Acrylic Tags and More

Hello everyone, I have a couple of projects to share with you showcasing the stamps featured on last month's TV shows on Hochanda.

My first project is a couple of acrylic tags. I stamped images from Hold On and Do Right Always using second generation stamping and a brown Archival ink, to create a subtle background, onto some plain pieces from the Designer Papers 8"x8" - Chic Script. Next, I stamped the totem pole and peace pipe onto the backgrounds using a black Archival ink, and added a sentiment. I coloured the images using Polycolour pencils from Koh-I-Noor. Watercolour pencils will NOT work for this project.

I covered the background with matte medium and adhered it to the acrylic tag. Once the glue was dry, I trimmed the piece, and added some yarn through the hole at the top.

My second project was a very quick and simple card. Rainbows have been very much on my mind lately, with everything that has been happening around us, and one of the sentiments on the Do Right Always stamp set was just perfect for this project. I took a sunburst stencil, any one would do, and chose seven different colours of Distress Ink. I applied them through the stencil to create a rainbow effect, and then simply stamped the sentiment using black ink.

It just goes to show how useful and versatile these stamp sets can be, the sentiments themselves lend themselves to so many occasions. The stamps can be used for journalling, for home decor, and are perfect for both masculine and feminine cards alike. I will be back soon with some more inspiration for you.

 

Thanks for stopping by, and stay safe,

 xx

Limited Colours Make a Bold Statement

Hello everyone, I have a couple of projects to share with you showcasing the fabulous stamps from last month's TV shows on Hochanda. These lovely stamps hand drawn by Kim Moody for Chocolate Baroque are so useful, and I wanted to show that they could be used for a range of different occasions.

 

My first card was created using a background that I found when rummaging through my stash. I had used Distress Inks in shades of blue and green, and thought that it looked very cheery. I made a smaller piece of background very quickly to match, and stamped the frame and skin from Hold On, adding a little motif that I decoupaged from the dreamcatcher from Catching Dreams. The cacti stamped on the main background can be found on Hold on and Do Right Always, they make a lovely overall background softly coloured with Koh-I-Noor pencils, as I have done on this card. I kept to a set colour palette throught the card, and the pop of red against the blue and green adds a lovely warmth to the design.

Although there is quite a lot of colouring on this card, it was relatively quick to complete, and I would certainly make this design again, varying the sentiment to suit the occasion.

My second card was created using an offcut of drawing cartridge. We often have these, and do not always know how to use them up. I again created a Distress Ink background, and stamped a row of cacti, adding a few lines with a fineliner pen to finish off the landscape. I coloured the cacti and the grass with pencils, added a quick bit of shading with a stencil for a sunset, and stamped the lovely sentiment from Hold On. I mounted the piece onto a kraft background for a quick and simple card.

I will be back later in the month with a few more projects to share with you. Thanks for stopping by, xx

Journal Planning

Hello everyone, I hope that you are all keeping well, and enjoying the recent warm weather. I have a couple of projects to share with you today that were first shown on last month's TV shows on Hochanda. These very versatile stamp sets were drawn by Kim Moody for Chocolate Baroque, and have been such a pleasure to work with.

I fell in love with these images as soon as I saw them, and knew straight away what I wanted to do for my first two designs. I created a plan in my journal, sketching a layout and trying out a colour scheme for these two cards. I used Katya, masking off her headdress, and stamped just the face, the dangly decorative pieces of the headdress, and the shoulders. I drew a headband and some hair, and also extended the dangles up to the headband. I added a pattern onto the headband, and also added a similar design onto the bodice. Once complete, I used some Masking Tissue, and traced the design, before cutting it out, and covering the image.

I stamped the dreamcatcher from Catching Dreams and coloured the background with a light wash. I added some feathers and the sentiment from Hold On. I coloured the images with koh-I-Noor pencils, sticking to a fairly limited colour palette of ochre, red and green and brown.

For my second project, I wanted to create a Native American landscape, incorporating the teepees, and the cacti. I stamped the main image from Do Right Always, and added the cacti to one side. I added extra lines to complete the scenery using a fineliner pen. I added more rocks and grass at the front, and mountains at the back. I coloured the picture using watercolour pencils, blending several colours together, to create a more natural feel. I used lots of terracotta to create a very scorched dessert look to the earth.

I wanted to show you my unfinished journal sketches, so that you could see how true the final cards were to my original plans. They were pretty close!

I will be back later in the month with more projects to share with you. Stay safe, and take care, xx

Rainbow Tree

Hello everyone, I have a project to share using stamps from last month's TV Shows from Hochanda. I have created a cheery card using the Tangled Birch stamp and a sentiment from the Words of Wisdom stamp set.

I stamped the Tangled Birch image using Versafine Onyx Black ink, and extended the landscape using a fineliner pen. I coloured the image using Koh-I-Noor pencils, and then covered the coloured image with Acrylic Wax. You could use masking fluid and rub it off afterwards, but the acrylic wax is so quick. (Or you could use bleach to take the colour out of the tree if you apply the background colour first, and then colour the image afterwards). I added shading over the background with seven different colours of Distress Inks to create a rainbow effect, and buffed the image with a piece of paper towel.

Rainbows are a symbol of hope and unity right now, I felt that this background would be so uplifting for someone who is feeling down, or for a special person that needs a card sending to them during this time.

Look after yourselves, and stay safe. Thanks for stopping by, xx

Creating Backgrounds

Hello everyone, I hope that you are all keeping well. Even in times like these, I hope that you have been able to find some enjoyment in your crafting, in whatever form that has taken. A lot of you have been saying that your mojo has taken a walk, but hopefully the inspiration on the Chocolate Baroque Design Team blog, on the Facebook Group, and Lesley's daily Facebook live posts are continuing to provide you with lots of ideas.

I have created a card for you using the lovely Katya, and stamps from the Timeless stamp set. I used a piece of Drawing Cartridge from my stash that had been washed with a tea bag dipped in warm water. This gives the card a lovely aged feel, perfect for the look I wanted. It's a very quick way of colouring a background.

I stamped Katya using dark brown Archival ink, and covered the image with masking tissue before adding the large image from the Timeless stamp set a couple of times. I then added lots of the smaller images using second generation stamping to fill the rest of the space, and overstamping the other image as well. I used sepia tones, keeping in with the general colour palette.

I removed the mask, and coloured Katya with Koh-I-Noor Polycolour pencils, these blend really well, and add a pop of colour to the main image. I felt that the main decorative piece on Katya's headdress reminded me of a cog, and so she fitted so well with the 'Timeless' theme, a lady from a bygone era.

To create my second card, I added pink and green Distress Inks to a piece of Drawing Cartridge with some water, and then stamped the little butterflies from Baroque Meadow across the background using toning colours of Versafine Clair inks. I used a whiteboard postcard, and stamped a sentiment from Words of Gratitude across the background using grey Archival Ink. I added some shading around the edge of the postcard using Distress Ink and stamped the Tangled Birch over the top using black ink, which I coloured with pencils as before.

My final card, which I shared at the time of the TV shows was a really quick card, a simple Brusho background with the same wording added. I then stamped the images from Baroque Meadow in black ink, and added a piece of black ribbon, before mounting the project onto black card.

These lovely stamps are so versatile, always a pleasure to create with. I will be back later in the month with more ideas to share with you.

Take care and stay safe,

Judith xx

Patchwork Sunset

Hello everyone, I hope that you are enjoying this warm weather! I thought that I would share a brightly coloured project with you today, showcasing some of the stamps from last month's TV shows on Hochanda. These colours probably reflect the tropical temperatures right now!

I started my project with a background created using Yellow and pink Distress Inks and water. I stamped some images from Patchwork Landscape using Versafine Clair ink. I added some lines using a fine liner pen to complete the scenery, and coloured the images with Koh-I-Noor Polycolour pencils. I stuck to a limited colour palette, and coloured the grass, adding shading using the same colours that I had used in the foliage and flowers, (pinks and blues). This stamp set is really great for scene building, and is so useful for lots of different purposes. You could vary the colours and create quite masculine cards by using grey, terracota and ochre, for example. Stamp and emboss in white on kraft card for a completely different look, there are so many possibilities.

Take care, and thanks for stopping by, xx

Tree of Hope

Hello everyone, I hope that you are all keeping well during these uprecedented times. Life is still very uncertain for lots of us, and for this blog post, I wanted to create a card with a message of optimism.

I started my project with a piece of kraft card, and stamped a large image from Trees a Crowd, using brown Archival ink. I added a little image from Sticks and Stones as foliage, using first and second generation stamping. I coloured the image using Koh-I-Noor watercolour pencils, and ran a waterbrush only over the first generation stamped images, as I wanted the colours in the other images to remain very soft. Adding water tends to brighten the colour somewhat. I added some colour under the tree to ground the image. A sentiment from Patchwork Landscape was perfect for this card.

To create a border, I ran the edge of an old credit card through the inkpad, and drew it along the card at various angles around the edge of the background. I added some shading with Rusty Hinge Distress Ink.

Thanks for stopping by, and take care, xx

Happy Flowers

Hello everyone, I have made a quick little card to share with you today. My intention when making this card was to spread a bit of cheer during the lockdown period. I know that I have days when I feel down, and I am sure that it hits everyone else in the same way. If you are reading my post, and you are feeling low, then I hope that you can feel brighter by my wish for happiness for you. Try to look after yourself, and take time out to do something for yourself if you can.

I have taken a piece of Textured Art card, which I coloured with Distress Inks and water. I then stamped the large Fritillary stamp from Happy Flower's Day three times, masking the first image before I stamped the image twice again. I coloured the image with Koh-I-Noor watercolour pencils, and added some water with a brush. I used lots of different colours on the flower, to create a blended final colour, which is a bit more natural than colouring with just one colour. I added some grey for shadows around the stalks and underneath the flowers.

A sentiment from the same stamp set completes the card.

Take care, stay safe, and thanks for stopping by, xx

A Bit of Crocheting Goodness

Hello everyone, something a bit different for you today. I posted a few pictures on Facebook last week of a project that I created for my little Granddaughter, that I have been making during this period of lockdown. I cannot spend time with her, and wanted to give her a gift to let her know that I love her very much. She is eight months old now, and although she won't realise that I am missing her, it means a lot to me to give her something that she can keep from her 'Nana'.

I chose to crochet this beautiful Rainbow Unicorn design from FlyvFlyv https://www.flyvflyv.com/produktside/rainbow-the-unicorn-english as soon as I saw the design I was literally hooked! I loved everything about it, the colours, the size, the look of the embroidered eyes, it is just beautiful. My daughter had asked for a rattle unicorn, so I added rattles inside each of its feet, for an added extra.

I had not realised what an epic project this was going to be, and set out to crochet the unicorn. The main pieces worked up quickly enough, but the mane and tail pieces took ages! The construction was quite a feat, stuffing everything and sewing it all together, as it is such a large toy. I have never made anything like it before, but I was determined to finish it for little Ruby. The crochet flowers look lovely amongst the mane, and I added them almost as a headband at the front, which works really well.

The colours I have chosen are a little bit brighter than the designer's, because I wanted to stimulate Ruby and draw her interest, I stuck to the rainbow palette, and the colours look amazing as you can see from this rear view:

The unicorn has such a happy look with the embroidered eyes, they are really safe for Ruby at her age, and are a lovely feature.

Ruby seemed to really like her new friend, and you can appreciate how big the unicorn is against its new owner:

Ruby will hopefully have hours of fun playing with Rainbow as she grows up, and if it gets a bit floppy, then I will have done a good job.

I have moved on to another crochet project now. I am finding that in these times of uncertainty, crochet is giving me a degree of calm and the mindful nature of the craft is allowing me to process my thoughts. Several years ago I completed the Lily Pond CAL by Jane Crowfoot, a beautiful blanket, and actually learned to crochet along the way. Jane has designed another CAL called the Fruit Garden CAL. I love this project with its Arts and Craft Movement design, and am looking forward to working on the segments over the Summer. I have almost finished the first set of squares and here is a progress photo of how I am getting along:

The yarn is absolutely gorgeous, a new bamboo cotton from Stylecraft, probably the nicest yarn I have ever worked with, it is so soft. This flower has been designed to represent a forget me not, although it is not blue in this instance. If you are interested in finding out more about the CAL, you can go to the Stylecraft website and here is the link you will need: https://www.stylecraft-yarns.co.uk/Fruit+Garden/0_CAFA122_CAFA150_CAFA233.htm

I hope that you are all keeping safe and well during this time, keep crafting, and look after each other.

Thanks for stopping by xx

Butterfly Mind

Hello everyone, our unusual lockdown life seems to be rather normal these days. Crowds and large gatherings almost feel out of place and it will be strange to go back to a life where we can meet up and see friends once again. Hopefully you have been able to catch Lesley's daily Butterfly Tree Facebook Live get togethers and have been getting lots of inspiration from her demos and tips. Maybe you have made new friends through these virtual gatherings, and do not feel so isolated being able to share in the chat and crafty experience. I have been 'meeting' some of my friends for online video chats, and at least we can still keep in touch with each other. I hope that you are all managing okay and finding ways of dealing with life as we know it right now.

I am sharing a couple of cards today featuring stamps used from last month's TV shows on Hochanda. I actually made these cards a little while ago, but never blogged them, so decided to show them to you this time around instead. The first card features the Bokeh technique on the background, and is a bright, zingy card, sure to brighten anyone's day. It would be great for any occasion, and you could add a sentiment to suit the situation.

I created a background using Brushos, and chose a palette of greens and blues, making sure that I covered the background really well. I dried the background, and then using a range of circle stencils, and white ink, starting with the largest stencil, I stencilled over the background. I added enough of the largest circle until I was happy, then moved onto the medium circle, overlapping some of the larger circles, then added the smaller circle, again overlapping some of the other circles.

The Bokeh technique is used to recreate a photographic effect which looks like an out of focus blur on a photograph. It is great for backgrounds, to then add something sharper in the foreground. I chose to add some of the butterflies from Butterfly Mind. I stamped them onto some card that I had coloured with orange Brushos for a really great contrast of colour, and cut them out. I omitted the stamens. I stamped the butterflies once more directly onto the background, and layered the cut out butterflies over the top. I added a sentiment from the same stamp set.

I did create an alternaitive colour option, using blue for the background, and yellow for the butterflies. A zingy pink background with green butterflies might look equally striking, why not try these out for yourself, and see what you think?

For my second card, I created a gelli print background using Distress Inks. I stamped the large film strip butterflies directly onto the gelli print and stamped the butterflies again onto a piece of coloured card, and decoupaged them onto the background. I added the splatter image around the edge of the background to complete the card.

Take care everyone and stay safe, thanks for stopping by, xx

Book Making Using Recycled Materials

Hello everyone, I have a few more projects to share with you today showcasing the fabulous stamps that we brought to last month's TV shows on Hochanda. The collection of stamps had a little bit of something for everyone, and I enjoyed working with them so much. I am sure that you will love them too!

My first project is a handmade book, I love books, and used to buy so many of them. Nowadays, I like to make my own, from simple accordian books, to fabric covered books that I have stitched together and used more complicated bookbinding techniques. This project uses a corrugated cardboard envelope that I received from a mail order company, and I have simply taken advantage of the fold of the envelope to create the spine of the book. I folded twelve pieces of drawing cartridge in half, splitting them into three groups, and these became the signatures of my book. I popped the pieces inside each other, so that I had four pieces of drawing cartridge sitting neatly inside each other, in groups of three. I made three holes up the fold of each group of paper.

I cut the cardboard envelope to make a cover so that it was slightly larger than the drawing cartridge, and made three lots of three holes in the spine, which would enable me to sew each signature into the cover in a simple bookbinding method. There are lots of You Tube tutorials for this, just do a search online for 'simple bookbinding', and you will find lots of help. If I were to make another one of these books, I do think that I would put washi tape on the spine for added strengthening, but I am not intending to put this book through a lot of tough use, so it will probably be okay.

I used bookbinding thread to sew the signatures into the book, but you can used dental floss if you do not have any specialist supplies.

I used black card as a matting layer, this really sets off the zingy colours that I chose for my masterboard background. I used Distress Inks to blend across some drawing cartridge, and added tone on tone stamping using the bubble wrap effect stamp from Make Your Mark stamp set. I added the cracked stamp and circles in grey ink, and some of the word clusters to build up the background. To finish, I stamped the large circle using black ink onto a piece of scrap card, added the words once more, and matted it onto black card, to create a topper. I felt that these words were perfect for a journal, and especially in these uncertain times, they can remind us that life is not so bad after all.

You could create lots of these masterboard backgrounds and cut them up to make cards, bookmarks, book covers, all sorts of projects, it just goes to show that these mark making stamps can be the stars of the show and not just for backgrounds.

For my next project, I created a background of soft greens, and added leaves and a word cluster from the Glorious stamp set using a darker green ink. I stamped the Floral Study onto a smaller piece of card, and coloured the image using watercolour pencils. I edged both pieces of card with Seedless Preserves Distress Ink.

The background on this card contains a bit of everything! I coloured the drawing cartridge using Distress Ink, and added some stamping using the Large Crackle Background stamp. The circles,words and bubble wrap image are from the Glorious stamp set, and I have used the Chocolate Baroque Strip Stencil set. I have stamped and embossed the Poppy Ledger image onto kraft card using white embossing powder, and coloured it using Koh-I-Noor paints.

Finally, a super quick little masculine card using kraft card once more. I used the tape image from Make Your Mark and three different colours of ink; red, brown and white. I then stamped the sentiment onto one of the strips, which is something that Lesley had always envisaged with this strip image. You could change the colours, as some of the other Team members have done, and make really colourful versions of this type of design.

Thanks for stopping by, xx

Glorious Flowers

Hello everyone, I have a few projects to share with you today showcasing the fabulous new stamps that we brought to last month's TV shows on Hochanda.

My first two cards use the same stamp as the focal point, but show what very different looks you can achieve with the same stamp. For my first card, I created a bold background, adding texture paste through a Chocolate Baroque Strip Stencil, and then stamped images from Make your Mark using coordinating colours, plus black ink for the circles. I chose to stamp the words in grey ink for a softer effect. The circles are just the right size to add these word collections, and I will be using this effect a lot for backgrounds, as I really like how it looks.

I took a smaller piece of card and stamped the seed pods and masked them with Masking Tissue. I then stamped the Square Bubbles and added colour as before. I took away the Masking Tissue and coloured the image with Polychromos pencils, and added some grey shading along the edge of the image with a pencil for dimension.

For my second card, I coloured a piece of book paper with Scattered Straw Distress Ink and stamped the seed pod again several times up one side, masking it each time to create  a cluster of pods. I added the small flower sprigs from the same Glorious stamp set, and coloured everything with Polychromos pencils. I edged the book paper with Seedless Preserves Distress Ink.

I stamped the single leaf and flower sprig randomly across a larger piece of kraft card, using green and purple Versafine Clair inks, and also stamped the sentiment onto a small piece of kraft card. These pieces of card were also edged with Seedless Preserves Distress Ink.

My final card uses the large fantasy flower from the Glorious stamp set. I stamped the image onto a piece of cotton fabric using Archival Ink. I coloured the image with Inktense pencils, and blended them with a waterbrush. I frayed the edges of the fabric and adhered it to a layer of dark card using strong double sided tape.

I created the background using a piece of drawing cartridge stained with tea, but you could use Distress Ink, or any other water based medium, it's up to you. I like the speed of running a wet tea bag over the drawing cartridge, and tend to colour several pieces in one go, as I make a jug of tea especially for this purpose. I then have lots of backgrounds ready for future projects.

I stamped a couple of images from Make Your Mark randomly over the background, giving the loose impression of cracked plaster, by sticking to a warm brown colour palette.

I will be back later in the month with more projects to share with you, thanks for stopping by,

 xx