Playing with Lace

Good morning all 

Hope you are keeping well.

Yesterday I had a play with some lace on my gel press, 

It is great looking around the house , 

Spring cleaning and seeing what can be used in my craft room. 

The detail from the lace is just beautiful. 

I made a you tube video showing how I created this 

You can find it here 

https://youtu.be/rmiMraM4dwY

The background works so well with stamps, die cuts, 

It is another one of those techniques which is great for when you just don’t know where to start..

Creating backgrounds is always a great way forward.

Thanks for popping in, 

Off now go answer some emails. Whoops, 

Sorry it is taking me a few days to reply.

Just don’t know where the time goes.

Take care all.

Stay safe 

Much love and hugs 

Jo xxx

More Lockdown Lavinia Homework

Good morning everyone, 

I hope you are feeling well and that you had a lovely weekend. 

Wow, it was so lovely and warm on Saturday, 

Perfect for gardening, but what happened yesterday ? 

Oh it was so cold...such a shock.

As it is Monday , 

I have more 

Lockdown Lavinia Homework for you. 

This week we are going all festive,

and I thought we could make a start on our Christmas cards. 

You just can’t go wrong with a good old wreath card 

First I stamped with a green VersaFine ink pad and then added some oxide ink stamping. 

This helps to add depth and detail. 

I have gone for designs that are quite quick and would be good for batch marking .

The second one using my favourite feather as a Christmas tree. 

Some bubble wrap and Billy clean up card to start with 

Then some stamping, 

more ink, a moon and some snow. 

The Third design using the good old Acrylic block and ink background .

These are great to just make up and keep to one side 

Ready to be stamped up when needed. 

I love to add the background scene over the topper and the backing card. 

I do hope you will join in with some homework, 

After all for once we may all have our Christmas cards made early this year.

I am so pleased that I have 3 now...whoop

Earliest ever. 

A busy day for me in my craft room today 

Lots to do , 

Whatever you are doing, 

Please take care, look after yourself 

and stay safe 

Love and hugs 

Jo xxx

Using up ‘the waste’

Good afternoon everyone. 

I hope today is treating you well. 

I have to keep telling myself that it is Thursday , because in

my head it is Friday. 

Fingers crossed we can all get back to normal soon, 

Whatever normal is. 

Today I am sharing a piece with you that I have 

created from using up one of my clean up pieces. 

I do love to use these, 

It gives me such a sense of satisfaction.

I started with my clean up piece , and gently added some extra ink over the top using Billy.

Next I added some stamping .

Followed by some colouring in .

Wow, look how wonderful those flowers look. 

Next came a moon. 

Followed by some inky splatters. 

Just gentle ones. 

And finally a sentiment. 

Here is a closer look. 

Every dream begins with a Wish. 

What lovely words. 

So on that note 

I Wish you a very Happy and Healthy Bank holiday weekend. 

Thanks for popping in 

Much love and hugs 

Jo xxx

Florals and MDF

Good afternoon all, 

I hope you are enjoying your Tuesday. 

Today I am going to share a recent 

Aall & Create sample with you. 

It uses the fabulous 

Passion flower stamp,

For this I used some MDF, 

I must admit that I love using these and have done a few workshops with them . 

I started off by creating the backgrounds first 

Then stamping and fussy cutting the flowers, 

I attached some garden wire to my piece, 

This was from the roll that we had used for the Passion flower that is on our garden 

This is the plant today, I am looking forwards to when 

It will flower again later in the year

Next it was the playing, and assembling part. 

I also added some florist moss, and a plant tag 

Just to keep the theme of gardening 

Some white paint finished off my design, 

Here is a closer look. 

I really loved creating this piece. 

Enjoy your afternoon, 

Hopefully we may just get a brew in the garden later 

Thanks for joining me

Love and hugs 

Jo xxx

Lockdown Lavinia Homework

Good morning everyone, 

I hope you are well and that you had a lovely weekend. 

We spent yesterday in the garden, and it was so relaxing and lovely, 

We also had a couple of face time chats with Elliot and Jenson. I just can’t wait until I can cuddle them again. 

On Saturday it was our online workshop again for the crafters who attend  the classes, 

So that was a lovely time too. 

As it is Monday, I have a Lockdown Lavinia homework project to share with you. 

This week the homework is to choose a colour , maybe one you don’t usually use and create a design with it. 

I am not a huge fan of green, 

So I challenged myself to only use green inks. 

This is what I came up with..

I hope you like it, 

These are the inks that I used 

I started with distress oxide ink, Billy and my gel press. 

Added some splatters of water and took a print 

Distress oxide inks work great on the gel press 

Next I added some stamping, and not a black ink pad in sight. 

I used a paper mask to help stamp my foliage inside the design 

I love the way this is beginning to look 

Next some blending at

Round the edges, 

Some pencil detail, and some background stamping 

Finally some white Posca highlights and splatters, plus those little cotton wool tails..

I always think it is these little touches that just bring a design to life 

I do hope you join in with this homework, either on the Lavinia for you group, my workshop group or even on here 

and email me a photo..

jrcrafts28@gmail.com

I do love to see everyone’s creations..

I must go, I have a long list of jobs to do today.

You see Karl will be out all day so I need to get productive and get lots done

He left at 4am and has gone down to Southampton.

He is getting a machine ready in a hospital there and then training the staff so that it can be used as part of the trials for finding 

a cure for Covid 19. 

Trouble is he has to drive there and back in a day as there aren’t any hotels etc open. 

He can’t even stop for a coffee.

Bless him he will be shattered when he gets home.

Take care everyone 

Much love and hugs 

Jo xxx

A misty morning in May

Good morning everyone, 

Welcome to May.

I do hope that you are feeling well, and that you have woken up feeling positive. 

I have walked Eric and been the post office, so I thought I would just have a catch up before coffee. 

As it is a new month, 

That means that it is time for a new Lavinia Challenge over on the website.

I do hope you join in, you could win £40 to spend on Lavinia stamps. 

Last month one of our lovely workshop ladies won.

Congratulations Lorna, enjoy your prize.

This month the theme is 

Flora and Fauna 

I decided to use one of the lovely new backing papers from Lavinia as my starting point. 

These are great, especially if you need a quick card. 

I added some stamping, I do love this Lilly stamp

Although in my workshop group it is known as the bluebell stamp...

A bit more stamping, this time with a coloured Versafine ink pad 

I do love how the Scene is building up, 

Next I added some colour and some landscape. 

The papers take water really well, so that is good. 

I just wanted to add a small focal point, so I went for this beautiful little bee,

Some gentle splats of silver Inka gold finished the design off

Here is a closer look 

I just wanted this piece to be all about the flowers 

The flora and Fauna. 

That’s it from me today, 

I am off for my coffee. 

Take care all. 

Enjoy your Friday 

and stay safe. 

Love and hugs 

Jo xxx

Create with passion

Good evening all, 

Hope your day has gone well. 

I have just had my shower , I am in my pj’s and have five minutes now to catch up with you. 

I hope you managed to watch some of the ODS shows on HOCHANDA today. 

Here is one of my samples. 

This uses the fabulous Passion flower stamp. 

Now you know just how much I love doing pyrography. 

I don’t normally add colour, I like the fact that the bread boards can be used. 

This time however I really wanted to add some colour. 

So this is now a decorative cheese board. 

I think I may just make a few more of these...

See if anyone wants one. 

Karl has just made a cup of tea, 

So I am off to join him and drink it

Enjoy your evening 

Much love and hugs 

Jo xxx