Art Journal: Maps

It has been a little while since I have shared one of my art journal spreads, so I thought I would do so today as a plug for next week’s art journaling session here at The Studio. I’m also sharing the stages the layout went through to get from where I started to the finished article. ‘Maps’ is the theme this month and you’re very welcome to join us on Monday at 7:30pm for the session where you will create your own take on the theme. All materials are provided, and you can get a suitable journal from me for just £2 if you don’t have one already. Just let me know if you’d like to attend. Here’s my finished layout:

Continue reading

LIM DT: Alphabet – C is for celebrate

Less is More clean and simple card challenge blog has a new theme for the next fortnight… We’re working through the alphabet and this week it’s the turn of C – make card for something to celebrate. I had various ideas and ended up going with this one:

Celebrate wedding day clean and simple card

Continue reading

AAA Cards DT: Add a tag or ticket

A new theme starts at AAA Cards clean and simple card challenge blog today and runs for the next two weeks. This time we are asking for cards that feature a tag or a ticket. There are some great inspiration cards from the design team, and here’s my take on the theme:

card with a stamped tag

Continue reading

LIM DT: Anything CAS goes – a sympathy card

Dear reader, you may recall that I’m not a fan of ‘anything goes’ card challenges. Many entries to the two challenges I contribute to are not clean and simple, despite this remaining a requirement of the ‘anything goes’ theme. Well, this week at Less is More, we have our monthly ‘anything goes’ challenge – do play along with us, but keep your design clean and simple! Without a defined subject matter, I struggled to get inspiration but came up with this sympathy card after rummaging through some unused die sets:

Sympathy card with black frame and white dove. Sentiment reads 'thinking of you'. Continue reading

AAA Cards DT: Sketch for a teen card

Another sketch challenge has been set at AAA Cards this week. Use the design to guide your creation of a clean and simple card suitable for a teen. I struggled to find something to fit the theme and eventually raided a different stash for inspiration. With the popularity of proms, I thought this ‘couture’ stamp would be suitable. The guide sketch is below.

Card suitable for a teen - based on sketch Continue reading

LIM DT: Orange – colour challenge

A bit of an early autumnal colour palette challenge over at Less is More for the next fortnight… orange. I toyed with the idea of taking it literally and plonking a representation of the fruit onto the card. However, inspiration didn’t fully materialise and I decided to go with a technique-based card instead:

Mottled orange strip with white happy birthday sentiment on a white card blank. Continue reading

Bible Journaling: Acts (BJ-24)

In our Bible journaling session on Monday evening, we’ll be exploring verses from Acts. Free downloadable templates for these illustrations are available from my online shop. As normal, the evening starts at 7:30pm, costs £5 and will feature a new technique of using pastel pencils for colouring. Suitable for beginners, and if you don’t have a Bible to work in you can work on paper and make a bookmark. Book your place now 🙂

Continue reading

LIM DT: Photo inspiration – one layer card

You have a fortnight to join in the latest Less is More clean and simple card challenge. It’s a photo inspiration theme – take whatever elements you like from the provided photo prompt, whether it be colours, shapes, theme, words and so on. Oh, it’s also a one-layer card challenge – no embellishments, matting, die-cuts… Everything has to be on the card blank. Scroll down for the inspiration photo and description of how I made this design team card:

Continue reading

LIM DT: Under the sea (#488)

Less is More challenge blog is following up their ‘B is for Beach’ theme with a new seashore-related subject: ‘under the sea’. Just enter your clean and simple card designs in the next two weeks featuring the theme for the chance to have the accolade of being shortlisted for our favourite card. I’ve not got any ocean-related stamps, so have created this panel card to fit the theme:

Under the sea themed card featuring a seahorse motif

Continue reading

Last minute commissions

It turns out that commissions seem to come like stereotypical buses – none for ages and then two at once. I had the pleasure of accepting two very different commissions last week. The only thing was – they were both last minute with a very short time constraint. I did some juggling and evening work but fit them in and delivered both on time. Here’re pics of the projects:

Continue reading