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May 29, 2014

Happy: A Layout for Visible Image Stamps

SO EXCITED THIS WON THE LINDY'S STAMP GANG CHALLENGE!!


This week I went for mixed media madness with my Visible Image stamps!! Lots of different stamps sets featured including fun background stamps Grunge Polka Dot and Grunge Check Background!! I was able to use leftovers from my gorgeous May Simply Sweet Kit from Frosted Designs as well as some from earlier kits, gotta love kits that keep on giving!!


In this close up here you can see the zig zag stitch stamp and Dress Up stamp from the Sewing Room set. The Enjoy stamp was taken from the Time after Time set and the Life is Grand stamp is from the Chandelier set. I had a great time pulling fun sentiments to match to celebration theme for this layout. All the sentiments and stitch stamp were stamped in Jet Black Archival Ink.


I have lots and lots of layers going on here and the background is full of color. I used Tumbled Glass Distress Ink for my Grunge Polka Dot stamping and Victorian Velvet Distress Ink for my Grunge Check stamping. I used lots of Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays in Wake Me Up Before You Go Gold, Pretty in Pink Pink and Tiffany Lou Blue. The chipboard numbers are from Molossi and inked in Black Soot Distress Ink. I had a lot of fun stamping misting and layering up this layout and I really hope you like it!!

Don't forget to join in our challenge this month, the theme is "Anything Goes". 

Show us your creations using a Visible Image stamp, and you have a chance to win a £20 gift voucher towards the Visible Image store! The top 3 chosen by the team receive a blinkie. 

You can enter HERE!

I decided to play along with the Scrap Around the World challenge for this one. Here is the gorgeous moodboard we use for inspiration!



I used the colors from the moodboard, the celebration theme, the gold glitter dipped flowers to echo the balloons, even the twine on the presents! I had a great time working on this one!!

May '14 bikes

I would also love to enter this for the Lindy's Stamp Gang color challenge! I used Wake Me Up Before You Go Gold Starburst Spray, Tiffany Lou Blue and Pretty in Pink Pink to make my background colors!  I might have a little bit of a Lindy's obsession!!

0 Visible Image Worn Chequered Background  AWM Grunge Polka Dot ws2012   AWM The Sewing Room ws2012

AWM Timeaftertime ws2012  Visible Image stamps Chandelier stamp and sentiments x

May 28, 2014

To the Dreamer, Everything Is Possible


This week our challenge for La-La Land Crafts is Fun Folds! I decided to add some pleated paper folds to my layout layers for my challenge! Of course I added in a lot of gorgeous La-La Land dies as well!!


In the photo above you can see several of the dies: Berry FlourishHoneycomb DieLarge  and Medium Rolled Rose and peeking out under some lovely flowers I used, a Steampunk Heart Cogs Die. I used lots of layers, gesso, inks and stamping to create depth to this layout and love how the die cuts work with the layout.



The Hot Air Balloon Die is a fun accent to add to the many layers of this layout and I think works well with the whimsical dreamy feel. More Steampunk Heart Cogs are sprinkled around the layout as well as the Honeycomb Die which I think gives a great texture.

I really enjoyed working on this layout and have been having fun creating with vintage images lately! 
Thanks so much for taking the time to stop and visit!!













More Fun with Simply Sweet Frosted Designs May Kit!

.Simply Sweet

This month I have had so much fun playing with my Simply Sweet May Kit that I have done a few more extra projects and still have some of the kit left, they really are amazing with so much included!


For my first project I did a canvas, using the The Crafters Workshop Stencil - Live Love Laugh included with the Messy Kit, using Molding Paste to make my designs, and turning the stencil over and reversing the flower for a different look. I added the butterfly in several places as well, I love how you can use part of a mask or redesign your own look by using the mask in different ways.  I also added some molding paste texture using the Tim Holtz Dot Fade stencil included in the February Kit. I took my Autumn Leaves Starburst Spray Set, and sprayed the Tibetan Poppy Teal and Cattail Copper brown on my canvas as a base adding color and bringing out the texture of the molding paste. To highlight the gorgeous flowers and butterflies on my canvas I used my Paradise Pink Glimmer Glaze included in the kit. The butterflies also got a little dot trail following behind them from my Viva Decor Cream Paper Pen.  I added in some inspirational sayings from the Cosmo Cricket Just Because Tiny Text Stickers to my canvas and then finished off my canvas with a bit of stamping using the 7 Dots Cold Country Clear Stamps script stamp and some dark brown inking of the edges using my Prima Knotted Wood Chalk Ink.

For my next project I did a set of three cards using a mix of the Heidi Swapp Dreamy Papers and Melissa Frances The Sweet Life paper, a collection of pastel yumminess!! I used tons of embellishments from the kits to finish them off!


For this first card I used the Melissa Frances papers, layering it up and edging the paper with the Cream Paper Pen. I added stitching to another layer then loads of kit embellishments: Prima Princess Flower, Maya Road Vintage Find Bird and fun buttons from the Dress It Up Embellishments package - Au Jardin Whisper. I added a little sentiment from the Cosmo Cricket Just Because Tiny Text Stickers.



Another fun pastel card using the Melissa France Papers! I stitched around all the paper layer edges, added Prima Princess Flowers, Prima Gillian White Flowers, Heidi Swapp Dreamy Clear Watercolor Words and the Dress It Up Embellishments buttons. I added a bit of twine from my stash.



My final card with lots of zig zag stitching on the layers, Dress It Up Embellishments buttons, Prima Gillian White flowers, Maya Road Crochet Trim and Cosmo Cricket Just Because Tiny Text Stickers.

I really had a lot of fun putting together these cards and the canvas with the May Simply Sweet Kit. There aren't very many left, so I hope that you will run not walk over to the Frosted Designs Store to pick one up for yourself!!



May 24, 2014

Eat and Drink Challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow


This week we our theme for Sugar Creek Hollow is Eat and Drink! I found a gorgeous Art Nouveau ad for chocolate and decided to use that for my card this week! I added some gorgeous May Arts pom pom trim, die cut from Couture Creations and some yummy Petaloo flowers! I finished off the card with a bit of stitching around the edges.

We have a talented guest designer this week Apollonia DeJong (Plony) I hope you will check out her blog and her wonderful work!

Hope you will come join us!!


New Visible Image Fantasy Stamps Released TODAY!!

Visible Image has release and amazing set of FANTASY STAMPS today! Do you likeLord of the Rings? Game of Thrones? Then you are going to love these!!! Run don't walk over to the Visible Image Shop to check these out!!!

I am not a colorer, so I wasn't able to help with the launch of these gorgeous stamps but please go over to the Visible Image Blog and see the Amazing creations the design team has created using them, you will be inspired!!!








 These stamps are available to buy TODAY from the
Visible Image web site shop.

There will be lots of wonderful samples on the web site, on the Visible Image Facebook page and the DT blogs (links can be found over *there* in the left hand column) over the next few days so why not check them out, get some inspiration!

May 22, 2014

Be Unique Card for Visible Image Stamps


Back again this Thursday with a new project for Visible Image Stamps!! Today I used the The Sewing Room set to make this vintage card.

To start off I stamped the measuring tape stamp in Victorian Velvet Distress Ink and stacked it randomly up and down my card. I inked the background color in both Victorian Velvet and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.  I found the vintage image via a Google Image search and just love its subtle coloring with the pinks and browns so I kept the card in the same color scheme. I added some zig zag stitching in pink around the edge of the card.

I distressed the edge of my image sewing around the border as well...I stamped the "Be Unique" stamp onto the image itself. I then stamped the button and spools stamps using the same Walnut Stain Distress Ink I had used for the sentiment. I cut around these and arranged them in clusters around the image. I finished off my card with some gorgeous flowers and twine.  I am loving how it turned out and hope you do too!

Don't forget to join in our challenge this month, the theme is "Anything Goes". 

Show us your creations using a Visible Image stamp, and you have a chance to win a £20 gift voucher towards the Visible Image store! The top 3 chosen by the team receive a blinkie. 

You can enter HERE!

AWM The Sewing Room ws2012

May 21, 2014

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes





This week at La-La Land Crafts our challenge was to use twine/string. I love using twine all the time so this wasn't too difficult for me at all!! I went for a very vintage layout this week with my twine being used as a frame around my image. I also went for a little bit of mixed media this week as well, adding some mists and modeling paste and I love how it turned out.


There are lots of layers going on in my layout this week and lots of La-La Land die cuts! In the photo above you can see my vintage girl has been given wings with the Wings Die Set. I love the texture that the Diamond Wire Die gives behind the photo and have added that in two places.  I added lots of gorgeous water lily flowers using the Water Lily Die and tucked in the Heart Key and Lock Die pieces into the cluster.


To add some more details to my flowers I have added the Cherry Blossom Branch Die cut into pieces and tucked in with the flowers. You can see the misting stamping and masking details I have added under the photo to add more texture. I finished off the layout with the gorgeous new sentiment stamp "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from the Beautiful Day Sentiments stamp set.

I would love to enter this layout into the Once Upon a Sketch challenge for May: Anything Goes. My layout title is "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes", I have written some scrappy dreams and some regular life dreams on the back of this layout, little wishes to hope these dreams come true one day!

Here is the gorgeous sketch which I turned to vertical to work with here:


I have really enjoyed making this layout and hope you like it too! Thanks so much for stopping by!!!

Two Looks/One Kit: Simply Sweet Frosted Designs May Kit!

.Simply Sweet

Hi! Cathi here with the first set of project for the Frosted Designs May Kit: Simply Sweet! This month I say set of projects because I have made two layouts, three cards and a canvas this month, my mojo has returned on overdrive!! May sees yet another gorgeous kit from Frosted Designs, full of great papers, gorgeous mediums and perfect embellishments! There are only a few kits left so you need to get yours while you can!!!


My first layout uses some bright papers and some bright photos of my daughters "zorbing" in the park in Limerick a few weeks ago! Zorbing is when you get inside a big plastic beach ball filled with air and then float around in a pool, running in that ball like a hamster on a wheel lol! It is crazy and a lot of fun for them!!
I chose the Heidi Swapp 12x12 Dreamy paper - Choose Happy for the base of my layout, perfect for those photos.  I decided to do a lot of sewing on this to add pattern and texture and will do a mini tutorial about this at the end of my post.


There are so many great embellishments and mediums to use. In the photo above you can see a button from the Dress It Up Embellishments Buttons - Au Jardin Whisper, Maya Road Vintage Stitch Heart Wood Shape, some Queen & Co. Rock Candy bling, and the gorgeous Paradise Pink Glimmer Glaze splatters. You can see where I have stitched wavy patterns across the layout in white to add texture and movement and symbolize the water that is part of the photos as well!


There are some gorgeous Prima Princess flowers in the kit which I have used here as well, just perfect as they echo the circle shapes I have used across the page! To finish off the layout I did a lot of stitching around the edges in waves and zig zags. I added my journalling using the Signo Uni-Ball Impact Bold Point 1mm Gel Pen - White


This second layout I did with the kit has a more vintage look which is more my usual style, though who likes to be pinned down to one style anyway??? I started with the Heidi Swapp Dream Dots paper. Next I used some of the lovely Melissa Frances Bits & Pieces and Heidi Swap Dreamy Tags to layer up. Behind the layers I added the gorgeous Prima Doily Sticker, cut in half and added on two sides.  I added some gesso behind the photo cluster and to highlight the stitching I planned and then used Golden Molding Paste and the Crafters Workshop Stencil: Live Laugh Love. After the molding paste was dry I used the Glimmer Glaze in Paradise Pink to paint it.


Here you can see a lot of embellishments I used, the gorgeous Prima Princess Flowers and Prima Gillian White silk flowers. the Maya Road Vintage Stitch Arrow Wood Shape, Maya Road Vintage Find Birds and Dress It Up Embellishments Button - Au Jardin Whisper.  I lined the photo with the gorgeous Maya Road Crochet Trim and made pearl accents with my Viva Decor Paper Pen in Cream.
I also added lots of zig zag stitching and some splashes of Tibetan Poppy Teal and Cattail Copper Brown from my Lindy's Stamp Gang Autumn Leaves Starbust Spray set.



In this photo you see more stitching, another flower and embellishment cluster and a gorgeous Heidi Swapp Dreamy Word Sticker.  As you can see this kit is full of gorgeous paper and embellishments that lend themselves to lots of different styles!

Sewing Mini Tutorial!!!


Since my post is so long I just wanted to do a short post to encourage you to get out your sewing machine!! I love to use mine on paper, often sewing borders around the edges of my pages trying out wavy lines, zig zag stitches and lots of different thread colors. If you crafted for a while chances are you may have a sewing machine in your craft area! It isn't just for fabric, so pull it out and give it a try!!


Here you can see the wavy lines I created for the backdrop of my layout. It creates movement and texture on the layout and it simple and fun to do, just random stitch across your pages in a wavy pattern, there is no right or wrong.


I added zig zag stitching and border stitching to both my layouts and next week you will see how I used my machine to add texture to my cards as well.