Spring Greens

 Spring Greens

Hi, Shelagh here. Last month I was lucky enough to win the IndigoBlu challenge and following this, I was invited to create a project for this month's challenge entitled 'Spring Greens,' so here we have it. I must admit I did find it a challenge and took some time to work out the direction I was to follow as I felt few of my IndigoBlu stamps fitted in with subject. 

Many thanks for visiting my blog and if you should have any queries, please ask and I will attempt to help.

Materials:-

·         Canvas

·         IndigoBlu Stamps:- Nature 1, Stylised Flowers

·         Inkpads:- Versafine Onyx Black, Versamark; Distress Inks – Pine Needles, Black Soot

·         Embossing Powder:- Wow Twinkling Green and Twinkling White; Clear Detail

·         Spectrum Noir Aquatints – Greens (from all sets)

·         Acetate:- Heatable

·         Pebeo:- Mixtion Relief Outliner, Mirror Gilding Sheets Green and Silver

·         Sakura:- White Pen

This project was quick to realise, once thoughts and materials were gathered (omitting drying time.)

Extras:-

·         Deep photo frame

·         Pebeo Fantasy Prisme Pale Green

·         Mod Podge Sparkle

Instructions:-

1.       I painted the canvas with water then dropped on the greens in areas allowing the variety of shades to fuse and keeping the blue-greens towards the top.

2.       Once dry, I stamped the ‘Stylised Flowers’ four times (‘off the page’) using Versamark Black and embossed with clear detail embossing powder. The butterfly was stamped three times using Versamark and heat-embossed using ‘Twinkling Green.’ The clouds were stamped twice, again with Versamark then heat-embossed using ‘Twinkling White.’

3.       At this point I blended Ranger Distress ‘Pine Needles’ and ‘Black Soot’ around the edges.

4.       The flower stems were out-lined on one side with a white pen; the seed-heads were outlined with the Mixtion and once dry but still tacky, silver leaf was applied. The same was applied to the centre of stems but once dry, green leaf was applied. P

NB The silver leaf looks white on the photo – oh! the joys of photography!

5.       I stamped the butterfly three times onto heat-proof acetate, embossed with the green powder as before and cut the images out.  I folded the wings back and attached them over the image on canvas with Cosmic Shimmer glue.

Extras:-

To finish the project, I painted the frame with pale green ‘Fantasy Prisme,’ the second coat stippling the paint to create the illusion of texture. Once dry, I applied Mod Podge ‘Sparkle’ to add more interest.  I removed the two peripheral acetate butterflies, placed the canvas inside the frame then glued butterflies over their stamped images but on the frame.

I hope you find the above useful and feel encouraged to ‘have a go.’

Thank you,

Shelagh.

Lady, partly in Red!

My latest offering!

Here is my entry for the current IndigoBlu challenge 'A Touch of Red.' 

The title 'The Lady, Partly in Red' came to me once the design was complete and whilst the familiar, similarly named song is not entirely our anthem, it was frequently played all these years ago when we were on honeymoon - and yes I did have a couple of red outfits with me.

'The Lady, Partly in Red.'

Here is how I made the card.

Materials:- 

·         Cardstock:- Neenah Solar White, Crafter’s Companion Pearlescent White

·         Paper:- Red copy paper

·         Stamps:- IndigoBlu Floral Swirl, Music Hall

·         Inkpads:- Versmark, Versafine Onyx Black; Distress Milled Lavender

·         Embossing Powder:- Wow Sahara Sand, Clear Detail

Instructions:-

1.       Cut white card into a square 12cmx12cm and stamp the lady from the ‘Music Hall’ set in the centre using Versafine Onyx Black. Heat emboss with clear detail powder. Stamp another image on a sticky note, cut it out and mask the image in preparation for the next step.

2.       Stamp the ‘Floral Swirl’ twice with the corner at bottom right and top left using Versamark; heat emboss using Sahara Sand. Over-stamp but off-set these images again using Versafine Onyx Black.

3.       Blend Milled Lavender around all four edges.

4.       Stamp and heat-emboss the lady again onto a piece of scarlet copy paper using Versafine Onyx Black and clear detail powder. Cut out the hat and hand/glove areas omitting the face and body; adhere onto main image as in paper-piecing.

5.       Cut another sheet of card into a square 14cmx14cm. Repeat instructions at (2) and (3) on this larger square.

6.       Edge each square with a black alcohol marker.

7.       Mount the smaller square centrally onto the larger.

8.       Score and fold a piece of white pearlescent card. Cut the folded card into 14.5cmx14.5cm.

9.    Mount the completed image centrally onto this.

Et voila, here we have 'The Lady, Partly in Red!'

If you have any questions or quandaries about the above please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Thank you for visiting and hope to see you again.

Kind regards,

Shelagh.

Floral

                                                 Clarity Stamps Challenge 24 Floral

February 2015

 Exterior

Interior

                                                                                                   

Materials:-

•  Shaker Box with Lid
• Gesso:- Black, White
• Cardstock:- Clarity Theuva Card, Supersmooth Paper
• Stamps:- Clarity Stamps ‘Happily Ever After,’ large and small Gerbera, repositionable ‘Funky Foliage,’ ‘Leafy Swirls’
•  Inkpads:- Versafine Onyx Black, Versamark; Ranger Distress Picked Raspberries, Festive Berries, Squeezed Lemons, Evergreen Bough, Mowed Lawn, Peacock Feathers, Old Paper; Memento London Fog
• Embossing Powder:- Clear Detail, Gold detail Embossing
• Foam pads
• Mod Podge
• Cosmic Shimmer glue
•  Gilding Wax

Instructions:-

Box:-

   

                                                                          Plain Box

                                                                       Second Coat

                                                          Dry brushed with black Gesso.

• Coat box inside, out including side and base with White Gesso. Repeat on lid. When dry, give the box and lid another coat. Allow to dry.

•  Dry brush with Black Gesso to create a ‘shabby’ finish. (The photograph is much darker than reality but should you need to, it can be lightened with a dry-brushing of white Gesso.)

• When dry, and using the large ‘Leafy Swirl,’ apply Versamark and stamp around the side of box. Sprinkle over gold detail embossing powder and heat emboss. Repeat on lid. 

         *N.B. This takes some time; take care as the box can become hot.

•   Stamp along the side of the lid using the small ‘Leafy Swirl’ and emboss as before.

                  (I also stamped the large ‘Leafy Swirl’ inside the lid to add interest.)

Interior:-

'Happily Ever After' stamp

 

• Stamp the Happily Ever After castle eight times onto Theuva card using Onyx Black and emboss with clear fine detail powder. Brush ‘London Fog’ sparingly over extreme edges of stamped images and cut each out. Snip areas away and layer with 1mm foam pads to create a   decoupaged image. Set aside. (Please note the stamping shown here is on copy paper as this is a re-run for this post. The original in the completed box is on Theuva.) 

 Gerbera, Large and Small and Leaves from 'Funky Foliage'

•  Stamp large Gerbera 9 times on Supersmooth paper using Onyx Black and emboss with clear detail powder. Using Festive Berries and Picked Raspberries, blend ink over each image. Trim and decoupage into three flower-heads.

•  Stamp small gerbera three times following procedure at (3). Trim and add a small image to the centre of each flower-head. Set aside.

•  Stamp 8 straight-edged leaves and one curved leaf from the Funky Foliage set onto Supersmooth using Onyx Black and emboss with clear detail powder. Blend Mowed Lawn, Evergreen Bough and Peacock Feathers over the images and cut out. Set aside.

•  Draw around the circumference of the box onto a piece of Supersmooth paper. Cut out the circle, making fractionally smaller to fit the inside by cutting inside the pencil line. Check it fits snugly and adjust accordingly.

• Use your castle image to decide where the sun mask is to be placed on the circle; Blend over Evergreen Bough for the sky and Mowed Lawn for the grass. Tear a copy-paper hillside and blend ink over to create light and shade. (I also blended in some London Fog to create the illusion of a path from the castle.) Remove mask and blend Squeezed Lemonade over.

• Spritz the inked circle crumple it whilst damp. Dry then blend Old Paper over to create an aged look.

• Paint the inside base of the box with Mod Podge and apply the inked circle. Apply more Mod   Podge over the entire circle.

• Site the castle image to suit and attach using Cosmic Shimmer glue. 

• Glue the edge of each cut-out leaf and apply to the inside rim of the box, allowing a small over-lap.

• Decide where you wish to place the flower-heads and attach using Cosmic Shimmer Glue. Add remaining curved leaf to suit.
• My last addition was a touch of gold gilding wax to the lid and around the side.

My original idea was to create a ‘Secret Garden’ visible only when the box lid was opened, however I could not find a box that fitted my design. I tried various other designs over the period of a week until I happened upon a set of ‘Shaker’ boxes in a cupboard. The idea blossomed and my thoughts changed from the original secret garden to something more akin to ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ or even ‘Rapunzel.’

Thank you for reading the post and visiting my blog; apologies for it is rather lengthy, however there were more than a few steps and techniques to cover. Should you have any questions or queries, please ask and I'd be delighted to help or look for an answer.

Hope to see you back again!

Shelagh  ;~}