Lavinia Stamps "Whimsical Hare" Card

I made a very quick small card this morning, using a gelli plate off-cut from a previous project with all stamping in Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink.

I've used one of the beautiful Lavinia Stamps "Whimsical Hares" from the set, paired with Berry Leaves, Spanish Moss Foliage, Creeping Vine and Bullrushes.

Lavinia Stamps "Winter Berries" on a "Pods" Pan Pastel Gelli Plate background

A couple of weeks ago, I had a play session with the gelli plate and some of the new Lavinia Stamp stencils, so I decided to make an Autumnal themed card using one of the backgrounds I had prepared

For the background I had used the Lavinia Stamps "Pods" stencil with Panpastel colours and acrylic paint to lift the image.

I stamped the Lavinia Stamps "Oak Leaf Branch" stamp using Versafine Clair "Shady Lane" green ink.

I then stamped the "Winter Berries" and the "Red Leaves" sentiment (both by Lavinia Stamps) in Versafine Clair "Acorn" brown ink.  

At this stage, I decided I didn't like the size of the image, it seemed to be dominated by the green leaves, so I cropped the card till I was happier with the way it looked.

I used a Distress Oxide ink called "Fired Brick" around the edges of the card to provide more Autumn warmth.  I then coloured the berries using a red Posca Pen.  Finally, I added Ranger Glossy Accents to the berries and left over night to set.

Day 3 #thedailymarker30day colouring challenge - using Carabelle Studio "Skittles" on a Gelli Plate Background

This is my Day 3 make for #thedailymarker30day colouring challenge.

I've used a gelli plate print for the background circle and teamed it with one of the Carabelle Stuido "Skittles" coloured with Distress Oxide Inks (Tumbled Glass and Picked Raspberry).

I've used a sentiment from a Hero Arts stamp set called "Birthday Sayings" stamped in Versafine Clair "Twilight" dark blue ink.  The little pink flowers on the circle are from a Papertrey Inks stamp set, stamped in Versafine Clair "Charming Pink".

Lavinia Stamps Fish Set Gelli Plate and Stencil Card

Today I have been playing with the new Lavinia Stamps again.  I don't seem to be able to stop at the moment!

I've used a gelli plate background I had made a couple of months ago using Brusho and Colorbox inks.  I used the new Lavinia Pebble stencil with Distress Oxide inks around the edge of the central coloured image.

I stamped the following Lavinia Stamps (Fish Set, Urchins, Seaweed2, Marine Kelp and Zen Plant) in a selection of Versafine Clair Inks, adding a few touches with Sakura gelly roll pen.

Lavinia Stamps new stencil play session

Last week, Lavinia Stamps launched 12 new stencils along with 13 new stamps.  Being a bit of an addict, I had to get every one of them.

As you will have seen, I have been playing with the stamps qute a lot, but this morning I decided to use the stencils with a gelli plate.

I started by using a brayer with acylic paint on top of the gelli plate to create a thin even layer.  I then put the stencil over the top.  Using a foam pad, I applied Pan Pastels in a couple of colours.  Once I'd covered the area, I then lifted the stencil (and immediately popped it in a bowl of water), and then brayered a thin even layer of white acrylic paint.  I smoothed card over the top of the paint and added a slight pressure.  I then lifted the card to reveal the image.

You can get a second pull of the image by applying another thin layer of acrylic paint and again smooth card over the gelli plate and lift.  This second pull will be a more subtle, less obvious print of the image.

For my session this morning, I used the Lavinia Stamps Pods, Pebbles and Laurel stencils. I will use these backgrounds for future projects.

Visible Image "Disguise of a smile" card for National Nurses Day

Yesterday, the 12th May, was National Nurses Day.  I made this card with the Nurses in mind.  They always do such an incredible job, but it must be heartbreaking for them at the moment, having the strain of what is happening at work and some not being able to be with their nearest and dearest, so I just wanted to acknowledge the day in a card.

I used a gelli plate background I had prepared a while back.  When I made the background, I remember deciding to add red splatters to it using Brusho, just to see how it took.  As you can see, it worked well.

I used a selection of Visible Image stamps for this card, starting with the sentiment called "Disguise of a smile" and then the butterfly from "Live Life Now", both stamped in Versafine Clair "Medieval Blue" ink.

I then used Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" grey ink to stamp the small flower in the background which is part of the Visible Image stamp set called "Creative Chaos".

I added a few splatters of white using a Posca Pen to lighten the background a little too.

Funky Fossil Designs New Stamp Preview for Hochanda TV May 2020 - In The Meadow

Funky Fossil Designs will be appearing on Hochanda TV on Sunday 10th May with a selection of goodies including some brand new stamp sets.

I have used the new "In The Meadow" clear stamp set for this sample.

I had a pretty off-cut of a Brusho/gelli plate background in my stash, which I thought would be ideal to highlight the silhouette forms of the foliage which I stamped in Versafine Clair "Nocturne" and "Morning Mist" ink.

I used the "Butterfly Flight" stencil for the background with "Wilted Violet" Distress Oxide Inks.  I then added dots of gold using a Sakura Gelly Roll pen.

Funky Fossil - Adventure on a Panpastel gel plate background

Earlier in the month, I watched an on-line demo of a project using Pan Pastels through stencils on a gellie plate, by a fab lady called Eileen Godwin.  

I decided to have a go and made some great backgrounds, using acrylic paint to lift the image.  For this project I have used the middle, more vibrant print.

I used several Funky Fossil stencils to create the background and teamed it with the Funky Fossil "Adventure" stamp set with Versafine Clair "Nocturne" ink to make the finished card.

Funky Fossil - Butterfly Wishes (gelli plate background)

A few days ago, you may recall that I had a session making backgrounds using a gelli plate.  Today  have made one of the backgrounds into a finished item.

I used this background as the base for the finished card. I used the Funky Fossil "Forest Foliage", "Distressed Diamonds" and "Peony Panel" with Pan Pastels and acrylic paint to lift the image.

I started by stamping using Versafine Claire "Blue Belle" ink to stamp the whole butterfly and two sections of the butterfly on to the background.  I then stamped three butterflies on to plain white card.  Using the same ink, I stamped the "Butterfly Wishes" at the bottom right of the card.  The butterfly and the sentiment are both part of the Funky Fossil "Butterfly Wishes" stamp set.  

Using the butterflies on the white background, I used "Carved Pumpkin" Distress Oxide Ink to blend the colour over the stamped image.  I then used Posca Pens to colour and then fussy cut the image and adhered onto the background.  

I used a white and a dark blue Posca Pen to add splatters of colour across the piece.

Funky Fossil Designs March 2020 New Stamp Release - Distressed Elements

Today, Saturday 28th March, Funky Fossil Designs launch five fabulous new stamp sets!

To celebrate the release there's a 10% discount of everything in store.  Use the code MARCH10 at checkout before midnight on Monday 30th March!

I have used the new set called "Distressed Elements" for this card.

I started using an off-cut of a gelli plate background for the speckled background.  I used one of the strip stamps to create the wonky lines, stamped in Distress Oxide Ink called "Dusty Concord"

Using another new Funky Fossil stamp set called "Happy Words" I stamped the sentiment using Versafine Clair "Monarch" purple ink.  I used the same ink to stampe the purple splatters around the edge of the card, also the heart and the "x" all part of the "Distressed Elements" stamp set.

Finally, to lift the background colour a little, I added lots of tiny white dots using a Posca pen.

Lavinia Stamps "Wild Hares and Fairy Bells" card

Oh the joy to have a distraction like crafting.  It's fabulous to immerse yourself in it and forget about all the horrible things that are happening across the world at the moment.

Tidying up some of my gelli plate prints, I came across a small piece which had to be used or binned.  I opted to use it.  It was a sort of beige/golden sort of colour, so not much of it actually shows on this card, but you can get a glimps of it on the sun area.

I used two of the new Lavinia Stamps sets.  "Wild Hares" and "Fairy Bells" both stamped in Versafine Clair "Nocturne" ink.

I used the torn edge of a piece of copy paper to create the landscape in two shades of ink: black and grey.

I masked off the sun area and used assorted Distress Inks to create the colour. 

I used a black fine liner pen to ground the hares and to add some tufts of grass to the foreground.

Design Team sample for 'My Time To Craft Challenge Blog" #416 - Rubber stamp (not digital)

It is time for another challenge theme on the "My Time To Craft Challenge Blog".  Challenge #416 has a theme of "Rubber - not digi stamps".  If you have a minute to spare, please do pop over to the blog and take a look at the fab makes by my Design Team colleagues.

For this sample, I have used a selection of stamps from Visible Image.  I really enjoy working with these stamps as they allow your mind to go in odd directions, which in turn ends up on a card like this one.

I started with a gelli plate background I had created a while back, so I don't recall the colours I have used, but it was originally a mustard/gold colour with water splashes over it.

The first stamping I did was the book, part of a Visible Image set called "Free your imagination", (which is one of their February 2020 releases), stamped in Versafine Clair "Fallen Leaves" dark brown ink.  

I stamped the book again on a post it note, cut around the book and used it as a mask over the original stamped image.
Using Versafine Clair "Chianti", a dark red ink, I stamped the spiral, from the Visible Image "Ahead of our time" stamp set" (the mask over the book protects the area from getting the spiral image muddled up with the book image.  I then removed the mask.

I stamped the crow on the left, also part of the Visible Image "Free your imagination" set in Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink.  I stamped the crows in flight on the right hand side, which are part of the Visible Image "Ahead of our time" stamp set, in the same ink.

I then stamped the large sentiment on the bottom right in
Versafine "Vintage Sepia" brown ink.  The sentiment is from another Visible Image set called "Where dreams take you".  Using the same ink, I stamped the word "Hope" at the top left of the card, using a stamp from the Visible Image set called "Peace, Love and Hope".

I needed to pull the eye in to the main images, so using a finger dabber and Versafine Clair "Chianti and Nocturne" I added darker shades from the edge inwards.

I used a white Posca pen, making lots of small dots to lighten the pages of the book and a Sakura gel pen for the page edges.  I used a metallic gold pen for areas of the spiral too.

Lavinia Stamps February 2020 Hochanda TV show sample - set 2

Lavinia Stamps will be appearing on Hochanda TV on Friday 7th February at mid-day and 3pm, with a selection of stamps and accessories demonstrated by Amanda Branston.

For the background of this card, I have used Colorbox "Artichoke" green ink brayered onto a gelli plate.  I have then sprinkled diluted 'Orange" coloured Brusho from a fan brush which has created the speckled look.

To enhance the colour of the sky, I added some "Broken China" and "Chipped Sapphire" Distress Oxide Inks.

Once the background was dry, I used the torn edge of a piece of copy, dragging ink (Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" grey ink) over the edge to create the landscape in the background.  I used a circle to mask the moon area and edged it with the same ink.

I stamped the "Celestial Tree" in the background using a grey ink (Versafine Clair "Morning Mist").  Making the trees lighter gives the impression of depth to the image.

Using Versafine Clair "Pinecone" dark brown ink, I stamped the hare, which is part of the "Whimsical Hares" stamp set.  Using the same ink, I stamped  the baby hedgehog, which is part of "The Wallace Family" stamp set.

Using Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink, I stamped the "Wild Poppies".  Using a white Posca Pen, I edged the hare and hedgehog in white.  I added a little bit of shimmer to the edges of the poppies using a Sakura Gelly Roll pen.

Lavinia Stamps February 2020 Hochanda TV Sample Preview - Set 3

Lavinia Stamps will be on Hochanda TV on Friday 7th February at mid-day and 3pm.  Amanda Branston will be demonstrating some fabulous stamps, accessories and tecniques.

I tried something a bit different with the background of this card, using a mini gelli plate with Artichoke and Grape Colorbox Inks brayered onto the plate with a sprinkle of wet turquoise coloured Brusho, repeating the pressing of the circles to create something similar to a bokeh look.

I decided that the background would distract from the stamping so, covered some of it with Distress Oxide Inks - Tumbled Glass and Broken China at the top and Twisted Citron and Mowed Lawn on the bottom.

Using the torn edge of a piece of copy paper, I dragged Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" grey ink to create a landscape.  I masked off a circle for the moon and edged the moon with the same ink. 

Using Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink, I stamped the large "Fairy Chain" across the middle of the card.  I then cut the card down to the size I wanted to work with.

I continued to stamp in the black ink, stamping the "Forest So Green" sentiment and the "Creeping Vine".

At this stage, I decided I wanted a less solid background, so sprinkled some water droplets from a fan brush, which provided the lighter areas I was wanting.

I added some shimmer to the fairy wings, using a silver glitter Signo Pen.  I then added some fairy sparkle using the "Holographic Moon Dust" in the sky and around the creeping ivy.

Lavinia Stamps - Sebastian the seahorse (on a gelli plate background)

Looking through my stamps, I realised it's been ages since I used the Lavinia Stamps "Sebastian the Seahorse".  The detail on it is stunning, so I decided to have a play.

I had a prepared 6" gelli plate background from a previous session a couple of weeks back, so decided to use it.  (It was Colorbox "Artichoke" colour ink brayered onto the plate, with splashes of turquoise coloured wet Brusho sprinkled on top of the brayered colour).  

I added some extra colour to the top of the circle as it was too light for what I wanted using a couple of Distress Oxide Inks.

I stamped "Sebastian" in Versafine Clair "Twilight" dark blue ink.

I stamped the background taller "Seaweed 2" in Versafine Clair "Verdant" light green ink.

I stamped the "Stones" in Versafine Clair "Acorn" brown ink and coloured them with a metallic gold pen.

I stamped the darker coloured "Seaweed" stamped in Versafine Clair "Shady Lane" green ink.

I stamped the "Sea Bubbles" in Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" grey ink.  I added some touches of silver glitter using a Signo Pen.

Lavinia Stamps February 2020 Hochanda TV Preview Sample - Set 2

Amanda Branston, representing Lavinia Stamps will be on Hochanda TV on Friday 7th February at mid-day and 3pm, with a selection of stamps and accessories.

I have used a 6" gelli plate to create the backgound circle, using Colorbox Inks (Artichoke and Grape colours) brayered on to the plate and then splashes of diluted wet tuquoise Brusho, sprinkled with a fan brush.

I created a mask using copy paper to protect the white edges of the circle, by drawing a 6" circle with a compass and then cutting the middle out, this left me a "window" in the middle.  I then used a removable Herma to keep the mask in place over the gelli plate image.

I decided that the whole image needed more depth in colour, so used Distress Oxide Inks with a blending tool.  I masked off a circle area where I wanted the moon to be. For the sky area, I used Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Blueprint Sketch and Wilted Violet.  For the ground area I used "Mowed Lawn" Distress Oxide Ink.

Using the torn edge of a piece of copy paper, I created the landscape by dragging Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" grey ink along the torn edge, I also edged the moon before removing the mask.

I then stamped the "Celestial Tree" using two Versafine Clair inks (Nocturne and Morning Mist"), using the darker one for the foreground and the lighter one for the foreground, which gives the perspective of depth.

I stamped the hare, which is part of the "Whimsical Hare" set using Versafine Clair "Pinecone" which is a dark brown ink.

Using Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink, I stamped the "Wild Poppies" and the "Mini Slender Mushrooms".

I used a white, red and orange Posca Pens to add little dots of flowers on the hillside,  I used a pencil to ground the hare and a black fine line pen to add some tufts of grass too.

Lavinia Stamps February 2020 Hochanda TV Sample Preview - Set 2

Lavinia Stamps will be on Hochanda TV on Friday 7th February at 12pm and 3pm with a selection of stamps and stamping goodies, demonstrated by Amanda Branston.

This is a sample I have made for the show.  I have used a background created on a gelli plate using a Colorbox ink called "Grape" brayered on to the gelli plate and removing most of the colour so there is just a touch of lilac/grey then splashing some turquoise coloured Brusho lightly onto the plate using a fan shaped brush.  

Once the background was dry, I staped the "Celestial Tree" in two shades of Versafine Clair ink (Nocturne and Morning Mist).  I then created the landscape by dragging ink over the torn edge of a piece of copy paper.

Using the Nocturne and Morning Mist inks again, I stamped the "Whimsical Hare", the "Wild Poppies" and the "Berry Leaves".

I inked the edges of the card and the areas around the tree using the Nocturne ink.  I decided I wanted a bit more blue, so added some colour using a Distess Oxide Ink in the shade of "Salty Ocean".

I used white and blue Posca Pens to create the light coming up from the hill side.  I added some subtle sparkle to the card by using a silver glitter Signo Pen around some of the foliate and dots in the sky for stars.

Lavinia Stamps February 2020 Hochanda TV Show, Sample Preview - Set 1

It's time to preview another sample that I have made for Lavinia Stamps for their forthcoming Hochanda TV shows.

For this sample I have used a 6" gelli plate with two Colorbox Inks (artichoke and grape shades),lightly brayered on, this provides a nice quiet and calm background.  Using a fan paint brush, I splattered turquoise Brusho droplets onto the gel plate before pulling the image.

The first stamping was "Druid's Inn" tree, which I stamped in Versafine Clair "Acorn" brown ink.  I then coloured the tree using Distress Oxide Inks in "Mowed Lawn" and "Vintage Photo" shades.

Using Versafine Clair "Warm Breeze" a teal coloured ink, I stamped the "Berry Leaves".  Using a Memento ink in the shade of "Pear Tart", I stamped the "Mini Berry", adding highlights with a white Posca pen.

I decided the image needed a figure, so used a fairy from a set called "Three Dancing Fairies", stamped in Versafine Clair "Morning Mist".  I added the word "Dreams", which is part of the set called "Never Let Go", stamped in Versafine Clair "Acorn" ink.

I added two shades of Lavinia "Moon Dust" a blue/green one to the hanging foliage and a silver holographic one to the fairy.

Finally, I cut a circle mask to lay over the top of the image I had created and splattered three shades of Distress Oxide inks (Broken China, Salty Ocean and Mowed Lawn) to cover an area where I had managed to transfer some ink onto the white area in error.

Lavinia Stamps February 2020 Hochanda TV Show Sample Preview - Set 3

On Friday 7th February at 12pm and 3pm Lavinia Stamps will be on Hochanda TV with a selection of stamps, inks and other stamping products demonstrated by Amanda Branston.

To make the circular background, I have used a 6" gelli plate with two shades of Colorbox Inks (Artichoke and Grape) brayered onto the plate.  Using a fan brush I have lightly splattered wet Brusho paint and also some water to get the mottled look.

I started by stamping the "Celestial Tree" in the background using Versafine Clair "Shady Lane" green ink. Then using the same ink and a torn piece of copy paper, I created the landscape beneath the trees.

I used Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink to stamp the "Forest So Green" sentiment, the "Large Fairy Chain" and the "Creeping Vine" around the bottom of the circle.

Using a white and orange coloured Posca Pen, I added the flowers to the grass in the foreground.  I also added some gold shimmer to the dancing fairies using a Sakura Gel Pen.  I also added a light dusting of "Holographic Moon Dust" glitter.

Lavinia Stamps - New Stamp Release Sample Preview (January 2020) - Aria

Lavinia Stamps have some fabulous new stamps that will be released on their site on Monday 27th January 202.  I have been fortunate to have a play with them to create some promotional samples.

I've used "Aria" the kneeling fairy, her hands are held out waiting to hold something.  I've used an existing Lavinia stamp called "bubbles" to replicate a crystal ball.  

In each corner I have stamped another new design called "Mystic Swirl".  The sentiment is in the existing collection and is called "Once Upon a Dream" all stamping is in Versafine Clair "Chianti" on a gelliplate background.