Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Framed Delights" Clean and Simple heart wreath card

 

I absolutely adore the heart wreath I've used on this card.  I had planned to do something quite different to what I ended up with, prefering to keep a clean and simple look.

Using the heart shaped wreath stamp from the Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Framed Delights TE58" stamp set, I used Versafine Clair "Shady Lane" a green ink and "Acorn" a brown ink to achieve the colour I wanted for the wreath.

I used the same colours of ink to stamp the sentiment, which is part of the Tracy Evans Boutiqeu Designs "Amongst The Flowers TE61" stamp set.  The birds are from that stamp set too, I used Versafine Clair "Nocurne" black ink to stamp those, adding a littel bit of black fine liner for a hair-do on one of the birds and a white gel pen to add some highlights to areas of the birds

A Crafting Niche "52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2026 - Week 35

 

The Crafting Niche 52 Week Mini Art Card/Tag Challenge 2026:

This is a weekly challenge. I provide you with a prompt/theme each Sunday morning through out the year.  The challenge is very relaxed.  You can do as much or as little as you like.  You can create cards, tags, Artist Trading Cards (ATC's) or index cards, the choice is yours. You just go with what ever is in your head at the time.  You can stamp, get inky, use patterned papers, texture, embellish it is all down to you.

There is a dedicated private Facebook Group, with a lovely bunch of people who are already sharing their makes from previous challenges.  You can find the group by clicking this link.  I'd love you to join in. 

The prompt for Week 35 is "watercolour"

A few weeks back I saw a technique on Instagram where the posted had made three water colour stripes over a stamped image.  It was a technique that stuck in my mind, so thought I'd give it a go.  I did try stamping first, but I didn't like the way the stamping reacted to the paint, so I have achieved a similar look but carried out in a different way.

I started by using watercolour paper and a large mop paint brush, laden with water and brushing the water along the lenth of the tag.  I then used diluted pink, yellow and blue childrens water colour paint and using the same brush adding the colours the length of the tag, starting with yellow down the middle, pink to the left and blue to the right, allowing the colours to run into their neighbouring colours.  I then set it aside for a couple of hours to dry naturally.

I then started to stamp, initially using Versafine Clair  "Morning Mist' for the images further away and then Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink for the images in the forefront.  I used a selection of cling Stampscape Stamps that I bought from Sweet Poppy Stencils, who hold a licence to reproduce the stamps in to a clear stamp rather than red rubber.

Lakeside Cove

Critter Set 2 & 3

Lilygrass

Pine and Rocks small & medium

I added shading using a 2B pencil, a paper stub for blending and a white pastel pencil.  I added touches of colour using Derwent Inktense Pencils and "Morning Mist" Versafine Clair Ink,

Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Dog Rose and Butterfly TE45" Gold Heat Embossed Card

When I started to make this card, I had a clear idea of how I wanted it to look.  I'd choosen the background, the stamp and colour of embossing powder before even going in the craft room.  Sometimes when creating, things don't always sit right and this is one of those makes for me.  I actually made this card yesterday, walking away from it to see how I felt about it when I saw it again. It is now growing on me slowly.

The background is two shades of brayered Colorbox Inks.  Greens and blues are my favourite colour combo! For the central design, I used a stamp from the Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Dog Rose and Butterfly TE45" stamp set, initially stamping it in Versafine Clair "Twilgiht" dark blue ink, but then I decided to add Wow! Rich Gold Embossing Powder over the top of the stamping and heat set.

On a small off cut of blue card, I then stamped three butterflies from the same stamp set and repeated the heat embossing process.  I fussy cut the butterflies and glued them into position.

Next, I drew some circles with a gold gel pen and added some line detail to them.  I then used a dark blue Posca Pen to add three lvertical lines from the top right and the bottom left, to balance the design.  They looked too prominent, so I added some line detail using the gold gel pen again.  Finally, I added some tiny dots of "Blackberry" Liquid Pearls across the surface.

Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Garden Delights TE15" snowflake Artist Trading Card

This is my Artist Trading Card (ATC) for the day.  I used a background from my stash, a gel plate print made some years ago with lilac, purple and blue tones to it.

I used "Shadow Grey" Ranger Archival Ink through the Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Snowflake" stencil.  I then used Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink to stamp the tree/part circles, which is part of the Tracy Evans "Garden Delights TE15" stamp set.

Once the stamping was on the ATC, it looked very dull, so I decided to go over the stencil with a white Posca Pen and then added extra Posca Pen tiny dots to the background.

Funky Fossil Badger Trails Collage

It seems a long time since I created a collage style piece, so this morning I have played with some Funky Fossil Designs goodies to create this, which I rather like.

For the background, I used a dark blue page with numbers on it from the Funky Fossil "Turn It Up" papar pack.  I then used other papers from the pack, torn into strips and different shapes and glued into position, along with some Dina Wakley collage paper. I then used Versafine Clair "Twilight" dark blue ink to stamp the Funky Fossil "Circle Cascade" stamp.

I then used  Daler Rowley white texture paste through the Funky Fossil "Ever Decreasing Circles Stencil" and set aside to dry.  Once dry, I splattered white, orange and aqua coloured Posca Pens over the surface and left to dry.

On a piece of white card, I used blending brushes to with"Tiger Lily" and "Garden Patina" Ranger Archival Ink.  Then using Versafine Clair "Nccturne" black ink, I stamped the badger, which is part of the Funky Fossil "Badger Trails" stamp.  I then fussy cut the badger and glued into position, finally mounting it on to dark blue card and then a piece of kraft card,

Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Poppy TE39 Stamp Set". Poppy Artist Trading Card

 

This is my Artist Trading Card (ATC) for the day.  I used a gel plate print for the background that has been in my stash for some time.  I stamped the Poppy in Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" grey ink.  The poppy is part of a Tracy Evans Boutique Designs Stamp Set called "Poppy TE39". I stamped the poppy head again on a piece of white card too.

Down the left hand edge of the ATC, I stamped text, from the same "poppy" stamp set, using Versaifne Clair "Shady Lane" green ink.  I then used Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink to stamp the sentiment.  

Returning to the poppy head, I used a couple of Derwent Inktense pencils, applied with a paint brush to colour the flower, adding yellow Posca Pen to the middle, with more depth using a black fine liner pen and a white gel pen in areas to provide depth.  I then fussy cut the flower head and glued into position and coloured in the poppy stem with a Derwent Inktense pencil.

Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Flora and Fauna TE53" Rose and Heart Anniversary Card

This evening I made this anniversary card.  I used Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" grey ink to stamp the rose, which is part of the Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Flora and Fauna TE53" stamp set.

In the background, I used the Tracy Evans "Heart SS12" stencil, with "Saltwater Taffy" Distress Oxide Ink.  I then used the same ink through the Tracy Evans "Flurry SS43" stencil round the edge of the heart.

I used a 2B pencil, a paper stub and a white gel pen to shade the rose in.  Finally adding the sentiment, which is part of the Tracy Evans "Love Grows Here TE65" stamp set, stamped in Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" grey ink.