'Famous Person' CJ pages

I have been mithering over this swap I am in for weeks and weeks. I have been searching the web, researching all the usual candidates. I even thought of Abraham Lincoln whose forebears came from the village I live in - but as it is for a stamping swap, I couldn't come up with suitable stamps.

Until today that is - I had a light bulb moment.



Well he is famous isn't he? Just you google his name.

He hasn't invented the atom, or the heart bypass.


He's not had a hit record, flown to the moon, or cooked for the Queen.


He's very messy, loves being covered in ink - and drives women WILD.


Did you guess - it's TIM HOLTZ
I have never met him - won any of his Blog Candy - but I do 'stalk' his blog and get inspiration from his work. Lets face it, I need all the help I can get.


As you all know I am a beginner - but I have used everything from 'Tim'.

His techniques, his stamps, his Adirondack inks - Sail boat blue, Stream, Pitch black, and Archival black pigment. Grunge board and crackle accents. Phew!

I only hope that the recipient likes the pages.

Another play with colouring an image

Using a stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms I experimented again. Decided to go bold.

The green backing paper I coloured myself a few days ago, with distress inks, and flicked water upon it to make a nice effect - not that you can see much of it! I took inspiration for the colour and texture from this chair - it's gone mossy green over the winter months and I love the colour.

This is an A6 card. I don't know who the papers are made by, I bought them from a friend - it is the same sheet using the patterns from both sides. I painted the image with distress, and Adirondack inks, picking up the colours in the papers - hence the orange background on the stamped image - it matches exactly the orange stripes.


The card, die cuts, I outlined in gold Krylon pen, and on the scalloped 'mat' picked out the pattern in gold - which lifts it - and I like the effect - but it's not really noticeable in the photos. The butterfly was created using a Nestabilities die cut from the same card and outlined in Krylon gold.

For extra texture I used flower arrangers open weave tape on the card too - and stamped the sentiment.

Practice will make perfect - eventually. This card 'only' took three hours! It's an hour quicker than the last one!

I thought I would enter it for Monday's Mixed Media Challenge - Layers - my first entry.

Over 4 hours to make this! Madness!

A card for my granddaughter. I must be insane!



It must just come with lots of practice LOL You should see how many images I ruin right at the end - which are ripped up and put in my bin! I even invested in water colour paper for this.

Or maybe I will just have to face up to the fact that I am just not talented enough yet to 'knock them out' quickly, or even to make them look as good as I would like them too.

I really need lessons - but there seems to be a famine of them in my part of the country!

The photo does not show up the gold on the paper trimmings and prima flowers which gives it a lift.

A black fly thought it looked realistic and landed on the gold centre of the flower just as I took the photo!




I am finding it really, really hard to colour/paint this cute little stamp Images to make them look as nice as I want them too.



Materials
K&Co Madeline backing card and paper trim
Flowers Prima
Stamp from Sugar Nellie
Inks Ranger

Paper Therapy Challenge

I decided on a bit of Paper Therapy this afternoon. It is so hot here so I had stay indoors.

This is another little 4" x 4". I experimented by painting the square sheet of paper with Adirondack inks. The little girl image is a Gorjuss stamp. And the tree and owl by Hero Arts.

I don't know why it took most of the afternoon to do - I had quite a few disasters so kept having to try again.

It's just black and white

I was visiting my favourite blogs last night and saw this very striking black and white card by Cath Wilson

Well I didn't get the same effect - but I will do so another day - but it did inspire me to make a card just using black and white.



Once again using a stamp from the Rummage Bin range of Cornish Heritage Farms I had a play and came up with this.


I used some black gems to give it some texture and 'lift' they catch the light and looked pretty I thought

C'est si bon?

I am trying now to do layers and textures - and this card was inspired by the one here



Yes I know this one doesn't look in the least bit like it - but I used Jo's as an example. Of course I can't emulate hers - but at least it is a start.

I think I am struggling because my cards are too small - so I don't have much room on them to put things.

So - I will be on the internet ordering card blanks.

What is your favourite size - 5" x 5" or bigger - square or oblong. The one I made above is 4"x4" which is 10cm x 10cm.

I just had to buy this Gorjuss stamp

Hello Gorjuss Miss Attitude - who chose those socks?



I have been out of action a few days, so this has been a while in the making. I loved this stamp as soon as I saw it. It reminds me of a little girl whom I love dearly. Now and again she struts the same pose bless her - but don't they all!

I am still learning how to colour stamps, and I coloured the mat 'yellow' paper that little Miss Attitude is glued too.

My next 'challenge' is to try and layer the cards I make - and add more embellishments - lots of inspiration out there on the blogs.