Into the woods

No I'm not going into the real woods today but into my imagination courtesy of my Design team card today for Visible Image.

Last year I had several projects published and I have not had a chance to share some of them.

This card was made for the fab Creative Stamping magazine and we were give a purple/blue colour way to work with.

I wanted to create a real journey "into the woods" so I made a card which had layers like an old fashioned peep through card which you can still sometimes see in toy museums. The top layer was an acetate "window".

This is the stamp set I worked with.

Into the woods

This is a lovely big A5 size stamp set and I used all the elements and 6 of the words. 

First I created the base background.

I worked with Peacock feathers, stormy skies, dusty concord, seedless preserves and picked raspberry distress ink blending them around a masked moon.

 I then stamped the "background" tree line using faded jeans distress oxide ink

Then I over stamped with the foreground tree line using wilted violet distress oxide.

I also stamped and embossed the foreground trees using white glittery powder onto acetate to make my "window".

I removed the moon masked, stamped one to the owls and added some crackle paint and left it to dry.

For the "raised" box part of the card I used distress re inkers and dribbled them down some card stock. I then stamped"branches" using the large single tree.

I also tore and pulled back the inside aperture. The acetate tree line "window" was stuck underneath. 

I then stamped and cut out the words and put together my peep through scene.

 This sideways shot shows the depth of my card and the layers I created.

and one last shot

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

 Creative fingers 1/3 anything goes
Creative moments 1/3 anything goes
Sweet stampin 1/3 anything goes
Crafty catz 1/3 make it square
Crafty friends 1/3 spring colours
Addicted to stamps 1/3 spring
Lil patch of crafting friends 1/3 anything goes

All the Visible Image links can be found here;

Visible Image group page on Facebook. Our friendly Group is here ...it would be lovely to see you there. You will see lots of gorgeous makes by the DT and customers to inspire your own creativity.

The main Visible Image Facebook page is here; there are regular giveaways...open world wide.

And the shop web site is here; where all their gorgeous stamps and stencils can be purchased. 

Thanks so much for stopping by.
It was a glorious sunny day yesterday and the sun has got it's hat on again today here again today. Sending some your way if you need it. 

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Happy new year and welcome to 2019

Happy new year dear friends...welcome to 2019. I hope you all enjoyed seeing in the new year last night and are planning a quiet peaceful day today especially if you hit the bubbles whilst celebrating. Here is a lovely restful photo of a gorgeous rose I was sent by a dear friend for Christmas. How pretty is that red and the glitter sparkle is perfect for this time of the year.

As it is the 1st of the month it is of course time for our first challenge over at Country View. Our theme chosen by Christine is landscapes or cityscapes. I will confess I spent quite a lot of time umming and arhhring about what to make. I don't have any cityscape stamps or dies at all so I decided to go with the landscape part and also try to incorporate at Happy New Year card into it!

This is what I got up to;

I added a couple of oxide inks and some drips of water to black card just to give a hint of colour to my landscape.

 I then used my Visible Image, "Into the Woods" stamp set and stamped the background tree line stamp in white

 and the foreground stamp in gold ink.

This created my landscape. 

I then die cut some trees and stamped a very old Tim Holtz inspirational time sentiment and the Visible Image Happy new year and white embossed them.

Here is my new year, wintry landscape card. It went up for sale at Dotty's and sold the day it went in!

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

Sweet Stampin 1/3 New
Alphabet challenge 1/3 T for trees
As you like it 2/3 anything goes
Creative moments 2/3 anything goes
We love to create 1/3 anything mixed media

 You can enter our January challenge as many times as you like and combine with other challenges. There is also a £20 crafting voucher up for grabs to the lucky randomly selected winner to spend over on the Country View Crafts on line store. Remember that UK postage and packing is absolutely FREE! All the details for the challenge can be found here.

My 2nd DT post for Country View will be on 11 January.

I am going to enjoy a very lazy day, I might even sit down to watch a film but I have a feeling a little crafting might feature too. 

Wishing you all a year of happiness and good health and thanks for continuing to follow my creative journey here at Jane's Journal. It's always so good to see you here. Thanks so much for stopping by and for the kind comments you take the time to leave me. 

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Late summer sunshine

Good morning, we are actually enjoying some late summer sunshine in the South of England but the evenings are drawing in and the sun is less high in the sky each day. The sunsets seem deeper and more intense at this time of the year .

I have used this as inspiration for my Monday Design Team make for Visible Image. 

I got out some alcohol ink and yupo and made this background.

I worked with 2 stamp sets; Live in the moment

and Into the woods

I stamped the large and medium dragonflies onto card and added some pink and red Wink of Stella for some sparkle. I cut out just the wings.

I also stamped all the dragonflies onto my card base 

I then added 2 layers of into the woods, one on acetate to add depth to my card. I also added the extra wings.

Some close ups

One last shot

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges.

Lil patch of crafty friends 3/3 anything goes
The ribbon girl 3/3 anything goes
Crafty Card makers 1/3  all creatures great and small

Simon says stamp Monday stamp on it

Simon says stamp Wednesday stamp on it

Lil patch of crafty friends 2/3 anything goes

Crafteezee anything goes
Dragonfly dreams 1/3 anything goes

All the Visible Image links can be found here;

Visible Image group page on Facebook. Our friendly Group is here ...it would be lovely to see you. You can add work to the "Show and Tell" album where one randomly chosen winner each month wins a £25 coupon to spend on the website.

The main Visible Image Facebook page is here; there are weekly stamp giveaways...open world wide.

And the shop web site is here; where all their gorgeous stamps and stencils can be purchased. 

Thanks for stopping by today, remember to try to "live in the moment" as life really does flash by and we need to savour being in the here and now.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Into the woods in May

Good morning even though it's a bank holiday I am delighted to be here with my weekly dose of Visible Image design team inspiration. This weekend we have had record breaking temperatures and it's going to hit 28c here this afternoon. I am loving it. We went to find some shade yesterday in our local woods.
I took some photos for today's post as I am using the brilliant new into the woods stamp set.
This was the view as we went into the woods

The new leaves are all a glorious lime green as they are still so new and tender.

I love looking through at all the different levels of trees.

From saplings to mighty fully mature oaks.

The brand new Visible Image into the woods stamp set is absolutely perfect for recreating these magical scenes.

I decided that as I wanted to use all the stamps in the set for my first creation I would set my scene at night time...just imagine... the time when the sun is just going down and the shadows lengthen.
I blended my Distress oxides, I used squeezed lemonade, broken china and lucky clover, onto some heavy weight smooth card stock.

I added a little spritz of water for the stars.
I then stamped some shadows using my Versafine Claire ink and the background stamp.

  Here we go...the shadows lengthen and the day is nearly done...up in the sky you might just see the stars starting to twinkle.

I then stamped the big tree and also the foreground trees stamp using darker ink (shown in my completed card photo..further on.)

 I also stamped, embossed and cut out the words I wanted to use.

I finished off my card with the little owl stamps.

So let's further set the scene.......imagine that the daytime bird song has be replaced by the hooting of owls...and everyone has gone home from the woods. It is the turn of the creatures of the night to re claim the woods until morning.....

Here is my finished card.

The little owl stamps are just delightful. Here are a couple of close ups.

and one last shot

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

Penny Black and More 1/3 anything goes
Stamping sensations 1/3 close to nature
Crafty catz 1/3 anything goes
Lil patch of crafty friends 1/3 anything goes
Crafty Calender 1/3 Things with wings
Cute card Thursday 1/3 anything goes
Simon says stamp Wednesday animal magic

I absolutely love this stamp set, there are so many possibilities ..when we visited the woods on Sunday we also found carpets of bluebells

but that's another story and another creation which I will share soon.

The new stamps and stencils release can be ordered on pre release now
here 

and they will be delivered to you immediately after 11 May, so don't miss out.

All the Visible Image links can be found here;

Visible Image group page on Facebook. Our friendly Group can be found here ...it would be lovely to see you. You can add work to the "Show and Tell" album where one randomly chosen winner each month wins a £25 coupon to spend on the website.

The main Visible Image Facebook page is here; there are weekly stamp giveaways...open world wide!

And the shop web site is here; where all these gorgeous stamps and stencils can be purchased. 

You can also follow via:

 Pinterest

Twitter

and

 Instagram

There are 6 new stamp sets and 8 new stencils...all totally amazing and uniquely Visible Image.



Thanks so much for taking a trip into the woods (and my imagination)with me today. Enjoy this awesome bank holiday Monday and I will be back very soon. Thanks as always for the kind comments you take the time to leave me.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

A Bear hunt in the woods

As promised our lovely weather continued at the weekend and on Sunday it was so mild that we took our son's dog Bear out for a walk in our local woods.

There were just the odd shafts of sunlight through the canopy.

I also had time to make my next Calendar page for my art journal and took my inspiration from our Bear hunt. For this month the lines from the poem by Sara Coleridge are

Brown October brings the pheasant,
Then to gather nuts is pleasant

I loved seeing the sweet chestnuts and acorns hidden on the floor of the woods among the leaves.

Out came all my brown distress inks

I blended some colour on my card and then added more with my VI fibres stencil

I then added some stamping with distress inks as I wanted this to eventually blend into the background like the nuts on the floor of the woods.

I then added my bird from the VI Leave your fears set.

Again I used distress inks

Once I was happy with the background I gently sprayed vintage photo and tarnished brass over the whole piece to blend this all into the background. I wanted the birds to represent pheasants emerging from their cover. I also used some tree, leaf and bird die cuts.

Here is my finished art journal page

and a couple of close ups

I would like to enter my page into the following challenges;

The Craft Barn calendar challenge October (I have just realised that I used the word brown rather than fresh....I must have found a slightly different version on the Internet! I hope I can be forgiven!)

Happy little stampers watercolour challenge October

A vintage journey crazy for autumn colour

Noor UK fall colours

Creative Artiste 3/3 anything goes mixed media  I used distress inks, sprays and crackle glaze on 2 of my leaves in the corner
Sparkles monthly 1/3 autumn colours
Dies R Us 1/3 leaves
Creative Moments 1/3 anything goes

Thanks so much for stopping by today and enjoy the rest of the week. I will be back on Friday with my mid month inspiration for STAMPlorations.

Bye for now,

Jane x