Series: Artful Academy 2020 journal #6 May's prompt was "quotes" so I really couldn't avoid using words on this one. Trying to find a quote that wasn't over-used or twee or without any meaning for me was difficult though; I have a few collected in my notes, but nothing was speaking to me. But there… Continue reading Artful Academy journal – May
It was time to make cards for my other half's twin nieces again. Although they no longer live at home together, I carry on the tradition of making an almost matching pair of cards for them. Almost three months into lockdown and I really wasn't feeling like doing a lot of colouring and I was… Continue reading Butterfly trellis cards
I have a few more cards to write up (I got so far behind with my blogging it's ridiculous), but this is the last of the Power Poppy designs for now. When this image and the one I used for the Mother's Day card were released as digi stamps in February, I just couldn't resist… Continue reading Butterflies and flowers
Series: Artful Academy 2020 journal #1 I keep looking at online courses and being really tempted by them, but then I remember that I still have half of the Wanderlust 2019 projects left to do, not to mention all the other card-making, Copic colouring, and mixed media classes I've signed up for over the years.… Continue reading Artful Academy journal cover
Another technique that I've previously only tried with watercolour paints: using rock salt to add texture. And, like the cling film technique, it didn't turn out as well as it might have. At least this time I'm pretty sure I know what went wrong, I simply didn't use enough water, so the effect is more… Continue reading Supply Savvy ATC day 4
I picked up a bag of assorted Stampbord pieces on sale ages ago and they've sat in my stash unloved ever since. Then this post went by in my feed reader; I thought it looked really pretty and was inspired to have a go myself. To actually make one there and then rather than just… Continue reading Stampbord butterfly
As I mentioned back in January, I signed up for Wanderlust 2019. The idea of being exposed to all the different themes, styles and teachers really appealed to me. And I started off well, working through the background material and bonus lessons before the first of the themes. One of the lessons was on composition;… Continue reading Wanderlust: rule of thirds
After a really productive August, September just went downhill. It took me nearly half the month just to finish a handful of outstanding blog posts, never mind actually starting any new projects. And it's not even creative block or lost mojo. I have plenty of ideas for things I want to make and experiments to… Continue reading Butterflies
Another stamp rescued from the unused pile and another play with the Peerless watercolours. I am loving the colours and also the convenience of the Peerless — which reminds me, I really ought to do a quick blog post about how I organised them. This has to be the simplest design I've done recently. I… Continue reading Flutterbye trio
The things we do for our art. Specifically, emptying, washing and drying used teabags. Ever since I came across Ruby Silvious and her tea bag art, I've wanted to have a play. Now, you can buy unused tea bag paper, but it's hard to find in non-industrial quantities. I did find one art place that… Continue reading Tea bag art cards
Another art journal page. This one was inspired by the June challenge over at That's Crafty; this month's theme is "a summer's day" and so I got out the bright tropical colours and butterflies. The base layer for this page was made from torn pieces of patterned paper. That was followed by some stencilling: lines… Continue reading Bright
My other half took one look at this and named it "floralarm" — "because it's a floral alarm clock thingy"... The project was driven by a desire to try altering something other than a jar and to use more than a couple of the flowers I've apparently been hoarding from my Craft Box subscription. Tim… Continue reading Floralarm
I'm trying to use some of the supplies that have been sitting unloved in my stash. I've pretty much given up on ever catching up with all the stamps, dies and stencils, but I do hold out hope that I can make a large dent in the backlog of paints, embossing powders and other colouring… Continue reading Butterfly colour drips
I picked up a set of the Tim Holtz mixed media dies out of curiosity more than anything else. Rather than giving you a positive shape to work with, these dies are designed to leave you with the negative, empty space on a panel, and I wondered what I could do with that. My initial… Continue reading Bricks and butterfly
This card combines two shiny things: glitter kiss and Perfect Pearls. And I even got to use a bit of patterned paper. I'd had a play with the glitter kiss, seeing how it covered straight to paper and through a stencil. I haven't really figured out how it works yet — sometimes it seems to… Continue reading Butterfly over glitter cells
Crafty Rat 