Spring Into Spring

Hi, sorry I'm a day late, but real life is definitely getting in the way at the moment lol. The theme at Stampotique this week has been chosen by the lovely Valerie and she wants to see a spring in our step.
"In my town, there is still snow on the ground, but I'm hoping that if we keep thinking "Spring" really hard, that Spring will arrive! To encourage the arrival of Spring, I'd like to see you actually use springs or something that makes things spring up off your project!"
Here's mine, (there are lots of photo's but I'll keep the words down :-)  )

I've been folding books again, this time I folded every page, so it's a bit like the lanterns we used to make as children.

I stamped some images and started to colour, then realised it would take days to colour as many as I wanted, so I sprayed some backgrounds (yep I started stamping before I remembered the photo lol)

Stamped and cut out, by this time I never wanted to see my scissors again! Time to add springs so I set about coiling wire. My first ones were on quite thin wire, and I found that instead of being springy my guys were definitely droopy, so off they came and on with the thicker wire.

If I thought cutting was bad, try photographing a swinging book, in a breeze, with Stampotique bad boys who's only aim is to avoid the camera!

Stop Swinging!!!!

Round and round....

Different tree but still swinging, I blame the Flying Pig, he seemes to be the ring leader, and Romek keeps trying to make a run for it...

Anyway you get the idea 
Lots of stamps used here
Flying Bird
Flying Pig
Birch Tree
Wicked Witch
Dog Cube
Flying Monkey
Bunny
Upward Bound
Birdy Up
Owlseeyou
Paris Lamp Post
Romek and last but not least
Skull Balloons

I'm also entering this into the following
Mixed Media World use bright colours
Craft Stamper -colour
Pan Pastels -  anything goes

I hope you join in with our challenge, please remember the rules

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

Please read ALL RULES on the linkz page before linking your creation.

If you didn't follow the rules posted, you may have been deleted.  

Feel free to relink your creation with the correct information for a chance to win.

....and no digis!
If you've made it to the end, congratulations and thank you - now you can get on with the rest of your life :-)
Thanks very much for looking xx

I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

It's the fabulous Magda's turn to host the Stampotique challenge this week, and she has chosen circles. Here's what she has to say.
 I like using shapes in my projects especially circles. They can give interesting effects on projects depends in what way they are used. I would love to see circles on your creations. How you will use them, depends on your imagination. 

Here's my postcard.

I started with 3 colours of DecoArt Americana Multi Surface Satin paint.

Carefully applied :-)

Then a second coat, and stamping with Splattered Mug and Splatter Circle.

I credit card swiped quinacronine gold and magenta onto some card and stamped Screaming Bunny, and paper pieced his tongue and ears.

His bubbles have been stuck one, by one, by one, by oh dropped that one, by one, by blob of glue in hair, by one, by time for chocolate....

Unleash Yourself has been stamped, and this time I was careful with the painting :-)

Neil's asked why I've 'started sticking everything in books' Really simple, everything I make except for the odd card gets thrown into a big box in the corner. Once a year (or whenever I get sick of it) the big box in the corner gets thrown into the big bin outside. Bit of a waste, and lets face it crafting is not cheap! So now although things wont get 'used' at least it will be kept and not just get bashed about and then binned!
I hope you get chance to join in with our challenge this week, remember there are 2 $30 gift certificates up for grabs for April's lucky winners.
I'm entering this into the Craft Stamper colour challenge, Mixed Media World's use bright colours, and Pan Pastels anything goes.
 Hope you like it, and thanks very much for looking x

We're Not In Kansas Anymore...

It's the amazing Nellie's turn to pick the challenge this week at Stampotique and she has asked us to choose our favourite background technique. I think mine is the 'everything but the kitchen sink' technique so this is what I've made.

I've even remembered to take step by step photo's but you can skip these if you like :-).

My chipboard album painted with DecoArt multi -surface satins and a wee bit of Media interference paint in gold and lilac. (All the paints used throughout are from my stash of DecoArt paints. I've recently joined their Blogger Outreach programme and can't wait for my parcel to arrive :-)  )

 Ready for some PanPastels now. I've used gold, silver, and bronze over the top of Versamark. The stamps are
Text Block 3 and
Cracks

Some stenciling now with my favourite sunburst stencil and more DecoArt paint.

More stenciling and finally some stamping. Can you tell how the weather has changed - the sun keeps coming and going. I've stamped and painted Janet's 2 Nuage's  and France's Majestic Tree.

I've also added some of France's Romantic Text with orange PanPastel.

I've painted more card and stamped Majestic Tree and die cut to make a lolipop tree.
Dorothy and Toto have been watercoloured.

I'm pretty sure these guys were not in the Wizard of Oz! Jo's Mushroom Group and Kira's 3 Dwarfy Gnomes have been painted. I've used Spectrum Noir Aqua Marker's on the gnomes - I do like theses but have to practice not just using them as felt tip pens! The sun is shining again now lol and it really picks out the interference paint.
I've spent all day doing this ('cos I'm so slow) and I had a fab time so thank you Nellie for such a great challenge.
I hope you join in with us and show us your favourite background technique 

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

Please read ALL RULES on the linkz page before linking your creation.

If you didn't follow the rules posted, you may have been deleted.  

Feel free to relink your creation with the correct information for a chance to win.

I'm also entering this into the Pan Pastels Alter It challenge, Mixed Media World's Anything Goes (I bet they're fed up of me over there lol) and Simon Say Stamp Wednesday which is also anything goes.
Hope you like it, and thanks very much for looking x

Talk To The Animals

Hi, I've been having lots of fun playing with my Alice Palace stamps and DecoArt paints. This took waaay longer than I thought it would, but who cares I was having fun and the ironing can always wait - lets face it it's never going to go away is it. 
I've made a flip flop book

Ok so there's lots of pictures now but not too many words (phew)

I started by using an old credit card and DecoArt Multi Surface satin acrylic paints.

Chopped 'em up and added some stenciling with the same paints. I got a bit adventurous with the sewing machine too.

Then I got to work with the stamping. 

I know the ducks aren't Alice Palace, but they are by Crafty Individuals.

Lurve these bunnies, and a Robin isn't just for Christmas :-)

Are you still with me, lots more photographs still to go...

A bit of washi tape too on these.

So all my images stamped, time to make the book.
Yep more photographs...

Side one, followed by...

Side two, I know some are upside down but there is a reason...

'Cos when you fold it all up

They are now the right way up.

The front, please excuse the painty finger

And the back! This was such fun to make, the stamps are so cheerful and I loved working with the bright colours AND we had some sunshine today so I could take the photographs.

I'm entering this into the Crafty Individuals challenge which is The Animal World, the That's Crafty challenge which is Wings 'n' Things, the Mixed Media World Anything Goes, and Craft Stamper Anything Goes.

Hope you like my flip floppy book, and thanks very much for looking xx