'Light Tomorrow' Canvas for Bee Crafty

Hello!

For my project today on the Buzzy Goings on at Bee Crafty blog I am using some of the same stamps that I used for my art journal last week but this time have gone for a more textured and grungy feel...

I used a 12" x 12" canvas board to fit inside my box frame then adhered an 8" x 8" chipboard panel on top of it.  This was because I wanted to create a very textured border and have my main images in the centre panel with a patterned background.

I started by adding some texture sand paste to two of the outside corners then put into this some art balls and micro beads to create different sizes of 'grains'.  When dry this was painted over with white gesso.
Next I added some areas of white modelling paste which I pushed my mini distressed diamond stamp into.  However because the paste was either too wet or too thick it didn't leave a clear impression but did create some nice texture.
The final type of texture I added was some crackle paste which I added through the distressed harlequin d'inkable plus some extra paste added in other areas with a palette knife....

Once this was all thoroughly dry and white gesso had also been used to cover the centre panel I added brusho powders to colour the whole surface. 
I started with yellow, then sprinkled gamboge and brown.  I also added some turquoise for a bit of contrast. 
Where it was needed I spritzed on extra water and dried in between the layers, continuing to add more colour until I was happy with the look. 
To help the texture stand out I then used two tones of gold gilding wax over the different surfaces...

To decorate the centre panel I used a selection of stamps with archival ink to create extra interest and then repeated the use of the harlequin d'inkable with some gold paint.
After choosing some of the MDF cogs and a clock for dimension, these were painted with gesso then brushos added.
As I wanted my main images to match the rest of the project I used the same brusho powders to colour some card. 
Then I stamped the light bulbs and the sentiment with brown Versafine which I embossed with clear powder.
Once all of the elements had been cut out I used some rusty wire to attach to the MDF cogs for the smallest bulbs to hang from (I also added in an extra metal cog from my stash). 
Everything was then adhered using glue gel...

Finally I painted my frame with black gesso then added gold gilding wax to create a vintage feel before adding in the canvas.

These are the products that I used:

* Art Stamps - XL Light Bulb Circuit
* Art Stamps - Light Tomorrow
* Backdrops - Multi Mini Distressed Diamonds
* Backdrops - XL Script
* D'Inkable - Distressed Harlequin
* MDF - Cogs
* MDF - Clocks

I really enjoy finding different ways to use the same stamps as it really makes the most of them!  I hope you will get some of your Bee Crafty stamps out this week.  If you make anything do please show us in the Bee Crafty Stamps group on Face Book :)

Thank you for looking and happy crafting.

Jane xx

Altered Tin for Butterfly Squad Creative Team

Hello!

Today I have a step by step photo tutorial over on France Papillon's blog showing how I used stamps and stencils to alter a tin.  The full post can be found here...

www.france-papillon.com/single-post/2019/01/17/Butterfly-Squad-creative-team-inspiration-Jane

Here is a sneak peek of the finished project...

Happy crafting,

Jane xx

'Light Up' Art Journal Spread for Bee Crafty

Hello!

I thought it was about time to use my Bee Crafty stamps and stencils to do a bit of art journaling this week...

I started by choosing 3 complementary colours of acrylic paint and applied it to my pages using my fingers.  I wanted to focus on two main areas to create a flow across the pages so applied my paint but left some empty space...

To tone the colours down slightly and also help them look more blended I used my brayer with some buff coloured paint...

Next I chose my 3 favourite d'inkables (metal alpha, chevrons and circles).  For the first two I chose a contrasting colour to my background and added them to the areas that had colour, travelling mostly in a diagonal direction across the page.  Again to help tone the colours together I used buff with the circles when I stencilled them...

At this point I debated whether to leave the background as it was but eventually decided I wanted a little bit of stamping for more texture.  I chose to use parts of the Light Bulb Circuit XL stamp with sepia archival ink.  Then to frame the page I added some of the same ink to the edges where the paint ended...

I wanted to create a collage effect with my stamps that would be focal points on either side of the pages.  Using a selection, I stamped out some images and cut them out.  Once I had an idea of what I wanted to create I coloured them using distress crayons and pens, then decided to use glossy accents to enhance them...

Finally I mounted them up onto the pages with glue gel and then added a sentiment...

To create this project I used:

* Art Stamps - Large Butterfly
* Art Stamps - Dragonfly and Butterfly
* Art Stamps - XL Light bulb Circuit
* Art Stamps - Light Tomorrow
* Art Stamps - Texture, Film Strip and Circles
* Backdrop Frames - Style Wire Hearts
* Backdrop Frames - Style Wire Square (large)
* D'Inkables - Metal Alpha, Chevrons and Circles

Thank you for looking and happy crafting,

Jane xx

HOCHANDA Stencil Week for Tando Creative

Hello!

Today on the Tando Creative blog I am sharing the stencil covers that I made using the new long stencils that Di brought to HOCHANDA back in December...

To decorate the covers I used two of the new stencils, Keep Out and Barbed Wire. 
To create the rusty effect I used Decoart texture sand paste through the stencils plus extra paste around the edges. 
Once this had dried I painted them with silver fluid acrylic then used a range of yellow, brown and quinacridone gold to make the rust colour.
Finally I added a bit more barbed wire with a stamp by Andy Skinner and archival ink.

Here are the links to all the products used:

* Stencil Covers
* Barbed Wire Stencil
* Keep Out Stencil
* Andy Skinner Stamp Set - Handle With Care
* Decoart - Texture Sand Paste
* Decoart - Fluid Acrylic Paint

Thank you for looking and happy crafting,

Jane xx

Courageous Lion Card for Bee Crafty

Hello!

Happy new year!
 
I have decided to share a card with you today on the Buzzy Goings on at Bee Crafty blog that has a sentiment I think we all as crafters need to follow sometimes...

To start this project I began by stamping the lion image from The Wizard of Oz collection using sepia Versafine then embossed with clear powder as I hadn't yet decided which colouring mediums I wanted to use!
I ended up using my watercolour paints and then Faber Castell pitt pens to colour the image and added some white highlights with a signo uniball pen. 
To give the image extra dimension I coated it using glossy accents, then when that layer had dried added another (to be honest I did this because I had stuck my finger into the first layer in my impatience!!).  You can see the high shine this had in the photos as I could not avoid the light showing in them...

Next I stamped and cut out the sentiment then started on my background. 
I cut a piece of card measuring 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" as it was going to go on a 5 x 7 card blank.  I wanted to create a vintage looking background so used my distress inks (tea dye, vintage photo and walnut stain). 
I used each colour one at a time by putting some onto my craft mat, spritzing with water and then adding to the card.  The colours were used from light to dark and when I wanted a more dappled look I dabbed the card rather than put it all in...

After I had added the colours it felt a bit too dark so I splashed some water onto the card then dabbed off with kitchen towel, one of the great properties of distress inks. 
I still wanted some extra lighter elements so used the circles d'inkable to remove some of the colour by faux bleaching with a damp cloth, then drew around the circles with my white pen. 
To make the circles a bit different I added some scribbles around the edges then decided to do the same with a border around the whole piece of card.  
I wanted the circles to be lighter still so added some white distress crayon to them as well. 
To create some extra texture I used my favourite ever Bee Crafty stamp the Script XL with some of the distress inks in random areas.

To frame the main piece and sentiment I blended some walnut stain around the edges. 
The background was then stuck flat to the card but to create dimension I added the sentiment with foam tape and the lion with glue gel.

Here are the items that I used:

* Wizard of Oz - Cowardly Lion
* Wizard of Oz - Inspirational Sentiments
* Backdrops - XL Script
* D'Inkables - Circles
* Distress Ink Pads

Thank you for looking and I hope that this year we will all have both courage and self confidence within our crafting.

Happy crafting,

Jane xx

New Year Notebook for Bee Crafty

Hello!

I hope you all had the Christmas you wished for and are now looking forward to the new year. 

I thought that as it is almost the start of 2019 I would create a project to mark that new beginning. 
I am not one for resolutions as I believe that you can achieve new things at any time of the year, but I do like inspirational quotes so thought I would make a notebook to put them into...

Once I had cut the mount board pieces using a die to create the main book and mini book, I used acrylic paint to coat them all.  I wanted to use a stamp in a different way and decided on the spikey snowflakes as when they were embossed in gold onto the teal I felt that they looked like mystical suns!...

When the notebook had been assembled I wanted to create more of a focal point, so stamped some of the snowflakes again onto a piece of card that I painted and then die cut them into circles.  I wanted to use the same wording on both the main book and the mini book charm so chose a sentiment set where there were two sizes of fonts (Inspirational Words 1)...

To add my ribbon closures I used red liner tape to attach them inside the covers then used the script stamp to make some pretty inserts which were placed over the top.  I added some pages under the elastic and started off my notebook with one of my favourite Bee Crafty wordage stamps...

My aim is now to add quotes to the book throughout the year so that by the end it is a book of inspiration!

Here are the products used:

* Yuletide - Spikey Snowflakes
* Backdrops - Script XL
* Wordage - Inspirational Words 1
* Wordage - True Hope
* D'Inkables - Stars

I hope you have a wonderful start to the new year, happy crafting!

Jane xx

Vintage Christmas Wishes for Bee Crafty

Hello!

As it is my last Saturday post on the Buzzy Goings on at Bee Crafty blog before the big day I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a merry Christmas whatever you will be doing and hope that it brings you all that you wish for.

Because it is now so close I thought that I would share with you a Christmas project but instead of the usual traditional colours I decided to go a bit vintage and used some stamps that you would not really class as Christmassy...

I started with one of the MDF tags which I painted with white gesso then used versamark ink and ultra thick embossing powder to coat the tag.  I did this 3 times to create a really thick layer then covered the script stamp with brown staz on and stamped it into the molten powder.  I left it there until the powder had started to cool and then removed the stamp.  The impression was uneven in places and not all of the ink had gone on but this helped to add to the vintage feel...

Next I used versamark and a fine gold embossing powder to stamp and heat emboss the wings, small heart and sentiment stamps.  I used some antique linen and vintage photo distress crayons to colour the images and then adhered them all to the tag...

To finish off the pieces I used a gold pen around the edges of the stamped images and gold gilding wax on the tag.

Here are the items that I used:

* Backdrop Stamps - Script XL
* Art Stamps - Feather Wings
* Backdrop Frames - Style Wire Hearts
* Yuletide - Everyday Christmas 1
* MDF - Victorian Tag

Thank you for looking and happy crafting!

Jane xx