April Challenge Reminder - Spring is in the Air

Hi all,

It's reminder time for our April Challenge, and we have our fab Top 3 from March's challenge to bring you some inspiration today.  You can see full details and instructions on their personal blogs by clicking on the names on their photo's.

First up it's Sue:

Sue had this to say:

Hello there, I have been really excited to be picked by the Design team again to share with you an inspiration piece for the New Blog Challenge "Spring is in the air".

I have had so much fun making this piece especially using some of the new paints. 

Please pop over to my blog to take a look at how I created this. I hope it inspires you!

Happy Crafting Sue xx

And next we have Mac Mable:

Mac Mable told us: 

I am thrilled and excited to be asked to do an Inspiration piece for the reminder post for the ‘Spring is in The Air’ Challenge.

My project started as a card and ended up being a wall hanging!

The initial inspiration came from using the ‘Tulips Stencil Border’.

Thank you so much for inviting me to do the inspiration piece, I had fun creating the wall hanging and learnt lots along the way.

And third it's Jane:

Jane told us:
I was really thrilled to be in the top 3 and able to create this project for you today.  I love Spring and this piece was inspired by the beautiful butterfly and flower stamps that IndigoBlu do so well, as well as the fantastic new bright paints that have recently been released!  I chose to use a clock as it is a symbol of the passing of time with the changing seasons, hopefully a sign of warmer weather to come! :) Jane X

And then we have our lovely Cheremane from the Challenge Design team who made a beautiful reminder piece for us too:

 Cheremane

You can win Indigoblu stamps of your choice, and a Guest DT spot as either our Random winner or Top 3 as chosen by the Design Team.  For all the details see the challenge post HERE.

I think you'll agree these are beautiful, well done to our Top 3 and Cheremane. 

Don't forget to join us in the Challenge, we'd love to see your makes! You can enter HERE or on the main post. 

Best Wishes,

Indigoblu Challenge Design Team 

& Top 3 Winners.

March Challenge Reminder - Yellow, Pink and Green

Hi all, it's reminder time for the challenge. This month our challenge theme is 'Yellow, Pink & Green' and our Top 3 Winners from February's challenge, 'A Touch of Red', have some wonderful projects to share with us.

Before that however we have a big announcement... it's time to announce the winner of last month's blog hop!!! Thank you to everyone who took the time to visit each and every one of our International Design Team's blogs and see their projects.

We made a list of all those who did and randomly picked Craftyfield as our winner!!! Huge congratulations! Please email jenny@indigoblu.com to claim your prize - the complete set of Colour Me floral stamps!!!

Now, back to see what our Top 3 Winners from last month and a couple of our DT have created for this month's 'Yellow, Pink and Green' challenge.

First up it's Janette;

Janette had this to say:

I don’t have a lot of IndigoBlu stamps (Yet), but what I love about the IndigoBlu stamps is that they always fit my mood. I’m a “mood” cardmaker, sometimes I like to colour with Markers, sometimes with Ink and sometimes I don’t like to colour but just create something. For every “mood” I’m in the stamps fit.

And next is Aartje:

Aartje had this to say:

For this card I choose my favorite IndigoBlu stamp (wild meadow) and I have colored the background with distress inks. You can see on my blog here. 

And sadly Elaine couldn't be with us this time, but here is her blog if you'd like to see some of her other work.

Some of our DT have also made pieces to share, I hope they inspire you too!  This is an amazing set by Cheremane;

Cheremane

And our lovely Rachel has created this with the fab new Chemistry stamps;

Rachel

We also have on offer a fabulous prize of IndigoBlu stamps of your choice as follows:

As always, you have 3 options to choose from:

1:   2 Large stamp plates (A5)

or
2:   4 Small stamp plates (A6)

or

3:   1 Large and 2 small plates

There’s also the Winner’s Badge, and one for the Top 3, to display proudly on your blog, and the WINNER of the challenge will also be invited to do a GUEST SPOT on a future Challenge Launch post. That’s right, your work will be on the Challenge Blog alongside the Design Team!

Also the Top Three each month (chosen by our lovely DT) will all be invited to do an inspiration piece to be included on the new reminder post that now goes live mid challenge. So, if you’d like a chance to be featured on the IndigoBlu Blog get those stamps out and get creating!

You’ll find all the information on how to enter the challenge, the rules (don’t worry, there’s not that many) and get to meet the Design Team in the tabs on the sidebar.

So we hope you can join us, we'd love to see your entries!

Best wishes,

Indigoblu Challenge DT

& Top 3 Winners.

ENTER HERE.

February Challenge Reminder - Red is the Colour

Morning everyone,

It's been a couple of weeks since the start of February's challenge, and it's that time again, for a reminder.  We'd love to see your entries to the challenge, and here is a bit more inspiration from our fab team to get your crafting cogs working.  All we ask is that you use IndigoBlu stamps, and follow our loose themes, which this month is 'Red is the Colour'.

Dont forget, there are prizes up for grabs each month, you could win your choice of stamps from the following three options:

1:   2  Large stamp plates

or

2:   4 Small stamp plates

or

3:   1 Large and 2 small plates

And join us for a Guest DT spot on the next challenge.

We also have a monthly top 3 picked by our Design Team, and they also get the chance to Guest DT for us on the reminder post for this month.  It's brilliant to see all your work and have you alongside us!

So here is our lovely team's inspiration for this month's challenge:

Rachel

 

Cheremane

And our top 3 from last month's challenge have joined us as Guest Designer's, we are honoured to have their inspiration pieces.  Don't forget to click on our designer's names and hop across to their blogs to see how they made their inspiration pieces.

First up we have Anne:

Anne had this to say:

"I used the very first stamp I ever bought from IndigoBlu.  I coloured the whole piece with the new Tim Holtz Distress Crayons, hope you like it."

Next up it's Lesley:

Lesley used Bloomin Great, and Script background.  She doesn't have a blog but was very happy to make this piece for us.

And then we have Autumn:

Autumn has made this beautiful card and you can see her process over on her blog today.

I hope this has inspired you to join us, and you can enter the challenge HERE.

Best Wishes,

IndigoBlu Challenge DT
& Top 3!
xx

Challenge 30 - Top 3 Inspiration - Precious Metals

Good morning!

Lovely to have you joining us again on the challenge blog, today it's time for the Top 3 from Challenge 29 - Flutterby, to share the pieces they have designed especially for us, to inspire you further this month, in the 'Precious Metals' challenge.  You still have a few days to enter, hurry and join us HERE.

I think you will agree these lovely ladies have done us proud!  Hop across to their blogs via the links to see how they made these inspirational pieces.

First we have Jane:

Jane had this to say:

I cannot tell you how much fun I have had doing this card, I was transported right back to my childhood days of doing wax crayon rubbings on gravestones and leaves and all sorts of different textures....except that there were no wax crayons in this technique. I started out with a sheet of aluminium foil, I laid it over the CIRCLE DOT BACKGROUND stamp and rubbed over the top with my bonefolder, then defined the circles more with my ball tool, taking care not to tear the foil, then leaving the foil on the stamp, I gave it a coat of black acrylic paint, then added some brown, orange and teal paint, dabbing it on here and there with a sponge, when it was dry, I rubbed silver gilding wax over the surface lightly to bring out the circles. I matted and layered it onto shaped die cuts, and clear embossed the same circle stamp on the top layer.  I sponged FLITTERGLU onto the dinkie FLUTTERBY stamp, stamped it onto vellum,  and added the MORRIS DANCE mega flakes....ohhhh how I love that colour!!!, I cut them out and added them with a bit of silicone glue. I made the litttle banner using a word from the TRULYMADLYDEEPLY stamp, and added it with a couple of metal brads.

Next we have Mari:

Mari told us:

I was thrilled to have my card chosen as one of the top 3 entries of the previous challenge and honoured to be asked to do an inspirational piece for this month's Precious Metals challenge. I love stamping with FlitterGlu and coating the stamped image with Mega-Flakes, but this time I wanted to try something different. I stamped Elizabeth Bennet with brown ink on to kraft card and framed her with a die cut shape. I cut the frame from kraft card covered with double sided tape and then coated it with Chocolate Box Mega-Flakes. I love that the flakes are so big that I could pick the colours I wanted and place them where I wanted on the frame. I embellished my card with organza ribbon which has gold satin edges to complement the Precious Metals theme.

And finally it's Veerle:

Veerle told us:

 I have used the Mega Flakes Lancashire Rose. (This was my very first use of flakes ever. Must say i rather like doing it)

The stamps i used are the Peony Posey – the leaves from the Giant Peony and the Peony Dinkie.

Hope you like it. Have a nice day.

I hope you will agree, this is stunning inspiration from our Top 3 ladies of last months challenge.  You could be next, all you need to do is enter :)

So what are you waiting for... get creating and join us if you can, and win some fab Indigoblu stamps, and a guest spot on the blog.  Visit the Challenge HERE, and check out the rules HERE.  There aren't many, and it's worth a go.

Best wishes,

Indigoblu Challenge Team,
Demonstrators, & Top 3.

Challenge 26 Top 3 Inspiration - Off the Edge

Good morning all,

Today we have for you some wonderful inspiration for this months challenge 'Off the Edge', from our Top 3 winners of Challenge 25. You still have a few days until the challenge closes, you can enter the challenge HERE, or by following the instructions in the above tab and e-mailing us your entry.

First up, and in no particular order we have Sue Davies:

Sue had this to say:

Thank you very much for inviting me to do an inspiration piece. I decided to keep it small and I've decorated a slide mailer.

The mailer has been painted with acrylics in muted colours, and then stamped with images from the Yorkshire Evening Post plate. I then stamped onto paper and attached to the slide with Glossy Accents. Some of the images have been very lightly coloured with Distress Markers.

Next up is Christina Dore:

Christine said:

I have made a 12×12 scrapbook layout for the mid way IndigoBlu blog challenge “Off The Edge”  I have stamped Becca, Caitlin, Diana and Lost in Thought in each corner of some subtle checked patterned paper subtle checked patterned paper and then covered each image with a mask. Stamp all around the page going off the edge using the Bubble Background. The photo mat has been stamped with Rugged Edges.

I have also used the Splattered Heart with second generation stamping, and the saying from Caitlin stamped on top using black ink.

I hope you like my project. I am really enjoying using the IndigoBlu stamps for my layouts. They are such great designs and very versatile.

And last but not least, is Joan Turner:

I was very pleased to be invited to submit an inspirational project for the current IB challenge “Off the Edge”.

It is my husband's birthday this week and we were bemoaning the fact that birthdays seem to come around too quickly these days and how time flies – hence the inspiration for this card.

I have used  my favourite techniques to create a background with texture paste, stencils, stamps, paints and ink. No two are ever the same and you can just have fun playing, nothing is ever wrong and if you don’t like something you can paint over it and start again. Whatever you create will always be unique and personal.

I hope you will agree there is some fab inspiration here from our top 3 winners from the ''Spring Greens' challenge.  Very talented peeps!  Thank you so much ladies for taking the time to do this for us, your work is beautiful.

And remember, this could be you next month!  Just hop along and join us in the challenge HERE. xx

Best Wishes,

Indigoblu Challenge Blog Design Team.

xx

Challenge 25 - Spring Greens

Hi everyone. It's the end of one challenge and the start of another. We had some fab entries again this month - thank you all for entering.

The winner of Challenge 24: 'A touch of red is...'

# 24 MacMable

Congratulations MacMable. Please contact anna@indigoblu.com to arrange your prize and don't forget to grab your Winner's Badge from the Badges tab above.

The fabulous Winner’s prize this month is your choice of IndigoBlu stamps.  As always, you have 3 options to choose from:

1:   2 Large stamp plates

or
2:   4 Small stamp plates

or

3:   1 Large and 2 small plates

There’s also the Winner’s Badge, and one for the Top 3, to display proudly on your blog, and the WINNER of the challenge will also be invited to do a GUEST SPOT on a future Challenge Launch post. That’s right, your work will be on the Challenge Blog alongside the Design Team!

Also the Top Three each month (chosen by the DT) will all be invited to do an inspiration piece to be included on the new reminder post that now goes live mid challenge. So, if you’d like a chance to be featured on the IndigoBlu Challenge Blog get those stamps out and get creating!

You’ll find all the information on how to enter the challenge,  the rules (don’t worry, there’s not that many) and get to meet the Design Team in the tabs above.

This month’s Top 3 from the 'A touch of red challenge' as chosen by the DT are...

1: Alex Cross
2: Doreen's Dream
3: Heidi Schleimer

Well deserved congratulations to you all, and don't forget to grab your Top Three badge from the Badges tab above.

This months challenge is... Challenge 25: Spring Greens

Last month's winner, Shelagh, has made this beautiful piece of artwork for us;

Here is what she had to say:

Hi, Shelagh Metselaar here. A big thank-you to IndigoBlu for selecting my card as the ‘Glitz and Glamour’ winner and for sending my selection of stamps as a prize; to say I was surprised and delighted to win is very much an understatement and to be invited to design a project for this challenge is an even bigger thrill – oh! and the perfect excuse to forget the housework and craft for a legitimate reason! I must admit the theme did have me pondering for quite some time as my stash of IndigoBlu stamps is quite eclectic and nothing seemed to fit however after much head-scratching, a ghost of an idea formed and from there on in, it was all inks to the canvas!

Materials:-

·         Canvas

·         IndigoBlu Stamps:- Nature 1, Stylised Flowers

·         Inkpads:- Versafine Onyx Black, Versamark; Distress Inks – Pine Needles, Black Soot

·         Embossing Powder:- Wow Twinkling Green and Twinkling White; Clear Detail

·         Spectrum Noir Aquatints – Greens (from all sets)

·         Acetate:- Heatable

·         Pebeo:- Mixtion Relief Outliner, Mirror Gilding Sheets Green and Silver

·         Sakura:- White Pen

This project was quick to realise, once thoughts and materials were gathered (omitting drying time.)

Extras:-

·         Deep photo frame

·         Pebeo Fantasy Prisme Pale Green

·         Mod Podge Sparkle

Instructions:-

1.       I painted the canvas with water then dropped on the greens in areas allowing the variety of shades to fuse and keeping the blue-greens towards the top.

2.       Once dry, I stamped the ‘Stylised Flowers’ four times (‘off the page’) using Versamark Black and embossed with clear detail embossing powder. The butterfly was stamped three times using Versamark and heat-embossed using ‘Twinkling Green.’ The clouds were stamped twice, again with Versamark then heat-embossed using ‘Twinkling White.’
3.       At this point I blended Ranger Distress ‘Pine Needles’ and ‘Black Soot’ around the edges.

4.       The flower stems were out-lined on one side with a white pen; the seed-heads were outlined with the Mixtion and once dry but still tacky, silver leaf was applied. The same was applied to the centre of stems but once dry, green leaf was applied. P

NB The silver leaf looks white on the photo – oh! the joys of photography!

5.       I stamped the butterfly three times onto heat-proof acetate, embossed with the green powder as before and cut the images out.  I folded the wings back and attached them over the image on canvas with Cosmic Shimmer glue.

Extras:-

To finish the project, I painted the frame with pale green ‘Fantasy Prisme,’ the second coat stippling the paint to create the illusion of texture. Once dry, I applied Mod Podge ‘Sparkle’ to add more interest.  I removed the two peripheral acetate butterflies, placed the canvas inside the frame then glued butterflies over their stamped images but on the frame.

I hope you find the above useful and feel encouraged to ‘have a go.’

Thank you,

Shelagh.

What a beautiful piece of artwork from Shelagh for us this month, a huge thank you for being a guest designer this month, and congratulations on your prize again.

And here is the Challenge Design team's inspiration for you;

LindyLou

Gez Butterworth

Laura Williams

Nikki K.

Julie Cassidy

We'd love to see your work - do enter for your chance to win!

Good luck,
The IndigoBlu Challenge Design Team.

An InLinkz Link-up

Challenge 24 Top 3 Inspiration - A Touch of Red

Hi everyone,

Today we have for you some wonderful inspiration for this months challenge A touch of Red. You still have about a week until the challenge closes, you can enter the challenge HERE, or by following the instructions in the above tab and e-mailing us your entry.

First up, and in no particular order we have Claire:

Its such a pleasure to be joining the fabulous Indigo Bluebelles as Guest Designer this month. This challenge was a great excuse to use some of my favourite Indigo Blu stamps too. I began by stamping the A6 Poppy Heart stamp with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and coloured the image with alcohol markers before distressing the edges with my craft knife and matting on black card. I created a background with the gorgeous English Flourish stamp, using black archival ink on white card. The next layer was made using the A6 Harlequin stamp, again with black archival ink on white card. I've used black card to mat and layer and then added some lace, ribbon and a little paper poppy. 

Thanks again, I'm chuffed to bits to be GDT as I adore Indigo Blu stamps

crafty hugs

Claire xx

Next up it's Theresa:

I decided to go with the valentines's theme. I had bought this heart stamp from IndigoBlu that I was itching to use.  So I got out my brushos and decided to go with 3 colours. I used brilliant red, yellow and a green.
I spritzed the canvas with water and then sprinkled a few crystals of each and spritzed again with water. I kind of created little puddles of colour and then breathed heavily over thus creating the splatters.

I stamped heart onto tissue with black archival ink and when the canvas
was dry I stuck it down with modpoge. I inked the bubble stamp with glue and stamped it randomly along edge of the canvas. Once it had 'cured' for a couple of mins I used gold and variegated green gilding flakes.
I finished it off by adding some pearls to create more dimension.

This is my little project that i have wanted to realise for a while and I hope you like it.

Theresa


And finally the lovely Lyn:
:

The background I've inked on Indigo Blu stamping card. First the 'Harlequin' background was stamped using Vintage Photo distress ink, and then I used Antique Linen distress ink applied with an inking tool. On top of that I've stamped the 'Script' using Black Soot distress ink. This background is then matted on to red card leaving a very fine border.

The White Rabbit is from the stamp plate 'Alice 11' and is stamped and cut out then details coloured using Barn Door distress marker. The character is then 3D'd on to the background.

The butterflies are stamped from the 'Butterfly Collector' plate, cut out and coloured with Barn Door distress ink, and adhered to the background with their wings raised.

I hope you will agree there is some fab inspiration here from our top 3 winners from the Glitz & Glamour challenge.  Very talented peeps!  Thank you so much ladies for taking the time to do this for us, your work is beautiful.

And remember, this could be you next month!  Just hop along and join us in the challenge HERE. xx

Best Wishes,

Indigoblu Challenge Blog Design Team.

xx