Oh Christmas Tree!

Well here is December's page for The Craft Barn's Calendar Challenge where the theme is GOLD/SILVER and CHRISTMAS TREES.

I've used the Christmas Tree stamp from Oak House Studio and embossed it in gold on some watercolour paper inked with a mix of Emerald Brushos and Citrus Lime Ink in a Bottle.  For the background I've blended some Triple Fruity Red ink over Tim Holtz's Holiday Knit layering stencil to give that Scandinavian feel.   It's just finished with the December Calendar, some gems for baubles and a Gold Stickles border.

I really need to get on with constructing my calendar but in the meantime here is a photo of all 12 pages together - all completely different but part of a set!

I'm happy that they are all done so I can make the calendar but sad this challenge has come to an end.  If you've visited over the year and maybe left a comment - MANY THANKS!  I'm looking forward to what challenges the New Year brings!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Elaine  xx

PS:  Just having a new boiler fitted so thought I'd use my time wisely and finish my calendar.  I've left it unstuck at the bottom so that I can pack it flat as a gift. It's a bit front heavy but it will be fine come April when there's 3 months at the front and back!!


  

Grey November - Twit Twoo

Thought I'd better make my November page for The Craft Barn's Calendar Challenge  early then I might get chance to construct the calendar itself!   This month the words are GREY and OWL.  Well November has definitely started out grey and foggy so very fitting.

I have only one Owl stamp - this one is Chocolate Baroque - and whilst I did look for a more realistic one, most of the ones I found were a bit too cute for me.  I decided to stick with a black, white and grey theme so just stamped the owl in black.   For the background I created a border with Pearly Silver Ink in a Bottle and just sprinkled on a little Black Brusho.  I then sprayed Bobby's Grey Ink in a Bottle through a brick wall stencil and drew branches with the spray tube straight out of the bottle.  It's just finished with the Owl and November calendar.    

Hope you like and thanks for visiting. Apologies for the photo - it's a grey day and grey project. Maybe I should have added some green leaves.   I'm so looking forward to December when the words might involve Christmas in some way and we can finish the year with some bright colours!!

Elaine xx

October so it's Pumpkins!

Here's my October page for The Craft Barn's Calendar Challenge where the theme is ORANGE and PUMPKINS.   I thought orange was a bit too close to last month's so I've gone for a purple background with a splash of orange.

The base is a wash of Shaded Lilac Distress Stain edged with Purple Colour Chemistry ink.  I've also used the Purple ink for the stamping - some Tim Holtz, some Chocolate Baroque.   The pumpkins are the BOO! set from Oak House Studio - a round circle which I used to create the moon, the pumpkin outline and then you get a choice of scary faces!   It's just finished with the October calendar and the bat. 

My blog seems to be suffering at the moment but I have been making stuff although I can't show you yet.  Come Monday all will hopefully be revealed. 

Thanks for visiting and for all your lovely comments!.  Can't believe we only have two more months to go!! 

Autumn is here!

Sorry readers for not posting but I've been away on my hols and then Mr Mojo went on his too!  However here's my next square for The Craft Barn's Calendar Challenge where the words for September are BROWN and TREES/LEAVES.

For the background I've used Rusty Hinge Distress Ink and then sprinkled around the edge with Dark Brown Brushos.  Over this I've stamped the Sycamore Leaf stamp from Oak House Studio with Rusty Hinge again.   The Beech Tree is also Oak House Studio, inked with Potting Soil Archival and clear embossed.  I've used a script stamp from 7Gypsies with Emerald Archival to ground the tree and finished with the calendar.

I'm also entering this is the Craft Stamper Magazine's Take It, Make It challenge where anything goes and I've definitely used stamps!!

I can't believe we only have 3 more months to go so guess I should start thinking about construction - it's going to be an A shape calendar but not sure whether to bind it at the top or use rings....   Anyway thanks for visiting and thanks for commenting - they are much appreciated!!

Elaine  xx

August and Pink Butterflies

Well here is my August calendar page for The Craft Barn's Calendar Challenge where the words this month are PINK and BUTTERFLIES.  I'm doing 14cm squares that will be mounted on black A5 card as a flip calendar.

I didn't want to do too much pink so decided to create a wildflower scene - the background is Tumbled Glass and Mowed Lawn Distress Stains and the stamps are from Crafty Individuals set  CI-395 - Build a Meadow.  I randomly stamped with Leaf Green Archival and used a white Posca pen to highlight the daisies.   To give the ground some texture I've stamped the Without Change (Oak House Studio) in Leaf Green Archival too. 

I've silver embossed the Charming Butterflies (Oak House Studio) and coloured the smaller ones with Seedless Preserves and the larger one with Picked Raspberry.  I've just stuck the bodies down and bent the wings up for a bit of movement.  To finish the August calendar is matted on some Picked Raspberry card.  I'm hoping there is enough pink on this!  

Thanks for visiting and thanks for all your comments on last month's calendar challenge - they're much appreciated!!

Elaine  x

Turquoise and Beach Huts

I do apologise to all my followers - my blog has been suffering from lack of attention.  This is mainly due to 7  weeks of exam invigilation (well I have to get my stash cash from somewhere) and then we've had a week away in the New Forest, there's been Wimbledon on the TV and Mr Mojo went on his hols too.....need I say more.

So today I've had chance to make my July page for The Craft Barn's Calendar Challenge where the words are TURQUOISE and BEACH HUTS. 

A simple one really - I have one Beach Hut stamp so like several others I'm using Crafty Individuals set CI - 278.   I've just stamped them with Onyx Black Versafine and coloured with markers.   The background is sprayed with Inks in a Bottle (from Oak House Studio) - I've used Totally Turquoise at the top and added some Jubilee Blue for the sea.  I've torn this to create the white waves, added a strip of sand scrapbook paper and some greenery to ground the huts.  To finish I've stamped the gulls from the same stamp set and added the July Calendar.

Hopefully I'll get chance to enter a few more challenges ..... but first the ironing!! 

Thanks for popping by.

Dragonfly Dreams

At last I've had chance to make something for The Craft Barn's Calendar Challenge where the theme for June is DRAGONFLIES and LAVENDER.

Lavender is a funny colour as the flowers can be pink or blue - I've gone for a bluer version with the background coloured with Shaded Lilac and Tumbled Glass Distress Stains.  I've stamped the foliage from Tim Holtz's Fairytale Frenzy set with Pearlescent Lavender Brilliance and then added the dragonfly. 

I was looking for a realistic dragonfly stamp but had no joy so I invested in Tim Holtz's Dragonfly die - not only do you get a die, but you also get an embossing folder too.  I cut three layers - the base out of  some silver glittery card, a black body and some acetate wings which I embossed and alcohol inked.  I took the photo with flash so you get to see the full shimmer!!

So we're halfway through the year so thought I'd show you the first 6 altogether.   Hope you like and thanks for looking - I'm off to see what everyone else has made!!

May and it's Magenta

No exams this morning so thought I'd have a go at my May page for The Craft Barn's Calendar Challenge - the words this month are MAGENTA and FLOWERS.   I'm using 14cm squares which will be stuck onto A5 black card and bound at the top to create a flip calendar.

I'm not really a pink person but when the theme is magenta then you have to go the whole hog!!  The background is a pale mix of Picked Raspberry Distress Ink which I also used to stamp the Clematis Tower (from Oak House Studio) in the top right corner.   For the main image I stamped the Clematis Tower with Onyx Black Versafine, clear embossed it and coloured with Pentel Colour Brushes.  To tone down the pink a bit I've edged it with Seedless Preserves Paint and framed the May calendar with purple card. 

It's a bit crinkly I'm afraid but I'm sure it'll straighten out before the year's out.  I think you'll agree it fits the bill of magenta and flowers!!  

Thanks for popping by and for any comments  you leave - they are much appreciated. 

Elaine x

Sunshine and Showers

Here's my art for The Craft Barn's Calendar Challenge where April's words are  BLUE and UMBRELLA(S).   My calendar is going to be an A5 flip one so I'm creating on 14cm square card which will be mounted on black A5 card at the end of the year.

I have two stamps with umbrellas/parasols on so thought I'd use them both - the Crafty Individuals' Bathing Beauty from the By the Sea set (CI - 278) and Tim Holtz's Brolly Man.  I thought this was appropriate as April can be a bit indecisive in the weather department - sometimes sunny but with those pesky showers.  For the background I've used a mix of blue Distress Inks - Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Chipped Sapphire and Faded Jeans and splattered some water on the rainy side!!  The bathing beauty is coloured with bright markers and I've added some white paint for the waves crashing on her feet. 

So which side do you prefer??   

Hope you like and thanks for visiting - you're always welcome!

March, Yellow and a Rabbit

Here's my next page for The Craft Barn's Calendar Challenge where for March the words are YELLOW and RABBIT.

Yellow is fine, but I was struggling with the Rabbit part.  I decided it was time for a new stamp but Mr Google wasn't helping.  I'm not keen on cute/cartoon images of which there are hundreds but I did in the end find this Deep Red Rubber Bunny Rabbit stamp - very realistic and I'm sure will come in useful for Easter too!!  

The background is a blend of Oak House Studio Pigment Inks - Green as Grass, Lemon Yellow, Golden Yellow, Tangerine and some Green Oak for the catkins.  The stamps are from Chocolate Baroque's Spring Foliage set and I've used Potting Soil and Emerald Green Archival.  The grass is the edge of an Oak Tree stamp and I've just finished with the calendar for March.

I think my rabbit looks quite content in his glade and it was fun to do.  Thanks for visiting and for your comments - they are much appreciated.

The Craft Barn Calendar - February

Here's my February page for The Craft Barn's Calendar Challenge where the recipe is to use RED and HEARTS.  Everywhere you look there are red/love/hearts challenges so it took a while to decide what to do that was a little bit different. 

The background is a swooshy mix of Pickled Raspberry, Barn Door and Festive Berries Distress Inks and then I've inked through the Studio Calico Circle Graph Mask with Fired Brick to represent heart beats!  The polymer clay heart is covered with Gold Dabber and I've finished with the Kaisercraft Lace stamp, the Hero Arts sentiment and the February calendar. 

Apologies for the curling today - it really is 14cm square.  The idea at the moment is to mount my squares on A5 card and then bind them all together at the end but just in case I change my mind, I don't want to stick it down.

I'm also entering this in the Craft Stamper magazine challenge - Take it, Make it - where for February the theme is stencilling. 

Anyway thanks for looking and for your comments.  I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else does this month.

Craft Barn Challenge - January

The new year long Calendar Challenge has just started at The Craft Barn and guess what for January   the theme is to use AQUA and SNOWFLAKES.   As ever the hardest part at the beginning of a challenge is to decide what format to use - I've decided to decorate 14cm squares which can be added to an A5 size flip calendar.
 

 

So to begin I've stamped the Snowflakes from Tim Holtz's Reindeeer Flight set and embossed with Sparkle EP.  I ripped some paper to create a hill and then sprayed French Mint Ink in a Bottle over the snowflakes. For the bottom half, I stippled some Tumbled Glass Distress Ink in places and then stamped the Pine Trees from the same Tim Holtz set with Pine Needles Distress.   The calendar is just printed off the computer.

As well as the Calendar Challenge The Craft Barn are doing weekly challenges too so why not pop over and have a look - there are prizes to be won.

Speaking of prizes, I'm having a GIVEAWAY to celebrate 5 years of blogging.  All the details are HERE so any comments on any of my posts till February 16th will go in the pot for a chance to win.  I'm still tidying my Oak House Studio stamp box so there may well be more stamps added to the prize!!

Many thanks for visiting my blog.