Funky Goat .....

Want to decorate your fridge with a Funky Goat ?

This handmade Fridge Magnet is 2.5 inches in diameter, has been hand-stamped and hand-coloured and comes with an extra thin & strong Neodymium magnet to hold it in place on any ferrous based surface.

It's for sale in my Etsy Shop and is one of a series of fun & funky designs ... click HERE to go have a look...

Sid xx

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Numbers Postcard ......

Here is a postcard made for a Swap over on UK Stampers Forum Facebook Group !

I started with a 6 x 4 white card base and used a stencil through which I inked with numerous colours of Versamagic chalk inks.

The black & white border was then added with Posca markers.  I then stamped the numbers (PaperArtsy) in black Versafine ink and added the printed words as shown, highlighting the number one in Red Posca !

I added another layer of card to strengthen the postcard and sprayed with matt acrylic lacquer to protect through the postal system as they are sent 'naked' !

If you fancy joining in the postcard Swap just click on the link above and join the group !

Sid xx

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Restoration .........

Hi everyone !  Lovely day here in Manchester but I am staying in and crafting away here and have just made this 6 x 4 postcard as part of a monthly swap over on UK Stampers Forum .  This month it's an 'Open' theme and the postcard has to be able to go through the post naked to its recipient.

This is a challenge as any heavy embellishment can suffer greatly as the postcard goes through the sorting machinery at our friends the P.O..

Anyway, I started with a piece of white cardstock cut to 6 x 4 inches.  I then covered this with a computer based background which I made using digital images.  The colourway is mainly blues with a hint of pinks.

I then used four rubber stamps. Firstly the female face was stamped in dark blue dye ink and then overstamped with lime green ink with the same stamp offset.

Around the right edge and bottom of the card I used a swirl stamp with lime green dye ink and stamped a swirly border.  The bottom border was then overstamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed with ranger lime green embossing powder.

The word plates were printed and stuck in place and were edged with black micron pen (0.4).  The same pen was used to add some dots on the swirls on the right.  A few small butterflies were roughly stamped in dark red on the left to add a contrasting colour.

The whole card was edged in more lime green dye ink and the card was sprayed with matte acrylic varnish to protect.

Sid xx

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Be Happy Postcard

Here is my entry for a postcard swap over on UK Stampers Forum.  This month it is an open theme and I prepared my background on a 6 x 4 inch piece of white card trimmed to size with a guillotine..

I used acrylic paints and a sponge to apply blue, magenta and cream paints.  Once happy with the effect I then stamped with Stazon Gold ink a dotty overlay.  Over this were stamped the bee image (Pink Paislee) and the pennants (Papertrey Ink) in Memento tuxedo black ink..  Another text stamp (Paper Artsy) was stamped in fired brick Distress ink.

Next a strip of Washi tape was applied at the top and a strip of TH Tissue Tape at the bottom along with some paper lace.  These were lightly stamped over with the bee stamp again with Memento tuxedo black ink..

The bees body was coloured with a gold Posca pen to highlight.

All edges were coloured with more fired brick Distress Ink applied with cut'n'dry foam after the edges of the postcard were rounded with a corner rounder punch.  A light coat of matt acrylic spray sealer was applied to protect it in transit to it's recipient as it has to travel 'naked' through the post.

Sid xx

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Plant a Seed

I have been saying for ages that I need to start journalling.  I need to be broken in gently with the handwritten stuff so I decided to go with stamped letters on this my first page.  The journal itself is a cheap A4 one bought from PaperChase and I have pre-coated the first half dozen pages with white gesso although the card itself is quite sturdy.

I recently bought a load of garden stamps in rubber from Lily at 'The Octopode Factory' and I have used stamped images of these as the main collaged images on the page.

Also must give thanks to Kate Crane whos' video has inspired me and helped me through some of the background techniques beautifully.  I really did end up with paint everywhere but enjoyed every moment until I had to clean up !!

I used a variety of acrylic paints in pink, yellow, orange, blue, white & black to colour the background.  I used an old credit card, my fingers and a brush to spatter to apply the paints.  I used a Tim Holtz background stamp to apply textural elements in the acrylic and some container lids to produce the circles.

The  Octopode flowers (love the eyes), stems, leaves, mushrooms and caterpillar were stamped on thin card in Archival black ink and coloured with Marvey alcohol brush markers.  The elements were all then cut out and stuck in place with matt medium on the background.  I then went back in and added oil pastels, some edging with charcoal more paint circles and some doodling until happy.

Finally the letters were stamped in Archival black ink and shadowed with some white Posca pen. Definately difficult to know when to stop though................ but stop I did !

That's it, my first page........... but certainly not my last.

Sid xx

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One Mans Journey

I have just taken part in an altered CD swap over on UK Stampers Forum.  I decided to do a vintage theme mainly with Tim Holtz materials and stamps.

The CD was covered in letters backing paper (Lost & Found) adhered with matt medium and trimmed once dry.

I then stamped with the tatty sunburst TH stamp with onyx black Versafine ink at the bottom and the retro circles TH stamp with Versamark and heat embossed this with claret embossing powder on the top left.  The journey word (Invoke Arts) was stamped in archival black ink on the top right.

The circles and word were highlighted with gold and white Posca pens.  The military man was cut out from another piece of Lost & Found TH paper, stuck in place and highlighted with black Posca Pen. Holes were punched with the crop-o-dile for two star snaps and two gold eyelets as shown.  The edges of the covered CD were rubbed over with black soot Distress ink on cut'n'dry foam.

Finishing touch was to thread some brass chain through the top eyelets and join with a triangle split ring to hang.

Sid xx

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Beautiful Postcard

There is a monthly postcard challenge over on UK Stampers Forum.  This months if to use a them of 'Beauty' so this is my entry.

I cut a piece of blue cardstock to 6 x 4 inches and attached a piece of text printed paper from My Minds Eye called Mabel.  Once done I stamped an image in archival black ink using a rubber stamp from the Aspects of Design Butterfly Beauties plate by Tracey Coates.

This was coloured with mica paints in various colours to add a shimmer and subtle colour.  A little swirl was inked in dove grey Stazon around the edge and the text was added as a rub-on.

I roughly edged the card with gold Krylon pen before giving the card a coat of Ranger matte medium to seal and make it resilient to being posted to the recipient.

Sid xx

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Time for the Post

This is another postcard I have crafted for a swap over on UK Stampers Forum.  I had a paper napkin printed with timepieces on a gold and black background so I trimmed three of the timepieces out and separated the layes of paper in the napkin so I was left with a single ply with the image on - very fragile !!

The card was cut from coarse white card as I wanted a texture to stamp on.  The background was coloured with oregano Adirondack dye ink and cut'n'dry foam.  I then took a flourish stamp (PaperArtsy) and stamped this several times in the same ink, drying thoroughly before the next step.

I then glazed the background with a sheer gold acrylic glaze applied with a wide brush.  This allows the background colour and flourish to show through with a golden sheen.  One thoroughly dry I then applied a generous coat of acrylic matt medium, laid over the napkin images and carefully applied more medium over the top, smoothing down the images with a fine wide brush.  This was allowed to dry naturally overnight.

Final touches were to over stamp the words and the gears (PaperArtsy) on the card with jet black Stazon and edging the card with dark brown chalk ink.

The finish is antiqued and has a distressed look with a bit of depth.  This will go 'naked' through the post to my swap partner so I feel sure that the surface will not get damaged in transit due to the coating materials I have used.

Sid xx

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