Author: Bonnie

Welcome to my Blog Finding my way to forming this blog has been an interesting journey. In the past I never really thought about expressing my creativity. Growing up in Wyoming and in 4-H I did learn to sew but that was solely for making my clothes. I have continued to make most of my clothes since I first began to sew. Still not really thinking I was being creative. When my husband and I purchased a ranch, I started learning how to quilt, because a rancher friend wanted to learn, we could learn together. As well, I could really use the quilts. I ended up giving away more than I have kept for myself though. Still not really thinking I was being creative About the time we got the ranch I started sending some handmade Christmas cards. They just seemed more personal and authentic. Then about five years ago I discovered a web based company that offered stamps, card stock and inks that all coordinated. Plus the owner offered online videos of how to use these wonderful tools. And within her website she had an area where other crafters could post their creations and I could communicate with them. Over the next several years I concentrated on doing Christmas cards for family and friends creating about 100 each time. Slowly as I grew in confidence and skill I developed an interest in doing other celebration type cards and now I spend a lot of my time crafting cards whenever ranch chores allows. So maybe being a little creative. Well as fate would have it, that original site no longer offers a place where I can exchange ideas and card creativity in quite the same way as it did, so this blog was born. It has become a way to stay in touch with friends and post what I create in my craft room, almost daily. I still sew once in awhile and would maybe make a quilt again some day. Please feel free to email me at bonnie@enhancedequine.com.

Gnome for Christmas

Bonnie

Found this adorable gnome at Polkadoodles and even the inspiration layout. After printing on text vellum I used water colors with amazing results. Cut the two stars on Silhouette and folded the back piece at the top point to create a hinge that got glued to the inside of the front piece. Found the pp and sponged darker purple ink around outside edge then glued to front. Mounted gnome slightly popped up at center of his body with foam tape.

I was not sure how his smock would turn out colored in gold but I really like it. I did add purple glitter to the pompom with a glue pen for even more shimmer. Thanks for sharing your time with me, now I am sharing this with:

Krafty Chicks: Christmas

Digi Chooseday: ATG

Color Combo

Bonnie

My favorite of most things is what is on my plate at the moment. For this one, it is jade, yellow and brown. I created the bg with ink smooching in a turquoise ink pad. Added splatter in the other colors. Heat set the stamped image on to the Silhouette cut mat layer in brown embossing powder then water colored the image with jade and yellow. Attached only at the centers of the flowers to the bg. Used scraps of bg to stamp and heat set in brown the sentiment that was then popped up with foam tape. All is mounted on white cs base.

It sure makes embossing easy with splattered bg because the stray brown specks become part of the splatter.

Thanks for sharing your time with me now I am sharing this with:

Cupcake Inspiration: Jade, Yellow and Brown

Challenge Up Your Life: Anniversary

Sweet Stampin: Favorite Color Combo

Gesso – Two colors, two ways

Bonnie

My colorful layer was made using one piece of glossy photo paper that I smooched in purple, blue and turquoise inks. The ink pads were smeared on glass mat all at once then sprayed with alcohol then paper pressed several different was then using air puffer to move the colors on the paper. Once dry I sponged black gesso in the grape pattern and a script stencil then white gesso in more script stencils. The birthday card was the only one I had in mind when I started this project so the black paper base got white gesso through flowers at the base of birds on bird houses stencil. Then I added the black cs tag that has sentiment stamped in white embossing powder for the small font and the larger font is Silhouette cut in white on fussy cut outline in black. Once complete I looked at the background and thought it should have been white with black gesso. After making it again I decided to use the new design on the leftover colorful piece. Added a different tag with stamped sentiment sponged flowers and hand drawn outline with sponging bg.

Thanks for sharing your time with me, now I am sharing this with:

Crafting Happiness: Add a Sentiment

Mix It Up: Smooching

CAS Mix Up: Gesso

Many Layers

Bonnie

I am not good at CAS but I really suck at shabby chic. The greenery piece was stamped using turnabout gig with several stamps in several colors. It was then smooched in watered down brown ink. I distressed the edges then rubbed the brown ink pad over them as well as on the lace all in an effort to make them look aged. Mounted the distressed blue check pp then the focal image piece then the lace all on white cs base. Added corner piece that was cut on the Silhouette as was the banner that has brown stamped sentiment. Please share with me what I am not getting right to get the look I was hoping for because to me it looks way to contrived.

Thanks for sharing you time with me, now I am sharing this with:

CRAFT Challenge: Shabby Chic

Krafty Ckicks: Stamp Act

Colorful Options: Beautiful Brown

Same EF – Different Look

Bonnie

When I was working on the previous post, I ran some navy cs through the cattail folder that still had residual white ink. The white was faint but the impression was sharp. By smearing the white ink pad over the raised details I got a better look. I added details with pocsa pens in black, yellow and white. Mounted on white cs base then attached Silhouette cut sentiment.

Thanks for sharing your time with me, now I am sharing this with:

Creative Artiste: ATG

We Love to Create: ATG