Happy 2014 to all my followers

Hello you wonderful people,

Yes I am sure you have been wondering where I have been and why nothing new has been appearing on my blog.

Sadly my health has been getting in the way of me doing a lot of things and I have found it very difficult to stay focused and concentrate when trying to use my laptop.  It looks like my laptop has also taken a sickie as all of my pictures and images have disappeared which is very frustrating. I have managed to reinstall all my side bars but I can not get my pictures back on my posts.  As this is the case I have decided that I won't worry about it I will put it down to both me and my laptop being off colour and start a fresh from 1st January 2014 and we will move forward from there.

I have managed to keep on top of my design makes for Sheena Douglass and it has been nice to see some of them on Create and Craft.  So on that note I thought I would start this fresh post showing you the pieces that I made with Sheena's latest stamps "Underwater Angels" and "Hidden Stars".  These stamps were created to work alongside her beech themed stamps.

This was made using Centura Pearl Card, Acetate and the new Luminarte Silks and both sets of stamps.

I coloured the images using my Spectrum Noir Pens on this one.

I liked the use of the red and two blues on this card it makes it more masculine.

This card was made using embossing folders and some of the Pebeo Gilding Wax.  The Pebeo Gilding Wax is so creamy and so different to all the other brands out there and you only need to use the smallest amount to get a result.

This card was made using the caught in crystal effect using the good old floor polish from so many years ago.

This box I made using embossing folders, gilding wax, silks, spectrum noirs and shells and bits from my stash.

So this is some of the work I was busy working on before Christmas and I am sitting waiting patiently for some new Sheena Douglass pieces to land on my hall mat so that I can get creating again for an up and coming show.  Be sure to watch this space for sneak peaks at what I have been up to.

It is my intention to get back in to joining in the WOYWW again so I can travel around the world looking at what you have all been up to and leaving you comments and catching up with you all.

I am hoping that this coming year is a much better one for me where my health is concerned as I have to be ready for my six week holiday to New Zealand to stay with my dad and celebrate my birthday with him other family members and a lot of my dads friends.

I would like to thank all of you that have come back to check if I am still blogging and please do leave comments as I appreciate the time you have taken to leave them and I really enjoy reading them. 

If you are new to my blog, welcome please feel free to leave comments and if you would like to join me on my crafting journey then please hit that follow button.

Happy New Year to each and everyone of you out there in craft and blog land.

Ria

Oriental Sell Out

Hello you lovely people,

Well did you all manage to catch what was meant to be a Pick of a Week show for Sheena Douglass with her Oriental Theme.  What a woman, she had a sell out in just three days and that means there are a lot of you out there about to get some amazing crafting items land on your door step.

This was one of my favourite pieces that I made for the show and it was the sample that they had on an easel to highlight this set of stamps.

I cut a piece of black card to 8"x 8" and then a piece of Centura Pearl a little smaller to be able to matt and layer.

I used a piece of cut and dry foam and Pumice Stone and Victorian Velvet Distress Ink and blended this over the centura pearl card on the non coated side of the card.  Once you have done the blending you will look at the card and think, that can't be right as it looks nothing at this stage.  Once you have done the other bits to build the background up is when you see the magic and when the colours come to life.  I flicked water over the card and allowed it to lift the colour in places.

I then used Versa Mark Ink and the Small Tree Stamp along with the Written Panel and stamped these over the background and I covered them with dry Primary Element Powders. While brushing on the primary elements I brushed some of the loose powder over the whole area of card.  I then lightly spritzed the card and watched as the primary elements came to life in little beaded areas. This is when you really get to see the colours come to life.

The tree, bridges, birds on the branch and the sentiment were all stamped and heat embossed.  I coloured a small piece of card and used a circle punch to cut a disk to put the oriental coin on.  The lanterns were cut out from some of the papers and stuck on the bridges.

It is a shame that the photo can not show you just how wonderful that background looks in the flesh.  It is a technique that Sheena has done on Create and Craft so if you have any recorded shows look back at them to see if you have it.

Thank you so much for looking in on my blog, please feel free to comment and to follow my blog if you like what you see here.  I read all comments left and appreciate you taking the time to leave them.

Ria

Locked away

To all my lovely blog friends,

I apologise for not being around for the last week but I am still having problems with my back, physio is not working.  Also I have been locked away in my craft room all week getting my samples made for Sheena's shows on Create and Craft next week.

All samples are now boxed up and ready for collection so I have tidied up my craft space and I am about to get all inky again.  Just got a birthday card to make and then it's some me time so who knows what I will be making.

I want to thank everyone that gave me comments regarding gelli Plates and Distress Markers, I found the comments very interesting and very helpful so thank you.  I think I will give the distress markers a miss and just use my ink pads and stains for any colouring I might do.  As for the gelli Plate I get the feeling that everyone loves them when they first get them.  They go mad making loads and loads of backing sheets which then just sit around waiting to be used and the gelli plate stays put away and not got back out due to so many backing sheets still not used.

Clarity are doing an interesting starter kit with a 6x6 gelli plate which if I do decide I need to try one I might go down that route.

I can't believe how much I missed WOYWW this week, not getting to see what you have all been up to and missing out on catching up with each of you.  I will be there next week nice and early if I can, still have not worked out how early I would need to be to get Number 1 Spot.

Thanks again for your loyalty, friendship and for caring it means so much to have each and everyone of you as a friend.

TTFN

Ria

Butterflies are self propelled flowers

Hello all you lovely people,

I  can not believe how much having a blog means to me.  I have met so many wonderful people through having my blog and made so many great friends.  Everyone gives so much inspiration through their blog posts and I feel so blessed to be able to do the same for you.

Today's card has been a lovely one to make, the colours are so vibrant and it involves butterflies which if you know me you know they feature big time in my life.

I started out with an 8"x 8 kraft card and I cut a piece of black card to the same size.  I then cut a piece of centura pearl card a little smaller and a piece of heat resistant acetate to the same size.

On the reverse side of the centura pearl I blended in Crushed Olive, Ripe Persimmon and Fired Brick Distress Ink.  I then used a damp sponge and blotted some Radiant Rain into the background in Green, Yellow and Orange,( the colour labels were damaged on my bottles when I got them so not sure of exact colours).

Once this was all dried I used my anti static bag over the whole piece and I used Black Staz On and some detailed Black Embossing Powder and I stamped the Sheena Douglass Silhouette Grasses along the bottom of the card.  I stamped the individual piece of grass randomly over the background.

On the piece of heat resistant acetate I used Meadow, Sunset Orange and Watermelon Alcohol Inks and allowed this to dry.

I took a piece of Black Clearly For Art and covered one side with some paper from my stash.  I then used the large and medium butterflies from the Sheena Douglass Flying Colours and stamped and heat embossed them with the detailed black powder.  With a piece of clear Clearly for art I stamped and embossed the large dragonfly.  If you want colour added to your clearly for art sticking papers to it will give you the best results.

I used my heat tool to bend and shape the butterflies and dragonfly, when hot you can shape it easily but it does cool down quickly so you may have to heat it a few times.  If you do not like the way you have shaped it you can heat it flat and try again.

On the two butterflies I dabbed them with a little of the radiant rains to give them a bit of bling.  I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment from the flying colours set of stamps on the reverse side to the alcohol inks and attached the butterflies and dragonfly using pinflair glue.  I used little black square brads to attach the acetate to the centura pearl card and then stuck this to the black card.

I love the bright colours, the bling of the radiant rains and all the layers that have been created while making this card.

Thank you for dropping in today please do leave a comment and I am happy to answer any questions you may have.  Thank you to my new followers, if you feel that you would like to join me on my crafting journey then please feel free to hit that follow button.

Ria

Ancient Arches

Good afternoon all you lovely people,

Sadly today this post is coming from the sick house, my brother in law was ill a few days ago then last night I was sick all night and today my sister is being sick.  Not great but it looks like it is a 24hr bug that just leaves you feeling weak the next day.

Anyway enough of that, today I am bringing you a card which was a technique that I saw Sheena Douglass do on Create and Craft with her new stamp set Ancient Arches.

I started with an 8"x 8" Kraft Card and I cut a piece of Centrua Pearl to the same size for working on.  I did not use the pearl side of the card instead I used the revers side of the card.

Using some cut and dry foam I added Stormy Sky, Weathered Wood, Vintage Photo, Warn Lipstick and Peeled Paint Distress Ink in patches and blended together.  Once these colours had been blended I went around the edge of the card with Peeled Paint building up in areas.

I used the TCW Mini Splats Mask and went through that with vintage photo and That Touch of Mica Fleur De Les Mask with Fired Brick DI.  Next I placed That Touch of Mica Maroccan Mask over the piece of card, spritzed with water removed the mask and run the kitchen towel roll over it to lift the water and colour.  Then I spritzed some water in my hand and flicked this over the card again lifting some of the distress ink.

Once this was completely dry I stamped the Ancient Arches image and the IndigoBlu Enjoy Life Sentiment and  the script pieces from the Ageing Beautifully by Sheena Douglass.  I then took the Crackle Effects and the Distressed Corners from the ageing beautifully and added these over the card.

I then took a damp brush and started flicking it away from the window at the left lifting the colour to make it look as though the sun was shining through.  This has to be worked at for a while keeping the brush damp not too wet and once I felt I had lifted enough I mixed a small amount of Silver Mica Powder with water and using the same flicking movement added this at the window.

It is not as good as Sheena did but I am happy with the finished card and love the new set of stamps which I know will be used a lot by myself.

I would love to know if you feel I achieved the sun light streaming in and any other comments you which to make.  I appreciate your time when leaving comments and I do read each and every one of them and will reply if you have a question.

Thanks for stopping by

Ria