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

Men Men Men Men Manly Men....

This blinkin' tune has been going round and round in my head as I made this tag, and I  really DON'T like this programme (Two and a Half Men) either with Charlie Sheen or without him lol.
It's Gabrielle's turn to set the menu for this fortnights TIO recipe, and she's chosen Industrial Chic. This means clockwork/cogs, vintage brown, industrial imagery, and at least 1 real stamp.

I started by breaking out my PaperArtsy Metal on card, and running it through a Timmy embossing folder. This has then been dabbed, splodged and squirted with alcohol inks in Expresso, Caramel, and Ginger.
If you look closely you can see where I have stamped 'Thingamajig' in Archival, then rubbed it off again so that it removes the AI's. 

The Scrollswork stamps have been stamped on some of Tim's Distressables, embossed and cut or torn out. I've embossed the edges with Distress Embossing Powder (I had to blow the dust off this first), but it does kind of fit in with the rusty old industrial feel to this.
The big cog has also been embossed in the DEP's in green first, then brown on top.  I love the sandpapery feel to this.
The smaller one was painted in acrylics in black, orange and brown to try and give it a rusty look. The green and the gold one (needed to use a bit of colour by now) have been stamped and UTEE'd.

I've added a few screw brads, cogs, and the odd propeller, then some manly ribbon to finish off. 
I've really enjoyed using stash that has literally been sat in a tub for years along with the new stuff.
Thanks very much for the recipe Gabrielle, this one was great fun to make. Please have a peek at the TIO blog and join us in making a tag.
I'm entering it into the following challenges, 
Artful Times - Men
The Stampman - Make It For A Man
Simon Says Stamp And Show - Anything Goes.
The Crafty Pad - Lets Hear It For The Boys
My Mojo Monthly - Man Up
Thanks very much for looking x

Moments In Time

I was having a little play at making my own backing paper 'cos heaven knows three crates full just isn't enough, and I decided to try and make a 'vintagey' type card. I love the vintage look that others create, but I'm just rubbish with frills and ribbon and lace and the colour pink! Anyhow here it is. The main images are a mixture of The Stampsmith, and Darkroom Door stamps, and the background are Tim Holtz, Stampin Up, TPC, and a set of clear stamps that I've had for so long the packaging has completely gone! I've loved Stampsmith stamps for ages, but this is the first time my Darkroom Door has seen ink and WOW. They stamp so crisply - need more!!  The Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coeur have had loads of Rock Candy Crackle applied, so there's a bit of shabby going on. I hope the guys who built the original tower didn't have as much trouble getting theirs to stick down as I did mine, a hammer and nails was the only thing left to try!The fleur de lis has been glossy accented (no thumb print - hurrah), together with the stamp on Sacre Coeur.

The seam binding is a rose colour, not salmon pink, - must read my camera manual,  and the rose has been inked with Old Paper Distress Stains, just to take the newness off. Pink and hatpins too, how girly am I lol.

The sentiment has been stamped on velum - I'm loving my velum lately, and the fragment has a Timmy stamp underneath.

I'm entering this into the following challenges

Frilly and Funky - I'll Take Your Word For It

The Artistic Stamper - Ribbons and Lace

The Stampman - Vellum

Moving Along With The Times - Shabby Chic/Vintage

Thanks very much for looking x

Another Chunky ATC

The Artistic Outpost referral challenge this month is Spring Punk. After looking up what this was, here's mine :o) I've used a chunky atc and covered it with the recent Kanban POTW Kandi Core card. I really like this, the colours are a bit bright but they emboss and sand beautifully. All stamps are from Artistic Outpost and are from the Steampunk and Paris Exposition sets. Following Tim's February tag I had to get some of the honeycomb paper - the trick really is to follow the lines lol. I've gone round the edges with washi tape to neaten them up a bit. These are some of my 'go to' stamps.  The charms are mainly Tims.

For the top I've used Whitewash card. It's one of those 'had for ages but never used' items that I will be using a lot more of in future. I know my 'balloon's' a bit cheesy, but I like it :o)

I really enjoyed making this, I think I've got the chunky bug!

I'm entering it into the following challenges

Artistic Outpost - Spring Punk

Fashionable Stampers - Bingo. I've gone for the vintage, distressing and metal work line.

The Stampman - Vintage.

Thanks very much for looking x

Rule Britannia!

I had to make a 'guy' card this weekend, these are soooo easy arn't they - not!! My base card has been cut with a Go Kreate die, and the layers are Kanbans from the Carnaby Street range. The top layer on the base is cut from a sheet of Pink Paislee mistables, and inked with Barn Door and Chipped Sapphire DI's.

The Union Flag was stamped onto red card with Indigo Blue Flitter glue and then gilded with their gilding flakes. All of the stamps are Artistic Outpost's from the London Underground and Lovely London sets.

This has been stamped onto black card with Brilliance ink in gold, then I've gone over the top with Rocket Red and clear embossed.

This has been stamped onto black card then painted over with Perfect Pearls in Interference Red, and misted with water to set. The bling is from Poundland and very nice it is too lol.

The rosette has been cut with the Union Flag Kanban card, and a lion charm stuck in the middle. More Rocket Red for the soldiers. The referral programme at Artistic Outpost this month is Shades of Red and there is a fab prize for the winner.

I'm also entering this into the Fashionable Stamping challenge which is Make it a Guy Thing, and The Stampman's which is Embellish it.

Thanks very much for looking x

So Here It Is Merry Christmas Everybody's Having Fun...

 Or we soon will be 'cos Mr T has put us on countdown to this years 12 Tags of Christmas. Will I have the right equipment nah but I'll still be playing :o)
My little Christmas stable has taken 2 days to make and another to photograph 'cos we only seem to have sunlight between the hours of 1 and 1.20 then it's back to darkness.
My wooden frame has been gesso'd, then painted in blue, lilac and brown to make it look old and battered, and edged in Inca Gold in green to make it look even older. I stamped some snowflake stamps with Indigo Blu glue and sprinkled some Cosmic Shimmer snowflakey stuff over.
The backing plate has been painted blue and stamped with Tims snowflake stamps and embossed in white. The reindeer has been die cut, then stamped and embossed, painted in silver and then ribbled, My ribbler is certainly having a new lease of life lately lol.
The 'Christmas' is one of Tim's Stickers from the Holiday set, and this has also been coated in the snow.

The tickets have been cut from the Alterations die from the Christmas Kraft Resist stash and inked in Broken China and Tea Dye DI's, and stamped with images from the Mini Holiday set and embossed in white. The numbers have been painted in white acrylic paint and grungified.

The Santa has been cut from Graphic 45 paper and stuck underneath a fragment, and the image in the corner is also a sticker that has been stuck on Grunge Paper.

More of my crocheted flowers, I tried to do some snowflakes but I couldn't get the hang of them. I really must practise but it's hard when I only know three stitches lol.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp And Show - Tickets
The Stampman - 12 Tags of Christmas Techniques - Day 5 2010 Painting and embossing on metal
Shopping Our Stash - Christmas/Winter - had the fragments and numbers for years  :o)
Fashionable Stamping - I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas.

Thanks very much for looking x

Yup It's Christmas Card Time Again!!

The Challenge over at The Stampman this time is Night Time.  I saw some window template cards by Creative Expressions a while ago, but I was unable to get hold of any, so I decided to make my own...
So armed with some acetate, a pen, ruler and a paper trimmer, this is what I came up with.

I colour dusted my card with Stormy Sky and Chipped Saphire, then sponged around the edges with Black Soot. Tim's Tall Trees and some of the Winter stamps from Creative Expressions were then stamped with black archival ink.
The window card was stamped with a snow stamp and dusted with Chipped Saphire and Black Soot. This was then stuck over some acetate and folded over the card giving it a bow in the middle to add some dimention.

The rosette is a Creative Expression stamp, as it the zipper flower (love these!) and the hat pins. The ribbon is American seam binding. It was all then stuck onto some black card, and then the base card which is A3 folded in half.
This is going to be my Mum & Dad's Christmas card, trouble is it's going to need a deep box to fit it in (how faffy is this!!)

I really enjoyed making this, but it definitely comes under the 'special' cards catagory.
Thanks very much for looking x

The Sun is Shining, The Birds Are Singing - Must Be Autumn!

I did a couple of pages in my Autumn book this weekend and I've finally got time to blog them :o)

This one has been covered with Core-dinations which has been embossed and sanded. The pair image is from The Stampsmith, and has been stamped with yellow and orange DI's. The little tiles, leaves and flower centres  are mica powders on a dark background that have been stamped with a Stampman image from the Nature plate. This has then been clear embossed to bring out the shine. The wooden letters have been distress inked in Spiced Marmalade and Rusty Hinge, then overstamped with the Stampman skeleton leaf stamp. The flowers have been cut with Sir Tim's die from organza that I got from Leeds market in the Summer (come on you remember Summer lol). I always used to groan when my Mum draged me off to look at material stalls - she couldn't believe it when I started ooohing and ahhhing (cope with that spellchecker) over these - 'till I told her I would cut 'em up and stick 'em on a card :o) I made the brads with the Papermania brad maker - I love this little gadget, and the punches cut through quite thick card.
I'm entering this into The Stampman challenge which is 'A Perfect Pear' and the Stampsmith Autumn colours challenge.
The next page was alcohol inked in reds and browns, the overstamped in archival with leaf stamps to remove the alcohol ink.

The two Stampsmith stamps have been stamped in brown and green inks , and the quote in Spiced Marmalade and Rusty Hinge DI. The leaves have been cut from brown card which has been painted and stamped with mica powder. This is also for The Stampsmith's Autumn colours challenge.
Thanks very much for looking x

The Stampman ATC Garden Challenge

The Stampman's challenge this month is In The Garden.  In the top 2 I've used The Paper Company stamps and these are really lovely. The inky backgrounds have been made with Distress Inks.
The bottom one is a Stampotique background, with tissue tape, some prima paper, and the Stampotique bee's have been stamped on to tissue paper and PVA'd down. I really enjoyed making these, I should make more ATC's lol.
Thanks very much for looking

A Season Of Mists And Mellow Fruitfulness

Or in the case of today, lovely sunshine!! Last year we went from Summer to Winter in about a week, and this time Autumn seems to have come around in the middle of August.

The challenge over at The Stampman this time is monochrome and one other colour. I've chosen brown, 'cos it comes in lots of shades.

This started life as a childrens board book which I gesso'd and painted with brown paint and then crackled with PVA glue and white acrylic. This has then been stamped with a crackle stamp.
The leaves are cuttlebug dies, the shiney ones have been made with alcohol inks that have been overpainted with Starburst Stains, and the matt ones are brown card painted with the stains.
This is now my little book of Autumn, so who knows, it may snow next week :o)
Thanks very much for looking

The Stamp Man Poppy Challenge

This weeks challenge at The Stampman is poppies. I'll let Janet explain:

Onto this weeks challenge which is to use a POPPY in your creation. Here in Skipton the British Legion are very active and my Husband is organising a fund raising concert on the 25th October. He asked me a while ago if I thought I could get some cards together to sell at the concert and Jill and Ian have so kindly allowed us to have a Poppy challenge week to try and get some more cards together. So this week we would like to see Poppies on your creations. If you would like to donate your creation to The concert here in Skipton you can post your work to The Stamp Man (address at the bottom of this post) but you are not obliged to - you can enter the challenge with any Poppy themed project and will be eligible for the prize and top places whether you send them in or not.

For my background paper I made an inkpad a la Tim Holtz to stamp my Clarity Poppy Fields stamp. The poppies are TH's tattered florals cut with felt. I've photocopied one of my favourite war poems by John McCrae and cut out with a Nesties label die.
For the base I used a Stampman Framie embossed in gold, and the quote in the middle is another Clarity stamp.
Lot's of gold Krylon around the edges to finish off.
I really enjoyed making this, and can think of no better cause.
Thanks very much for looking x

A Little Resistance Is A Good Thing - The Stamp Man Challenge

Here's my entry to the latest Stamp Man challenge which is to use resist techniques.
The white card has been stamped with the Stamp Camp bubbles stamp, and embossed with white embossing powder. This was coloured with Brilliance inks using the little finger daubers - Yay clean fingers for once!
My Stamp Man stamps have been stamped onto black card and embossed in white, then the embossing has been coloured with Stazon. I really like these labels stamps, they work so well with the dies, and are great for the easel cards.
It was nice to make a 'pretty' card for a change :o) Thanks very much for looking x

Oh No Need A Guy Card

It's my cousins birthday this week and I always struggle with man cards so obviously I leave it to the last minute 'cos a bit of pressure always helps right - what it makes it worse?? Ooops!
Sooo, as I can't put it off any longer, I stamped my Stampsmith cyclist onto a piece of stampboard in blue and green, the put some gilding flakes as a border and carried on with the blue and green round the edge.
The background has been brayered then overstamped with the SU Scratches stamp.
Because the stampboard is so weighty I've cut the background card again and eyeleted it all together. A bit of manly twine to give it a butch feel and all done.
This is for the Stampsmith challenge, which is Spring this time.
Thanks very much for looking x

The Stampman Challenge - Embossing

Had a little play yesterday and made an ATC for the first time in ages. I  was actually popping the grungeboard letters out so that I could use the waste as a mask when I thought may as well use the letters as well :o)
The background has been stamped with the SU friendship stamp, then I've masked and sprayed with Dylusion sprays in lime and vanilla custard, and a homemade perfect pearls and DI one.
I've stamped the TH bird stamp in black then in brown as close as I could to it just to blur the edges a little.

The grungeboard letters were coloured with black soot DI, then tripple embossed in Moon Glow Two Toned Morning Glory/Azure Teal. This looks really nice where it has bubbled and the black soot is showing through.
I'm entering this into The Stampman embossing challenge, and    
The Artistic Stamper Layers challenge.
Thanks very much for looking and enjoy your Sunday x

She's a Dedicated Follower of Fashion

I've been in a card making mood today, so I struck while the iron was hot and made another.
My Alluring Lady is from The Stampman. I bough her from the Harrogate show, and she stamps perfectly. The embossing powder is Cosmic Shimmer, and is perfect for the LBD. The background paper is Graphic 45 Curtain Call and it's soooo beautiful.
The frame is also from The Stampman, and it's cut with the nesties Labels 5. It's a fab way of making the most of your sentiment.
I'm entering this into the following challenges
The Stampman - Embossing
Sir Stampalot - Ladies and fashion
Thanks very much for looking x

Attack of The Killer Bees

Was it Joan Collins that 'stared' in this lol. This bee reminds me of the Father Ted joke about  small and far away - my bee is normal size and the background is far away! Go on watch it, you know you want to..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25N-4zrk390  This is my entry to the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge. This week it's stripes, and if you look at Bruiser the bee, you'll see his stripes. (A tentative link I know but I'm sticking with it) My puzzle piece has been alcohol inked, then stamped with Tim's birds, and the Stampotique grass stamp. The background has been stamped with Paper Artsy stamps in Archival ink, and wiped away before dry. Bruiser bee is by The Stampman, and the sentiment is Paper Artsy. I couldn't resist adding Wendy Vecchi's spider - almost as tall as the grass - again its far away.....
A very enjoyable challenge, and thanks for looking x

The Stampman Challenge Curls and Swirls

I've had some texture paste for a while now so when I saw The Stampmans's curls and swirls challenge coming up it seemed the perfect time to try it out.
The wooden frame cost a pound, so you can guess where I got it from. It's been gesso'd and painted with an aqua paint dabber for the bottom coat, the Dylusion's teal for the top coats. I love this paint 'cos you can still see what's underneath.
My swirls are Golden texture paint put on through a stencil, then sprinkled with ultra fine glitter while it was still wet.
I didn't know what I wanted to put inside the frame, but once it had been painted it seemed to scream Christmas.  So to shut it up I cut up a sheet of my Websters Pages and stuck onto the corners. The stamped image is from Hampton Art and has been stamped onto the centre of the Websters paper, and very lightly watercoloured.
This is my first attempt at painting a photo frame, and I'm quite pleased with it. Just need to put it somewhere safe now for Christmas.
Thanks very much for looking and have a great weekend x

It's All Hearts

I've been wanting to try cutting an aperture into a card with my nesties for a while, so today I decided to give it a go. I stuck the Basic Grey Eva paper on first, then cut through the folded card with 2 sizes of nesties (I don't know which one it is, but one is from the bigger set for the Grand Calibur. It didn't quite cut through cleanly, and if I did it again I would put the cutting die next to the front rather than the back.
I put some acetate into the window to give the card some strength. The Art Journey stamps have also been stamped then layered onto more BG papers, and I've added some to the inside for strength.
I love acetate cards, but it's such a pain having to tidy up the inside.
I'm entering this into the Art Journey, The Stampman, and Basic Grey, which are all 'hearts' challenges.
Thanks very much for looking x

Aaaahh Where Did Friday Morning Go!!!

So, the washing's unwashed, the house looks like we've been burgled, and here I am sat at the computer :o) This is my entry to The Stampman's Oriental challenge. I'm not really a fan (no pun intended lol) of oriental, so all this stuff is really old (when I bought whatever was 'in' whether I liked it or not) I do quite like this stamp, it's by Stamp Camp and they do the best background stamps, and they're HUGE!  The backing papers are from an old C&C set when it was POTD. I've coloured my ladies in alcohol ink, but you can't really see 'cos of the photo 'cos we've had no sun for weeks apart from when I've been at work. -  If I knew where to find emoticons there would be one of me jumping up and down looking very angry 'cos I've SO had enough of living in the dark!
Rant over (phew)... the tassel is from Joanna Sheen, and my favourite bit is the brad - made it miself yer know (ok with the help of the papermania brad maker). This is a terrific set and really easy to use. You get the punches and the sticky bits, and lots of brads - love it!
For far far better examples check out the Stampman site.
Thanks for looking and have a great weekend.

It' s A Contraption Of Some Sort (and a break from the cute)!!

4x4 Friday has a theme of Winged Men this week, I hope my entry is eligable 'cos technically the wings arn't my guys own, but then again what mens are??
It was so nice to put away the cute - no offence meant to my intrepid flyer :o) and no bought embelishments or twiddely bits :o)
I like the 4x4 format, big enought to get inky and messy, but it doesn't take forever to fill the page (I still have my phobia of blank card) lol.
The stamps are mostly Scrolls Work, together with Artistic Outpost and 7 Gypsies. Lots of Distress Inks and a smidge of Distress Embossing powder.
I'm also entering this into the Stamp Man's Distress challenge, and The Artistic Stamper's Things With Wings.
Thanks very much for looking and have a great weekend x