20 April 2018

ARTISTIC EXPRESSION - APRIL 2018

Hello and thank you for visiting my blog today.

It's time for my monthly feature over on MFT Stamps blog where I share a project and provide a step by step guide as to how I went a about creating an element within it.



COPIC COLOURS:
Background: YR30, E40, E41, W0, W1, W2, W3, W4
Skin: E30, E41, E42, E43, R20, BV20
Eyes: YG61, YG63, YG67, W8
Hair: E11, E13, E15, E17, E27, W6
Mug: R22, R24, R27, R39
Jeans: B91, B93, B95, B97, N2, N6
Shoes: E11, E13, E15, E27, W4, W6
Books: B91, B93, B95, YG61, YG63, YG67, YR23, YR27, E11, E13, E40, E42, R24, R29, R39, W1, W2, W4, W5
Sweater: C00, C0, C1, C2



If you like the look of the woolly jumper/sweater then hop on over to MFT Blog to find out more.

Oh and please let me know how you get on with this technique - NB to include #mftstamps if you post it on social media, so we see it.

Until next time
Happy Colouring


SUPPLIES USED:

10 April 2018

MFT AND FRIENDS - APRIL

Thank you for dropping by for our new monthly feature
where the Design Team and Special Guests share more ideas using the most recent release:


I love the new Cross-Stitch Rectangle and will undoubtedly be using it a lot:


I opted to sew my image with DMC Pearl Cotton #5 on MFT Kraft card.  As for the pansy, I found the chart on the internet.

Once completed I inked the edge of the die cut with a combination of Antique Linen and Frayed Burlap Distress ink.





A little tip:  I wanted to use Lemon Chiffon as a backing mount, but did not want to see the yellow through the unstitched holes.  So I cut a piece of kraft paper to fit the die and adhered it with tape, before adhering it to the background with foam tape, thus preventing the yellow from showing without adding additional bulk.  

Thanks for visiting the blog today, don't forget you can also keep up to date with my latest work on my FACEBOOK PAGE and INSTAGRAM

Until next time
Happy Colouring

SUPPLIES USED:

9 April 2018

Another piece of stitching

I told you that you'd be seeing more stitching......well those fingers of mine have been busy sewing another cross-stitch card using the new MFT Cross-Stitch Rectangle die.

The sunflower design is a composite of elements from a Leisure Arts Kitchen Sampler pattern I stitched many years ago, using DMC Pearl Cotton #5, with a single strand of black 6 strand embroidery thread for the back stitching.

As it's proportions didn't quite suite the new die, I had to make a few alterations when mounting my finished piece.

Basically I cut a Single Stitch Line Rectangle Frame out of Milk Chocolate card and mitred the corners.  This enabled me to shorten the top and bottom, allowing me to trim the Cross-Stitch piece to better suit the proportions of my stitched image.
I used Primitive Cream for both the Cross-Stitch and card base.



Now, I just have to decide what to stitch next!

Thanks for dropping by today, until next time
Happy Colouring (and stitching)

5 April 2018

MFT APRIL RELEASE - JUST ADD COLOUR

Hello there and welcome to a new monthly feature at MFT:


We will be sharing images from each months release, with colouring as the main focal point - just my kind of post!


 Oh this was such a fun project, not only because I got to draw all the foliage but I had to work out how to use the new Birdbath Die-namic to make a stencil that I could then colour.

I cut a piece of Neenah Desert Storm cardstock with a Stitched Tag Corner Rectangle die and then stamped the two birds with Cement Grey Hybrid ink.  Both birds were then covered with masks.

As for the birdbath, I started by cutting out the main die from a large piece of masking tape.  I set aside the die cut and adhered the negative space to my piece of Neenah and proceeded to sponge Cement Grey Hybrid ink on to it.  Once the masks were removed, I was left with a solid grey outline of the birdbath, with both birds perfectly placed.  Then I simply coloured on top of the solid inked image using Supracolor Soft pencils, with images on my iPad for reference.

I adopted the same approach for both the birds and foliage, using a combination of both coloured pencil and Neocolor II crayons, whilst referring to images on my iPad.........remember "Google, don't Guess!"

As Caran D'Ache Supracolor Soft pencils are as the name suggests "soft" they do tend to smudge more readily than the Pablo's I usually use, so once I had finished colouring with both them and the Caran D'Ache Neocolor II crayons I made sure that I sprayed the finished piece with fixative.  I use Winsor and Newton Professional Fixative, but a fine mist of hairspray will do the job too (it's what I used as a student)


Finally I stamped the sentiment with Versamark ink and heat embossed it with White Embossing powder.

The card base is a tent fold card, cut using the largest Stitched Tag Corner Rectangle.  I wanted to keep the card simple, after all the colouring is supposed to be the focal point!

Thanks for joining me today, until next time
Happy Colouring


SUPPLIES USED:

4 April 2018

MFT RELEASE DAY - APRIL 2018

We have certainly been spoilt this month with the huge Birdie Brown release!

Here is my latest colouring of one of Torico's wonderful images:

I challenged myself to try using my pencils on something other than kraft, which I confess is my favourite surface for pencil drawing.  The main difference with using After Midnight was that I had to stamp the image with Sweet Tooth Pigment ink instead of my usual Cement Grey Hybrid.

Then, with images of umbrellas, ducklings, raincoats and puddles on my iPad for reference I coloured the little girl with Caran D'Ache Supracolor Soft.  These pencils are the water soluble version of the Pablo's that I usually use but the leads are softer.  This means they produce a small amount of dust when colouring, so a good dusting brush is imperative.  If you try and wipe it away with your hand you'll undoubtedly smudge your work.

My brush is not an artist brush, it's found in DIY stores!  The soft bristles are glued in, so no annoying hairs fall out when used.  It's large, flat surface clears my work area of pencil dust in a couple of sweeps.  I used to use a make up brush as a student.........not any more!


As I wanted Torico's adorable image and my colouring to be the focal point, I kept the card somewhat plain and simple.  I used the A2 Stitched Rectangle Stax, probably my favourite go to die set and a corresponding plain die, mounting them on a tent fold A2 card, which I trimmed to fit.




I am sure you're itching to go shopping at MFTStamps.com so I'll just remind you that if you leave a comment on my blog you may be the lucky winner of a $100 MFT Gift voucher.......just think of all the crafting goodies you could buy with that!

Happy Colouring

SUPPLIES USED:

3 April 2018

MFT APRIL RELEASE - COUNTDOWN DAY 1

Not long to wait now!

But before all the new goodies go on sale allow me to share something I've been stitching for you.



We have a new Cross-Stitch Rectangle die and it's a perfect size for A2 cards.

I opted for shades of brown on Kraft, with a Milk Chocolate mount on an A2 tent fold Kraft card base.



I used Scheepjes Catona wool instead of embroidery thread - those little balls of yarn are just so cute!

There is something so therapeutic about stitching cards, I suspect this will be the first of many projects using this particular die.


See you again on release day

SUPPLIES USED:
(Please note some links will not work until release day)