Industrial or grunge at stamps and stencils

Hello there! How are you? I hope you are well. Its time for a new challenge at stamps and stencils and this time its all about industrial and grunge. Here's what Cec has to say...

 Industrial/Grungy Create a mixed media project with some stamping and/or stenciling that puts off a very industrial and grungy vibe - be sure to include lots of metal and texture.


I decided to make a male card using some of the recently released Tracey Easson stamps ... the ones with the boys on.... here's my card...

I think it will make a great card for a young neighbour later this month. Here's a few steps ....

I started with some texture paste through a stencil.....

Next I applied some gesso using a spatula to a card then added some distress oxides in carved pumpkin, vintage photo, black soot and hickory smoke. I wiped this back using a babywipe then moved on to decoration on top of the background i.e the stamping.

Once fussy cut I added them to the card....

Have a great day and try and join us at stamps and stencils if you can! Hugs Rachel x

Collage at stamps and stencils

Hello there! This is my second post already today! Its time for a new challenge at stamps and stencils and this month Cec has chosen the theme of collage....here's what she had to say ....

 Theme: Off to Collage - No I am not sending you to school but thought it might be fun this month to make a collage.  You can use any substrate such as canvas, corrugated cardboard, wood, or canvas boards for instance and add any items to it as long as you include some stamping and/or stenciling.



Here's what I did with this theme.... I decided to make a wedding card for my friend who gets married later in the year.

I used stencilling as part of my creation - here's how I made it....

I started with a piece of heavy media card and added paste through a stencil (Sheena douglass) to create some background texture.

Next I added a tando clock and lace and buttons and then gessoed over everything to make it white. 

Finally I added some haematite inka gold using my finger to the raised parts of the collage then added the word joy and the paperdoll image. I mounted this on a mat and then onto a card. Simple and fun! I hope you like it! If you need anymore inspiration please hop over to the stampsandstencils post - this is where you can link up too.

Big hugs

Rachel xx

Spring Chicken

Hello there! How are you? I do hope you are well. Its time for a new challenge at stamps and stencils and the theme this time is bright colours with a spring feel. Here's what Ruth had to say about the challenge.

Theme: On the Bright Side - It may still be winter but it's a brand New Year, the days will be soon getting longer, and pops of bright colours will soon start to appear in the garden. This month I'd like you to dazzle us by useing lots of bright colours in your Spring themed creations ...and don't forget to use stamps or stencils.

Well it all sounds lovely to me! I decided to make a card for my aunty who will be 85 next week. I thought along the lines of flowers and then came across a stamp set from Lisa Horton and decided to be a bit cheeky and make her chuckle!!!

The background was made using distress inks, oxides and a TH stencil. The gnome and chickens were made using leftover distress oxide coloured card and some red and yellow card plus a green pencil. I stamped in black versafine and fussy cut and layered up the colours. I do hope she isn't offended!!!!

You can see the amazing work from my teamies here.

Hugs

Rachel xxx

Festive stamps and stencils

Hello there! Well its time for a new challenge at stamps and stencils and this time its Festive and Sue wants you to use BOTH stamps and stencils.....

I made two cards for this challenge - I used the stamp from the new Craft Stamper magazine and  a Tim Holtz snowflake stencil. I stamped the flake in versamark and set with white glitter embossing powder. Next I added distress ink to create the background. I also used distress ink through the stencil. 

I chose two of  Alison Bombers winter stamps ...stamped and cut and mounted them then added lace around the edges. Finally I added a flake charm!

I do hope you can join us. Check out what my uber talented teamies did here!

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

One stamp, three ways

Hi there - I have an inspirational post over at stamps and stencils today ....

Check out how I made these three Seahorses using a chocolate baroque stamp here.

Hugs

Rachel xx

Autumn at Stamps and Stencils

Hello my lovelies! How are you? Its time for a new challenge over at stamps and stencils and the beautiful theme chosen by Toni is Autumn and tags...here's what she's got to say ...

 The Season of  Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness' I'd love to see your projects that are inspired by this beautiful season. You may love the rich, warm colours or the shapes of fallen leaves and natural forms. Let us celebrate the wonders to be found around us. The only catch, is that I'd like you to use a tag or several tags, as your substrate. Your tag can be any size or shape and made of any material but it must be a tag. It must also feature some stamping, stenciling or preferably both. I'm looking forward to seeing your creations!

Here's what I did using this wonderful prompt...

This is a pretty large tag. Its one of the 'medium' sized Tim holtz board etcetera tags. I started by giving it a coat of tangerine twist paint from paperartsy....

Next I used a TH layering stencil and TH opaque matt texture paste.

Next I used distress stain sprays to colour the tag and paste.

I used mustard seed, carved pumpkin, brushed corduroy and bronze.

Then I stamped and coloured images from scrapcosy and fussycut them and added them to the tag, I also added the bird image from TH papers. The stamped verse comes from Alison Bomber.

Here's a few close ups ...

I do hope you are inspired enough to join us in this challenge! You can see my teamies makes and link up here.

Big hugs

Rachel xx

Sparkle and shine - metals at Stamps and Stencils

Hello there! How are you? Good I hope! Its time for a new challenge over at stamps and stencils and this month its my theme - I chose metallics - and this is my brief ....

This month I would like you to make a piece involving metallics in some way - it could be metallic paints, rusted metal techniques, actual bits of metal, metal foil ....the possibilities are endless - also please use stamps and/or stencils. Have fun!

With this in mind this is what I made ...

My canvas involved the use of a few metallic elements and also I used a stencil.

I started by covering polystyrene stars with strips of alumnium tape that I bought on a roll in B and Q, it was around £3.99 for the roll. Its sticky backed which makes it easy to use.

Here's one finished star - the overlaping is fine - its part of the design.

Once the stars were covered I used a ball point pen to punch holes into the edges of the aluminium strips all over the stars. I think it gives them lots of texture and interest.

Next I took an A4 canvas board and used distress oxides to create a background...on top of that I also splattered lots more distress oxide and also some gesso.

To complete the piece I added some stencilled stars, some metal stars, the three large stars and some words.

Lucy is now the proud ownder of my canvas - she liked it so much I said she could have it.

Please join us in our challenge which you can join here. Pleasecheck out my teamies makes - they are awesome!!!!

Hugs

Rachel xxx

Another oldie - tutorial for Stamps and stencils.

Hello there! I hope you can pop over to stampsandstencils today where I have a tutorial for the making of this card....

It was one of the samples for the chocolate baroque show last week.

Big hugs

Rachel x

Techique school at stamps and stencils

Hello there! Well I hope you're sitting tight for a technique post today - the new challenge at stamps and stencils is Technique School! Here's what Autumn has to say...

 Technique School - This month we want you to play teacher and share a favorite process or new experiment.  Document your findings with at least one process photo.  We can't wait to see your technique tutorials and new ideas!  Remember to use stamps or stencils or both! 

Well I can't wait to see what my teamies have done! You can check it out here.  They are super talented ladies  - I for my part have gone for an oldie but a goodie - using fusible film and fibre. I used it to make the flowers in this project....

Here's what I did .... first I gathered my supplies ....

Stamps - this time from paperartsy - any rubber stamps are suitable for this technique and some clear stamps too - Clarity for sure - I have also used imagination crafts stamps with this technique but I would be cautious with other clear stamp varieties!  I also have here fusible film, angelina fibres and a bag where I collect cut off waste that can be used in the 'sandwich'. More of that soon. I also have a craft iron which I switch on to heat up.

If you overlay your film on the stamp you want to use and make sure you cut it twice the length of the stamp. You can then fold it over to make the bread of the sandwich.

In between the sandwich add some angelina fibres - not too much but enough to make a filling.

With your stamps lying down on a heat proof mat ink them up with archival ink.

Add the sandwich over the inked stamp .....

Overlay with baking parchment and run over with the craft iron....

On removal of the paper the stamps with film and fibre should look like this.

and peeled off the film and fibre should look like this.

Having fussy cut my flowers I then went on to make my card...

The background is made using distress oxides - a nice contrast to the shimmer of the flowers. I also used a TH stencil in the background too.

A final view!

I hope you have enjoyed my lesson! Can't wait to see what my teamies have been up to!

Hugs

Rachel x

colour, texture, shape ...

Hello there! Its time for a new challenge at stamps and stencils and Ruth has come up with a fabulous mood board for your inspiration ... here's what Ruth says....

 Colour, Texture, Shape - This month it's almost anything goes as I have a picture inspiration board for you.

Maybe it's the colour palette ranging from cream and peach through to gold, warm browns and soft greens that inspires you...or you want to use different colours and use fabric, lace or metal in your project as texture? As for shape, what about flowers, leaves and architecture or the design elements that are gothic, steampunk or romantic? Whether your inspired by one or all of the pictures, please share your mixed media creations with us, the only restriction - you must use a stamp or stencil somewhere in your project. Can't wait to see what you're inspired to create!

Well it certainly inspired me - I have had a part altered assemblage clock in my possession for a few years now and I decided to use that to make my piece for this challenge ....

I started by gessoing the clock outer and inner.

I also gessoed a wooden bird and piece of card.

Next I did some stencilling - to the clock and also the card and bird and then started spraying too...

I stamped some Tim Holtz butterflies and fussy cut them....

And then I assembled .....using 3d matt gel I added flowers from 13Arts, lace, the bird and background and the butterflies!!!! It was fun! I hope you like it!!!

You can check out the wonderful work of my teamies here

I would like to enter this into stamping sensations challenge-anything-with-flowers

Hugs rachel xx

Its all in the words at Stamps and stencils

Hello there! Another post so soon! Its another new challenge too - this is the new one over at stamps and stencils - this is Sue's pick and here's what she says....

Words with Meaning - I may be an old romantic but I love to see quotes and meaningful sayings on pieces of art. These can be quotes that are particularly meaningful to you or family sayings ! So, for this challenge I want to see your words taking centre stage, big and bold ! Remember, as always, you need to include some stamping or stencilling or both ! 

I decided to make a card using a spellbinders stamp from Tammy Tutterow. I made a panel first using distress oxides and then stamped the stamp onto it. I used distress pens to colour the words and a white posca pen to add the highlights. The back of the card I made using distress oxides and a joggles stencil.

What a great saying!

Hope you can join us and show us about your quotes! Check out my teamies inspirationhere

Big hugs

Rachel x

Fabric and/or fibres at stamps and stencils

Hello lovelies! I hope you are doing well. Things here are good. I am here today to tell you about a new challenge over at Stamps and stencils today. Cec is our host and her theme is fabric and/or fibres and this is what she has to say ....

 Fabric and Fibres - Let's add some fabric and/or fibres to our creations this month.  You can use linen, burlap, organza, wool, lace, ribbon, rope to name a few.  The list is almost endless but whatever you add, make sure there is some stamping or stenciling (or both) on your creation as well.

I decided to use a kit from tando creative in this challenge - and added some burlap!

I started by glueing the sides together ...

next came a bit of painting ....

then I added the burlap and the house bases.

I then added some stencilling ...

for the house tops I painted them using distress crackle paints and distress pens. I also added other items from the kit that I painted plussome pieces of paua shell from New Zealand. The sun is a koru cut by my sister using her laser cutter in NZ. I painted it yellow and stamped some bubbles on it then added it to the scene.

here's a closer view before the glue dried clear! The last thing I added was the words.

I hope you can join our challenge this month - so much you can do with fabric!

Big hugs

Rachel x