Sunday 28 February 2016

Two Weekly Challenge




Morning all,

Happy Sunday everyone,
hope you are all enjoying your 
weekend.
Time for our next challenge 
me thinks.....

You have certainly been busy
over the last two weeks, we have
had 28 entries as I write this!
I think perhaps the two weeks was
definitely a good idea, thank you
Gail for your suggestion!

Well what is it to be this time....
hmmmm......
I think it is going to be 
Clean and Simple and it has to 
have a flower and a sentiment!!
What do you think about that then?
Will you be able to do 
Clean and Simple?
I think you will!

I'm sure you know the rules by now,
as many entries as you like and
via the link where possible.  If
you cannot use the link then
send your pics to
janecraftbarn@gmail.com
and I will add them for you.
The link will close at midnight on 
13th March so you have two weeks.
The winner will be picked by our
very own Random Generator and
announced on Tuesday 15th March.
There will be a £10 voucher up for 
grabs!

Have fun everyone!

Jane x




Saturday 27 February 2016

Clean and Simple - Neil Walker



Happy weekend everyone,

Gosh, another month almost gone,
where do the days go?

It's nice to see the afternoons are a bit 
longer until we change the clocks, that is!

Well, back to Clean and Simple,
Neil is with us today....


Ink up your stamp by sliding it over the
 surface rather than tapping it. This gives
 a more faded look. Tap the ink pad on
 one area of the stamp to give a darker tone.


Stamp onto white card. You can see
 the darker area where more ink
 was applied in the bottom corner.


Trim and matt the card onto brown
 card and mount onto the card blank.


Take a suitable chipboard letter and
 paint with co ordinating colours. Add
 a gloss layer with glaze or UTEE and
 attached to the card as seen.


There you have it. A clean and simple
 yet striking card.


And it is really Beautiful Neil,
thank you!  I do like
Clean and Simple, it should be nice and
quick but I think it takes longer sometimes
hovering over the card, trying so hard not
to add something else!!

This is what Neil used -

I'll be back tomorrow with another 
Challenge, got to have a 
think about what it's going to be!

Hmmmm, I wonder....

Jane x



Friday 26 February 2016

Clean and Simple - Dawn Heald




Helloooo,

How are we all today?
Not feeling too cold I hope.
It's been trying to snow here a bit but
not a lot so no settling.  Think we have got
off quite lightly so far this winter!  
Fingers crossed it stays like this until 
Spring.

We have decided to have a
Clean and Simple week, we 
don't do this enough but I think
a lot of crafters find it very 
difficult!  It's knowing when to
stop ha ha!!
So how are you at Clean and Simple?

Today, we start with Dawn,
let's see what she has been up to.... 


Hello Crafty friends, Clean and simple
 doesn't come easy to me. I see lots
 of wonderful clean and simple cards 
but I like to fill and add little bits and
 bobs to my cards. So here is my 
simple card using Kadoodle Princess Daisy.
 This is a lovely stamp to use especially 
with the rubber being good quality to
 stamp with. I've shown two versions.


Gather supplies.


Trim and stick background
 paper to card blank.
Stamp, colour and paper piece Princess 
Daisy. Attach to card with foam pads.


Stamp Happy Birthday onto cream card,
 cut out and stick to top corner.
All pieces edged with ground Espresso ink.
Finished.


Then to make it a Dawn creation I had 
to add a bit more, but still keeping
 it simple. 
I simply cut out a few images from one
 of the background papers, inked, glued
 in place and added some Stickles 
Glitter glue to flowers.


I hope you like this. I am definitely going 
to try making more clean and simple cards
 this year and really bring down the amount
 of elements I use. So keep an eye on 
the blog here you'll know if I manage
 it.
 Thanks for looking today x Dawn

Well, we look forward to that Dawn, 
I don't think you'll be able to do it - haha!!

Products Used -

From stash - Square card blank

Well that's it for today,
see you tomorrow,

Jane x


Tuesday 23 February 2016

Alpha/Dictionary Challenge Winner 2016



Good Morning all,

Tuesday morning is here again and
time to announce our latest 
Alpha/Dictionary Challenge Winner!

There were 40 amazing entries this
time, thank you all so much.
I have had chance to look at them all 
and I think you are a very clever lot of 
followers....beautiful entries!
So much work has gone into them!!

Ok, let's see who Mr Random Generator
has picked for us today.....

.......no 20.......



Arty Beginnings Female
 journal page


Congratulations Rachel,
please contact me at 
janecraftbarn@gmail.com
so that I can send you your prize!

Well I seem to have caused a bit of
confusion over my last Challenge post!
That was not my intention, I just thought 
I would open it up slightly so that it wasn't 
the same as the last time we ran this 
Challenge!
Yes we need an image and a definition
of the image but I thought maybe it could
 not necessarily be an actual dictionary
definition which may have prompted 
some different ideas but maybe you don't
want that?  
And yes the dictionary could
be in any language.
I thought it would be a little different for 
those of you who have already 
participated in this Challenge and wanted 
to do it slightly differently!

Let me know!

Jane x 






Sunday 21 February 2016

Alpha/Dictionary Challenge 2016



 Morning all,

It's Sunday again and time to announce 
our next letter in the 
Alpha/Dictionary Challenge 2016!
But before we do I have a special post
for you today from Dawn who 
is showing you how she made her
last entry for the Challenge.....

The Letter was F and there had to be
a heart included!


Dawn says -
My fish here is all loved up. An altered 
dictionary page.

Prepare pages by gluing some together and 
painting with white gesso.



Then spread Media Texture Sand Paste through
stencils. Leafy at the bottom and random circles 

above. Paint small spaces with crackle paint.

 Leave to dry. Use green Fresco Paints

 to colour texture.




Colour page with watercolour paints and
 Brushos in sea colours. Dry.



Replace stencil at bottom and rub over
gold gilding wax on leafy parts.

Dab white paint onto circles.



Using Darcy small stamps, stamp script

 randomly across pages and dotted circles

 around textured circles using Stazon Inks.
Flick white paint across pages.

Take orange, red and yellow acrylic paints,
 drop bits around a piece of card. Spread around 
with a pallet knife or spreader. Dry. Then
 stamp a fish and cut out and Punch and hand
 cut some hearts. Stamp the hearts with script stamp. 
Glue all to pages.


Finish with Yellow and Star Dust
Stickles Glitter glue.






Products used -





Stickles Glitter Glue - Yellow, Star Dust

So on to our next letter!
It's Karen Gist's turn and she
has chosen L

This is the latest addition to her tray -


And Neil is continuing with his books -




And Dawn's pics too....




So what will you do?

You should know the rules by now!
You have two weeks, the link will close
at midnight on Sunday 6th March.  Entry
via the link where possible, if not email me
janecraftbarn@gmail.com
and I will add them for you!
I am changing the rules slightly here, you
need to pick a word beginning with the
chosen letter and add a definition
to your entry.  I have decided it need not
be the actual dictionary definition but
a definition of some sort!!  This might
prove interesting and amusing!!
The winner will be picked by
Random Generator and will receive
a £10 voucher.  The winner will be
announced on Tuesday 8th March.

I just want to add here that this is
your blog and challenges not just mine, so
anytime you have any suggestions, please
don't hesitate to email me and let me know.
I'm always open to ideas!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, four
of us are at Birmingham today to
see all the exciting new products that
are being launched so hopefully there
will some new things for you to
play with soon!

Jane x

Just popping in to add this pic
for Eva...I will give her a number
when the link closes.


36. Eva



Saturday 20 February 2016

These Boots were made for Walking - Neil Walker



Helloooo,

Who remembers that song then?
I do but then I'm old....haha
So your trivia today is, how old exactly
is it?  Ok, the song was released on
17.2.66 so it's the 50th Anniversary.
Can you remember who sung it?

So The DT were given the song title
but unfortunately we had a few hiccups
along the way so today Neil
is showing you his boots and Dawn 
will be here tomorrow with the 
Alpha/Dictionary Challenge and a 
special post for you!

Neil has actually been away walking
in Cumbria, so he 
definitely needed these boots...

So what has been up to -


Starting in my watercolour card sketchbook
 I drew a pair of boots.


I used a mask and a pen to outline a base


I used more masks to add further details.


Then Distress Markers and a water brush
 to add colour.


The finished page my Lake District walking
 boots page.....


Well I really hope those boots were comfortable
and waterproof!
Thanks Neil, love this!

This is what Neil used -


See you tomorrow with the
Alpha/Dictionary Challenge!

Jane x

Sunday 14 February 2016

Weekly Challenge



Hellooooo,

Happy Sunday everyone!
Hope you are all enjoying your weekend.

How many of you got Valentine
Cards this morning?  I didn't, 
I've been married far to long ha ha!
I don't do all that mushy stuff anymore.
In fact, I don't remember if I ever did?

Ok, it's time to start our new Weekly 
Challenge but actually, I've decided to change
it to a 'Two Weekly Challenge'! This was mainly 
due to a suggestion from our lovely
 Gail aka ionabunny, so you can blame her
 if you are not happy...ha ha!! I actually think
it is a good idea as at the moment you only 
have one week for the Challenge and
I end up having to post the two winners 
in the same week.  The Alpha/Dictionary
Challenge runs for two weeks so it will just
make everything a bit easier plus it will give
you a bit more time to enter.

So, this week it has to be Hearts doesn't
it!  But I'm going to say your heart
whatever or wherever it is cannot be red!
Your project can be heart shaped, can be stamped, 
die-cut whatever you fancy but the heart must
not be red.
That gives you a lot to work with I hope.

You now have two weeks to complete
this mission should you wish to accept it!
Entry via the link where possible, as many 
entries as you like, the link will close at 
midnight on Sunday February 28th.
If you cannot use the link, please
send me your pics to
janecraftbarn@gmail.com
and I will add them for you!
The winner will receive a £10 voucher
and will be announced on Tuesday
1st March.

That's it for today folks,
enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Jane x



Saturday 13 February 2016

Loved Up - Dawn Heald




Hi Everyone,

Yay....it's the weekend!

I'm back today with another project
for you, this time from Dawn.

Dawn says -

Hi everyone, I do hope love is around
 you during this next week. Whether
 it be other half's, family or friends etc.
I've used a set of brand new Paperartsy
JOFY stamps and gone with a bit 
grungy yet fun card.


To make this card here's what I did -

Gathered some supplies I wanted to use
 and this then gave me the way to proceed.
 I was needing inspiration as I had too
 many ideas floating around my head.
 This worked. I didn't use the mask.


I chose a couple papers from the pad and
 altered them a little with scuffing the
 edges and adding various small stamps
 and distress inks. I did the same with a
 hand cut heart shape. I added dabs of
 double sided tape runner on the heart
 and green areas showing and pressed
 Stix 2 foil onto it.


Next I used Distress Markers to colour
 in some of the small images on the background.
 Then layered these onto my square card blank.
I stamped my main images onto book
 paper and coloured in with Distress 
markers, cut them out and layered
 onto plain book page and cut out again,
 then attached to the card with foam pads. 
Some words from the stamp set again
 onto book page, inked and stuck on.


I finished with some Lime Green Stickles.
So what do you think? Did it work using the
 fun whimsy mechanical type images with
 a grungy look?

Oh yes Dawn, I think it did!!
Don't you?


Products Dawn used -



From stash - old book pages

So that's it for another week,
tomorrow is Challenge Day and 
there is going to be a little change!

Jane x