January 2016 Creative Challenge

Happy New Year and welcome to 2016!
 Over on The Creative Team blog, we are kicking off the new year in style with some fabulous artwork from some of the Creative Team, and myself.
Here is a little sneak peek of a journal page I created using Dylusions black journal page and some dylusions paints , and some new masks which will be availbale in 2016!

I do hope you will join in, as anything goes as long as it has rubber stamping in it!

Have a fabulous start to the new year

{Hugs}

 

Flying your way soon....

Hello ! I love it when I create new stamps, and the designs are made into rubber! Finally flat drawings are 3D and these little beauties from Neil Walker and Katy Leitch are no exception!
There are 6 new designs from Katy and 8 from Neil, all very versatile.
Just to tease you here is a little tag I made with 2 of the designs, using the new Archival inkpads from Wendy Vecchi, and Dylusions sprays on Dyan's very versatile blank inkpad.

The new stamps will be available from Friday 2nd May, and if you are popping by the shop, then you can see them in the flesh!
Pop back tomorrow for another sneak peek :)
Have a creative day
{hugs}

 

Upside down, backwards, or inside out

Hi! Welcome to one of my rare posts on this neglected blog of mine! What's the hardest thing you have to do creatively? One of mine is when facing a blank page with not an idea in my head, especially when journaling. I have just started a new journal given to me, and believe me, I have lots of blank books, I just seem to collect them! I started inside with this page and have started a couple more ...it is going to be an alphabet journal ( inspired by Joanne Sharpe) .

 So I thought  , I am making time to create the  cover which was a blank canvas type. I started off with the new Crafters Workshop stencils and some Cosmic Shimmer Clear Texture Paste. I carefully spread the paste which I had mixed with some mica powder paints that we used to sell, through the stencil , on both the front and the back cover. Loved it , beautiful , let it dry, and sprayed on top with Dylusions sprays and blotted off. Then I closed  the book and looked at it, as you do ....oops major #fail!! I had made the cover upside down and back to front! Not a happy bunny:(  So back to drawing board . I could use it backwards or re bind it..not really an option...(I am kind of has to be the right way kinda girl) or redo the cover . So back out with the stencils and the paste, and add more , this time the right round! One cover..with a little bit of a blip!

 

Question is? can you spot the mistakes....lol
Have a creative day

{hugs}

UKS Blog Hop- Marvellous Marbling with Dylusions

 

Welcome to the UK Scrappers blog hop, and if you have started at the beginning, then you will have come to me via Angelfish
I wanted to show you a great technique that I have developed using Dylusions Ink Sprays. I was looking for a way to make end papers for an altered book class some time ago, and stumbled upon the technique of marbling using paints and water. I wondered if you could use it with Dylusions Sprays, and discovered that you could!
I used the darkest of the colours as the sprays are formulated to react with water, so they do fade, and the darker the colour the better the marbling. Take 2 or 3 colours and use a plastic or metal tray ( I ended up using one of those Ikea plastic drawers that fit in their wooden units- perfect size!)

Sprays, water and tray

 I filled the tray up with enough water to cover the bottom, and literally sprayed the colours into the water in patches. The action makes them swirl about, but you can stir them with a stick if you like.

Spray into the water

 

You need to use an absorbent paper. I would test it first. I actually used some Scrapbook Sally Paper that I had rather a lot of, but did also use Bazill Basics and that worked fine. Put the piece of paper on top of the colours in the water and allow it to soak in.. don't drown it, and don't move it either!

the colours will move about on their own but use a stick if you need to.

Lay paper gently into the water. allow time to soak up colour

Once you can see the water coming up around the edges of the paper, lift gently out and lay on some kitchen towel to dry. Depending on your paper the drying can vary from an hour to much longer. You can add more sprays as you go along, but you will  only get about 3 or 4 papers out of the water before it goes muddy and will need changing.

 

Lift out paper and lay on kitchen towel to dry

 

 

A selection of marvellous marbling!

Be warned as the sprays are water soluble, the colour fades as it dries on the paper, but you get some great marbling effects.

brighter colours!

Finished brighter colours.

I do hope you try this very simple but effective technique.
To continue on your UKS hop you need to go to Beanpole. if you get lost then just check into UKS here.
Don't forget to comment and leave your UKS name too :)

Happy Blog Hopping

Crafting in the Dark!

The title tells it all! Well not really, but it might give you an insight into my life...lol Last week while having one of the best evenings with a wonderful group of girls, we got onto crafting and when we do it! For me, I cannot craft at night when it is dark, and there is no natural light. However I came out with the classic one liner.. and said "I cannot craft in the dark!" Brenda suggested that I put the light on!!!!  Hoots of laughter, and tears came to us all... It was the bestest evening! LOL
 I thought how it would be fun to do a night time crafting session... so girls, I will be choosing a night very soon, and if you would like to join us for an all nighter... email me :)
I have told you I don't craft at night with no natural light, but you will know now why I love the summers... natural light from 5am ish to 9am ish! and this is some of what I have been doing while sitting in front of the news very early in the morning! new Crafters Workshop stencils, a book from a dvd I was given.. guess the title?!!! and Dylusions sprays decanted into a water brush ( fabulous idea, Dyan, thank you!) These are my pieces of cathartic art... making me want to do more.. shame work gets in the way... These are by no means finished pieces of art, just my personal pages.. giving me a way forward.
I hope you like them...

 

 

 

 

Have a creative day and a little night time crafting!
Hugs

Having a go!

After having put all the new products that landed in the shop this week into " my basket", I just had to have a play with the new Dylusions blank inkpad and the new mini journal!
I used three colours like Dyan suggested and several backgrounds from The Artistic Stamper, a couple of stamps and my favourite alphabet stencil and had a play! Loving what you can do with it.. check out Dyan's videos here...

If you are coming to Stamperama, we will have them there and if not you can get them in the shop.

Have a creative and colourful day
Hugs

Postcards Travels & Holidays over at The Creative Team

Woohoo! August has finally arrived and thank heavens we do seem to be getting a summer here in the UK! This month's challenge over on the Creative Team blog is all about holidays! the theme is Postcards, Travels and Holidays. The girls have done some gorgeous projects and mine is a take on a class taught by Georgina at The Shop! 
I took one of our  tag postcards, and added some Dylusions Sprays. I then added the European map background, and lots of ephemera from the Labels Stamps stamped with Archival and distressed with Distress ink. I added some of the stickers and rubs elements and words from Tim Holtz's  idea-ology, and I used the words from Katy Fox's Carte Postale to add the other side.

Now for those of you who spot it, I have made a mistake, and as I had done the other side, I really couldn't change it. So for those who spot it, and mention it in a comment I will give away a set of the stamps that I have used. I will pick a winner next week, so watch this space!
Don't' forget to pop over to the Creative Team blog and check out the challenge... we would love you to join in :)

Hope you have a very creative day and if you are on holiday, have a sunny one!
Hugs

Housey, Housey

Last weekend....hold your breath... I made a CARD!! My DD has just moved into a new flat, and besides the ubiquitous moving in present, I thought I would make her a card. Now I never make cards, but you know moving house is always a special occasion....so what better than to use Kat's gorgeous House stamps to make a card.. I used Dylusions sprays to give it some background, and the sun was inked with Distress paints. I stamped all the houses and coloured them in with the new colours of Distress markers...love the brightness of them! I cut out the houses and layered them on, cutting out the doors to open. Very simple to do, and the words were like clouds floating in the sky!

I hope you like, and have a creative day
Hugs

Dyan Reaveley is coming to The Artistic Stamper!

I have been bursting at the seams to keep this under my hat until today!! Mal and I are absolutely delighted and honoured to have Dyan Reaveley, one of Ranger's Signature Designers, and creator of Dylusions range of products, coming to teach at The Artistic Stamper Craft Store & Art Bar!!

Dyan will be here on June 8th and 9th teaching 4 new classes for 2013. Each one is unique and you can book any one of them, or all four of them. Never journaled before?  Dyan's unique talent will have you creating beautiful and fabulous pages that will set you off on that journaling road!

All of details on the classes and booking are now online, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me.
Am I excited?  you bet!! Cannot wait! Hope to see you in June or before....
Have a very Happy Easter, and eat lots of chocolate and be creative!
Hugs

Jumping on the bus!

You know that saying "you wait all day for a bus, and then two come along together"? well today I have done two blog posts!! This morning's one for the winners of my blog candy, and now one showing you a couple of the samples that I did at Stamperama. I did give almost all of them away, and my phone didn't take good photos, and my camera battery died! So, I kept a couple that I liked, and thought I would show you them here.
I was demoing Distress paints and Dylusion sprays. This one is of the distress paints, and I stamped Kiki in black distress paint, and just loved the effect I got by accident!

This one is using a new Crafter's Workshop stencil, , Dylusions new colours of spray, and Kiki again!

You can come and play with the new Distress paints and learn or relearn some Distress techniques with me on Saturday at one of my pop up workshops. If you want to book, and find that postage is added, don't worry I will refund it to you.
I also have a workshop on Sunday at Christine Emberson's Spellbinders Academy, if you fancy creating a gorgeous canvas :)

I may well be back on another bus tomorrow..lol In the meantime stay creative
Hugs

Queen for a Day!

Saturday. Pop up workshop. 3 hours. New Distress Paints. new Dylusion sprays. new stamps. Willing pupils. Bossy teacher!
As the girls who know who come to my workshops, often I will create something for the workshop just before.. I am not one for making something weeks ahead, and advertising for months, so Saturday's workshop was a surprise to all who attended, and boy was I surprised! I have taught lots of workshops over the years, and am always amazed by the artistic endeavours of my pupils, but this class was one of the best I have taught in ages. We had a class of 11, and although I missed taking photos of 2 of the canvases ( heavens knows how that happened!? ) here are 9 of them! Absolutely everyone made their canvas their own!  Beautiful, beautiful pieces of art, which I hope they enjoyed making. I am repeating this workshop at Christine Emberson's new studio at the beginning of March...details to follow
Here is mine,

here are the girl's!

Carol

Lesley

Liz

Mandy

Rosemary

Sandra

Sandra (there were 2 Sandras!)

Valerie

May Ann

Thank you girls for coming and playing, you made my day!
Have a creative day
Hugs