Day of the Dead at Creative Expressions

Hi everyone,

Just a quick post this morning to share a card I made to celebrate the Day of The Dead, which is today, Saturday 2nd November.  This is an ancient Aztec ritual, and celebrated in Mexico still, and is similar to Halloween. In Mexican culture, death is viewed as a natural part of the human cycle. Mexicans view it not as a day of sadness but as a day of celebration because their loved ones awake and celebrate with them.  Pictures and flowers and a drink for the journey are usually placed somewhere prominent to celebrate.

Over at Creative Expressions today they are celebrating and sharing a whole host of makes, so I thought I'd show you mine.

The card was made using different coloured inks for the layered backgrounds, and edging them in alternate ink colours.  They were matted up to give definition.  I used the Sugar Skull Stamp from Andy Skinner at Creative Expressions.  The top layer is Andy's 'Create' stamp, also new out, which I inked in 3 colours and stamped several times.

I stamped the Sugar Skull once more in Black, and coloured in with Andy's new paints, these are translucent enough not to blur the stamp lines, even neat!  This makes for great layering possibilities too.

The skull was mounted on a bit of acetate for fun, so it hangs over the front panel.

Hope you like it, don't forget to check out Creative Expressions Facebook page today for more inspiration.

Best Wishes,

Nikki
xxx

Products Used:
Creative Expressions:
Andy Skinner 'Create' Stamp
Andy Skinner 'Sugar Skull' Stamp
Andy Skinner Paints in Quinacridone Gold, Cobalt Teal & Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide.

Other: Coloured Inks.

Craft Stamper - Take it Make it October Challenge Reminder.

Hi all,

Halfway through the month again, and time for a little reminder of the Craft Stamper Challenge this month.  The theme is multicolour stamping, so get those ink pads or paints out, or anything you like to stamp with, mix up the colours on your stamp, and away you go!

We'd love to see your entries, and there is ton's of inspiration for you on the Craft Stamper blog, and now on the DT's reminder post here.

This is my take, and of course, as it's October, a little pumpkin wouldn't go amiss now would it?

I used watercolour paper to stamp my stamp addicts Tim Holtz pumpkin on, I love these stamps.  I used Stayzon ink in pumpkin (yes really), zesty orange, and olive green, to multicolour stamp the image.  I then used distress markers and a waterbrush to colour the image.  I flicked some distress markers across the page in different colours too, and added shading under the pumpkin.

Next I got my sewing machine out, I'll rephrase that... Next, I unpacked my sewing machine that I've had since April and never used...

And look!  I worked it out!  I stitched the pumpkin to some music paper that I had gesso'ed to fade it a bit.  I trapped some twine between the two layers.  This was then layered onto black corrugated card, and the resin embellishment added.  It's using pebeo Fantasy moon and fantasy prism paints, and some watch pieces, covered in resin.

The little sentiment was added, it's a wooden stamp I have, not sure who by, and the piece of wire that wrapped up my sewing machine lead was twisted, and added in the corner!  It's all layered onto a distressed piece of kraft cardstock, and then a dark brown card blank.

Hop across to the Craft Stamper Challenge to see lot's more inspiration from the DT, and don't forget to join us, we really do love to see your work, and the prizes are brill too!

Have a great weekend,

Best Wishes,

Nikki K.
xx

Craft Stamper Challenge October - Multicolour stamping.

Hi everyone,

It's the start of a new challenge over at Craft Stamper magazine again, a nice easy and fun challenge, we would like to see your multicoloured stamping, basically just using more than one colour of ink, paint, or whatever medium you can stamp with, on one stamp.

Here is my DT piece:

It's called triple time stamping, basically where you put three pieces of card on top of each other to stamp them, then separate them again and layer them onto a mat card, to show the images layered up.

I used a free stamp from the front of an old Craft Stamper magazine, sorry, can't remember who it's from or the month!  and a little background stamp from a set of clear stamps I had in a draw.  I just third gen stamped the background so you could only just see it.

The leaves are stamped in Stayzon Ganache, St Valentine, and orange. 

So remember to come and join us this month in the Craft Stamper Blog Challenge, show us your makes, you never know, you could win a slot on the challenge blog and in the magazine. 

It can be as simple or as wacky as you like, it just needs to be stamped!

Have a fun time,

Best Wishes,

Nikki K.

xx