Monday 29 September 2014

Gabrielle's swimming today!

Hi everyone!

Last but not least, we have some gorgeous journalling for you today from our talented Gabrielle...



For my second Nautically themed project I turned to one of my journals and used this fabulous Lynne Perrella image in its entirety (I used the ship in my first project this month). The quotation (by Jonathan Winters) seemed pretty apt!



A fabulous journal page Gabrielle, we're loving the quotation too - thank you!

Okay everyone, that's it from the team and guests for this month, so please get your projects finished and entered before the challenge closes tomorrow evening. We have been busy getting projects ready for our new challenge which starts on Wednesday and we hope to see you then.

For all of you who have taken the time to enter this month...... GOOD LUCK!! >:o)

Chris and the team xxx

Saturday 27 September 2014

North, South, East, West with Sue B

Hi everyone,

Today is our penultimate post for this month and it's a beauty!  Sue B has taken a simpler approach to the nautical theme but there's nothing simple about her creativity, she's come up with this stunning project...



My second project on the Nautical theme; I went shabby, the compass I felt lent itself to be embellished this way, details are on my blog.



Wow, this is gorgeous Sue, what a fabulous look, thank you!

We have 3 days to go for you to get your entries in folks and one more post from the team. On Monday Gabrielle will be here to wind up the month and it's a stunner of a project so don't forget to pop back and see it.

Chris and the team xxx

Thursday 25 September 2014

Hello there!

This morning we have a second project from Doreen. Those of you who follow her will know how well known she is for her stamping and today's project is a terrific example of how she can take a simple stamp and turn it into something amazing!...



Hello I am back with my second make, this time I have made a card with a moonlight.
More details from here



This is beautiful Doreen, such a wonderful example of how elegant the theme can be, thank you!

We have just under a week to go folks so please get a wriggle on and finish your projects. >:o)

There's still more to come from the team and on Saturday Sue B will be here with her second project - don't miss it!

Chris and the team xxx

Tuesday 23 September 2014

Donna's looking for treasure!

Good morning all!

We're really loving this theme, the diversty is fabulous! Continuing the theme, but with yet another totally different take on it, Donna is sharing her second make with us...



Well 'shiver me timbers' what's more nautical than pirates ?! 
So for my second challenge make I've created this little pirate hanging, pop across the gangplank my hearties to my blog to check out more details.....see you there, Donna xx



This is gorgeous Donna and what a brilliant take on the theme - thank you!

We're hoping that you're busy out there with your crafty thoughts and putting together something that will meet our nautical challenge....? Don't forget, the winner is chosen at random so everyone has a chance of winning the £20 shop voucher from our generous sponsor, Country View Crafts.

We're into the final week now but we STILL have lots to show you! Doreen will be here on Thursday with another beautiful make. Cya then we hope!

Chris and the team xxx

Sunday 21 September 2014

It's First Class all the way with Julie

Good morning all!

We have another guest post for you today and it's from one of our regular entrants who won a Top 3 badge in July's challenge. Many of you will already know her because, although she is relatively new to crafty blogland, she has created a special place for herself already with her amazing projects...




Hi there, I am delighted to be able to share my Nautical project with all the Countryview Challenge followers after being chosen in the Top 3 Stencil It challenge. I have been blogging now for 9 months and thoroughly enjoying every minute of it, although started crafting around 9 years ago when I need Wedding Invitations.

My love for my Garden Flowers, Vintage, History, Bygone eras and Antiquities, I express through my crafting. I often find myself so absorbed in a craft project it can take me days to finish as I build a story around my whole project. It's not about how quick I can make something but enjoying the whole journey of that project and putting detail into the tiniest little thing is key for me as I craft.


For my Nautical project I decided to make a memory frame book that held memories and keepsakes of a Victorian couple as they embarked on their World Cruise and as they travelled the world picking up souvenirs.


My book was made out of a couple of cereal boxes. I cut my card to size, scored and glued the 2 parts together down the spine. It measures finished 7x9 inches. Next I added a whole layer of tissue paper with multi medium crinkling it as I applied it. Once dry I placed a swirl stencil on top and added Grunge Paste for more texture. The spine I covered in tissue paper and added some string for dimension. Once this was all dry I used paints and stains to achieve my Olde Worlde look.


If you would like to see more on my project and how I made it, pop over to
my blog. I'd love to have you visit. Thanks once again to everyone at
Countryview Crafts. It has been an absolute honour to share my post with
such a talented Team.



Another stunning project Julie, absolutely beautiful and you've created some amazing texture too, thank you!

Julie has demonstrated just how easy it is to find nautical elements in your craft cupboard so drag them out and get crafting please! >:o)

Another project for you on Tuesday, this time it's from Donna.

Chris and the team xxx

Friday 19 September 2014

Yvonne's way ahead!

Hi everyone!

We love to see lateral thinking in your creativity and today's project is exactly that, a terrific example of taking the theme to entirely different level! This project has been created for us by the talented Meggymay (aka Yvonne) whom many of you will already know and what a stunner it is...



Hello I am Yvonne, known to many folk in blogland as Meggymay. I have been a crafter for many years, now happily retired, I have time spend in the craft room and spend time  away in our caravan.  I  enjoy   trying out new techniques and getting inky. My  latest  crafting adictions are mixed media and Journalling.


When I read that the new theme was Nautical, I had this Lynne Perrella image in mind to use. This was heat embossed before water colouring and edged with Frantage Powder. Next came papers from a  Graphics 45 paper pad, with trimmings from my box. The netting I dyed myself to suit the colours I used.

I enjoyed the theme and thank you all at CVC for inviting me to be your guest.


This is gorgeous Yvonne and such a great demonstration of using the theme for something quite different, thank you!

Well, we're seeing lots of fabulous examples out there from those of you who have already entered the challenge but we'd like to see more. Don't forget we have a £20 shopping voucher for the winner, generously donated by our sponsor, Country View Crafts.

Another guest post on Sunday, see you then!  Have a lovely weekend!

Chris and the team xxx

Wednesday 17 September 2014

Brenda's at the bottom of the deep blue sea

Hi Everyone, it's Brenda here with the second of my DT pieces for this fabulous 'nautical' challenge. Have you been inspired to make something yet for the challenge? Well I hope this might inspire you a little to get grungy and industrial and make a book cover.


This was a workshop make and inspired by the fabulous Andy Skinner who showed us how to layer embossed card, texture paste and paints to create aged and rusted effects. As we working on it I just knew I wanted this to look like a shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean so I ensured I used the colours and textures  to try and create that look and when I got home I added some embellishments to help further that illusion.

Click my name above if you would like to see more photos and the back of the book cover too.

We are just over half way through this challenge so there is still plenty of time to get your paints and texture pastes out and have some grungy fun.

We look forward to seeing your additions to the linky and thanks to all of you who have already submitted an entry.

Thanks also for joining us for our inspiration pieces.

hugs Brenda xxx



Monday 15 September 2014

Claire's riding the waves!

Hi everyone!

We've another stunning project from one of our guests today, a beautiful wall hanging from Claire, our DTMSM blog badge winner of July's challenge...


I'm so excited to have the chance to be Guest Designer with such a lovely talented team and this month's theme is one of my all time favourites too. I've been crafting for many years but since I discovered rubber stamping about 8 years ago I've been addicted. I love to try new techniques and I'm a real 'messy crafter'. I work  for a mental health charity and my job can be really stressful so I love to escape to my craft room after a hectic day at work.

I created my base from strips of mountboard, stencilled and painted and then sprized with some coffee. The focal scene was stamped on kraft card using stamps from Chocolate Baroque and has been coloured with distress markers. I've surrounded the scenewith some more stamped images, this time using stamps from Crafty Individuals, adding some colour with distress markers and coloured pencils and again spritzed with coffee.  I've added all sorts of bits and pieces from my stash including shells, old netting and scraps of cheesecloth fabric to fiinish off.



A beautifully stamped, creative and imaginitive piece of wall art Claire, simply gorgeous - thank you!

With all these beautiful pieces of home decor we're seeing, we think that there are a few very lucky recipients out there! Have you created something to enter yet? If not, why not have a go at making something that you can gift afterwards? We'd like to see what you can come up with that has our 'Nautical' theme and we're only half way through the month so there's still lots of time to get busy and enter. >:o)

We'll have another fab project for you in a couple of days so we hope to see you then!

Have fun!

Chris and the team xxx

Saturday 13 September 2014

Astrid's sailing in her own style!

Hi everyone,

We've a fabulous project today and a terrific example of how you can make a nautical piece even if you don't have anything appropriate in your stash. Astrid has cleverly made her own nautical elements...



This month's challenge theme has been a challenge for me indeed, as I don't really have any nautical supplies to speak of. So instead I decided to create my own and had great fun doing so. If you want to know more about how I did that, there is a step by step on my blog, all you need to do is click here.



This is so clever Astrid, a gorgeous make and what a terrific demonstration of how to come up with something relevant to our theme from scratch - just brilliant!

Right everyone, you really do have NO excuse now! >:o)  We'd like to see lots more nautical masterpieces and that can be anything - an ATC, ATB, tag, card, journal or scrapbook page, altered art, home decor or any other crafty genre. We don't mind what your style is, from CAS (clean and simple) to grunge, contemporary to vintage, we lurrrrve them all, lol. >:o)

On Monday we have another guest spotlight so please be sure to come visit and take a peek!

Have a great weekend! >:o)

Chris and the team xxx

Friday 12 September 2014

Word play winners

It's that time again! Yes, time to announce our latest winners, those for August's challenge and Alison's 'Word play' theme. Our winner of the £20 shopping voucher sponsored by our host Country View Crafts is chosen each month at random by random.org....


WINNER - #81


http://schaerfchenskreativwelt.blogspot.de/2014/08/tag-gentlemans-world.html

Congratulations Dagmar! >:o)



Blog badge winners have been awarded this month by Alison, as follows...

TOP 3

http://geezercrafter.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/word-play.html
I love the slate effect created for the background, and the glow of the light bulbs. It's such a simple but effective illustration of beautiful words. So original.

http://susanjanicula.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/word-play.html
A fantastic fairytale feel to this piece. I love how it's completely inspired by the beautiful song lyrics, and the rustic feel to the simple woodland scene to illustrate them. Fabulous crackle too!

http://2amscrapper.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/its-man-thing-part-2.html
Hilarious words - and the design really puts them centre stage. I love the white on white texture with those fab little pearly accents, and the fishnet topping - so cool!

DTMSM (DT Members' Special Mention)

http://frankieeatsworms.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/words-words-words.html
Words galore in this fantastic mini-book... layers of text and script as well as the whole piece being based around the notion of writing and reading. Beautiful!



Congratulations to all of our worthy winners, your badges and invitations to be a Guest DTM are on the way!

Well done and thank you to everyone else that entered, they were all fabulous entries and Alison told me how hard it was to make her choices!

Good luck to everyone for his month - another project post tomorrow!

Chris and the team xxx

Thursday 11 September 2014

Kezzy's made it plain sailing!

Hello all!

We're featuring another guest today, Kezzy J (aka Kerry), who was one of our July Top 3 badge winners. Kezzy has put together a really fabulous piece of art to share with you...




My name is Kerry (aka Kezzy) and I’m extremely honoured to be here today.  I started crafting in 2006 and blogging in Jan 2011.  I work part time as an accountant mainly at home due to a bad back, I have two children 15 and 17 and I live with my partner and our dog Jasmine who is almost 13.  Art is a huge part of my life, especially during times when I’m in pain as I can lose myself in paint and stamps, I reckon if art was a pill then everyone would be pain free lol.  I definitely am in to mixed media, I lurrrrrve working with paint, stamps, inks and general messiness.  I taught myself to crochet last year and have become addicted to bright colourful yarn and love to make bright funky flowers for my art.  It’s a big year for me as on the 1st September I became 40, I have a journal ready and decorated so I can record this special year, as they say, Life begins at 40 and I feel good in the knowledge that as long as I have ART then everything will be alright.  I have thoroughly enjoyed doing this project for you today, and have lots more photos, plus a full step by step of how it was made.


I started with a small wooden frame (4 by 4 inch) and painted it with Fresco paint, then used Fresco crackle medium and back with lighter colour paint.  You probably can’t see much of it left, but it’s there lol.  I then used a heavy gel medium in areas and covered with sand to add texture.  I then painted lots of Fresco greens and blue paints plus used blue embossing powder mixed with UTEE to make the embossing run while heating.  All the embellishments were done with the same treatment of paint and crackle, sand and then paint.  I made a fish from fimo as I couldn’t find a fish embellishment lol.  I actually studied a picture on a ship wreck to see how the water affects the ship and that is how I got the colours and texture (picture on my blog).  I wanted to show how the sea flows through the sunken ship and how the sea life makes it home.  Finally I added some sand and drift wood to the top with the title sea wreck.




Wow, what a stunning decorative piece of art, thank you Kezzy!

Our projects so far this month have been amazing (even if we say so ourselves, lol) but there's a lot more to come, we're not even half way through yet!  We hope that you're feeling inspired and gathering lots of ideas to put your project together to enter.......?

Our next post is on Saturday, from Astrid, and she has created an amazing piece from scratch - please don't miss it!  Hope to see you then. >:o)

Chris and the team xxx

Tuesday 9 September 2014

Alison's sailing the ocean waves...

Ahoy there me hearties! [g]

Yep, we're definitely all at sea with the cliches this month but who cares, we're having fun, right?

Alison's joining in today with a wonderful collaged tag.... she's definitely going first class! >;o)



With limited Nautical supplies to hand (it's just not my usual port of call - sorry! - as, in fact, the undersides of boats and shipwrecks are part of my only phobia) I had to think laterally.  I do have the fabulous Tim Holtz ship stamp, and I seized on the Expedition Ephemera Pack and a sheet of photos from one of Tim's paper stashes to do the rest, over an ocean background.



This is fabulous Alison, and definitely the ticket - thank you!

There's so much nautical flavoured material out there in craftland, we don't think you'll have any trouble laying your hands on something in your stash to craft with. Don't forget, our winner receives a £20 shop voucher from our sponsor, Country View Crafts.

The next ship docks on Thursday!

Chris and the team xxx

Sunday 7 September 2014

Trace is looking through the porthole...

Hi everyone!

Another post today and again, very different. Regular followers will know that we love to bring you variety both in genre and in style. Today, our clever Trace has come up with quite a different take on the theme and it's a stunner....



For my second piece I wanted to capture the idea of a rusty boat under the ocean and the sea life through the porthole...not sure if I have managed? For all the details of my make please hop here.



Such a fabulous idea Trace and a gem of a project - definitely a treasure, thank you!

Are you getting the idea? You may not think you have anything nautical but we bet you have, it just may not be that obvious. >:o)  Trace has shown you what her lateral thought process led to so let's see what you can come up with.

We're not leaving you shipwrecked, we'll be back with another post on Tuesday, see you then!

Chris and the team xxx

Friday 5 September 2014

Sue's hooked!

Welcome everyone!

Today, our newest team member, Sue D, is showing you that she's definintely hooked with her second project this month...



Hi continuing with the nautical theme, I've gone with a slide mailer, and lots of PaperArtsy stamps and paints. For more details please check out my blog at Sue The Iron. Hope you like it x



A great make Sue and, again, very different. We love the trawler/fishing angle (oops, sorry about the pun, lol). Thank you!

You might struggle to find nautical papers in your stash but there are so many stamps and stencils, masks and dies out there that we're pretty confident you'll find something suitable in the cupboard!

Don't forget, we award a blog badge (and guest spot) for the project we think is the most original and creative expression of our theme.

Trace will be here to tantalize you on Sunday so be sure to visit and see what she has in store for you (it's fab!!). >:o)

Have a great weekend,

Chris and the team xxx

Wednesday 3 September 2014

The sea is calling Jennie!

Hi all!

Today is our first individual post for the month and we're being led by Jennie who has nominated this fabulous nautical theme. We have a fully loaded month's worth of posts for you with lots of fab, fab projects of different genres and styles. We hope that you will be sailing through the month with us, lol!



Today I am sharing a canvas which includes quite a number of embellishments which become very important when at sea - clocks, compass, charts, pens, rulers and ropes.  I have included some details on my blog HERE as to how I created the background of the canvas which I recycled from a previous project.



 A beautiful canvas Jennie with fabulous composition, thank you!

A great inspirational post to kick off with. If there is one thing that was clear from the team it was that many felt they had little or no nautical elements in their stash. They did, it just took a little thinking about! We don't mind lateral thinking as long as there is a definite nautical thread in your project. So, come on, thinking caps on, get creative and let's see what YOU can do!!

We'll be back again on Friday with another fabulous project so we hope to see you then!

Have a great day!

Chris and the team xxx

Monday 1 September 2014

September's challenge...

Good morning everyone!

Firstly, a BIG thank you for all your lovely entries in August.... some wonderfully creative thought processes going on out there! Thank you too to those of you who have been following and commenting, it's lovely to know that you like what we do. >:o)

Before we proceed I have some sad news and some good news. We're sorry to say that Sue C has now left us to pursue new ventures. THANK YOU SUE for all your hard work and all the stunning projects you've shared with us, we wish you well for your future enterprises - don't forget us! >:o) 

With Sue's departure we have a new arrival, ANOTHER Sue! We hope you'll all say a BIG HELLO to Sue D, aka Sue The Iron, many of you will already know her. Sue D joins us today to make her debut! WELCOME SUE D, we're glad to have you on board, we're looking forward to working with you and seeing what you create!

So, September is here, the kids are going back to school this week and we're looking downhill at Christmas! Aha, you're thinking, we're having a Christmas theme this month..... sorry, nope, not this month, lol! >;o) This month our very talented Jennie (aka The Flower Queen) has chosen our theme and she would like to see what projects you can create for challenge #19 which is....


Definition (source: Google): of or concerning navigation, sailors, or the sea; maritime.
Synonyms: maritime, marine, naval, seafaring, seagoing, ocean-going; yachting, boating, sailing.
You can create whatever type of project you'd like to, a tag, ATC, card, scrapbook page, journalling page, altered art, home decor or anything else that is crafty. All we ask is that you FOLLOW OUR RULES so that you don't disqualify yourself. Our challenges are open to all, wherever you are in the world and you can enter as many projects as you like.

At the end of the month a winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) to receive a £20 shop voucher from our generous sponsor, Country View Crafts. We also choose the 3 projects we like the best to receive blog badges and a 'special mention' badge to the project we feel has shown the most originality and creativity in expressing our theme. Our winners are announced early the following month and all will be invited to join us as Guest DTMs the month after.

Right, let's get to it..... Our DT is headed this month by Susan Carol, winner of our July challenge...



Art journaling is my new passion but I also love cardmaking, scrapbooking, making mini books, anything involving paper really. I'm a Christian so my art journaling is mainly focused on my faith - hence the name of my blog! I love to do other things too like gardening, flyfishing and walking, especially in beautiful places and by rivers. Most of all I love spending time with my friends and of course my family. I have an amazing husband, Dominic, and 2 wonderful grown up children, Patrick and Izzy.

I was over the moon to have won the stencil challenge at Country View Challenges and to be given the opportunity to be a guest designer for their September one which is 'Nautical'. This is my first time as a guest designer so I admit I had a complete attack of nerves and wondered why on earth I had agreed to do it!! I also have NO nautical items in my stash so I had to engage in lateral thinking to do this project which in the end was a lot of fun.


I decided to do an art journal page using nautical images as metaphors for Jesus.  I wanted plenty of texture to replicate stormy seas so I started by scraping my home made texture paste (pva glue, white acrylic paint and talc) over the lower two thirds of the page, then pressing a swirl embossing folder into the paste.  This gave really lovely texture and I think the swirls are sort of wave like!  Then came lots of layers of paint, torn strips of paper, stenciling and stamping.  I embossed four tags with the swirls embossing folder and coloured in different ways. I journaled on the backs.  They slot in behind the red and yellow strips which are glued on three sides so the tags can be removed for reading.  This challenge turned out to be a lot of fun!


A truly nautical mini-book - made whilst at anchor on our sailing boat Mrs Muir, using an old Admiralty Chart for the wallet and photographs from our sailing cruise last year. There are details of how to make the wallet and book and more photographs on my blog HERE. Looking forward to having you visit!


I was not too confident on this theme I have to be honest, but it is surprising when you are placed out of your comfort zone what can transpire. This was quite a Challenge for me.  
G45 papers were my inspiration for this card. You will be able to view the step by step on my Blog.


Hi, I'm thrilled, and excited and a little bit nervous, but I'm here with my first piece for the Nautical challenge this month. Can you tell how much I love PaperArtsy!  All the details are over at Sue The Iron I hope you will take a look x


I love vintage photos and when I saw this chap in my stash of pictures I knew he had to be the centre stage of my nautical piece along with lots of yummy distress goodies. For all the details please hop here .


I don't have much in the way of Nautical crafty stash... but this 7 Gypsies set "Legend" is full of the signs and symbols and markings you find on old maps, for navigating the oceans.  I used them to create a tiny ATB, with some ship's rope to finish it off.  If you want to see the other sides, you'll have to come and visit Words and Pictures!


I created a small box canvas for the challenge, but have to admit I found it quite a struggle, as I have literally no nautical supplies, so improvisation was the order of the day. You can find out more about how I went about it by visiting my blog.


I've had lots of fun using the reverse of a deep canvas to make my nautical display using a Tim Holtz Found Relative, rusted metal embellishments, texture paste and distress inks and I even learned how to tie the 'Celtic Plait'. The gorgeous letterpress blocks were given a thin coat of distress paint to bring in a bit more colour.


One of my passions is making boxes from scratch to use for gifting pressies to friends and family. This little box is made from ATCs and was created in one of those moments of 'play'. If you'd like more details you can find the how and what here.


....when I headed for my crafty stash I discovered that I don't have much in the 'Nautical' line but after a bit of playing with some distress inks, couple of stamps and some circle dies I came up with this little 'salty' tag.  Pop over to my blog for a few more pics etc.....Donna xx


Hello to you all, I have made a tag today .
 I found this hard as it does seem male orientated and I don't do male very well but I did manage to find some stamps that I think fit the role. you can get full details from here


I don't have much that's Nautical (mainly because I'm still very traumatised after a week's holiday on the beautiful Norfolk Broads a few years ago!) but I do have these little ships! The saying is one my parents said every family seaside holiday and it really amused me that Su (my Phrenology head) can't see the ships because they're balanced on her glasses! There is more detail on my blog if you'd like to know more!



Wow, what a line up, we hope you've enjoyed it! Now we're looking forward to seeing what you create, you've got 30 days to do it, lol! Don't forget, we'll be posting a themed (nautical) project every other day for you to look at here (and a step x step project of various topics inbetween over on our shop project's blog).

As our lead DTM this month, Jennie will be up first on Wednesday, so please remember to bookmark us and pop back then!

Have fun!

Chris and the team xxx