Distress Dragonfly

I just love the options on the Color Throwdown board this week.

Here's my entry

I sprayed some watercolour card with distress antique linen, using both the spray stain and oxide spray as they do give different effects. Once dry I stamped script and splodges randomly using crumb cake ink (my kraft) and distressed the edges. The dragonfly was die-cut and coloured using oxide inks. Love, love, love the pop of colour the rust gives, so gorgeous. I also sprayed another piece of watercolour with forest moss oxide spray and used that for my die-cut embellishment - a close look will show all the speckly goodness. There are two layers of that of course - you know me, I love the extra depth. The piece of mossy meadow behind was dry embossed for added texture and also distressed. My crumb cake/kraft card base was sponged heavily around the edges and the final step was adding white gesso splatters. I've left a sentiment to be added when the occasion arises.

Materials used:

• stamps - Entomology (Tim Holtz), Timeless Textures (Stampin' Up)
• card - crumb cake, mossy meadow (SU), watercolour
• distress spray stains/oxide sprays/oxide inks - antique linen, rusty hinge, forest moss, black soot
• other - Big Shot, blending brushes, water spritzer, heat tool, distressing tool, craft foam, foam strips, white gesso, fan brush, SU crumb cake ink, Subtle embossing folder (SU)

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have a crafty day!

Cheers

Kerry

 

The Card Concept - Change of Seasons

Hello and welcome to a new season of challenges with The Card Concept. In case you haven't visited before, our challenges are held every two weeks (Sept thru June) and offer an inspiration picture for you to draw ideas from for your cards. You might choose the theme, the colours, or even one small aspect from the picture as the stepping stone for your creativity.

Here's our inspiration picture for challenge #179, Change of Seasons.

Here in Australia we're emerging from the cold winter months so I've used fresh spring colours on my shabby/mixed media card inspired by that gorgeous swallowtail butterfly. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Create Happiness Elements (Stamperia), Butterfly Brilliance (Stampin' Up)
• card - basic white, ARToptions - Viken (49 and Market), old olive
• Copic markers - BG72, C4, V09, BV00, BV01, BV11
• inks - mint macaron, old olive (SU), villainous potion distress ink (Tim Holtz), Memento tuxedo black
• other - Viken repositionable fabric tapes (49aM), distressing tool, Dimensionals, craft foam, picket fence distress paint (TH), brayer, paintbrush, clear embossing powder, heat tool, MISTI, sponge daubers, stencil, texture paste, spatula, Holiday Greens thinlits (TH), Big Shot, quote chip (TH)

If you create something we would love to see it in our gallery - you can find that here (as well as the rules for playing along) and also see more samples from my fellow design team members to inspire you. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Toadstools & Texture

I made this card back in early May (when it was autumn and not nearly spring, lol) and posted it to Instagram but it appears I completely forgot to post it here, so better late than never, I guess! It was me being inspired by a variety of cards I saw on Pinterest and having fun with various TH elements.

The woodgrain panel used for the base was one I had on hand from a play day, as were the pieces used to die cut the leaves and toadstool. The frame I cut from chipboard and applied crackle paste, painting it once it was dry and rubbing distress crayon into the cracks to highlight them. Script and splodge stamps were used on the background before lots of distressing and sponging of edges. So much fun to put together and one of my favourite cards. 

Materials used (as much as I can remember, anyway):

• stamps - maybe Gorgeous Grunge (SU) and Entomology (TH)?
• card - watercolour, early espresso, vellum, chipboard, woodgrain
• Tim Holtz dies - decor frames, funky foliage
• other - distressing tool, sponge daubers, Dimensionals, hello die, Big Shot
• lots of distress oxide inks including but not limited to - speckled egg, rustic wilderness, crackling campfire, vintage photo, weathered wood, walnut stain

There's more autumn-themed stuff coming in the next month or two as my design teams are based in the northern hemisphere, so get used to these colours!

Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Take Risks

If there is an age where you no longer have fun getting inky fingers, then I haven't yet reached it, lol. Today's card was a veritable feast of colour all over my hands, as you can see:

But it was worth it, I think. This card is for the Just Add Ink sketch challenge this week. 

It had me rather intrigued for a while, then I decided to see how it would look in a mixed media format and, well, here's the result.

This poor butterfly, tattered and torn, is still out there taking risks for the duration of its short life - kind of a metaphor for our own lives, don't you think?

Materials used:

• stamps - Attic Treasures, Remnants (Tim Holtz)
• card - crumb cake, early espresso, watercolour
• distress oxide inks - peacock feathers, evergreen bough, vintage photo, mustard seed, kitsch flamingo
• other - vintage photo, antique linen and walnut stain distress crayons (TH), Tattered Butterfly Bigz die (TH), Big Shot, blending brushes, water spritzer, heat tool, hexagon die, word chips (TH), fossilized amber distress archival ink, clear rock candy distress crackle paint (TH), sponge dauber, Dimensionals, distressing tool

Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Edited to add: I'm thrilled to say this card was picked as the winner for this challenge. Many thanks to the folks at JAI. 

Softness in Nature

Those who prefer bright, bold colours don't get a shoe-in this week as our nature-themed class cards are all about soft colours, and as I do love me some distressing and splodging, a couple of them also have a shabby chic look I simply adore.

Materials used:

• stamps - Beautiful Friendship, 
• card - seaside spray, whisper white, mint macaron
• other - subtle and script embossing folders, water spritzer, linen thread, Big Shot, Dimensionals, word window punch, white shimmer paint
• inspired by Teneale Williams

Materials used:

• stamps - Free as a Bird, Timeless Textures
• cad - balmy blue, whisper white, vellum, Bird Ballad DSP
• other - distressing tool, stitched season framelits, Big Shot, mini Dimensionals, linen thread
• inspired by Lauren Alarid

I deliberately left a sentiment off this one as I think it's suitable for many occasions.

Lastly I couldn't go past a touch of the gorgeous purple posy. I'm terribly impatient for the ink to arrive for this one, but at least we have the Blends pens to give us something to colour with. Stamping done with basic grey instead of black, again for a softer look.

Materials used:

• stamps - Butterfly Gala, Abstract Impressions
• card - purple posy, whisper white, soft sea foam
• other - tropical thinlits, Big Shot, lace dynamic embossing folder, water spritzer, metallic pearls, stitched rectangle frame lit, Stamparatus, butterfly duet punch, sponge dauber, Tombow glue, purple posy Stampin' Blends, mini Dimensionals, mounting tape

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez