Monday, August 25, 2014

Untangle yourself from Life

G'day

Would you not want to untangle your worries, stress and everyday repeticious tasks.  Well I just found a way , it is called Zentangle.  I am on facebook and sometimes on my feed are these beautiful creatioins and I needed to find out how they were drawn.   So I goodled Zentangle and there you have a way to  get mesmerized and hypnotised by drawing with a 0.1 fine line pen and 3.5 inch sqaure paper and by using repetitious patterns you create this beautiful work of art.  Is so relaxing takes you into another world.

I have read that instead of making the usual card, create a Zentangle and incorporate it into the card.

Well this is what I came up with.  Is called a Nymph Flower.  Instead of adding in tangles I left it as it is.  Nice and simple.

Here is my card.  Click picture for detail of the flowers.



 

Simple to make.  I die cut a square and started drawing the Nymph flower, by following a tutorial on YouTube by Ellen Wolters (tanglepattern Nymph- Lovly laday has more tangle patterns to share).  I then die cut next size up square, pasted the pattern on and mounted pop dots on all four sides.  I wanted to prompt the pattern of the card front but have it receded.  I then die cut the front of the card with same square size as the pattern and tacked on the panel from inside the card.



I then used my score buddy to make indentend lines and used 0.1 fine line pen to outline the bars and also add a bit of shadow to the lines with a pencil.

I stamped the sentiment imagine (stamplorations - artful flutters) with stayzon (jet black) onto vellum sheet and cut it out and rounded the top corners.

Yes I finally found vellum sheets in Spotlight and I had to get some as everybody is using it for creations on their cards. I found stayzon, distress inks by Ranger are very good and they dry quickly on the vellum.  Versafine inks tend to smudge, even drying overnight.

I think I will be able to Zentangle on a vellum sheet, that would be cool. Must try soon.


I would like to enter my card into the following challenges :-

STAMPlorations - bi-weekly sketch #18
Addicted to CAS - #45 code word : geometric
Addicted to Stamps & More - challenge #109 CAS
613 Avenue Create - challenge #86 anything goes


Before I go I would like to share with you my very first Zentangle. Click pic to see detail.  The pattern in the middle is called BetweedFew tangle patterns by Rick and Maria on their YouTube Channell.


Not perfect but it is a start and am enjoying the process but I still think I cannot draw.  This is close enough and not bad if I say so my self.


Thank you for stopping by and Have a Fantastic Day.....maybe Zantangle your way through the day.

Cheers MONika

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Textured Canvas

G'day

I found this cool challenge blog called The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge.  How awesome. I have not made a canvas in a while and when I came across this challenge I thought why not, I have stencils and modelling paste.

Love the rules too, can create up to 5 creations and create whatever you want and combine with any number of challenges, awesome.

Here is my mixed media canvas


I used distress inks (spiced marmalade and broken china - throughout the whole design of the canvas) for the background water color (smeared onto craft sheet, spritzed water and picked up with canvas, until desired look, not much with the canvas, maybe i should have painted it with gesso first, not sure).  Stamped on the sentiments (stamplorations - artful flutters) with broken china. Added some more stamps of leaves, small flowers, circles and birds.

 
I used the stencil (KaiserCraft) and white modelling paste to create a textured and raised pattern all over the canvas.  I positioned the stencil so the main design was in the center and the rest going of the canvas.  I love how the distress ink colors come through the modelling paste as it fully dries. Love this stencil as it shows swirls in the background after embellishments are added. I think this stencil gives the canvas an elegant look. 

 

Once the stencil design was dry, I thought it was too bright (but it still looked good this way too), so I sponged some spiced marmalade and broken china over the raised area. Still too light.  I was thinking of tissue paper ( I used this before to add more colour to a canvas with modelling paste)  So I sponged the tissue paper with spiced marmalade, broken china and aged mahogany, spritzed with water and heat dried, then glued it onto the whole canvas.

Then I started adding dimensional stuff, like die cut leaves, stamped and cut out butterfly, punched out dragonfly and tree and paper flowers, the sentiments stamped on banner with broken china.  For some added shine and bling I added blue jewels and copper/gold glitter paint.

 
The whole design of the canvas reminds me of the outdoors, mostly traveling the countryside, the birds, the free leaves floating in the air and the beauty of so many different trees.  I also love the sentiment words, imagine, dream and believe.  This goes through my mind sitting in the car as the scenery goes by.


Inks Used :-
ranger distress ink - spiced marmalade, broken china, aged mahogany,
versafine - onyx black
Paints Used:-ranger distress paint - peeled pain

Paste - mont marte modelling paste
Stencil - kaisercraft  12x12 damask
Die Cuts - mpress 3 in 1 nesting dies leaves (used in cuttlebug)
Glitter - mont marte - glitter paint gold/copper

Stamps Used:-
stamplorations - vignette:artful flutters, thankful grateful,
kaisercraft - weekdays, hummingbird
fiskars - friendly flowers
inkadinkado - circle and dots


I would like to enter this canvas into the following challenges :-

The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge -
august #3 stencils with modelling paste
STAMPlorations Blog - august challenge stamps and die cuts



Thank you for stopping by
cya soon MOnika

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Magic

G'Day

I have so much pretty designers paper in my stash which I have not used much at all. I remembered I had a Fairy Tale (KaiserCraft) one, with so many beautiful pages and colours.

I thought appropriate to use one of those for a challenge at CAS-ology where the current challenge cue card is Magic.

I really love this page, the colours and pretty fairies, makes you want to imagine, dream and believe.

 

I wanted to show more of the page (they are really big), so I chose to put on the inside as well.

Using my stamps (STAMPlorations -artful flutter), which I thought very appropriate for this challenge, I stamped the sentiments and butterfly in dusty concord (ranger - distress ink).

 

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges :-

CAS-ology - cue card Magic

 

Thanks for stopping by

Cya soon Monika

 

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Butterflies !

G'day

Butterflies, I think I am hooked at the moment.

Here is another card I made



I think i am still hooked on spiced marmalade and broken china (Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Ink).  Just love the combination.  They really work together and they make green too.


I like the sketch at STAMPlorations Blog bi-weekly sketch #17 and made another card but highlighting the die cut squares with a black textured paper border.  I wanted to keep it simple so I just stamped the butterfly (stamplorations - artful flutters) with watermark ink (versamark) and heat embossing with black (zing - opaque finish) heat embossing powder.

I die cut (mpress 3 in 1 nesting dies) all the squares, positioned them and tacked them together with (x-press it Glue marker).  I then squished the two colors onto my craft sheet and spritzed with water.  Next I smooched the panel onto the colors and two more times to get the look I liked.  Took the squares apart and glued on the black borders except the larger square.

I stamped the sentiment (stamplorations - artful flutters) also with spiced marmalade and broken china using the rolling technique.  I then ran the squares and front panel of the base card through a Sizzix splash embossing folder to achieve a textured look to the front of the card.


I would like to enter my card into the following challenges :-

STAMPlorations - bi weekly sketch #17
Crafting at the Weekend - august Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday challenge - summer



Thanks for stopping by
Cheers Monika


Monday, August 11, 2014

More Butterflies

G'day

Butterflies and Summer everywhere, except Melbourne Australia.
Here is my card to cheer me up and think about summer


 


Nice and simple.  Stamp butterfly (Stamplorations - artful flutter) in watermark ink (versamark) and heat emboss with black embossing powder (Zing - opaque finish).  Use a square die cut and emboss for a frame.  Sponge with spice marmalade and broken china (Ranger - distress ink),  Take water brush and make water happiness.

Die cut 2 squares with designer paper (KaiserCraft - fairy tales) and assemble as sketch.   Stamp sentiment (Stamplorations - Patchwork Frenzy - graphic squares) with watermark ink (versamark) and heat emboss with gold embossing powder (Zing - metallic finish).

Finally use flower embossing folder, for some texture and dimension, to dry emboss the front of the card, glue on the butterfly assemblage and apply gold glitter glue and blue gems to the butterfly for some bling.

 
I would like to enter my card into the following challenges :-

Time Out Challenge - #11 Celebrations with a twist butterflies
Addicted to CAS - challenge #44 - code word gold
Stamplorations - August challenge - stamps and die cut
CAS on Sunday -  challenge #39 butterfly
Butterfly Challenge - #12 Summertime butterflies
Stamplorations Blog - Bi - weekly sketch #17



Thank you for stopping by and saying hello
Love reading your thoughts

Cheers Monika

Butterflies and More

G'day

Another day in the crafting room, creating another card with my favorites, distress inks and water.

Here is my card.


Simple card really.  On a white base cardstock I punched out small butterflies, stamped sentiment (with watermark ink (versamark) and heat embossed with black embossing powder (Zing, opaque finish).  Next I sponged dusty concord and broken china and spritzed with water (love the droplets, spritz from the side angle) and heat dried.  I found lovely blue designer paper (KaiserCraft - fairy tales) and glued it on the back with a border too.  Taped (double sided tape) the panel onto a blue textured card base.


I would like to enter my card into the following challenges :-

Time Out Challenges - #11 celebrations (option butterflies)
Stamplorations Blog - August Challenge - Stamps and Die Cuts

Stamp set used for the sentiment
( I cannot locate the name, so here is a picture)
 

Here is the lovely designer paper I used (clik on right picture to see the detail in butterflies)


This is the true color of the front panel, which was taken a little bit earlier



Apologies for the pictures, my camera was not co operating when I wanted the final shot, but I think the card looks alright in those colors too.


Thanks for stopping by and have a Great Day
Cheers Monika

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Golden Times

G'Day

I got inspired by a challenge to make a card that is not the usual square. I also noticed that gold was going around too and summer in some places.

The clock reminds me of the times in summer when I was young we used to drive to Queensland (for a 2 week holiday on a hired boat, every year) from Victoria and I would get bored in the car, driving during the day, in summer. I would always ask my parents "Are We There Yet". The journey took a couple days. I would always check my watch to see how far we gotten.

The gold reminds me of the sun and the colour of the day, bright, colourful and golden. Plus I remember getting an ice-cream called "Golden Time", which reminds me of summer too, the hot heat and I'm cooling of with a delicious ice-cream, watching the day go by, through a car window.

Here is my card


I used a circle die cut on my cuttlebug to make the shape of the card. Next I used modelling paste with a clock stencil to give texture and dimension. Next I painted the front with black gesso. Replaced the stencil and colored it in with metallic gold marker. Placed some gold glitter glue on the arms of the clock and used a gold stud for the center. I stamped the sentiment in versamark watermark ink and heat embossed with zing gold metallic powder onto black textured appear and prompted up with pop dot for lift.
 
I liked the black and gold together and I wanted to use different types of gold. Marker, glitter glue, embossing powder and a metal stud.


I love how the clock popped out when I colored it in with the metallic marker over the stencil. Thus I wanted to show that off, so I kept the card simple and just added the sentiment, which I think worked out pretty good.


I would like to enter my card into the following challenges :-

Virgina's View Challenge Blog - challenge #6 Shape Cards


Addicted to CAS - #44 Gold


The Mixed Media Card Challenge - #2 Summer




Thank you for stopping by
Cheers Monika