An ATC For SDC

 No I'm not going to speak in initials all day, it's just that the wonderful Sam has chosen ATC's as her theme this week over at Stampotique Designers Challenge.
Here's mine, it took me about 15 minutes to make from start to finish.

And here's just a fraction of my practice pieces that took a couple of hours and all ended up in the bin :-)

Isn't it great when a plan comes together NOT!

It's just a Distress Inky background, with Pisa and Find Your Balance Text stamped and embossed. Design Cube has been stamped in white acrylic, with a washi tape hand to finish. I knew what a wanted in my head but I just couldn't get it to come together, but I do like this, in fact the new release stamps are all my favourites (along with every one of my existing stamps :-)  )

I won't be around for a couple of weeks as DH and I are going on holiday - together - just the 2 of us.  Anyway no laptops are allowed, (spoilsport) just sun, sea and no work for 2 whole weeks!

So for all of you who arn't going on holiday ( I know, no more rubbing it in) make an ATC and join in our challenge. Link it up nicely and remember no digis. There are 2 $30 gift certificates up for grabs each month, and in the words of the old lottery ad 

It Could Be YOU!!

Thanks very much for looking and I'll catch up with you all when you get back xx

OoooOO I Hear Laughter In The Rain

It's the wonderful Astids's turn to choose the challenge this week at Stampotique HQ, and she has gone with washi tape. Until a year or so ago I would have said 'what????', but now washi tape is a favourite, and I have a small but growing collection :-)

This is a side of my Stampotique MDF scrapbook. The background is Pan Pastels, and the rain is the new metalic silver pastel. Oooohh shiny....
Stamp wise we have my old favourite Vintage Script lightly stamped over the Pans in grey.  I have some washi tape clouds 2 Nuage by France who really needs to quit her day job and just design stamps 'cos they are gorgeous! My new BFF Hazel is out again in Rain. She's also dressed in her best washi, and has a washi umbrella. Rain Text has just been stamped over my shiny pastels (I am such a magpie, I wonder if they can do pastels with glitter next lol)

I got quite excited when I saw the 2 pages next to each other, it's nice when a plan comes together :-)
So please join in with our washi tape challenge and remember there are 2 $30 gift certificates up for grabs each month. One final rule NO DIGI's this is a stamping challenge, they don't need to be Stampotique stamps, but if you've got 'em use 'em (just 'cos they're nice :-)  )
I'm also entering this into the Pan Pastel challenge which is 'anything goes'
Thanks very much for looking and enjoy your day x

Happy Birthday To Ewe

Wow it's Wednesday again which means it's time for another Stampotique challenge. Today it's the lovely birthday girl Kim's turn to choose the theme, and not surprisingly she has chosen birthdays.

Today, I'm is the lucky hostess of our challenge and I was a little selfish when I picked the date and the challenge theme.  Our challenge this week is "BIRTHDAY" and can you guess why I was selfish this week??  It is my birthday...today!  And it's not just any birthday, it's one of the big milestone birthdays and what better way to spend it then hopping around to see all the fabulous birthday creations from the SDC team and yourselves?

Hope you will join us and show off your birthday creations for your chance to win one of two random $30 gift certificates for Stampotique stamps.

 The background has been painted, stencilled through with Grunge Paste, then had gilding flakes applied.

Now time to break out more of the fabulous new Autumn release stamps!

Bushes and 2 Sided Trees have been stamped and embossed then blinged a little and cut out. (they are really easy to cut out :-)  )

One of my new favourites (they are all my favourites really) Sheep Monster has centre stage, complete with googly eyes, 'fluffy stuff', and sparkly hooves - well she is a birthday ewe lol.

The lettering was cut out with a Tim Holtz die.

So Happy Birthday To Ewe Kim, I hope it's a fab one!

I hope you can join in with our birthday challenge, and thanks very much for looking x

This is also my application for the design team, it may not be a work of art but it was great fun to make, and that for me is what Stampotique is all about, there are stamps here for everyone. As part of my application I have to say what my style is - I don't know what my style is, I like to do a good job without taking it too seriously. I just have lots of fun messing about with ink and paint and I would never make anything that didn't involve stamping - what's the point lol.

The second part is much easier, why do I want to re-apply. This is the dream design team, we really are like a family and we get to create with stamps we love, so as Donkey said 'Pick me, pick me' Good luck to everyone who applies, and to the lucky ones, you are going to have the BEST time xx

You Lift Me Up

It's time to try a new technique this week at Stampotique, and this is what I've come up with.

My new technique is dripping alcohol inks then blowing through a straw. I know it's a bit high tech but I felt I was up to the challenge lol.
Everyone's been doing this for years, but alcohol inks scare me to death so very rarely are they allowed out of their box :-)
The background stamp is the fabulous Helping Hands and I do believe I've stamped it upside down, Rebel or what!
As soon as I saw it stamped I was whisked away back in time to 1983 (those of you who wern't born yet missed the BEST music. I was singing 'the grabbing hands grab all they can' for days. Click here and you will be too. I loved the 80's, on my first passport I had the Human League hair cut - goodness knows how they let me on the plane, you could barely see my face, and I was THIN - happy days lol. 
Oh yeah, the tag... Miguel Has A Gift has been stamped and cut out, and he's being lifted up by Flying Monkey 

I'm not convinced that monkey works for the good guy you know, I'm keeping my eye on him ...
The alcohol inks are safely back in their box now - hope the monkey doesn't let them out :-)
Please join in with our challenge and show us a new technique (it need not be as advanced as blowing through a straw lol) and follow the instructions on how to link (very easy even I can do it)
Thanks very much for looking and have a fab day xx

I Heart Hazel

This is unusual for me, 'cos it's got a heart, it's pink, it's kinda cute, and I'm blogging on a school day, but I LOVE these new Stampotique stamps from Linda Peterson :-)
To me it's a fine line between cute and Yuk and these are definitely cute and sweet and very very usable.

This is my heart from the MDF man. He makes brilliant stuff, such great quality and value for money. 
It's been painted in various Fresco paints then stamped with Spiraling Out Of Control. I've stencilled over the top with some Cosmic Shimmer texture paste.
If you've never tried this your really should it's the perfect consistency for putting through a stencil.

Hazel Heart has been stamped and coloured, and also stamped onto shrink plastic.
Whole Heart Text has been cut with a nestie.
I'll put on the links as soon as they go on the Stampotique web site.
Don't forget to do the blog hop to be in with a chance to win some fabulous new rubber.
Hope you like it, and thanks very much for looking xx