A Crafting Niche "52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2026 - Week 42

 

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 42 is "Sunrise / Sunsetl"

It's hard to believe that there is only another ten weeks of the 2026 challenge left.  This year has certainly flown by.

Just over the bridge on the main land from Anglesey is Lake Padarn, in Llanberis.  On the lake is what is known locally as the "Lonely Tree".  It is photographed often and although I have never seen it in real life, feel that I know it well. I have made this interpretation of it at sunrise.

With a plain white tag I loosely drew the scene using an HB pencil.  I then coloured the scene using Faber Castell soft pastels, which I reckon must be about twenty years old, but are still going strong!  I also used a white pastel pencil too.

For the tree, I used Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink to stamp the Lavinia Stamps "Tree Branch".  I extended the image for the rocks using a black fine liner pen, also using black and grey pastels too

Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Framed Delights TE58" Anniversary Card

A clean and simple anniversary card using the Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Framed Delights Te58" stamp set for the branch wreath stamped in Versafine Clair Acorn and Pinecone brown ink. I then used a cotton bud with "Avocado" green Versafine Clair ink to create the leaves.

I used the birds from the Tracy Evans Botuique Designs "A Myriad Of Designs TE44" stamp set with Versafine Clair "Pinecone", a dark brown ink.  I used the same ink to stamp the anniversary greeting which is part of the Funky Fossil Designs "Stripped Back Sentiment" stamp set.

Finally, I added the hearts, which are part of the Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Quirky Birds TE10" stamp set, stamped in Versafine Clair "Baby Pink" ink.

Blowing in the wind - a pen and ink wash scene

 

I had a very informal play with a pen, ink and wash, creating this scene which I call "Blowing in the wint".  I used a blue Quink Ink with a faountain pen to draw the flowers, then used a mop paint brush loaded with water to allow the water to run, adding a touch of green using "Evergreen Bough" Distress Oxide Ink and white Posca pen for the flowers then used a heat gun to dry the surface.

Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "On The Wild Side TE50" Forest Sky Artist Trading Card

This is my Artist Trading Card (ATC) for the day.  I have painted the background colours using a childs water colour painting set. I added some clouids to the ky using a Van Goch Pastel Pencil.

I've then used  two shades of Versafine Clair inks (Avocado and Shady Lane) to stamp the trees in first and second generation stamping.  The trees are part of the Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "On The Wild Side TE50" stamp set.  I then stamped the word "natural" which is part of the same stamp set, stamped in Versafine Clair "Twilight" dark blue ink.

A Year Of Wild Nature Taster 4 - Mystical Botanicals (Toni Burt

Today, I have tried my hand at a pen and wash technique which was part of the "A Year Of Wild Nature - Taster Event" on Facebook.  This taster was tutored by Toni Burt and is called "Mystical Botanicals".

In my piece, I didn't have black ink, so used blue Quink Ink in a fountain pen instead.  I broke off a couple of pieces of honeysuckle from the bush in the garden and used those as my reference point.

I wasn't really sure what extra colour ink to use, so opted for "Peacock Feathers" Distress Oxide Ink as blues and greens are my favourite. Splattering some white Dr Ph. Martins Bleed Proof paint over the surface.

Once I got to grips with the fountain pen, I really enjoyed the process.  I will likely try something similar in the future.

Nature Napkin/Serviette Artist Trading Card

 

While in Tesco this morning, I spotted some beautiful paper napkins/ serviettes with nature images on them.  I had to buy them as the images would be great for a decoupage project.  Obviously, I had to buy them!

Once home, it was time to make my Artist Trading Card (ATC) for the day, so I set about cutting out some of the images and layering them on to a white ATC card covered in glue.  Once in position, I added a little bit of "Antique Linen" Distress Oxide Ink with a brush to tie in all the pieces.  

I used a white Posca Pen to highlight areas on the toadstools and berries, then added a Lavinia Stamps word sticker saying "nature", finally adding dots of "Avocado" liquid pearls over the surface of the ATC.

Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Wild and Free TE47" Nature Artist Trading Card

My Artist Trading Card (ATC) is late in the day today, as the day just seems to have disappeared! For the background colour, I spritzed a white ATC with water then sprinkled a tiny bit of Lindy's "Snozzleberry Magenta`' Everlasting Brights, available to purchase from Tracy Evans Boutique Designs,  paint granules on to the wet surface and let the colour develop and move across the card.  I then used the heat gun to dry the surface.

I used Versafine Clair "Monarch" purple ink to stamp the Tracy Evans Boutique Designs "Wild and Free TE47" stamp set on to the surface of the card.  I then stamped it again on to white card, fussy cut the flowers and glued them into position on to the ATC.

I used Derwent Inktense Pencils and an orange Posca pen to add colour/detail to the flowers and leaves, finally adding a word sticker saying "nature"'.