Silhouettes for our Country View Crafts August Challenge

 Hi everyone this is my first design team make for our current August challenge over in the Country View Crafts challenge Facebook group. The link is Here and if you are not already a member just request to join and we will warmly welcome you. It is also be a place you can be the first to hear about workshops, the latest releases etc etc. We have a happy membership of over 400 crafters and we are growing every day. You can enter the challenges up to 5 times as you like as long as you use products from brands which are stocked on the Country View Website. 

The theme for this month is "Silhouettes" and I made this card using a mix of Visible Image silhouette stamps and Tim Holtz floral dies. 

This is how it came together;

I made a background using a mix of kitsch flamingo distress spray stain and mica stains. 

Using the Visible Image Live life now stamp set I stamped the large butterfly in black ink in the top corner. I clear heat embossed it and then repeat stamped the flourish of butterflies stamp using artic blue versafine clair. I added a sentiment from their So much stronger 
sentiment set. A little heads up that this sentiment set has been discontinued and CVC is one of a handful of shops who still have it in stock. When it's gone, it's genuinely gone!

I die cut some Tim Holtz wildflowers in black card. 

I added them to my design using some sequins for extra detailing. 

I added some glitter pen details. 

Here it is once more 

I have linked the products I used which are available on the website within my post. If they are not in stock just email Susan, who should be able to order them in for you. 

Remember that you can find me most days over on Instagram Here @jane.tyrrell where I share many, many more makes then I have the time to blog.

I hope I may have inspired you to give our August challenge a go. There is a  fab prize up for grabs too, for one randomly selected person and you can enter up to 5 times. 

I will be back with my 2nd Silhouette make on 25th August, bank holiday Monday no less. Where on earth has this year gone? It will be Christmas before we know it!

Bye for now,

Jane x

Pastel colours for Visible Image

Hi Everyone, another fortnight has flown by and it is time for my next blogged design team make for Visible Image. The theme for our makes for this week is "pastel colours" and my brief is to make a "Non card". Spring is now in full bloom so I thought I would make a new spring themed art pot for my studio.

 I am delighted that it is now warm enough and I am back outside again crafting in my garden studio. I shared this on a recent Instagram post so if you don't already follow me do check me out here .

The tulips are in full bloom so I thought I would use the fab Sketched Tulips set 

with a delicate pastel background using the Leafy stencil.

I have shared how I make my labels for my art pots many times over the years here in my blog. But in case you need a reminder here is a step by step of how I made it. 

I use empty chopped tomato cans. Remember that the inside does have a sharp edge when the lid is removed so I bend this downwards before I start decorating it.

Measure the circumference and height of your tin and cut a piece of at card to fit, leaving a 1cm overhang on the length.

I stamped the large tulip in the centre using green Versafine Clair ink.

I repeat stamped the small tulip and then added some stencilling using kitsch flamingo and tumbled glass  distress inks, 

I then stamped the verse in the set randomly. Don't worry about going over the large tulip bloom as that one is going to be decoupaged. I also stamped the little flower stem in pink and blue as seen below. 

Using the Visible Image metallic paints I added some colour to all the small blooms.

I also stamped the large tulip again onto a scrap of paper, painted it and cut out the bloom and leaves.

I then glued the label to the tin using red line tape and decoupaged the bloom and leaves in place.

Here is my finished tin once more. 

I have added this to all my other tins in my studio. They are so useful and pleasing to look too.

All the Visible Image links are listed below;

Our kind, friendly and supportive customer Facebook Group is here ...it would be lovely to see you join us. You will be warmly welcomed and see lots of inspiration from the DT and customers to inspire your own creativity.  I also organize the monthly artist trading card swap in the group. It is open to everyone worldwide. Over 150 members, worldwide, have taken part since it started over 3 years ago. It's been such fun and it's so lovely to receive a unique piece of art from your partner in the post. The details and sign up for each swap are posted in the group on the 23rd of the month. The May sign up opened  today and will remain open until Monday 28th April. The fun theme is "red, white and blue". There is no "monthly" commitment, just join in when you have the time and if you live in the UK can you choose to post to the UK only if that suits you best. Do come over and join us, you will be most warmly welcomed. 

The main Visible Image Facebook business page is here

Their website is here

Visible Image also has its own You Tube channel here where you can see videos and Lives to give you lots of inspiration and ideas. 

Their Instagram page can be found here 

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Afternoon tea anyone?

 Hi everyone, and welcome to my latest design team make for Visible Image. The theme for our makes this week is "friendship". 

My favourite beverage is tea and the blacker the better. There is nothing quite like catching up with my friends over a cuppa and indulging in a slice of cake with it, is even better.  I decided make a card using  the Afternoon tea set with the  Splash stencil. This stamp set is full of fun tea and cake themed images, there is even a fork and a tea bag. The sentiments it contains are delightful too. 

This is how I made it;

I cut a piece of smooth white card to a 5 1/4" square and blended salvaged patina, squeezed lemonade and worn lipstick distress inks onto it. Then I added some drips of water, blotted and dried the background with a heat gun (or you can leave it to air dry).

Using the Splash stencil I blended the same 3 inks through the stencil onto the background. 

This is how it looked after adding the extra inks. 

Once dry I stamped my design, for placement on the background. I used Versafine clair nocturne ink and clear heat embossed everything.

I stamped the teapot and cup again onto red card and the knife onto silver and cut them out.

The cake was stamped twice onto inky mop up card and cut out.

I cut out just the cake from the top image and stuck it over the "blue" cake. I added some glitter pen to create the "jam" and "cream".

I cut out the the fork too and added some white pen detailing to the cup, teapot and plate.

I then adhered these images over those on the background. 

I stamped the sentiments onto white card, cut around them.

and stuck them in place. 

I also added some stickles glitter glue to the cake icing for some extra sparkle. 

Here it is finished;

The above friendship card, for me, is worth the effort of the extra decoupaged detailing, but I also made this non decoupaged version below which I just coloured directly with watercolour pencils. So if you would like to make a quicker version you can. Simply stamp the background with the design I have shared and colour using your favourite medium. 

This is fun card to send to a friend who you might not have seen for a while and need to catch up with...over a cuppa! And of course a slice of cake would make that date extra special. 

All the Visible Image links are listed below;

 Our kind, friendly and supportive customer Facebook Group is here ...it would be lovely to see you join us.  You will be warmly welcomed and see lots of inspiration from the DT and customers to inspire your own creativity. 

The main Visible Image Facebook business page is here

Their website is here

Visible Image also has its own You Tube channel here where you can see videos and Lives to give you lots of inspiration and ideas. 

Their Instagram page can be found here 

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

A Visible Image bookmark for those difficult times

 Hi everyone, and welcome to my latest design team make for Visible Image. The theme for our makes this week is "with sympathy" and my brief was to make something "non card". I am sure like me you find it very difficult to make things for such a sad time and I must admit I usually make a card. However a brief is a brief so I put on my thinking cap and decided that a bookmark might be another way of expressing your empathy to someone who is bereaved. You could write some words on the back and it could be kept in a book with memories or even a religious book if they have a faith.

This is what I made

The stamp set I used is a very special one called 

Forever in your heart 

which has a very useful coordinating die

This is how I made it;

I made a blue distress ink background using tumbled glass, stormy sky and salty ocean. (Just press these inks on a kraft sheet add a mist of water and dip in your card. If you dry between the layers you will get  lots of depth). 

I cut it down to a "bookmark" size. You can choose any size you like. Mine is 5.5cm x 21cm. I then stamped the "thinking of your" sentiment from the set in summer breeze blue Versafine clair ink and clear embossed it. 

I then added stamped using the hearts randomly onto the background and coloured some of them in with silver glitter pen. 

The feather was stamped onto 150gsm heat stable vellum using Versamark embossing ink and heat embossed using white sparkle embossing powder. I then die cut it out using the coordinating die. Stamping onto vellum creates a more lifelike feather. 

I adhered the vellum to the bookmark using Glossy accents. I just added some along the "spine" of the feather as I wanted it to be as realistic as possible not just be glued flat. I actually looked up the correct term for the spine as I didn't know..it's called the rachis.. now there is a new word for the day!

Here is my finished bookmark

with a few close ups 

and 1 final photo.

It is often hard to know what to give when a person is grieving. Perhaps even buying a book and putting a similar handmade bookmark inside might show that you are thinking of them at such a tough time. 

All the Visible Image links are listed below;

 Our kind, friendly and supportive customer Facebook Group is here ...it would be lovely to see you join us.  You will be warmly welcomed and see lots of inspiration from the DT and customers to inspire your own creativity. 

The main Visible Image Facebook business page is here

Their website is here

Visible Image also has its own You Tube channel here where you can see videos and Lives to give you lots of inspiration and ideas. 

Their Instagram page can be found here 

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x