Wednesday 29 August 2012

Butterfly Fish and the Water Droplet Stamps by Ryn ..... plus some bleach!

Hey... some news! ... I'm back from the most super holiday on the Isle of Islay. A stunning, beautiful place. We enjoyed lots of sunshine.... always a bonus in the Scottish Highlands! We had gales as well but we won't go there!

More news... even better! Ryn, who designs the most amazing stamps, has invited me to be part of her design team.
I'm really thrilled as I adore her stamps and will join Shirley who has been designing for Ryn for a while now and has super blog here.
Both the cards I am blogging today were made using Ryn's stamps. The Butterfly Fish and Water Droplets.

Four squares of card 2" x 2" covered in Distress inks and glued onto some white linen card stock. Both images were stamped with archival black ink and then I 'highlighted' some areas of the fish with bleach. Each colour ink reacts in a different way with the bleach so you can get some stunning results. Use an old paint brush through.. not your best sable!

I made a mask of the Butterfly Fish so I could stamp over the top with the Water Droplets stamp.

Job done ......
It's good to be home ...... shame about the washing!
See you soon.. many thanks for looking today X
Eileen xx

Sunday 26 August 2012

PanPastels, Lavinia Stamps and a bit of a 'breeze'!

Lavinia Stamps
Morning all ... my Internet connection is still a bit 'iffy' so it's a quick post again.
The PanPastel Challenge this week is Earth, Wind and Fire !  I loved the earth and fire bit... not so keen on the wind so it's a bit TIC! .....
I blended some of my PanPastels as a background and used a Nestie Circle as a template for the sun.

The halo around the sun was achieved by rubbing away some of the colour of the PanPastels with an eraser. This is a great bonus when using the Pans cos you can rub out any mistakes as well as adding features like clouds and mist!
All the stamps used here are from the Lavinia Stamps range. The words!!! are text from my PC :)

Please join in our challenge... its such fun and you can use any medium you like!  You could win some lush PanPastels to try from our sponsor, as a prize if you win!
Getting the wind up! 
Thanks for looking at my blog today and a very warm welcome to some NEW followers... always a lift when I see new people kind enough to take an interest in my work. Thank you x

Back again soon with strong internet signals so I can reply to some of your comments.
Have a good bank holiday.
Eileen xx

Saturday 25 August 2012

Distress Inks, Splodge Away Mat and Studio 490 Butterflies.

I had great fun making this card. The background is various colours of distress inks blended together with the help of a Splodge Away Mat.

This bit of kit is just amazing, it makes blending with inks and brayer work so much easier.
Studio 490 Butterfly and Leaf stamps, plus Dylusions Stamps.
 When my internet connection is stronger I will be putting up a distress inks blending tutorial using the Splodge Away Mat, along with a new Brayer Tutorial using the Mat instead of tons of copy paper!  Look out for these tuts in the next two weeks.
Tim Holtz Chit-Chat words and background stamps.
Thank you so much for popping by my blog today... new Panpastel Challenge starts tomorrow so I hope I will see you again then.
Have a great weekend
Eileen xx

Sunday 19 August 2012

PanPastels and a Stampendous Stamp.

Hello ... just a very quick post as I only have  limited internet access. This Tag is coloured using my new(ish) PanPastels Dark Tints for this weeks PanPastel Challenge . The theme is 'Add a decoupage'

Stampendous Stamp
Please join in with our challenge as you could win a fantastic trial pack of our fabulous PanPastels. You can use any medium you like. It's not necessary to use PanPastels but once you have bought some, they are more-ish and you need them all!

Thanks for popping by today... and many thanks for all the lovely comments you are leaving for me.X

Wednesday 15 August 2012

Distress Inks, Sizzix / Tim Holtz Embossing Folder and Dylusions Stamps.

Hello just a short post again.  This Tag was made using Distress Inks. Weathered Wood, Stormy Sky, Iced Spruce and Scattered Straw. The Stamps are from the super duper Dylusions range and the EF is one from the  Sizzix / Tim Holtz range ... I'm so sorry I cannot remember the name of it. UPDATE! it is called Rays... Thanks Elaine x
I coloured the seam binding stuff with Distress Stains, using the same colours from the main Tag to match.
 After putting a Tim Holtz die cut Tag into the EF and running it through my Cuttlebug. I blended the distress inks using a Splodge Away Mat and a TH blending tool, over the Tag.
I stamped the Dylusions Leaf Stamp with black archival ink onto the edge of the Tag and stamped a couple of the Mushroom images onto some white card stock. After colouring with the same distress inks and cutting them out, I attached them to the tag.


The Ticket is a Tim Holtz Stamp. I added a few white brads and some white gel pen and that's it job done.

I'm entering this tag into the Embossing Challenge on The Cupboard Trilogy Challenges.
Thanks for looking today .... two posts.... whoop,whoop!

Many thanks for the lovely comments... I will catch up with your  Blogs as soon as I can. In the meantime many, many thanks for the interest shown in my Blog. 
Eileen x



Add a Flower to your Twinchies !

Morning all,  I'm still having internet problems so a short post today ... Okay, who said  "thank gawd for that " !
 Here are my DT samples for Show Us your Twinchies Challenge # 4. Please come and join us.
Its all great fun trying to make a piece of art from a 2" x 2" Square.
All of the above Twinchies were made using 2" x 2" Stamp Board and Rub-ons.
Very quick to do but I like them a lot.
Thanks for looking today I will be back soon.

Eileen xx

Sunday 12 August 2012

PanPastels and a Stampscape Stamp

Hi everyone...  a very simple card today because the PanPastel Challenge this week is Create a Scene.
This stamp is from a company called Stampscapes. They do the most detailed beautiful stamps.
I've made a background with my wonderful PanPastels including the 'Sun' and then stamped over the top using Versafine Onyx Back ink and the Stampscape scene.
I added a Rub-On sentiment and layered the image onto a Nestability Oval Scalloped die cut. Easy to do but I like it very much. Thanks for looking today and don't forget that you do not need to use PanPastels to enter our Challenge, any medium of your choice is great.

 We have a Guest Sponsor and Designer this week its Mountain Ash Crafts So go on, have a go and you could win a super prize of our wonderful Sofft Tools worth £10 !
Thanks for looking today.

Thank you for the lovely comments and emails. Very kind indeed.
Eileen xx

Wednesday 8 August 2012

Altered Art Dictionary # 3

Bone!
Hello .... here are a few of my Altered Art Dictionary Pages. I have started a group on Facebook called "Altered Art Dictionary" all you need is a dictionary, some stamps, and colouring pencils or any medium of your choice... If you are on Facebook come and join in!
Crooked!
Stampede!
Pirate!
Frisky!
Shy!
Friends!
Family!
Present!
Wag!
Cute!
Water!
Thanks for popping by and taking an interest in my blog..
Great fun...
Eileen xxx

Monday 6 August 2012

PanPastel Tutorial... Simple Blending.

White Gel Pen Highlights

Hi everyone,
I hope this simple 'How to Blend' with the PanPastels Tutorial will help if you are new to this medium. I've used three bright colours, Permanent Red, Diarylide Yellow and Phthalo Blue. This is how I blend.

The card stock is 'White Linen' from the Papermill on line store. I use this a lot as I like the textured finish it gives me. It's not always easy to stamp on, but I feel that adds to the 'mix'!

Start with the Red and SWIPE your sponge over the pan ONCE only. Do not DAB the Pan, this disturbs too much chalk. Don't overload your sponge because you will pick up far too much powder and just get into a right mess!
The magic is in the 'layering' of your colours.

Apply the colour to your card stock. I use a circular blending motion.

Swipe the sponge over the red again, only once remember and go back over your work in the same place to build up a layer of colour. Carry on building up your red layer until you are happy with the depth of colour achieved.
 
Move on and do the same with the Yellow making sure you go over and out from the edges of the Red. Blend them together you now have Orange. Build up your layers of colour slowly.

Repeat the Yellow until you like the shade you have achieved.
Ensure the Yellow has some space for itself before you move on to add the Blue.

Blend the Blue into the Yellow, as before, so Green appears. Apply more Yellow if you want a brighter green or more Blue, of course, if you want it darker. 
I hope you are still "Swiping" your sponge across your Pan. No overloading or dabbing!

Place some copy paper over the colours as you move over and up your card, this is to protect your work from your finger marks as your fingers will be messy!

Add some more Blue so it gets it's own space, blending it out  from the Green, then add the Red again blend out from and into the Blue to make a lovely Mauve. 

Each colour must have its own sponge, even the new shades you have created, green, orange and mauve. 
I do not wash my sponges. You can if you wish, but I like to store them in colour coded plastic resealable bags to use over and over again, as quite often there is enough surplus colour left on the sponges to complete other projects without getting out the Pans!

Finally, apply a small amount of Black around the edges of the card to add a bit more depth and interest!

Spray your finished background with a cheap hairspray (this is not archival) or a proper Pastel sealant.

Then its onto the stamping and on this card I've used distress Inks plus black archival and Dylusions Stamps from the Doodle Parts Set.
Distress inks

 Dylusions Stamp

I hope this helps. The finished card is much 'richer' in colour that my pictures show. The light was a bit 'iffy'  today. 
Please email me if you have any questions ... eileen@ken-godwin.com.

Thanks for looking. Have fun and please let me know how you get on!
Eileen xx

Sunday 5 August 2012

PanPastle 'Dark Tints' and Dylusions Stamps.

Dylusions Stamps
Morning all... I'm in a bit of a rush today. We watched Team GB do so well in the Olympics and celebrated... a bit! So I'm late writing this post and have a huge amount of stuff to do today as we go on holiday soon to the Isle of Islay. Looking forward to that very much.
Marianne Creatables Chinese Rose Die
The PanPastels Challenge this week is "Summer Fun" so pop over and join in ... we have the MOST amazing Guest Designer, Birgit Koopsen, joining us this week. Her work is truly inspiring and you will be blown away by the projects she has made with the PanPastels.

Remember, you don't need to use PanPastels to enter our challenge. Use any medium of your choice. You could win a Trial pack of the PanPastels from our Sponsor Your Creativity Store and once you start you will be hooked  like me !
Memory Box Butterfly Die
My Tags here, feature my new PanPastle 'Dark Tints.
I've used just two colours on the Magenta Tag. Magenta blended with the Magenta Dark Tint.

The Green Tag has three colours of the same tone blended together. Bright Yellow Green Pale Tint, Bright Yellow Green and Bright Yellow Green Dark Tint.The Dylusions Stamps were stamped with Distress Inks and scribbled on with a White Gel pen!
Olive Leaf, Dies to Die For Die
Thanks for looking today ... must rush ..be back soon with a PanPastels blending Tutorial.
Chit-Chat words

Have a good Sunday. I am also taking part in the Cards Galore Challenge this month ... the theme is Tags.
Eileen xx

Wednesday 1 August 2012

Splodge Away Mat and some Distress Inks with Studio 490,Tim Holtz and Dylusions Stamps.

Afternoon all. This is my second post today ... more bright colours!
I had the most enormous fun making these cards on Monday using a friends Splodge Away Mat.
Lyn very kindly loaned me the Mat to try.... I loved it, it made blending so much easier than normal, quicker as well!
How does it work? I’ve been using a blending tool with foam, for a few years now along with my distress inks and a normal heat resistant craft mat.
I found the advantage I gained with the Splodge Away Mat is to do with how the ink is applied to the applicator which in turn leads to, I feel, a quicker, smoother blend of the colours.

Normally I would press or swipe the Blender Tool into and across my distress ink pad .
This, on occasion, would result in uneven coverage where the ink was not evenly distributed onto the ink pads surface. Especially when the pad was ‘getting on a bit’!


To compensate for this I would apply more ink than I needed and blend it onto my old, heat resistant mat to remove the excess, before proceeding with the blending onto the card stock.


With a Splodge Away Mat you apply the inks directly from the ink pad onto the mat itself, then use the blending tool to ‘buff’ the ink into a wide but evenly spread area on it’s special surface.

The materials used for the Mat stops any uneven ‘lump of colour and therefore as you go across your project it allows a quicker, easier, much smoother application of even colour.

I’ve not tried my brayer with it yet as Lyn 'snatched' the Mat back in double quick time... Huh! but I did get to make a few cards and I will be investing in one at Ally Pally.

List of products used to make both cards, apart from the Mat.
Various colours of Distress Inks
Studio 490 Stamps
Dylusions Stamps
Tim Holtz Stamps
White Gel pen
Dylusions Red Ink for Painting the Mushrooms.
Chit-chat words

Please email me if you have any questions and thanks for stopping by today.
Eileen xxx