Bowl of Dreams

Hello everybody. It's Donna here today, and I've got a couple of ideas for the papers in the gorgeous August Cropaholic Kit. If you haven't subscribed to this kit before, this is the month to start. So much fabulousness in a box. So, once I could finally bring myself to cut the paper, here's a couple of card projects that use some of the kit. You can expect to see a LOT more of this beautiful kit from me!

First up, I created a cute little shaker card that highlights the wood veneer shapes that come with this month's kit. I also added some sequins to each little pocket. I used the B side of two different papers so that the card wouldn't be too busy, and added a sentiment through the middle. A couple of the cute little puffy stickers from the many in the kit completed the card. 

Here are a couple of closeups of all the sweet little elements. 

Have you had a look at this month's challenge? This month we have a Tic Tac Toe challenge. Have a look at the squares, and choose three in a row to incorporate into your project, horizontal, vertical or diagonal. As an example, I've chosen the middle line horizontally, using Stencil, Cardstock, and Ink.  

I have also used some of the ephemera from the August Cropaholic kit to make this card to play along with the challenge. I have a striped stencil in my stash, and I used this, using ink to colour the embossing paste to match the blue flowers in the basket of the bike. 

A little bit of glossy accents made the bike seat and handlebars stand out, and tied them in with the shine on the puffy stickers.

Have a go, and then upload a picture of your project in the gallery on the Inside Inspiration page to win a gift certificate from the Shop and Crop store. We'd love to see what you create!

If you have enjoyed these cards, and would like to see more of my work, feel free to visit my Instagram page, where you can find lots more cards.

Don't forget, you can save $5 at the Shop and Crop Store using the code DL5. Why not subscribe to the Cropaholic Kit, which will cost less than a cup of coffee a day, and take advantage of the $5 off.
Until next time, happy crafting, and may your days be full of sunshine.

Donna

Follow Your Dreams

Good Morning,

 

Have you seen the challenge that Shop and Crop Scrapbooking have running? If not here is a link to the post on the blog, where you will find lots of inspiration from the Design Team. To enter you need to belong to our Facebook group and add your creation into the correct album. You have until the end of the month to do so.

 

The challenge is a mood board

 

 

How much fun can you have with this, we would love to see what you create.

 

I took my inspiration from the colour palette and the quote and created a journal page.

 

 

I had soooo much messy fun creating this page, would you like to know how I did it? If so please keep reading and I will share my process with you.

 

I am not a huge bound journal lover, I do have them but my favourite way to create a journal page is either on mixed media paper or very heavy watercolour paper, which I cover with a layer of gesso. After making sure the gesso was dry I found some old book pages that I torn up and glued down with matte medium. There was no order to where I put them it was just rather random.

 

After cutting off the pieces of paper that were hanging over the edge using my palette knife I spread a thin layer of gesso all across my page. I didn't want to completely cover the text just incorporate it into my the background. 

 

I always make sure that once I have finished a layer it is completely dry before moving on to the next one. I would be totally lost with my heat gun. Although in saying that for this step again using my palette knife I spread crackle medium across my page in different thicknesses but I didn't use my heat gun. This crackle medium I needed to let it dry naturally.

The bigger the crack the thick the medium.

To bring the cracks to life I used black paint and acrylic glazing medium to create a glaze. This means that the paint will take longer to dry and is more fluid than when it came out of its container. You have to be brave with this step, as you paint your entire surface and leave it to dry. Don't let it dry completely as you want to be able to remove some of it.

I wasn't brave enough for my liking so I actually did it twice. To remove the paint and medium, you need to use a wet cloth, baby wipe or paper towel. I used a baby wipe.

This technique brought the cracks to life, as you can see the medium and paint has got between the cracks.

The next step in my art journal page was to use paint on a makeup sponge through a stencil, keeping with the colour palette of the mood board.

My palette knife is something else I would be lost without. I have 4 of them but one favourite that I always go looking for to use. Using my palette knife I lightly spread the black and titanium paint over the surface of my page, drying between each application so the colours didn't mix.

Before this next step I needed to make sure that my page was completely dry so I went and did some mummy things (washing, cleaning, you know that fun stuff) for a couple of hours. When I came back using a stencil and a very, very, thin glue through a stencil I make sticky marks over my page which I then stuck my mega-flakes to. Love the shine that it added to my page.

 

When deciding on doing an art journal page and using part of the mood board I printed the text Follow your Dreams in a couple of different sizes so once the back ground was finished I could choose which size I wanted to use. I add the text and black cotton and my page was finished.

 

products used that can be found in the shop:

 indigoblu mega-flake: autumn blaze

the crafter workshop 6x6 template: mini texturized

 

I hope that you play along

Happy Creating

 

Lets Play Tic Tac Toe

Hello

 Is it really the middle of May already, I think I blinked and missed the first half of the month.

Have you participated in our monthly challenge yet, if not we would love to see you play along with us and if you have thank you for playing.

 

 Do you remember how to play? Just choose a straight line, vertical, horizontal or even diagonal. The line I chose to play with was the one on top, stamping, flowers and a paper bag.

 

 

 Would you like to see how I create my inspiration?

 

I went through my stash and found some paper bags, wasn't really sure which ones I had planned on using.

 

First I sanded the box as the outside was shiny, then I covered it with a couple of layers of gesso

I didn't just want to use a canvas or an artist board so I found the box in my cupboards, now I am not sure how long I have been carting the box around for, at least 12 yrs but I am positive its a lot longer than that, over the years it has been used for different things.

Once the gesso was dried, with the help of my heat gun, I worked out where I wanted my horizon line to sit, I marked this with a water colour pencil so if I needed to get rid of it all I need to use was water and wipe it away. If I had used a grey lead it would have been harder to remove and grey lead can leave an oil residue when you cover them so it still could show through depending on what you are covering it with.

 

I decided to use the black paper bag as at this stage I still had no idea what colours for the background I was going to use. I used a metal die and bigshot to cut a circle. I placed my die just off the edge of the bag so I had a flat edge, you will see on the finished piece that I actually cut another piece of the circle, so that I had two flat edges. 

 

To create my table I used tissue paper, a stamp, watermark ink and clear embossing powder.

 

Using a matte gel I glued my tissue paper to the surface of the box. I also put a layer of the matte gel all over the surface of the box, this could prove useful as if I don't like something I can wipe it away and start again.

 

With a make up sponge I added my paint to the heat embossed tissue paper, keeping the layer of paint light so the texture of the embossing came through. I did loose a bit of the texture under the matte gel but I hit it with some heat and a bit more showed through.

 

To create the wall again I used a make up sponge to lay the paint down to keep it light. I used some ink and a stamp to add a little bit of interest. I didn't want a full impression of the stamp, so once my stamp was inked I used a piece of scrap paper to take some of the ink away.

 

Using matte medium I attached my paper bag vase and put another layer of medium over the surface of the box. Once this was dry I then found my green water colour pencil and drew the stems of my flowers, not that you actually see them but it gave me a shape to work with when sticking down my flowers.

 

To create them flowers I used a brown paper bag, a die and ran them through my die cutting machine. I folded my bag in half so I had four layers of paper. I ended up with 50 flowers, which I then used a white pen to draw around the inside edge and attached a small pearl to the middle.

 

 

Do you remember me saying that I covered the entire surface of the box with matte medium and in doing that if I didn't like something I could wipe it away. This came in handy when I was stamping the  sentiment. Even though the surface of the box was flat it was slippery and also gave a little when I pushed the stamp onto so the sentiment was not great. I wiped it away and tried again, this time placing a hard surface underneath for support when I stamped.

 

 Here is a list of the products that I used that can be found in the shop. Dylusions paint - melted chocolate, VersaMark - watermark stamp pad.

 

If you decided to visit the shop please use the code DO5 to receive a discount on your purchases.

Happy Creating

March's Shop and Crop Challenge Reveal....

Good morning, today we are announcing last months winners I do I would like to say a very big thank you to those who entered last months Tic Tac Toe challenge your work is amazing!!!

But first lets have a quick look at the entries...

                                     Honourable Mention:
                                       

                                           Rachel Dutko

                                                

And the winner is: 

Jane Howden

Congratulations, can you please contact the Shop and Crop Facebook page with your Name and Email so we can organize your store voucher.

Dont forget this months Challenge :

(During the month the design team with share there take on this challenge)

Now for some inspiration, this is how the team went with the challenge......

Kylie Symons

Sarah Rosse

Tanya Froud

So why dont you give it a go, to go in the chance for a store voucher. It very simple to enter just load your take into the album here; 

GALLERY HERE:

For your chance to win the store voucher you must load your entry into the corresponding album before Midnight 31st March 2017 (EST).

Your entry is to be exclusive to the Shop and Crop only.

Your entry be based on the challenge and not incorporated with other challenges

Thank you once again for those who participated, we cant wait to see what you create this month.

xxxxx

January Winners .......

Good morning, today we are announcing last months winners I do I would like to say a very big thank you to those who entered last months moodboard your work is amazing!!!

But first lets have a quick look at the entries...

                                    

                                     Honourable Mention:

                                                        Judy Willey‎

And the winner is: 

Susanne Staal‎

Congratulations, can you please contact the Shop and Crop Facebook page with your Name and Email so we can organize your store voucher.

Dont forget this months Challenge :

(During the month the design team with share there take on this challenge)

Tic Tack Toe

Pick a Line and Create ; can be vertical, horizontal or diagonal has to include items in the line (you can include other things on your layout but we must be able to see the line you picked).

Please note this isnt a colour challenge !

Now for some inspiration, this is how the team went with the challenge......

Kylie Symons

Washi Tape, Pattern Paper and Stencils.

Elisa Ablett

Watercolours, doilies and stencil.

Tanya Froud

Watercolor/enamel dots/ patterned paper.

Sarah Rosse

So why dont you give it a go, to go in the chance for a store voucher. It very simple to enter just load your take into the album here; 

GALLERY HERE:

For your chance to win the store voucher you must load your entry into the corresponding album before Midnight 28th February 2017 (EST).

Your entry is to be exclusive to the Shop and Crop only.

Your entry be based on the challenge and not incorporated with other challenges

Thank you once again for those who participated, we cant wait to see what you create this month.

xxxxx