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Wednesday 31 October 2012

It's Halloweeeeeeeennnnnnnn

The theme this week over at Stampotique is funny Halloween, and has been chosen by my teamie Astrid. Every year Halloween is getting bigger over here, so I had to join in.
My background has been made by using stamps, distress inks, stencils and sprays.
The houses are Tim Holtz dies and have been painted with Verday Paints and sprayed.
The fence has been made by stamping 
Roc's Stacked Boxes onto canvas and turning it onto it's side.
Kitty is wearing a nice hat which is cut from a piece of ribbon, along with the spider which is dangling over wee owl.
This was great fun to make and I hope it arrived safely with my niece and nephew.
Stamps used
Crow Line
Tree
Vintage Script
Kitty
Halloween Cube 2
Wee Owl
Stacked Boxes
Halloween Cube 1

I'm also entering this into the Pan Pastel Halloween challenge, and Fashionable Stamping Halloween/Halloween Colours.

Thanks very much for looking x

Self Propelled Flowers for TIO

Yep that's another two weeks gone by, and it's time for another challenge at Dragons Dream Tag It On. My lovely teamie Gabrielle has set the theme of  Self Propelled Flowers, which means she want's to see butterflies, flowers and locomotion/movement of some sort. It also needs to be on a tag, and using at least one real stamp. Phew got it, well here's mine...

I must admit this didn't come easily, and the big blue filing cabinet under the desk (marked rubbish) is groaning a little. Whoever said that there are no mistakes in craft, just happy accidents really needs to take a look in my bin!
But with the spirit that made Britain great I soldiered on  - stubborn oh yes I will NOT be beaten by a challenge lol.
Sooo, base tag inked with dye inks then overstamped with The Paper Company flower and butterfly stamp. 
This took care of the flowers and butterflies, for the movement I stamped the Paper Artsy flying clock onto the Metal on Card and rubbed some Inca Gold over the top and attached with a ribbon.
Back to the flowers, many years ago I ordered some dried flowers from Joanna Sheen, and they are still as lovely now, so on they went. Finally the acetate butterflies were given a good stickling with the old Ice Stickles. Unfortunately it is so cold now in the conservatory that it decided not to dry.... ever! Their antennae are little beaded flowers on stems - get it self propelled flowers - mission accomplished!
Although a pain to start with, I really enjoyed this once I got going, and I had half an idea of what I wanted to do.
Please pop over to TIO to check out the other fabulous examples from the dream team, then please join in.
Thanks very much for looking x

Saturday 27 October 2012

Frilly And Funky

The ladies over at Frilly and Funky are asking for 'Anything But A Card with a twist. The twist being that it must have another compartment for something to be hidden.
Here's the front of my slide mailer. I was lucky enough to see Leandra from Paper Artsy demoing her paints at Doncaster last Sunday. I loved her 'bumping' technique and have tried it here.
The paints are all Paper Artsy, and the stamps are  Lynne Perrella set 4, and a Stampotique text stamp. The little bits of red is Inka Gold with a little bit of water added.
This is the back of the mailer. More stamps from the same plate with a bit of Inka Gold around the edges also. I often see a stamp that I love, must have, buy, then put away un-inked, so it's really nice to use this set in the same week/month/year that I bought it!
And here's the 'hidden' compartment. The slides have been inked with alcohol inks, and stamped with Archival.
The tassels have been stamped onto PaperArtsy Metal on Card (love this!), and the metal 'button' is the card that's gone through an embossing folder then shaped with an embossing tool.
I really enjoyed making this, and I know these stamps will get loads of use.
Thanks very much for looking, and enjoy your extra hour in bed in the morning x

Wednesday 24 October 2012

On The Case

Today it's the lovely Jenn's turn to set the challenge at Stampotique, and she has chosen to do a CASE study. I've only done this once before and I thought you had to literally copy everything about a project which I thought was a bit naughty, but Jenn explains it so much better.

Hello!  Today I have a fun tag for Stampotique Originals Designer Challenge #71 Case Study.  Now for many of you, casing is something you do for every project.  Find a company, find a designer who you like their style, then totally use their project as the inspiration for your project.  Maybe you only take away the color, or the medium, or maybe just the stamp.  But casing cards and projects has been around as long as their have been crafts!
So the Stampotique Designers want you to use one of their projects as inspiration for yours!
I've used Kaz as my inspiration, I always look at her projects and give myself the 'why didn't I think of that' slap on the forehead. (The honest answer is because I am totally scared of white space, and I can't doodle for toffee!)
I really did enjoy making this  - I did the doodling first around the edges 'cos I knew that if I did the colouring in then messed up I would be rather er unhappy lol.
The stamp is one of Maria's, and it's lovely, just the right amount of cute!
I just stamped 7300 Zara's Gift and coloured with Prisma pencils, then coloured the circles beneath through a stencil.
So have a look through the Stampotique Designers blog, and let it inspire you!
Thanks very much for looking x

Wednesday 17 October 2012

I Can Resist Anything But Temptation

It's my turn to pick the ingredients for the Tag It On recipe this fortnight, so I thought I would keep it nice and simple. I've gone with  a resist technique, (use any you like) the colour red and a temptation. Now I could have made a red tag with chocolate hob nobs on (I'm sure melted chocolate is a great resist) but where's the fun in that!
I stamped my Cherry Pie bubbly stamp in versamark and embossed with white EP. I then sprayed yellow PP mist through a stencil, and wiped off the embossing.
I sponged over the white bubbles with various colours of Stazon.
The Bombshell stamps were just coloured in with Prisma pencils and cut out, and the 'condemned' is a rub on.
So please join in and show me what tempts you (oo er) and remember to use at least one real stamp.
Thanks very much for looking x

With Apologies To Father Ted....

It's Carol's turn to choose the theme in this weeks Stampotique Designers Challenge, and she's chosen one of my favourites - backgrounds.
"It's my turn to set the theme this week for the Stampotique Designer's Challenge. I love to use my rubber stamps for my backgrounds, so this week you are challenged to use your stamps for your backgrounds, as well as your main focal image.

What I love about using your stamps in this way is that you can get a truly original background as even you will never be able to get the same one again."

Ever since I saw Kira's Owl Tree it reminded me of the Father Ted sketch where Dougal is confused with small or far away. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25N-4zrk390 I can watch this a thousand times and still laugh.
I wanted to do my background on black and use some bleach but I think I must have the wrong card 'cos I used thick bleach, thin bleach, strong bleach, weak bleach and very smelly bleach but my black stayed black! If anyone knows a good black card for bleaching please let me know.
Sooo Plan B... white card, lots of distress ink for the base, stamped and embossed with Vintage Script then overstamped with water for the ghosting effect.
Then a mixture of stamps stamped in H2o's and perfect pearls. This is very twinkly IRL.
It was a shame to cover these gorgeous new stamps up!
I've used Heart Vine
Flying Heart
Grass
Vintage Script
Owl With Wings
Wee Owl
Owl Tree
Tree
Great Moon
All of these are available from Stampotique Originals.

The owls have distress ink backgrounds too. Great Moon has been stamped on text paper, and the stars behind Owl With Wings have been stamped with the star stamp on the bottom of the moon.
The tree has been coloured with capuchino perfect pearl mist , and Wee Owl has been made into a brad.
Owl Tree has been stamped and embossed, and their eyed dabbed in with a white gel pen.

I really enjoyed this challenge, so thank you very much Carol.
So now it's your turn to make your own stamped background and join us using the link. Don't forget you can still join in the Whatever the Weather and Scrap It challenges too.
Thanks very much for looking.

Tuesday 9 October 2012

It's A Christmas Card - Out of a Hat!

This week Out of a Hat  has gone over to the dark side and asked us to make a Christmas card or tag (I'm only joking, I LOVE all things Christmas) My friend Jo  has recently shown me this technique, so here's my card.


The stamps are all Tim Holtz's, and the silver ink is Stazon Metallic, which I've had for ages but never used ('cos it's a naked inkpad and a bottle of ink and I never get round to opening these) Now it's opened it will definitely be my go to silver inkpad - it's fab!
Would you believe it took almost as long to get the ribbon right as it did to make the card, and it still reminds me of a slightly surprised Hercule Poirot lol.
So that's 2 Christmas cards done way hey - no pressure there then round about the middle of December!
Thanks very much for looking x

Sunday 7 October 2012

Isn't She Lovely, Isn't She Wonderful...

Linda at Studio L3  has us turning to page 59 this week in Tim's Compendium of Curiosities 2 , and that means that we're doing the Alcohol Ink Resist Technique. As Forrest Gump would say 'That's all I have to say about that' 
The ones on the left and bottom have been made using Tim's technique, and the one on top has been painted on the back with silver and purple acrylic paints. Whoops forgot to say that they are all glass microscope slides. They have been stamped with Stampotique Crow Line, and Halloween sets 1&2.

So, slides need a mailer to keep them in...
Here's the front, using the same images. The mailer has been inked in distress stains then had loads of UTE and Frantage powders and glitters applied.
Happy Daze stock both Stampotique stamps and the Frantage range.


This is the inside, with the slides in situ. IRL you can't see the glue so much (well I can't, but then again I can't see anything so much ) It's all been painted in silver acrylic, then stamped with more Stampotique stamps. My bats have been coloured in Dylusion ink in Graphite - I love this but I don't think you can get it anymore, so I'm quite mean with it!
And the back - my pretty is a combination of a skull from the Halloween cube, Prom Queen, and the lovely new Flying Heart. This and the Heart Vine are two new stamps by Roc Nicholas and I love 'em! Don't know why but I was whistling Isn't She Lovely all the time I was messing with this lol. Again lots of UTEE and Frantage, and a healthy dollop of Tim's Rock Candy Crackle. 
I had great fun making this and to me that's what it's all about.
I'm entering this into the following challenges. 
Studio L3  Alcohol Ink Resist
Pan Pastels - Altered/Recycled
Craft Room - Alter It
Happy Daze - Something Wicked This Way Comes
Thanks very much for looking x

Friday 5 October 2012

It's Twinchie Time Again

It's anything goes this time at Show Us Your Twinchies so I've gone with a Christmas theme. It's black cardstock that's been stamped and inked and painted.
I'm really enjoying the Twinchie challenges, so thank you very much ladies.
Enjoy your weekend, and thanks for looking x

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Leaf It Out!

Helen has chosen the theme this time around on TIO, and she has chosen (drum roll please) leaves, metal, and the colour orange.
So to me orange is for pumpkins, and pumpkins are for Halloween, and Halloween means Edgar, and Ravens and so here we are.
The background is Distress Inks that have been blended, and then a leaf stencil over the top and more ink added. The Stampendous stamp has been inked in black Versamark and clear embossed, and a very handsome bird he is too.
I put metal tape around the edges, then added some silver embossing enamel to blend it in.
The bird and leaves have had a coating of Frantage embossing to give it a bit of texture, and the ribbon has been died with a Radiant Rain dauber.
I just love the Frantage range - can you tell lol.
This is not at all what I had in mind when I started the tag, but it seemed to come together nicely so I'm sticking with it!
Please check out my teamies tags, then gather your ingredients and come and join us. It's the usual terms and conditions - you must use at least one real stamp (but the more the merrier).
I'm entering this into the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge which is leaves.
Thank you very much for looking x


Its Raining Men!

It's my first time around as Hostess of a Stampotique challenge, and as a Brit (actually I'm from Yorkshire and that trumps any country) I know that our main topic of conversation is NOT the X Factor, or this weeks favourite celebrity -  but the weather. 
It can rain for three months and we will still have a hosepipe ban, we will complain about the cold, but as soon as the sun comes out - it's too warm! So my challenge is Whatever The Weather.
I had this idea in my head and it wouldn't go away, so I had to run with it. This started life as a cheesy triangle box and just grew from there.
It took me about three days to make and a week to photograph! There was too much light, not enough light, too much wind or a dodgy background, and the Mad Hatter would NOT stop twizzling around on his bit of wire! 
All of the papers used are Basic Gray, and the guys have just been stamped and coloured with Prisma pencils and attached to said cheese box with wire. The umbrella's have been cut using Tim's die.
 More BG papers for the letters  these were cut with a Tim Holtz decorative strip.
I love Roc's flying bird stamp, though to me she will always be The Dove From Above.



Here they are in all of their glory. If it really was raining men I would definitely choose Smile  - or just any guy who brought chocolate lol.
So please join me and show us some weather. Remember you can use any stamps you like (but we love it when you use Stampotique). Don't forget there are two $30 gift certificates up for grabs at the end of the month to buy more lovely rubber.
Thanks very much for looking x

Stamps used
2416 flying bird
2405 Scalloped Lace Border
6078 Smile
6103 Twinkie
9233 Mad Hatter
9232 The Tweedles
6075 Wilbur
and they can all be found at Stampotique Originals