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