Under The Boardwalk

Well you can tell it's a Bank Holiday, it's rained all flippin' day so I apologise for the (lack of) photo quality. Seeing as Summer is definitely on it's way out, I've made an ATB to remind me of sunnier times.

All stamps are from the Artistic Outpost Boardwalk set, and they've been stamped and coloured with Wendy Vecchi inks.

Still raining.....

Still raining - this guy does remind me of Freddie Mercury!

Guess what it's still raining.

I saved the best till last. This shell is one that my son Chris gave to me when he was about 3. He thought it was great fun 'cos it smelt absolutely disgusting!!. He's 21 now, but I've still got the shell. Luckily the smell has gone lol.

I'm entering this into the Artistic Outpost challenge, anything goes, Frilly and Funky  Hip to be Square, and Eileen Hull's Art With Heart which is also anything goes.
I hope you like it, and thanks very much for looking x

Parisienne Butterflies (In The Springtime)

It's been ages since I joined in the challenges at Frilly and Funky and I really wanted to enter this one which is April In Paris. I love Paris though I've only ever been in Autumn (I'm an October birthday)
I loved last weeks PaperArtsy technique which was distress inks on glossy card so I've used this again for the background. 
The stamps are a mixture of Tim Holtz and PaperArtsy and have been inked in DI's and Momento.

The edge has been cut with a TH border die, then a separate piece cut from a DI and tissue tape piece of card. 
The Eiffel Tower is a TH die, and has been embossed, inked, then overstamped with a Stampendous music stamp. This die has gone straight into my top 3 dies, I know it's going to get loads of use.
My little butterflies flying around are nail charms, and I've added a piece of lace to the bottom.
I'm entering this into the
Country View Crafts challenge which is butterflies
Frilly and Funky - April in Paris
Simon Says Stamp and Show - backgrounds

Thanks very much for looking x

Frilly And Funky

The ladies over at Frilly and Funky are asking for 'Anything But A Card with a twist. The twist being that it must have another compartment for something to be hidden.

Here's the front of my slide mailer. I was lucky enough to see Leandra from Paper Artsy demoing her paints at Doncaster last Sunday. I loved her 'bumping' technique and have tried it here.
The paints are all Paper Artsy, and the stamps are  Lynne Perrella set 4, and a Stampotique text stamp. The little bits of red is Inka Gold with a little bit of water added.

This is the back of the mailer. More stamps from the same plate with a bit of Inka Gold around the edges also. I often see a stamp that I love, must have, buy, then put away un-inked, so it's really nice to use this set in the same week/month/year that I bought it!

And here's the 'hidden' compartment. The slides have been inked with alcohol inks, and stamped with Archival.
The tassels have been stamped onto PaperArtsy Metal on Card (love this!), and the metal 'button' is the card that's gone through an embossing folder then shaped with an embossing tool.
I really enjoyed making this, and I know these stamps will get loads of use.
Thanks very much for looking, and enjoy your extra hour in bed in the morning x

Coming Up Roses

There is a fab article in Craft Stamper this month by Sarah Engels-Greer showing how to make lovely flowers with Kraft Glassine, so I decided to have a go. I've had this for quite a while, and this gave me just the kick start I needed to give it a try.
I really like how the glassine absorbs the inks when you heat it up. The two lower ones are just Kraft Glassine and spacers and brads, and the top one is Kraft Resist and linen.
I've also used the Kraft Resist to make the 'flower pot'. It's been inked with Distress Dabbers in blues and yellows.
The only stamping here is a little text stamp that I've stamped and embossed on the leaves. It was really weird not to stamp, but at least I was surrounded in inks.

I've stuck little bits of twine in the bottom to give it a bit of texture, and some ribbon and lace 'cos this is a birthday card for a very girly girl.
I'm entering this into the following challenges,
Artful Times - Ribbon and Lace
Frilly and Funky - Kraft and Twine
The Crafty Pad - Ribbon
Simon Says Stamp and Show - some texture
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