December creating with Beck BT

Hi Everyone, it's Beck Beattie here today to share with you some creative fun I had with my MegaFlakes!  Oh how I love the metallic goodness that it brings to so many projects!  I decided to create this altered bottle to share with you today and inspire you to pretty up your home.

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I started out with this bottle I picked up at the dollar store, looking a bit bland and trying to be on trend.  I knew this could make the prettiest bottle so I set about adding some glam to it.  

Using my Mega Flakes Starter Kit I added some Winter Dawn Mega Flakes to some cardstock.  I then die cut it as I find that trying to brush the megaflake from the die cut once it is cut out can be tricky as it catches easily.  I then added it to the bottle along with some hessian, jewels and oh my what a difference it makes!

I hope you enjoyed my share today and I've inspired you to do some home decorating of your own.

Happy Creating!

xxxBeck BT

 

Magazine Holder with Indigoblu Mixed Media Papers

I love finding ways to decorate my home or studio and I know I cannot be the only one that has a ton of magazines, craft and otherwise, around the house that need stored.  I ran across a great clearance sale at my local Staples office supply store and could not help but think how beautiful they would be covered in beautiful IndigoBlu Mixed Media Papers. I've used some from the new European Grand Tour 12x12 pack.

Remember you can transform most anything with these gorgeous papers, the thickness and quality lends itself beautifully to home decor projects.  I hope you will give this one a try.

This was not anywhere near my style, but it was only $2.00 so I could not resist!

Cover the entire outside surface of the magazine holder.  Be sure to cut strips and wrap around the edges to make the edges look clean. Use a craft knife to cut around the front metal plate.

This is a magazine holder, but filled it with my holiday catalogues to remind me to check them out for holiday shopping before I forget, then I will fill with magazines.

Candy Rosenberg, A Vintage Girl.

www.AVintageGirl.com

Big News for IndigoBlu and a Canal Grande Canvas

Hi everyone and welcome! I've got a new mixed media canvas to share with you but before that some big news...

Until now the IndigoBlu International Design Team have posted their amazing pieces of inspiration and sneak peeks of new product on the IndigoBlu blog and the fabulous Challenge Design Team have shared their beautiful work alongside our winners and guests here on the IndigoBlu Challenge blog. So you've had to make the journey to two places for your 'fix' of IndigoBlu inspiration. Well not any more...

From today you'll find both teams, the inspiration, the challenges, the news, the winners, the prizes, the offers and all those sneak peeks in one place - here at the revamped IndigoBlu Blog. You'll be able to follow us easily and see the latest posts coming up straight away - just make sure you become a follower!!! We look forward to seeing you here...

More news? OK then. Back by popular demand, Kay Halliwell-sutton will be on your screens again this weekend with some fabulous shows on Hochanda. See her there on Saturday 12th Dec 2015 - 8pm, and Sunday 13th Dec 2015 - 7am, 9am, 12pm, 4pm and 7pm.

Now for that canvas. Anyone who's followed me on my blog over the past few months knows I finally got to add a big tick to my 'bucket list' by taking a romantic trip to Venice with my wonderful hubby. Talk about inspiring (Venice I mean, not hubby bless him - although he's special in his own way!) I took hundreds of photos and got lost in the magic of that incredible city. So when we were given some new 'European Grand Tour' Mixed Media Papers to play with I was beside myself with one particular design - a view of the Canal Grande looking down towards the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. I added it to a canvas board and then the fun began!

It really didn't need much to enhance this beautiful paper; I scratched at the edges to distress the canvas, added an initial layer of dilute Gee-Sso Good! gesso in places, spritzed some dilute Goldfinger Metallic paint to add to the warmth, stamped some messy black areas using the 'Tasty Textures' stamp set and used clear texture paste through the coordinating 'Texture' stencil as a base for more embellishments. Having worked out where I would put one of my many photos, I added some pieces of lace, a few beads and pearls, some brass buttons and trinkets, moulded elements (including the frame) and metallic threads. Some more dabs of gesso helped make the Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Mists work well to colour these textures. The sentiment comes from the Grand Tour I stamp set - it seemed utterly appropriate! Now for some close ups...

Now I've gone to town a bit on this and enjoyed every minute of it, but I'm sure you'll agree the paper does most of the hard work on this canvas. Want it? Need it? Start bugging your retailers for European Grand Tour Mixed Media Papers as they'll be released to the trade in January along with the Tasty Textures stamps and Textures stencil.

That's it for now. Don't forget, you'll find everything IndigoBlu including more new releases here at the IndigoBlu Blog now so make sure you're a follower. And tune in to see Kay this weekend!

Have a great weekend, and whatever you're up to take care of yourselves.

Jenny xxx

Challenge 34 - Winter Blues - Top 3 Reminder

Morning everyone,

It's challenge reminder time, and today we have some inspiration for you from our fab Top 3 winners from last month's challenge, Time Flies.

They have stepped up to the plate and made us some brilliant pieces to give you inspiration for the Winter Blue's challenge.

First we have: Claire

Claire had this to say:

Its such a thrill to be asked to join the talented team as a Guest Designer for the winter blues challenge. It's also a great excuse to play with my new metallic acrylic paints to decorate these MDF baubles. I used Sleeping Beauty and Vodka Martini for the background and then used lots of different Indigo Blu Christmas stamps with White Gee-so good to stamp the images. I added dimension with Snow White paint and gilded the edges with Winter Dawn gilding flakes.

Thanks again, its a real pleasure to be your GDT :-)

Claire xx

Next up is Wanda:

Wanda had this to say:

Hi, Wanda here. Last month I was the lucky winner of my choice of fabulous IndigoBlu stamps. Wow! How lucky am I? I was asked to do another project as a bit of mid-term inspiration. So I decided to create a candle centrepiece for our Christmas table. My dining room is blue so this was an ideal opportunity to kill two birds with one stone (horrible saying that, isn't it?). 

Wanda xx

And then we have Cathryn:

Cathryn told us:

Hello! I was really chuffed to be asked to do an inspiration piece for the “Winter Blues” challenge, and I wanted to do a really lush vintage card using the lovely

Indigo Blu Christmas Compendium mini postcards as my main focus. Pop over to my blog at www.pinxtoncraftclub.blogspot.com where I tell you more about how I made this card.

Thank you to our amazing top 3 this month, beautiful inspiration I hope you'll agree.

Don't forget you can win a fab prize of your choice of Indigoblu stamps, and a guest DT spot on the blog. Keep on entering, we love to see your fab frosty work!

All we ask is that you use Indigoblu stamps in your creation, you can check out the rules here, and join us and enter HERE.

Best Wishes,

IndigoBlu Top 3

Challenge 34 Reminder - Winter Blues

Morning everyone,

Today is reminder day for the Indigoblu challenge, and this month it's 'Winter Blues'. We'd love you to enter your Indigoblu makes, with blue tones in. That's all we ask, Indigoblu stamps and a bit of blue!

The prize on offer this month is: 

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 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 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.

We have some fab inspiration for you from our lovely ladies, I hope it inspires you to enter! (Just think of that extra Christmas present for yourself!).

Rachel

Lisa

Lydia 

Cheremane

Maxine

Hope we have inspired you to enter the challenge, you have until 8pm on the 20th December, and can enter HERE. 

Best Wishes,

Indigoblu Demonstrators. 

Challenge 34 - Winter Blues

Morning everyone,

Well it's seems good timing with this challenge, the cold has set in and I know some of you have had snow already! So go and keep warm and stay safe, in the craft room somewhere, and join us in the challenge this month for 'Winter Blues'. All we ask is that you use Indigoblu stamps, and the theme is.. well... mostly blue!

Our random winner from the 'Time Flies' challenge is:

Congratulations Gail. Please contact headhoncho@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 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 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 'Time Flies' challenge, as chosen by the DT are...

1.  Claire's Crafty Creations
2.  Strangely Creative
3.  Sunshine Crafter

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

Our well deserved winner from the last challenge 'Time Flies', was Wanda, and she has created these lovely ornaments for us as inspiration for the new challenge.

We were delighted to have Wanda join us as honorary DT this month, and this is what she had to say:

"I was excited to be given the chance to provide a project for inspiration for the new challenge. I decided to combine this project with my wish to decorate the MDF Christmas shapes in shades to match my newly decorated dining room.

I used the following Indigo Blu stamps - Snow Globe, Twinkle Star and Snowflake Lace. I used English Cottage paints in the following colours - Pantry White, Park Lane, Grandma's Teacup, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. I also used white gesso to prime the shapes. The texture paste, glitter, gems and ribbon are all from my stash. You can't have too much bling at Christmas!"

And to warm your cockles, we have a lot more inspiration from our fabulous Challenge DT:

Joanie

Giovanna

Nikki K

Rachel

Lydia

Cheremane

Emmy

Claire

Maxine

Wenda

Kay

Julie

Please hop across to our team's blog's and leave them some love if you have the time. They would love to hear your comments.

So come and join us, you could win some fab stamps, and a guest spot on the DT for the next challenge! Our top 3 also get to join us for an inspiration post, it's so nice to see your work!

Good luck,

Best Wishes,

The Indigoblu Challenge DT.

Please enter here: 

An InLinkz Link-up

Challenge 33 Top 3 Inspiration - Time Flies

Good morning everyone, 

Today is Top 3 reminder day, our winner's from the last challenge as chosen by the DT. Unfortunately two of our ladies were unable to take part, but we have a stunning card for inspiration from Carolyn.

Carolyn had this to say:

I was so pleased to be selected in the top 3 for my first ever entry into any craft blog challenge. It was Jenny Marples that inspired me to create a blog after I showed her some photos of my cards  when she did a recent demo at Daisy's in Coventry. 

The colours used included hickory smoke, black soot, weathered wood, mustard seed, dried marigold and ripe persimmon distress ink pads to create the background. I stamped the ink onto my craft mat, spritzed with water then laid the card onto the mat to pick up the colour. For the other colours I stamped the colour onto acetate, spritzed and then laid over the card, drying with heat gun between each colour. I used the clock embossing folder to create the clocks and stamped the butterflies and dragonflies with black memento ink pads. The butterflies were cut out and glued onto the background with the wings curled to create dimension. 

I'm new to blogging so very few posts to date but look forward to creating and adding more in the near future. I also intend to add some of my cards I have previously made.

Isn't this a gorgeous card?  Please hop over to Carolyn's blog and leave her some love if you can.

Here is our Challenge DT's and Demonstrator's inspiration again for you, in case you missed it first time around.

Giovanna

Rachel

Joanie


Wenda


Emilia


Lydia


Julie


Cheremane


Gez


Claire


Kay


Maxine


Lydia


Cheremane


Nikki K

I also wanted to share these again as I think the teams have outdone themselves this month, I'm sure you will agree there is some fantastic work here.  Of course, we'd love you to join us, you could be blogging with us next month if you win, or claiming the prize which 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

You can join in the challenge below, check it out, you still have until 8pm on the 20th to enter, and we'd love to see your makes!

Best Wishes,

Indigoblu Challenge DT

Indigoblu Demonstrators &

Indigoblu Top 3 Winners

An InLinkz Link-up