Sketchy Stamps for Sheena Douglass on Hochanda......

Good morning!

I'm sharing the first of four posts that you will see over the next few weeks that are my samples that were made for Sheena's shows on Hochanda with her new sketchy stamps.

These have been coloured with Sheena's new sparkle pens which were also launched on these shows.

I think that they are beautiful stamps and the brightness of the sparkle pens in so intense.

Hope you like these two and look out for more coming soon!!!!

Thanks for stopping by today,

Leanne xxx

Five Christmas cards for September!!!

Good morning!!!

Here I am as promised every month with my five Christmas cards for this month!!! - Oh it's all going so well!!!

 I've popped them in three photo's so that you can see that each one is slightly different to the next one.

So, I have used the lovely Poinsettia by Woodware for these cards and the Seasons Greetings sentiment is also from that same set.  The Wishing you A Magical Christmas is from Stamps by Chloe.

I have stamped each flower with a perfect medium ink pad and heat embossed with white powder. I also used the same technique for all the sentiments.

These took me a little longer than usual for batch making as they have been painted in with lovely bright Brusho's and finished off in the centres with aqua markers applied undiluted.  The backgrounds have been done by masking off each flower first with masking fluid (this took a while!) and then mixing a couple of Distress Oxides and adding some filler stamps and stencils.  A tiny touch of white pen and I was done!

There you go! Month nine - mission complete - I'm nearly there with my news years resolution!!!

Hope you like them! Thanks for stopping by,

Leanne xxx

Happy Anniversary Husband!

Good morning!

I'm sharing the card that I made for my husband James for our 23rd wedding anniversary which was on the 10th of this month.

With a distress ink background I faux bleached out the sun/moon and some clouds and added the hills with some torn paper.

The stamp is a marvellous one from Stamp Addicts and I've added some die cuts of foliage (Ivy - Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions) and I've stamped some extra toadstools.

I thought that this was exactly where James would like to be, asleep in a place with such a view!!!

Well, he liked it and that made it all worthwhile!!!

Hope you like it too!

Thanks for stopping by today,

Leanne xxx

Final Lot Christmas Cards for Donna Ratcliff on Hochanda.......

Good morning!!

Here are the last of the Christmas cards that I made for the launch of Donna Ratcliffs Christmas cards  for Hochanda.

The first one I adore, I just love the "grungyness" of this one - it turned out so vintage looking and was perfect with the stag.

The second one was using the little cottage stamp set so I put it inside a bauble and added snowtex and glitter (not seen very well on this photo I'm afraid).

These stamps were a sell out on the shows so obviously other people like them as much as I do!!!

Hope you've enjoyed seeing what I did with them.

Thanks for stopping by,

Leanne xxx

"Peace and Joy" - Mid month reminder at Penny Black and More Challenges....

Good morning!

Here I am with my inspiration for the mid month reminder at Penny Black and More Challenges.

Our current theme for this month is "Get Ready for Christmas".

Here I have used the stamps 3024F - Xmas Spirit (sentiment) and the Peace and Joy sentiment, the stag and the trees all come from the Penny Black stamp set 30-261 - Natures Friends.

I have highlight the stag with a little bit of white pen and the rest of the card has been produced with Distress Inks and Archival Ink.  A little texture paste was added to the trees to give a look of a little bit of snow drooping on the branches.

Do come and join us at Penny Black and More Challenges:-

http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.co.uk

There are prizes to be had!!!!

We look forward to seeing your entries - good luck!!!!

Thanks for stopping by today,

Leanne xxx

More Christmas Cards for Donna Ratcliff on Hochanda.......

Good morning!!

I am popping on my Hochanda makes every Friday - seems to be working well on the blog so I'll keep going!!!!

Here we have the lovely Poinsettia stamp set at the top - you know me, can't do a traditional red Poinsettia - have to be a bit different so I went for pink!  You can buy beautiful pink ones these days and also a lovely off white, almost cream one too - I managed to keep one going for almost three years but then it decided to die on me (I'm not too good at keeping Poinsettias!!).

This first one has been stamped and masked off with masking fluid.  Then dragged through some Oxide Inks, the masking fluid rubbed away and then coloured in with the Distress Oxides.

The second one here has been stamped first with Father Christmas and masked off.  The background has been put on using Distress Inks, the masking fluid removed and Father Christmas coloured in with diluted Aqua Markers.  The Santa Stop Here signs have been cut out and attached.

Hope you like what you see,

Had fun making these - my fingers told me so when I saw the colour of them!!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Leanne xxx

Exam success for Katie!!

Good morning!!

I thought I'd share the card that I made for my daughter Katie for passing all of her GCSE's last month. (She actually got 1 x A, 7 x B's and 1 x C) - a great achievement for Katie so well done honey bun!!!!!

So, I made this card to congratulate her.  Using Penny Black slapstick cling stamp Dancing Daisies I have water coloured the image in after stamping with aqua markers.

A lovely "washy" background too.

I hope that you like this quick share, I was pleased with how it came out and the outstanding quality of these stamps is very clear indeed when you use them.

Well done Katie, Love you loads!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by today,

Leanne xxx

More Donna Ratcliff Stamps for Hochanda................

Good morning!!

Here are another two samples that I made for Donna Ratcliffs Christmas stamps launch last week on Hochanda.

The top one is that BEAUTIFUL stag again, this time stamped first and then masked with masking fluid.  Then the trees were stamped in the background.  Some old book page cuttings were attached and then I painted the background in using Distress Inks. Rubbed off the masking fluid and painted in the stag to tone in with the general colours.

The second one is a bit of fun really!!!  One of the stamp sets in this launch has two lovely Robins in it.  I have actually used the same Robin and reversed it(and the hat) to give the other one a pal!!!  I've used the branch from the same stamp set to form the nest and have attached two stockings, again from the same stamp set to the nest with one of the Robins offering the other a small piece of holly.

A sparkle pen background, edged with Distress Ink.

Rather sweet don't you think??!!!

Hope you like them,

Thanks for stopping by today,

Leanne xxx

You can never have too many butterflies!!!!!!

Good morning!!

I'm "between art calls" right now so I've taken the opportunity to create two pieces for two different challenges while I can!!!!

The first one is for the Stamping Sensations colour Challenge"-

http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/september-photo-inspiration.html

I have a new item in my stash - Crackle Accents!!! So I've used that on my inky background here.  I have used inks from my Artistry Ink pad selection.  The butterfly is a beautiful one by Penny Black.

My second offering is for the Butterfly Challenge:-

http://butterflyspotchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/85-butterflies-s-is-for-silhouette.html

This has been created using a huuuuuuuge butterfly by Chocolate Baroque and all the silhouetted ones are also a further set by Chocolate Baroque along with the sentiment.  The silhouette butterflies stamped out looking rather distressed and I loved the effect of this so didn't even attempt to cover the patches and went with it!!!  It was diluted Brushos this time to get the intense indigo colours on water colour card stock over white embossing so I hope I've got everything on there for this challenge!!!!

Hope you like both of these pieces,

Thanks for stopping by today,

Leanne xxx

I will enter these in to the Stamping Sensations Challenge and the Butterfly Challenge on the links quoted within this post.

Donna Ratcliff stamps for Hochanda............

Good morning!!

Here I am with a couple of cards that were made for Hochanda to launch the new Crafters Companion Christmas stamps by Donna Ratcliff.

The first one uses the new Distress Oxide colours on the background.  I felt that the stag was so impressive that I left it completely uncoloured against that bold background.

The second one is a very inky (very me) background, again using Distress Oxides for the background with multiple stamping of the tree stamps in the set.  The little animals aren't where they are supposed to appear - I cut them off of where they should be when I cut up the rubber stamps as I wanted them to be placed in different places! The circles are a classic of mine - old bottle lids! - to enhance the background - nice and inky!!!

I'll be sharing my makes for this set of stamps over the next couple of weeks with you.

Have a lovely weekend,

Thanks for stopping by,

Leanne xx

Creativity is sharing your soul with the world..........

Good morning!!

I have created this piece of artwork to support my dear friend Dot Leathbridge at Ink Art Designs in Australia and her new Facebook challenge:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/InkArtDesigns/

You can use any of your Visible Image, Stampendous, Lavinia Stamp or Kaisercraft stamps or mix them up if you wish!!!  Check out her September challenge!!!

I will also share this with my friends over at the Visible Image Facebook group too.

Using Distress Oxides and Distress Inks I have coloured in the Face It! stamp here and using Distress Ink I have used it as a water colour to get the light right on the face.

I hope you like what you see, leave me a comment as I love to read them.

Thanks for stopping by today,

Leanne xx

I would like to enter this in to the Ink Art Designs September Challenge:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/InkArtDesigns/

and the Visible Image monthly show and tell album:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.1105592556237849&type=3

and the Visible Image monthly theme challenge - distressed:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.1105593129571125&type=3

"Dream Together" for Rubber Dance.............

Good morning!!

Wow, I've been so very busy with my design team work recently so I thought it was about time that I supported my favourite stamp companies and their challenges while I'm in the lull between art calls.

I've created this card for the Rubber Dance colour challenge of cream, yellow and pink

http://rubberdance.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/rubber-dance-september-colour-challenge.html

I have used the Mama Owl and the Snazzy Squirrel stamp sets along with the Dream sentiment - I had to add "together" by hand as I wanted this to be suitable for an anniversary card, or engagement or even just a card of love - where two people become one.

I have reversed the tree from the Snazzy Squirrel set to give me the opposite branch to sit the second owl on and I have completely removed the squirrel from the branch and of course, replaced it with the owls!

Easier to show you!:-

 See, the squirrel went and the owls appeared!!!

When I had finished with the stamping, I masked off a large heart over the two owls and created my background using Distress Oxides - Antique Linen, Fossilised Amber and Candied Apple. I then removed the heart mask and just tinted the heart with a very small amount of the Candied Apple Distress Oxide ink.

Added some further stamping from the Mama Owl filler stamps and some black and white leaves and acorns - just because the squirrel isn't there doesn't mean that the owls can't sit in his tree!!!!

Added the sentiment and mat and layered in white and black.

I thought this was very sweet and the stamps are beautiful to use.

I hope you like it!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Leanne xx

I will be entering this in to the Rubber Dance colour challenge - cream, yellow and pink:-

http://rubberdance.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/rubber-dance-september-colour-challenge.html

New Challenge at Penny Black and More - Get Ready For Christmas!

Good morning!

Here I am with an inspirational piece for our new challenge starting today over at Penny Black and More "Get Ready for Christmas".

I have used distress inks for my background and the Penny Black stamp set 30-260 On The Town and Penny Black 3024F is the sentiment stamp.

I have popped a glow shadow on the walking couple so that it looks like the light is reflecting on them from the street lamps.

Do come and join us over at Penny Black and More - there are prizes to be won!! - but please do remember that the main focal point of your design must be a hand stamped image NO DIGITAL IMAGES.

http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.co.uk

Have fun!!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Leanne xx

I've Been Published in Craft Stamper!!!!

Good morning!!

As Craft Stamper magazine goes on public sale today I thought I'd share a sneaky peek of my artwork that is appearing in it this month.  This is in the Abundance of Nature section of the magazine.  I'll share a full photograph of it next month with you.

I can however share a full shot of my artwork that appeared in Craft Stamper magazine in July (the August issue) in the Deckchairs by the Sea section.

I had real fun playing with Powertex and sand!!!

If you saw it in the magazine, hope you liked it and if you didn't, I'm pleased that you have had the opportunity to take a look at my work on here.

Thanks for stopping by today, enjoy your copy of Craft Stamper magazine this month!

Leanne xxx