STAMPlorations Inspiration #71 - More Groovy Shoes

Still playing with my Groovy Shoes set :)  I don't recall having shoes like those on the left, but I had a pair of beige wedges, and I also had a pair similar to those on the right, in red.  Got them on my first overseas holiday to Italy many moons ago.

We've got some fabulous inspiration for you over at STAMPlorations today, and if you leave a comment on the STAMPlorations blog you'll be in with a chance of winning a $10 gift certificate.

I'm entering my card into "Less Is More" - haven't played along in ages!  The theme is 3 stamps - I wasn't sure whether the sentiment made it four, but some of the design team have used 3 plus a sentiment, so it must be ok ;)

Best Foot Forward

I've got some new stamps out next week - Groovy Shoes - so retro!  This wedge shoe is just one of the images in the set - check out the others below.  (The sentiment on this card is from the STAMP Club stamp set for April, Born To Roam.)

On white card I stamped the shoe in Black Soot (masking the far side of the shoe and the back of the ankle strap), then lightly drew in a leg and watercoloured the image with Black Soot and Candied Apple for the bow. Then I painted out the whole background with black gesso.  I love how it's turned out :)  The sentiment is stamped on a spare strip of white card, then the whole thing mounted onto white card base.

I'm entering this card into The Card Concept, Simplicity

and AAA Cards, Anything Goes.

You'll be seeing a lot more of these stamps over the next few days ;)

ARTplorations Blog Hop - Day 3 and CASEplorations Reminder

It's Day 3 of the ARTplorations blog hop, and we've got more stencil inspiration for you.

I've used the flower masks from the Bloom Silhouettes stencil/mask set.  I laid the masks onto a piece of mixed media paper, sprinkled Brusho powders on, then spritzed until the colours burst.  Where the colours started mixing too much, or there was too much water pooling, I just mopped it up with kitchen roll.

The sentiment is from a new set that Shery's designed - you'll be seeing it in a couple of weeks.

Hop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for more fabulous inspiration, and leave a comment here and on the main blog for a chance to win:

• THREE (3) winners will receive their choice of ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from all comments left on the designers' blogs.
• ONE (1) winner will receive a $15 gift certificate OR her choice of 2 ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from comments left on the STAMPlorations blog. 

Extra prizes for those who participate in the Flash Stencil Project Linky Party and link up by April 15:

• TWO (2) winners whose projects feature stencils (any brand) will each receive their choice of one (1) ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7)
• ONE (1) winner whose project features an ARTplorations stencil will receive her choice of three (3) ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7) OR a $15 gift certificate to the shop.

My card is also a reminder for this month's CASEplorations where we're CASEing this gorgeous card by Donna.

Five focal elements, a rainbow of colours, splatter (plenty of that!!) and a thoughtful sentiment.  How will you CASE Donna's card?  Check out the challenge here.

STOP PRESS:  I'm entering this card into Virginia's View impromptu linkup party, details here.

ARTplorations Blog Hop - Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of the ARTplorations Blog Hop.  Did you enjoy all that fabulous inspiration yesterday?  We've got another feast for the eyes today.

I've used the Dots All Over stencil on my background, inking it with Distress Inks, spritzing then laying the inked side down onto my card panel.  Love that technique!  I sponged the edges of the panel with Pickled Raspberry to define the edges.

I stamped three flowers (Dee's Blooming Buds), sloshed on some colour then fussy cut them and arranged them on the card panel, cutting the stem of the back flower.  Wrapped a bit of purple jute around the panel, then adhered it all to the card base, and added a bit of dotty washi tape to echo the dotty stencil pattern.  The sentiment is from Fond Expressions.

Hop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for more fabulous inspiration, and leave a comment here and on the main blog for a chance to win:

• THREE (3) winners will receive their choice of ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from all comments left on the designers' blogs.
• ONE (1) winner will receive a $15 gift certificate OR her choice of 2 ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from comments left on the STAMPlorations blog. 

Extra prizes for those who participate in the Flash Stencil Project Linky Party and link up by April 15:

• TWO (2) winners whose projects feature stencils (any brand) will each receive their choice of one (1) ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7)
• ONE (1) winner whose project features an ARTplorations stencil will receive her choice of three (3) ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7) OR a $15 gift certificate to the shop.

I'm adding this to Loll & Bonnie's CAS Mix Up - Stamps + Stencils + My Choice - watercolouring.

ARTplorations Stencil Blog Hop

Have you seen all the fabulous ARTplorations stencils over at STAMPlorations?  For the next few days we're having a stencil blog hop, so you'll get to see plenty of them in use by the STAMPlorations girls.  Here's what I made:

I glued a couple of pieces of dictionary paper on a 12-inch square canvas then covered it with white gesso. Once that was dry I stencilled a mix of gold pearl embossing paste and glass bead embossing paste through the Shutters stencil.  

When that had dried I stencilled Graphite texture paste through the Happy Flowers Large stencil.  More waiting till that dried, then I got to work with the colouring.

(You can see the sparkle of the Graphite texture paste in this close-up).  I used red, orange and magenta Neocolour II crayons for the flower centres, grey for the shadows around the flowers and Antique Linen Distress Paint for the background.  It's a few weeks since I made this, and I can't remember what the pink drips are - either Distress Paint or Neocolour II, daubed on then spritzed so that it dripped down.

The sentiment (from Art Is) was stamped onto tissue paper then glued onto the canvas.

Ready to hop?

Hop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for a gander at all the lovely projects from the rest of the STAMPlorations girls, and leave a comment here and on the main blog for a chance to win:

• THREE (3) winners will receive their choice of ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from all comments left on the designers' blogs.
• ONE (1) winner will receive a $15 gift certificate OR her choice of 2 ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from comments left on the STAMPlorations blog. 

Extra prizes for those who participate in the Flash Stencil Project Linky Party and link up by April 15:

• TWO (2) winners whose projects feature stencils (any brand) will each receive their choice of one (1) ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7)
• ONE (1) winner whose project features an ARTplorations stencil will receive her choice of three (3) ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7) OR a $15 gift certificate to the shop.

STAMPlorations Inspiration #70 - Stencilled Bird

Time for some more STAMPlorations Inspiration.  I can share this card now that I know it's reached its destination!

I used the mask from the Perched Bird stencil and mask set, inking it with Distress Inks, spritzing and then turning it onto my card panel.  I love how the colours mingled.  The sentiment is from Party Time.  I was tempted to colour the 'birthday' but then decided it might detract from the bird, so I left it uncoloured.  The outer edge of the card base is watercoloured with Distress Inks to match.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the Design Team.  Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win our random monthly prize of a $10 gift certificate.

Craft Stamper Take It Make It Reminder - Spring Flowers

Are you playing along at Craft Stamper Take It, Make It?  Our theme for this month is Spring Flowers.  The flowers don't necessarily have to be stamped, as long as there's stamping on your project.  I had to have this gorgeous new Penny Black stamp, The Unfolding.  Love it!

This month's sponsor is Traplet, the publishers of the fabulous Craft Stamper Magazine.  There's a fabulous prize on offer for one lucky entrant - all six of Kate Crane's Art Journalling DVDs!

Then the winner chosen by the Design Team will have their winning entry published in Craft Stamper magazine, a winner's profile post on the blog, and a guest design spot in a future challenge - yay!

Pop on over to the Craft Stamper blog to see all the fabulous inspiration from the rest of the Design Team, and join in for your chance to win!

ETA:  The sentiment stamp is by Stamps Away.