Friday 27 March 2015

ONLY 4 DAYS TO GO....

...And the March Challenge is almost over.  We have 32 glorious entries to date which you can view HERE.  I guess this will probably be my last post before the time is up so I will show you all the other makes by the team using 'The Animal World' as inspiration starting with this clever, colourful and inspiring make by Helen....


Helen has used lots of lovely Alice animal character stamps to make this creative hanging - love it!

Another make by Helen using the Jolly Duck stamp....



I believe Helen used Brushos to colour the above - a great fun and colourful product - you can find them on sale at The Craft Barn (where Helen regularly runs classes).

Here are some more gorgeous 'Alice' makes...

From Daniele..


From Gio...



From Coco..


And from Lynne..


And my final beautiful makes for this evening come from lovely Joanna, and feature CI Dies as well as CI stamps...






She has used our dies which you can locate HERE, as well as butterfly stamps on parchment - very pretty, and a doily stamp by Gio, which makes a lovely posy!

I have been adding lots of flowers and new stuff to our Must Haves section recently, so if you fancy buying paper flowers as an alternative to making them, you will find the new goodies HERE.

Thanks for stopping by, lovely to have you here, and hope you do enjoy some Easter holiday sunshine in the next couple of weeks!

Bye for now,

Jean x

Saturday 21 March 2015

AN ALICE FEST.....

We are still deep in the throes of our Animal World Challenge for March, details and links for which you will find HERE.  Still 10 days to go, so there is still time.....

The team (members and blog links are listed on the right hand side of this blog) have been inspired well and truly, and very beautifully, by our new Alice Palace animal stamps.  So I am having another post dedicated to Alice, and here goes....

Helen Chilton has made a bunny canvas in very lovely gentle colours.  She is running an all day workshop at The Craft Barn next week where you too could make this delight...



On the subject of the bunnies (- hares to be precise) here I have a gorgeous make by Daniele too...


Plus another by Helen again...



And a beauty by Laury....



At the same time as we released the hares stamp above we also released a fabby birthday duck stamp, and here we have a couple of cheerful and clever makes by Effie featuring this one...






And another really great card by Laury (Laury just loves ducks)....


I do still have more to come and inspire before the end of the month, so do join me again soon.  Always lovely to have your company, and thanks very much indeed for the sweet comments you leave and the comments and likes on our Facebook page as well.

Bye for now,

Jean x

Friday 13 March 2015

ANIMAL WORLD CONTINUED.....

I'm back again with more Animal themed makes to tempt you to join us on our Animal World Challenge link up! Entries so far can be seen in all their glory HERE!  Gorgeous!

Sylvie is our challenge leader this time and she has made a glorious technicolour canvas with many animal features within plus lots of texture.  She has also kindly given us step by step photos and instructions below (with apologies for her English - which is really good - my French is rubbish, how about yours?!)...

- Apply various Fresco finish paints on the canvas with a piece of cut and dry.
- Use the "Floral Grid" mask and apply gesso over, in different parts of the canvas
- Repeat the same thing with circles and after when it's dry, inked with Distress inks.
- Make cutouts with various dies (sweet flying bird, delicate dragonfly, floral branch and elegant swirl dies).
- Add a layer of gesso over.
- And over the flowers (Tando creative)
- Add some glimmer mist in various colours + water
- Use various Izink inks and various Silks Acrylic Glaze over the elements
- Add some treasure gold in different colors
- Use Distress vintage photo for inking the edges of canvas and give relief
- I also  used the CI- 213 (venetian crackle) on the background with Archival ink, especially on the edges.
- Stamp on white cardstock the animals ( CI- 220, 390, 410, 372, 373) cut out .
- Color the animals with gelatos and water
- Glue on 3D on the canvas
- Add a layer of glossy accent over
- Finally I added roses and leaves



This is her make in all its final glory..



And here are the steps in photos...




















Thanks for all the wonderful techniques you have shared with us on here Sylvie - fabulous!


Coco has joined in with a beautiful scenic and fun creation of her own, in her new journal...


A double paged spread again sporting lots of CI scenic touches...








And finally for tonight a fabulously and deliciously colourful animal box by clever Gio....







Wow!!


Thanks for tuning in,


Back again soon,


Jean x