Hope You Like Purple

'Cos that is what Sam has asked for today at Sam Poole's Creative Studio.

To see the rest you'll have to head over to Sam's.
Thanks very much for looking x

I Can See Clearly Now... SDC 102

Hi everyone! It's Libby here today, hosting the Stampotique Designer's Challenge. This week I'd like to challenge you to use something that makes you see your craft project in a whole different light. It can require you pull out supplies you don't typically use, or try new techniques. Or maybe it's something you use all the time! I'd like you to use a transparent element on your design. Whatever you'd like - acetate, glass, left-over plastic packaging - if it's clear, it's fair game! I'm excited to see what you come up with!

This is what I made 

 Look at that sunshine, you can tell I made this a little while ago lol.
I have about 20 little pots of stickles glitter glue that I havn't used since Christmas (1999?) so I spread a few colours onto my acetate and squidged them about a bit. I then stamped Stack of Birds in black Stazon. I coloured their beaks and wings with Portfolio pastels and went Oooh 'cos it shows through the stickles and didn't rub off the acetate.
I made the background by scraping some Distress Paints down a giant tag. I'm now officially a fan of  Distress Paints, I love the way you can dab a tiny bit onto your mat,  and the colours are yummy.
I randomly(ish) stamped with Fax To Wolfgang and Vintage Script I then cut the arch and frame out of the tag, so I now had a tag with a big hole in it :-) I stuck the acetate to the back of the tag, and the frame to the front. The stars are rub-on's.

France's Banner has also been stamped onto  acetate and coloured with the pastels. To finish I stamped Row of Numbers onto the bottom of the tag, and dyed some seam binding for the top. This was great fun to make and I'll definitely use acetate and the Portfolio's together again.
Check out the blog to see all my teamies fab ideas then join in the fun with us. Be sure to add SDC 102 when you link up to be in with a chance to win one of the $30 gift certificates.
Thanks very much for looking xx

If It Isn't Broken...

There have been many truism's over the years, like 'Simples'  and 'don't eat yellow snow' but the truest of them all has to be 'if it isn't broke don't fix it'
In real life that translates to 'it doesn't need that extra dab of Beach Hut so DON'T risk putting a blue thumb print over the lady's face' oops too late...
This PaperArtsy challenge from the brilliant Carol Quance was never going to be easy for me. I'm not a fan of Oriental (though I do genuinely LOVE the new Lynne Perrella stamps). This tag features the only Oriental stamps that I own. I tried to follow Carol's directions though was never entirely happy with the background, so this morning I thought 'lets dab a bit more beach hut' - you can guess the rest. So bottom left lady has had a face transplant!

I've had this little wooden tile since time began so I stamped it with my bamboo stamp - ta da! I really did enjoy making this especially playing with the embossing powders :-)
Thanks very much for looking and enjoy your Sunday xx

A Timmy(ish) Tag For May

When Tim posted his tag for May my first thought was 'can't do that'. I don't have the rub-on's and I don't have the stamp (yes I'm the one that doesn't have it lol) and with Chris at Uni I'm on a spending ban (except for the essentials like the Distress Paints, well I did hold out for a few months :-)
So this is my 'inspired by' Tim tag for May.
I've used some old rub-ons, and a combination of Distress Stains and DI's for the background.
All of the stamps are Artistic Outpost from the Paris Exposition plate. As usual when I was half way through I looked at it and nearly threw it in the bin, but then I added a few of the silver rub-ons and it seemed to tie in a little better. That's the thing about Tim's tags, if you keep on going they always turn out OK in the end :-)
I don't have any word bars so I used a microscope slide and coloured with alcohol inks. I love the way Tim dies his own ribbon. I have seam binding in loads of colours but it never looks as vibrant as when you die your own.

This is how it should have looked Mmm maybe next month...
I'm also linking this to the Artistic Outpost May referral programme.
Thanks for looking and enjoy your Bank Holiday weekend  - why is it always my weekend to work when it's a bank holiday, just lucky I guess! xx

A Man Among Boys

is what my steampunk guy is! I've been wanting to enter the Steampunk challenge at Sandee and Amelie's for ages, and I've finally got around to it! The challenge this month is to alter a playing card -I had the choice of either the 9 of clubs or the 7 of diamonds - goodness knows where the rest of the pack is (not that it's any use now anyway lol)
It's been painted in TH Distress paints, you know, the ones I didn't want, and wasn't going to get - hmm they accidentally fell into my basket...
All of the stamps are from the Artistic Outpost Steampunk plate. My manly man has been stamped with Versafine onto tissue paper and coloured with pencils. I do love this ink even though I always end up covered in it.
Lot's of chipboard bits and pieces stuck down with Glossy Accents and job done (and a lot of fun it was too)
I'm also entering this into the Artistic Outpost May referral of Anything Goes,
Fashionable Stamping  which is Alter It, and
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Favourite Ink

Thanks very much for looking and enjoy your day xx

Do You Know What It Is Yet....

They let me play again at Sam Poole's Creative Studio's, so here's a sneaky one of today's project

In best Rolf Harris style all will be revealed if you pop on over.
Thanks very much for looking, and I hope the weather will be kinder to you today than it looks like being for me :-)

Stampotique Challenge 101

It's the amazing Sarinda's turn to host the party today, so without further ado...

Today is Stampotique Designer's Challenge day-!!! And I am hosting. I love using text in my work it is a fun way to get texture without a whole lot of work. With that I have a background tutorial for you to try. Click over to my blog Aggregate Memories. Wishing you a very creative and inspiring day.

My dictionary has been feeling a little neglected of late, so what better place to find text.

I've coloured and stencilled with PanPastels after masking off my little moon.

Wee Owl is sitting in a bezel and has been covered in Glossy Accents.

I've highlighted the word 'moon' by erasing the PP with one of those motorised rubbers - these are fab, it really gets into the tight spaces though it does sound a bit like you're at the dentist!

I've used

Tree, Owl With Wings,Wee Owl,I Feel Happy Inside

All are available from Stampotique Originals and The Stamp Attic carries a good range here in the UK.

Be sure to check out Sarinda's fab tutorial, then join in with the fun, and remember to please link correctly to the challenge to be in with a chance of winning one of the two $30.00 gift certificates.

Thanks for looking and have an inky one x

Just Clowning Around

It's my Stampotique teamie France's turn to wow us this week at PaperArtsy and she's come up with some fabulous creations. I wanted to make a key spool so first job buy some wooden spools :-) (I'm obviously the only one in the country that didn't have any lol)
I started by painting it blue but it looked naff so I painted over with Vintage Lace and Brown Shed.
I stamped the happy couple from the Pierrot 3 plate onto shrink plastic, and the 'Clowning Around' from plate 1 onto some ribbon.
I also attached a masquerade charm to the bottom.

I liked the ribbon 'cos I could fray the edges, little things please little minds and all that :-).
The top of the spool has been stamped in my 'go to' little text stamp from Clocks plate 1.
I can honestly say it took me as long to attach the fibres and twiddly bits as it took me to make the rest of it, and that was using industrial size jump rings - wish I'd gone to Specsavers....
Now on a more serious note - someone has stolen this week!! Where has it gone to? all the worky bits  - yep plenty of time for those, but playtime, it's gone, vamoosed and it's Sunday again already. So thank very much for looking and enjoy what left of the weekend before it disappears into the Twilight Zone....