The final five

Did you think I would make it through all 29 faces?  There were times when I thought I might just give in and I have to admit some have been very quick drawings, but once I start something I like to see it through.
These are the final 5 and sticking with the way I started, they are all twinchie sized. Numbers 25 and 26 are coloured in PMs and I doodled in the background.

 Not sure what I was thinking with this one...

 Male faces are a real, real challenge, but I gave it a go again....

You can all breathe a sigh of relief now that you won't have to view my awful drawing again- lol!  I think I will leave drawing images to the real artists for a while.  But you have to try these things... I did enjoy it- kind of relaxing drawing and colouring and I got back into zentangle a little, which is a good way to unwind in the evening.

Dolly Daydreaming

I'm often taken with cute sheep images and this one for DigiStamp Boutique is no exception.  Perfect for lots of different birthday I think.

 The card loosely follows last weeks Mojo Monday sketch (oops- bad timing!)

 

Faces 23-25

The second art journal page using a ticket I got when I went to the Greenwich Observatory:

This was to remind me of the day (the faces don't really look like the person I met or me though- my drawing doesn't extend that far!).  I used some of Clare's PaperArtsy stamps to make the background along with some good old finger-print flowers :-)
And the third journal page- more in keeping with the museum itself:

Three more faces for the 29 face challenge.

Face 22

Been a while since I did any art journaling and since I had some Annual Leave this weekend (Friday and Monday) I decided to get stuck in and messy.  I went to the Greenwich Observatory with a friend a week or so ago and got 3 tickets.  This is the first journal page I made using one of the tickets:

Face 22 out of 29 and a bit larger than the others. 

Greetings Earthling!

The current layout for Retrosketches I thought was perfect for the Space Adventures set from DigiStamp Boutique (or maybe I am just in love with these digis and it is an excuse to use them again??)

 

Winter Stanley II

I have used the second image from the Winter Stanley set from DigiStamp Boutique on this card (the first card was on my blog on Sunday).  Gone for a different colour scheme with this one.  Think it will have to go to someone I know who loves both digs and buttons...  Must remember I have made it nearer Christmas!

I will enter the card into this weeks Sketch Saturday and ABC Christmas challenges.

Warm and Cosy

This is my third and final ATC for the Unruly Paperarts 'holidays' themed swap- again using my favourite stamp set designed by Clare which can be found here.  This time I used watercolours to make the background, stamped in slate ink and then white acrylic before adding some doodles with black pen and hand stitching a border.
I will enter this into the current ABC Christmas challenge (something festive).

 

Faces 15-21

Plodding on again with my 29 faces.  Number 15 is a moo inspired by my visit to the British Museum with my aunt the other week.  Juts drawn in pencil this one.

 Another moo for 16, this time inspired by a visit to the Greenwich Observatory with a friend- slight steampunk style (or at least that was the aim!).  As with the remaining (17-21) this one was coloured first with PMs and then detailed with pencil crayons.

 A manga-style face drawn with the help of Wiki how to ;-)

 Four faces drawn 'on my own'.

What do you think?  Never going to be a real artist, but I think I am learning something?  (or maybe I am deceiving myself- lol!)

Merry and Bright

This is the second of my three ATCs made for the Unruly Paperarts 'Holidays' themed ATC swap.  This time I have again used some of Clare's new PaperArtsy stamps but coloured them with Promarkers.  The ATC follows the current Stamplorations sketch.

Winter Stanley

There are so many gorgeous new Christmas digis out there...  great isn't it?  I particularly liked this Winter Stanley set from DigiStamp Boutique- I know quite a few doggie fans who I can make cards for using it :-)
This is the first, and the card follows this weeks Sweet Sketch Wednesday layout.  I will also enter this into the current ABC Christmas (Something festive) and Passion for Promarkers (digi) challenges.

 

Ruff Day?

I made this card for a friend who I know is going to be having a hard time coming up.  This Stanley the dog image from DigiStamp Boutique can't help but cheer you up- he is such a cutie :-)

I will enter the card into this weeks Passion for Promarkers (digi) challenge.

Yuletide Greetings

I was reading the PaperArtsy blog last week and spotted this project by GD Wanda Hentges.  I really loved the technique she used to produce the backing paper for her Christmas cards and so decided to give it a go.
I painted two colours of acrylic on some water colour paper- green and red then applied some gesso with part of a plastic fruit punnet cut up (I didn't have an old gift/credit card and the fruit punnet works quite well!).  Then added some more red and green paint on top (when everything was dry) using the edge of another piece of the punnet (lol).  Again, once dry I added a final layer of gesso, scraping back in some areas and not others.
From this I cut 3 ATCs (slightly smaller than 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches so that I could mount them on black paper the correct size).  I added a small piece of patterned paper across the bottom. 

Next I got out my Clare Llyod Electica Christmas stamps found here, and went round the edge in black ink with one stamp, and randomly over the middle in silver and grey with others.  The sentiment was stamped in back and the heart stamped in black on some of the scrap backing paper.  I added a little glitter to the heart before affixing with sticky-fixers.

Zombies

Ever buy an image or make a card when you know really it is just because *you* want to?  I loved this new DigiStamp Boutique image and although I probably won't ever send the card- not sure I know anyone who would appreciate it- I had to print him out and use him this weekend.  I'm not one for blood and gore and so made him drip goo instead.  Cute in his own way, isn't he?

The card follows this weeks Sketch Saturday layout.

Faces 11-14

I decided as Halloween was coming up to draw some spooky faces for the 29 faces challenge- or at least ones which are designed to look spooky and don't just look that way due to my poor drawing- lol!  Again the first two were inspired by 'Wiki how to' guides and coloured in Promarkers.

 These are both twinchie sized.

 For faces 13 and 14 I decided to break from the twichie and go for moos.  I actually drew one face over two moos and then zentangled slightly differently on each.

 For this one I decided not to colour the tangle.  I never used to colour any tangle- just highlight with pencil shading. Which effect do you prefer?

 I will enter these in to this months Unruly Paperarts RAK- the dark of the night.

Happy Retirement II

Ok this is the second retirement card that I made for someone I know.  The first was on my blog on Sunday (scroll down to view).  This time I went for a wise/cynical looking owl (Winston from DigiStamp Boutique- love him!).  Which do you prefer/think I should send?

The card follows this weeks RetroSketches layout.  I will also enter the card into this weeks Passion for Promarkers (digi) challenge.

Faces 8-10

I am still plodding on with the 29 faces challenge.  Realised by the end of last week that 29 is *a lot*!  Once I have started something, I tend to try and see it through though.  These ones I drew with the help of 'Wiki how to' online:

 Both are drawn in pen and then coloured with Promarkers.  Again I have stuck to the twinchie size and so they are small!  I am quite amazed and happy with the second.  Didn't want to ruin the face by adding a background and so left it plain.
For the 10th face I went for Zentangle again (I quite enjoy it).  This time I took inspiration from some of Picaso's face painting.

Will you 'dare' yourself to try something new and join in?

Happy Retirement I

I know someone who is retiring soon and wanted to make a card.  Not sure what was the most suitable thing to put on it though- didn't want to go for something totally stereotypical (ie. depicting old age) as that might not be the best thing (this is the person who I accidentally gave a card with a dinosaur on the front to for his 57th birthday....  he did still (amazingly) pass my PhD viva though!).  This is one of the two cards I made this weekend.  What do you think?

The card uses a DigiStamp Boutique image from the cheeky monkey set.  I will enter it into this weeks Passion for Promarkers (four legs) challenge.

Christmas pressies

I have to admit I am playing catch up a little with this card. I made it a few weeks ago (you can tell by the bright sunshine in the photo!) but haven't posted it before.  It uses a Bugaboo Christmas image which I think it sweet. Happily the card fits this weeks Sweet Sketch Wednesday layout. I will also enter it into this weeks Little Miss Muffet challenge.



Feel Better Soon

I've made a lot of Christmas cards recently and so wanted to do something different.  The colours for this were inspired by a scarf I saw someone wearing last week on the way home from work- a little unusual, but I liked it.  I made the backing paper using Clare's new range of stamps from PaperArtsy (found here)- stamping, masking and then colouring with PMs.  The stamps are great!  It was fun to make too :-)

The birdie image and sentiment are from this DigiStamp Boutique set and I have followed this weeks Retro Sketches layout on my card.  I will also enter this into Septembers Stamplorations challenge (stamps and markers).
 

Christmas shopping

Back to my comfort zone of card making using digi images coloured with my PMs :-)  This one uses a Bugaboo image I got recently and this weeks Sketch Saturday layout.

 

Faces 1-7

Ok, for regular followers, you are probably amazed that I am attempting (or have started too attempt- will I keep it up???) the 29-faces challenge for September.  I don't *do* drawing and when it comes to art I am a total novice.  There was something about the challenge, that after reading Clare's blog that tempted me.  I think it is the theme 'but never dared'.  Well that kind of applies to everything to do with drawing and faces for me!
I thought I would start off gently and not expect great things- just go with the flow and accept that there will be some that end up as disasters.  Hence I have opted for twinchies- 2 inch square.  A perfect size for a quick draw to distress after a day at work/ to test new ideas and yet not take too much time (craft time in the evening is scarce).
Last week I started off with sketching and colouring with PMs.

This was my first face. She ended up looking angry I think.  Funny as I hadn't had the best day when I drew her- probably more luck that design that she reflected my emotions though!

 Faces two (above) and three (below).

 Thought I would turn to zentangle for a couple of faces.  I got into zentangle last year and really enjoyed it.  Been a while though and doing it on a twinchie requires quite a lot of concentration (and good light/eyesight!).

 OK, so faces 1-5 I'm not too unhappy with.  They aren't perfect, but I was pleasantly surprised by how they turned out.  At the weekend I decided it was time to 'push' a little harder and go for water colour pencils- something I struggle to use even for stamped images.  These last two images almost got thrown in the bin and never shown- they would have done if I hadn't kept reminding myself on my original commitment to show everything, however good or bad.

 Coloured with water colour pencils and outlined in black biro.  The photos perhaps make them look better than in real life...  At least I can say I have tried.

Are you tempted to join in?

Tilting trees

I saw this Bugaboo image and fell for it.  Great, don't you think?  I'm sure we all have or have had Christmas trees which either start off lop-sided or end up that way- lol.  The card follows this weeks Sweet Sketch Wednesday challenge layout.

 

Red Poinsettas

This time the challenge on the ABC Christmas blog is 'R is for Red Poinsettas'.  I used an old image from DigiStamp Boutique to decoupage up a poinsettia on my card.  The card follows the layout from this weeks Mojo Monday sketch.

Not so sure about this card.  One of those ones that didn't turn out quite as I had in mind.  Maybe a little out of my comfort zone?

Guess what...

... arrived in the post this week and what I was doing today (other than some work that is :-(.)?

 

 If you missed last Sunday evening in blogland you might not know, but Clare had her first range of stamps launched with PaperArtsy.  I ordered some of the acrylic blocks as well (I only had one before and it was too small) and they sent me a freebie (stamp at the front of the picture.
I'm not one who often 'does' real stamping- in general I find it difficult.  I think this could be because I didn't have the right 'things' before.  Stamping with the PA stamps on the flexi blocks today was easy and satisfying :-)
Clare set me the challenge (unofficially) of getting my PMs to out on her stamp range.  These are my first attempts.  I could do with some flat cards to save me paying a fortune at Christmas.  The stamps are perfect for it.

These cards all follow the current Stamplorations sketch.