Mixed Media ATCs @ DS4J

{My DT work for DS4J}

Hi everyone! I am back on this beautiful Sunday with my newest project designed for Digistamps4Joy with our new releases at DS4J Shop.

I created a set of mixed media Artist Trading Cards using black and white images drawn by our very new talented artist who joined the team at DS4J commencing today.

Let's welcome Lyndall Bosch.

You can view more of Lyndall's fabulous drawings at her website.

For my project today, I used uncolored images of
Shorthaired Cat and Collared Sunbird.

A few close-up pictures:

 The sentiments are obtained from the internet. If you are regular visitors, I am pretty sure you know my love for motivational quotes {smile}.

 I started my project by adhering a ply of tissue paper and applied a coat of gesso. I let dry naturally and had a see at my instagram account in between. Side track is common when I'm in no hurry to get a project done {lol}.

 The diamonds were stenciled with texture paste through crisscrossed stencil from STAMPlorations. 

 And no, I didn't do the black straight lines myself in the photo above. I can never draw straight lines. It was done with plaid maker stencil by placing it on top of the card and I dipped a dry sponge in black watercolor over the stencil to create the straight lines.

 The images were printed and cut out then pasted on the card after I have colored the background with watercolors and let dry. Only then I started highlighting the digistamps with Faber Castell watercolor pencils. 

 I used white gel pel to highlight the quote too but at some point the ink refused to cooperate so I used paint brush and white watercolor to outline each phrase. When one doesn't work, there's another way...just don't give up!

I love the way it turned out in the end. The white cat looks so adorable but however my little girl said I should have colored her other than white, lol.

 I hope you will hop over to DS4J's blog and have a look at the gorgeous creations my talented design team mates have created with the wonderful new release images.

I wish to partake in these challenges:
1. Morgan's ArtWorld : Anything Goes
2. A Vintage Journey : Watercolor
3. Dragonfly Dreams : Animals

Thank you for your time and I really appreciate the love you leave behind.

I will be back again in a couple of days. Till then. have a great Sunday.

Hugs and smiles,

Light of the World @ MHKDesigns

{My DT work for MHKDesigns}

Hi everyone! I am back with a second project for MHKDesigns August Release: Light of the World.

This set includes five images and four sentiments that might melt your heart. Take a look at my card I created using one of the lights:

How I wish I own such light in my home! It's really beautiful lamp, isn't it?

This digistamp set is available at MHKDesigns Etsy shop. Click here.

Meanwhile the monthly challenge is still running until the end of this month so do get your entries in at Mr. Linky.

That's it for today. I shall be back again real soon with some mixed media projects in my next post.

Til I see you again, thank you for dropping by.

 Hugs and smiles,

The Dress @ DS4J

{My DT work for DS4J}

Hello everyone and a happy Sunday! It's a beautiful day today and I am enjoying life to the fullest or should I say my life is back to normal again after digesting extremely hectic life in three consecutive weeks. Except never ending laundry and weeding job to get done, all is well and wish you the same too {smile}.

It's the second Sunday of the month and that means a new release of digi stamps at Digistamps4Joy. Take a peek here and may you get some ideas and inspirations from the designers on how to use digi stamps in your creation.

I created a shabby card using The Dress image. I paper pieced the gown using patterned paper from Kaisercraft. I had so much fun sewing making the dress!

 Here are some close-ups:

I tucked in lace underneath the gown to give more depth and intricate detail. 

 Some punched leaves and Prima flowers to adorn my elegant lady.

 I always love distressing papers with scissor and the 3D layering of the pleated skirt gives me more satisfaction and happiness as well.

 I hope you like my shabby card this time and I do look forward to see what you will do with yours.

Challenges entered:
1. Brown Sugar : Use 3 Pattern Papers and Ribbon
2. Realy Reasonable Ribbon : ATG with Ribbon
3. Fussy and Fancy : Favorite Colors {pink, green and brown}
4. Scrapper's Delight : ATG
5. Crafting With An Attitude : Alwys ATG
6. Southern Girls Challenge : Ch#165 Flower Power
7. The Outlawz : Festive Friday ~ Something With Bows
8. Crafting By Designs : ATG

Thank you for dropping by today and I will have more posts coming up this entire August.

Until I see you again soon. Have a great week day ahead.

Hugs and smiles,

Winter Wonderland {Tag} @ MHKDesigns

{My DT work for MHKDesigns}

Hi again my sweet friends! How are you feeling today? Me? Busy with my three girls at home all morning since my two boys were doing their own things at different places. It's not often that I get to spend time with my firstborn and middle daughter because they both live in hostels. My youngest girl is forever with me at home and is my bestest crafty companion and I notice she has become a good talker and very talkative too. In a week she will turn 9. I can hardly believe my baby is turning 9 years old. Oh boy!

So without further ado, here is my winter wonderland tag made as part of my design team work for MHKDesigns new digi stamp set released today named Christmas Frames.

I welcome you to visit MHKDesigns blog for more details. 

I love fuzzy cutting the image from these sets ~ Christmas Frames:

There will be four more beautiful vintage stamp set coming up soon and I am looking forward to share with you.

Till then. Thanks so much for dropping by.

Hugs and smiles,

Happiness Today & Always @ MHKDesigns

{My DT work for MHKDesigns}

Hi everyone and a happy August! How are you feeling today? Me? I am still struggling to get the house back to life again after two weeks of neglecting every corner, front to back, floor to ceiling, room to room, bathroom tiles need deep clean scrub and the list goes on. Well even my garden looks so sad. I'm thinking this Saturday would be perfect to tackle the front lawn plus weeding at the edible garden and more weeds in the backyard and the courtyard too; okay the lawn surrounding my house needs a friendly mowing machine so to speak! Aaaargggh, enough blab. Sorry for the rant {hihi}.

Today is the beginning of a new challenge at MHKDesigns. The designer have created gorgeous cards with MHKDesigns digital vintage images that are available at the MHKDesigns Etsy Store.

This is what I came up with hoping it may give you a bit of inspiration: 

I used Fabulous Flowers digistamp. One of my favorite flowers in the store!

As for the sentiment I used is from Hollyhock Happiness digistamp:

The challenge runs for a month and if you don't use MHKDesigns digi goodies, you can create and enter the challenge by getting inspirations from the mood board below:

I look forward to your creations at Mr. Linky.

Thank you for dropping by and have good times always.

Hugs and smiles,

Special Birthday @ DS4J

{My DT work for DS4J}

Hello friends! I have been very quiet for so many days I know. My last post was July 10 and then I was creating for some custom orders and upcoming design team work as well as balancing between working from home, housework, sewing clothes, mothering and family time. I was occupied and keeping everything organized as much as I can until mid-July approach bringing us the most saddest news ever. The evening of July 15, my husband received a phone call from his youngest sister of their beloved father's passing. My mother-in-law was with him until his last breath. My 78yo father-in-law was ageing and not in the best of health but still able to drive to the mosque, eat and drink as usual, walk up the stairs to his room except he didn't have the energy for gardening anymore. I used to help him cleaning his garden together but ever since he can't do it anymore, I would do as much as I can when we visited him. Now is just a memory that is still hard to swallow! 

After the funeral on July 16, we spent many days with my mother-in-law until it was time for me to go home with mountain of dirty clothes and plenty of things to get done since we left the house in emergency so the house was completely a huge mess. I left the house with tea time dishes unwashed, oven not wiped, clothes unfold, floor not swept and mopped and dining table full of dt work with paints and stuff. Even the sewing machine was not kept properly let alone fabrics and sewing materials all over the room.

Enough blab...thank you for reading so far {smile}. Today this moment ignoring a badge of laundry to fold {never mind that}...so eventually, I am able to share with you my long waited post for Digistamps4Joy mid-challenge reminder project I did before my father-in-law left us forever.

 A few close-up pictures:

The challenge will end at the end of this month so you still have ample time to submit your paper craft creations.

I hope my card gives you an inspiration to play with mixed media elements if you like that and create to your heart content.

Until I see you in the next couple of days. Take care and thank you for dropping by.

Hugs and smiles,

Tropical Paradise @ DS4J

{My DT work for Digistamps4Joy}

Hello friends! How is everyone doing? I was a little busy putting back things to their homes all last week after taking the pots and pans, Tupperware, plates and glasses for Eid Mubarak celebration. I cleared the jars on the coffee table and placed back the little vase with two guppy fish swimming happily in it giving me so much joy. On top of that I was able to spend a few hours over the weekend pulling some weeds near the bananas plantation at the backyard corner. One young banana tree is not growing green but turning yellowish that puts me in wonder. I've put in new soil and fertilizer so give it some days and I'll watch its progress. I also did one hour deep cleaning the master bedroom yesterday and moved furniture around. I've been quite busy I was too tired to blog anything the past days {oh well}.

Enough blab so let me take you to another new digital images released by Digistamps4Joy yesterday. Check out this link to see some fabulous images drawn by Margaret Kieser and Jen Lee. We hope the creations by the design team will give yo some inspirations as well to play with digital images.

This is what I made using Tropical Paradise (set):

I created a clean and simple minimalist mixed media ATCs. The bricks in the background was made with paste through gridlocked ARTplorations stencil and colored using watercolor paints.

While you are at Digistamps4Joy blog, you are cordially invited to join Chasing Rainbows Blog Hop in South Africa. It's a fun hop that takes you to several amazing bloggers offering delightful creations and some surprises!

That's it for me today. I wish you great weekdays.

Hugs and smiles,

Flutter & Fly {Junk Journal} @ MHKDesigns

{My DT work for MHKDesigns}

Hi everyone! Happy July to all. Let us all hope this month brings you the best of life and good health is all we want most of the time and probably some extra cash to put aside for something important eh. Life on my end is gradually returning to routine after spending a week for Eid Mubarak celebration. Today marks the 7th day of Syawal and in my country the celebration still continues with a tradition called open houses by owners. One sets a day for the event and invites families and friends to celebrate the occasion in harmony. This year I don't make open house because my home is always open for a cup of tea {smile}. Okay the truth is we have no plan for it this Syawal, perhaps next year, insyallah.

Enough blab. Let me lead you to MHKDesigns July Challenge. The design team ladies have created such amazing projects to kick start your crafty make.
I came up with my first artwork in my newest junk journal booklet made from brown shopping bag. I will have a tutorial coming soon about the way I made this journal.

I printed and adhered three dragonflies from Flutter and Fly digi stamp set to let them enjoy the colorful background in my journal. This is really a gorgeous set offering you beautiful eight images and five sentiments. Isn't that awesome? 

Here are a few close-up pictures:

I applied some layers of modeling paste on the page several times and used a plastic fork to swipe over the paste to create patterns as seen above. While it dried naturally, I fussy cut the dragonflies.  

When I felt I have completed everything, I knew I needed to add something more. Hence the doodle writing with black gel pen.

I decided to leave the butterflies as is without any coloring except highlighting the edges because they are the main focal point fluttering by to explore this new artsy background I created {chuckle}.

I splattered some white paints for additional interest.

That's it for today. I hope my junk journal gives you some ideas and inspirations to create this weekend. I also look forward to your entry submission at this link by the end of this month. You may create whatever you have based on this graphic below if you don't use MHKDesigns products:

Until I see you again soon and I shall try to make time and visit your blog one of these days. Thank you always for dropping by. I truly appreciate your visit and value your time.

Hugs and smiles,

4th Birthday Blog Hop @ STAMPlorations

{My DT work for STAMPlorations}

Hello everyone! The party continues at STAMPlorations blog hop today on Day Four.
We are all in a party mode and we are sure you will join us to congratulate Shery on 4 fabulous years.

My first card showcasing In-Bloom: Fancy Frangipanis stamp. I started off the background by using texture paste through Peonies All Over ARTplorations stencil. When dried I begun water coloring process as always. I colored the stamped flower with water color pencils and Alpha markers for the leaves. I really adore the beauty of frangipanis; so gorgeous!

Next is a mixed media tag with texture paste usage through Merry Go Round ARTplorations stencil in the background and giving it tones of colors with water color paints. The new product I used is Blossom Sprays 1 stamp and colored with water color pencils.

You are invited to hop along and stand a chance to winning awesome prize:

Why wait? The hop ends on 30th June so I suggest you hop on right away {smile}.

Here's where to find all the details of how to enter and the prizes on offer.

Check out the rest of today's inspiration here and hop along.

Till then. Happy hopping and see you again real soon with more happenings.

Hugs and smiles,