Monday, 6 July 2026

Sun, Sea and Sand

 Summer Holidays for Country View Crafts 

July Challenge 1

Dip, drip and dry three separate layers of distress inks, 1, Old Paper. 2, Spiced Marmalade. 3 Crackling Campfire.


Take the blue distress oxide pads and rub them over the Sparkler Fade stencil, spritz with water and monoprint over the top of the hot colours and heat dry,

Lay down the Burst stencil and use Rusty Hinge to blend through the rays.

Add some extra dip and drips using Crackling Campfire at the bottom of the card to create more of a sandy look.

Stamp some second generation text with the grey permanent ink.

Stamp the Post Card at the top in black.

Use the grey to stamp the post mark only (rub off any ink that got onto the postage stamp.

Stamp the postage stamp itself using spiced marmalade onto a spare piece of card and cut out, overlay it onto the post mark.

Cut out the couple having fun on their holidays and adhere.

Diecut the words you want to use and also add.

Blend brown distress ink round the edges and mount the finished project onto the teal paper.

Thanks for stopping by

Brenda xxx


Supplies

Alison Bomber stamps - Poppy Edition EAB37 (Postcard). Pressed Foliage EAB39 (Postage stamp) https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/alison-bomber-by-paperartsy-1731-c.asp

Sizzix Tim Holtz dies  - Vacation Words, (As far as I'm aware these are discontinued)  https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/tim-holtz-by-sizzix-152-c.asp

Ranger - Core-dinations paper (discontinued)

Tim Holtz stencils, Burst, Sparkle Fade                                https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/layering-stencils-523-c.asp

Idea-ology Tim Holtz Found Relatives (first edition)                https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/idea-ology-102-c.asp

Distress Inks - Spiced Marmalade, Crackling Campfire, Old Paper, Rusty Hinge, Ground Espresso https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/distress-ink--re-inkers-103-c.asp

Distress Oxide - Salvaged Patina, Mermaid Lagoon                              https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/distress-oxide-ink--re-inkers-1049-c.asp  

Versafine Clair - Morning mist, Nocturne                                    https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/versafine-clair-ink-pads-and-re-inkers-1311-c.asp


Thursday, 18 June 2026

Nature themed with altered patterned paper


This is a CVC inspiration challenge project.

I've focussed on using flowery paper page from 79 & Market and altering it so it is distressed and has become a more muted and subtle background for the added elements to sit on.


For the background I used a bought panel made of greyboard and a page from the paper pack cutting it to the right size.


Brayer a light coat of gesso randomly over it and when dry add some splatter areas (I used a small stamp block and dipped it in a watery puddle of magic moss paint and got some nice speckles).

 I also used the paints to bring back some of the plant details higher up, by painting them in lightly myself I felt this gave it a nice mixed media effect.


Gather die-cuts and transfers, stamp, colour and fussy cut the flower.


Create a small collage of the elements.


I love these colour swatch transfers created by Katie Pertiet.




xxx

  
Supplies

Tim Holtz - distress oxides -  Walnut Stain, Scorched Timber, Gathered Twigs, Hickory Smoke, Cracked Pistachio, Bundled Sage, Evergreen Bough,

Gesso - White

Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Foliage                                            https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/th92788---tim-holtz-idea-ology---foliage-179530-p.asp

Paperartsy Fresco Finish paints - Magic Moss, Midnight, Haystack, Snowflake

49 & Market Paper pack 8 x 8, Die-cut Elements --- Botanical Buzz. Krafty Garden Rub on transfers,

PaperArtsy - Alison Bomber EAB48 Stamps - Summer Poppies Edition

Arden - Katie Pertiet - Garden Chronicle Transfer set

Tim Holtz punch - Butterfly


Wednesday, 3 June 2026

Nature in June with Floral Outline by Tim Holtz

 Stamping and masking

The new Country View Challenge for June is 'Nature' and I decided to use the Tim Holtz Floral Outline stamp set.



1. Take a TH patterned panel and stamp flower with permanent ink.


2. Use the distress watercolour pencils to colour in the design. 


3. I also painted in one of my palette and swatch colour cards ro add to my book pages.


4. Stamp image onto masking paper and lay on top of the original.


5. Stamp some text in random areas.


Pull ephemera elements together .....


..... and trial the composition. I chose a piece of patterned paper by Tim Holtz for the background.



xx




Supplies

Tim Holtz Ephemera panel from paper stash pads and page from 8x8 paper pink palette collection

Tim Holtz - Distress Watercolour Pencils - Abandoned Coral, Dried Marigold, Forest Moss, Bundled Sage, Scattered Straw, Gathered Twigs, Speckled Egg, Iced Spruce, Picket Fence.

Tim Holtz stamps - Floral Outlines CMS430, Ledger Script CMS241, Field NotesCMS396

Tim Holtz - Sizzix- - dies - Brushstroke Flowers mini.

Distress inks - Spun Sugar, Abandoned Coral, Ground Espresso, Bundled Sage, Fired Brick

Miscellaneous - masking paper, my own swatch and palette record cards, paint brushes

Wednesday, 20 May 2026

May Bee

 Bugs and Bees in May - entomology panel shabby style

Panel

Gathered some stamped ephemera, cut some honeycomb, stamped the bees and cut them up, inked the edges of the bits I wanted to use, picked out some snippets I could probably use when collaging it together.

Tested out my composition on a plain panel.


Blended Gathered Twigs around the edges of the panel, and used it with stencils. 

Used Pumice Stone to create some light text stamping to add some interest.

Put composition together.





xx


Supplies

Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Gathered Twigs, Pumice Stone         https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/distress-ink--re-inkers-103-c.asp

Sizzix Tim Holtz dies - Alphanumeric Label, Alphanumeric Tiny Type Lower, Mixed Media, https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/tim-holtz-by-sizzix-152-c.asp

Tim Holtz stamps - Field Notes CMS396, Classics #12,                    https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/tim-holtz-collection-193-c.asp

Tim Holtz Mini Stencils - set #4, set #8                                       https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/layering-stencils-523-c.asp

Idea-ology Tim Holtz Snippets - Curator      Tim Holtz Trimmings - Naturals                                 https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/idea-ology-102-c.asp

Tim Holtz - Sidekick  out of stock

Versafine Clair - Pinecone out of stock

Tuesday, 5 May 2026

Mini Clipboard Entomology

 Bugs and Bees in May

This is my first inspiration project for Country View Crafts this month called Bugs and Bees


Mini Clipboard

Using Tim's die I adhered together a kraft die-cut and a black card over the top and sanded the edges which were then edged with the distress crayon.

The clip was sanded and also had distress crayon rubbed over to distress it.


The panel was added having been cut from one of the panels I made using gathered twigs, pumice stone, old paper and antique linen.



I added a smaller panel using the lighter card to die cut the smaller rectangle.


Building the frame

I used the Entomology stamps and dies and cut them all to choose the bug I wanted to use.


I also used the Field Notes stamps to stamp ephemera with picket fence on black.


I took the black frame and stamped some text using gesso and when it was dry I rubbed over the brown distress crayon to lower the brightness of it.

For the base layer of the background I used exactly the same distress inks and I added more text this time using one of the brown distress inks,


Then I created another distressed panel mounted on black and kraft panel card and distressed the edges.


I soaked the bug and gently moulded it into a curved shape and stuck a piece of wood dowling underneath it to make it look a little more lifelike and be in a standing position rather than laying flat,


I adhered the bug onto the mini clipboard to finish









I do like the additional flowers and the 3D effect of the bug on this frame.


xx



Supplies

Tim Holtz Stamps - Entomology, Field Notes, Ledger Script, Wildflowers CMS253

Tim Holtz dies - Entomology, Vault Noteworthy, Specimen,

Distress Inks - Pumice Stone, Old Paper, Antique Linen, Gathered Twigs, Ground Espresso, Picket Fence

Distress Crayons - Vintage Photo, 

Versa Fine Clair - Nocturne

DecoArt Americana White Gesso

Kraft card, black card and silver card.