Lavinia Stamps Creative Challenge - Buds and Blossoms

Each month, Lavinia Stamps runs a Creative Challenge, with a different theme, and the chance to win £40 worth of their stamps.  The winner is chosen entirely at random using Python Random Generator, and you don't need a blog to enter, just click on the link here to find out what to do.

This month's challenge theme of  'Buds and Blossoms' was a perfect excuse to crack open this new stamp image from Lavinia Stamps - Star Burst.

I was shown this technique by Tracey a number of years ago and still love it - gelli printing with inks.  It's what persuaded me to buy my first gelli plate!   I brayered Colorbox Mustard and Artichoke onto a small, 5x7 gelli plate, and stamped Star Burst onto the inked plate first without any ink (which lifts it), then inked with Colorbox Plum.  These Colorbox inks react with water so I splashed the card with water droplets and lifted the ink off with a paper towel.  I finished the card with Star Burst stamped with Versafine 'Clair' Nocturne.

For my second card I created a Distress Oxide background before stamping Seed Heads using Versafine 'Clair' Glamourous and then Nocturne.  I stamped Aurora onto white paper too so I could paint up the blossom and glitter up her wings before fussy cutting and adding hem to the card.

Stamps Used:

Star Burst

Seed Heads

Aurora

Lavinia Stamps Creative Challenge - Pink, Purple and Blue

I just love how challenges get me out of my comfort zone so it really is a privilege to be on the Lavinia Stamps design team where I am challenged monthly :)

Each month, Lavinia Stamps runs a Creative Challenge, with a different theme, and the chance to win £40 worth of their stamps.  The winner is chosen entirely at random using Python Random Generator, and you don't need a blog to enter, just click on the link here to find out what to do.

For this month's theme of 'Pink, Purple and Blue' I had a play with my gelli plate and alcohol inks after seeing Birgit Koopsen's video.   

I tapped purple and blue alcohol inks onto the gelli plate using a felt pad.  I love how you get the little dots of colour as it dries.  Once dry I brayered a thin layer of acrylic white paint to lift the ink off the gelli plate. The pink, for the challenge, came from the Distress Oxide 'Picked Raspberry'.

I used the same technique on some stickers.  I love making stickers!

I use my stickers in my diary

Stamps Used:

Single Fairy Thistle

See a Fairy, Make a Wish

Fairy Foragers

Stars 2

Lavina Stamps Creative Challenge - A Place to Escape to

For the past few years I have been writing Step by Step projects for Lavinia Stamps but you'll now find me posting more regularly as a member of the design team, something I'm really thrilled about.

Each month, Lavinia Stamps runs a Creative Challenge, with a different theme, and the chance to win £40 worth of their stamps.  The winner is chosen entirely at random using Python Random Generator, and you don't need a blog to enter, just click on the link here to find out what to do.

For this month's theme of 'A Place to Rest' I had a play with Tracey's technique of using Colorbox inkpads and Brusho inks on the gelli plate.  If you've not seen the videos, you'll find one here, but I warn you, it's addictive!!  I also played with White Brusho ink for the first time (on her wings) and the Brusho Sprinkle Its, which add a touch of sparkle.

Colorbox Dye Ink - Plum

Colorbox Dye Ink - Storm

Brusho Ink - Turquoise

Brusho Ink - White

Brusho Sprinkle It - Iridescent Gold

Versafine - Onyx Black (currently on sale)

Seeing is Believing

Sacred Spells

Somewhere I find rest is playing with paper, inks and stamps so I also made a little matchbook for this challenge. 

Again I used a gelliprint created with Colorbox ink and Brushos.  You can just see a smidge of the previous project's gelli print in there too.

Inside I stacked a variety of inked, stamped mini pages, secured with a staple.  these are around 4.5cm square + so are teeny, tiny.  I love working small.

Sacred Spells

Zen Thistle (this is one of my faves but is being discontinued; grab it while you can!!)

Fern Heads - Singles

Seed Heads

Make a Dandelion

Dandelions 2

Fairy Words

Zen Angelic Words

Fairy Rooftops

I've had a busy old week - an article for Lavina Stamps in PaperCraft Essentials, a blog post for PaperArtsy looking at how Distress Oxides react to PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk Acrylic paints, and today, an online article for Lavinia Stamps which you can read HERE.  Whilst you're over there, check out Tracey's new stamp designs, they are absolutely stunning.

Papercraft Essentials and Lavinia Stamps

I have a handful of pieces in Papercraft Essentials, published today!  Off to the shops to take a look :)

And if you didn't know, Lavinia Stamps are launching their latest release on Hochanda today at 8am and 2pm, and there's a fern stamp :) I love ferns!!

Happy Mail

 I recently put together some happy mail in response to the suggestion of an ephemera swap on Instagram.  I am finding I spend much more time over there these days than on my blog! @sarahthemoodler if you're on IG, please come and say hello!

I made a little matchbox from some brusho inked paper and some of my new stamps - have you found MAKIstamps?  There's some great images, especially the fun little Brownies!

 I filled the matchbox with some tiny stickers (step by step over on the Lavinia Stamps website if you fancy making some!) and other bits and pieces.

I filled a glassine envelope with goodies too.  I stamped the fern with black Versafine ink which then wouldn't dry so I embossed it with gold embossing powder and loved the effect!  Inside the envelope are tags and stickers and papers.

I collaged the front of a second glassine envelope filled with papers.  The envelope is from some Paperchase wrapping paper I've had forever and just LoVe!

I added a little notecard which I made using some endpapers from a book and some stamping ...

Sarah was really happy with her happy mail ..

...and when mine arrived the next day I was thrilled too!  I'm not sure how an envelope full of papers can bring such joy!!!

So I journaled about it using some of the treasures:

I love the little collaged card Sarah made and included in my package.

I also used some in this week's Documented Life Project page :)

Anyone for stickers?

I've always LoVeD stickers!  I had sticker books as a child, and occasionally as an adult (my latest is the Minions one but don't tell anyone!)

There's something very satisfying about stickers, and the planner craze gives adult sticker lovers a legitimate excuse to use them :)  I don't have a planner as such; I have two moleskines, one to keep a diary and one as a diary so I know where I'm supposed to be etc.

But that didn't stop me from creating some stickers from blank labels using many of the tiny Lavinia Stamps.  You'll find my step by step over here - http://laviniastamps.com/making-stickers/

gelli print toadstool resists

I've been wanting to play with this gorgeous stamp for a while now - and it turns out this small fairy chain is the perfect size for a tag.

My original idea was to create a painted background for the fairies using my gelli plate but I just wasn't feeling it!  Sometimes you just have to leave something that's not working - and it can end up working differently when you return to it another time.

So I started again and this time used a single colour of paint and decided to see what happens when paint is lifted off the gelli plate with a Lavinia stamp.  I was really pleased with the effect but the magic occurred when I added the distress ink, which is resisted by the acrylic paint :)

This was a fab project to work on and I'll certainly be playing with this idea further.  If you want to know/see more, my step by step guide to creating this tag is over on the Lavinia Stamps website .

Thanks for visiting today :)

stamps, stencils and masks

This month's challenge theme, over at Art to the 5th, is 'stamps, stencils and masks' and this week's art challenge is to use stencils - made or bought.

I have tonnes of stencils, and love using them, so decided to cut some of my own for this project using stencil card from Hobbycraft.  I started by cutting out a leaf - which ended up as a mask rather than a stencil ...

...and then I didn't end up using it!!  Suspect there will be a 'mask' week sometime this month though so I'll likely use it then.

I took one of my plain pink gelli prints from last weekend and added Dina Wakley acrylic paints over the top with a baby wipe...

..and once that was dry, added some stamping using a circle stamp, and background script stamp from Lavinia Stamps with Eggplant Adirondack ink.

I cut out a simple heart stencil and sponged white paint through before adding a stamped flower (made using funky foam - sooooo easy to cut out!!)

I also cut out some tiny round rectangles in funky foam and stamped with these on my page using black ink.  There's some additional stamping on there too, along with pencil marks, some music paper and some gold paint.

I wasn't keen on my flower last night, and realised that I like layers on my pages rather than single (ish) pages.  I was going to stamp the flower out again onto music paper, cut it out and stitch it to the page but I had another look this morning and decided I like it after all!

Well, enough to live with it anyway!!  :)

playing with my gelli plate

I always have great plans at half term - catching up on schoolwork, catching up on housework, planning out new ideas for the classroom, decorating in the house, clearing out, gardening (getting those spring bulbs in)....

In reality I actually just needed a really good rest and after sleeping a lot and catching up with friends I made myself play with my paints and gelli plate on Friday morning - play is rest too, and is VeRy good for you!

The colours this autumn have been amazing.  I've done a lot of driving through the Cheshire countryside this week, being Mum's taxi for my son who was doing some work experience with a farrier - the drive has been a real treat to just soak in the amazing colours of the leaves.

So I took the leaves and autumn colours for inspiration as I played.

I brayered Dina Wakley's acrylic paints onto the gelli plate, pressed down some stencils then laid down a leaf before taking the print.  These just shout out for some zen doodling inside the leaf shape!

Removing the leaf and taking a second print is actually my favourite result though :)

I had a bit of play with other colourways too.  I love black and white backgrounds with added colour so look forward to adapting this piece.  The paints used are  'night' combined with 'umber'.

Some of the leaves are still green 

which makes a nice combo with oranges, yellows and browns.

I then chose to play with my little 3" x 5" gelli plate, exploring the use of dark blue

trying out new colourways such as yellow ochre and grey

and layering colours into my little journal, ready for some imagery

By the end of all this playing, I had a fantastic sheet of paper created by cleaning off my brayer in addition to the many sheets of gelli printed papers :)

Sometimes I find it easy to play but I really had to work at it this time.  It was worth it though :)