You Gotta Have Friends (And a Kate Crane DVD)

The challenge this time over at Stampotique is a Wish For The New Year. My wish is to see more of my friends and family. Real life can be a bit of a treadmill and before you know it it's Christmas again and another year has gone by. For my birthday I bought myself the fab Kate Crane's art journaling DVD's, (I knew it  was no use relying on hints to get this)  and armed with my shiny new  A4 journal, some Dylusion inks and paints, and the bottom drawer of my Stampotique stamps collection I decided to take the plunge and do a journal page.
Sooo I painted it in blue, pink and purple, hated it, and decided to tear it out lol. Then I remembered what Kate had said on the Art From The Heart taster day - that she NEVER tears out a page from her journal (let alone the 1st one) so I carried on with the splatting and the stamping and the bottle tops and the credit card painting and in the end I quite liked it!
I think that Karin and Marci look like X Factor finalists, and twinkie is just about to deck Louis Walsh :o)
So a Happy New Year to everyone, and may all your wishes come true (as long as they are legal and don't interfere with mine lol)
Thanks very much for looking x

Christmas Fishes

So much for my week off work to play at making Tim's tags, real life strikes again lol. Finally found a bit of time to play yesterday, and it's non-traditional Christmas time over at Stampotique , so red and green must never be seen! It's amazing isn't it that as soon as you are banned from colours those are the only ones that you want to use :o).
So for my alternative Christmas, I've inked some card and stamped and embossed the French  Text stamp in a holographicy type EP. Then I've stamped the ribbon stamp around the edge ( I had to break out the stamp positioner for this, and I always amaze myself when it works). This has been joined with the long splatter - love this stamp it goes with everything!. The tree has been stamped on the card then stamped again and cut out so I could attach my fishes with jump rings. The Christmas Fishes has been made on my labeling machine and inked over with blue Stazon. Of course a Christmas tree decorated with fish bones could only mean one thing - this is the House Of Kitty....
I've made a little dangly thing for the corner using Jo's star that was in Craft Stamper, and some beads and jump rings. It's all been stuck then sewn down (by hand, it's too cold now to stay in the conservatory any longer than I need to ) onto a brown (see still no red or green) card blank.
I think it's 'alternative' enough 'cos my husband gave it the uhhhhh..... look and that little shake of his head that means 'what has she done'.....:o)
My daughter gets it, she just says ah Stampotique!
Having to wait in now for a new printer, the hamster running mine has finally given up the ghost. Thanks very much for looking and don't forget to eat todays choccy from the advent calender before anyone else gets it!

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

Tando Creative Online Class

Here's my finished frame for the Tando Creative Online Class. Now a smarter person would have taken photographs as they went along but...doh!!

Anyhoo I tried to stick to the brief, but I really wasn't happy with any of the (numerous) backgrounds that I created, so I ended up by using the Tando cogs mask directly on to the backing board and using gilding flakes.

This looked a little too stark so I toned it down a bit by spraying over with Radient Rain in a pinky/purple colour.  The embelis are mostly Graphic 45 papers, and the matching Hampton Art stamps, and Tim Holtz & Wendi Vecchi stamps. The butterfly is grunge paper covered in washi tape, then stamped over with the WV stamp and embossed.                      The dragonflies are Tando chipboard and they have been coverd in Perfect Pearls and alphabet beads.

Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante paper stuck onto chipboard with a frame over the top, topped up with Glossy Accents. The cog has has been painted in gold acrylic and stamped and heated until the paint bubbled.

More Graphic 45 paper under a Tim Holtz Fragment.

Tando cog with acrylic paint and UTEE with a lie detector charm.

Texture paste corner covered in Perfect Pearls and various bits and pieces.

I really enjoyed makin this, and the tutorial was amazing - I shall certainly do more of these.

Thanks very much for looking x

It's Sketch Time At Stampotique

The challenge for this fortnight over at the Stampotique challenge blog is to follow a sketch. I havn't done a sketch challenge for ages, and I must admit my mind went blank when I looked at this one... THEN I thought of Miss Snottie and the rest fell into place lol.
I stamped the Divine Miss S on cream card and cut her out with a nestie (after cutting her hair out first). The kraft card has been ribbled and pricked around the edges.
The music panel is from the TH Christmas Kraft Resist stash, and it's been inked with the Barn Door Distress Stain which I didn't want, didn't need and now you try taking them off me! The colouring power is brilliant - I love 'em :o)
I wanted the Snottie one to look like she was coming through a paper burst, so I tore the TH Kraft Glassine paper from the centre outwards. This is fab to tear as it doesn't run away from you - if you want it to tear you have to give it a good old tug!
I gave her a Christmas hat just so you know it's nearly Christmas :o)
The strip down the middle of the kraft resist is from the TH lace Alterations die. I cut it in gold mirror card then ribbled it to give it a German Scrap look. My husband (bless him!!) took one look and said 'why have you put Space Invaders on a Christmas card' Don't be stooopid I said, it's lace ohhhhh....... yeah I can hear the music playing and they're fireing their little missiles and that's that die ruined forever...
Anyway, that's one more Christmas card done - it's really sneaking up on me this year (same as last year, the year before, the year before that... can you see the pattern lol)
Enjoy what's left of the weekend, please excuse any spelling mistakes 'cos spell checker seems to have gone walkabout, and thanks very much for looking x

Better Late Than Never!

Way back in May I did a workshop with Janet & Michelle at the Stampman, where we started to decorate a wooden box. Fast forward to November, and I thought it was time that I actually finished it :o)

The box was gesso'd then painted in blue and brown acrylic paints. It's also been stenciled through a honeycomb mask with DI's in blue and brown. The dress form and wings are Tim's dies, as are the buttons and thread holder. These have been stamped and embossed in various DI's. The ribbon around the edges is the TH lace die, and this is already up there on my favourites pile!

The sewing machine and scissors are from Tando Creative, and I'm entering this into their November challenge which is Blue & Brown.

Thanks very much for looking and enjoy what's left of the weekend x

The Stampsmith Ribbon & Lace

The challenge for November over at  The Stampsmith is ribbons and lace. I really struggle with this type of thing, but I guess that's the challenge...
The background has been stamped in Faded Jeans with a stamp from the Postcard plate, and the lovely Serena has been stamped in coffee archival and tinted with Broken China. The paper is one of Anna Griffin's that I've had since time began.
My little crochet flowers were done in front of the computer, with a lot of re-winding of the tutorial. My Grandma taught me the basic stitches many (many) years ago, but it's not something I've done much of. She could do the most amazingly fine work without even looking at what she was doing - she certainly didn't pass that on to me,  but at least I can do the flowers now without the sound on lol.
I'm also entering this into the Fashionable Stamping Challenge which is In Times Gone By.
Thanks very much for looking x

Tag It On

The challenge at Tag it On this week is Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium. My challenge to myself was to do it without any cutting and sticking or 3d 'stuff'.
I started by using some TH masks inking with various distress inks. Lots of stamps, mainly Scrollswork stamped in distress and coffee and black archival.
The main images were stamped on tissue paper and torn (see not cut lol)  out and stuck down with watered down pva.
I've used black and white acrylic paints and various lids from my evergrowing lid collection to paint the circles.
The edges have been distressed then rubbed aroung with green and gold Inca Gold, and finally I coated it all in beeswax to give it a bit of shine and texture. The poor old tag had taken all it could manage by now, so I backed it up on some black card and gave it a bit of raffia lol.
I really enjoyed making this, and thanks very much for looking x

Down On The Farm

Over at Gingersnap Creations the theme this month is Farm Fresh. I don't have too many (1)farm type stamps,so here it is lol. The background papers are some old K&Co that I've had for years, and they've been inked with DI's. The front one has been stamped over with a Fiskars plaid stamp to give it more of a 'farmy' feel. The rooster and sentiments are  from The Paper Company.

Rocky the Cocky has been gilded (ouch) with my latest toy Indigo Blu glue and gilding flakes. Who's a pretty boy now then!

It's all been backed up onto a cork kitchen tile, and then a piece of brown card that's been ribbled. Now for a confession, I was the one person in the whole crafty world who didn't own a Tim Holtz Distress Stain (until yesterday - I now own one lol) I figured that as I had the inks, and the re-inkers why would I need the stains. But I bought the Picket Fence one to see what all the fuss was about and curse it I do like them. I've used it on the brown card and it does look pretty good in real life.

I didn't mean to have eyelet all around but I didn't look where I was putting my first set of holes (??) so unless I wanted to hang Rocky upside down (and I'm pretty sure they only do that in bad satanic films) I had to add another set.
I really enjoyed making this, and I hope it's farmy enough.
Thanks for looking and enjoy whats left of the weekend x

Planes Trains & Automobiles

This week the challenge over at Tag It On is Planes Trains & Automobiles. For the planes tag I've used October Afternoon paper, and stamped with  Scrolls Work and Tim Holtz stamps.
The trains has Stampin'Up paper in black and vanilla. I've stamped a Scrolls Work stamp with some Indigo Blu glue and rubbed in some gilding flakes. The train stamps are Scrolls Work.
The automobile tag has been gesso'd then stamped with the SW background in Chipped Sapphire. The stamps are all Timmy's except for the Planes Trains and Automobiles which are again by Scrolls Work.
Sorry about the rubbish picture, but by the time I had finished there was NO sunlight left. If you click on it it's a little bit better.
I need to go and do some ironing now :o(
Thanks very much for looking x

Eww That Smells Like Poison..

.. and so it should 'cos over at Stampotique this time the challenge is to alter a poison bottle. When I first saw this I thought 'see you next time', but I decided to give it a go.
Now I'm right out of poison bottles, but I do have a nice body spray in a fetching shade of blue so I thought I would use that.
I sprayed it with some black webbing that I have had for at least two years and never tried. Note to self this comes out fast and covers a bigger area than an angry volcano.
Then I melted some bees wax in a bit of tin foil and added some red pepper alcohol ink and drizzled it down the bottle top to look like blood. It kind of ran across not down, but my poison defeats the law of gravity (and it was hot so I wasn't going to mess with it lol)

I also had another 99% empty perfume bottle (don't know why I don't throw it away 'cos it hasn't sprayed for years) so I donated it's top to alchemy... I painted it silver then gave it another blast of said webbing spray.

To make this Stampotique poison rather than any old poison I stamped the guys from the Halloween cube onto shrink plastic and attached them with wire around the top.
The poison letters have been cut with the Tim Holtz Once Upon A Time strip die.
I did enjoy making this in the end, and it looks fab now sat on my window sill with my other lotions and potions.
To see how poison bottles should look, head over to the Stampotique challenge blog.

Quick Edit. I decided that I wasn't happy with the wire, so I put the ghoolies on jump rings on a length of ball chain around the bottle.

I'm a happy bunny now lol x

Mmm Not Somewhere To Spend The Night

I know I said I was through with Halloween, but that was the cute side, this is just downright spooky...
I could never understand why on films people went into graveyards, in the dark, (and always in the fog) what good did they ever expect to come of it lol.
For my spookiness I've used stamps from a Cherry Pie set (love these) a Stampendous cobweb stamp, and one of Tim's trees. This is one of my 'go to' stamps, along with his flock of birds.
The stamping has been done in black versafine, and the card just coloured with Black Soot distress ink. The bat started life as silver, but I coloured him with the Ranger black enamel accents.

I've been practicing my reverse stamping with the railings on the bottom right. The card railing is Tim's Picket Fence die, and it's all being supported by the small easel die which is fab, I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this one!
I'm entering this into the following
Gingersnaps - Black and grey
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Show one colour - any colour
Craft Room - Black and white
Tando Creative - Spooktastic


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

Not Quite An Old Master

This weeks challenge at Gingersnap Creations is Ravens. I don't know why but I thought that American Gothic would look quite nice featuring a couple of ravens lol.
The American Gothic stamp is by Lost Coast Designs and has been well loved (but not as well cleaned lol) I stamped it then coloured with distress inks. I treated myself to the Claudine Hellmuth paint brushes and they really do make a difference, if I stick my tongue out at the correct angle I can almost stay within the lines now :o)
The ravens are Hampton Arts cling stamps and they are lovely. I had to do the stamping onto another stamp to reverse it for the woman 'cos I really can't get to grips with the brayer technique.
I'm afraid I had to decapitate the ravens next and stuck them over the original happy couple. I then stamped the couple again, bit more head chopping, and stuck them on top.
Stamped it yet again just for the frame, and embossed in gold, cut out, and mounted on teeny foam pads.
The background is a bit of ribbled kraft and a page of my trusty old Mills & Boon Whirlpool of Passion!!
I saw the episode of Fame In The Frame about a month ago where John Myatt painted this picture and put Paul O'Grady in the picture. I  really enjoyed hearing about the background of this painting. I didn't realise it was so iconic.
Pop over to Gingersnaps for far better examples of ravens!
Thanks very much for looking x

It's Tag Time!!

Over at Stampotique the challenge is tags, which is always OK with me! I started by stamping and clear embossing images from the Halloween cube, then I coloured the tag in Ripe Persimmon distress ink. I masked bits off with Halloween images from the TH sheet then blended over Seedless Preserve DI.
Next I stamped the French Text stamp with water and blasted with the heat gun to dry it till it smoked lol. Then I inked through the 'Special Touch' Cracked mask with Peeled Paint DI, and finally stamped the edges with a question mark stamp and edged with Black Soot.
Prom Queen has been coloured in Inkidinks, and the sentiments stamped and cut out.
I had great fun making this though my craft room now looks like we've been burgled!
I'm just about Halloween'd out now, and there's still a week to go. Never mind - soon be Christmas!!
Thanks very much for looking x

Would You Like To Swing On A Star (Actually it's the moon!!)

This month the challenge over at The Stampsmith is Halloween using at least one Stampsmith Stamp. Bit of a poser this one as I don't have any 'Halloweeny' Stampsmith stamps, so I cheated and put a witch's hat on these old romantics Ooooh scarey uh lol.
The papers are from We R Memory Keepers and I've mixed and matched a few to give it some depth. The spider and web are a couple of clear stamps that I got this time last year, and the 'boo' is there just to make you jump :o).
Check out The Stampsmith blog for some fab inspiration and the chance to win some stamps.
Have a great weekend and thanks for looking x

On The Street Where You Live

I don't normally 'do' Halloween, but last year I bought myself a We R Memory Keepers Halloween pad so I thought I'd better use it. I made myself a haunted house. I traced around an old Craftwork Cards template to make myself another couple of houses. The one on the left and in the middle have been covered with the WRMK's papers, and the outsides not so carefully painted in orange acrylic. The one on the right has been alcohol inked in red, yellow and plum. The windows have been cut out and pictures put behind. These have been printed on accetate and are the 'Anabel Lee' sheet from Moonlight Journey.

The skeleton stamp is from Tim Holtz, and I've also used various Artistic Outpost stamps from the Halloween set.

My spooky bird has been cut on chipboard from the Tim Holtz die, the stamped with the cobweb stamp from A.O, and embossed in black. I've then blended purple and yellow DI's and clear embossed again.

The cat is from the same die and has been cut in Kraft Glassine, crupmpled to within an inch of it's nine lives then splodged on in black archival. This has then been heat set.

The ironwork fence is one of Tim's On The Edge dies again cut in chipboard and splodged with black and platignum inks.

I had a lot of fun making this - it's nothing like I had in my head but it will be in my front window on the 31st.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
Gingersnap Creations - alcohol inks
Shopping Our Stash - Spooky
Simon Says Stamp And Show - things with wings

Thanks very much for looking x

Gingersnaps Colour Challenge - Turquoise, Blue & Purple

The final 'Friends' themed challenge over at Gingersnap Creations this month is a colour challenge of turquoise, blue and purple. The background technique has been shamelesly stolen from Jo Capper-Sandon's article in this months Craft Stamper. Basically you put your hand in a plastic bag, dip it in the ink and dab, but Jo does it with so much more style!
The background stamp is called 'Friendly' and it's by Stampin'Up. The flowers are the Greenhouse Garden set also by SU, and they've been stamped in turquoise, blue and er purple. The quote is from a TPC stamp set. This actually looks quite pretty in real life - quite a change for me  lol. I've really enjoyed this set of challenges from Gingersnap, and they've given us a heads up that October is going to be all about Edgar Allen Poe. Mmm now that is a challenge....
Thanks very much for looking x

One In A Million

The theme over at Shopping Our Stash this week is black and white and one other colour. The aim of the challenge is to use some of the stash languishing at the bottom of our drawers. The backing papers I've used here are from the 7 Gypsies Paddington collection. I loved them, had to have them, then put them in the drawer with a million other sheets of 'had to haves' and never used them. Please tell me that it's not only me that does this. The ribbon has been in my stash for at least two years, but the Tim Holtz stamp is quite new. (Saying that the masking tape I used as the mask is at least 3 years old.) My steampunk guys have been masked and stamped, masked and stamped....
The card is for my Dad, I wanted to put 'One in a Million' on it but the card seemed finished as it was and I didn't want to spoil it, so that will go on the inside.
I'm also entering this into the Simon Says Stamp And Show challenge as this week the theme is Men - bless 'em - can't live with them, can't kill 'em all! - That's very un PC, how very dare I! :o)

Have a great weekend and thanks for looking x

Wanted Dead or Alive

The challenge over at Dragon's Dream has been inspired by the song These Boots Were Made For Walking, so we have to show some sort of footwear on our tag.
My stamps are all by Tanda and they've all been stamped and coloured in Distress Inks. The curled up paper behind the wanted poster was a piece of glassine from a box of chocolates. How I suffer for my art lol. Thanks very much for looking x

Happy Birthday To You, Happy Birthday To You

The fortnightly challenge over at the Stampotique Originals blog is Humerous Birthdays. As I'm older than my sister I've received quite a few of these over the years, but now it's my turn mwahahahaha....
I knew exactly what I wanted for this card, and it sort of kinda turned out ...yeah Ok nothing like it big surprise NOT :o)
I sprayed my cartridge paper with Dylusions and Inkadinks in pinks and purples, then added a bit of lemon  and some pearly spray. I cut it out with a Spellbinders bunting die. (I pictured bunting in my head but of course it would have had to stand on it's point Doh!)
Twinkie's been painted in the Inkadinks, and it's all layered onto some Bling cardstock then acetate. I love acetate except for the tidying up of the inside - I have been know to put this off can you believe it lol.
The sentiment is computer generated and says 'Your not over the hill....But you have an excellent view!  Subtle eh :o)
I was just about to photograph it this morning when I thought 'too much space' so I put in a few splats from the Long Splatter.
I really enjoyed making this  - really need to tidy up though now :o)
Thanks for looking x
Quick Edit

I've just realised that my arrow isn't a Stampotique stamp and it's a Stampotique only week, so I've doodled (yes this IS why I buy stamps, I can't even doodle) and attached over the arrow. I know it's sad but I like to play by the rules.
Thanks 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