Looks Like Rain Dear...

Well there's no surprises there then! Yup it's raining again, which is quite in keeping with my piece for today's Stampotique challenge.
Kathi has chosen the theme 'Crack Me Up', and she wants us to make a humourus piece, and use crackling. 
Here's my cracking piece :-)

I know we've all heard this a thousand times but it still makes me laugh.

The background has been painted, then clouds stencilled and crackled.
There's also the Cracks stamp and Raindrops.

Here are the slightly damp Reindeer and they are stood on the Stones and Grass Cube.

Here's my guys Under The Parapluie.

The sentiment has been stamped with the Typewriter Alpha.
This was great fun Kathi, so thanks so much for the challenge.
I'm also entering this into the Craft Barn challenge which is April Showers.

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

It's Steampunk Jim But Not As We Know It

Over at Dragon's Dream Tag It On, my teamie Monique has chosen Considering Steampunk as her theme, and her recipe consists of fantasy, inventions and Victoriana.  I love steampunk, but I always seem to go down the same route of browns and dark greens, so this time I thought I would have a change. 
I started by stamping and embossing the ScrollsWork stamps in white. Then added lots and lots (and lots) of distress inks in yellows and blues. Then I just went a little mad with various smaller background stamps, clear embossing powder, and the odd spritz of bleach to add a bit of contrast. The muslin has been cut into a strip and had blue and yellow ink dabbed on it, then a spritz of the bleach again.

My lovely lady with the rather odd taste in clothing/iron work/household pets, has been Frantaged with blue mica flakes and old gold and white embossing powders. The rivets are cut from a Spellbinders die in PaperArtsy card on metal, then painted with black acrylic which was then rubbed off again, and finished with Frantage glass glitter in blue and green.

More of the Verday paints and patina topped with a little glass glitter. The pocketwatch face has been coated in glossy accents and look - no thumb prints for once. I actually made this tag over a few days. Each time I thought I had finished, then I just kept throwing something else on lol.

Another rusty old butterfly - I'm really liking these paints and patinas and did I mention my fondness for the glass glitters??
The quote is by Leonardo da Vinci and says
'For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return' Well said Leo, I think this sums up Steampunk rather nicely.
I really enjoyed making this girlie steampunk tag, and luckily I'd now run out of room or who knows what else would have been on it.
Please pop over to TIO and see my teamies wonderful creations, then come back with one of your own.
I'm also entering this into the following challenges:
Sir Stampalot - Crafty Passions - ink and anything Frantage at the moment.
The Craft Barn - Frantage
Tando - Texture
The Stampman - Bling It On
Simon Says Stamp And Show - Layered
Lets Ink It Up - All Girls


Thank you very much for looking x

Has Anyone Seen My Comfort Zone!!!

'Cos I just stepped outside for a minute and then it was gone!! I have

 worshipped from afar the brilliant art journal pages that others seem to produce at the drop of a hat. Now I can ink up a piece of card or whatever, but as soon as I try to do this in a joined up journal it's RUBBISH!. Oh the books that have had the first 4 pages ripped out of are endless (by endless I mean 5 lol) BUT all this is about to change - I'm going to journal by George and I don't care who knows it! Trouble is I can't write. I mean of course I can write, but I write much the same as I draw - like a 5 year old 3 year old! But as this journal is mine that doesn't matter does it! So spurred on by The Craft Barn's latest AJ challenge - here are a few of my favourite things!
Have a great weekend and thanks very much for looking x