UK Stampers ATC Swap - L for Leaf

My final ATC for this month's swap on the UK Stampers forum is inspired by the present season. I stamped some leaves and text from a Simple Expressions set. A few punched leaves completed the ATC.

UK Stampers ATC Swap - L for Lantern

My second ATC for the UK Stampers swap is L for lantern. I've had this Hero Arts oriental lantern stamp for some time and it was the perfect opportunity to give it an airing. I double embossed the lantern and cut it out. It was hung from a branch made with a birch die. I added the text with an alphabet stencil.

Softly Falling Snow

No this is not wishful thinking. I am quite happy with the weather at the moment although there is a distinct autumnal nip in the air when the sun goes down. This card is for 2 challenges:

Less Is More - something shiny
Craft Barn weekly challenge - snow/snowflakes

I embossed the snow folder on a small square of scrap card and rounded 2 corners. I added a silver Marianne snowflake diecut. The text and the stamped panel were raised on foam pads.

UK Stampers ATC Swap - L for Lazy

On the UK Stampers forum we are starting an alphabet themed ATC swap this month. The letters will be chosen at random and this month we start with 'L'.
My first ATC is L for lazy. I made a background using some Color Box inks and a couple of stencils. The main image is by Tatty Button which I coloured with coloursoft pencils. The text is by Paper Artsy.

Paper Artsy Challenge - Pigment Inks

I have been using Brushos for a while now and love the wonderful backgrounds they make with a few grains of powder and some spritzes of water.
I stamped the flowers from Hot Picks HP1006 and masked them and a section at the bottom of the card. I sprinkled lime green and rose red Brushos and watched the colours separate. When dry I stamped the flourish from the same set. The blank bottom half was stencilled with DIs. I added a vase on which I painted a pattern with emerald and yellow Brusho mixed with water.
For this project I was inspired by Kay Carley's article here on the Paper Artsy blog and I am entering this into the Paper Artsy challenge.

Crafty Individuals Challenge - September

The theme for the Crafty Individuals challenge this month is 'Anything Goes'. I decided to use a new set of stamps CI-283 that I have wanted for a while. I stamped it on patterned paper and added some other papers that happened to be on my desk from other projects (if I leave it there long enough it does get used eventually). The flourish is a Marianne die and the tiny heart is a brad. It was all mounted onto a cream hammered card blank.

UK Stampers Postcard Swap - September

I am hosting this month's postcard swap on the UK Stampers forum. As it's September I decided on the theme of 'School Days'. My first idea was to make a postcard using the chalkboard technique but I was not happy with the end result which you can see here:

So Plan B was to use part of a Graphic 45 Alphabet Soup sheet. I inked the edges of the card with tea dye and walnut stain DI. The main image was coloured with coloursoft pencils, the alphabet frame was on the reverse. The text was cut from a Sizzix Hunky Dory die. I added some ink blots with 2 Katzelkraft stamps and archival grape. The pen by Clearly Impressed was stamped and heat embossed. As the postcard will go through the post naked (without an envelope) embellishments have to be designed to withstand the rigours of the mail system.

If you would like to take part in this swap then just follow the link above. For the cost of a stamp you could be receiving some happy mail too!

Craft Barn Weekly Challenge

Stencils or masks are the theme for this week's challenge on the Craft Barn blog. I decided to use this heron stencil I bought a couple of weeks ago with some chalks that I haven't used in ages. I mounted it very simply onto a kraft blank.

Calendar Challenge - September

We're on month 9 of the Craft Barn calendar challenge and this time the prompts are brown and leaves. I wanted the page to reflect the golden tones of Autumn rather than just the brown so I pulled out all my yellow/orange/brown DIs and got dabbing with some cut n  dry foam. I used brushed corduroy to edge the card with a bit of walnut stain. I then used a Dylusions stencil with peeled paint and gathered twigs along 2 sides of the card. The falling leaves were made from brown parcel paper scrunched up, inked with various DIs and spritzed with a gold shimmer spray. Whilst still wet, I smoothed it out and when dry I used a CB fall leaves die to cut some oak leaves.

Craft Barn Weekly Challenge

This week's challenge on the Craft Barn blog is to make a project with some stamping. Last week I was at a craft show and picked up a stamp and matching die set by a company called 'Dare 2B Artzy'. This seemed the perfect opportunity to use one of the stamps. I coloured the butterfly with coloursoft pencils and Sansodor. I found some coordinating patterned papers and cut them with a Tim Holtz alterations die. I have left the card without a sentiment for the moment.

Memory Box Monthly Challenge - September

This month's challenge on the Memory Box blog is 'terrific trees'. I have several Memory Box dies but the only tree die is this one. It seemed like a good time to make a start on Christmas cards for the year so here is the first. I embossed the pearlescent card blank with a snow folder and highlighted the snow with a white pen. I punched a small star and added some seasonal text.

Craft Barn Weekly Challenge

I am trying to get organised for the months ahead and was just finishing off this ATC for the UK Stampers October Alphabet swap  (V for Vixen) when I read that this week's challenge on the Craft Barn blog had the theme of Animals. Unusually for me, this has no stamping on it at all just diecutting and colouring. I have used 2 different X Cut Build a Scene sets and coloured with Coloursoft pencils. The vixen is painted with Twinkling H2Os.