Vintage Collage by Astrid

Hello all and thanks for dropping by here today. Well, there we are, nearly at the end of the month....
For my second "Make your Own Background" piece I decided to create a vintage collage page for my techniques journal.

If you would like to see more details of how this page came together, please come over to my blog where I have a detailed step by step of how I put this together.

Well that's it and this is actually also my very last project as part of the Countryview Crafts Design Team. I have very much enjoyed being part of the team, but life is taking me in different directions so I felt it was time to move on.....

There are however still a couple of days left to join into the challenge, you can find all the details here

Hope to see you there!

Bottle Shrine

Hello all, great to see you here. Astrid with you today, sharing my second Inspired by Bottles project.

Bottles are only a small part of this project, and perhaps don't take center stage, but they are definitely there. If you want to see more on how I put this together, please come by for a visit to my blog.
We are now nearly at the end of the month, but, there is just a little time left still to play along in our challenge. You can find all the details HERE - we would love to see what you come up with.

Thanks so much for visiting

xxx

Astrid

Inspired by Bottles - Astrid

Hello everyone, Astrid here today, sharing another project for our Inspired by Bottles theme.

I decided to take the theme literally and alter a bottle, inspired by the many beautiful altered bottles I have come across in places like Pinterest.
Above you can see the front of my bottle, and below here the back.

If you want to see more of how this bottle started and the process I followed, just visit my blog by clicking HERE

To find out more about the details of the challenge and see some fantastic inspiration, click on this post.

Hope you'll decide to join us for the challenge!!

Another scene by Astrid

Hello all and thanks for dropping by!
It's time for scenes here this month, but the good ones:o)
For my second project I created a scenic tag:

I used a ready tag from Graphics 45 and a Sheena Douglass stamp. If you want a bit more detail, feel free to visit my blog by clicking HERE
This one is quick and easy to do, which comes in handy so close to the big day. Hope your own preparations are going well. Don't forget the shop has loads of goodies (and free shipping) for all your Christmas and Yuletide crafting.

Thanks for your visit today,

Astrid

Shabby Chic Christmas

Hello fans and friends of Countryview Crafts! Thanks for dropping in today. Astrid here with my second project for this month's Blue theme.

I don't know about you, but I am well and truly into Christmas card mode. Afteral, only just over a month until the big day...
This shabby card started life as a tag. If you would like to find out how it came together, all you need to do is CLICK HERE for further details.

Well, one more week until our next challenge, but there is still plenty of time to play! And if you need more inspiration, - just come back  for there are new samples from the team almost on a daily basis, and don't forget an awesome prize or honourable mention is a possibility too!!

Thanks for your visit today and happy creating!!

Christmas Blues

Hello all, thanks for dropping in today. My turn to share a card with you for our Blue theme this month

This card was posted on my blog already on the first of November, but gremlins got in the way so it never made it to the blog here. So if you missed it and would like to find out more of how this was put together, all you need to do is CLICK HERE

There is still plenty of time to play in our November challenge and with almost daily inspiration from the team on the blog, what are you waiting for? Hope to see you back here soon again and stay inky!!

Astrid xxx

Astrid 2

Welcome everyone to our next textured project and it'd Astrid joining us today with a fabulous mixed media piece.

*****

Astrid

For my second project I altered a canvas, using texture paste, lots of layers and background stamping. 

A full step by step can be found on my blog

*****

Thank you Astrid I want to reach out and touch the wonderful textured areas on your fabulous canvas, it's beautiful.

Well how is your crafty month going, I seem to be jogging along with deadlines and thinking more and more of the busy period ahead - what about you?

Hope you are having a great weekend, see you soon.

hugs Brenda and the CVC team xxxx

Something a little different from Astrid

Good morning folks!

If you've not thought about recording your holidays, or even booking them yet, then this beautiful make from Astrid is sure to fire you up and put you in the mood to do so!

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ASTRID

I love to keep a journal when travelling and no travel journal is complete without the addition of a little pouch I think, perfect to keep all those little tickets and other travel memorabilia. If you want more details on how I put this together, please visit my blog for more details and a step by step.

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Absolutely gorgeous Astrid, and so useful, thank you!

How are you doing?  Have you thought about what you'd like to make and enter yet?  We do hope so because we LOVE seeing how you interpret our themes and what you're making right now.  Remember, EVERYONE has a chance of winning our £20 shop voucher, so generously donated by Country View Crafts, so c'mon, what are you waiting for?

Brenda will be back with us on Saturday with another beautiful make - hope to see you then!

Have a great day!

Chris and the CVC team xxx

July promises to be a sizzler!

Hello friends and welcome to another new challenge!

July is kicking off to a great start weather ise and we have a brilliant theme for you this month, chosen by our lovely Trace. Becaue it's the beginning of the holiday season, the kids are breaking up from school, the weather is promising to have us sizzling, what better topic could we have than...

If you're new to our blog then please read/follow our simple rules (they're pretty standard, but failing to observe them renders your entry invalid and it will be disqualified).  We will be publishing a new post every other day from today, DT Members and Guests, throughout the month and last month's winners as well as our special commenters' candy winner will be announced inbetween.

We're hoping that you'll have as much fun with this theme as we all have and to lead our team out we have a special guest,  previous winner Louise, sharing her interpretation...

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LOUISE of Crafting Mum Louise

I have been cardmaking for quite a few years now but it is funny thinking about it i have always collected pretty stationary when i was younger and i used to make my own letters and envelopes.  I am a mother to two beautiful boys and wife to my wonderful husband, he has to share a craft room with me so puts up with my stuff everywhere, but the boys love playing with mummy's crafty bits! I will have a go at most things, but my favourite is Stamping, die cutting and embossing. It was a work collugue who got me started on cards about 8 - 9 years now and i still love it. I also like Sewing, baking and collecting shells to make picture frames etc. Thanks you for letting me be Guest DT on your challenge, thanks Louise x

I have used a Lily of the Valley Digi image i got from a magazine Papercraft Inspirations some years back. And coloured it in using Promarkers. The backing papers also a freebie from Quick cards magazine a few years ago.  

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TRACE

For my fist make I had lots of fun making two mdf panels using lots of distress goodies, ephemera and distress products to create this pair of travel inspired pieces . As always the details can be found on my blog here . Trace x

ASTRID

I decided to take a different approach to the theme for this project. Sometimes our travels may involve more of an inner journey rather than an outer one and we are on the way to destinations as yet un-known. That's what I wanted to express with this little hanger. Details and a step by step can be found HERE.

BRENDA

All these people have been on their travels and I have created a travel memory card for each of them. Each piece of ephemera has a meaning for their visit, I love the idea and am going to personally adopt it for when I go off on my travels too.

CHRIS

I decided to combine all the elements I considered that the theme might be aboutconveyed to me into one project and this was the result - a canvas!  You can find details of the products and my step x step on my blog.  Chris xxx

DOREEN

Hello to you all, for my first make this month I have made a card

with a stamped scene, details can be found on my blog.

GABRIELLE

I love travelling. I love the journey itself, the anticipation of of what we'll find along the way and of course what we experience when we get there! Not too long ago we, as a family, took a trip to Brighton for the day - it should have taken 4 hours in total but took 9 and it was one of our best trips ever! This tag, using Tim Holtz stamps reminds me of the exciting trips abroad we've taken! As always, there's more on my blog. Gabrielle x

NIKKI

My tag today was quite a quick one made from a couple of tags used to mop up paint off my craft sheet. There are more details over at Addicted to Art today.

SUE B

A mini Travel Tag.

Mixed media, collage and crackle.

SUE D

I love to travel, some of my favourite times have been our family holidays. For my first piece this month I've made a London themed piece. Hope you like it.
Full details can be found here on my blog.

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There we have it dear friends, a great line up, even if we say so ourselves, and we're looking forward to a fabulous month - we're counting upon you to join in!

The winner (drawn at random) will receive a £20 shop voucher from our generous sponsor, Country View Crafts, and we'll also be awarding 4 blog badges for those projects we think have interpreted our theme the best.  All winners will be invited to join us as guests for a future challenge.

Whatever the weather, wherever you may be, HAVE FUN!!

Chris and the CVC team xxx

An InLinkz Link-up

Astrid's chosen a butterfly...

Greetings all!

Many of you know Astrid, either personally or through her DT work and beautiful blog.  As she chose the theme for this challenge, she has the honour of leading the first of our individual project posts.  Astrid's work is always beautiful and there is no exception here - she's chosen a butterfly for her second make... gorgeous!!...

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For this project I created a butterfly shaped album cover, playing with texture paste crackle, paints and shabby colours. Further details can be found HERE

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You've done yourself proud again Astrid, this is beautiful, thank you!

So, we are off and running and waiting to see what you make of Astrid's theme.  You can enter as many times as you like throughout the month as long as you follow our rules.  (If you don't, and your entry number is chosen by random.org, we will disqualify it and randomize again to select another entry that has complied with the rules.  This also applies to our blog badge awards.  Please don't disqualify yourself!)

We have lots of great projects coming up so please remember to come back and visit us every other day.  We have a Top 3 guest on Friday..... with a very special project.... hope to see you then.

Chris and the CVC team xxx

Summer is here and what a June challenge!

Welcome, friends!

Yes, We're officially into 'Summer' and, whilst we know many of you will be spending less time in the craft room and more time out in the garden, our lovely Astrid has chosen a theme for this month to entice you to join in - it is...

We're hoping that you will ALL join in.  If this is not a genre that you're used to crafting, perhaps you've NEVER attempted it, please do!  Our outright winner of the £20 shop voucher, generously sponsored by Country View Crafts, is chosen at random.  Our four blog badge awards are chosen by the DT and we often recognise those crafters who have stepped outside of their normal boundaries of comfortability to try something new and join in wth us.  All we ask is that you follow our simple rules so that you don't inadvertently disqualify yourself.  The challenge remains open until 11.45 pm/23.45 hours on the last day of the month.  Winners are announced usually around the 10th of the following month.

Our DT have excelled themselves again this month and provided a crafter's feast for the eyes.  They are led out by TWO previous winners, who have created makes especialy for you - thank you to both Becky and Paula, your projects are stunning!!...

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BECKY of Crawsome Creations

Hi, I'm Becky from 'Crawsome Creations'. I've always been 'arty' and always felt that is where my future lay but I took the safe option and am now in a secure adult type job which has zero opportunities for artistic flair or imagination!  Hence all my crafty longings are now fitted into the tiny amount of free time I have between a full time job, a husband, a young son and a very lively cocker spaniel.

~  o  ~  O  ~  o  ~

I have to admit that shabby chic does not come naturally to me! I'm much more of a brights and grunge person but I was determined to give it a go. I decided to take an altered art approach and made over an empty pickle jar. I primed the jar with a couple of coats of white gesso before using texture paste through a harlequin stencil. Once dried I sponged over Tim Holtz distress paints in bundled safe and tumbled glass. The next step was adding a decoupage rose and peacock image in a dusty attic frame.  The remainder of the project involved trying to 'artistically' arrange ribbon, pearls, paper flowers, dusty attic butterfly and beads to create a the finished piece. I'm pleasantly surprised at how it turned out considering half way through the project I felt completely lost! Thank you so much to CVC for giving me this opportunity, it's great to be here :)

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PAULA of Just For One Day

Morning All – My name is Paula and you’ll have to excuse me as I’m rubbish at writing about myself…..so, what’s there to say – I started card making in 2004 and have been playing/creating ever since. I’ve had work published in UK and US based magazines. I mainly love to make clean and simple pieces using minimal materials but now and again I’ll dip my toe in to the mixed media side of things.

~  o  ~  O  ~  o  ~

When I was told the topic was ‘Shabby Chic’ – I have to admit I was scared stiff because what is Shabby Chic! Anyhow, I had a look round and just went with my gut instincts. I’ve used a Wendy Vecchi Arts Parts Arched Frame as my base and covered it in a thin layer of white gesso. I then used DecoArt Modelling Paste through a Tim Holtz Stencil. Once the modelling past was dry, I took sandpaper to the frame to give it a work look, followed by some brown ink and stamping a splatter effect stamp around the edges too. I made the roses using the Tim Holtz Sizzix pine cone die and the centre panel is patterned paper and a stamped image of a woman. For more info just hop over to my blog http://justforoneday11.blogspot.co.uk

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ASTRID

June Often being the month of wedding I decided to make a card that could be used as a wedding card. Layers and home made flowers often define Shabby Chic for me, so that's what I did. More details can be found on my blog

BRENDA

I have thoroughly enjoyed making a shabby card for Astrid's fabulous challenge theme, it seems years since I last made one. One thing I do when I have a design I like is make two or three of them so I can add them to my card box as I never seem to have enough choice these days.

CHRIS

Just recently I've started to challenge myself to use products I have that are rarely used.  For my Shabby chic make I decided to use two colours that don't often see the light of day - yellow and orange.  I also made use of this rarely used stamp too.  You can find the step x step pic's and products used over on my blog if you'd like to see them.   Chris xxx

DONNA

I'm never really sure exactly what Shabby Chic is but hopefully my first make where I've combined a distressed embossed background with some vintage images and some floral elements, all in soft muted colours fits the bill.....

...details are on my blog, please stop by and say hi :)

Donna xx

DOREEN

Hello , I have got to say I am totally out of my comfort zone with this months challenge, I could never figure out how two words Shabby and Chic could be remotely related to each other but there you go... I have come up with what I consider Shabby Chic. I hope you like it

More details from my blog.

GABRIELLE

Shabby Chic! Well, I haven't tackled this theme in a long time! That's the lovely thing about challenges, they often ask you to think outside your current comfort zone!  I hadn't use this birdcage die for a long time and so made a simple plaque. As always, there's more on my blog here!   Gabrielle x

JENNIE

Shabby Chic is just about my all time favourite style so I put together this card using all the elements which for me are "shabby chic".  It was a great design for using up some much loved Maja Design papers and scraps. Please do visit me on my blog if you want to see some more close ups.

NIKKI

For my first 'Shabby Chic' post of the month I have made some cute little wall hangings using fresco paints and the cracked glass technique. There are more details over at Addicted to Art today.

SUE B - scrumplescrunch

The theme Shabby Chic is one of my favourites, this is my go to genre whenever I have a creativity block. Do not let the word Shabby fool you, even though the look is at times unstructured the effect can look timeless. More details on how this card was made up is on my Blog.

TRACE

For my second piece this month I decided to alter a mirror with all my favourite shabby chic elements - lace, hand made flowers, fancy metal, buttons and pearl pins. Most have had a coating of gesso and were then sprayed with Victorian Velvet and Vintage Photo Distress Ink Sprays.  Please do visit my blog if you want to see more.

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Wow, great work everyone - fabulous projects, a great variety in style, lots of inspiration!

We hope you like our line up, we also hope that it motivates you to have a go and join in.  As usual, we will be posting a new project by either a DTM or a guest every alternate day for the rest of the month.  Having seen them all, we can tell you that you're in for a huge treat!

Good luck everyone!

Chris and the CVC team xxx

An InLinkz Link-up

Astrid's moonlight serenade...

Happy (UK Holiday) Monday everyone!

Astrid is with us this morning with a stunning project - what a beauty!......

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Astrid

I loved Donna's theme this month as it meant I could dust off some of my old "Scenic" stamps. I had great fun creating a card using some masking and stencilling techniques. More details can be found on my blog

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This is a wonderfully creative piece of art Astrid, thank you so much!

We have exactly a week left to this challenge theme Ladies and Gentlemen so please, if you haven't entered yet, dust off your crafting tools, get out your inks and paints and join us!!  >:o)

I'll be back on Wednesday with my second project for the month so I hope to see you all then.

Chris and the CVC team xxx

MAGPIE: It's a DT's postcard day today!

Hello there!

It's a Magpie Day today and some of the DT have got together and followed our theme to create some postcards for you.  Here's our line up...

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DOREEN

I have gone for a vibrant postcard scene from somewhere hot and sunny,you can find out how I made this over on my blog

SUE D

Hi, I've gone for some un-inked rubber for my postcard, and some new paints.

Details can be found here on my blog x

JENNIE

With hardly anything "scenic" in my (vast) stamp collection I have gone for a vintage sepia postcard  with a "wish you were here" feel! As usual there are a few more details on my blog.

ASTRID

One of my all time favourite stampers is the very talented Paula Whittaker who blogs at Just for One Day. This little scene was very much inspired by her wonderful work. If you want to see how I put it together, all you need to do is click here

ALISON

I didn't have time this month to be part of the main Simply Scenic inspiration, so I'm really happy that I was able to squeeze in a Magpie Day postcard.  I kept it simple with some stamping and some of my favourite Distress Ink colours.  Hop over to Words and Pictures if you'd like to see more.

CHRIS

My choice is inspired by my recent Tim Holtz aquisitions, put together in an ode to purple, lol!  You can find my step x step here.

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We hope you like our little interlude, normal service resumes on Monday, lol!!

Have a great weekend everyone, make it a crafty one!  >:o)

Chris and the CVC team xxx

Welcome to May's challenge...

Happy May 1st everyone and welcome to this month's challenge!

Donna has chosen our theme for this month and what a great theme it is...

Whether you're a stamper, into your dies, perhaps you're making Christmas cards already, there are so very many ways we can create 'scenic' projects.

Here are examples from our talented DT to give you something to think about...

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DONNA

So my turn to pick the theme this month and for my first make for the Simply Scenic challenge I've gone for a scene bursting with lots of warm bright colours...

...there are step by step pics on my blog :)

Donna xx

GABRIELLE

Donna set me a real challenge this month and so I've had to have a good think to what constitutes a scene! I chose to use a photo from a photographic session for my simple journal page (simple and a scene... think I just about fitted the brief!) More details, as always, are on my blog. Gabrielle x

JENNIE

I decided to use a favourite photograph of the Eiffel Tower for my art journal page and just about everything in my stash with a Paris theme! Please hop on over to my blog if you would like to see some more details.

NIKKI

 

The theme this month inspired to me to create a couple of scrapbook pages using photographs from my visit to South Africa earlier in the year. Be great to see you over at Addicted to Art if you would like to see some more details.

SUE B - SCRUMPLESCRUNCH

I have to admit that I struggled with Donnas Challenge this month, I constructed this collage/mixed media picture over a period of weeks, it was a case of stopping and coming back to it, adding media until I was happy with the look.

I have a step by step on my Blog.

SUE D

What a scary challenge this month from Donna, but a challenge wouldn't be a challenge if it wasn't challenging right?

Here's my beach scene, and details can be found here on my blog x

TRACE

For my first project this month, having struggled a little with the theme I went for a collaged 

scene using all my favourite Tim Holtz goodies and a new house die . Some tissue tape, Decoart crackle paste and plenty of idea-ology helps to complete my scene. All the details can be found on my blog here. Trace x

ASTRID

A scenic card using some simple masking techniques and having fun with Distress Inks. For a step by step and more details, do come over to my blog.

CHRIS

I used some lateral thinking for this challenge.  My wall hanging depicts a scene from bygone days or perhaps it could a scene from a play....?  Step x step pictures can be found here, on my blog.  Chris xxx

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Thank you team, so many different takes on the theme and all beautifully done!

We hope these have inspired you to join in....?  Our lucky (random) wnner will receive a £20 shop voucher from our generous sponsor, Country View Crafts and 4 others will be chosen by Donna to receive blog badges.

Please remember to familiarise yourself with our simple rules before you link so that you don't disqualify yourself.

Have a great holiday weekend, we'll be back with the first of our individual project posts on Sunday, hope to see you again then!

Good luck!

Chris and the team xxx

An InLinkz Link-up