Take It Easy

Good morning and happy Thursday. We've recently had a few days away visiting my sister for our annual Christmas trip into London - we were late with last years, not mega early with this one, but Christmas is coming lol. It also coincinded with her last day at work. She's still my little (ok much taller than me) sister, but she's also done her 30 years and so she's retired, at least for the Summer.

I love this Carabelle stamp set, but as she's not going on holiday I changed the sentiment a little. Day 1 of her retirement and we helped to chop down a tree. They have a huge garden and it will now be given lots of TLC.

I'm entering this into the following challenges

Simon Says Stamp Monday - Use Stencils (my background is made with Clarity Stencils)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Bright Colours - have you seen his shirt! 

Stamping Sensations - In an English Country Garden - every English garden needs a tortoise! and
Ink Art Designs mine's a Carabelle stamp.

The sun is shining here today, and it really feels like Summer is on the way, so have a lovely day, and thanks very much for looking x

I'm Adorable...

Good afternoon and happy Monday. After a very lovely Summer, we're definitely into Autumn now, and with this in mind I've made a tag for this month's Rubber Dance colour/theme challenge.

 I started by making a gelli print with DecoArt Premium acrylics in the challenge colours of red, orange, and violet. I hadn't cut into the I Love Leaves plate, so I stamped it directly onto the painted gelli plate to remove some of the paint. I LOVE this print!.

 Next I brayered another sheet of A4 with the same colours, and stamped the full sheet again. I embossed 1half in black, and the other in white.

 I cut a huge tag out of the gelli print background, and added some further stamping, with Round In Circles, Grungy Swirls, and Vintage Script.

I'm so happy with it at this stage it seemed a shame to cover it up, but you can't keep a good cat down so...

I stamped Curious Cat onto an old scrap of card as the colours seemed just right for my project.

So after a little bit of cutting out, there we are. The sentiment is from Friends Fur-ever, and I thought it was just right.

I'm also entering my very curious cat into the Simon Says Stamp Monday Tag It, and the Craft Stamper TIMI anything goes for October challenge. 

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

Simplified

Good afternoon and happy Wednesday. PaperArtsy have a fun new challenge, A Box of Eggs, which is a colour challenge. Here's my tag.

 I started with these new colours and brayered them onto a piece of A4 Smoothy card.

Then I cut a tag shape with my Tim Holtz die. I did lots of stencilling with PA stencils, which doesn't show up too well here.

Then I used the lovely flower from Hot Picks 1602, and added a sticker to finish.

You can see the stencilling a little better here.

I'm also entering my tag into the Simon Says Stamp Monday Tag It challenge. 

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

Feel Fabulous

Good morning and happy Tuesday. My friend Kay has chosen the challenge this week at Sunday Postcard Art, and she has picked 'shoes', so here's what I've made.

I must admit I feel a bit of a fraud posting this, as my shoe collection consists of boots for Winter and flip flops for Summer. If it rains in Summer I have a pair of trainers on standby.

I'm also joining in the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge, which is red/white/and or blue. 

Have a lovely day, and thanks very much for looking x

A Written Word Triptych

Good morning and happy Monday. It's time for me to share my   second project for the Country View Crafts 'written word' challenge, and this time I've made a triptych.

 Before I started crafting I'd never even heard of a triptych - and I still struggle to spell it, - should that be I or Y.... ah one of each!

 I started with one of the (very) rare gelli plate prints that I was happy with. All of the paints are from the DecoArt Media range. I cut the print with the Tim Holtz Bigz ATC die for two of the panels, then for the larger one I used the Eileen Hull Passport die. I love this die, it's just the perfect size for when you want something larger than an ATC, but not tooooo big!

 As we are wanting 'the written word' I chose a set of stamps with lots of them - this is the Tim Holtz Sideshow set, and it's just been stamped and embossed in shiny black.

 The beauty of the Passport die is that it's a scoreboard die so it will chomp through just about anything. I've used it to cut mount board for under my prints so they are much sturdier now.

And to finish off I've added a couple of hinges so it's now free-standing. I really enjoyed making this, even though I got the usual 'what's it for' comment! 

There's still loads of time for you to join in with our challenge, and if you've already done so - join in again!

I'm also entering this into the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge which is 'anything but a card', and the Craft Stamper TIMI June challenge.
Have a very happy day, and thank you for looking x

Live Your Dreams

Good afternoon and happy Saturday. I've been having a play with some of my new Studio Light and Dylusion stamps and a huge MDF tag that I've had for ages, and this is what I've made.

I've used DecoArt Americana Premium Acrylics and blended them on my tag. My lovely lady has been coloured with pencils, then I've gone a little mad with my white pen and sequins.

I'm entering her into the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge which is All Things Bright and Beautiful,  the Craft Stamper TIMI June challenge, and also the Happy Little Stampers  mixed media challenge.

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

Happy Spring

Good afternoon and happy Wednesday. We had a little bit of sunshine today (before the biblical rains came) so in a moment of Springlike madness I made this.

One thing I didn't take on holiday recently was a bookmark - to be fair I probably didn't have room I took so many Winter woolies, so I now have a posh one! I used the wonderful chick from the Rubber Dance Textured Spring set, and the words are from Four Seasons. 

I'm entering this into the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge, which is to use a trio of something.

As always for free worldwide postagage and packing from Rubber Dance just quote SDFreeShip on any order of 15 Euros and above. Enjoy the rest of your day, and thanks very much for looking xx

Take Risks

Good afternoon and happy Tuesday. It's a really grey day here, warm but no sunshine at all - August eh! Happy Little Stampers have an ATC challenge running, and the theme this time is 'doodling' I love to see doodling, but the reason I have more than a few (waaaaay more unless Neil is looking) rubber stamps is that I can't draw, and I can't doodle at. all.! It's no use saying that everyone can draw, and it's only practice blah blah 'cos I really can't.  I did a well known 30 day course, and the difference between day 1 and day 30 was zip, zilch, nada,  noooo difference at all. I have a cup that my son bought for my birthday with a face on it that I drew on a course - you know when something is sooo bad that the tutor has to mutter and move on - well this stares at me every day as I eat my tea. I would show you but it would break the internet...
Anyway what's a challenge if not challenging, so here are my doodles (be grateful it's only ATC size :-)  )

Even Pic Monkey is having a laugh, it's telling me that my 'masterpiece has been saved' The lovely stamps are from AALL & Create, the doodles are all mine lol.
I'm also linking this to Simon Says Stamp Monday's ATC challenge.
Have a great week, and thanks very much for looking xx

What Lies Beneath

Hi and happy Thursday. I've been having a play with some Decoart paints, Andy Skinner stencils, and Seth Apter stamps and dies, to make another journal cover.

I started with lots of DecoArt paints and a brayer.

Then added lots of black and red through pipettes and spritzed with water.

And mopped up with a piece of card - I'll be using this later.

Time for some stamping and stencilling now. I've used Andy's skull, lots of PaperArtsy stamps, and a white pen.

I used the mop up sheet as the top piece of my Seth die cuts. The smaller ones reminded me of microscope slides, so...

I stamped some slides and dribbled lots of glue around the edges and inked over with red.

The 'coffin' shape has been stamped and tripple embossed then aged with antiquing cream.

I'm entering this into the following challenges.
Dream In Darkness - anything dark or weird
Try It On Tuesday - anything messy, and 
Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - use your favourite tool - it has to be my white pen.
This has been great fun (and messy) to make. Have a great week, and thanks very much for looking x

What The ELF!...

The challenge this week at Stampotique has been chosen by Valerie, and she's asked us to  Focus on Flowers. This is the perfect opportunity to use Janet's new Sunflower stamp.

This is a MDF tag that's been covered with copy paper stamped with French Journal Page and Garden Block and painted and stencilled.

Next I stamped Splattered Mug in white acrylic.

The Sunflowers have been stamped onto acetate, and coloured in glass paints (thanks Carol :-) 

Now the scary part, the stamping of the words straight onto the tag ! I've used Altered Alpha and Typewriter Alpha Not the straightest stamping in the world but never mind. I only noticed the ELF when in was finished lol.

This was great fun to make Valerie, thank very much for the challenge.

I hope you'll join in with us, just remember to link up correctly, and no digi images.

I'm also joining in with Simon Says Stamp Monday's challenge, which is Not So Mellow Yellow

Hope you like my tag, and thanks very much for looking x