Alcohol Ink Candle

 International Art & Soul, a challenge which has been put together to incorporate any type of craft, paper, wood, flowers, recycling, glass - the world is your oyster :).  Come on over an join us with you artwork :)

Challenge #80
No Focal Image

This fortnights challenge 'No Focal Image' has been chosen by Josephine.

I really pondered over this challenge, a card, a piece of pyrography or what.  In the end I opted to decorate one of my battery operated candles, more an experiment than anything else :)  I was curious how Alcohol Inks would work on the wax surface and I have to say I love the end result, at night this candle really comes alive with and something I think I will be doing again in the future.  This candle is just for me so I am not worried about one issue that it has and that is how easy the ink scratches off, think I will give it a blast of some spray varnish to seal in future projects but a bit late for this one as I have already attached the black lace sections.  The ink was applied using a small sponge dipped in the ink and then dabbed onto the candle and I used red, orange and yellow to build up the effect.

I am entering this candle in the following challenges : - 

Purrfect End

The challenge this fortnight at I ❤️Promarkers is

 'Things That Fly'

and the sponsor for this challenge is Knitty Kitty Digis with a prize of Prize 3 single images to the winner (or one set).

For my card I have used the image Purrfect End.  The image was coloured with Promarkers then masked so I could complete the background with Pan Pastels.  Keeping with the theme, Things That Fly I printed the stars in the heart shape a second time and cut a heart shape around them to form a balloon, again coloured with Promarkers, Midnight Blue for the background and Metallic Bronze for the stars (they are quite shiny in real life so it is a shame they look so 'flat' in the photo).  Once coloured the balloon was attached with a wee spring to make a wobble balloon. 

You know when you have had something for absolutely ages and just never use it how good it feels to actually find a use, that is the case here with the lace trim.  Years ago I bought some sticky back paper lace from Lakeland but found the sticky back not really strong enough for cards hence have not used the pack until now.  The pack came with 4 different designs on rolls so I chose one, coloured it with Promarkers and then was able to strengthen the attachment with double sided tape behind the image.  Perfect, so happy with how it worked.

I am entering this card in the following challenges : -

We Are No Evil

Hi folks, today I am sharing a candle I have decorated using the We Are No Evil image by Aurora Wings.  I used to decorate loads of candles as gifts for folks but over the years have stopped as I feel real candles are often a fire hazard.  Recently I got hold of some battery operated candles which have a wax finish and have been playing around decorating them in the same way as I used to with wax candles.  I know I can now add more trim etc. as don't need to worry about the fire hazard side of things but for now I am just keeping the decoration simple.

For this candle I coloured the image digitally and then printed on tissue paper.  My first attempt of using tracing paper to hold the wrapper in place while heating up the candle with my heat gun to melt the wax and weld the image to it was not very successful but it worked much better when I used wax paper instead.  Still not perfect as there appears to be a very thin layer of wax between the base of the candle are which holds the battery etc. and this seems to melt very quickly.  I will try a different way in future and add the image to the area above the housing then decorate the base of the candle in a different way.  All in all though I am rather please with how it turned out.

The pics below show the candle from all sides . . .

 

and this is what the candle wrapper looked liked when I printed it and before attached to the candle

I am entering the following challenges :- 

Fairy Love

 International Art & Soul, a challenge which has been put together to incorporate any type of craft, paper, wood, flowers, recycling, glass - the world is your oyster :).  Come on over an join us with you artwork :)

Challenge #79
Green as the Main Colour

This fortnights challenge 'Green as the Main Colour' has been chosen by Maggie.

 I decided it was time to get my Brusho pigments out as they have been hibernating and I do love a messy project lol.  I used a sheet of A4 paper to play with and had a blast using 3 different shades of green Brusho pigments and finishing off with gold paint which I splattered on top.  This A4 sheet was then used to cover the card blank and a piece of spare card ready to die cut my circle.  Next I used a stamp and die set by Crafter's Companion to stamp the tree in black Memento and then add the die cut fairy cut with black card.  The edge of the circle was then rolled in my black Memento ink just for that bit of contrast.  Finally I die cut a circle doily in cream and then it was just a matter of assembling the card layers.  Nice and simple and great fun to do.

I am entering this card in the following challenges : -

Tony I-Gnomey

The image used for this card is Tony I-Gnomey by Dr. Digi House of Stamps.

Toni I-Gnomey was coloured with Copics and I then added the background using Pan Pastels.  I don't often do 'no line' colouring but gave it a go here and then added some of the detail back in with a black fine liner.  The sentiment was printed digitally then coloured and fussy cut before finally being added to the image with foam tape.  For the card blank covering I used red Pan Pastels which I then fixed with Spray and Shine by Crafters Companion and finally stamped musical notes and the sentiment in black Memento ink.  The stamps are really old and collected from a magazine (I kept the stamps and chucked the magazine out so alas now I don't know the company to give them the credit grrr).

I am entering this card in the following challenges : -

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Trotsky

The image used for this card is Trotsky by Dr. Digi House of Stamps.

I coloured this adorable Scottie dog with Copics and added the text digitally (before colouring).  The card base covering just had to be red tartan as in my mind the two go together perfectly.    I thought I would try and be a bit clever (which in my case is not the best idea hahaha) and add and inlay die border to balance the position of Trotsky on the card.  Quite happy with the die I had found and it fitted perfectly I set to die cutting, where my brain cell was I don't know, maybe gone for a coffee.  The die was a regular border die and not an inlay die haha, oh well, not the the end of the world, I just placed the now 2 sections back together again but had to hide the slight off cut on the outer edge with a couple of black glitter dots.  To finish off the card was a leap of joy from me hahahaha - I had forgotten I had this bit of red tartan ribbon and then to find it was the same tartan I had used for covering the card was just too much self control in containing my delight :) :) :)

I am entering this card in the following challenges : -

• House That Stamps Built W, 3E - Rain, Cats or Dogs
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies (M, P1, E5, must have a critter) #36 - Anything Goes with a Critter

Lovable Racoon

The challenge this fortnight at I ❤️Promarkers is
 'Add A Sentiment'

and the sponsor for this challenge is Paper Nest Dolls with a prize of 3 images from the store.

The image from Paper Nest Dolls I have used for our challenge is Racoon with Heart Box.

Image coloured with Promarkers and oh how naughty the Warm Grey markers were.  I ended up colouring the image 3 times with the first 2 attempts in the bin lol.  My Warm Grey no. 5 dried up on me so I tried a dark brown - the brown did not look right so bin that attempt and try to give my Warm Grey a drink of Alcohol Blending solution to revive it.  Yep that worked fabulously until it decided to leak a wonderful great big blob on the image grrrrr - second attempt into the bin.  For the 3rd attempt I just used Warm Grey 4, 3 and 2, still not as I would like it but a heck of a lot better than the first 2 attempts.  I am sure we all get days when the card we are making just will not come together as planned but we battle on and live to create another day hahah.  I fussy cut the image once coloured then went down the die cutting route for the background and sentiment using papers that were free many moons ago with a magazine and cream card.

Promarkers used  : - Warm Grey 4, 3, 2, 1, Ice Grey 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Black, Cranberry and Baby Pink

 The Prize for the winner is 3 Digi Images

I am entering this card in the following challenges : -

Black Widow

IKEsWORLD

Challenge 130
O is for Out of Your Comfort Zone

Welcome back to the IKEsWORLD challenges :)  do pop on over to IKEsWORLD to join in the challenge, it is always so much fun and  Ike produces the most amazing stamps, everything from off the wall to cute and fluffy :) :) :)

Out of my comfort zone, in this day and age that is not difficult hahaha, I hate shopping, I hate crowds, I hate lots of noise so maybe I could take my craft supplies to the supermarket and make my DT inspiration in that environment - well it would fit the theme but I suspect the end result would be a pile of torn up paper and several snapped pencils plus all the other trouble I would get myself into. Now I love Ike to bits and back but that amount of stress out of my comfort zone is not worth our friendship hahahahaha.  So, next bit of out of my comfort zone is to make something that I don't have an outlet for, that is something I find so very difficult.  I hate waste of my craft supplies and time when the end result has no home which is why I don't do 'dark'.  None of my family are either cutsie or dark lovers and although I could colour the images just for the hell of it and stick them in a journal etc. that is not really my way.  So here we go with a 'dark' card that might just find a home, a compromise lol.

I used the image Black Widow for my card and coloured the evil her with Prismacolour pencils.  The background is digital paper which I added a black web to and the text.  The card was completed with a couple of die cut spider webs and gold gems for a bit of dimension.  Rather a cool Valentine card I think hahahahahahaha.

Ingredients:-

• image - BLACK WIDOW by IKEsART
• colouring medium - Prismacolour pencils
• other items - spider web die cuts, gold gems

I am entering this project into the following challenges:-

• Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - E for Evil

Ancestry Mini Photo Album

 International Art & Soul, a challenge which has been put together to incorporate any type of craft, paper, wood, flowers, recycling, glass - the world is your oyster :).  Come on over an join us with you artwork :)

Challenge #78
Use a Photo

This fortnights challenge 'Use a Photo' has been chosen by Sall. I have never made a mini album before so this really was an a learning journey for me but it was a beautiful project to make.  My Mum kept small photos in mini frames of her parents and my dad by her bed and when she passed away I packed them in the memory box so they would not get lost.  However, I loved her quiet way of keeping memories of her parents and my Dad alive, the last people she saw each night before going to sleep and the first people she saw when she woke up in the morning.

With Mum's photos and frames tucked away safe and sound I decided to get them out and scan the photos she used and print them so I could have my own wee memory book by my bed and added a picture of Mum, a favourite of mine, taken on my wedding day.  The spine was created using a video tutorial I found on You Tube by xannero1 - how to make a mini album from start to finish part 1 (there is a part 2 as well)

For each of the pages of the mini album I stamped images both for the background and the main pocket to link up to jobs and/or hobbies relating to the ancestor on that page.  A small tag was added in a hidden pocket behind the photo which gives DOB and DOD and I attached a charm to that tag also relating to a passion in the persons life.  The larger pocket at the bottom is still waiting for the insert to be put in as this is something I want to work on when I have both my daughters with me so we can think of words that remind us of the people.  They won't be able to contribute to my Grandfather or my husbands parents who they did not know alas but they can have their say for Vera (my Gran), Bill (my father) and Rita (my mother) who they were privileged to have relationships with.  Nearly all of the stamps I used for the stamping are from the Creative Stampers magazine which I have collected for a year or 2 now, a very reasonable way to build a collection of reasonably priced stamps for me, giving me a large variety to turn to for many different creative projects.

The final 2 pages which I have not show are not yet complete.  I have created all the elements and pockets but left the photos blank. It does seem a bit morbid but I know my daughters have fallen in love with this wee album and so think it will be kept after my hubby and I have moved to the next world.  They will be able to choose photos of Alan and me to add and fill in the blank cards with their own thoughts and maybe one day, this wee album will be passed down to my grandson Jay :)

Challenges entered : -

• My Time to Craft 2W  - #426 - No Digis Allowed (W2 of 2)
• Alphabet Challenge - 2W, 1E -  X IS FOR X-tra EMBELLISHMENTS  (W1 of 2) 
• DL ART Thankful Thursday Challenge 2W 2nd & 4th Thurs 3E #254 Always Thankful (W1 of 2)
• Try It On Tuesday 2W, C5, 2nd & 4th weeks - Go Green or Recycle Something (week 2) - recycled an embroided tray cloth
• We Love 2 Create  - 2W (ends Tuesday) - Always Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes