On thin Ice with Shabby Chick!

Hello good people! I have made an attempt on a style I'm not comfortable with, it just sort of happened! I was playing with the new stamps from Rubber Dance, and I thought the ice skates would look nice if I made them vintage... and one thing just lead to another .... 

So, what is this - shabby chick or vintage? Vintage Shabby Chick? No matter what the style is called, it was fun to try something different from what I usually make. You know I love a good challenge! :-)

 

The next card is more my style, wouldn't you say? I printed the text out, but the images are from Whimsical Winter - one of the new stamp sets from Rubber Dance.

Here's another "Bibi style" card. The sentiment and penguin are both from the new stamps at Rubber Dance
(released today!).

I made the background first - sea with Distress Oxides and a spray of water, sky with regular Distress ink. All the images were stamped on watercolour paper and coloured with Zig markers, cut out and placed on top of my background. I cut a line through the "waves" and tucked half of the whale behind the waterline.  The whale and clouds are also stamps from Rubber Dance, 'case you wondered. I drew the shark fin on watercolour paper and coloured it with grey and black Zig markers. It looked better, not so flat, as if cut out of black cardstock.

Below are some tags I cut out of a background I had in my stash. Just having fun with the new sentiments stamps from Rubber Dance :-)

If you want to see more artwork with the new stamps, most made by Donna Gray who designed the new Whimsical Winter stamps for Rubber Dance, check out my post on the Rubber Dance blog.

Thanks for looking!

♥ Wishing you all a lovely and creative week ♥

Deep Sea Diva - Cards for That's Crafty!

Hi everyone!

That's Crafty! has launched two new stamp sets designed by Donna Gray! I have had the pleasure to work with these stamps a bit ahead of time and so far I've made the three cards below. To see many more sample cards with these beautiful stamps, pop over to That's Crafty's blog for a look.

I LOVE everything beach and sea, so I'll make more cards with these stamps when time permits. But for now, here go you - my first three cards using stamps from the Deep Sea Diva collection:

 

 

Here are the two sets. 

These clear stamps are both available in the That's Crafty web shop

Full Disclosure: Yes, I am affiliated with That's Crafty! and the designer of these stamps, Donna Gray, is a very good friend of mine. She's designing stamps for my own rubber stamp company as well. That's Crafty! gave me these two stamp sets to make sample cards. They also carry stamps from my company, Rubber Dance, which you can find in their web shop here. They will be addding more stamps from Rubber Dance soon (I'm working on their order as we speak; ready to ship later this week!)

I had great fun making these sample cards

and I hope you like them.

Thanks for looking!

 

Funny Bunny - Masked Stamping

Hi everyone! I hope you like my silly card :-)

Card intro:
Claire couldn't quite put her finger on it, but for some reason she had always suspected that she might have been adopted ...

Stamp from the Bonny Bunny set, designed by Donna Gray for Rubber Dance. 

20 % off on both new sets until Monday (May 8th). All info is here.

I stamped three bunnies in the front, masked them off and stamped the two in the back, masked those off and stamped the final top bunny. All bunnies were coloured in using Zig watercolour markers, which I LOVE. I have never liked using markers, until I tried these. (I'm not sponsored by anyone to say that, I really do love'em!). I used them together with a waterbrush here and there. Anyway -  I wanted missis Claire to stand out more, so I stamped her on another piece of watercolour paper, coloured her in and cut out the image, leaving a thin white line around the image. Text was made on my computer and printed out.  

Thanks for looking!

Sale - New Stamps!

This is my first post for today, the second one is here

Hi everyone!

As most of my readers know by now, I own the stamp company Rubber Dance. Over at our blog today, you will find a RELEASE SALE on two new sets of rubber stamps, designed for Rubber Dance by my very dear friend Donna Gray! ♥
I'm so happy and excited!! :-)

If that doesn't tickle your curiosity, how about this sneak peek ....

 

Pop over to our blog and let us know what you think! 

These are Donna's very first designs for Rubber Dance

and I know she's looking forward to your feedback!

Thanks for looking!

Rubber Dance Blog:

http://rubberdance.blogspot.com

Rubber Dance Web Shop:

www.rubberdance.com

My Favourite Hair Colour (on Stamped Images)

Hello, everyone! If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know that I often kick-start my muse by looking at papercraft challenges and then try to make something with the theme from one or two, sometimes three different ones. For today's make I've used the theme from SIX different challenges, although I can only enter my make to four of those since I didn't follow all the rules on all six - I was just inspired by their theme, one being 'use a lot of circles' (check!).

Anyway - joining the challenge over at That's Crafty's challenge blog once again, using silver and gold, and the Never-Before-Used Schtuff (NBUS #8) challenge over at Darnell's blog (my first entry for these two are here). My NBUS today are the silver paint and the smallest of the circle dies (it's but 16 mm in diameter).

Today I'm also joining the folks over at the As You Like It challenge, who want to know our Favourite Hair Colour Combo and Why (I'll get to that), and last but not least the Die Cut Diva's challenge where we can't use any sentiment this month, but must use at least one die.  I have used 3 sizes of a circle die with stitches, and placed one die inside the other to make circle frames.

OK, 'nuff talking - let's see the result!

I stamped Serena (from That's Crafty!) using black StazOn on Strathmore mixed media paper and coloured her in with ZIG clean colour markers, before painting the background silver with an acrylic paint from EcoGreen Crafts. This paint has no solvents, no chemicals or harmful odours, but it dries permanent. I've had this paint for a while now, but hadn't used it before. I love it! It has a beautiful shimmer, which you can see better on the close-up below. I also used it on the edges of the black panel:

 Like I mentioned above, the As You Like It challenge this time is to use our fave hair colour combo and explain why this is our fave. I have used ZIG clean colour markers, which I love because they are so vibrant and saturated, they also blend beautifully with one another and with water. For Serena's hair, I first blended  #082 Purple with #025 Pink and #050 Yellow, before going over them with a waterbrush. I like these unnatural hair colours because they're fun, and perhaps because I am a little envious ... my own hair is a rather dull brown. Once it turns white, I'll most likely dye it blue with turquoise stripes :-)

 


For Serena's face, I used ZIG # 042 Turquoise Green and #036 Light Blue, simply because I like these cold colours as a contrast to the warm colours of her hair. I used a waterbrush here as well and this time I wanted more of an "imperfect" watercolour effect, i.e. not as gradually blended as her hair.

I used the same pink for Serena's lips as I had used for her hair, and the same pink and yellow for the eyebrows.


I've used the same pink, purple, yellow and blue colours for the flowers (also a stamp from That's Crafty!, both a Donna Gray design).

I'm entering my make to these four challenges:

That's Crafty!: Silver a Gold (due date Jan 27.)
Darnell's NBUS # 8 (due date Jan 22.)
As You Like It: Fave Hair Colour and Why (due date Jan 25.)
Die Cut Divas: No sentiment, must use dies (due date Jan 31.)

Thank you for the fun challenges, folks!

Thanks for looking!

 

 

Flower Power - Mixed Media Page

Hello, good people! Here is a piece that I've been working on for a couple of days. I've made it for the current challenge at That's Crafty, where the theme this time is Flower Power! ♥

 

 Recognise the face stamp? I have used it before here and here.
The stamp is designed by my dear friend Donna Gray for That's Crafty in the UK.

I stamped the face on Strathmore Mixed Media paper and masked it with masking fluid.

When the fluid was dry, I sponged several colours of Distress inks on the background, misted it with water and Distress stains.

I used the side of an acrylic block dipped in white acrylic paint for the stripes. After that was completely dry, I stamped flowers and small texture stamps (all from Rubber Dance) randomly around the background. On the left you can also see part of a leaf stencil.

Once my background was finished, I peeled the masking fluid off the face and coloured it in with ZIG clean colour markers.

I made a negative mask around the hair and stamped the small flowers (Rubber Dance), also coloured with ZIG markers.

The flowers and leaves (all from Rubber Dance) were stamped on Strathmore MM paper, coloured in with ZIG markers and a waterbrush, cut out and placed on top of my picture.

I had great fun making this. Most of my makes lately have been CAS cards, so this was something completely different!

Stamps used:

Serena from That's Crafty!

Textured Flowers from Rubber Dance:

They go really well together, don't they?

 

I'm entering my make to this challenge:

That's Crafty: Flower Power

(deadline is December 23rd)

Thanks for looking!

Edited: This entry won me a Top 3 at the That's Crafty challenge! I'm so honoured!!

Cat CAS Card

Hello, everyone! Here's a stamp that I've used a couple of times recently - Bentley the cat from That's Crafty, designed by the talented Donna Gray in the UK. The thinking bubble is from the same set as Bentley, while the sentiments are from Rubber Dance (Norway), the Beautiful Words stamp set.

I stamped the images with Archival Black ink on watercolour paper that already was torn on one side.

Coloured them in with a waterbrush and ZIG clean colour markers. Love them! I painted a shadow on one side of the cat to make him pop from the background, giving the image more interest on a CAS card. It was still missing something, so I added the turquoise frame on two sides of the card. Ta-da! Made all the difference.

I'm entering my card to these two challenges:

Scrappelyst: Clean and Simple

Craft Stamper: Anything goes (just remember to stamp somewhere!)

Thanks for looking!

When I'm feeling blue ... Zig Watercolour

Hello there! I'm back again with another watercolour using ZIG clean colour markers on Gesso coated cardstock. I really like working with the markers on this surface.

I'm pretty sure that my interpretation of the lyrics to 'A Groovy Kind of Love' is not what Phil Collins had in mind when I he made his cover hit back in the '80s:

 

I have combined two stamps by the very talented designer Donna Gray; the blue faced woman is called Beki and the other one is Serena. These stamps are sold by That's Crafty in the UK. I think they're super cool!! I wrote the text on my computer and hand doodled the frames.

I'm entering my card to the fun challenge blog Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers. The theme right now is 'W is for Watercolour', and my card is that - and with my added text it's a bit snarky, too, I s'pose ... ;-)

Thanks for looking!

CASology Challenge, Week #221: CURE

Hello there! When I saw that the cue word at CASology this week was CURE, I thought long and hard about all kinds of serious matters ...until deciding on a funny cure instead:

 

My card is featuring yet another beautiful stamp designed by my friend Donna Gray for That's Crafty! This one is called Serena. (Previously, I've used Bentley, Donna's adorable cat stamp on this card, and Beki, one of her whimsical women on this card). 

I've used my new ZIG clean color markers again - this time on cardstock with a coat of white Gesso - a tip I got from Donna.

I find it very interesting to experiment with these ZIG markers on different surfaces, and this has got to be the less expensive method: I used cheap cardstock and a cheap brand of Gesso, which I diluted with tap water and painted onto the cardstock with a broad paintbrush. I left it to dry completely before stamping with black archival ink.

The beauty of this method is that no matter how long the ZIG markers are left to dry, and they do dry  quickly, you can still go back to it days later and lift the colours up with water, or go in with a Zig marker to add more colour or to blend the colours.

I used a waterbrush to blend the colours of Serena's hair, adding dots of more colour here and there as I went along. Her face is coloured with three light ZIG markers, and water just to lift up some of the colour on the tip of her nose, chin, and her right cheek (left side from where we're looking at her). Notice how I goofed on the shadow and light on her neck? They should've been be reversed, with the light source coming from the same side as that of her face. I didn't see my blunder till after I had placed the card here in my post. Oh, well ....

A note about the text on my card: I wanted to use my Dymo to spell that sentence, but half through it ran empty of tape and I didn't have a replacement. That's the look I wanted, though, as a hard contrast to Serena's soft face, so I made the text on my computer instead. The band-aid is real, though :)

I made this card with one challenge in mind, 

and I'm entering it to only that one challenge:

 

Thanks for looking!

Watercolour on Yupo Paper - Cats Galore!

Hello, everyone! I've been having such fun experimenting with my new ZIG Clean Color Markers, using them on different kinds of paper.

For the challenges I'm entering today, I tested the markers on Yupo paper. Yupo is a synthetic but recyclable, tree-free paper with a plastic feel to it. The ZIG markers worked great! The Yupo paper allows for a long drying time, so the colours were super duper easy to blend.

 

Isn't that cat adorable? It's a stamp designed by my friend Donna Gray for That's Crafty in the UK. The cat's name is Bentley and the stamp is quite big (which I love): 10 cm tall and 6,5 wide. 

I stamped Bentley randomly around the paper (20,5 cm x 10,5 cm) with Archival ink, which took some time to dry on the Yupo paper, but once dry it stays.

After colouring in the cats using the watercolour markers, and a waterbrush here and there, I held my breath (not sure if I'd ruin it all) and lightly misted the painting with water....... and I did achieve what I wanted (phew!). I really like the imperfect "colour outside the lines" effect.

I'm entering my watercolour card to these three fine challenges:

Her peaceful garden: The 2016 Cat Lovers Hop

 

Crafty Creations #372: Watercolor

 

Moving along with the times, 32: Cute Animals

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Beki goes to Town with Zig Watercolour Markers

Hello everyone!
Do you know what it's like when you want to make something but you're not sure what? I bet I'm not the only one who often feel that way. So, what's a girl to do?? Ah - look at challenges, of course! That usually gets my mojo going, anyway. I went to the Paper Playful blog where there are hundreds of challenges listed, and started scrolling ....

The first challenge that caught my eye was that from the As you like it challenge
where the question this week is whether we prefer to use old or new stash (and why). I've never seen their challenges before, but I knew right away how to answer that question: I prefer BOTH! haha ;)
I like using NEW stamps, but OLD and beloved products, such as watercolour paper, Distress inks and Archival black ink. The reason why I prefer new stamps is that they are able to excite me in ways that older stamps usually don't - with a few exceptions of old faves, of course. The reason why I prefer using old products is that I have tried so many different kinds of papers and ink since I started stamping that I'm pretty sure I've finally found the ones that suit me the best - and why fix it if it ain't broken, right?

The next challenge I saw was The Crafter's Cafe #159: Use a new technique.
Yessss, I wanted to use my brand new ZIG Clean Color markers! What - no Distress inks this time? *ahem*  Well,  I love watercolouring with Distress inks but I had seen such lovely results with these watercolour markers that I had to have'em! Using them to colour in stamped images is a new technique for me and this is my first finished card.

So, there you have it. My mojo had been awakened! I decided to use some new stamps and a new product/new technique, and here's the result:

 

Those cool girls is a stamp called Beki, designed by Donna Gray for That's Crafty!

Isn't Beki lovely? I think she's super cool. Notice that little house dangling down from the blue and purple Beki's hair -  I love that detail! Besides, her hair house goes really well with these new Textured Houses stamps from Rubber Dance. The hair house on the yellow Beki ended up on her dress. I'm not a 100 % happy with how my watercolours turned out, but I'm sure I'll get a hang of those ZIG markers with a bit of practise. They're so juicy and vivid!! The first time I saw those markers in use was in fact on Donna's blog, so my colouring her Beki stamp with them is quite appropriate, isn't it? :)

I'm entering my card to these three challenges:

As you like it: Old or New stash? (I've answered that question above)

The Crafter's Cafe #159: Use a new technique (watercolouring with Zig markers)
Cards und More #169: Watercolour

Thanks for looking!