Christmas Decorated Bottles

 I love decorating wine bottles, I also enjoy emptying them.  Here are three of recent makes.  One done by stamping on plain craft rice paper and coloured with alcohol markers. The other two are done with serviettes.

Ice Cream Girls

 Today I am posting pictures of some of my samples for the Ice Cream Girls which I created for Cleverprints.  Having recently joined their design team I find their stamps, dies, stencils and papers so versatile really love them.

Using Drawing Gum

 I have been asked about using the drawing gum as a masking tool which is shown in the recent John Next Door Christmas box kit magazine. The article gives  written instructions and I know some people prefer picture instructions. So here is the process with a few pictures as well.

This is the Drawing gum I first came across this when water colour painting and used it to block out area and then add colours so it is very much the same principle.

Firstly I stamped the stag in black Versafine ink and left to dry completely.  I then took the gum and using a fine paint brush painted over the image. You will see that the image looks slightly blue. This needs to dry completely.

Next stage to add a wash to give the coloured background. Painting over the stamped image.

Again leave this to dry completely and then rub off the gum carefully with your ring finger(this is your gentlest finger). This reveals the white back ground.

I do hope this is helpful.

A different use for the Wreath Stencil

 Here is a different way to use the Wreath making stencils from John Next Door. For this one I used the smaller size, I put a piece of Dolly Dimples media card behind the outer stencil and blended Distressed Oxides from the outside of the stencil in. See below.

For the next stage I cover the blending with the inner piece of the stencil and repeated using a different tonal colour blending outwards. I have used bright colours for this as it shows up better in photos.

Finally I added my choice of finger stamps around the edges of the star, the white area adds definition to the outline. For my stamping I used Versaclair. Then added my centre piece which is using a stamp from the Summer Box Kit coloured with watercolours. A couple of mats and there you are!

Hope you found this helpful and an extension to the use of your Wreath stencils. I will post another idea next week!!!

Cleverprints

 Hi today I thought I would add some of my samples which appeared on the Cleverprints Misfits part one.  Having recently joined cleverprints design team I am thrilled to be using such versatile stamps, dies and stencils.

Pop up cards

 Love this die set from JND designed by Maxine Payne. It is so clever, lies flat and fits in a 5” x 7” envelope and just a little fold on opening and out it pops. Great for all seasons and occasions.

Lanterns and things

 I thought I would show some of the lanterns I made for John Lockwood and Crafts Too.

The dies will also make shaped gift boxes I will show some of those later. I have also made the die into a bottle over and cards.