Morpheus by Sheepski Designs

Hello there again!

I'm honoured to work on another Sheepski Design digi stamp this week, this time it's Morpheus. He is such a cutie in his flower, I'm sure you'll agree!

I've been experimenting with different mediums this week and so for the main image I printed him out on Neenah Crest cardstock and then used my new MozArt brush pen set to lay down the first colours. Once this was dry, I used my Polychromos pencils to add dimension and shading. I then added Wink of Stella in Gold on the flower and Spectrum Noir Glitter pen in green on the stem.

The background to my art journal page comprises of two patterned digi papers from Lozzy's designs over at Paper Lozzy. These particular papers can be found on her blog under freebie papers. Once I had printed off the digi papers, I ripped them and adhered them to my page with matte medium. Once they were dry, I added Liquitex Heavy Gesso in white and Liquitex glass beads gel. This added some glimmer and dimension. Once this layer was dry, I added some visual interest with some stamps from my stash. I coloured the centres of the flowers that I printed in Stazon ink in black with my MozArt brush pens. I added some bling from my stash in the centre of the flowers.

I had the 'dream' wording in my stash and I added some Distress Crayon to the edge to distress it a little, and did the same around the page where the papers end. I fussy cut Morpheus out and stuck him down then placed the wording underneath.

I'm entering my art journal page into the following challenges:


I hope you enjoyed my latest make, thanks for stopping by!

Michelle xxxx

A list of things used in this project:

Daler and Rowney Mixed Media Journal
MozArt brush markers (pack of 12). yellow, orange, brown, and both greens.
Faber Castell Polychromos Pencils.
Ranger Matt Medium
Liquitex White Heavy Gesso
Liquitex Glass Bead Gel
small decopage scissors
Caran Dache blending pencil
Wink of Stella - Gold
Spectrum Noir glitter pen - Green
Items from my stash

I'm late, I'm late!! Oh my hairs and whiskers!

Hi there - it's been a rather emotional and manic couple of weeks, and as such I'm a little behind on my blogging.

We have another fantastic challenge that started on 25th July over at A Inky Mess, and our sponsor for this month is the amazing Oddball Art Co Stamps!

For my DT inspirational project I chose Big Eyed Clown Girl, she's very cute, I hope you agree.

I used my Prismacolour pencils to colour the cute image in, and added some white gel pen streaks to her hair to give some highlights. I then fussy cut her out. The backing papers are a mix of Tim Holts Idea-ology Lost and Found and Bo Bunny Carnival. These were ripped and layered up onto a Kraft card base after inking the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I applied gesso with an old credit card over the top to take back the background a little so the cute clown girl would be the focal point. I affixed the girl to the foreground, and added some embellishments including some washi tape from my stash and a few little pieces I had hanging around. It needed something else....so I added a cute royal blue bow to the balloon strings. I added a quote I cut out from my stash to finish it off.

Please do go on over to our second challenge at A Inky Mess - we would love to see your makes, as long as mixed media. You'll be in with a chance of winning digis from our sponsor and/or a place in our top 3 of the month. Please do remember to link back to the actual challenge though, not just the blog, as we cannot accept entries that aren't linked properly.

I shall see you soon with my next DT piece and some craft swaps I've been working on.

I wish to enter this card into the following challenges:
Worldwide Open DT - #13 AG
Dark n Daring - #04 AG
Dream in Darkness - August Make it Crafty 
Classic DT Open Challenge - #05 AG

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle xxx

#140 LOC

Hi all! Well that fortnight went super quickly! It's now officially Schools out for Summer here, and we're nearing August at an alarming speed - soon be Halloween!! Let's hope we get some summer first though, please!!!

On to my next DT project for Left of Center Creative Challenges  #140 - LOC

Our sponsor this week is Shadow Clocksy - the talented Jessi Scobee has a dark, goth, grunge, horror style that is fantastic to work with. Because our theme this week is LOC, I chose an Anime (Chibi) image to work from this time. This one is called Trixie, and you can find her successor over on Etsy called Trixie V2.

 I decided to colour her in using my Promarkers. Her hair is a cascade of waves which was a great challenge to get dimension and depth as well as light into - it was enjoyable colouring her in. I used 3 yellows for her trousers, 3 pinks for her top and 3 oranges for her hair. I used Wink of Stella in Clear over her eyes, boots, highlights in her hair and the bear on her hair bow.

To coordinate with the colours used on Trixie I found some lovely Mixed Media paper from Paper Lozzy, I tore this into the right size to fit on my Kraft card base, and inked the edges with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Old Paper.  It needed something else, so using another digital paper pack from Paper Lozzy called Dark Grunge, I tore two pieces to go top and bottom of the base paper. I used Tim Holtz Distress Crayon to darken the edges.

I used a variety of stamps to to add further interest on the background paper, including a retired Stampin Up set with dots and circles, a vine stamp and Denim Backgrounder by Cornish Heritage Stamps. I also used the Denim Backgrounder in dark yellow on Trixie's trousers to create more texture.

Once happy with the background, I fussy cut Trixie out and placed her off to the left on the card, to leave room for a quote or sentiment. To ground her, I used a brown Distress Crayon by and under her boots. I used a pale cream Distress Crayon to go round her to further ground her onto the background. Once happy with the background and Trixie, I chose a quote stamp from the same retired Stampin Up set that the dots and circles stamp came from - I don't know the name of the set, sorry. I used Stazon in Black Soot to stamp the quote.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:



Thanks for stopping by.

Michelle xxx

Challenge Winner

I had a lovely surprise browsing the blog challenges I've entered my projects on. I have won two more prizes!

Firstly, I won $15 of digi stamps for Challenge #66 - Be Independent over at Ike'sworld Challenges. Thank you Suzy and the DT!

I also was in the Top 5 for June over at Altered Eclectics - thank you Elaine and the DT who chose mine. 


I was surprised and thrilled to have won three times with my very first art journal page, and it's given me the confidence to carry on with my own style of work. I feel rather silly having had my mixed media pad for quite a long while before getting the courage to actually do a page - now you can't stop me!!

Next post will be my project piece for the coming week's Left of Center Creative Challenge #140 - I do hope you come along and join in.

Thanks for stopping by and reading.

Michelle xxx

Vintage Pastel Shabby Chic

For my first DT project of the month for More Mixed Media Challenge, I've created a card. The theme was pastel, and well, I'm not really a pastel sort of person- although I do like to see what others make with those colours, just not something I do myself very often. I decided to challenge myself and go with something more vintage and shabby chic looking. It's a look I like but haven't really attempted myself to any degree of success.

I started out choosing some papers and decided on Websters Pages - Petite Papers in a peachy pink and a green blue. I ripped these and started adding to a Kraft card base. I started with the corners, using the more decorative parts of the peachy pink papers with floral detail to frame the card. I ripped the green blue and did the opposite corners, then alternated the papers until the entire front had been covered. I used Deco Art Matt Medium to glue and seal the papers. I added Liquitex Heavy White Gesso over the top in a thin layer with a credit card in the middle and spread some across to touch the outer areas. Whilst this dried I found the focal point for my card.

I had bought some beautiful papers from a scrapbooking website from a new product line by 49 and Market. I had fallen in love with these. It's called Vintage Artistry and is beautiful. I fussy cut two butterflies, fern and some postage/book keeping empherema images from one of the papers and then from the other I cut two beautiful flower bunches. I got my Stampin Up mini inks out and using a couple of mail style stamps, I stamped out a few times these images around the edge. I used the two colours - Certainly Celery and Pale Plum, to edge the backing papers, as well as stamp the images. I edged the empherema in Distress Ink - Old Paper. Before sticking it all down, I needed something extra, and found some white mesh type material someone had given me. I cut a rough square of it and using the ink pads I'd edged the papers with, I coloured the material to match the other elements. I roughed the edges of the empherema to look old, rolling and ripping and inking to give it an aged look. Once they were layered, I added the mesh, then the bunches of flowers I blended together, and added the fern at the bottom to hide the bottom of the stems. The butterflies were glued just on the bodies so they had dimension, and the word 'FLY' was stamped using a little alphabet stamp set by See D's I bought ages ago. It's a great font and I didn't want anything fussy or large - there wasn't space anyway even if I did!!

I hope you like my latest make. It's part of the DT inspiration for this month's challenge over at More Mixed Media Challenge - Anything Goes Optional Pastel. I hope we see you there!

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafts and Me - Anything Goes with Optional Summer Moments
Classic Design Team Open Challenge - #04 Anything Goes 
A Bit More Time to Craft - #23 Anything Goes

Michelle xx

Left of Centre DT Project #136

Hi again - no you're not seeing double, I have actually written two blogs on one day! It just so happens that the newest challenge blogs DT I have joined happened to have their first, or latest challenges on the same day this time round.

 

I'm just as excited about this challenge blog as the last. Left of Centre Creative Challenges is a challenge blog that showcases the weird and wonderful world of gothic, fantasy, punk, grunge, dark and quirky. We also welcome the traditional here, but we do ask that your work is mixed media- on whatever medium you prefer whether canvas, art journal, card, bottle or anything else really! The challenges run every week from Saturday morning and we have a fantastic range of sponsors who we showcase each week, and who are generous in offering prizes of digi images to winners of our challenges. We also do winners badges for those chosen by the DT each week to proudly put on your blog/instagram/website.

This is my first DT project for the team and this week's sponsor is Moonflower Digistamps.

The week's theme is Monochrome and so with this in mind I decided to rummage through my colours and decided on blue as my main colour.

I chose Minako the Oriental Maiden as my digi image, she's gorgeous!!

I adore this image, and have always loved oriental imagery. It was a very popular this week and I'm not the only DT member to choose it, so I had to think about what colour to use so as to not duplicate what had already been done.

I printed on white card and set about colouring her in with my Promarkers. I used four different blues: Blue Pearl, Sky Blue, Duck egg Blue and Indigo Blue. For her skin I used Vanilla and Pink Blossom and for her hair I used Henna. I added a touch of green for the leaves on her kimono.

I used a mix of paper from my stash for the background on my Daler Rowney Mixed Media A4 paper. I tore the papers up and stuck them down, then once coloured, I fussy cut the digi image out and affixed her to the page. I added a sentiment I found in my stash, coloured parts of it with blue ink to keep to the monochrome theme. I added some sequins from my stash to her head dress and in the centre of her fan to add some bling, and some tiny blue flower gems to the centre of the flowers. I coloured a silver metal fan charm from my stash with Indigo Blue Promarker and affixed it to the quote. It didn't feel quite finished so I got my white gel pen and added dots of white to the quote and flowers, and doodles circles and arrow heads onto the blue background papers to add some interest.

I hope you enjoy my project and that you'll come along and join us for this week's challenge at 8pm GMT today. The theme is Monochrome. Go to Left of Centre (LOC) Creative Challenges. We also have a page on Facebook.

I shall be entering this project into the following challenges:

Classic Design Team Open Challenge Blog - #03 Anything Goes

  The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge - #25 2nd Anniversary
A Bit More Time to Craft - #22 Anything Goes 
SLS Lines Digital Stamp Challenge - Anything But A Card

Michelle xx

Challenge #1 - Anything Goes at A Inky Mess

Today is an exciting day here in the world of blogs, a brand new mixed media challenge blog starts today over at A Inky Mess. The very first challenge is sponsored by Ike's Art, designed by a fantastic lady and the DT at A Inky Mess had a wonderful array of digis to choose from to showcase her work.

 I chose a fantastic image called Robot #1 from Ike's Art

I just had to do something a little futuristic and steampunk with this!

I adored working with this image!! First I printed it out on Daler Rowney Mixed Media paper twice,  and once on a piece of Kanban Metallica paper. I then set about colouring it in with my Distress Markers and waterbrush. Once that had dried, I added the eyebrow with Distress Stickles in Pewter. I took a piece of leather, the type you get attached to the tag on leather shoes when you buy them (mine was from my son's new school shoes) and cut it to the shape of the eyepatch. Once stuck down, I covered it with Distress Stickles in Vintage Photo. I cut out the hands on the second printed image and coloured those in with silver and gold pens from my stash and added Distress Stickles in Vintage Photo to the gold areas to match the eyepatch colour.

I fussy cut the helmet and chin strap from the image printed onto the Kanban Metallica paper and used my bone folder and the palm of my hand to break the fibres and add a curve and dimension to them. I stuck them down onto the first printed coloured image, and then stuck the hands I had cut out and coloured from the second print. I finished the image with shading with a Distress Crayon and added some bling from my stash and a mini cog from Dusty Attic I had heat embossed with Debbi Moore UTEE embossing powder then stuck to the eye patch.

The background is a mix of papers from Kanban Metallica and from Tim Holtz Idea-ology Lost and Found. I tore the papers up and stuck them to my Daler Rowney mixed media A4 page and added Liquitext Heavy Gesso in white in patches with an old credit card, and some mini and large cogs and the word Dream chipboard pieces from Dusty Attic that I had heat embossed in pewter and gold Debbi Moore UTEE embossing powder. I fussy cut the completed image and adhered it to the background, and added some washi tape to the background top and bottom to complete the piece.

Here are the materials used to create this piece:

Distress Markers (see pic 2 below for colours), Distress Stickles (see pic 1 below for colours), Distress Watercolour Crayon, Waterbrush, Kanban Metallica papers, Tim Holtz Lost and Found papers, washi tape from stash, bling from stash, Liquitex Heavy White Gesso, old credit card, silver and gold pens from stash, chipboard pieces from Dusty Attic, Debbi Moore UTEE embossing powders, leather tag from shoes.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my art journal page and that you'll join us at A Inky Mess to see what the other DT members have produced, and join in with our mixed media Anything Goes challenge. A Inky Mess challenges run from 25th of every month.

I shall be entering this project into the following challenges:

Classic Design Team Open Challenge Blog - #03 Anything Goes 
winner - Best Technique

 

The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge - #25 2nd Anniversary

Things to Alter - June Challenge Anything Goes 

Ike'sworld Challenges - #66 Be Independent 

Dream in Darkness - Anything Goes 

WOW Embossing Powders - June Challenge 

Art Journal Journey - Maps 

Altered Eclectics - Anything Goes 

SLS Digital Stamps Challenge - Anything but a Card

Michelle xx
 

A Inky Mess - DT Member

After some shocks and disappointments in the crafting community, it was lovely to see so many gather together and offer help, advice and support. As part of a team that found itself without a blog, I was one such person who was made to feel welcomed - and as such, I was offered not one, but two new Design Team positions.

My second is with a brand new challenge blog - A Inky Mess. Come along and show off your mixed media makes. Each month you will get the opportunity to win digi stamps from some of the leading stamp designers of the moment as well as badges for being the favourite projects of the month to add to your blog or website.

I'm really excited to be part of this team and to getting my first project done. The very first challenge will start on 25th June, so do come along and see what the DT have made to inspire you, and join in with the fun and mess!!

Michelle xx

Left of Centre Creative Challenges DT Member

I have some exciting news!! I am officially a member of the Left of Centre Creative Challenges Design Team!

I want to thank Maureen for inviting me to join the team, and thank the other DT members for the warm welcome I have received.

I will be debuting with the team on the 25th June so watch this space!!

Left of Centre Creative Challenges invite the darker side of mixed media and card making. Using digi images from our fantastic sponsors every week, the Design Team create inspirations projects to showcase the stamps of the sponsor of that week. They are typically dark, fantasy, gothic, punk, grungy, but we do the occasional cute too!! There's no rule to say you can't have cute, but we do like it to be quirky too. Whether you like the darker side of mixed media or like to be traditional - all are welcome at Left of Centre.

I am really looking forward to creating and showcasing my first project with the team. Do come on over and be in with a chance to win digis from our Sponsor of the week, and/or win a badge or two by being our Design Team's chosen winners.

Michelle xx

More Mixed Media Challenge - Anything Goes (opt. Purple)

Here we are in what is meant to be warmth and sunshine - however it appears that we have either gone backwards to early spring or flown forwards to late Autumn, the temperatures have dropped and Mr Sunshine seems to be in hiding. Perhaps it was because we had a Bank Holiday on Monday or because the kids were off school, but let's hope the warmth and sunshine return very soon.

On to this month's More Mixed Media Challenge DT project. This month's optional colour for the Anything Goes challenge is purple and it's a colour I adore using. This time I thought I'd go down the recycling route and after watching a couple of interesting You Tube videos with talented ladies doing art journelling on brown paper bags, I thought I'd give it a go.

I decided on one of my favourite stamp designers - Ching-Chou Kuik and love this image. It's called Dreamy Lily.

Thick White Gesso, Texture Paste

Gelatos in Deep Pink and Purple

Hero Arts stamps for background stamping,
Stazon Ink Black Soot, Ranger Distress Ink Old Paper, Marvy Matchables Deep Pink

Lozzy's digital papers from Fun and Funky Numbers digi packs (one fussy cut for green flowers)

Tim Holtz and Crafters Workshop stencils

Cosmic Shimmer Coloured Pearlised PVA and Metallic Gilding Wax

Ranger Distress Crayons, Spectrum Noir Glitter pens

Coloured thread,, Washi tape

Glittered sticker 'Best Friends'

Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils, Water brush.

I hope you enjoy my latest make. It was great fun to do and I shall most definitely be using recycled materials again in my mixed media projects.

As well as this being for More Mixed Media Challenge - Anything Goes , I'd also like to include this project in the following challenges:

Creative Artiste Challenge  Blog - Anything Goes
Altered Eclectics - Anything Goes
Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Goes
We Love 2 Create - Anything Goes
Craft Stamper - Take it Make it
2 Crafty Girls - Anything Goes + DT call
Sisters of Craft - Anything Goes
Creative Ladybirds Creations - Anything Goes 
Left of Centre Creative Challenges -  #133 Distressing 
Classic Design Team Open Challenge Blog - #03 Anything Goes

April's More Mixed Media Challenge project

Spring is in the air!! Where's the time going? April already. For this month's More Mixed Media Challenge, the DT were tasked with using Yellow. It's not my favourite colour to work with, but I do adore seeing it in nature, so cheery!!.I had a quirky stamped image that I had in my stash and I decided to work on something a little different - and perhaps wishful thinking with wanting warmer weather and sitting on the beach.... so here it is - Life's a Beach:

I used a variety of scraps of card and paper (I have a big bag full so good time to use at least a small portion of it) in blues, greens, cream and yellow. I tore and layered up the various colours to depict sea or sand on top of some card I'd colour washed with blue paint. The stamped image with coloured using Promarkers and then fussy cut out and layered on top. The flip flops were hand cut out from a piece of patterned scrap paper and the tiny thongs cut and stuck on and a little crystal on each for some bling. I used a flower die cut for the sun, to finish off the quirky card, alongside a die cut birthday wording and some crystals dotted around.

I do hope that you join us for April's Yellow challenge at More Mixed Media Challenge Blog - we always look forward to seeing your work and of course, you have the opportunity to win some lovely papers, courtesy of Lozzy and be in our Top 3.

I am also entering this card on the following challenges:

The Mixed Media Card Challenge #22 - Sunshine


Enjoy your week and I shall be posting about some wedding projects I've been working on.

Michelle xx