Shirl's Artwork

Butterflies Galore & First Video Tutorial

January 15th, 2012 by Shirl - Posted in Aperture Cards, Fashionable Stamping Challenges, Stamping

It’s Sunday and you know what that means for this week … Fashionable Stamping has a new challenge for you and this time we would like to see all those …

Butterflies Or Bugs. I decided on butterflies because they are so delicate and pretty … not that bugs aren’t but the word bugs just puts me off … what a wimp I am!!!!

For my DT card I first painted a chipboard butterfly with black acrylic paint … twice. When dry patted Versamark all over then added black ultra thick embossing enamel … did this three times . For the last time Versamark was patted onto it so that I could add the perfect pearls mica powder … this made it shimmer and shine. Melted all this again then stamped into it with my Artemio Butterfly Collage stamp which was inked with Brilliance Galaxy Gold … you can buy all these items from our sponsor Marina at Cottage Crafts. Stamped and embossed onto a piece of acetate with the same ink pad and added to the front of the card which had been cut out with a spellbinders frame die.

This is a first for me girls … so excited … my very first Video Tutorial on how to make the second butterfly on the card. This is a concertina butterfly and at the moment my favourite item to make … have a box full of them 😀 If you would like a copy of the Butterfly Template please click the email button above and type Butterfly in the subject box and I will send to you..

Today is the day you have to see all the DT’s creations because everyone is a wowser.

Shirl

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Butterfly Bailey

January 15th, 2012 by Shirl - Posted in Digi Images, Little Miss Muffet Stamps

I am sharing with you today a card which when opened the middle pops out … mine is a butterfly … I do like these because they are such a surprise when opened.

Used the image from Little Miss Muffet Stamps called Bailey … toooo cute for words.

Entering for: There She Goes Clear Stamps – Paper Piecing

Shirl

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Lots Of Love

January 8th, 2012 by Shirl - Posted in Aperture Cards, Easel Cards, Stamping

The Stamp Man want to see your best/favourite project over last year.

I have so many cards/projects that I really enjoyed making last year but this is probably the one I had most fun doing … Andrew’s last year’s Valentine’s card (to me) … you will have to see the original post HERE to see why I make my own Valentine’s cards!!!!

The letters are all stamped onto shrink plastic, the working out of how to space the apertures, then to make the letters fit and still spin around was so rewarding. Stamped and embossed the lovely Sketched Lady and Eiffel Tower from Clarity stamps

Entering for The Stamp Man 3rd Annual Awards Challenge
Shirl

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Postcard Journey

January 6th, 2012 by Shirl - Posted in 2012 Postcards Challenge, Album, Stamping, Vintage

Darcy’s Postcard Challenge
Here is album being started
When you start reading this you will see that I am a hopeless romantic 😕 this is probably going to read like a Mills & Boon novel as it progresses over the year 😀 Not even sure if I am on the right lines of how this should be written or how my story is going to progress through the year but it’s going to be a lot of fun finding out.

What are my characters names, where do they live, work and how did they meet???

Silly me asked Andrew’s advice about the male in this story – his advice was …
make him a Soldier and call him Major Disaster needless to say advice not taken!!!

My postcard journey starts with me revealing the names and addresses of my characters – to find out how they met, exchanged names and addresses also for the unfolding of the story you will have to come back each week to read each and every POSTCARD … all 52 of them 😎

Olivia Amber Loren

Aged 28, address: Lucy’s Haven, Swallow Mews, Willow Lane, London

Olivia was named and brought up by her Romany Grandmother Tshilaba more of why she was brought up by her grandmother as the story unfolds. Olivia is a well renowned classical concert pianist who travels all over the globe.

Tyler Alex Andrews

Aged 34, address: Wychwood House, Upper Monbay Drive, London

ahhh Tyler, handsome, debonair, owner of a multi billion pound banking company and very handsome … gave Olivia a friend’s address not his own … why????

Addresses above are all my own imagination so please don’t try and write to Olivia & Tyler 😉
My postcards start with Tyler sending the first postcard when he is in AUSTRIA on business … let the story begin!!!

Wahoo got my melting pot out and used it as you can see with the silver metal looking thingy on the front of the album cover. The actual postcard scene I stamped and embossed the tree images with white embossing powder then brayered over with TH DI … Stormy Sky, Iced Spruse and Pumice Stone. Each of the pockets will hold two postcards, have tried all the 52 postcards in the album and everything is AOK phewww.

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Little Miss Muffet

January 5th, 2012 by Shirl - Posted in Album, Digi Images, Little Miss Muffet Stamps, Stamping

Before we start with the new challenge this fortnight I would love to say a get well soon to Barbara who has been unwell since the start of the New Year … hope you’re back on your feet soon sweetie.

We have two new DT members joining us this week so a huge welcome to AJ and Shelby.

Little Miss Muffet Challenges wants to see SOMETHING NEW, my new is this album also some Little Miss Muffet Stamps that I haven’t used before.

Allison & Abby have been printed onto blue cardstock but this time round I have coloured with Twinkling H2O’s and Cosmic Shimmer paints. The sheen is very hard to capture with the camera but it is gorgeous. In picture 5 you can see I have printed Audrey onto newspaper then coloured her with the same shimmery paints. In picture 9 you can see lots of other tags I have to finish painting before adding to my album.

When you lift up the tag with Audrey there is also a smaller pick of her and lines for some journalling.

My New Year’s Resolution for this year is to get ahead of myself … good start because this is for a little girls birthday later in the year. You really do have to check out what the rest of my DT sisters have made for this challenge because every one is soooo cute.

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Lemon Meringue Pie Easel Calendar

January 1st, 2012 by Shirl - Posted in Easel Cards, Fashionable Stamping Challenges, Stamping

That’s it 2011 is no more now let’s celebrate
2012
HAPPY NEW YEAR ONE AND ALL
I wish everyone good health, wealth, happiness and peace but most of all have fun and smile.

Thank You and more to all my amazing followers.
Fabiola and Irene a special thanks to both of you.

Please don’t forget to pop back tomorrow so you can see my finished album (but not all embellished yet) for the
Postcards Challenge 2012 also to see what country we are visiting first and which of my characters will be there.

Fashionable Stamping Challenges has started their New Year with another fantastic challenge … Anything Goes With Your New Stash.

Badly needed a new calendar for 2012 but sadly didn’t get one … so made my own … loved making this easel calendar … not pink I hear you say … nope wanted it fresh and sunny but it turned out looking like a lemon meringue on my desk … still love it.

Threw everything at this card 😆 Stamping, heat embossing, dry embossing, paints, crackle painting, inking, stitching, made flower even personalised the calendar with all my special dates … you can just see the 26th January has a heart round it – that’s my grandsons birthday he will be 12 this year, hoping he was going to be a millennium baby but Claire held on to long 😆

Wait for it just know you are going to say yukkk!!! … my new foam stamp was stamped onto toilet paper (clean and unused) then carefully pulled apart (delicate operation) to one single layer, taped onto the doily and appliquéd onto the Anna Griffin paper. Bit of a dilemma with the colouring as it is very fragile, used a paintbrush dipped it into a yellow pigment ink then gently brushed onto the toilet paper, added clear embossing powder and heated on a slow setting 😎 tore away all the excess toilet paper after I had stitched . Stitched this onto the background which was painted with MS satin acrylic paint (jonquil) a layer of PVA glue was applied then white paint, left all to dry and hey presto it crackled showing this gorgeous lemon meringue colour.

Made the beautiful butterfly on the front which is a story in itself, going to tell all in my first video tutorial … which I am making for the next challenge at FSC 😉

After that marathon you must pop over and see all the Fashionettes creations because they will just wow you even more.

Entering Gingersnap Creations Colour Challenge – Soft looking meringue colours … not really … they want to see soft yellows and white.

Shirl

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Favourite Projects From 2011

December 30th, 2011 by Shirl - Posted in Album, Digi Images, Fashionable Stamping Challenges, Little Miss Muffet Stamps, Penny Black, Stamping

Just thought I would share with you some projects from 2011

JANUARY – FEBRUARY – MARCH

APRIL – MAY – JUNE

JULY – AUGUST – SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER – NOVEMBER – DECEMBER

Shirl

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Saffron With Added Sparkle

December 29th, 2011 by Shirl - Posted in Digi Images, Uncategorized

It’s a special preview day of the freebie image called SAFFRON so a few of the Design Team and some Special Guests have produced an amazing array of inspiration for you all to feast over. You will need to have a peek HERE to see each of their magical creations.

I made this Centre Stepper Card … love these … for an adorable and amazing little girl … my granddaughter Lauren.
Saffron was printed onto acetate and different coloured glitter was applied to the back of the image so she really sparkled and shone. I love this effect it’s perfect for a little girl who loves her bling and Lauren certainly does. Because the image is so cute and pretty I decided not to over embellish the card so kept her sweet and innocent looking.

Couldn’t resist playing around with the card in gimp after I had made it and the second image is what I came up with 😎

Entering for Little Darlings Challenges – Cold

Shirl

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Postcards

December 28th, 2011 by Shirl - Posted in 2012 Postcards Challenge, Album, Penny Black, Stamping, Vintage

Just sharing a quick post with you and it’s all about Darcy’s Postcard Challenge for 2012. Intrigued well check it out HERE or check out the link on the right hand side bar for you to see why I am sooooo excited about this.

My name is down for the challenge so today I am showing you my first lot of pics for the album I have nearly created so that my 52 postcards can be stored.

This is a first for me painting with Gesso … will be using this more and more me thinks, have to thank my dear friend Brenda for giving me the confidence to start using this product … thanks sweetie.

The first pic is showing some album pockets already painted with Gesso, 2nd pic shows the rest of the pockets waiting to be painted. and the 3rd pic shows 3 of my pockets completed and raring to go. One even has the postcard in there just waiting to see what the first country will be … most will be ready for 2nd January!!!!! I still have the front cover to make but not sure what road I am going to take when it comes to the decorating … any suggestions greatly appreciated. 😉

Just a few more close up pics of the completed folders. First pic shows the front of the folders and 2nd pic shows the folders turned over, 3rd is a close up. Each folder will house two postcards.

and more pics, I am sooo enjoying this project that I just want to share!!!! Loads and loads of stamping my fave pastime the postcard stamp is one from Penny Black called … wait for it … POSTCARD.

To find out the names I have given my characters and where they met you will have to pop back on 2nd January and all will be revealed.

You will hopefully see the album all put together … if not every page completed with embellishments. That’s the beauty of this challenge you have all year to complete. yayyyyy.

Entering for the Penny Black Saturday Challenges – Make A Tag … I have made one and it is on pic #5 and a close up on #7
The Stamp Man Challenge – Techniques … first for me using Gesso.

Shirl

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Pretty Buttons

December 22nd, 2011 by Shirl - Posted in Digi Images, Little Miss Muffet Stamps

Alice is going to love this card with Buttons on the front as she adores cats.

Buttons is just one of the adorable images from Little Miss Muffet Stamps and I used him for my card at Little Miss Muffet Challenges.

The challenge is an easy peasy one this time round … ANYTHING GOES also go and feast your eyes on what the other DT sweeties have come up with every piece is stunning.

Guess what Little Miss Muffet are having a DT Call and that’s not all there is a CUTE FREEBIE up for grabs that you don’t want to miss out on so pop on over to the site and find out all the amazing details.

Buttons was printed onto acetate and on the wrong side of the picture PVA glue was added in stages with coloured glitter. If possible when you have finished you should ideally leave overnight to dry. He looks adorable on the card and just right for any little girl.

Here is a little peek at the Freebie that is being given away and what I have done with her you will have to pop back here next Thursday to see the rest. 😉 Shirl