Don't be Pushed..... for That's Crafty

Hi Everyone

For my final That's Crafty post for 2017 I am sharing with you another of the samples I made for the recent One Day Special Shows on Hochanda.

For all the details just pop over HERE.

I am unlikely to post again before Christmas so I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and thank you for your continued support on my blog. There's not as many of us out there these days so that makes your comments even more appreciated.

Have a good one!

Love

Amanda X

Mandala for That's Crafty

Hi everyone

I'm sharing with you today, over at That's Crafty Blog, one of my pieces that appeared on Hochanda last week to support the launch of another fabulous range of stencils, paints and mediums.

for all the details just pop across HERE

Thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

'Tis the Season for That's Crafty challenges

Hi Everyone

Christmas will soon be here and we would love you to share your Christmas themed projects with us over at That's Crafty Challenge Blog as our challenge theme for the next 2 weeks is 

'Tis the Season'

I have been frantically batch making Christmas cards, because yes I always leave it to the last minute.

I have been gelli printing using a mandala stencil which is one of the fabulous new stencils from That's Crafty.  This stencil is one of the stencils that will be part of the That's Crafty One Day Special that launches on Hochanda tonight, Friday 8th December, at 6pm. The Hochanda deal will end at 6pm the following day or whilst stock last, which ever comes first, so be sure to tune in.

I have then stamped the snowflakes from Tim Holtz both in black and white heat embossed with a little gem in the centre of the white ones.I then added the wonderful Winter words from Alison Bombers EAB05 set by Paperartsy. A Tim Holtz Chat Sticker finishes each one off.
Here's just a couple of them to give a closer look

If you would like to join in with us this fortnight you could be the lucky winner of a £20 voucher to spend online at That's Crafty.

You will find all the details to play along HERE

thanks For stopping by

Love

Amanda X

The Start of the Christmas Rush for That's Crafty

Hi Everyone

Arghhhhhhh December!!! where did that come from???

please join me over at That's Crafty Blog as I start the run up to Christmas

Here's just a sneak peek

You will find all the details HERE 

Amanda X

Cold Hands, Warm Heart for That's Crafty

Hi Everyone

I'm over at that's Crafty Blog today and my piece might be quite apt for this week as I heard that snow is forecast!

To read all my project details just pop over HERE

thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Green with Envy over at That's Crafty Challenge blog

Hi Everyone

Another challenge fortnight at That's Crafty Challenge Blog has come around again and for our latest theme we have chosen

"GREEN WITH ENVY"

so we are looking for your projects where green is the most dominant colour. Now I have to confess that we all have our go to colours and green isn't one of mine, I don't dislike green I just find that it's a colour I don't really use. I do however associate it with Christmas so I have made my first Christmas card of 2017 for out challenge

It gave me a chance to play with Tim Holtz Christmas foam stamps and Christmas foam alphabet.

all paints are Paperartsy fresco colours and all stamping with the foam stamps done using the stamping platform as it allows you to keep the bauble stamp in the same position while you layer up the paint layers. I have also edged the words with a gold pen. 

We would love it if you played along with us this fortnight and remember as with every challenge, one lucky entry will win £20 to spend in that's Crafty online store.

For all the details and even more inspiration from the design team just pop over HERE
Also from 9am today, 24th November, That's Crafty starts its BLACK FRIDAY SALE which runs until 9am Monday 27th November, new items will be added over the 3 days so keep checking the website and grab yourself a bargain!

thanks for stopping by 

Love

Amanda x

Journal for That's Crafty

Hi

It's my turn today to share some art over at That's Crafty Blog

and I have been journal making

for all the details just pop over HERE

thanks for stopping by

love

Amanda X

A Forgotten Piece for That's Crafty

Hi Everyone

I'm over at That's Crafty Blog today with my regular Tuesday make. 

I'd love it if you'd pop over to check out the details.

Thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Stencil It! at That's Crafty Challenges

Hi Everyone

We have the start of a new challenge fortnight over at That's Crafty Challenge Blog and our theme for the next 2 weeks is

'STENCIL IT' 

projects that use at least one stencil.

For my piece of inspiration to start the challenge off I have layered up many stencils. My background was a combination of distress oxides and inks. Onto that I then stencilled using a couple of That's Crafty Dinky stencils using distress inks. The next layer I then stamped the flowers, That's Crafty stamp and archival ink pad. I then stencilled the brown using a Patti Parrish stencil, this time using Dylusions paint, I then stencilled in orange Dylusions paint the light beam stencil from Crafters Companion.  I added some additional detail to the background by stamping the phrases from Dina Wakely. The word FAB has been die cut from an old alphabet sizzix set I have, it has been coloured using sparkle pens. The main image is one of the, new to That's Crafty, Sin City stamps "retro 70's style woman", coloured with coloured pencils.

We would love you to play along with us all and share with us your stencilled projects.

You could also be the winner of a £20 voucher to spend online at That's Crafty.

For more stunning inspiration from the team and all the details just pop over HERE

Thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Good Vibes for That's Crafty

Hi Everyone

I'm over at That's Crafty blog today with a clean & simple make for my regular Tuesday post

I'd love for you to pop over HERE for all the details

Have a fab day and thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Happy Halloween for That's Crafty

Hi Everyone

Well today is Halloween and also my day over on That's Crafty Blog so it probably comes as no surprise that I am sharing a Halloween make. I have to say that this one is probably my favourite of this years spooky makes from me. 

I hope you'll pop over Here for all the details

Have a fabulously spooky day

Love

Amanda X

Floral Fancy at That's Crafty Challenge Blog

Hi Everyone

We have the start of another challenge starting today and our theme for the next two weeks is

"FLORAL FANCY"

so we would love it if you played along with us sharing your project that includes flowers HERE.

For my piece of inspiration I have made a double page spread in the smaller of my journals.

The background was just random paint colours that I then stencilled over using Paperartsy floral masks and black archival ink. I then stencilled through with green paint the peacock feathers as foliage. Onto a separate piece of card I stamped the large flower stamp, designed by Birgit Koopsen for Carabelle Studio. It was coloured with alcohol pens and sparkle pens (which sadly don't show up)

I then had a go at writing my own lettering, I don't particularly like my lettering but I like the saying I wrote "Flowers are nature's way of spreading glitter".

A bit more stencilling with paint through Tim's dot fade stencil finishes off the pages.

There is more fabulous inspiration for you from the rest of the team HERE

Remember if you play along with us, one lucky entry will be randomly drawn to win a £20 gift voucher to spend at That's Crafty online shop.

To play just pop over HERE

Thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Game Over

Hi Everyone

I'm enjoying a day off just playing for a few hours in my art journal. 

I decided to complete a page in my Dylusions journal that I had previously prepared using left over paint. I had also picked up the visible image skull stencil this week on my travels so wanted to play with it. I coloured around it over the painty page with black archival ink, my go to for adding black as it gives such a sharp outline to your stencilling. 

The background has Dylusions alphabet stencils but all the gaming termanology that has been stencilled on is either a Brett Weldele or Hunkdory stencil and I have used Dina Wakley paint.

I have made the word life using the level up statement and typed my words out to say what I wanted to say on the page.

Just a bit of a fun make but I'm really enjoying starting to use my journals more.

Hope you are having a great day and thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Something Wicked for That's Crafty

Hi Everyone

Just to let you know that I am over at That's Crafty Blog, and with only a week to go, I am still in Halloween mode.

To see it all and read the details just pop over Here

thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Mini Art Journal

Hi Everyone

I have had a go at making a little mini journal as inspired by Birgit Koopsen and her mixed media crew.

This mini journal is only 2.5 inches square per page and came about when I found some collage sheets that had been long forgotten.

background was a stencilled painted piece of card that I went wrong with so was no good as a full piece but worked when cut up into the small squares.

Stamps used are from Badass & Carabelle Studio and mostly heat embossed in several colours.

thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Watch the Stars for That's Crafty

Hi Everyone

As it's Tuesday this post is just to let you know that I am over at That's Crafty Blog 

I have been playing with Seth Apter dies in this weeks make,

I hope you'll pop over HERE for all the details

Thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Get Your Spook On! for That's Crafty Challenges

Hi Everyone

Friday 13th! what a fabulous day to start a new Spooky Challenge fortnight over at That's Crafty Challenge Blog. So if you fancy 'getting your spook on' why not come along and join in with us and share your spooky make.

Before I show you my DT inspiration piece I need to issue a WARNING!!!! 

The piece I am about to share with you features DECAPITATION, you have been warned!!!

Still with me? You don't easily scare then?

I used Sheena's stamping card and cut a circle out from the centre, both pieces have then been coloured using distress oxides, I love the black soot oxide. Once I had coloured the moon I just put the circle back in. 

I then stamped out my 3 gentlemen, Carabelle Studio and Tim Holtz stamps, and then I............

chopped off their heads and transplanted 3 of Tim Holtz pumpkin stamps. All has been coloured with copics and coloured pencils.

The Pumpkin Heads text has been stamped with Tim's Gothic Foam cling stamps and black soot oxide ink, lining everything up around the circle made easy as I used my Tim Holtz stamping platform. Happy Halloween, again a Tim Holtz stamp, was stamped in black archival. Finally I added one of Tim's die cut Ravens from his 'Feather & Ravens' Thinlits.

There is even more 'Spooky' inspiration for you from the team HERE

I hope you decide to come and play along with us this fortnight and as always one randomly chosen entry will be the lucky winner of a £20 voucher to spend online at That's Crafty Store. Your chance to win £20 starts HERE

Thanks as always for stopping by I really appreciate your visit.

Love

Amanda X

Strange Little Girl for That's Crafty

Hi Everyone

I'm over at That's Crafty Blog today with a double page journal spread

I hope you'll pop over HERE  for all the details

thanks for stopping by

love

Amanda X

The Grave Digger for That's Crafty

Hi Everyone

I am over at That's Crafty Blog today with a rather scary tag, well we are in the month of Halloween.

Hopefully, if you are not too scared, you'll pop over HERE for all the details

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Forever Autumn at That's Crafty Challenge Blog

Hi Everyone

It's the start of another challenge fortnight over at That's Crafty Challenge Blog and our theme is

'FOREVER AUTUMN' 

For my little piece of inspiration for this fortnights challenge I have created a journal page in my black Dylusions journal. The one thing I remember about autumn was when I was little my Mum would walk me to school along tree lined roads and the pavements would get covered with fallen leaves which were great fun to run through and kick everywhere. I would then get told off as all the leaves would stick to my school socks, this page collects, for me, that memory. 

I have used one of the images from Dylusions Endeavour stamp set and changed the top of her head so it is full of leaves, again another Dylusions stamp that I have fussy cut all the leaves out.

Background is just brayered paint leaving some of the black edges exposed. I have stencilled some Dylusions leaves aswell in black to add to the background.

Image has been coloured with Copics and pencils.

We would love to see your Autumn projects and if you decide to play along with us you could be the lucky winner of a £20 voucher to spend online at That's Crafty.

There is more inspiration from the team and all the details HERE

Hopefully you'll come and play along

Thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

The Inspiration You Seek for That's Crafty

Hi Everyone

As it's Tuesday I am over at That's Crafty Blog 

For all the details just pop over HERE

thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Mwahahahaaa for That's Crafty

Hi everyone

I've gone a little spooky over at That's Crafty Blog,

 HERE are all the details 

thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

I Don't Need To .............

Hi Everyone

Hope that you're having a lovely weekend so far. I have been playing in one of my very neglected art journals, in fact they are all neglected, I really need to play more in them. The one I have played in today is my small Dylusions journal. I do use the pages of my journals to clean brayers, brushes etc on with a hope that I will come back and play on the painty pages, these pages have been sitting around for ages so I took to completing them.

I have used my favourite stencil girl face stencil which I have added to the page with black archival ink and a blending tool. 

I have been playing on the page with foils, brushing the foiling glue on and then adding the foils. 

The stars I have die cut from pieces of painted card that have been print embossed using Carabelle embossing folders, love the additional texture on these.

some stamping and doodling with black and white Posca pens and the words are my own just typed out on my old typewriter.

So just a bit of arty play from me today and I really should do more pages.

Thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Fly Away at That's Crafty Challenges

Hi Everyone

Today sees the start of a new challenge theme fortnight over at That's Crafty challenge blog

and our theme this time is 

'FLY AWAY'

we are looking for your project to include wings/birds etc

I've kept things simple with this one. I have only used a piece of painty card from my stash. I have die cut the centre of a piece of white card using Seth Apters Loop de Loop die, and punched some circles using 3 different sized circle punches. I have also stamped the Frida butterfly stamp by Rubber Moon straight onto the painted card, then painted the faces and restamped the details back in, all done using the Tim Holtz stamping platform. 

Sentiment is from Unity Stamps.

We would love it if you played along with us this fortnight and you do, you could be the winner of a £20 voucher to spend online at That's Crafty.

For more inspiration from the rest of the team and all the challenge details just pop across HERE

Thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Frida Pop Art for That's Crafty

Hi Everyone

I am over at That's Crafty Blog today with my usual Tuesday make.

for all the details just pop over HERE

have a fab day

love

Amanda X

In My Heart

Hi Everyone

I have been raiding my kitchen cupboards and my latest make, a wall hanging, is a creation from playing with a lazy Susan (now covered in paint and needs replacing, and a large palette knife which will also not make it back into the kitchen.

I have created on a piece of mixed media card which I laid on my lazy Susan, onto the card I splodged Finnabair Impasto paints I just love how strong the colours of these are. I then spun the lazy Susan whilst rotating the paint around holding the palette knife in the same place to get a rotation of colour. I then dipped the length of the palette knife in black impasto paint and created the black sunbeam effect just by slightly dragging the paint whilst pivoting from a central point. I then did the same with foiling glue. When the glue was dry I then foiled those drags of glue. 

I've tried to capture the foils on the photo. I then mounted the card onto a That's Crafty 6" x 6" MDF board and trimmed it to fit. 

I then added a small That's Crafty MDF heart to the centre, painted with Impasto paint and stamped some text onto it. I wrapped it with wire and glued it to the centre of the beams. 

A Tim Holtz chipboard saying is added. 

I felt it needed mounting on something else so I painted an 8" x 8" MDF board, again from That's Crafty, using black Dylusions paint which adds a strong black background.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Take a Breath for That's Crafty

Hi everyone

I'm Over at That's Crafty Blog today with my regular Tuesday make. That's Crafty have increased their range of Lost Coast Design Stamps so it would have been rude not to increase my personal collection.

I have a card that uses Lost Coast Design stamps.

To catch up with all the details just pop over Here

thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Halloween is Coming

Hi Everyone

Is it too early for Halloween? No it's never too early to get spooky and creepy. So here's a little creepy make from me to start the run up to Halloween.

I started with a piece of card that I had coloured with grey brusho's. Onto that I stamped a collection of stamps, mostly Tim Holtz and Paperartsy onto the Brusho card, I stamped also onto the less coloured parts as I wanted to colour those with Vintage Photo distress ink. I then punched out the elements of the stamps that I wanted using a square punch giving me 3/4" squares. I then built my pattern of squares up moving them around till I was happy with the layout. I then glued them into place. I then stitched around the squares to add some textural interest. 

I die cut Tim Holtz raven die and added one of his Halloween clipping. Some flicks of red ink finish it off.

Be afraid, be very afraid, Halloween is coming!!

Thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X

Rustica at That's Crafty Challenge Blog

Hi Everyone

We have the start of another challenge fortnight over at That's Crafty Challenge blog and our theme is

"RUSTICA"

We want to see your rusty projects, there are so many ways to create rusty effects so we'd love it if you shared yours with us, here's mine.

I have created a 20" x 4" canvas and added many rusted surfaces. My rusting has all been done using Pentart rusting powder and vinegar. 

The top half of the canvas is actually a piece of calico fabric that I rusted, I love the variation that you get on the fabric.

The fabric once rusted, I left it for a couple of days, was stapled onto the canvas. I added some rusted washers that had also had the rusting powder treatment.

I added some cotton in green which I have wrapped around many times along with a piece of rusted string. 

I have also stencilled on the words using Seth Apter Stencil and one of Seths Paperartsy paints for a patina look.

The centre of the canvas I have wrapped with rusty wire which I didn't rust it was already rusty, I have also added some more rusty string with a fabulous rusty knot.

Here you can see the bottom of the canvas which I first Painted with Seth Apters Green Patina paint, this photo represents the colour better than the photo above. I first sprinkled it with the rusting powder and sprayed with vinegar and left it to do it's stuff. Once that was done I dribbled vinegar down the canvas and sprinkled the rusting powder into the vinegar and again left it to do it's stuff. 

I stencilled the numbers from one of Seth Apters stencils using rust paste. 

I have left a lot of rusty open space to show off the textures, I had to really stop myself adding further elements but in the end managed to walk away and just leave the simplicity of the rusty textures.

The team have come up with some fabulous rusty creations to offer you even more inspiration. so why not come and play along with us this fortnight and also be in with the chance to win a £20 voucher to spend online at That's Crafty online store, who wouldn't want £20?

For all the details and be whisked away to our latest challenge you just need to go HERE

Thanks for stopping by

Love

Amanda X