CB The Months Challenge - October + Sept & Aug

It's a while since I posted here, with the last two entries for this challenge being quickly posted to Instagram at the last minute. I do have the videos for the last three months so I will include those and images below in this post. I got out of the swing of posting and publishing videos after having the flu and taking weeks to recover. Thanks goodness that is gone now!

This first one is The Craft Barn October challenge for The Months.

I have been creating two pages throughout the year, one for the Northern Hemisphere, as in the poem, and then writing my own couplet for the Southern Hemisphere. When I search for a pheasant, one of our native New Zealand birds, the weka, came up so I included that in my second page.

I Can´t Stand the Rain

This page is for The Craft Barn´s Song Challenge -I Can Stand the Rain by Tina Turner.
I had the idea to create the rain on acetate using Diamond Glaze, so got that done and set it aside for a few days to make sure it was properly dry.
I have been trying to use more layers and not be so concerned about covering them up.
I started with a layer of tissue then added gesso, some stenciling, ink drips and some postage stamps. Once the raindrops had dried I decided on my window design. I used some crayons to create the timber effect and then coloured with acrylic paints. The flowers and leaves were punch from gelli prints, arranged on the window box which was then stuck to the window frame. This was then stuck  on with a double layer of foam tape.
So normally I´m making sure I have no shadows when taking photos, but this time I wanted them to show the full effect.
I must say, I´m very happy how this turned out.

I'm Late ...

This page is for Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Based on a Book.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland kept coming to my mind as I love those original illustrations.

My page started with some random journalling with an embossing pen and then used white embossing powder. This provided an resist effect when the pale blue paint was applied.
I thought of colouring the illustrations but once they were on the page I wanted to keep the simplicity. I then used cobalt archival ink through a clock stencil and around the edges of the page and Stabilo pencil around the images.

Deer Tree 1

I have been looking at this die in a bargain bin at my local stationers for several months and finally was a little cheeky and asked them what their best price was! I thought this would be versatile as I can trim up the deer head to look like a tree trunk also. It has little birds, amongst the leaves, on its antlers, which are not quite as defined as I thought they would be, but pretty cute.
I made this card to fit with the CAS-ual Friday Challenge - 160 - orange, brown & craft.

I used the negative left after cutting to colour the background, added some Golden Hi-flow bronze metallic and some script stamping in sienna archival ink. Then I inked the edge of the image and the card base.

Poppy - Stencil

My wanted my second entry for The Craft Barn Two Weekly Challenge - Poppy to be more abstract, so started with a stencil that I thought could be turned into a poppy. I sprayed with DecoArt Media misters in magenta and red. Another floral stencil helped to fill the spaces. I then outlined the stylised poppy shapes used in the remembrance poppies with a black watercolour pencil and mounted on a black card.

Hope

There are so many great things to do for this challenge from Paper Artsy - Typography, Fonts and Quotes. I didn't want to go with a mish-mash of fonts that could just end up a mess - so this one just evolved.
I had a page that had some patterned paper already on it so took the lead from the colours that were in it - turquoise and magenta - and went with that.
I added a layer of text through a stencil using archival ink and then added text from a magazine. I then dripped Liquidex Ink using the same colours. I used a script stencil and coloured texture paste which was them cut into the letters HOPE. The heart is a stamp from Viva Las Vegas stamps, onto tissue and them applied with matte medium. Some black Stabilo around the letter and the edges, a few black splatters and done.
The background has turned out quite busy, but I do quite like the textured script letters.

U for Ukulele - Dreams

Again I was experimenting with the Liquitex Inks in my background with music and script stamping. I had cut some music notes and used the negatives to stencil and stuck on the notes shapes cut out.
This is for The Craft Bart Alpha Challenge.

U for Ukulele - Sounds Like Happiness

I was searching for an original word for the letter 'U' for The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge, and suddenly realised the obvious for me - ukulele. I don't know why this took me so long as this instrument is part of my daily life and I now have two pages completed for this already. I might still attempt something more unsual!

This background was created when experimenting with Liquitex Inks, then some stenciling, stamping and focal image and quote added.

V is for Grandma?

The current alpha challenge over at The Craft Barn is 'V'. For me that stands for Grandma - Violet was her name and even though she left us many years ago it is nice to have a reason to dig out the old photos and create this tribute to her.
Weren't those early photos amazing?!

Die Cut - Bat & Tree

This is one of the self-drawn, self-cut designs I made while working on ideas for Paper Arty's Challenge - Die Cuts.
Initially I thought it was a bit of a failure and put it to one side. The ink I had used in the background had soaked into the paper, the tree looked a mess after I coloured it with a black Gelato and I couldn't really see it going anywhere.
Then I remember The Craft Barn challenge that needed to include a bat and thought that the dark mood could work for that. Now the challenge is called 'Pumpkin' but it does say "The only rule is there must be a bat."
I added some background stamping, darkened the borders with Stabilo ALL and ink, then mounted it in a small black journal. I finished it with borders of patterned paper and a paper scrap with texture paste stencilled onto it. As often happens, if we persevere, things work out in the end!

E for Ephemeral

This post is for The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge - E.

I started by covering the page with images from Ephemera's Vintage Garden, applied gesso over the top and then some stenciling. I then used other ephemera as my focal images and added some detailing with die cut flowers, shaped and pearls added.I had been experimenting with my new Jacquard Pearl Ex Powders - still figuring these out and made lots of smudgy images but thought they could still be useful and had some pieces that I though fitted here.

Autumn Print

I was worried about the fact that we are going into Spring here in NZ but then realised how much Autumn inspired art I did back in March/April.
This one was one of the first things I cut with my Brother Scan n Cut and then Gelli Printed. It was hanging on my wall - how did I nearly miss it!?
This i an entry in Paper Artsy Challenge - autumn Leaves. I love those skeleton leaves on their blog. The look like sculpted metal and could be a idea for next Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.

The stencil was cut in card and once it had been used to create the prints, I then used it as a frame with another mono print behind it.

007

This journal page is for Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - At the Movies and even though they are technically zeros, we do say double oh! - so also for The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge 'O'.

The back ground had been waiting for a while - made with my own arrow stencil and silhouettes, both done with left over paint. I found used old poster images and thought the black figures looked like Bond Girls. I used some gesso and pink paint to blend these in. I was thinking of movie reels when I made the black circles, but then once the pink lines where added, they really looked like the cross-hare of a gun sight - so still fitted with the 007 theme.

Sorry - want to make sure I follow the rules ("...either the dictionary definition or one made up by you.") for The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge 'O', so have made a addition.

Love Grows Love

These images came on some advertising in my mailbox and I had originally thought they could fit with the last Craft Barn  challenge of what Dad might do over the long weekend - although he may have wanted darker green boots - gumboots where I come from. Well, when I went to post I had missed the date, but thought it could still fit with the new challenge of Around the House. I think they may want us to use some items from around the house to create with - that page is coming soon.