOL

Looking forward to seeing more halloween projects for this challenge at CVC and don’t forget that most of the products I used can be found at the Country View Crafts shop. Susan has some of the best prices around and free P&P, her site is always worth a look with great sale items too.

Have a spooktacular week.

hugs {brenda} x0x

ATCs and booklet–Workshop

I taught a class again today and my lovely group made their version of this ATC booklet. The learning focus was on using stencils with paints and distress inks and building up layers to create depth.

These little booklets can be made for birthday/Christmas cards and this one, full of inspirational quotes, can be given to someone going off to university, someone feeling a bit down or just to a friend.

There are four inside pages and an ATC on the front and back cover as well.

By cutting a piece of card 7 1/2 x 7 ins we were able to make all 6 ATCs at the same time starting with household paint through a stencil.

With distress inks we used the wrinkle free distress technique to mostly cover the card with colour.

Then using the stencils and distress inks we added another layer before cutting the card into the six ATCs.

We rounded the corners and blended more distress inks around the edges and then stamped some text randomly on each one.

Using black and white paint and small tops from various household items, we stamped circles on some of the edges and all the sayings I had typed in Photoshop Elements and printed out.

The stamps for the main images are a mix of old and some free stamps from the Craft Stamper. The booklet was made from 12 x 12 paper, scored and distressed on the edges.

These are some of the ATCs made at the class.

Thanks for joining me for another great class Joan, Judith, Shelagh, Val, Diane and Chris.

Also thanks to you for stopping by to see what I have been up to today. I hope you are having a great weekend.

hugs {brenda} x0x

Canvas Finnabair style

I have a friend who when she saw my Finn journals just fell in love with them and wanted to have a go at making something in that style. So I set up a day where we worked on a canvas each. Bearing in mind she has never crafted or done mixed media art before, she did a really great job.

Here are the photos of Sue’s canvas

And my canvas …..

We started by layering papers and adding texture paste through some stencils. When it was dry we sprayed some inks lightly on, stamped some images and splattered it with tea.

Next we started the composition by deciding where our photo was going to go and adding strips of canvas, coloured and patterned card, lace and gauze.

The last layers were the embellishments using flowers wood and metal pieces and more card where it was needed.

I used Evo-Stick wood glue which worked a treat to adhere everything down securely. The photograph is a download, this girl really seems to have a great character to me.

Then finally sprayed with more inks.

This little butterfly I found in my bits box left over from another project sometime ago.

We had the most wonderful day together and Sue was so pleased to take home her canvas that she finished. And I have to say I am rather pleased with mine too.

I hope you are having a great week. I thought I would share this quote I found -

I saw as a teacher how, if you take that spark of learning that those children have, and you ignite it, you can take a child from any background to a lifetime of creativity and accomplishment.

Paul Wellstone

hugs {brenda} x0x