'Baby Your a Firework!'

Hi Everyone

I am so thrilled to have been invited back again this month as A Guest designer over at A Vintage Journey. It really is so wonderful to be given these opportunities to feature on such a fabulous blog and I can't thank all the lovely  AVJ Creative Guides enough.  
Am I confusing you ? I can here you saying now 'Guest design spot but I thought she was one of the new Creative Guides at AVJ?' and you wouldn't be wrong  to think that  but this feature itoday is one I was invited to do after being chosen as a pinworthy winner for Septembers Challenge 'Home Sweet Home' .  I can assure you that you are definitely confused and after today all my posts for AVJ will indeed be as a New Creative Guide and believe you me I am thrilled to bits to have been given such an amazing opportunity to work alongside a super talented and friendly design team.  I am indeed one very lucky lady! 

Its Nikkis challenge theme this month and she can be found not only at AVJ but also here.  Nikki is a very talented lady so be sure to check out her wonderful work . Nikki has chosen the theme ‘Baby your a Firework' and here's what she has to say :

'Fireworks are a big part of celebrations at this time of the year. Be inspired by them to create a Tim      style project; think Distress Glitter, bold colours, ink and paint splats and fun. Go on, light up that night sky.'

Well, what a challenge it has been for me as I am a self confessed 'Don't do Glitter' and 'Hardly ever do Sparkle' kind of girl! 
My creative mind was certainly put to task and as always once one idea came, plenty more followed but  in the end I settled on creating something that would include a few things I love – wall art, the night sky and silhouette imagery! 
So lets get started:

My finished piece would be mounted in a circular wooden frame so I began by cutting a circle of card to fit the frame. I then added colour to the card using Tim's Wrinkle Free Distress technique and several colours of Distress Inks( Broken China, Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire , Wilted Violet, Hickory Smoke)

Once dry I used Tims ‘Spritz and Flick' technique before adding more colour using Distress inks (Stormy Sky, Wilted Violet, Chipped Sapphire and Black Soot) and a blending tool.

I also added some stamping to the background using one of Tim's splatter stamp (this can be seen on later photos- sorry I forgot to take a photo at this stage . I guess I must have been getting a little edgy  about the pending glitter activity......

.....Now for the glitter and sparkle! Eek!  

The fireworks (A Crealies Acrylic Stamp I found hidden away in my stash) are stamped with VersaMark and heat embossed using Silver Tinsel embossing powder. (Despite using it in a controlled environment - plenty of newspaper down, a tidy tray -it still Insisted on going everywhere !!)  
 I mixed Pearlescent Mica powder with water, picked up the paint with a brush and flicked it randomly onto the card before spritzing with Perfect Pearls. Touches of cosmic shimmer (Aqua Twinkles)  provide the golden touches of sparkle to the night sky.

The silhouette images are created using Ranger Texture Paste, Black Soot Distress Paint and the fabulous Andy Skinner stencil 'Children'.  I do love this stencil and though I have had it for a while now this is its first outing!

 The frame is painted using Black Soot Distress Paint and crackled using Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint. With the frame being so narrow it did prove a little tricky to apply the crackle and as its dried it  reminds me a little of crocodile skin. Once dry I rubbed over the crackle very lightly with Weathered Wood Distress Paint and caught the outer edges with Pewter and Gold Gilding Wax .

I adhered the circle of card and the frame in place and added a few finishing touches - white highlights to the silhouettes using a white sakura pen, a chit chat sticker quote 'Remember the Now' and a hex nut to embellish the frame .

And here is my take on 
'Baby your a firework! '

I hope you can get a sense of how much this piece of wall art really does glisten and sparkle (It was tricky to capture when taking photos despite trying in various lights and at different times of the day)

I guess now I can no longer say I'm a 'Don't do Glitter' and 'Hardly ever do Sparkle' kind of girl can I? 

Thank you all for stopping by today and my very appreciated thanks goes to all the lovely AVJ ladies for inviting me to share my creativity with you all today and for making me feel so welcome, not just today but over the last few months when I have featured as a Guest designer. I have enjoyed every single minute . 
I would like to enter this into the following challenges : 
Country View Crafts- November Challenge - Blue 
Craft Stamper TIMI Challenge - November - 'Take a Stamp'  
Stamps and Stencils- November Challenge - 'Remember, Remember '  
Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #18- Texture  

Mixed Media World - MMW#9 'Anything Goes'

Frilly and Funkie Challenge - 'Altered State'  ( the frame was only £1)
Hope to see you all again soon both here and over at A VIntage Journey
but in the meantime be sure to ALWAYS 
'Remember the Now!'

Take care 
Amanda xx

Funky Flo

Hello Everyone

I have to begin today by saying 'Thank you so very much' for all the Congratulations comments you have been leaving for me since my 'Happy Dance 'post.  Each and everyone is truly appreciated and I feel so  lucky to have such wonderful friends, family and followers as your lovely selves .

So what have I got to share with you all today ? Back in September I was the very lucky winner of the Craft Stamper TIMI Challenge for my 'Home Sweet Home' altered frame  so today's the day I have a 'Winners Guest Designer spot' on the Craft Stamper Challenge blog . My work features alongside the Craft Stamper design teams as inspiration for this months  TIMI challenge which is 'Take a stamp.' 

Heres a few photos of my finished wall hanging featuring 'Funky Flo'. I know the Dylusion stamp set she's taken from is called 'Ruby Rainbow' but to me she looks more like a Flo!
I used Distress Inks to colour her ( Broken China, Salty Ocean, Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire, Dusty Concord, Black Soot)  and a white sakura pen to add highlights. Its hard to see on the photo but she has black gem bead buttons and glossy accent drops in her eyes .

I used Dylusion sprays to create the background colour ( Funky Fuschia, Crushed Grape) and added detail by stamping with IndigoBlu (Bubbles background) and Creative Expressions (scattered words) stamps and stencilling with Paper Artsy (PS001) and Wendy Vecchi (Everyday Words) stencils

I also stamped a few circles using a bottle top dipped in white acrylic paint. The flower is cut from felt and given a few highlights using a white sakura pen and a metal button is sewn into the centre .

It took me a while to decide on the quote but in the end I chose this one 

I reckon Funky Flo is 'Perfect just the way she is' 

with her dreadlock curls, stripey leggings and big black boots! 

 Definitely my kinda girl!

  

Theres still plenty of time to join in this months TIMI Challenge over at Craft Stamper - all you have to do is use a stamp in your creation . Its definitely worth entering . Who knows YOU too could be chosen as this months winner!

Thank you so much to Trish Latimer and everyone at Craft stamper  for this wonderful opportunity today 

and 

thank you all for stopping by to meet Funky Flo 

Hope to see you again soon 

take care 

Amanda x

 

Dreams can come true !!

Hello Everyone 

Today is  an incredibly big day for me in my creative journey as I am so thrilled and excited to be joining A Vintage Journey as a Creative Guide along with Deb of Paxton Folk Valley Art

Did I just say that?? 

Though I can't quite believe it I sure did ! 

Wahoo!! 

Never in a million years , when I started blogging back in February of this year did I ever expect to be here today sharing this fantastic news with you all .

I have always been a keen follower of A Vintage Journey Challenge blog and admire and respect all the Creative Guides and their super creative talent so to be given this opportunity to create along side them all really is a dream come true.

I am so grateful to be given this amazing opportunity and would like to offer my sincere thanks to  Brenda and all the Creative team at A Vintage Journey for believing in me and my creativity. 

You have all made my humble heart extremely happy!

Time now I  guess for me to 'Happy Dance' - care to join me anyone? 

Have a great weekend 

and remember to keep those dreams alive- they do happen !!

Take care 

Amanda xx