Mermaid Mixed Media

My mixed media madness continues with a special mermaid underworld scene for a very special 21 year old who's Disney mad. This was a labour of love and I enjoyed every minute. Wonderful for me, but for you it means I've taken lots of pictures and this post will challenge your broadband!

I started with embossing paste and stencils, a coat of gesso and then by sticking all my bits and bobs in place, then covered it all with black gesso. This was very nerve racking for me, but after attending a fabulous Finnabair class last year I knew I want to try it.

Now to add back in some colour with mica powders in sprays and gels. This was a lot of fun and I may have got a little carried away as there was some seepage through all the layers of card. This wasn't a problem as I covered the back with patterned paper.

I then prepared the central panel. I wanted a sunken treasure feel, so I diecut a frame several times, coated it in black gesso and distressed it with gold mica powder, perfect pearls, mica flakes and glitter. Ariel [EK Success stamp] is coloured with promarkers, covered with stickles, crackle accents, wink of stella.

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Some close ups of all the details. Sorry in advance, I find it difficult to stop adding to a canvas and now it's the same with all the photographs I've taken!

Did you spot the 'ugly button' and my found shells? There's also lots of lace, canvas and strips of patterned paper.

Challenges:

Craft for the Craic: January Blues   [Blue- under the sea]

Passion for Promarkers Week 328: Fantasy  [mermaid]

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Best Friends   [a special creation for my best friend, my sister]

STAMPlorations {Stencil Sunday #27} + January Mixed Media Challenge

 

Supplies

Stamps: EK Success Disney Collection
Dies & Stencils etc: Prima Finnabair Bubbles, Simon Says Stamp Waves stencil

Ink: Memento Jet Black, Distress Ink black soot, chipped sapphire

Paper: White Card & patterned paper from stash

Highlights: stickles, white embossing paste, glitter, micro beads, beads, paper flowers, metal embellishments & numbers, sequins, white & black gesso, wink of stella, white gel pen, glimmer mist, sea shells, buttons, lace, eyelets, twine.

Colouring: Promarkers, LuminArte Bolivian Blue, Douglas Fir, Ginger Peach, Finnabair mica powder gold, rust, Ranger Perfect Pearls

Hope you enjoyed my mixed media journey and see you again soon.

Celebrate & Party Princess Dreams

Finally getting a chance to show this gorgeous image from A Day For Daisies. Welcoming a new baby to the family is certainly something to celebrate with a party and I've had a go at pink blending for the dress too. This has been a challenge for me, but I've finally got a mix I like! Unfortunately I put the markers away before I photographed them so I can't remember exactly which ones I've used. I only have a few pinks so I'll just have to do some more colouring practice, what a chore!! At least there is another 30 day colouring challenge next month.

Challenges:
A Day For Daisies Challenge #138: Anything Goes
Passion for Promarkers Wk326 Mega Christmas Challenge: Let's Celebrate! [A new baby]
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Party! [Party for a new baby]

Supplies

Stamps: A Day For Daisies Little Princess, Lawn Fawn Violet's ABCs, Wplus9 Onesie Two-sie
Dies & Stencils etc: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangles, Simon Says Stamp Falling Snow stencil.

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper: White & gold card from stash

Highlights: wink of stella, gold gel pen, star gem, glitter paste. 

Colouring: ProMarkers & FlexMarkers

We'll have to see if my hair prediction rings true as we watch little Elodie grow. Last time I saw her there was a beautiful auburn hint to her hair. Can't wait for my next visit!
Hope you enjoyed your visit to my little patch of blogland and see you again soon!

HB Spring Chicken

I love this little spring chicken from Simon Says Stamp, but I'm never sure if I've got the mouth right. I've chosen to colour him using Promarkers with his beak closed surrounded by a red wattle, but sometimes when I glance at him it looks like his mouth is open in a cluck! Either way he's perfect on this birthday card for a mature gentleman, who hopefully won't mind the joke.

The bubble/confetti background was created using glitter paste and SSS falling snow stencil. I've used wink of stella on the chicken in a few places and a glitter paste bow on the present. I don't think I'll do this again as it was very fiddly. I'll have to give this card another go with a few balloons for the chicken.

A close up of all the shimmer and shine.

Challenges:
Passion for ProMarkers Week 326- Mega Christmas Challenge: Let's Celebrate
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Party!

Supplies

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Birthday Farm Animals
Dies & Stencils etc: Simon Says Stamp Farm Animals die, Falling Snow stencil.

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper: White card from stash

Highlights: wink of stella, white gel pen, glitter paste. 

Colouring: ProMarkers

Wishing everyone a wondrous 2016!
I've been crafting away over the last few months, but have not been able to blog as much as I would have liked. Hopefully this will change in 2016, but as ever, family comes first! I've been using Instagram a little but have not even managed to read my favourite blogs. Feedly has thousands of post for me to peruse so it make take some time for me to get up to date but I look forward to reading and commenting when I make some spare time!
Thank you for taking the time to read and for all the lovely comments I've received over the last few years. Hope you'll visit again soon!

Happy New Year!

I've not made many Christmas cards this month, but I didn't want to let December pass without sharing one. I've used Joy to the Woods (my prize from Lawnscaping Challenge), Peace Love Joy (a prize from Lawn Fawn Inspiration Week last year), Winter Owl & Winter Gifts.

A close up of the cute owl & his polka dot scarf. You can also see the lovely stitched border dies.

I love these colours for a modern Christmas card that's bright, light and cheery: lots of snowy white, a touch of grey and the deep pink and blue. Glossy Accents, Wink of Stella, Stickles, sequins and a star gem to finish this relatively CAS card.

Challenges:
Craft for the Craic Mí na Nollaig Challenge: Favourite Christmas Colours [First Place]
I ♥ ProMarkers Challenge #250: Anything Goes
Passion for Promarkers Mega Christmas Challenge: BINGO [Diecut, Free, Glitter]
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

          

Supplies

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Winter Owl, Winter Gifts, Joy to the Woods, Peace Love Joy
Dies & Stencils etc: Lawn Fawn Large Stitched Rectangles, Winter Owl, Stitched hillside borders

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Luxe Tuxedo Black

Paper: White card from stash

Highlights: sequins, stickles, glossy accents, wink of stella, white gel pen, star gem
Colouring: ProMarkers & Flexmarkers

Athbhliain faoi shéan is faoi mhaise daoibh. I would like to wish everyone a happy new year and lots of fun in 2015. 2014 has been a mixed year in this house; we've welcomed some fabulous new members into our family, through birth and marriage and we've lost some, that have meant the world to us. Joy and sorrow in equal measure and time is needed to adapt. I'm looking forward to the challenges and possibilities of 2015, and the memories of 2014 that make me, me! Time marches forward :)

Welcome 2015!

Lawn Fawn Halloween

Lizzy's Halloween card on the Lawn Fawn blog inspired me to try some partial die cutting and Pamela Ho has a great video for partial die cutting of masked/joined images. I stamped the bats and then my hat, cat and pumpkin using some masking and then partially die cut the images in succession before using a craft knife to create a circular aperture. More partial die cutting to extend the large stitched rectangle die, lots of distress inking and a spritz of glimmer mist for the night sky and hey presto a cute CAS Halloween card!

I've been planning this card for ages but went away for the mid-term break without any craft supplies, hence my nearly missing the Lawnscaping deadline and the poor quickly taken photos. Thankfully my local craft club allowed me to make the time to get inky and sparkly! This card came together quite quickly and I love the CAS look.

In Ireland, Halloween is the biggest celebration in autumn and I've co-opted some American staples, such as pumpkins not turnips will be carved in this house. My Mum carved turnips for Jack-o-Lanterns before pumpkins were readily available and I don't recommend it, as turnips are very tough and lots of upper body strength is required! Oíche Shamhna Shona Daoibh!

Challenges:

Lawnscaping Challenge #92: Halloween Theme or Use The Colour Combo
Passion for ProMarkers Week #271: Add Some Sparkle
The Card Concept Challenge #22: Thank "Fall" for Halloween [Clean & Simple ]

Supplies

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Spooktacular, Home Sweet Home
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Distress Inks Stormy Sky, Seedless Preserve, Chipped Sapphire, Black Soot

Dies & Punches etc: Lawn Fawn Large Stitched Rectangles Lawn Cuts, Home Sweet Home Lawn Cuts, Simon Says Stamp Happy die

Paper: White card from stash

Highlights: silver gel pen, Wink of Stella, star gems, glimmer mist, Tim Holtz brushed pewter spray stain 

Colouring: ProMarker/FlexMarkers

Hope you enjoyed your visit and see you again soon!

CTS#61 Boy Birthday Blast

I had the idea to use silver mirror card, white on the inside so easy to write a message and gloriously shiny on the outside evoking machines and space. What I didn't spend much time thinking about was photographing it, in any lighting conditions never mind the dull wet Irish days! 

I've used CTS #61 for the  layout of this card but I rounded the elements a little. My planet is a woodgrain embossed circle die cut which has been coloured with distress inks and lightly misted with white paint. The Waltzingmouse sentiment wouldn't fit into the Lawn Fawn speech bubble so some masking and partial die cutting was called for. This was my first attempt at this technique and I love the options it opens up for your stamps and dies.

I like this card and layout, however I couldn't stop. I love the idea of the astronaut talking from his rocket- speech bubbles are so much fun! So I've added another one and then some die cut letters so you know who he's talking too. 

I think this is a fun card for a five year old boy and I love the punny WMS sentiment that comes with the rocket and the countdown which allows me to highlight the age (more masking).

Challenges:
CAS(E) this sketch #61
I ♥ ProMarkers Challenge #203: For the Boys 
Passion for ProMarkers Challenge #232: Anything Goes 
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Let's Have a Laugh 

Supplies  

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Half Pint Heroes, Lawn Fawn A Birdie Told Me

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Barn Door, Spiced Marmalade, Wild Honey, Mustard Seed, Memento Tuxedo Black, Hero Arts Neon Blue

Dies etc: Lawn Fawn Lawn Cuts Circle Stackables, A Birdie Told Me, Cole's ABCs, Tim Holtz Woodgrain Texture Fades

Paper: Silver & White card from stash

Highlights: Silver gel pen, glossy Accents, Stickles, Wink of Stella, Dylusions white linen ink spray

Colouring: Promarkers/Flexmarkers

Hope you enjoyed your visit and see you again soon!