Saturday Workout - Altered Books

The challenge this week at Saturday Workout is Altered Books. I hope my entry counts as rather that alter a book, I have made one to keep my postcards in.
I've made a few now and they are stored in an old shoe box in my wardrobe!
I've just made a couple of covers with mountboard and joined together with book-rings.
I've used lots of acrylic paints, grungeboard, and a huge postcard stamp from Just for Fun.
I've tried not to fill it too much, as I want to put a little sample of each postcard on the front as I make it, so a year from now it could be quite crowded :o)
I'm quite pleased with my book, and the fact that I've made it. A couple of months ago there was no way I would have attempted anything like this, and I really enjoyed giving it a go.
Thanks very much for looking. x

Mummm.....

.....my feet are cold! Well they say the old jokes are the best...:o)
Here is my entry to this weeks TMTA challenge which is wild animals.
I love Polar Bears, it's hard to imagine that these cuddly guys would look at you and think 'dinner'
The image is copyright free from Google. I've used lots of Twinkling H2O's for the background, glitter glue and beads.
The bottom 2/3 of the image has been stuck down flat, and the cub has that non-smelly silicone glue to raise him up a little.
Thanks very much for looking. x

Claudine Page 40.....

....is image transfers, so that's what I've done for my Magpie. I can see why she say's it's not recommended for ink jet printers, 'cos most of my ink floated off into the bowl of water needed for the contact paper transfer.
Sooo add new printer to my list of 'needs' lol.
This is my entry to today's Sunday Postcard Art challenge which is 'Numbers'
Creative Imaginations backing paper, lot's of ink and an image from a collage book that I got from e-bay ages ago. Isn't it amazing how everything come in eventually.
I'm loving my new book, the next chapter is about beeswax - havn't got any yet but watch this space.
Thanks for looking and to all in the UK have a nice day off tomorrow x

I've Cracked It Too

Here is my entry to this weeks Lot's To Do challenge which is 'cracking'.
I've used the acrylic paint and PVA technique and it's worked out very nicely on my sticky canvas. I tried it last week on mountboard and it ended up in the bin.
I've used Ranger acrylic in pesto as the base coat, a layer of Bostic PVA, then a layer of white acrylic on top.
We've got a lovely sunny day today so this dried while I was cleaning the kitchen. (DH did a lovely full English but this means that the kitchen then needs re-decorating lol)
I've stamped TH's tree's and reindeer in distress inks over the top, and swiped Pine Needles around the sides.
Does this mean it is time to start on the Christmas Cards :o)
Thanks very much for looking x

I Got A New Book na na na na na!

I have got a Claudine Hellmuth collage book and it is sooooo fab except it made (yes made!) me order tons of stuff like acrylic medium, and canvas and you know what it's like when you start looking round arty crafty websites - I now need to work 'till I'm at least 120!
Anyhoos the challenge at SaWo is 'sparkling' so here is my sparkling piece ('cept you can't really tell that it's sparkling, but it is - honest)
I covered a tag with some sticky backed canvas and painted with paint dabbers in a pale blue. Then did a deeper blue wash and finished with a coat of pearl (that's where the sparkling comes in)
Then a layer of aforesaid gel medium and stuck an old book page on top. I added masking tape and removed some of the book paper. This was the really good bit 'cos now some of the ink has transfered and it's back to front, and some has peeled.
I've stamped my favourite TH tree and birds, and just edged with a midnight blue ink.I think it needs something on the bottom, but I don't know what, and as I quite pleased with it so far I don't want to spoil it (like my 3 earlier attempts but we won't talk about those) :o) Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I know that you all have probably been doing this stuff for years, but it's new to me and I'm really excited lol.
Thanks for looking and have a fab weekend x

One For The Boys

Here is my entry to this weeks DU2 Digi-Stamp challenge which is One For The Boys. My son is 16 today(eek) and a card carrying Barnsley fan. Now every self respecting football team has to have a local rival, and in Barnsley's case it's Sheffield United. I've dressed Sandra's fabulous meerkats in Sheffied's colours and added a rather uncomplimentary caption using Saffmat. This is the first time I have used this and so I'm still learning. It worked great over the gold where I cut it really close, and I should have cut it down closer over the green, but I wasn't going to print it again!
The background is from Google Images. I really don't know about copyright etc, but it's an area I'm going to have to look into.
Thanks very much for looking and have a great weekend xx

Think Monday Think ATC - Indian

Here is my entry for this weeks TMTA challenge which is Indian.
My first though when I read this was Ghandi, so I went along with that.
The background is yellow, orange and brown distress inks and my old favourite Cherry Pie stamp.
The image is from those nice Google people.
I didn't realise this was one of Ghandi's quotes - my goodness he had lots of fantastic quotes!
Thanks very much for looking x

Where Did You Get That Hat Where Did You Get That Hat....

This is my first ever entry to The Sunday Postcard Art Challenge. This week the theme is Postage Stamp People, and luckily there is an excellent YouTube tutorial for those of us whose 1st reaction was 'Uh'
I got some used postage stamps from that well known auction site a couple of years ago, and after about an hour or so of ripping my craft room apart, I managed to find them :o)
The main stamp is by Paper Artsy, along with some of the background, together with Cherry Pie. A very inky background with lots of Mod Podge.
The whole thing just begged the question 'Where did you get that hat'

Thanks very much for looking.

Theme Thursday - Masculine

Here is my entry for the Theme Thursday Masculine challenge. The stamps used are by Oxford Impressions. Various distress inks, and a TH paper distresser to rough up the corners.
Thanks very much for looking . x

Rhubarb Crumble & Custard??

Mmmm now there's a challenge - make a tag with rhubarb crumble and custard. Let me explain.... Dragon's challenge this week is pink for rhubarb, yellow for custard and texture for crumble.
My texture is my lovely pink velvet paper. I had this for years - far too nice to use but very strokeable. The yellow card has been cuttlebugged and swiped with pink chalk ink.
My sneakers stamp has been coloured with Prismas.
A lace was threaded through a couple of eyelets to continue the shoe theme, with a bit o' bling added 'cos that's what you have on trainers these days :) The laces have been coloured with Sakura Stardust pens (doesn't show up too well unless you click on the tag)
I really enjoying making tags, I'm getting quite a collection. Swapsies anyone??
Thanks very much for looking xx

Way To Go Dino!

Louise over at Kard Krazy
has hosted a new Tuesday Tag challenge, and this weeks theme is 'direction'.
The direction I have gone in is Back in Time (remember when men were hairy and brought home the dino burgers).
My dino is from the very cute Basic Grey Anarchic set. The tag's been inked up with distressed inks, creased, soaked and gererally mistreated.
Not very 'arty' I'm afraid but lots of fun.
Thanks for looking and pop on over to Louise's lovely blog for more tags. xx

Bling it On!

Here's my entry for this weeks TMTA challenge which is Jewelry.
The background is stamped and embossed in black, then filled in with red and gold and embossed again.
My glamour gal has been coloured with Prisma's and Pro Markers. and her jewels are nail art crystals from that well known crafty chain Poundland.
These are so tiny I'm not even sure if the clear ones are the right way up, but my eyes were starting to cross!
The pampered pooch isn't really pink, he just hasn't scanned too well.
Time for bed now, so thanks for looking. x

Theme Thursday On Er Friday

Better late than never, here's my entry to this weeks Theme Thursday which is 'Music and/or Dance'
This is one of my very favourite stamps, from Just For Fun. Her dress has been coloured with Prisma's, and her face and arms with Pro Markers. I got the Skin Tone set from Silly Monkey Crafts, and I love them, they are so smooth and I shall certainly be adding to my collection.
The background is Coredinations which has been Cuttlebugged and sanded. So simple but I think it looks really effective.
The tiny embelishment in top right is a ballet shoe stamp on shrink plastic.
I tried to keep it nice and simple, and I'm quite pleased with the result - have I finally realised that less is more - doubt it :0).
Thanks for looking and enjoy your weekend xx

TGIF Childhood

Mmmm another one of those OMG what am I going to do challenges, but I have to admit I'm really pleased with the result. The challenge at Thank God It's Friday this week is Childhood, and I have very few stamps with children. (I do have that very wierd Sir Tim one with wings and a paper hat but.... (all TH worshipers please look away now)... I don't like it!
The background is Stazon and Distress Inks that's been Versamarked and tripple embossed. The Ticket is this months freebie from Craft Stamper. It stamps really nicely and will defo get a lot of use.
The sisters is part of a stamp that I got from USA, so it's either Cats Life Press or Just For Fun. The clowning around stamp is Paper Artsy.
The feathers just happened to be on my desk (hey its the weekend :0) ) so on they went.

Have a great weekend and thanks for looking xx

Oooh A New Challenge Site Tag It On

I was so pleased that Dragon had launched a new tag challenge, but I have to confess that when I read that this weeks was 'Fairy's at the bottom of the garden' my heart sank. I just don't 'do' fairy's so my first challenge was to make something 'fairyish' that I liked.
After spending a sum closely resembling the national debt on CD's, pretty papers, templates etc, I have finally come to realise that I actually prefer stamping best. Will this stop me buying all the other stuff?... ugh ugh, but at least I have self realisation lol.
Anyway, back to the fairies...
The stamp is by Paper Artsy, and if the challenge had been 'angels' this is the stamp I would have used, but today they are fairys. I've stamped the Tim Holtz tree onto my tag, then painted in the background with Twinkling H2O's. The angel-fairys have been coloured with Prisma and Pro Markers, and the wings glittered.
The genuine flower fairy is from one of the above mentioned CD's. I actually cut out about 6 of her, but a fairy clone is way too scary.
I actually quite like my tag, and I certainly enjoyed the challenge which is what it's all about, so I shall be back next week - hoping that it isn't angels...
Thanks very much for looking xx

Thanks To Sally

For my lovely award, it's really made my day. I now need to pass it on to five other people, so here goes (as they say on TV, in no particular order) lol

Claire
Linda
Sam
Linda
Hilda
All fantastic blogs so please make a visit xx

TMTA - Peacocks

Here's my atc for this weeks TMTAchallenge which is peacocks or peacock feathers.
I don't have any peacock stamps, so I stamped the peacock feather and embossed with white embossing powder, and brayed with blue and green ink.
I've stamped my swirly bird (nearest thing I've got to a peacock) and glittered and beaded him.
Thanks very much for looking xx

My First Gothic Arch

If anyone comes across my safety zone today could you please send it back to me, cos I'm so far out of it I can't even see it any more.
I've never made a Gothic Arch before, so I thought it was about time I did. I know nothing about them other than it's this shape, so if it's not right please let me know.
I've never entered the Thank God It's Friday Challenge either, so it's a day of firsts.
Thanks for looking and have a great weekend xx

Swirly Bird Wears a Crown

Here is my entry to Theme Thursday's challenge which is 'Hats or Crowns' I've painted my ATC background with Ranger acrylic dabbers in Misty Blue, Cool Piri and silver. The background stamp is from Stamp Camp, and the swirly bird image is by Hels Sheridan and can be bought from Artistic Stamper.
Sorry about the picture quality, I tried to scan it and the result was just scary!! Have you ever seen a swirly bird on steroids - very butch but just wrong lol.
My family are all coming over this weekend for my Grandma's 95th birthday, we're not a huge family but we'll certainly fill my place -should be good fun.
Thanks for looking and have a great weekend.