Crafting with Dragonflies- Use a Freebie Image

Hi Folks, it's time for another challenge over on the Crafting with Dragonflies challenge blog. This week, the challenge is to make a card using a free digital image, and show the link where you got the freebie from. I have used a Cuddlebug Cutie digital image to make a Birthday card. This image is called Ty, and seemed just right for the recipient, who has now received her card.

I coloured the image with Polychromos, and sat her in a circle which I filled with patterned vellum.  The main background of the card is a wrinkle free distress background using Wild Honey and Seedless Preserves Distress Inks.

You can find the image that I used here the website is full of great designs by the artist Anna Stillwell.

I have added a sentiment by Chocolate Baroque to finish my card.

There are some great digital sites where you can get digital freebies, this site offers a daily selection and is worth checking out. Pop over to the Crafting with Dragonflies challenge blog, there are some great freebies on offer from our blog owner Hilde, just look for the freebie tab at the top of the page. Why not have a go at entering our challenge, and don't forget to tell us where you got your freebie from in your blog post. Thanks for stopping by, xx

Hi Folks, I have made a card using the Mini Echoes template from Crafter's Workshop. I coloured some texture paste with acrylic paint, before spreading it over the template onto black card. Once it was dry, I dry brushed a deeper colour over the top to create some shadows. I stamped the main image onto a Tim Holtz cabinet card movers and shapers die cut shape, which I have actually used upside down because it fits the design perfectly this way! I needed to draw around the die to get the correct size, just in case you were thinking of trying this idea out yourselves. I have coloured the image with pencils. I have added a sentiment from the Mackintosh sentiments clear stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by, xx

Foiled Rose Panel

Hi Folks, I have created a card with the Mackintosh Windows stamp set using some metal foil to create a focal panel. I stamped the image with Stazon Ink, and drew over the lines with an embossing tool. I rubbed black acrylic paint onto the panel, and then wiped the excess off, leaving black paint in the crevices. I added some coloured gilding wax to the leaves and flowers to make them stand out.

I stamped some matching roses onto a piece of background from my stash, that I had made ages ago. I have used the wrinkle free distress technique with metallic Distress Stain added to two tones of purple Distress Ink. I simply added a piece of ribbon and a sentiment from the Mackintosh Sentiments stamp set to finish.

 

Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Orange Tree

Hi Folks, I have another card to show you today, using the stamps of the month from Chocolate Baroque. I have combined them with an older stamp set, Fantasy Woodland to create this card.I have used some fairly plain background paper, the reverse is extremely patterned, from my stash, and stamped the images, using archival ink. I then coloured the images with Polychromos pencils, adding some white highlights. I used one of the gorgeous Mackintosh sentiments, the fonts are just great on these stamps, and I know I will use these stamps so much.

I have matted the design onto orange and black card, and simply added some little mosaic tiles, as a nod to the Mackintosh detail so prevalent in the designs of the time.

 

The beauty of Chocolate Baroque stamps is that lots of the newer designs have details that tie in with the older designs, so the leaves and orange motif match perfectly on both of these sets. If you are a CB fan like me, I hope that I have reminded you to look back through some of your old favourites and use them with your new best friends. Thanks for stopping by, xx

Mackintosh Birthday

I have always loved the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and the new stamps sets from Chocolate Baroque evoke that style perfectly. I have a Birthday card to show you today, using the lovely new Mackintosh Windows/Mackintosh Beauty Multibuy stamp set. I have created a wrinkle free distress background, and stamped the rose spray from each set onto the background to create a frame for the main image. I used bleach to paint the images, so that I could then colour these images with Distress markers. I stamped the main image onto a large die cut and also coloured this with markers before matting it onto black card. I have added a sentiment from the Mackintosh Sentiments stamp set.

 

I wanted to show the versatility of this stamp and that it could be used for lots of occasions, not just weddings, by changing the colours that you use. Thanks for stopping by, xx

Alter a Tin or Jar

Hi Folks it's time for another chaleenge over on the Crafting with Dragonflies challenge blog. This fortnight, we are challenging you to alter a tin or a jar, and it would be great to see your before and after photos.

I have chosen to alter a jar that contained some scrumptious marshmallows that we treated ourselves to before Christmas. In the name of crafting, they had to be finished off so that I could use the jar of course!

I started by painting the jar with a stone coloured paint, and then added some background papers which had some lovely vintage adverts on them. I clipped the top of the paper, which enabled me to mould the paper to the contours of the jar more easily. I added a coat of crackle glaze, followed by dark brown paint to the top and bottom of the jar, creating a worn edge above and below the papers. I kept the screw area of the jar clear.
I painted the lid in a toffee colour, and once it was dry, I added various colours of metallic gilding wax in tones of brown and gold to make it look more aged. I printed my image onto kraft card and coloured it with pencils. I cut it out using a ticket die from Tim Holtz. I used a smaller die from the same set and a stamp from Paper Artsy on another scrap piece of kraft card. Some brown lace and ribbon were all that were needed to finish my jar.

Our sponsor this week is Digistamps4joy and Margy is offering a prize of $10 to spend in the store to the winner.

Why not hop over to the challenge blog to see what my creative team mates have been up to, and have a go at entering the challenge?

Thanks for stopping by, xx

Anything Goes new challenge at CWD

Hi Folks, I am posting my blog post for Crafting with Dragonflies slightly late this week, as I have phone line and Internet connection issues at home. Apparently, our phone cables around the village have been stolen, and we could be without phones for some time. You have to wonder at what some people will do to make some money. So, I have managed to get online by hook or by crook, and here is my post.

The theme for this fortnight's challenge is Anything Goes, and it is a card related challenge. I have chosen to use a couple of stamp images from Inkylicious, which are previously unused in my stash, shameful I know, but I have so many stamps! I stamped both stamps onto pieces of mount board cut using Nestability shapes. I used Distress Markers, so that I could get a variegated effect with the colours. I then covered the pieces of mount board with three layers of UTEE, to create a tile effect.

I covered my card with a lovely piece of DP from my stash, I have had it for so long, I don't even know where it came from, but the design is just gorgeous. I added some lace, and two metal butterflies, which I painted to tone in with the overall colour scheme.

 

 

Hop over to the challenge blog to see what my team mates have made for your inspiration, and have a go at entering the challenge. All you need to do is make a card with the theme of 'Anything Goes'. Thanks for stopping by, xx

 

Oriental Screen

Hi Folks, here is a project using more of the stamp of the month stamps from Chocolate Baroque. I have used a piece of card measuring 12" x 9", which I have folded into three, scoring at 4" and 8" along the long  sides top and bottom. While the card was folded into three, I die cut the top of the screen using the Tim Holtz Vintage Cabinet card die. Tip: if you just place your top cutting plate over the area of the die that you want to cut, you won't cut any further into your screen. I die cut the bottom of the screen in the same way using the Tim Holtz Baroque die.

I trimmed a piece of Firefly paper to 12" x 6" and then stamped the background stamps taken from the Tranquilty and the Moonlit Waterfall stamp sets onto the paper, and coloured them with Inktense pencils. I then used Images from Oriental Crane and Serenity/Tranquility Multibuy to stamp my main images, which I also coloured with pencils.

I punched a leaf image from the top of each screen panel, and added some tiny gems for decoration.

Thanks for stopping by, xx

Japanese Water Garden

I have created a scene using the stamps of the month from Chocolate Baroque. I have stamped the main images, and then masked over them before stamping the flowers to fill in the background. I have used a mixture of both stamp sets to create a feeling of a Japanese water garden, using architectural features as well as plants. I have also used a wall stamp from the Landscap Edges stamp set to create the path along the bottom of the design.

I have coloured the project with Polychromos pencils.

I'll be back in a few days with another project, thanks for stopping by, xx

Tranquil Tree

Hi Folks, I wanted to create a masculine card with an oriental feel using the new oriental stamps from Chocolate Baroque. I created a background by embossing some kraft card with a stencil through my die cutting machine and then adding some Distress Inks for definition. I added a wash of colour to a piece of handmade paper and stamped the tree and bird from the Serenity stamp set using brown archival ink.

I made a 'stone' by cutting a piece of card into an oval shape and punching a hole in one end before applying some texture paste. I stamped the word Tranquility taken from the Tranquility stamp set. I added some acrylic paint over the top in various shades of brown, and blue, drying the paint after each application. Note: you do need to make sure that the piece cools down before you add the next stage, or the paint cooks. Finally, I added some dark brown paint, which I wiped away before it was dry. The paint settled into the letters.

I tied the 'stone' to the card using some string in a criss cross design.

Thanks for stopping by,  xx

First post of the year

Hi Folks, it's been a while since I posted, last year in fact, so I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy New Year. I'm playing catch up with my teamies over at The Chocolate Baroque Design Team blog showcasing some of this month's new stamps. I've not been so well, and so here is my first sample.

I've chosen a theme of bamboo for this card, and created a background using various green toned Distress Inks. I spread some texture paste through a bamboo stencil down one side of the background. I used a mask of the main stamped image to locate where I needed to stamp my bamboo images, and then stamped those to create a frame for the central image. I coloured the main image and the bamboo images with Distress Markers. I added some gilding wax to the textured bamboo, and then matted the background onto some green card.

My design team mates have created some stunning samples this month, with lots more to come, so keep checking the design team blog. There is a Design Team call out at the moment, so do take a look if you are interested. Thanks for stopping by, xx

Christmas Tags

Hi Folks, it's time for another challenge over at the Crafting with Dragonflies challenge blog. This time the theme is Christmas tags, so useful at this time of year. I always like to make my own gift tags to add that personal touch to my presents, so these tags will come in really useful.

I have chosen to use an image from one of our sponsors this week, QKR, called 'Santa's List', which I have coloured with pencils in vintage colours. I have embossed my tags with a music embossing folder, and then coloured the raised areas with Distress Inks. The finishing touch is some fab gingham ribbon.

Our Sponsors this week are QKR, who are offering the Winner 5 digis of their choice:

Sassy Studio Designs who are offering 4 digis of the Winner's choice:

So, why not head over to the challenge blog, and take a look at the inspiration offered by my Design Team mates, and enter into the competition yourself? It is the last challenge for this year, but we will be back next year with lots more challenges for you. So have a lovely Christmas from all of the Dragonflies, and keep crafting. Thanks for stopping by, xx