Coventry are you Ready! Let the Tarmacing commence!!!

I'm all ready for this weekend's Tarmac workshops in Bristol and Coventry!
Are you???...

Spring colour canvas with Lavinia Stamps

I've found a new passion in experimenting with altered art and being completely free and creative.
I made this canvas for the Lavinia Stamps Spring Colours challenge and have used the beautiful
Daydreaming Silhouette Fairy
I've used paints, papers, lace, plaster tape and scrim to build up layers and texture.
Also adding tiny beads, paper flowers and laser cut butterflies.
The secret to altered art I feel is to not be afraid and enjoy the freedom to create.
I hope you like what I've created here with this mixture of ingredients...xKx

Visible Image Thursday Blog

Classic Face
Retro Dots Background
Small Butterfly
Small Rose
Imagine, Dream, Inspire

I just love all these gorgeous stamps!
All stamped in Plum Archival with the Retro Dots stamped to frame the face.
The Butterfly, Rose and Imagine have all been layered with foam pads.
Finally I got to play with the new Decoart Media Liquid Glass that I picked up from Ally Pally recently, fab stuff!
I used it to accent some of the dots.
Whole thing layered onto plum card.
Hope you like it! xKx

Visible Image Thank You Set with Speckled Background

Here I'm unwrapping a couple more tags from my April DT inspiration for Visible Image.
Both these tags use the lovely and useful Thank You Set.
For the yellow, black and white tag I used Mustard Seed distress ink blended onto half the tag and masked off the area left in white for protection while I stamped the flower head in black on the yellow area.
I then carefully masked the yellow stamped area off using tracing paper and masking tape so I could see the flower heads through the paper.
This allowed me to line up the flower head and stamp in yellow to give me a full flower following on from the black stamping.
Clean the stamp thoroughly going from a light colour to black!
I then stamped the rest of the yellow flower heads and the sentiment and finished the tag with some
seam binding and bakers twine.

For the next tag I made a frame from the flowers stem from the same set, stamped in Majestic Blue Versafine.
I then stamped the Speckled Background within the frame in Spanish Moss Versafine and the sentiment again in the blue.
Outside the frame I created I alternated and stamped the flower head was stamped around in Spanish Moss with the Speckled Background in blue over the top.
Again I finished with bakers twine and this time string.

Thanks so much for looking xKx

Coventry/Bristol Workshop Sample - all will be revealed!

Hope you're all enjoying the Easter break,
This is the sample I've created for my next workshops.
All will be revealed after the next workshops!
Ingredients
Ikea Malma Mirror
Embossing folders
Die cuts
Decoart chalky finish or any acrylic paints
Tarmac solution
Inka Gold
Treasure Gold =

Thanks so much for stopping by today xKx

Visible Image - Beauty is Art Stamp Set with Crackled Background Stamp

My Thursday blog for Visible Image
I collected this fabulous set at Ally Pally on Saturday and couldn't wait to use them!
It's one of those sets that inspires so much for simple stylish cards, pattern building and more intricate designs.
I had in my mind for this quick play a Roman/Greek arty ruin and the crackled background that I already had fitted perfectly into the design.
I started by stamping the border stamp in sepia archival to create a frame, I then stamped the goddess in vintage sepia versafine and blended some distress ink in tattered rose up to the outline of the goddess image to give a bit of shadow and shading.
Then I used pumice stone distress ink blended more around the border.
The crackled background was stamped in tea dye distress ink and the small squares stamped in the same way as the border.
The wording was stamped in the sepia archival and the edge of the background blended again with pumice stone.
I mounted the main image and corner squares with foam pads.
Can't wait to play more with this set.
Thanks for looking today xxx
Beauty is Art and Crackled Background

Quick play with new stash from Ally Pally

I had a wonderful weekend catching up with so many lovely crafty friends at Ally Pally.
I couldn't resist having a quick experiment with the new DecoArt Media crackle paste.
Quick and easy, I applied to the tag with a palette knife/spatula and left to dry, it cures pretty quick!
The thicker the paste the deeper the cracks.
I then applied a wash of Adirondack acrylic paints in purple twilight and pool before stamping Woodware Going to Seed stamp and sentiment in black archival.
I added more paint colour to give detail/interest and used some sapphire and lilac treasure gold around the edges.
I'm well impressed with the results of using this paste and look forward to using it on MDF projects.

I've also made the following card for Sweet Lilac Flowers for a Monochrome challenge.
I used this Audrey home decor stencil I've had for a while with picked raspberry distress ink to colour.
The background panel was created by masking off the alternate lines and sponging the ink in between.
I edged the panels with the same distress ink and added gems to the necklace detail.
For the finishing touch I layered two large Sweet Lilac blooms which matched the picked raspberry and attached some flower stamens through the centre.
Thanks for looking today!...

Seasonal Trees with Visible Image and a Stencil background

Can't believe it's time again already for my Thurs Visible Image blog inspiration!
I wanted to create the four seasons with this one tree so I used a stencil and blended three different colours of distress inks for each of the seasons colours.
I selected just part of the stencil so the Visible Image Winter Tree would stamp just over the design in black ink.
I added Liquid Pearls to each tree in a contrasting colour and finished by matting and layering each seasoned tree.
I am really pleased with how this simple idea gives each season such a different funky look.
Thanks for stopping by today, I hope I've inspired you with this tree for all seasons idea...xxx

Splats in Circles "n" Live Your Dreams with Visible Image

Morning bloggers and crafters,
As promised the start of the low down for my April Visible Image blog challenge inspiration.
The first tag I'm unwrapping is made by blending distress inks through a punched circle and moving it to layer each colour.
I then used the same circle to mask off the same areas and stamped the Ink Splats so they sat right inside the circles.
I finished by stamping the Live your Dreams sentiment, add some string and bakers twine and job done!
Hope you like it! xxx

Workshop News!!!

***NEWS FLASH*** 
I am holding a Visible Image workshop on Sunday 22nd June in Kent BR8 8LU. 
Flyers with further info will be handed out on Sunday at 
Alexandra Palace on the Visible Image stand. 
To book a place now please email craftyk@hotmail.co.uk 
£20 payable on the day, including tea/coffee/biscuits 
Looking forward to seeing many of my crafty friends at the weekend and at the workshop if you can make it! :-) Hugs xXx

Visible Image Stamps meet Viva Decor 3D Stamp Paint

It's Thurs so that means it's my turn for the weekly Visible Image blog post.
I've used the Large Butterfly, Butterfly Sentiment and Large Tall Grasses stamps.
I also wanted to experiment with a product that's new to me and new on my Website here -
Viva Decor 3D Stamp Paint
I've had a bit of a break from making my "Signature" CD clocks while I've been turning my attention to other altered art projects but I do love creating these clocks and I have still made just a couple recently with my other stamps.
Butterflies are always a popular choice and it wasn't my intention to make two clocks, I was going to make a clock and matching card but, I got carried away experimenting with the stamp paint rather than designing a card!
I need to explain a bit about how to use the paint and it's composition.
It's a high luminance waterproof and smear free paint especially devloped for stamping and inking techniques, I hope the shimmer and texture shows through in my photo's.
It can be applied with a brush and water as a paint, with pouncer sponges or daubers and you can also stamp with it.
I'm not quite sure why it's called 3D although it does dry almost instantly keeping any raised texture from sponge application and it's matt chalky like finish makes it very touchy feely.
The shimmer and shine is incredible and hard to completely capture in a picture.
You can heat dry it if necessary but it does dry almost instantly anyway.

Starting with the gold and pink clock I very lightly pounced gold on one half and pink (Rose) on the other, then I stamped directly onto this surface, reverse side of Centura Pearl card, with the tall grasses in the same colours.
I was quite impressed with the way the paint stamped, I then blended some colour around the edges using a sponge.
The Butterfly sentiment is stamped in the black 3D paint which is matt not shimmery and I was
unsure how the sentiment would stamp with the paint but, again I was equally impressed.
Next I used a brush and water with the gold paint for the piece of card which I then over stamped the butterfly in Rose.
I cut the butterfly out, and mounted on foam pads, the card candi was sponged with the black paint to match the black of the sentiment.
This first clock base was then ready to assemble.
For the next sample I wanted to cover the whole background with paint so I started by sponging the Rose pink all over the piece without pouncing so it was smooth in appearance.
I then went in with my sponges very lightly pouncing the other colours, Walnut brown, Light blue and gold.
Again by pouncing it leaves a texture on the surface.
The card for the sentiment and butterfly I sponged in the blue colour, the same way as I did with the pink. I then lightly pounced with Rose pink.
I stamped the butterfly and sentiment this time with black archival, after cutting out again they are mounted with foam pads.
The black digits are denoted by using Ranger enamel accents.
I'm keen to explore the Viva Decor 3D Paint further as it can be used in so many ways and on many different surfaces.
Thanks for stopping by my blog today xKx

April Challenge for Visible Image - Tags!

I'm excited to share with you my first monthly challenge with Visible Image with the theme of Tags!
I'm a bit obsessed with tags at the moment, I did the Rose tags for Visible Image recently and I'm also in a tag swap group with friends.
The other obsession I have is monochrome which you'll see with three of the designs I've created.
I was on a time constraint for this project so I sat on Sat evening and this is what I came up with.
To be honest the stamps are incredible and once I started I couldn't stop! I was very inspired.
Today I'm posting a montage of the tags I've made and during the month I will unwrap and blog each one individually with the technique.
I hope they provide some inspiration for you and that you join us at Visible Image for this months challenge, where the randomly chosen lucky winner receives £20 to spend with Visible Image.
Please pop over to the rest if the Design Teams blogs to see their wonderful inspiration too and there's also the Facebook Page xKx

Spring Colours April Challenge with Lavinia Stamps

My inspiration for Lavinia Stamps this month using lovely Spring colours.
Congratulations to last months lucky winner who wins a £40 voucher to spend on the website.
We received some wonderful entries for March, thank you, it would be great if you can join us for this lovely challenge too.
I was experimenting a bit with my makes this month and I will blog each one individually throughout the month for you.
I experimented with the Tim Holtz fob watch die and a canvas, which at one stage was very much work in progress!
I'm excited though as I hope to be learning more about mixed media design from someone who's work admire. I don't very often get the chance to take these opportunities.
I'm loving monochrome at the moment which is reflected in the clock and I'm also using a lot of tags and being quite random with their designs.
Here's a montage of my makes as a taster.
Please pop over to the rest of the design team blogs to see their stunning creations too and there's the Lavinia Stamps Facebook Page xKx