You are so Kind

Good Friday Morning!!  I have a lovely card to share with you today using a new set of stamps from Rubber Stamp Tapestry called Humming Bird Patio.  It's a beautiful new set of peg stamps that is so exciting. There are so many possibilities for this set I can see it becoming a classic favorite. Included in the set are two different sized flower pots, a foliage stamp, a flower cluster and two different hummingbirds. 

I stamped the flower pots using Terra Cotta Memento Ink then I went about filling each pot with foliage and flowers in various shades of VersaFine Clair inks. I used Memento Dual Tip Markers to color the hummingbird image to stamp it.  I added a bit of white paint pen work and markers to the pots and watercolor around the bottom.

I finished the card off using sequins from Sparkle Blends called Flower Power. 

So Blue....

Rinea recently released a brand new variety pack of their foiled papers...can you guess what it is???  Shades of Blue!!!

You all know how much I LOVE blue so this has instantly become my new favorite!  The colors included are Turquoise, Sapphire, Cobalt and the newest color Midnight Dark Blue. Stunning each of them.

I made this fun origami wall art piece using each color in the variety pack. To see complete instructions on how I made each segment you can see Shades of Blue Wall Art Inspiration with Roni Johnson on the Rinea blog.  It has set by step instructions on the origami, while it looks complicated it is really very easy to create.

It is such a dimensional and striking piece in person...I wish you all could see it in person. 

Have a wonderful day my friends!

Supplies:

Rinea - Shades of Blue Variety Pack

Lavinia Stamps

Have you ever heard of Lavinia Stamps? Maybe my USA friends haven't because they originate in the UK.  If you don't know about them you need to!! The images are beautiful - fairies, mermaids and the like.  There are a couple big suppliers here in the US that I know of....Lavinia World (which I have ordered from) and Del Bello's Designs (which I recently found).  Of course there may be others but these are the ones I know about.

Well, I stumbled upon these stamps by accident but I instantly fell in love! I am really into fairies and mermaids for some reason right now so these are right up my current alley (obsession). 

So I ordered a few stamps just to see if I'd like them or not and OH MY....LOVE THEM!!!! I have since placed a couple more orders ;)  LOL!!!  

I must say I was a bit hesitant to give them a go...if you look on FB for Lavinia groups you will see some amazing cards. After seeing them I was nervous but I make up a few alcohol ink backgrounds using Marabu AI's and this is the first card I made.....

What do you think?  I know - I went a bit overboard on the glitter...but you know me and my love of glitter - LOL!!  This glitter is a new product available at Lavinia World called Fairy Hugs Powder. They sent a sample with my first order.  OMG it is beautiful...very fine and it sticks to the VersaFine Clair ink like magic.  I didn't think it would adhere to the inks very well so I put loads of it on....needless to say it stuck so well I had to try to scrape some off so you could see the image - LOL!!

All of the images are stamped with VF Clair Nocturne ink, glitter and a bit of white paint pen. I don't know if you can see it very much in the photos but the paper has a puffy texture. Last year when DH and I went on vacation we hit up loads of Traderbakers and similar flea market/antique malls.  Well I found some old HP Glossy Plotter Paper for really cheap. I thought it would be fun to try with AI's and luckily it works great.  I was experimenting one day and I found that if you heat it up with a heat tool you can make it bubble. It holds that bubble/puffy look when it cools. Really fun for something different.  Sadly I can't find this plotter paper anywhere so it must be discontinued but I'm so happy I found it.

I'll be sharing more Lavinia creations in the near future...can't wait - I am so loving these stamps!!

Supplies:

Lavinia Stamps - Luna Lights (top), Moon Pods (bottom)

Lavinia World - Fairy 

Marabu - Alcohol Inks

White Paint Pen, Plotter Paper, Red Card Base

Ducks or Squirrels???

The question of the day...do you have ducks or squirrels? Confused? Check out my card and then you'll understand....

So...do you have ducks or squirrels?  LOL!!!

Great sentiment isn't it?  The sentiment and the duck stamp are both from Carmen's Veranda.  I made this card for the current challenge at Lost Coast Design Blog - #102 - Off The Edge.  Basically you just stamp an image off the edge of your card. The challenge runs till the 14th of the month so you have plenty of time to join in on the fun!

Supplies:

Carmen's Veranda - Ducks in a Row sentiment, Duck & Bunny

Imagine - VersaFine Clair Ink

Prismacolor Colored Pencils

Patriotic Pinwheels!

Let's start the celebration early with these wonderful Rinea Foiled Paper Pinwheels!!!

These pinwheels are so easy to make and they make super decorations for your holiday celebration. A few simple supplies and a few minutes of your time is all it takes.

For complete instructions see:

Decorate This 4th of July with Patriotic Pinwheels by Roni

Origami Koi Fish using Rinea Foiled Papers

Hello Friends, I hope this day finds you well and happy.  Today I wanted to share some fun origami Koi fish I made recently using Rinea Foiled Papers....

These are my Koi!  They are so much fun to make and the foiled papers make it so easy to shape and pose these little creatures. They would make great party decor, mobiles, and more. All you need are a few sheets of foiled paper and these instructions: Easy Koi. 

To create the various sizes just increase or decrease using the same ratio. The video uses a 2" x 3" piece of paper. I used a 4x6 for the large Koi in Marigold/Marigold Starstruck, the Copper/Copper Starstruck Koi was made using a 2x3" and the Jade/Jade Starstruck Koi fish was created using a 2.5" x 3.5".

They really are so much fun to make...I'll bet you can't stop at just one!

Supplies:

Rinea - Marigold/Marigold Starstruck, Copper/Copper Starstruck, Jade/Jade Starstruck Foiled Paper

Creative Embellishments June Challenge

Hello Friends - I hope you're all well and safe where you are. Today I wanted to share a creation I made for the Creative Embellishments June 2020 Challenge.

This is the inspiration photo for the challenge. Beautiful isn't she? For some reason at the moment I seem to be enchanted with faeries and mermaids so this really appealed to me.  I decided to give it a go and this is what I came up with....

I started off by using Marabu's new Metallic Alcohol Inks as well as Neon Blue and some of their glittery blends. to create the background. The clouds were made in layers. Initially I inked them on with Club Scraps White Pigment ink to which I added a bit of Fairy Hug Powder glitter (by Lavinia World).  I then sprinkled with Clear Embossing Powder and heated to set.  This process created a lovely texture.  To bump the color back up I added another layer of the white pigment ink and even more glitter.  A quick blast with the heat tool to set the ink.  

I then set to work on the dragon and fairy.  The dragon was painted with Blue Lagoon acrylic paint from DecoArt.  He was then colored with a variety of colored pencils to add depth and dimension. He also got a bit of white and black paint pen for details.  I painted the fairy black using Americana Lamp Black acrylic paint. Her wings were then coated with more of the Fairy Hug Powder....yes, I do love glitter!!  Once both of these elements were dry I glued the fairy to the dragons back and mounted them on the canvas using foam tape to really give them dimension.   The canvas still needed something so I stamped dandelion bits and the sentiment WISH using StazOn Black ink and a bit of white paint pen work.

Have a lovely day my friends!!

Supplies:

Creative Embellishments - Tiny Fairies, Dragon Set 2

Marabu Alcohol Inks

Club Scrap - White Pigment Ink

Lavinia World - Fairy Hug Powder (glitter)

DecoArt - Lamp Black, Blue Lagoon

Imagine - Jet Black StazOn ink, Clear Embossing Powder

Unity - Wish set

Colored Pencils

Black & White Paint Pens

Sparkle Blends June Blog Hop

Its time for the June Sparkle Blends Release Inspiration Hop! Together with the rest of the Design Team, I will be showcasing some of the 7 new Sparkle Blends from this month’s release! We’ve got everything from 80’s Neon to a glow in the dark alien blend in this release, so if you haven’t see them yet, make sure you hop over to the Sparkle Blends Shop and check out Broken Glass, Extraterrestrial, I Love the 80’s, Pawsome Pals, She Sells Seashells, Stars & Stripes and You’re Pand-tastic! If you act quickly, there even a couple of discounted release bundles left for order!

Want a chance to win one of 3 fantastic prize packs, each valued at approximately $15.00 each? Make sure you leave comments as you hop & you’ll earn one entry for each blog you comment on! See the Doodles Paper Playground Hop Post for giveaway prizes and entry details. Comments must be posted no later than 11:59pm EST on Sunday, June 28th, 2020 to be eligible to win. Open to US residents only who are at least 18 years old. Winners will be drawn Monday, June 29th & posted on the Doodles Paper Playground blog, Facebook page and in the Sparkle Blends Fan Club on FB.

Who loves Blog Candy?? We’ve got some in the form of a Discount Code worth 15% off your total order in the shop--some exclusions apply!

Use Coupon Code: JUNE15OFF (Excludes June Release Bundle. Can not be combined with other coupons or offers. Can not be applied to previous Purchases. Valid June 26th through June 30th, 2020)

My first card was made using the Stars & Stripes blend. I LOVE this set - it is perfect for all sorts of cards but with the 4th of July coming quickly I wanted to go all patriotic. I started off by creating a red, white and blue mat using Rinea Foiled Papers in Ruby/Ruby Starstruck, Arctic/Arctic Starstruck and Sapphire/Sapphire Starstruck. I die-cut a frame from white cardstock and created a see through shaker (acetate both on the front and back of the shaker) filled with the sequins. I affixed the R/W/B hearts to the shaker frame. 

To finish off the card I applied Pinecone VersaFine Clair ink to the edges of the USA country/flag from the Creative Embellishments set - USA Love to give the card a vintage feel.

For a change of pace...we're heading to the outer reaches with the Sparkle Blends - Extraterrestrial!!

OMGOSH!! This set is so cool - not only does it have really fun printed and plain sequins it also has tiny little Fimo alien heads AND glow in the dark stars and moons!!!! What fun huh? Absolutely LOVE this set.

So what else could I do but make a fun little spaceship beaming up this fun sequins mix.  I started off by printing the darling little alien spaceship by Graphic Adventure twice. I used one as the shaker top which I colored using Chameleon alcohol markers. I carefully cut out the center of the spaceship ray of light to create the window for the shaker.  

Next I colored the ray of light on the second copy. I added foam tape, acetate and the sequins blend to the shaker and covered it with the first image. Shaker done!  I used a black card base which I flicked with Gold, Silver and Green metallic Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolor paints to make it look like outer space.  Finally I affixed the shaker to the card and it's ready to soar off to a galaxy far far away...or at least to a friend across the country - LOL!! 

Hope you've enjoyed these cards and stop back again sometime...

Have a great day!

Oh Go Fly a Kite....

Hey, that's a good thing.... Today I wanted to share a couple cards I made using Rubber Stamp Tapestry's new stamp set - Go Fly A Kite.

My first card is fairly simple but it's so much fun. I wanted to do something a bit monochromatic so I started off by stamping the kits using Paradise (blue) VersaFine Clair ink and their tails with Nocturne (black). Next I stamped the sentiment with Blue Belle VFC. After the inks I had dried I sponged on Cotton White ink to create clouds - this was so much fun because there is no right or wrong.  Finally I drew long kite strings with a gel pen.

I went a little wild for with this card....I just stamped and stamped and stamped! Of course the sentiment says it all. 

See, I told you - Go Fly A Kite is a GOOD thing!

Have a lovely day friends!

Creatively Curious Steampunk Blog Hop

Hello Friends!! I am so excited to share my creation for the Creatively Curious Steampunk Blog Hop!! Just to let you know there are loads of prizes (for commenting) and lots of interestingly inspiring steamy stops along the way. You will be amazed at the variety of Steam inspired projects created by some amazing artists. I hope you grab a cup of your favorite beverage, kick back and enjoy. (warning...this is a long post)

When Cathy invited me to participate in the hop I knew I wanted to create something different, something out of the ordinary when you think about Steampunk.  I wanted to make something that you you just don't see everyday. A spark of an idea grew and grew into a 45+ hour project of Steamy love....

This is what I created.... 

Whew!  My thought was to make a steampunk carousel. I thought it would be fun to use various forms of  Steam inspired transportation instead of the usual animals/horses. I did however include a pair of octopus...a pink and green one.  The double seat swing and stationary seat were original to the kit, I just steampunked them up a bit.

This was the original carousel kit I used. It had over 800 die-cut chipboard pieces which you had to glue, assemble and glue some more. I altered it quite a bit from the original using paint, embossing powders, LOADS of chipboard pieces from Creative Embellishments and a bit of imagination. I will share some "in the process" photos tomorrow so you can see a few of the steps this carousel went through to get to this point.

Originally I was going to keep track because the kit said it took 30-35 hours to assemble but lost count somewhere around 32 hours.  At that point I started painting the various modes of transportation and got lost in the process...I was painting a layer after layer, letting things dry and rotating them around that time just seemed to slip away. I estimate that it took between 45 - 50 hours in total. The painting and embossing all of the extra parts and gears is what took the longest.

I wanted to make the canopy look like it was made of metal and had rusted from years of use. Each panel was painted with a base coat of black acrylic paint, a layer of Golden's Iron Oxide paint and then embossed with a combo of VersaMark embossing ink and Seth Apter/Emerald Creek's Chunky Rust Baked Texture Embossing Powder.  LOVE THIS STUFF!!!  It really looks like rust and has such an amazing texture that you just have to touch it to believe it. After I was satisfied with the look of each panel I added various chipboard gears and steampunk clocks by Creative Embellishments which had been painted beforehand with metallic paints.

The upper canopy was originally red, blue and the creamy vintage white you see here. I painted the red and blue stripes black to give it the feel I was going for.

I finished it off with this darling steampunk inspired weather vain from Creative Embellishments. It was the perfect finishing touch don't you think?

And it's lighted!!!

I hope you've enjoyed checking out my steampunk carousel!! Have fun viewing the rest of the amazing steampunk creations.  Don't forget to check out the prize details below.

Supplies:

The Enchanted Carousel Kit

Creative Embellishments - Octopus set, Hot Air Balloon Set 2, Gear Set 2 Medium, Steampunk Timepieces, Loose parts, Gear Set 2 Large, Gear Cluster Set 2, Steampunk Artist Trading Coins, Airship 2, Airship 3, Airship Weathervane, Gear 1 1/2", Tiny Lights 1 FT, Gears 1", Mini Gears 3/4", Steampunk Car 4, Steampunk Car 3

Golden Fluid Acrylics - Iridescent Copper, Iridescent Bronze, Micaceous Iron Oxide

DecoArt - Americana Lamp Black, White;  Dazzling Metallics - Shimmering Silver, Splendid Gold, Glorious Gold; Extreme Sheen - Bronze

Rinea - Silver/Silver Starstruck; Copper/Copper Starstruck Foiled Papers

Emerald Creek - Seth Apter Baked Texture - Chunky Rust

Artfully Musing - Steampunk Elements, Steampunk Explorer Books & Magazines

Beacon Adhesives - 3 in 1 Glue

The Steamy List of Hoppers...

1. It's Oddly Appealing 
2. Ink Stained Roni - You Are Here :)
3. Electric Pandemonim
4. Crafts From The Fairy Den 
5. Chaitali Dekhtawala 
6. Nellys Artistic Creations 
7. Jane Austin 
8. Priya Mishra
9. Archana Sehgal 
10. Bhavani Balaji - 
11. Cassandra - Scrap Savvy Creations
12. Monica Longard - MonDo Creations 
13. Shraddha 
14. Amy Love's Designs 
15. Kanika Jain
16. Empire of the Cat 
17. Shwetha's Art 
18. Sonika Agarwal 
19. In Search of my Creative Side 
20. The Journey is the Start  
21. Crea-Red
22. A Vintage Girl
23. Orquide'art 
24. Juli Loves Paper 
25. Kim Slade-Fuller 
26. Leslie Lineberry
27. Linda Simpson
28. Jessica Larios
29. Riddhi Jani
30. Lynne Joncas
31. Zoe Bateman
32. Pooja Sharma
33. Nicole Palos

On to the prizes.....

We have 16 prize sponsors for our Steampunk Hop - we're proud to say these are small businesses run by artists. Let's show them some love! 

1) A Vintage Girl - $20 prize package

2) Angel Dream Crafts - $20 gift certificate (shipping not included)

3) Linda Israel Art - $50 gift certificate (shipping not included)

4) A Matter of Crafts - $20 gift certificate (shipping not included)

5) Expressions Craft - $25 gift certificate (shipping not included)

6) Nellys Artistic Creations - original artwork (see link for examples of her work)

7) Gecko Galz - $25 in digital products

8) Creative Embellishments - $50 (shipping not included) 

9) Emerald Creek - $25 gift certificate 

10) Electric Pandemonium - choose a $45 original artwork piece (shipping not included) 

11) Thompson's Craft Supplies - £20 (approx $25)  (shipping not included) 

12) It's Oddly Appealing - original artwork (see link for examples of her work) 

13) The Funkie Junkie Boutique - $25 gift certificate 

14) Hobbilicious - £15 (approx $19) (UK shipping free) 

15) ITD - prize package worth £25

16) Stamperia - a pizza box prize pack

To have a chance of winning one of the 16 coveted prizes, leave a comment on this post, along with your email address or social media contact (IG, FB, etc) and what country you're from, from now through Monday, 22 June. Sixteen winners will be picked randomly from all comments left from all of the artist's participating! The winners will be contacted via email/social media so it's important you leave your address/social media contact! Good luck and enjoy the hop!

And before you leave I thought you might like to know that there is a new Steampunk themed challenge on the way...

Coming in September!!