Craft Barn Calendar Challenge Week 8

The prompt this week is dark colours & circles. This was tricky as I had a lot of circle stamps that I could have used but I wanted the dark colour to be really dark. I also thought that the month I was doing was August and I wanted to at least pay a token nod to that fact. The Craft Barn blog this week has been featuring Katzelkraft stamps which I love so I wanted to use a Katzelkraft stamp somewhere on the page. This Katzelkraft shell stamp had a circular theme (well sort of!).  A while back I was lucky enough to attend a workshop at the Craft Barn run by Béatrice the owner of Katzelkraft stamps. She taught us the technique of clear embossing on a dark background & using metallic rub-ons to highlight the image. I finished the page with a CB embossing folder and some pierced holes along the sides.

ATC Swap - Leaves

I have been part of an ATC group since 2005. It's been a lot of fun and I have 5 volumes of amazing ATC art to look through when I'm low on inspiration. Unfortunately the enthusiasm for taking part has dwindled and so we have decided to end in December. This is my submission for the penultimate swap with a theme of leaves. The stamp used on the red ATC is by Katzelkraft and the fern on the green ATC is by Hero Arts. The word 'leaves' is a Simple Expressions stamp and is covered by a leaf cut from acetate & coloured with alcohol inks. In 6 years I don't think I missed a single month and I will miss taking part but there have been so many changes over the years in the crafting world and there are so many other swaps and challenges out there that I'm sure it won't be long before I find a new home.

Craft Barn Calendar Challenge Week 7

This week's prompt is purple & embossing. I used dusty concord DI on some card & die-cut the Marianne birdcage. The BG is dusty concord, peeled paint & spiced marmalade inks with a Paper Artsy text stamp. I used a crackle embossing folder & highlighted the raised parts with pumice stone DI. I didn't have a suitable bird for the cage so I used my new favourite stamp - moongirl by Stampotique, isn't she gorgeous?

Craft Barn Calendar Challenge Week 6

This week's prompt was turquoise & lace. A tough colour and much as I love the look of lace on other people's art I find it hard to use. I found some turquoise patterned paper and stamped the Katzelkraft image in brushed corduroy DI. I sponged around the edge with the same DI. I don't know the brand of the BG stamps but they're stamped in Archival teal which was the closest I could find to turquoise. I made the rosette with my Martha Stewart scoreboard and edged it with some lace.

Craft Barn Calendar Challenge Week 5

Pink & birds was the week 5 prompt. I knew immediately that I didn't want a pastel pink page this week so I turned to my alcohol inks. I used wild plum, raspberry, cranberry & a bit of eggplant which gave me the vibrancy I desired. I stamped an Artistic Stamper dotty background stamp in Adirondack red pepper. I felt that such a bright BG needed black to contrast it so added some Katzelkraft birds and an Inkadinkadoo circles & dots stamp. The main image is by Crafty Individuals on a BG of worn lipstick.

Craft Barn Calendar Challenge Week 4

The prompt was yellow & masks. I used the TH umbrella man stamp on a BG of antique linen, scattered straw & wild honey distress inks. The flourish is a stamp by Katzelkraft. It took a while to think of what to use as a mask and then I remembered a Hot Off The Press template called Easy Stitches which I used with spiced marmalade distress ink as a border.

Craft Barn Calendar Challenge Week 3

The prompt was green & flowers. A CB embossing folder, coloured with distress inks, an Xcut border die & a Dovecraft flower stamp were used for this page.

Craft Barn Calendar Challenge Week 2

The prompt was red & embossing. The stamp by Rubber Stampede has been coloured with Derwent Coloursoft pencils and heat embossed with clear UTEE. Unfortunately this UTEE is not as 'clear' as it claims to be and you can see little white inclusions. I quite like the effect on this piece. I've used a CB embossing folder and some paper which I bought in Japan from the Japanese equivalent of a pound store  - 100 Yen Store.

Craft Barn Calendar Challenge Week 1

The prompt was blue & crackle. I used a Hampton Arts crackle stamp on a BG of distress inks & a homemade spritz. The die-cuts are by Marianne & Nellie & I have coloured a clear button with alcohol inks. The corner stamp is by Crafty Individuals & I have drawn in faux stitching on the calendar.

OK I give in!

I have resisted having a blog for a long time but I am increasingly finding that I need a blog to link back to for challenges. So taking a deep breath I'm diving in. I'm keeping it simple for now and I'm not expecting many visitors.
Here goes...