Butterflies and leaves #111

Having a play with distress stains on this creation.  I started by swiping the background with broken china, wild honey and a little gathered twigs and then sprayed with water to help it blend.  I then used cut n dry with some orange tones to bright up some of the edges.

my next layer was to stamp with Tim Holts Royal Script in Salty Ocean and then the leaf in black (this is a Tim Holtz stamp too).    I then used some pale blue acrylic paint to fill in the flower to make it stand out from the background.

The butterflies were stamped next -they are a Crafty Individuals stamp and then the happiness border - which is a hero arts stamp.  Some white highlights on the butterfly and a black dash border finished the piece.

happy crafting

Jane

www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk

Birthday Celebrations! #110

Our shop window all decorated with balloons!

All busy busy busy!

Demonstration pieces

More demonstration pieces!

The glamorous Sarah

Me!

Well, what a fantastic day we've had today.  We were so pleased so many people came to help us celebrate our birthday - and pick up some goodies too!  I spent most of the day demonstrating with Sweet Poppy Stencils - and you will see the creations reappear on my blog at some point once I've turned them into creations individually.

We had lots of laughter and fun today and we had lovely comments on our prize draw slips about what helpful staff, how we are a fun place to visit with a lovely atmosphere and wide range of stock we hold.

I don't think that Sarah and I can be more proud of ourselves at the moment - so pleased with what we have both worked hard to achieve.  We were both overwhelmed with the lovely comments and support from our customers... new and old... you are what makes this job such fun to do!

Some thanks are due.... To my hubby Pete for the scrummy cakes...  to Lucy from Sweet Poppy Stencils for the kind donation of a stencil for our prize draw.... to all our customers - we couldn't do it without you!

I'm now off for a glass of wine to celebrate!

happy times

Jane xx

www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk

Purple Panel #109

Still playing with Misters and inks in today's creation.  I've used really vibrant shades this time.  This was the backround I created showing my workshop ladies how to use the misters and masks... so I'm afraid I didn't note the colours!... but there look like some fully purple in there I think!

Loving the colours on this piece - and I wasn't sure if the stamped designs might get a little lost in the colour - but no, I was really happy with just a couple of stamped designs - the words from Chocolate Baroque Artistic Affirmations and the butterfly is the Zentangled Butterfly from Woodware.

there are some masks in the background too - some swirls and the clock face mask too.

I've also stamped some swirls in the background too!

There was so much happening with this piece I thought just a few white highlights and a white border for a change was all it needed.   

the colours are fab - it's already up on the gallery wall in the shop if  you want to have a look!

So excited to be having our birthday celebrations tomorrow - I can't quite believe we've been open for 2 years now and I absolutely love love love working with my great friend Sarah in our fabulous shop.  happy happy times!

I'll post tomorrow all about our day... I'll try and take lots of pics if I can!

happy crafting

Jane

www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk

Green Daisy #108

My final sample from Monday's workshop - this was to demonstrate the Cosmic Shimmer ink Misters.  I started by spraying the background with green and orange shades of mister - being very generous with the covering of ink, and while still when then sprayed over some masks to add extra detail.

Once dry, I then applied the compass mask and added ink through the mask (distres Ink Peeled Paint).  I stamped my Daisy (Jumbo Daisy - Stampendous) onto separate card and coloured using distress inks - scattered straw in the middle, peeled paint and I think peacock feathers on the petals.  I also added some yellow stickles in the centre of the daisy too.

I stamped the floral accent from the Chocolate Baroque flourish butterflies set to add extra flourishes behind where my flower would sit. and also stamped the greeting (Kaisercraft).  As extra detail I drew around a mask in a few places using white gel pen and added a dash border with my fineliner and added some gem accents.

The pictures do not do the colour justice - this is a really vibrant green and the mica shimmer is just fabulous!  It'll be up in the shop if you are local so do come and have a look at this - and the panels from the last couple of days.

Not long to go now til our birthday event on Saturday.... getting excited!!

happy crafting

Jane

www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk
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Bright Birdy #107

This is the second of the samples I created for my workshop on Monday.  This one was to show the look of the Distress Stains.

I started by working with yellow, blue and red tones of Distress stains - adding blotches of colour.  I then generously spritzed it with water and used a cloth to blend some of the colours.  Go gently - your card surface is saturated with water so easily damaged.  Dry your card with a heat gun and then apply some more ink through masks to add some background patterns (this time I used the distress ink pads rather than the stains so I could get a more specific position and definition.  i also did some outlining of my mask using a white gel pen too to add some different dimension.  Next I stamped my main image - which is a Crafty Individuals stamp (Tea at Three).  I then added lots of highlights using my white gel pen, including mirroring the border which I did again with a black fineline.  I stamped my wording (Chocolate Baroque Artistic Affirmations) and then the swirls from the same set stamped in blue and yellow ink to add some extra detail.

finally I added a dash border with my fineliner and the gem accents.

Loving the colours on this piece!

happy crafting
Jane
www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk
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Win a Tattered Lace Die, 2nd Birthday Demo and Easter Stock

Win a Tattered Lace Die, 2nd Birthday Demo and Easter Stock



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happy crafting



Jane

Little Blue Owl #106

I taught a fabulous group of keen crafting ladies at Stradbroke yesterday.  We created mixed media collage panels using a mixture of Cosmic Shimmer Misters, Distress Paints and Stains and a wide range of rubber stamps.

This was the sample I created to show them the finish of the Distress Paints.  I started by created a muted background using pinks and blues and blending them with my cloth.  I then added some pattern detail by adding paint through some masks and once dry I drew around the banner mask with a fineliner pen.

Next I stamped with the woodware viva Le Plume stamp using a blue ink to create some texture in the background. 

Next I stamped my Woodware owl onto the background.  It was very pale so I decided to stamp the owl on a separate piece of card and coloured him by using Distress Inks and applying with a waterbrush to give a watercolour effect.

finally I added my greeting - which is from Kaisercraft.

It's a lovely softly shaded piece - I was really pleased with the finished effect.  I'll be showing a bit of this technique at my demonstration on Saturday in store 10-4 which is to celebrate our 2nd birthday event!

happy crafting

Jane
www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk

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