SHEENA DOUGLASS, PERFECT PARTNERS RANGE, COUNTRY COTTAGE

Well, another pleasure was had using these gorgeous stamps and dies, part of the Perfect Partners Range. Country Cottage.  I had the most fun using the Cottage Lilac, Plain Honesty, Dragonfly Dance (what a lovely name), A Rosy Outlook,  Classic Carnations, Graceful Orchid, Majestic 'Mums' and finally the one that adds that extra greenery and texture, the Florist's Friend.  Yeah, was brilliant !!! A mixture of Aquatints, distress inks, dyna paints, silks and the delightful aqua pens were used (definitely been having a play) I tell you what, you can achieve some fabulous backgrounds, playing with all these mediums.  I loved stamping the Lilac and clear embossing it and using inks over to create an interesting background, also another technique I have used it Drawing Gum through a stencil and when dried use inks over the top to achieve a background, once dry you can rub off the drawing gum and you are left with such a gorgeous look which is the white of the paper which has not been inked.  The matching dies were such a joy to use, I die cut all my flowers out first, inked up and then with my matching stamp placed on my glass mat, I just place my die cut over the top and pressed down, so easy and quick to do.  I think I spent one night just cutting out loads and colouring and stamping.  You are then left with huge amounts to play and design with.  Here are my samples for the 4dd shows, I hope you like them :)  Oh, I forgot to add, I fell madly in love with the Dragonfly, he seemed so magical and I found him so inspiring, I could not leave him out hahaha.  Hope you like.  xx   

Background is stamped and embossed in clear the Lilac flower and inked over.

A bit magical, love the colours on this one.....fantasy.

Embossed Lucious Looserstrife on black card, silk painted and the silver waxed.

Oh , the gorgous Lilac with the little individual die cut petals just randomly placed.  Nothing needed to be added to this one apart from the name which I used lilac embossing powder on .

There he is, free to fly and explore......simple but effective card.  Aquatints on background.

I got very inspired by the Autumn colours this year and tried to use them in my pallet....I used the beautiful Roses and the gorgeous sentiment to finish this card.

The Daisy Chain embossing folder, embossed on black card, silk paints and silver wax over the embossed bits.

I love this one, the rose and the dragonfly.......

The Rose, die cut and stamped over the top of embossed Bird Feeder.

I love this one, the Lilac and the The Florests Friend combined with the dragonfly.

This card is a mixture of distress inks and aqua pens with the Plain Honesty die cut and stamped.  I love the colours on this one.

The Magestic mums.........aqua tints background.  A simple card but pretty.

A mixture of two stencils with the Plain Honesty die cut and stamped with the dragonfly swooping down.

The Magestic mums, gorgeous flowers, placed on the Daisy Chain embossed card.

I decorated a plain craft notebook.......both sides I used black gesso, texture paste through a stencil, dyna paints over the top and then die cut and stamped the dragonfly.  I only put the dragonfly on the front of the cover.  I sprayed with Spray and Sparkle gold for a hardy varnish and shine.

This one is mainly stamped with just the the two die cut leaves stuck on the stem and pretty Honesty flowers die cut out and glitters in the middle, and of course, my gorgeous magical Dragonfly swooping down.

This is a background that I used Drawing Gum through a stencil, once dried I inked over the top then rubbed off the drawing gum.  I love this look.  Due cut and stamped Orchids.

The gorgeous carnations.....pretty as a picture.

Magestic Mums and Florests Friend in a cute little pot/basket with gold wax rubbed over the top.

I used the left over piece from the die cut "Florest's Friend" and using a cut and dry, I sponged on some distress ink through, lighter colour first and then darker colour over the top.  

A Rosy Outlook, die cut and inked, glued onto a large wooden peg which has gesso and a stencil with texture paste to give some interest.  Gold gilding wax rubbed all over peg, sides and back and over the textured paste  I sprayed the flower with Spray and sparkle (gold) to make more hardy and give a pretty shine with a hint of sparkle.  I placed some magnet strips on the back so it can stick to the fridge so notes/shopping list can be placed.  Easy Peasy lol

SHEENA DOUGLASS - NEW CATS AND DOGS STAMPS AND STENCILS

The new Cats and Dogs stamps are adorable, there is also stencils that go with the stamps and if you fancy getting inky these are just fab to play with. One other new stencil is called Victorian Park and this really is a must have to compliment future scenes.  They really all mixed so well together and the possibilities are endless  I have used a mixture of Aquatints and Distress Inks and yes......how could I not try out the wonderful Spectrum Aqua pens, they are FAB!!!  loved them so much I got all four sets hee hee !!  Naughty but needs must!  lol  I used them like I would the distress inks, I just scribbled the colour from the pen on my glass mat and painted with them, they are rich in colour and so smooth to paint/colour with , LOVE them........! Utilising all that I have mentioned I have been mixing and matching, inking and sticking like crazy......yes, its a hard life !  lol  Below are the samples I have made and I must say, thoroughly enjoyed myself - as usual !!    

SHEENA DOUGLASS NEW STAMP LAUNCH, 27TH/28TH SEPTEMBER

Whoooooo brand new stamps !!  These new stamps by Sheena are absolutely gorgeous, I have had sooo much fun playing with these, definitely an all year round bundle and so versatile.  I Love scenic scenes and the background stamps are superb for adding that extra touch to your card making especially if you like playing with all your different mediums.  I don't know about you but I have a block when it comes to mens' cards and never know what to put, to be honest, I dont have many mens stamps in my collection, but the plough and greenhouse in this collection is brilliant for such cards, combined with the brick wall, logs and leaves background they are simply FAB !    The country house is awesome and is a stamp for all seasons too and just as I finished make my little selection I realised a snowy scene would look so cosy....never mind, not started my Xmas cards yet ;)  Anyway, enough with talking, here are a few I have made, some using distress inks, some with aquatints.   Happy Days :) :) 

Distress inks, using logs background stamp, stamped and embossed. Used the gorgeous leaves background stamp for a few leaves poking down in the right top corner. 

Used a mixture of distress inks, and aqua noirs and again embossed the background ,used backgroun leaves stamps for a few leaves poking down in top left and corner. Added a touch of glitter for a little sparkle too. 

I really love this one, simple, used both background stamps with distress inks,  Birds are from a stencil. 

Loved doing this one, 8x8 card and die cut an aperture in the middle, used background stamp with leaves all round, coloured and glittered.  The house was stamped on the actual 8x8 card and coloured. Using a decoupage glue I stuck the aperture card over the front so the house showed through.    

On kraft card I stamped the logs, embossed in black and coloured using distress inks.  Stamped the plough on another piece of card and layered.  I love the words hee hee 

I had an mdf heart floating around so I white gesso all over front in sweeping mode, and distress inked the sides to make it look like wood.  I stamped the house and words on very thin copy paper.  I then cut out and placed on heart and stuck down and coated with Mod Podge which seals and protects.  Not bad for a quick little make and looks lovely. 

This card was made using distress inks, stamped and layered.  I have used some older stamps of Sheena's from the Age perfectly collection to give it a really old feel. 

This card was aquatints background and house and plough stamped and coloured in distress inks.  Birds again from a Sheena stencil.  

I felt really happy doing this one, hence the colour lol  I used a mixture of aquatints and distress inks. Drawing gum for the plough and stamped the gorgeous tress and clouds, coloured and a little glitter for sparkle.   

FAIRIES BLESSING, BABY BOY

Fairies giving a little blessing to a gorgeous baby boy.....sweet!   This is a card I made for my dear friend who has just had a baby boy, little Matthew, soooooo cute!  Well, it had to fairies of some kind, a mixture of inks was used and fairy dust.  Not done a baby card before but this was my little version.  Hope you like :)

Sheena Douglass - PAINT FUSION

How about paint fusion on an old piece of furniture to give it a new lease of life, yeah !   I picked up this little piece for about £12.00 from my local ECCO shop it was old and not wanted in dark varnished wood. I painted the whole thing with chalk paint (on one of Sheena's shows she explained how to make your own using plaster paris mixed with some water and added to some old white emulsion paint) and this is what I done.  When paint dried after a few coats I sanded down and stressed round the edges with some sand paper. Next used one of Sheena's paint fusion stamps to stamp out my design and then paint fusioned over the top .  Well, not bad for first go and I am very pleased with it hee hee. Never done furniture before this was a whole new thing for me but I can honestly say, much enjoyed and have a little buzzy bee in my head to do another !   I still need to finish a few leaves at the bottom and when I get a few mins I will finish it off.  Oh, waxed over the top, this seals and protects the whole thing and comes out super soft with a happy shine !  Have a go, you will love :) :)

Finished (sort of)  Just a few leaves round the tiny bud at the bottom and stems.

Sheena Douglass - Paint Fusion

Right, paint fusion, looks fantastic but no way can I do that - out of comfort zone , WRONG !!! Honestly,  I have seen so many beautiful designs from the girls it would have been rude not to have a go lol  If I mess up, its just paint and paper ;)   Well, Sheena designed the stamps to make it easy and that is exactly what it does, easy peasy !  Stamp your design, use the practice sheets to get use to the different strokes and then using the pebeo paint, choose the colour pallet you wish to use.  Its addictive !!!!  lol   The results from using simple brush strokes are stunning and what I am dying to do is combine this method with other stamps which I have laying about, you know, other flowers, leaves, swirls etc.....once you have mastered the technique it can be applied to most things and you could even use the technique without a stamp ;)   Just remember, you don't have to stick to the stamp design completely, its a guide.  Here are a few that I done, hope you like...and Oh, the sunflower was done with chalk paint, and that worked just great !   Happy Days :) xx