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

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!!  :)

a teeny weeny gelli plate

For this month's project for Lavinia Stamps  I used the teeny weeny gelli plate that I treated myself to recently!  It measures 3" x 5" inches and is perfect for creating quick and easy cards.  Step by step instructions are over on the Lavinia Stamps website here.

It's also great for small projects like tags.  I enjoyed playing so much I carried on from cards onto a tag; and I have a new favourite stamp - the new flower border!  I just love it :)

a paper artsy journal page

Another art journal page to share with you.

The background is a gelli print I've had on my workdesk for a while.  I am ashamed to say that this was the christening of my paper artsy hot picks stamps set I won in the summer!