You Are About To Enter - The Twilight Zone

Good morning and happy Friday. Can you believe it's September already, when is Summer going to turn up? As always the first of the month means it's time for a new challenge at Country View Crafts, and this time around the lovely Miriam has chosen metal. Here's what I've made.

You know when something turns out to be just like it was in your head - well this was nothing like that!

I knew that I wanted to make a tag with a metal frame, so I gathered my supplies together. I know - how organised, not at all like me!

I cut a tag sized panel from the Regions Beyond paper stash, and stencilled over with Distress Inks and Tim Holtz stencils. This was then stamped with a PaperArtsy Halloween set. I cut an aperture with an oval die, to fit my happy family image from the Found Relatives cards.
 It was at this point that I decided that I wanted more than a tag.

So I had a root around in my 'all things Tando' box and found this. It's a piece of waste when you've pushed all the bits and bobs out, and it fitted perfectly.
I painted it with DecoArt Media paints, and added some stencilling with gilding flakes.

So now we have a new set of 'ingredients' I stamped my frame with stamps from Paper Artsy HPHW05.

I've used some Ten Second Studio metal and cut a frame with a Tim Holtz Ornate Frame die to frame my family from the Found Relatives, then added a Crypt Cameo.

I love these Paper Dolls but come on, they are seriously spooky. These two remind me of the twins in The Shining!

The lady from the paper set has been coated in Sepia Accents (as if she didn't look old enough). I framed her in a Plaster of Paris frame that I'd made but I stuck it down a little too vigourously...

Whoops - never mind, it all adds to the effect. My frame has been painted in DecoArt silver, then rubbed over with Prima Alchemy Wax. There's also a Tim Halloween Charm - I don't think we could rule her out as a possible poisoner!

And we're all done, happy families Twilight Zone style. I know I'm showing my age but I don't care, I used to LOVE this programme!

I'm also entering my spooky family into the Craft Stamper TIMI challenge,  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes, and Mixed Media Monthly - Vintage.

So please join in with our metal challenge, and I'll see you soon with my second piece. Have a great month, and thanks very much for looking xx

A Christmas Robin for Lost Coast Designs

Good afternoon and happy Sunday. Here's my second piece for the Tip Your Hat event at Lost Coast Designs.

Here's a close up of the lovely Megan's Christmas Bird. I think this is such a pretty stamp, I'm not sure if it is a Robin, but today it is :-)

So put your thinking caps on (sorry but I couldn't resist that one) and join in with our event over on the Portal.

I'm also entering this into the Happy Little Stampers Christmas challenge.

Thanks very much for looking and have a great day xx

You Can Keep Your Hat On.

Good afternoon and happy Saturday. We have a fun new event over on the Portal called Tip Your Hat. So here are my dashing chappies.

This was made with two Lost Coast stamps, Tres Caballeros and Party Hats 2.

So please put on your party hats and join us in our event. You don't have to use Lost Coast/Carmen's Veranda stamps, but we love it when you do.

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

Greens and Blues for Country View Crafts

Good morning and happy Friday, the weekend starts here! I'm really happy to be sharing my second 'blues and greens' piece with you today. It's something very new for me so please be kind ;-) 

I recently went on a Powertex workshop which I enjoyed very much, so I was keen to try it out at home before I forgot everything that I'd learned. 

These are my 'ingredients', I've  bought some moulds so I've been busy making plaster of Paris fairies (I'm not really a fairy person but they do look nice). The cloth is a loosely woven cheesecloth, and I'm using Ivory Powertex. The tags are from the MDF Man and the base tag is HUGE.

So everything stuck down and dried. Time to add the blues and greens.

This is a Powertex colour mixed with a waterproof varnish. This green is looking a bit scary, what have I done!

I added some blue Powertex colour - maybe I should paint it all white and start again!

I'm not going to go into details because I'm not Powertex trained, but there's lots of dry brushing with paler blues and greens, and on the bottom tag I've started to add some metallic colour.
 It did look 'nice' when it was finished, but it wasn't really me!

It definitely needed grunging up a bit! So I've gone round the edges with some Prima Rust Paste.

I've also hit the textured areas with  Finnabair Alchemy Waxes.

That's better! There's also some embossing with a patina embossing powder and  Frantage.

Although a non-fairy person I do like these.

I coloured the ribbon with Distress Inks for the top of the tag.

And we're all done! I added on of my P of P suns that had been painted with White Fire Fresco.

I really enjoyed making this, especially when I added a little bit of 'me' to it. There's still a week for you to enter our challenge, so please get out your blues and greens and join in.

Enjoy your weekend, and thanks very much for looking xx

You Can't Be Serious!

Good morning and happy Wednesday. I've been having a play with my DecoArt paints and mediums, and Lost Coast Designs stamps.

We have lots of mega crackle going on with Weathered Wood and Crackle paint, lots of background stamping with the LC stamps, and finally a wash of blue.

I am partial to a bit of crackle!

and borders - I love borders, this one is from Lost Coast.

This is a Lost Coast's Medium Elk Skull that's been stamped on to tissue paper and coloured with sharpies.

Then I had a little bit of a 'kitchen sink' moment and threw everything at it. The sentiment is from Carmen's Veranda. If you haven't seen these you really should - you will laugh until you cry!

I'm entering this into the Mixed Media Monthly challenge. I love these colourful flowers against the white background, just like my elk.

I'm also entering it into the Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media challenge which is to use tissue paper, and Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday. 

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

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

Paint With All The Colours

Good morning, I hope you're enjoying your weekend. I'm happy to be sharing a journal page this morning over at Rubber Dance. I'd love it if you joined me by clicking here, where you will see more of this

Our current 'embossing' challenge is still running, so I hope you'll join in for the chance to win some wonderful free rubber.

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

Raven Love

Good afternoon and happy Tuesday. We have a fun stencil challenge running over at Lost Coast Designs and this is my second piece.

This was made using Carmen's Veranda stamps Edgar Allan Poe and Dogs Like Me.

Please pop on over to the Portal for lots more inspiration from my teamies and then play along yourself.

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