Topflight stamps Grand Opening Blog Hop

Topflight Stamps, LLC Grand Opening!!!  We can't wait to share with you our fun and different art stamps from all around the world. What makes us different? You can shop for hard to find, international stamps all in one place. And, we offer free shipping for US addresses for orders over $50!!

We also have an amazing Grand Opening Special Discount - 20% off ALL orders - use code TFS-GO20

Today we have an AWESOME blog hop (read through the end of this post for details) with some of the best paper crafters in the industry. They are each featuring some of our favourite stamps, many you probably have not seen before. Be sure to comment on this blog and all the blogs on the hop to be eligible for the Grand PRIZE a $50 store credit!!!  PLUS  - each of the designers in this blog hop are giving away a $10 gift certificate to one of the commenters on their post. I will announce my winner here on Monday, April 3.  The $50 Grand Prize winner will be announced on the Topflight Stamps Blog on the same day. Good luck!!

I’m sharing a project made with Papillions 02 stamps by Katzelkraft (France).

I started off by taking an MDF heart, applying a coat of gesso and some printed tissue paper.

Using Paperartsy fresco satin glaze, I applied a coat and added some  Paperartsy Infusions 

with Golden  sands and Are you cerise. 

I knocked back with some nougat fresco acrylics before  stamping on some second generation stamping with the butterflies.

 I added some more of my chosen shades of Infusions, dried and then stamped and heat embossed, with white ep, the Katzelcraft Waterfall stamp.  

I stamped the butterflies onto smooth white card, coloured with Fabre Castell  polychromos and glued them to my MDF heart.  

I applied a coat of glossy accents to the butterflies to give them a durable sheen, they look as though they are fluttering around the heart.

Now, be sure to check out all these blogs and comment for your chance to win the grand prize!!

• Topflight Stamps 

• Donna Bowman

• Clare Messenger -You are here!

• Linsey Rickett

• Julia Stainton

• Karen Crossen

• Heather Pulvirenti

• Veronica Zalis

• Tenia Nelson

• Lynne Forsythe

• Lisa Hoel

• Sandy Allnock

• Rachel Kleinman

• Teri Anderson

• Lisa Adametz

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today! I hope you enjoy your blog hopping experience and good luck.

Crafty hugs,

Clare x x x 

Altered book dragonfly

Good day to you all.  A quick blog post from me today with a little mid month inspiration for Mixed Media Monthly Challenge.  Challenge #34 Buttons.  As you were very well informed  in my previous post for this Challenge, you will already know that I am rather fond of the use of buttons in my crafting.  This time I decided to have a go at an altered book.

I love Dragonflys too!  They appear in abundance all around my home,  they have  even become a symbol of our christian distinctiveness at the school where I work!  So I crafted an altered book to put up on a display for school.

I started off by sticking down my pages with Matt medium and giving the pages a coat of gesso.  As the book had coloured pages a gave it a couple of coats as I did it want any of the bright colours poking through.  Once the gesso had dried, I scrunched up some printed tissue paper and glued it down with more Matt medium.  Through a TCW chicken wire stencil, I applied some grunge paste to add some texture.

  I sprayed the pages  with tattered angels glimmer mists.  The buttons were glued down, to form the dragonfly, with finnabair 3D gel.  More drying time,  then time to apply some Finnabair rust paste.  I sanded back the grunge paste and then applied some treasured gold gilding wax to the wire fence stencilling and dragonfly.

Thank you for stopping by today, remember to submit your entries over at the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge blog.  

Happy crafting,

Clare x x x 

Paperartsy - Paint & Infusions canvas

Good evening all,

I am thrilled to share with you a project I have up on the Paperartsy blog this evening.

The current challenge at Paperartsy is Paint with Infusions.  I chose to combine the two on a 12 x 12 canvas board.

Using Antarctic & Nougat Paperartsy Fresco paint I put down a base on the canvas.  I stamped my main image directly onto the canvas and heat embossed with white embossing powder.

I masked off the central flower so I could add some stamping behind the flower and also add some grunge paste.

Once the grunge paste had dried I was able to sprinkle the Infusions onto the canvas, spritz with water and watch the transformation take place. 

I added some splattered gold acrylic paint,  I love the way it breaks up the colours with a hint of shimmer. 

I adhered some sequins to the finished piece and framed.   I love using sequins in my projects as they catch the light and twinkle before your eyes. 

Thank you for stopping by.    All products are available from Paperartsy stockists listed on the blog.  I hope you have enjoyed your visit?  I love to hear your comments, they are all great fully received.

Crafty hugs,

Clare.

Oxide Love

Evening all, my love for distress inks has been well and truly rekindled since being introduced to the yummy new Distress Oxide pads!  I have seen many a doubtful post over the past few weeks as people were deciding if they were going to invest in the new little pads of inky fun.  Now I have to admit I was a little hesitant at first about ordering them, but boy I'm glad I did!  I am somewhat addicted to experimenting, trying them in different colour ways, spritzing with perfect pearls as opposed to just water.  The more I make, the more ideas that come to mind!

Paperartsy  stamps by Jofy

I love the countless layers that you can build using the dye & pigment fusion of inks.  Keep adding
layers, spritzing with water, dry in between and add your next layer.  This simple background was made just by inking up my craft mat, spritzing with water and mopping the colours up with the card.  I used fossilised amber, spiced marmalade, fired brick and antique photo.

Paperartsy stamps by jofy 

A similar technique, I started off by mopping the colour from the craft mat but this time I introduced some stencilling.  I used worn lipstick, cracked pistachio and iced spruce.

   

Butterfly stamp from Indigoblu

A few practice tags from last weekend.  Tags are fantastic for experimenting on.  Working  on a  smaller size really gave me the confidence to play and see what I could achieve.  

Caribelle studio stamps 

 Sizzix dies from Tim Holtz 

 Paperartsy stamps by Tracy Scott

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog.

Happy crafting, Clare x x x 

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #34 Buttons

Hi there!  It's the start of a new month that means that there is a new challenge going live today on the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge!

This month our challenge is sponsored by 28 Lilac Lane, they offer an awesome collection of crafty embellishments some encased in the cutest bottles.  They also have an array of gorgeous embellishment kits organised by colour and theme.  Our guest designer is May Flaum, pop over to the blog and have a peep at what May and the rest of our amazing team, have been creating.

Now I absolutely adore buttons!  On clothing, ok that's a necessity, but for embellishing cards and mixed media makes they are very often one of  my favourite go to embellishments.  There really is 

something quite special about them.  I really love my ample collection of buttons, it so satisfying to 

empty the tin and just delve in to the colourful, tactile discs. 

Buttons is the theme, buttons it is!  I went all out selecting many different shapes, sizes and textures with some teeny tiny seed beads thrown in for good measure.

On a 12 x 12 canvas (pre-loved, a project that hadn't progressed) I adhered the buttons to the  bloom already on the canvas,  this had been created by using one of Donna Downey's large bloom stencils. To adhere my buttons  I used Finnabair 3D gel.

Once the gel had dried I covered the canvas with a coat of black acrylic paint.  I love the way the 

previous colours I'd applied are making an appearance through the seed beads. 

Using Dina Wakley Acrylic paints I worked on my button bloom using Magenta and blackberry I layered the paints on with a dry brushing of white in between colours.

I continued on the rest of the canvas using Dina's turquoise paint once that was dry I added some white dry brushing.

To finish, using Treasured gold, aquamarine and rose quartz I waxed over the buttons to give a luxurious sheen. 

Thank you for popping over to my blog today.  It's your turn to dig out the buttons and get creative!  Head over to MMMC HQ to check out the rules and place your entry on the blog to be in with a chance of a 28 Lilac Lane prize.

Happy crafting,

Clare ❤️