I've Finally Caved...

and bought a gelli plate! I've resisted until now 'cos I've always said that my favourite part of making anything has been creating the background, but anyhow I've been and got one. That's great but I haven't a flippin' clue what to do with it. Sooo I watched an Andy Skinner video and decided to have a play. On reflection this wasn't the best of ideas - the man is a genius and I've had my plate for a day...
All of the paints used are DecoArt. I will try others another time and compare drying times etc.

Definitely not as easy as he makes it look in the video...

Many sheets of card later this is what I have ended up with. I also have 2 new favourite paints, quin lilac and magenta.

It was ok but definitely something missing, so I decided to chop it up.
This piece has been stamped over with a Finnabair stamp.

And this has been stamped onto tissue paper and the stencilling put back.
I'm entering them into the Thats's Crafty alphabet soup challenge. I now need to watch lots of you-tube on gelli plates (but not tonight!)
Enjoy your bank holiday weekend, and thanks for looking x 

Be Unique

The challenge at PaperArtsy this time around is circles, so I made a canvas.

Lots of fresco paints and stamps from HP sets and Darcy stamped onto tissue paper.
Hope you like it, and thanks very much for looking x

You Lookin' At Me....

Hi, and happy rainy Wednesday. Don't you just love the middle of Summer, it's the perfect chance to top up the rust! Today at Stampotique Kim has chosen the theme of  Anything Goes, so inspired (not) by all the rain, I've gone under the sea.

I started with a couple of colours of Deco Art Multi Surface Acrylic

and then added some stenciling with DA texture paste.

Next it was time for Marcel and Mansfield to make an appearance, along with the guys from the Starfish Cube.

Stampotique guys aren't remotely intimidated by mere barracudas!

Next came a layer of acetate, on which I stamped Seaweed and Birch Tree.

So that's another page in the book done. Only 2 left now to go!
I'm also entering this into the That's Crafty Under The Sea challenge, and We Love 2 Create anything mixed media.
Who can resist an anything goes challenge, I hope you all join in, and thanks very much for looking x

Summer In The City

Hi, it's time for my second piece for Country View Crafts and this time I'm heading for the city.

Another song I'm afraid, they just seem to get into my head, so I'll share it with you here and it can get in yours :-)

A very simple Brusho background made with lemon, yellow, and orange on Ranger Watercolour card.

The stencil is by Sheena Douglass, and I've also stamped the Stampotique Neverending wall and coloured with Distress pens.

I've used crackle paint for the Eiffel Tower.

I've stamped and water coloured some Stampotique stamps and cut them out.

A little bit of stitching on the plants

More stamping with Stampotique alpha stamps.

... and all done.

So I now have Summertime in the country and in the city.
There's still time to join in with our challenge, so please join us at Country View Crafts.

Thanks very much for looking x

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year...

No the kids aren't back at school yet, but it is time for the Stampotique blog hop.

You should have arrived from Carol's  blog and if you didn't, you may want to start the blog hop from the beginning (SDC blog). 

I got a bit over-excited with all the new rubber and tried to use as much as possible, so I made a box.

Here we have Ellie and I Can Sing.

Starfish Cube, Marcel Sea Turtle, and the older Barcode Text 2

Starfish Cube again, 

Mansfield Sea Turtle and

Approach With Caution text 

Just Keep On and Polka Dot Dog

And last but certainly not least Monster News, and the words from Ta-Dah

Next you should hop on over to Corrie's blog, and check out her amazing creation.

In case you get lost, here's a link to everyone's blog.

Janet Klein

Coby vanWilligenburg

Claudine Criner

Valerie Wilson

Carol Fox

Sue Davies

Corrie Herriman

Kathi Rerek

Samantha Read

Kristen Catalano

Nellie van Leeuwen

Kim Howard

Arwen McCullen

Jackie Payne

Gez Butterworth

We'll be giving away a $30 gift certificate for stamps and a grab bag of stamps on two of the blogs-but you won't know which ones they are so stop by and visit them all.  We will pick the winners on our first challenge in September.

Thanks very much for looking, and enjoy the hop! xx

She Loved Like Diamond.

I've been playing with my Dylusion stamps and paints today. I just managed to finish it before it started to rain, and rain, and rain some more.
Thank for looking, and enjoy what's left of the weekend x

I'm Late, I'm Late, I'm Late....

Yup nothing new there! I seem to have been playing 'chase my own tail' for the last 3 months/25 years now. Maybe I should take a self help course in staying focused lol. But anyhow, here's my Stampotique piece for this week. The wonderful Sam has set us this challenge. 
I recently read that the human eye likes things that are repeated, so for this weeks challenge I'm inviting you to use some sort of repetition on your creations. A stamp stamped more than once or even your own doodling, it's up to you but most importantly have fun!

I know it's a bit early for Christmas, but let's pretend that it's me getting organised rather than having new stamps to play with.

Just look at that face :-), this is Magda's Reindeer.
The tree is Tree - O - I'm so pleased that Jo Capper-Sandon has designed some more stamps.

Here's one of Jo's older stamps, Chilly.

and here's Giant Snowflake and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
All of the images have been coloured with Prisma and watercolour pencils.
I hope you join in with the challenge. remember there are gift certificates for 2 lucky winners.
AND on Monday there is the famous Stampotique Blog Hop where the design team will be showing you the fab new Autumn release stamps.
I'm also entering this into the Craft Stamper challenge, which is pens and pencils.
Thanks very much for looking x.

I Shall Wear Purple

The challenge at That's Crafty this time is Purple Passion.

 The background has been made with lots of DecoArt paints and an Andy Skinner stencil.
The lady is a Dina Wakley stamp, and I drew the hat myself woo-hoo. It's my handwriting too - now you know why I don't normally show this.
Warning is one of my favourite poems, and I really love some of the ideas. I wont be wearing purple though as I've worn it for the last 10 years as my work uniform, but I shall definitely hang around supermarkets at lunch time lol.
Hope you like it, and thanks very much for looking x

Not My Circus...

Just a quick one from me today as I've 'borrowed' Chris's lap top (it's SO not like him to put it down, it's like his mobile phone, it never leaves his side - strangely enough though it never rings when it's me calling, but that's another story) Anyway the challenge this week at Stampotique  has been chosen by the fabulous Jackie, and she has picked 'animals'

I have to thank our lovely Carol for alerting me to this saying last week. I'd never heard it before but it cracks me up :-)

Flying Monkey has been stamped and coloured with Prismacolor pens. He has glittery wings too but that's not showing up so well. I think all circus flying monkeys should have glittery wings :-).

As a member of the design team we have to swear an oath not to have a favourite stamp. But if we didn't Roc's new Ellie would be fighting for the title. Can you tell that she's really not impressed with the monkeys!

All stuck down in the book to keep it nice rather than filing in the big cardboard box in the corner.

My computer should be back again at the weekend, but I've been told that if it goes again I will need a new one, so I've started to look at new ones. They have certainly changed since I got my old thing. I have Windows 7 on mine, and at least I know where to look for things on this. It's Windows 10 now, and it seems that I've been lucky missing out on Windows 8!
I hope you join in with our challenge this week, and thanks very much for looking x

I'm also entering this into the Craft Stamper challenge as this month it's a technique challenge to use pens and/or pencils.

Watch The Birdie

Hi and happy Wednesday, it's time for another challenge at Stampotique, and this time Claudine has chosen selfies or photobombing.
We all know those crazy animals or people who make funny faces behind or in front of us while we are taking a photo or those who like to take photos of themselves. Well this challenge is all about that. I want to see those funny photo bomb projects or your best selfie.

I've used my favourite couple Courting and
Flying Monkey is doing the bombing.

Bazinga has been stamped onto shrink plastic with Altered Alpha.
Hope you like it, it's a real fun challenge so please join in with us.

Thanks very much for looking x

Computer Problems Again

Hi, so sorry that I've not been visiting blogs lately but my computer really is on it's last legs. Hopefully normal service will be resumed shortly...

Lazin' On A Sunny Afternoon

White Rabbits, white rabbits and a happy August! It's the first of the month so it's time for a new challenge at Country View Crafts and this month the lovely Alison has chosen Summertime. 

What a nice idea, just to be lazin' - I seem to be living the life of the headless chicken at the moment lol.

There are a couple of photographs missing as unfortunately they didn't make it through the recent life saving surgery on my computer. 
The background is a Sheena Douglass stencil on black card. I've used DecoArt white gesso as a base then Pebeo Dyna paints - these are really fab on black card.

I sprayed a couple of backgrounds with Dylusion inks all ready for my lazy girl.
She's made from a couple of old Dyan Reaveley stamp sets. It's a shame that as we get new stamps we sometimes forget the old ones.

The words were also stamped with Dylusion alpha stamps. I've attached my girl with brads so she's very flexible now lol.

She's safely stuck in the album and the song quote has been finished off. I'm a very old bird so I remember this Kinks song.

I do hope you join in our challenge. Have a lovely weekend, and thanks very much for looking.