jff zentangle

well the challenge over at Just for Fun this week is doodling or zentangle. This is something I have never tried before so it was with some trepidation that I have had a go. I stuck to black and white, first stamping my Koi Carp image then using a template to draw circles round it. That was the easy bit, the hard bit was the doodling to fill them in ! I`m not really enthralled with my end result either, I think I could have done with a fine liner pen instead of the black gel pen which was all I could find. However time is running short to join in as per normal for me so first effort it is then.

wall hanging

I went on Saturday to Art from the Heart in Harrogate and did two taster workshops. I had a really lovely time and came home with some fab new ideas. One class was with Kate Crane and the other with Dyan. I bought a few new stamps of course and this is using one of them. Its by the Octopode Factory. Its one of those stamps that I just had to buy as soon as I saw it because it just really tickled me and I have a few ideas for her off the top of my head already. Now, I have to say I am getting really bored lately with just doing cards and really wanted to start using more quirky stamps which I think this is. So, I decided to make a wall hanging for a change. I`m not sure just how clearly the photo came out but it says `If I can`t see it, I can`t buy it !` so in the spirit of my saying the only new purchase for this project was the stamp. I used cardboard from a Catfood box for the actual hanging, you know those sturdy boxes that they sell pouches of catfood in. It actually has a nice texture to it as well. I painted it with Paper Artsy fresco paint, then a layer of the crackle glaze, and a lighter layer of fresco paint over the top. I used distress inks in scattered straw, broken china and worn lipstick for the colouring on my backgrounds. The stamp was also coloured in with distress inks. I`m quite pleased with how it came out for a change and think I shall be trying many more different things in future. I would like to enter this for two challenges , one the Jff challenge which you can find here, the theme this week is eyes so I hope this qualifies. The second is the gingersnap challenge which you can find here, their theme is `at the Mall`. Thanks for looking x Lavinia

distressed tea cards

The challenge over here this week is tea cards. Mine are distressed tea cards because of both the stamps I used (Tim Holtz) and the state I got in trying to create them ! Oh boy they may only be small but trying to create them with the white border round them caused me no end of problems. The first mask I made was too flimsy and broke, then I tried mounting onto white card but cut the whole bottom off accidently like you do and so it went on. Anyway by the skin of my teeth I`ve finally managed to create three using distress inks and the forementioned Tim Holtz stamps. I`ve used bitty grunge for the background overstamped in the same shades of distress inks and another micro set from QVC overstamped in black archival ink. I do like the way the white border makes them pop against the bright colours but I shall be investing in some very thin masking tape that I know Chocolate Baroque sell in the near future ! I appologise for the blurred photos, I really need to use a better camera than this one. Thanks for looking Lavinia