I'm back, I should be working but I'm doing a little bit of avoidance (we all do it sometimes). My workroom needs a really good clean up before I can work and I'm really not in the mood for trying to sort it all out and put it away. I'm also feeling a tad jaded having woken up at 4 this morning sneezing my head off and feeling a bit achy, blurgh I don't have tome to be ill, it can just go away (polite version).

Thank you for all the lovely feedback from my C&C shows and welcome to my new followers, yes I did notice you there, thank you.  You will see I'm not a daily blogger, time slips away from me I'm afraid so I blog as and when I get some spare time, but there's usually quiet a few samples to show you when I do.

While I'm here just a reminder that you can gets lots of inspiration for the Polka Doodles blog, the Studio 12 Blog, Kuretakes blog and Creative Expressions blog, not to mention the lovely Hels Sheridan, Sue Wilson and Julia Watts.

I am as usual a bit behind and on this post is all the samples from my Kuretake show last week. Lots of alcohol inks ones, I could have done the whole hour show just showing you ways to use them (I do love them) and ditto with the Art and Graphic pens, sooo lush.  Seriously in my humble opinion they are one of the best on the market for both art work and crafting.  Kuretake have been making pens and inks for over 100 years and all their products are of the highest quality you can find.  If I didn't like them or I thought they were inferior I really wouldn't recommend them, they are well worth a try if you haven't used any yet.

Right enough waffle, here are the samples

Very inexpensive silver baubles, apply the alcohol ink with a felt applicator.  You can leave them as is or add peel offs, stickers or glitter/stickles for extra decoration.

Art and Graphic pens used directly onto rubber stamps.  The same stamp and pens but all four stamped different ways.  the 1st one I spritzed the stamp before I stamped it and you get a love watercolour effect.  The 2nd I spritzed the paper with water before I stamped, then when it was dry I over stamped it to add the detail back in.  The 3rd I stamped then went in with a damp paintbrush and pulled the colour out.  The 4th I stamped then spritzed with water.  I used Creative Expressions stamps.

Art and graphic pens used on a gift bag.  I drew a small swirl with the fine point nib, then went round that with the brush tip, just laying the tip on the paper to get the petal shapes.

Art and Graphic used directly on the rubber stamps then I've pulled out the colours with a paintbrush.  I made a wash but scribbling on a non porous surface and adding a bit of water for the heart and the same for the splatters which was done with an old toothbrush dipped in the wash and you run your finger across the bristles.  You can use a poky tool, lollipop stick etc if you don't like getting dirty fingers.  Tatty Button stamps used

Art and Graphic pens used as water colours, scribble on a non porous surface and add water.  Creative Expressions stamp used

Art and Graphic pens direct to the stamps, and scribbled onto a craft sheet, spritzed with water and the card swooshed around in it to make the lovey soft backgrounds.  Creative Expressions stamps used.

Art and Graphic pens used to watercolour the main stamped image, and direct on the stamp for the boarder with the colour pulled out.  Creative Expressions stamps used

KureColor inks (alcohol inks) applied with felt applicator and stamped with using a stazon inkpad.  Swirls are Creative expressions and the Santa rubber stamp is an old stamp and I can't remember who by now.  He has popped up recently with a couple of companies though, Inkadinkadoo (clear) and possibly DoCrafts (clear)

Alcohol inks on clarity cardstock after it was embossed. The coating does crack and the ink seeps into the paper fibres giving a shadow effect.

 Alcohol inks on Acetate and glossy card (inside card).  Spellbinder dies used.

Alcohol inks on embossed glossy card, mirri card and a coloured bottle top. Creative Expressions stamps

Lots of layers on here, glossy card, distress inks first then background stamping (use waterbased inkpads and dry) then stamp and emboss the main image with clear ink and powder, then apply alcohol ink and use blender on cotton buds to clean the ink off the embossed stamp, then repeat stamp round with permanent inkpads.   Creative Expressions stamps and the harlequin stamp is Dimension Fourth

Lots of layers here too. the same first three stages of above, then work out where you want your main image and  drip a few drops of blender onto the piece and stamp your main image with permanent ink.  Then over stamp to your hearts content. Creative Expressions stamps.  Oh and before I forget, one of the matted layers is Tim Holtz Glasiene paper, screw it up and flatten back out then apply the alcohol inks, both sides look amazing, I used the wrong side because I liked all the coloured creases.

 

Alcohol inks on Clarity and Glossy card for some variation. On the main image I inked with distress inkpads and repeat stamped a leaf with the same inkpad.  The fem is clear embossing powder that I've cleaned the alcohol ink off with the blender.

KureColor pens (alcohol ink pens)  Colouring and blending with the pens.  Don't forget to stamp your image with a water based inkpad.  Polka Doodles stamps (one of my faves without a doubt, and I'm not even a character stamper normally)

Kurecolor pens for an antiquy feel. HOTP papers and the stamp is old and I can't remember by who, could be stampers anonymous though

 

Alcohol pens on the angel, the diecut text and on the wooden embellies (glittered after).  DCWV paper and Polka Doodles rubber stamp. this isn't one of my fave cards I must admit, I'm really not a bright pink lover, but if you like pink and alternative xmas colours it could be for you.

Alcohol pens used with a Joanna Sheen stamp (sooo cute, I love this image).  Spelldinder and sizzix dies and Polka Doodles digi papers and tags.

Alcohol pens on the image and the die cut trees. Polka Doodles Stamp, 7 Gypsies papers, spellbinders and sizzix dies.

Alcohol inks on a silver gift box and glossy paper for the daisies.  the top piece is embossed with a Couture Creations folder but you can't see it that well in the photos.

 

Phew that's it for now, next time I'll post all the samples from the Creative Expressions shows, I had fun making them too.   I do love my job despite any moaning lol.