Christmas Artist Trading Cards

 Using snippets and leftovers to make a collection of green ATCs.

These were made for my contribution to the INKC Retreat ATC swap.

xx

Supplies from Country View Crafts

Leftover backgrounds from previous projects using Tim Holtz inks, stamps, dies, embossing folders and stencils.

Rub-ons from 49 and Market

TH Distress Inks 

TH Stencils

TH Stamps

TH Stencils

TH Dies 

49 and Market

Distressed vintage travel wallet

 Travel Wallet

Travel CVC June #2

Meet George Roberts who has a long journey to school every day. This means him having to rise at 6 and catch the 7.05 train from Springfield Street Railway Station in Windsor, to London, as he needs to be there by 8 am. He alights at Paddington Station and walks 10 mins to Paddington Technical College where he is studying engineering.

George buys his ticket every day which costs him 2 shillings. He has to be back at Paddington to get the 4.50 train home or get an evening ticket if he wants to stay later. He sometimes does that so he can socialise with friends he has made.

He keeps his tickets with a travel identity card provided by the Springfield Street Railway Company and distributed by the Post Office. If he is asked for it by the train conductor, he must show it as the certificate allows him to travel on School Day Tickets.

The wallet is a TH file folder covered with two different pieces of TH papers (one front and one middle). The story is told with the found relative photo, ephemera and stamps, I like to create additions myself if I can't find what I want in my supplies and here I did with his name, identity card label and Paddington station label.

This is my second June project for Country View Crafts 'Travel' FaceBook challenge. If you've popped over from there thankyou for your support.

xx

Supplies

TH - Idea-ology -  Found Relatives, Ephemera, Die-Cuts Layers Urban, Snippets, Number Strips, Layer Frames, Paper Strips, Paper Pad French Industrial, 

TH - Stamps - Travel Ways - CMS 162, Air Travel CMS102, Correspondence CMS225, Tidbits CMS488, Field Notes CMS396, 

Tissue/Washi Tape - my supplies

Identity Card label Name of Station, Names for George - made by me.

Paper Dolls panel

 Adding to my Butterflies, Bees and Moths Creative Sketchbook

Whilst pulling together ideas and a large number of designs for a workshop next month, some made the cut and others didn't.

I'm teaching my take on Creative Sketchbooking on the 17th and 18th of July at Country View Crafts headquarters.  Thursday the 17th July is sold out but there are some spaces on Friday 18th. Bookings can be made here. 

 This was one of the experimental projects I made that didn't make the cut, but I will add it to the sketchbook later along with some other bits and pieces I have left over. It will be good to add them as they are still important being part of the creative process and decision making.

Paper Dolls panel 

Cut panel 10 x 8 cms punch rounded corners. Paint surface with gesso – dry. Using small sponge blend over a mixed colour to your liking.

Dip into puddle of hickory smoke, dry and blend same ink round edges.

Stamp bug with watering can archival ink.

Gather dolls and blend ground espresso round them and the same with snippets.

Add something to ground the girls I used the small alphabet strip.

I will add the actual Creative Sketchbook pages here after the workshop in July. 

xx

Alison Bomber workshop playtime

 I went to Country View Crafts to see my friend Alison Bomber as she was doing a workshop there I didn't participate in the workshop but I have had fun recreating some of the  samples and techniques she did with the participants,with my own twists of course. (I can't provide process steps as these were Alison's steps. not mine)

This part of the workshop was about creating three backgrounds using her berries stencil, three paints - see listed below, and infusions.

Add a collage of snippets, text/titles and paperdolls.

Supplies

PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paint - midnight, rose, antarctic plus snowflake

Alison's stencil Berries PS 452

Tim Holtz - paper dolls,

Snippets mostly from Love Junk Journals online

Titles handmade.

Uni pin fineline pen 0.2

Aged, Weathered, Distressed, TimeWorn. CVC May #1

 Weathered Shabby Panel and collage

Happy May Day

I have chosen the theme for the CVC FaceBook challenge and it's to create a project that looks aged, weathered, distressed or timeworn.

AGED - to have become old and showing some age.

WEATHERED - worn by long exposure to the atmosphere; weather beaten.

DISTRESSED - having simulated marks of age and wear.

TIMEWORN- damaged or made less interesting or attractive as a result of age or much use.

My panel is vintage, shabby, distressed, looking aged and timeworn. I think I covered the brief.

Seal surface with a layer of gesso. Dry.

Paint a layer of brown acrylic Fresco Finish paint. Dry.

Stamp and clear emboss. 

Paint over with a lighter colour. Dry but leave it still a little tacky.

Wipe over with a wet wipe to remove the paint from the embossing and rub harder over the painted areas to reveal some of the brown showing through underneath.

Dip into watery puddles of brown distress inks and dry.

Sand around the edges and rub over with vintage photo distress ink ink.

This creates a shabby, weathered, distressed background.

Gather together items to create a collage.

I paint the moths with collage medium to take off the shine, I much prefer matte items.

I painted on a little green distress ink, mixed with collage medium, to the dress on the paper doll and a little tattered rose, also mixed with collage medium, to her skin, to add a little colour.

I also add extras as I'm putting the design together and here there are extra snippets and some TH film strip, plus a small piece of border coloured green.

xx

Supplies

Gesso, Clear embossing powder, Vintage Lace, 

PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paint - Truffle, 

TH Stamps - CMS 266 Newsprint and Type, CMs326 Ornate Trims, CMS189 Merchantile

TH Distress Inks - Ground Espresso, Vintage Photo, Forest Moss, Rusted Wilderness, Tattered Rose

TH Idea-ology - Transparencies Moths, Paper Dolls, Snippets, Film Strip, Small Talk

TH Collage Medium

Herbarium Reference Book

 Using dried flowers and sketches to create a reference book of plants.

I've been thinking and playing with the idea in my head to create a sketchbook/scrapbook/reference book of some flowers I collected and dried last year. 

I am using a Seawhite pocket concertina book in a box.

The sketch of the Black Medic plant which has tiny yellow flowers and black seed pods. It is also known as Hop Clover or Yellow Trefoil. It is a wildflower found on dry grassland, road banks and waste places. I found this quite near to home on a path between a school and a field. It is a valuable source for pollinators.

Here the dried flower itself can be see quite clearly, especially the seed pods.

xx

Vintage Butterfly Collage Panel CVC April #1

 Country View Crafts Challenge #1 April 'You've been framed'

Small panel, roughly apply texture paste and leave to dry.

Dip in watery ground espresso spray stain - dry.

Collect ephemera and elements to create project. I used a 

TH Layer Frame

Cover butterfly with distress medium to take off the shine.

Arrange elements to create collage.

Blend edges of paper elements with brown distress ink and add remnant rub.

Adhere.

xx

Supplies

small panel

TH texture paste, distress medium

TH Distress Stain - Ground Espresso

TH - Idea-ology - Transparent Wings, Film Strip Ribbon, Paper Strips, Layer frames, Snippets Curator, Number Strips, Remnant Rubs - Words