Ombré at Stamps and Stencils..

Hi everyone, it's been a while but I'm back after a short but necessary break and it's my choice of topic for this months challenge at Stamps and Stencils. I've chosen to play with colour this month and it's all about Ombré!

Ombré has been in fashion for a while now and not just in art...or even hair! It's a french word meaning 'a colour that is shaded or graduated in tone'...so for this challenge we want to see projects or part of your project that has one (or more) colour that graduates from it's lightest pastel tint to its darkest shade...with a little stamping or stenciling of course! 

It's double Ombré from me as I've used the technique on both the background and flowers.

To start with I reused a canvas and just added to the texture with some grunge paste.

Next the paint colours in lovely shades of blue and hints of green.

Starting with strips of colour and leaving a small gap between each band, use 2 colours on the brush and blend the paints....don't forget the edges of the box canvas.

A little stamping in archival inks and I'm using one of the new JOFY sets. A little gold already creeping in...and some gesso to highlight the raised areas.

I painted fading stripes of orange and coral for the flowers and added some bling with WOW tinsel embossing powder, love the stuff! It's really easy to create shaded areas with fresco paints

 Stamping the compass flowers and cutting out

A little white pen doodling and wooden beads from my stash.....

...before arranging the flowers, I decided the flowers should drift across the canvas at a slight angle.

A fairly simple canvas and fun to try something different. Hope you'll have a dabble at Ombré and join in with our challenge. Remember you don't have to make a whole project in this style just a part could show this magical shaded effect...have fun! Hugs Ruth x

In the Meadow at Stamps and Stencils

Hi everyone, time for our next challenge at Stamps and Stencils and this month the lovely Rachel has chosen the theme which is all about meadows...

'Meadows are such amazing places - lots of different grasses, wild flowers and wonderful wildlife. Let your imagination run wild ...and use stamps or stencils too! Enjoy!'

What a lovely topic, time for fresh spring colours and I created some journal pages which is something I've not done for a while.

I like working on Kraft card and scraped gesso and some of the new blue paints from Seth Apters winter set, think Venice Blue, Steel Grey and Double Denim are making an appearance today. Floral and square stencils used on the first layers.

I've used one of my own hand carved stamps here as it matched in quite well with the geometric  elements.

More layering and stamping with a  little Toffee and Caramel paint.

Glass Bead gel, Treasure Gold and Decoart White Crackle paste.

Sleight Blue and In the Navy infusions on glossy card stock before die cutting with Tim's Wildflower dies.

Isn't the effect pretty?

I used the waste as a stencil  too.

White textured 'earth' for the flowers to grow out of.

I do like texture..

Love the contrast of the glossy flowers against the background.

Hope you're inspired to join in, hop across here for more inspiration from the design team and as always thanks for stopping by. Ruth xx

On the Bright Side at Stamps and Stencils

Hi everyone, welcome to a New Year and a new challenge over at Stamps and Stencils. It's my turn to host and here's what I want you to do....

'It may still be winter but it's a brand New Year, the days will be soon getting longer, and pops of bright colours will soon start to appear in the garden. This month I'd like you to dazzle us by using lots of bright colours in your Spring themed creations ...and don't forget to use stamps or stencils

Oh yes, I bet your eyes are open now! I just wanted to create something with those zingy colours that you get in Spring, in previous 'Spring' posts I have often talked about the acid colours and how I love lime green leaves, purple iris and crocus and all those fresh colours, so I did something I haven't done for ages and created some journal pages.

I started with gessoed pages of an old book and plumped for some crayola twistable stix (trying to revisit and use some crafty goodies). I didn't know where to start but remembered Donna Downey's advice and to just get something on the pages.

I scribbled in a few areas and spread it out so the pages were covered but some areas quite subtly. Love how it's picking up the texture. Next I used some Kim Dellow masks to wipe away some of the wax and decided to use a coordinating stamp set EKD06 too and stamped a few leaf sprigs.

A few Lindy's Stamp Gang spray drips and splashes.

Stencils with transparent gel mixed with Zesty Zing fresco paint and another chequerboard one with white fresco...and more splashes...a few orange paint splashes crept in too to help make the pages pop.

Fresco paint on card before stamping out and just love the contrast of the layered background with the uniformly coloured flowers. Popalicious or what?! (I know, I think spring fever has already visited me)

No apologies for using another quote from one of Alison Bombers wonderful stamp sets...and so me...I LOVE flowers!

Well I hope that's inspired you to change direction after the autumnal and wintry colours and make something bright and fun. Hop across for some more wonderful inspiration from the design team!

Thanks as always for stopping by...and wishing you all A Happy New Year!

Metallics at PaperArtsy!

Hi everyone, I'm just sharing a sneaky peek of a project I'm lucky enough to have over on the PaperArtsy blog tonight. The new challenge is Metallics and with Christmas looming on the horizon I've created a little home decor project using Ellen Vargo stamps. Hope you'll hop across and take look.

Thanks for stopping by x

A few cards...

Hi everyone, hope you're all well out there in blog land, just thought it was time to share a few cards I made recently.

Brayered paint, some stencilling and a flower to match.

This was  a card made in a rush....I had half an hour but luck was on my side at the time.

Next a painty background using a credit card to scrape the paint (a technique I saw on the PaperArtsy stand).

Took a few attempts to keep a nice clean edge as I am such a messy crafter. I added some stickles and white pen spots too.



And to finish this trio of cards, I'm sharing a trio of hearts.

A crackled heart

Colorstix and stencils on this heart

...and for those that may have wondered what I made with my infusions and gel experiments (see here), love how this turned out with the addition of a little treasure gold.

Thanks as always for stopping by.

Floral Frenzy at Stamps and Stencils

Hi everyone, well it's my turn to host this months challenge over at Stamps and Stencils and as I LOVE flowers and June is a month when they burst forth right, left and centre  the choice of theme was easy. FLOWERS, stamped, stencilled, handmade, premade as long as they are centre stage on your project and you've included some stamping or stencilling then we want to see your mixed media projects. I've opted for a vintage route this month and yes I've been using PaperArtsy infusions...again!

I started by using some infusions on card stock in blackcurrant and orange county, mixed with pearl glaze.

On this piece I applied the glaze it in a cross hatch pattern and I think I've also used golden sands as well.

I've applied Finnabairs 3D gloss gel through a stencil on this and you can see the colour starting to absorb

On this one I've used gold paint as a base, very loosely brushed on and this time I've added sage in to the mix.

It spreads out differently on a gloss or non absorbent background, and I've stencilled more gel on top.

I die cut some tattered floral flowers from the card and covered a piece of hardboard with some Prima paper I had from a Finnabair workshop

A wash of gesso and some light molding paste

Starting to layer up scraps

Some more gel and gesso and then a little clear crackle paste...it's all about the layers

Once dry, drips of prima blooms in Peony and Tea stain and some Lindy's stamp gang sprays.

Stamping, dry brushing...

archival ink around the edges and a few micro beads.

assemble the flowers

 a few embellishments

and it's complete.

I hope you'll be inspired to join in and please hop across and see some fabulous inspiration from my teamies.

I'm entering this in a couple of challenges, firstly Anything but Cute which is celebrating it's first anniversary...really, where did the time go? It's the first time I've been able to join in and as the theme this month  is 'Celebrate your style' it fits perfectly...'experimenting' and although I have quite an eclectic style, vintage and Finnabair style is one of my favourite comfort zones.

The second challenge is over at Our Creative Corner, where we are getting messy, well if you'd seen my hands after playing with the infusions and gel and paint and my creation isn't a clean and simple one, I'm hoping it qualifies for 'A Beautiful Mess'.  Sadly it's also their  last challenge for the time being so I wanted to join in.

As always thanks for stopping by. Ruth x