Smile While You Still Have Teeth

 Good morning and a very happy Friday. Today I'm over at the Ink Art Designs Stamping Playground with a birthday card that I made with lots of Katzelkraft stamps, and a Rubber Dance sentiment.

I started by making my background with the Katzelkraft cloud stamp (I love this!) and a Lavinia stencil.

Then I stamped, coloured and cut out my animals. Oops spare part surgery required. New horns for the cow, and an extra leg for the sheep!

As I was saying, animals coloured and cut out, all ready to assemble.

There we go, all horns and legs present and correct. I love how these two sentiments work together. The top one is from Rubber Dance, and the bottom one is by Katzelkraft.

Honestly, how many stamp sets does it take to make one card!

I hope you like it, and please join in with our challenge to win some new rubber!

Take care, and have a very happy weekend x

A Memorydex Trio for Ink Art Designs

Good morning and happy Friday. Today I'm over at Ink Art Designs with my trio of Memorydex cards.

Don't you just love these Katzelkraft animals, they always make me laugh.

I started by brayering some backgrounds with DecoArt Premium Acrylics, then adding some stencilling and stamping with the Rubber Dance  Grungy Borders, and Grungy Stuff.

 Just look at that face, who could resist this Katzelkraft guy.

And here's his friend. The quotes are from Tim Holtz's Snarky set, and as always say just the right thing!

 This is Horace, and he comes complete with his own quote. He can be found here in Dot's store.

And here they are all together again.

Please pop across to the Ink Art Designs facebook page, and enter our challenge. Its always Anything Goes with any brand of stamp that Dot sells in the store.

Have a great weekend, and thanks very much for looking x

Time To Take Over The World

Good morning and happy Wednesday. I'm back over at Ink Art Designs today with my second piece of the month, and I've decided that it's time to take over the world.

 I started by die cutting a huge tag shape. This one is by Tonic. Then I coloured the background with Distress and Distress Oxide inks. The stars are from the Studio Light Art By Marlene range, and the words and orbs are from Lavinia

Then I added some Portfolio pastel dots through a stencil just to knock it back a little and add a bit more texture.

 I stamped my handsome Alice Palace turtle for Crafty Individuals onto some scraps of gelli plate prints.

 They look so determined and I'm sure they could take over the world. This fun quote is by Rubber Dance. 

Just click on the logo to be transported to Dot's store where you can find all of these stamps and more!

Have a very happy day, and thanks so much for looking x

My Mother Had Me Tested

Good morning and happy Wednesday. I'm so happy to be sharing my first design team piece for Ink Art Designs. I love these Katzelkraft stamps, and they were inked up the day after I received them!

My son has very recently bought his first home with his girlfriend, and they are having great fun furnishing it. But.... they have shop bought coasters! I know, can you believe it lol. Anyway no-one should have shop bought coasters while B&Q have kitchen tiles on their shelves, so I've made him some.

 I started by painting some plain white kitchen tiles with DecoArt Americana multi-surface paints. I gave each one a couple of very thin coats then set aside to dry completely.

I love these paints, 'cos as you see, if you change your mind you can also change the colour. I did a bit of stencilling with more Americana paints and that was the background all done.

 Next I stamped the actual images on the tiles for placement. I knew that I didn't want to be cutting out pigs trotters and curly tails!

 As you can see I'm a fine artist - NOT.  I knew that I would be glazing my tiles so I stamped the images onto some thin card and coloured them with the same watered down acrylics. That way I knew that the colour would not budge under the glaze.

 Before I stuck down my animals I cut a self adhesive cork floor tile to a gnats digit smaller than my tiles. Now it's just a matter of sticking down the images and giving everything a coat of glaze.

And there we are, all done. I do love them and it will be hard to give them away - maybe I could just give them one each...

The fun sentiments are by Rubber Dance and of course you can find them in the shop.

As always the challenge at Ink Art Designs is 'anything goes' as long as you use a brand (or brands) of stamps that Dot sells in the store.
I'm entering my coasters into the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge, which is 'make your own background',  the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday 'anything goes' challenge, and Time Out challenges 'be funny'.

Have a very happy July, and thanks very much for looking x

It's A Bugs Life

Good morning,  happy Saturday, and welcome to June. Do you remember last year when it was the start of a very long, hot Summer, I'm hoping that we get a little more of that! The fun new challenge over at Country View Crafts has been chosen by the lovely Jane, and it's 'It's a Bugs Life' Only a couple of months ago I was in Africa in Disney enjoying this film, though it seems like years ago now. Here's what I've made.

 I started with a Clarity stencil and some Distress Inks and brushes.

Then I used my very favourite 'happy birthday' sentiment which is a JOFY one  for Paper Artsy.

 I made a bit of a mess of it at the top, but it hardly showed, till I tried to correct it then it was much more obvious doh!

The stamped butterfly is by Rubber Dance, and the flying critters are Tim Holtz's Geo Springtime , and Geo Insects. I cut these with some wax paper and the pieces fell out beautifully, but then I lost the will to live trying to paper piece them so I just cut them a few times in different papers.

The 'wild and free' is by Rubber Dance, and I've matted and layered another 'happy birthday' so all's well again.

 I hope you have a very happy June, and be kind to the bugs, we need the bugs - except flies, no one needs flies!

Take care, and thanks very much for looking x

Rolodex Cards for Rubber Dance

Good morning and happy Wednesday. Rubber Dance have a fun new colour/theme challenge for February, and here's what I've made.

And here is the inspiration board.

I started by making my background with Distress Inks and Oxides using the above colours.

Then I chopped it up to make my rolodex cards. I know it's something you have to do, but I still hate chopping up a nice background lol.

 The background has been stamped with images from Crazy Flowers 2, and the main image and sentiment is Merry Magpie.

 This one is Take The Plunge.

And Owl Do Good.

I hope that you like them, and that you join in with our challenge over at the Rubber Dance Stamping Lounge.
I'm also joining in with the challenges at Simon Says Stamp Monday - Add Some Red, 
Craft Stamper TIMI February Anything Goes,
Fashionable Stamping Anything Goes, and
Stamping Sensations - All Things Bright and Beautiful
 Have a very happy week, and thanks for looking x

From Moo To You

Good morning and happy Sunday! Today I'm sharing my second Black & White/Black & white +1 piece for this month's Country View Crafts challenge. Wow that's a mouthfull isn't it, next time I shall choose something easier to type lol.

Aren't these cows adorable, they're from a new Rubber Dance set - but who would have thought that I would have chosen pink as my plus 1, certainly not me!

 I started by cutting the outer layers of my rolodex cards, one in black with white, and one in white with black.

Then I cut the inside layer on smooth white card and stamped with the new Rubber Dance Grungy Borders and Grungy Stuff stamps. These have only been out for a few days, but there is a selection of Rubber Dance stamps here.

 I love these cows, they are just so happy, and I think that pink really is their colour lol. The set is called 'From Moo To You' (of course)

 Here's Birthday Cow.

 Christmas Cow.

And Cute Cow.

So we've gone from zombies to cows in 3 days lol what other challenge brings you that!

I hope that you're enjoying our challenge and that you join in with us. Remember there's a chance to win a £20 voucher to spend in the store.

Have a happy weekend, and thanks very much for looking x

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Autumn

Good morning and happy Wednesday. It's a lovely day here today, but I can't kid myself that Summer is still here, it's definitely Autumnal now, so out have come my Autumn colours.

The owl's are a Rubber Dance set, Owl Do Good and I've coloured them with PaperArtsy Infusions and Satin Glaze. I don't know why I associate owls with Autumn, I'm sure they're an all year round bird lol.

Don't forget we have a new Facebook group at Rubber Dance where you can enter our challenges and show all your Rubber Dance makes. Just click on the link if you're not already a member https://www.facebook.com/groups/311557542913461/    

I'm entering them into Dot's challenge at Ink Art Designs, the Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies, and September's TIMI challenge at Craft Stamper.

  Have a very happy day, and thanks for looking xx

New Stamps From Rubber Dance

Good morning and happy Saturday, welcome to the weekend! The lovely Bibi recently released some new stamps over at Rubber Dance, that Melina has designed. Here is what I've made with mine.

This one is on a crackle background.

And this one has been painted with Brusho's onto an Infusions background.

These are fabulous stamps, and the very generous Bibi is offering free P&P on them until the end of today, so hurry on over to the shop.

Here are the stamp sheets. 

 This is Dreamcatcher.

And this is Floral Wreath

Have a wonderful weekend, and thanks very much for looking x