52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2025 - Week 15

The Crafting Niche 52 Week Mini Art Card/Tag Challenge 2025:

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 15 is "Easter"

I started with a piece of patterned paper in quite muted tones with birds and flowers on.  I then used a hand cut stencil, from using an oval die on card and "Pink Peony" Ranger Archival Inks t create an Easter Egg background over the patterned paper.

Next, using "Leaf Green" Ranger Archival Ink and a torn edge of copy paper, I created the layered landscape at the base of the tag.

I then used the Lavinia Stamps "Mini Pipin", the "Shrooms", "Thyme" and the "Rosemary" stamp with Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink to stamp the images in first and second generation stamping.

I added extra detail using a white gel pen and pink Posca Pens, finally adding a "Happy Easter" sticker to the tag.

Lavinia Stamps January 2020 Monthly Challenge - Moonlight Magic

On the first of the month, so time for a new Lavinia Stamps monthly challenge theme.  The theme for January is "Moonlight Magic".  You can enter the challenge up to five times each month.  If your name is randomly drawn, you will win a £40 voucher to spend on lovely Lavinia goodies.

I started by masking of a circle and colouring the area with with "Antique Linen" Distress Oxide Inks, to create a moon.  I then covered the area and coloured the sky with various shades of blue Distress Oxide Inks (Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire and Blueprint Sketch).

I used a Versafine Clair "Medieval Blue"Ink to stamp the "Tree of Dreams" image.  I then used a Versafine Clair "Twilight" dark blue coloured ink to stamp the "Dancing Till Dawn" fairies.  

I multiple stamped the "Sacred Spells" in Versafine "Smokey Gray" shade of ink.  Using the same ink, I created the landscape using the edge of a torn edge of paper.  It then coloured some of the landscape area in "Spun Sugar" Distress Oxide Ink.

I used a white Signo Pen to add highlights to the tree branches and to the edges of the fairies.  I used a silver glitter Signo Pen for the fairy wings and a turquoise glitter pen for the climber up the tree.

Finally, I printed the title "Dancing in the Moonlight", cut it to size and coloured it to match the background.

Lavinia Stamps Design Team Sample for Hochanda TV on 23rd April 2019 (Set 1 - 3)

Lavinia Stamps will be featured on Hochanda TV on Tuesday 23rd April 2019 at 11am and 3pm.  This is a Design Team sample I have made for the show.

For this sample, I started by painting a rough landscape line , colouring the area below the line, in a very pale colour of green.  I blotted the area dry and popped a circle mask on the card to be used as a sun.  I taped a stencil into position over the card and the prepared landscape, using a low tack tape.  I marked each outer corner with a pencil, so I knew where to reposition it later.

Using Distress Inks and a sponge finger dabber.  I first used "Tumbled Glass" for sky and "Old Paper" for the land.  I then lifted and rotated the stencil and repositioned with tape.  Next I used "Broken China" on the sky and Twisted Citron" for the land area. After lifting the stencil away, I then lifted the mask I had made for the sun and coloured the circle using the "Scattered Straw" Distress Ink.

Using Versafine Clair "Nocturne" ink, I stamped the Lavinia Stamps fairy called "Josie".  Using the Distress Ink called "Peeled Paint", I created a landscape for the fairy to stand on.  

I used three Lavinia "Pound Stamps" to add some extra detail.  The "Mini Leaf 1", the "Mini Snail" and the "Mini Slender Mushrooms" also stamped in Versafine Clair "Nocturne".  Finally, I added touches of white to the mushrooms and snail using a Signo Pen and a hint of gold shimmer using a Sakura Jelly Roll Pen.

Lavinia Stamps Fairy Thistles Sunset Card

I seem to be on a crafting roll at the moment, using these delicious Lavinia Stamps for their Creativity Monthly Challenge.

This will be my third entry into the challenge for this month and I wanted to create something with a clean and simple feel to it.

I started by masking off the card base, leaving a circle exposed.  I then blended three pink and one purple shade of Tim Holtz Distress Inks to create the coloured middle.  I then spritzed my hands and allowed droplets of water to fall on the inked area, I then dried it with a kitchen towel and removed the mask.

I then stamped the central "Fairy Thistles" image.  Using the edge of the Lavinia "Seahorse" stamp, I added detail to the edge of the circle.

Finally, I added some small black and gold metallic dots with a pen to add a little bit of interest to the bottom section of the card and a white Signo pen to areas of the thistle.

If you would like to know more or take part in the Lavinia Stamps monthly creativity challenge, you can find the information here.

Lavinia Stamps Seasonal Tree Sunset Card

When I first saw the Lavinia Stamps "Seasonal Tress - LAV382)" stamp, I knew I had to get one.  I had an idea in my head that I wanted to try "mirror image stamping", so using this stamp seemed the ideal opportunity.  

I started the background by layering Tim Holtz Distress Oxides, spritzing them. drying the piece and then adding another layer of colour.  I don't know how many times I repeated the process.  You could call it a labour of love.  So much so that I was scared to stamp on it.

Fortunately, my fears were unfounded, as predictably the tree stamped perfectly in Versafine Ink.  I used a sheet of acetate and stamped the image again onto that and quickly transferred it into position below the existing tree.  I found a bone folder was handy to help push the image onto the card.

I then added the land section and the setting sun using Distress inks.  I then used a second Lavinia Stamp "Birds - LAV097) to the side of the sun.  I inked the edges of the card and added touches of white to the tree using a Signo pen, which I think gives it quite an eerie edge to it.

I've actually decided to enter this card into the June Monthly Challenge on the Lavinia Stamps site.  The prompt for this month is "Sunset Pinks" so I think this fulfills the brief.

Lavinia Stamp Seahorse - Sunset Ocean Card

I have not really dipped my toe into manufacturer challenges, but this month I decided to have a go at the Lavinia Stamps Challenge, with a theme of "Sunset Pinks".

Lavinia Stamps are known for their fabulous fairy images, so instead of going down that route, I thought i'd spin it and do an underwater sunset instead.

I created the shaded background using Brusho paints/colours.  I used four Lavinia stamp sets on this project,  stamped in either "Black Onyx" or "Smokey Grey" Versafine Ink or Memento "Grape Jelly". The stamps I used are Seahorse (LAV496), Indian Flourish (LAV495), Shoal of Fish (LAV432) and Sea Creatures (LAV170).  I also used a white and metallic gold coloured Signo pen.  I added a few pearlescent sequins to add a little shimmer too. 

Lavinia Stamp "Indian Flourish" Card

I made a quick card this morning using my new Lavinia "Indian Flourish" stamp on a circle of blended Distress Inks.  The sentiment is from a Stampin' Up set called "Dragonfly Dreams".

I'm not sure if it's just my computer screen, but in real life the Distress Ink background is a mix of purples and turquoise.

A Lavinia Stamp Sparkling Seahorse Tag

I have been stalking my postman.  Today, he delivered my Lavinia stamps including their new seahorse.  I couldn't wait to get playing and made this tag.

In both instances I have created the background using Distress Oxides and Distress Inks.  I've used a Versafine Ink to stamp the seahorse image and a white Signo pen for the white dots.

Fairy Make A Wish Card

On the agenda of craft makes for today were three cards, this one is none of them, so I still need to get busy.

I just wanted to play, so using some of the techniques I learnt at a local workshop run by Jo Rice  I went with what I fancied doing.

The background paper is a sheet of the "Shenandoah - Natural Wonders" stack.  It is a lovely double sided patterned paper.  I have used a selection of stamps including some by Lavinia and Bee Crafty to create this card, all stamped in a Versafine ink.  I used a white Signo pen for the lighter areas.

Fairy Fern Tag

For this tag, I blended pink, mauve a green Panpastels to create the background.  I used Lavinia and other stamps in a Versafine ink, dotting the fairy dust stars with a white signo pen.

Fairy Dust Tag

I have missed crafting while I was away on holiday.  In fact I am sure that it is the longest time I have not crafted, I usually take a little something with me just in case.  This afternoon, I found I had a spare hour, so decided to play with stamps and ink.

I used a Panpastel blended background, I used a juicy Versafine ink pad on Lavinia and other stamps.  I used a Signo pen for the white areas and dabs of stickles for the fairy dust.