A Flip Top 'Art Quote' box.

 Hi Everyone, 

I'm over on That's Crafty's blog today sharing some of my latest creativity -a flip top 'Art Quote' box 

I have a 'bit of a thing' for small 'arty' storage boxes and I really enjoy making my own. I've made a fair few over the years and all are still in use today.  I've shared some of them on my blog here, here and here. 

So I thought I'd make another using one of That's Crafty 's small MDF boxes, some papers from Stamperia's 'Atelier des Art' collection and one of Tim Holtz ideology trim tapes. 

Each of the box sides features an ' Art Quote'.

The box has a flip top lid to which I added a decorative feature that would also serve as an alternative way to lift the lid other than flipping it. 

There's more to see and read over on the blog so you are welcome to click HERE to join me.

 Hope to see you soon 

Amanda 

x 

'Winter'

Hi Everyone and Happy December! 

So,the Christmas countdown has officially begun and although slow getting started my christmas card creativity is in full swing now.  So today I'm over on That's Crafty's blog sharing one of the latest cards I've created.  

It features stamps from katzelkraft's 'Winter Wonderland' stampset and Tim Holtz products. 

I love this long slim tree especially against the moonlit starry sky ....

...... and so pleased the cute young boys all wrapped up warm hung around for their photo taking after they'd been playing in the snow. 

As always there's more to see and read on That's Crafty's blog so why not come join the boys and I   over there.  

Just click HERE and you'll be with us in no time . 

Hope to see you soon 

Amanda 

x

I'd like to enter this into the following challenge: 

Country View Challenges: Dec 2021: 'Anything Goes' 

A Trio of Mini Christmas Art boards

Hi Everyone, 

After creating the winter watercolour christmas cards I shared here and here last week I seem to have got the Christmas creativity bug and have a few mini Christmas themed art boards to share with you today over on That's Crafty's blog. 

These were originally destined to be regular christmas cards (which they would be lovely as) but so far into the creativity I decided to make them into mini christmas art boards that you could either send instead of a card or give as a gift that the recipient could display as a small piece of seasonal decor and then maybe keep to display again next year. 

They are super quick and easy to make as they are primarily made of ready made elements -some of Tim Holtz 2021 wonderful seasonal Pocket Cards and Collage Tiles.

I'd say the hardest part of making these art boards was choosing which of the Pocket Cards and Collage Tiles to use.

 Let me tell you with 55 double sided Packet Cards and 36 pairs of Collage Tiles the choice struggle was real !!! 

There's more to see and read over on That's Crafty's blog so if you fancy joining me just click HERE 
Hope to see you soon 
Amanda 
x

Live Your Art

 Hi Everyone, 

Well, it's been one of those weeks where due to to unforeseen circumstances and a few life 'curve balls' creative time has been very limited so the mixed media tag I'm sharing today over on That's Crafty's blog by necessity just had to be a real quick and easy make!   

It features products from several different companies/ brands/ designers namely That's Crafty! Dina Wakley, Donna Downey and Tim Holtz and it also allowed me to finally start making some headway into my overflowing and ever expanding stash of 'save for later' backgrounds so I guess lack of time can have some positives after all!! 

There's more creative details shared over on Thats Crafty's blog so if if you fancy popping by just click HERE to be swiftly and smoothly redirected . 

Hope you'll come join me? 

Look forward to seeing you soon?  

Amanda

x 

Two Hour Time Limit

 Hi Everyone, 

Today, I'm over on That's Crafty's blog , in my usual Thursday week spot sharing a small piece of mixed media art that I've created using That's Crafty! Surfaces, newly released 13Arts papers and Tim Holtz Ideology.

I'd love for you to come join me over on the blog to see and read more about my creativity so please feel free to pop by anytime. 

For the quickest route over to the post just click HERE.

Hope to see you soon   

Amanda

x

'What Time Is Love?"

 Hi Everyone 

Hope you are all doing good and keeping safe and well? 

Today, Im over on That's Crafty's blog in my regular DT spot sharing a mixed media Art Panel that I've created using That's Crafty! Tim Holtz and DecoArt products. 

Here's the story.... 

 ....A good friend of mine recently reminded me of the band 'KLF', who hit the music scene in the late 80's and apparently were the biggest selling singles band in the world in 1991! Well, one of their tracks "What Time is Love' has been playing on a loop in my head ever since! 

 

So, I thought I'd let it be the spark for my creativity and this is the result....

I'd love for you to come join me over on the blog where  there's more to see and read so if you fancy popping by just click HERE to be redirected.

Hope to see you soon 

Amanda 

x

A New Desk Tidy!

 Hi There Everyone 

As usual with it being Thursday I'm over on That's Crafty's blog.  

I have a 'useful' project to share with you today that I have created using some of That's Crafty's fabulous MDF surfaces and stamps. 

The project itself is a desk tidy that could be used to hold brushes crayons, pens or crafting tools to keep them close to hand while you are creating. 

Alternately, it could be used to keep any 'bits and bobs' nice and tidy in one place that maybe lying around the home. 

 

If you would like to find out how I created my desk tidy please come join me over on the blog. 

For a smooth and speedy redirection be sure to click HERE. 

Hope to see you soon 

Amanda 

x

'A Wintery Snowflake Round'

 Hi Everyone

 

Hope you are all keeping safe and well?

 

Today I'm over on That's Crafty's blog where my seasonal creativity continues in the form of a small piece of mixed media 'Art on the Round'. 

The round features a layered glistening snowflake set against a blue and white background with textured detail and some wintery white splatters.

It also holds some holiday wishes packed full of love on the back so why not come join me over on the blog to see those wishes, read more details and see more pics.   

To be quickly and smoothly redirected just click HERE 

Hope to see you soon 

Amanda 

x 

I'd like to enter this into the following challenges: 

Country View Crafts Challenge Blog: December 2020, 'Anything Goes' 

Creative Artiste Mixed media Challenge #67: 'Anything Mixed media Goes'

Love 365 'Art Dome'

Hi Everyone 

Today I'm over on That's Crafty's blog sharing a unique piece of 'home decor' that I've really enjoyed designing and creating. Its been awhile since I last created a 3D piece of art!

I'm calling this piece an 'Art Dome'. and it features several That's Crafty! fabulous surfaces. There's craftyboard tags, craftyboard chains, white /greyboard hearts and mdf atcs along with one of Tim Holtz amazing 'Abandoned' papers and Ideology. 

 The'Art Dome' has a grungy feel and carries the message:

 'Love 365 = Love every day of the Year!'

🖤

Heres a quick look:

If you fancy seeing and reading more you are welcome to pop by the blog where I'll be hanging out. 

If you click HERE you will be redirected over swiftly and smoothly . 

Hope to see you soon 

Amanda

x

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
Country View Crafts July 2020 Challenge: 'Do What Makes you Happy!'
Creative Artiste #62 Challenge , July 2020: 'Anything Mixed Media Goes '

Tag Friday at A Vintage Journey, November 2019

Hi Everyone and Welcome 

Today over at A Vintage Journey it's Tag Friday! 

I'm sure many of you are familiar with our Tag Friday tradition but for those of you who aren't I'll explain.

When there are 5 Fridays in the month, the 5th Friday sees some of the Creative Guides create and share a tag. There are no rules or themes just a chance for us to follow our creative muse, go with the flow and create a tag however which way we choose.

You are also invited to join in with our 'Tag Friday' tradition and we hope you will share with us your tag creativity. 

I'm sure some of you will have made a tag or two this month in preparation for the festive season so why not join us? 

Tags must have been created during the month of November and you have a week from today to link them up.

If you are chosen as our winner you will receive a Pinworthy Winner's badge for your blog and your winning tag will feature in our November Challenge Winners Post and it will also be pinned to our Pinterest Board. 

I have missed the last few Tag Friday's so am happy to be contributing this time, especially as its the last Tag Friday post of 2019. 

I've created a mixed media long tag. My creativity was inspired by the sentiment 'Peace' one of the lovely stamps from Tim Holtz/ Stampers Anonymous ChristmasTime 2 stampset. 

I've kept the colours pale, the detail subtle and decoration simple as I wanted the sentiment to 'shine' with everything else serving to enhance and compliment. 

So there's a layer of paper from a Tim Holtz paper pad (Abandoned) beneath layers of roughly applied gesso and PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Acrylic paints ( Cloud 9, Concrete, Antartica, Hint of Mint) 

There's also some crackling, some textured stenciling using a Tim Holtz layering stencil (Stripes) and some painty splatters.

A Tim Holtz Ideology Fluted Star coloured with alcohol ink was the ideal size to cover the tag hole and provide just enough decoration. 

Embossing the sentiment "Peace' with Seth Apter/ Emerald Creek Baked Velvets ( Eclipse) allowed it to truly 'shine'! Oh my!! 

Theres also some embossed snowflakes along the base of the tag that provide the ideal finishing touch. 

I'm really pleased with how this turned and its not often I say that about my own work! 

It's one of those pieces of creativity that you need to see in real life to fully appreciate! 

If you haven't already be sure to stop by A Vintage Journey to see a fabulous gallery of tags created by some of our Creative Guides.

Don't forget you can join in with us too. So get linking your tags up as we are really looking forward to seeing all your tag creativity.

I would like to enter this tag into the following challenge
Country View Crafts, November Challenge: Hand Stamped 

Thank you so much for stopping by today and for all the lovely kind words you always leave for my art.

They are greatly appreciated as are all your visits and follows. 

Hope you all have a lovely weekend

Take Care 

and

keep on the 'happy side! 

Amanda

x

Lucky No.247

Hi Everyone 

Thanks you for stopping by today 😊. 

I would like to begin today by wishing all my American friends, family and followers a very 'Happy 4th of July'- such a significant day in your country's history and indeed the worlds too!

'God bless you all and God Bless America!'

So today, it being Thursday and all you can find me over at That's Crafty sharing my latest DT project which this week is a piece of Tag Art that has a kinda grungy retro feel. Given the colours and the stars and stripes incorporated in the design you could be forgiven for thinking I created it with  the 4th of July in mind . If I did it was all down to my creative subconscious and if that's what happened then I am more than happy! 

Heres a quick glance of the tag 

If you fancy seeing and reading more then please feel free to join  me over on That's Crafty's blog. 

For the quickest route just click HERE.

Hope to see you soon

Amanda

x 

Brave Wings.... .

Hi Everyone

Thanks for stopping by today.😊

Another week whizzes by and another Thursday dawns - my day over at That's Crafty sharing some of my latest creativity .

I have a painty, textural offering this week in the form of a slim and slender long Art Panel.

Here's a couple of sneak peaks that I hope will tempt you to join me over at That's Crafty to find out more

For the most direct route there just click HERE

Hope to see you soon

Amanda 

x

Choose to Shine ....at That's Crafty

Hi Everyone 

It's that time of the week again when I'm over at That's Crafty sharing my latest creativity. 

Given the dreary wintery weather of late I felt this week I was in need of some colour so I've 'bigged up the brights' and 'banned the brushes' to create a 'slim and slender' long That's Crafty tag. 

Here's a quick sneak peak that I hope will tempt you to join me over at That's Crafty where I am sharing more details and photos of my creativity and the personal challenge I set myself! 

If you fancy seeing and reading more just click here

Hopefully I'll see you soon 

Amanda 

x

Winter Snowflake....

Hi Everyone

Thanks for checking in today especially as no doubt your time will be short at this busy time of year. It's Thursday so my day to share my latest creativity over at That's Crafty. 

This week I am back getting 'messy' with paints, crackle and texture to create a piece of art with a wintry feel . 

Here's a quick glance of my 'Winter Snowflake' art panel 

If you would like to see and read more you are very welcome to join me over at That's Crafty. 

All you have to do is click here to be redirected over to the blog where I will be waiting to greet you .

Hope to see you soon 

Amanda 

x

I would like to enter this into the following challenges : 
Country View Crafts: December Challenge: 'Tis the Season' 
Stamps and Stencils : It's Got to be Christmas

A Mini Journal -

Hi Everyone 

As its Thursday, it's my day over at That's Crafty where I am sharing my latest weekly project as a Guest Designer. 

I don't often create projects using papers from paper pads, even though I have quite a collection so this week I have created a mini journal using some fabulous 13Arts papers designed by Olga Heldwein. 

The paper collection I've worked with is called 'Mr and Mrs Remastered' and with my love of the darker tones it had my name written all over it! 

If you fancy joining me over at That's Crafty to see my mini journal in full and read all about how I created it then just click here and you'll be transported over.

Hope to see soon 

Amanda

x
 I would like to enter my mini journal into the following challenge:
Mini Album Makers: October Challenge 

Be Thankful' -mid month inspiration for That's Crafty 'Forever Autumn' Challenge

Hi Everyone and Welcome 

Hope you are all doing good and having a great week so far. Over at That's Crafty the challenge theme this month is 'Forever Autumn'. As we are half way through the challenge the Design Team and Guest Designers get to share another piece of creativity inspired by the theme. 

Here's my autumnal 'Be thankful' Plaque 

I love working on the round or using circles within my work so for this piece I used That's Crafty MDF rounds . They are fabulous surfaces to work on great quality and are available in a variety of sizes . As you can see I used 2 of the sizes. 

I don't have any process shots to share (sorry) so I will take you on a narrated tour around the plaque. 

Lets start with the larger round. This was primed with gesso and crackled with Deco Art crackle paste. Once the paste was thoroughly dry and cracks had formed colour was added using a selection of DecoArt Media Fluids and a couple of Tim Holtz distress paints continuing the process of adding paint, working it into the cracks, wiping it back until happy. This was almost there ....

The smaller round is covered with an actual autumnal leaf from my garden that I had gathered late Sept/ Oct time last year and pressed. With its own natural beauty and richness in colour it needed little else other than a touch of subtle stamping and a very light touch of gilding wax to accentuate its veins . Oh and maybe a few splatters - you will notice they run throughout the design! 

Brown string /jute was wrapped around the leaf covered round 

The focal leaf (kinda looks like a tree too don't you think?) is a That's Crafty Greyboard leaf shape altered in the same way as the leaf that features on my first 'Forever Autumn' project which you can see here. 

It's embellished with Tim Holtz clock hands to symbolise turning back the clocks and the changing of the season. The leaf/ tree sits on a small piece of pine cone branch 

The finishing touch come in the way of 'words and numbers' and Tim Holtz clipping stickers provided these...

 'Be thankful'

and the 'no 24'

Be thankful for each and every 24! 

I hope I have offered some mid challenge inspiration with my autumnal 'Be thankful' Round. Full Challenge details can be found over at That's Crafty along with a gallery of fabulous projects created by the talented Design Team.

I would like to enter my 'Be Thankful' plaque into the following challenges
Stamps And Stencils: 'Its been a While' 
Creative Artiste #42 Challenge: 'Anything Mixed Media Goes 

I'm back tomorrow with a sneak peak of my weekly project so hopefully I will see you then and be able to tempt you over to That's Crafty 's blog to see the project in full. 

Thank you so much for stopping by today . I really do appreciate you taking the time to visit , follow and comment . 

Have a lovely day Everyone 

Take Care 

Amanda 

x

How Can You Resist? - A Vintage Journey August 2018 Challenge

Hello Everyone and Welcome

Today we launch our new challenge over at A Vintage Journey and I will be your host this time with the challenge theme  

'How Can you Resist?

'There are many different products in mixed media that you can use to do a 'resist technique'- gesso, distress micro glaze, wax, embossing powders etc. We would like you to use at least one resist technique on your vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journalling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk project '.
I have created a mixed media canvas in shades of blue for my host challenge



As I will be sharing details of how I made this canvas over at AVJ on Friday !7th August I have just a brief account of the creativity and a few photos to share with you today.

I used a couple of Distress Oxides for the 'shades of blue' and 3 different products for the resist techniques

which were Gesso, an old favourite

Remnant Rubs - another old favourite .

and Tim Holtz distress resist spray (a definite new favourite)

I love the speckles of white the distress resist spray creates!

As you will have noticed I also added some stamping and texture paste stencilling

and of course a few of my much loved paint splatters

The focal feature was the sum of a few parts: a Seth Apter woodchip altered with inks and gesso, a square of ink/ resisted card, a crackle paint die cut and a glossy watercoloured butterfly.

All stacked on top of one another to add layers and dimension.
Both butterfly and woodchip were embellished with Tim Holtz Ideology.

My 'Shades of Blue' mixed media Canvas

I hope I have offered some creative inspiration for our 'How Can you Resist? Challenge .
If you haven't already be sure to stop by A Vintage Journey to see some of my fellow Creative Guides fabulous projects.

We hope you will join us in this challenge as we are looking forward to seeing your 'Resist' projects.
There will be 3 Pinworthy winners chosen at the end of the challenge and each winner will be awarded a pinworthy badge for their blog and have their work pinned to our pinterest board .

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
Craft Stamper Timi Challenge, August: Anything Goes.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I always appreciate you taking time to visit, follow and comment .
I wish you all a lovely weekend
Take care and keep on the happy side
Amanda
x

Get Sentimental- AVJ July 2018 Challenge ,

Hello Everyone and Welcome 

Hope you are all having a great summer and the sun is shining down on you wherever you are.
 As we are now at the end of the first week of July we have a new challenge starting today over at A Vintage Journey. Lovely Nikki is our host and her challenge theme is 

'Get Sentimental' 

'Let's see lots of sentiments on your project, whether they be words, poems or quotes. Just remember to create your project in our preferred styles of vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk.'

I have made a piece of art 'on the round' for Nikki's challenge with admittedly only one quote but that one quote is made up of quite a few words that give pause for thought! They are what guided my creativity!

This was my first 'play time' using the fabulous stencil designed by Pam Carriker made by Stencil Girl- for me a must have as soon as I saw!

Working on mixed media paper I applied gesso and blended distress crayons through the inner circle and outer circle sections of the stencil

to create a sense of light and shadow (the light being 'what lies before us', the shadow being 'what lies behind us') breaking it up with a delicate touch of colour (what lies within us)

I then cut out the circle design and adhered to a That's Crafty MDF round which I'd painted earlier with black acrylic paint. 

 For the silhouette head and 'Rays. I created a 'duplicate' and double embossed it using my much loved 'Rocky Road' Baked Texture embossing powder by Seth Apter/ Emerald Creek.

Look at the amazing texture, the variations in colour

the depth and grunginess of this particular flavour - these really are little pots of magic !

I then aligned the silhouette to the background stenciling, adhered in place and embossed the edges of the MDF round again with Rocky Road. 

A Tim Holtz quote token provided the words for this project and each one was highlighted using a picket fence distress crayon

'What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us.' 

I hope I have offered some creative inspiration with my 'Get Sentimental' project. Some of my fellow teammates have been busy getting 'sentimental' too so be sure to stop by A Vintage Journey to see their fabulous projects.  

Thank you so much for taking time out of you day to stop by. Your visits along with your follows, kind comments and support are continually appreciated.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges :
Creative Artiste #40 Challenge: 'Anything Mixed Media Goes'.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend and hope to see you again soon . 

Until then
Keep on the 'happy side' 

Take care 

Amanda

xxx