It was my turn to pick the recipe today at Dragons Dream Tag It On, so I chose spray inks, embossing, and die cuts. As it was my choice you would have thought I had something in mind, but no, it was the old 'white cat in a snowstorm' that sprang to mind as I looked at my blank card.
Luckily help was at hand as postie brought my new Stampendous corset stamp - (if Neil asks I've had it for weeeeeeks if not years lol)
Sooo changed the white card to some blue, and stamped and embossed the Hero Arts stamp in white. I then sprayed with Radiant Rain in green and bright pink. When this had dried I sprayed again with some champagne pearly paint dissolved in some rubbing alcohol.
This part was some white card sprayed with Dylusion ink in Old Leather, after I had stamped and embossed in gold ep, then masked the image. This is coloured in Prisma pencils. I've added a little sprinkling of Frantage chunky glitters and colour fragments. Yes, this is my latest love lol. The cloth in the background is some very loosely woven cheesecloth, and I've also cut a strip of this to use as the ribbon through the top. The die cut is from Hunkydory. The blue around the edge is Moonglow embossing powder and it looks really nice here IRL.
This one gives you a better idea of the colours. The die cut button is one of Sir Tims from the dress form set, and it's been embossed in the same Moonglow powder, then had some glass glitter placed carefully (thrown) on.
I finished off with some lace and a needle and thread 'cos I was feeling a bit 'arty' Everyone then proceeded to tell me 'you do know you've left the needle in' YES I'm an artist daaaaarling lol.
So please pop on over to TIO and cook me up a tag.
Thanks very much for looking x
Well the Diamond Jubilee is almost upon us. It seems to have been building up now for months, and after next weekend Yay, Bank Holiday. I don't think there will be much flag flying or bunting twirling around here, so here is my flag.
The background is a Creative Expressions mask that has gone through the Grand Calibur, then coloured with Pan Pastels. It's been sprinkled with white UTEE, and Frantage embossing powders.
The flags and bunting are from a Kanban kit, and the 3 lions from my stash.
This is an old postage stamp that I've put in a pendant frame.
I'm entering my flag into the following challenges
Pan Pastels - Diamond Jubilee
The Crafty Pad - Colour of Your Country's Flag
Glitter Geeks - Diamond Jubilee
Sir Stampalot - Medals and Monarchs
Thanks very much for looking x
I made this over the weekend, but I've not been able to post it till now 'cos I've got the Manflu!! No wonder the poor dears take to their beds and complain when they have this. I must admit that for the last 2 days I've been functioning at a very low level (breath, cough, groan - breath, cough, wheeze) So to all you brave men who soldier on through this - I commend you lol.
I've been trying to come up with something for this months Artistic Outpost challenge, which is travel. For this I've made an inky background, then used the stamps from the Paris Exposition plate. I've thrown the kitchen sink at it in terms of embossing powders and in real life it look really nice when you twist it about and it catches the light. I've used 'That Special Touch Of' metal embossing enamels in copper, gold and silver, and I really do like these. I enjoyed making this very much, and it's something I will definitely try again.
Thanks very much for looking (sniff) x
Over at Artful Times the challenge is Birds. My bird is a combination of a couple of Paper Artsy plates, and he's been coloured in Pan Pastels. The birdhouse is corrugated cardboard which has had most of the top layer removed, then roughly painted in white acrylic.
The clock face has been cut in Kandi Kore, embossed, then sanded and inked around the edges.
The acetate on the back has been stamped with another of the PA stamps.
Sorry for such a speedy post, but it's 11 pm and I'm up for work very early in the morning.
Thanks for looking x
For this fortnight the recipe at Tag It On as chosen by Helen is A Symphony of Flowers, and she would like to see 'a pinch of greenery, buttons, and a butterfly or two' Of course we also need at least one real stamp.
Sooo I was very methodical in making this. First of all I gathered my colours and stamps (I usually just ink a background then wing it from there but not this time) The stamps are a mixture of Hero Arts clear stamps, and B Line Designs, and I have to say they have all had their maiden inking and have passed with flying colours.
The background is a mix of orange and yellow Pan Pastel (surprise!!) then I've used a stencil around the edge and gone over with magenta PP. The receipt has been stamped in Versamark then gone over gently with PP, and the butterfly has been Flitter Glued then had Indigo Blu leafing flakes over the top.
My flower heads have also been glued then sprinkled with glass glitter, and my flower buttons have been stamped with the same receipt stamp. These have been threaded with linen thread. For some reason buttons without thread creep me out - weird eh!
If you're thinking that you've seen (or done) butterflies like these recently, that because these two started life on a Tim Holtz 12 tags of 2012. They stayed there for about a week, then fell off! Never one to throw anything away I rescued them from the bits and pieces box and thought they looked rather swish on here.
Please join us over at Dragons Dream- Tag It On, and show us yer tags.
Thanks very much for looking x
A real quicky post tonight as we are having the kitchen plastered (hurrah) so I'm on tea making duty. Goodness knows why 'cos I never drink the stuff, I'm definitely a coffee gal (on the hour every hour would suit me fine :o)
My tag is for this weeks Pan Pastel challenge which is sports. I can't say that this guy looks like a sporting hero but he's all I've got! As you can see he's had a little too much sun so he's definitely not from around here.
I've used Pan Pastels in blues and yellows/orange for the background, the gone over with versamark on a very old but still favourite Cherry Pie circles stamp. Back over with the pastels and it gives a lovely finish. My dude is by Tanda - I love this stamp and should use it more often. The palm trees are a little clear stamp, and I've glazed the trunks and coconuts with glass gel. I've had Agadoo do do in my head since making this, something to do with pushing pineapples and shaking trees.... I'm now gently banging my head against a wall to make it stopppppp...
I really enjoyed making this, so dig out your sports stamps and head over to the Pan Pastel blog.
Thanks very much for looking x
I've always thought of mermaids as sweet kind creatures that came to the aid of sailors (a bit like dolphins) until I saw the latest Pirates Of The Caribbean film, and I now know that they are bad... very bad!
With this in mind I made a journal page for the latest Stampotique challenge, which is 'Families' I've used Smumanha and Smushallaum (spellchecker has just had a nervous breakdown lol) as these are definitely evil twins!
For the background I've used Pan Pastels and Versamark ink. As it's a Stampotique stamps only challenge I've also used bubble wrap, plastic, bottle tops and an old credit card.
The words are courtesy of Hall and Oates and are printed onto Safmatt (click on the picture to make it bigger)
The seaweedy bling in the corner is glass glitter and microbeads.
This looks kind of sinister but I quite like it.
Check out the Stampotique blog for lots of inspiration.
Thanks very much for looking x
Just before Christmas I was in that rather famous Scandinavian furniture shop (their meatballs are to die for by the way) and I found THE mirror - the one that everyone alters and does amazing things with. Well if you've all got one I had to have one, so here is mine. Sorry about the photo, but I had to photograph it without getting myself in - not easy with a mirror, but I'm not at my best on a Sunday morning - in my PJ's but that is what Sunday is all about.
I wanted to do the Union Flag, what with the jubilee and the Olympics, but quickly gave up on that idea as I couldn't even get the white paint on in a straight line. Sooo it's ended up as the Cross of Saint George, and the bliiiing is my red stripe.
The stamps are a mixture of Artistic Outpost (Moira at Happy Daze knows just when to e-mail me) and Creative Journey.
I wanted to keep with nice clean stamping, so just coloured with DI's around the bottom edge, but that got a bit boring by the time I got around to the top, so the flag is edged in gilding flakes, and the bus in That Special Touch Embossing Enamel.
This is my favourite bit, it's been stamped in blue Archival then edged in the embossing enamel in silver. The piece underneath is a combination of silver and black. It really does look like metal - sticks in your thumb the same too!
This has just a bit of stamp, cut and stick in red and blue. I love this shabby flag.
The crown is a brad that's been kicking around for ages.
I'm entering this into the following challenges
Fashionable Stamping - Cities of the World
Sir Stampalot - Medals and Monarchs
Happy Daze - May Queen
Lets Ink It Up - Bling
Frilly & Funky - Alter It
Tando - Alter It
Thanks very much for looking and enjoy your Sunday x
(PS Jenson to win the GP)
I know, only a very bad person would make such a bad pun, but it just had to be said lol. I'm a happy bunny today as I can go and collect my computer later this afternoon. Did I mention that only 6 days after it coming home from the poorly computer shop Neil blew up it's hard drive when he cut the power... twice!! I didn't say?? well I can't think why not 'cos I've told everyone else. If ripping the kitchen out isn't grounds for a divorce, surely blowing up my computer is :o)
Sooo I've cut the Weathered Clock die out of some mountboard, and inked and stamped with the HUGE Hero Arts clock stamp, and the crackle from the Indigo Blu Alice set. It's then been clear embossed a couple of times so it's kind of shiny but also a little cracked. The inside has also been stamped with the clocks stamp and embossed in silver.
Alice and the White Rabbit have been coloured with Prisma Pencils, and the quote is good old Distress Inks and water.
I've used the TH small easel die on the back so it's all free standing. This was one of those pieces that came together just as I wanted - not very often that happens!
I'm entering it into the following challenges
Artful Times - Time
The Altered Alice - Anything Goes
The Stampman Favourite Technique - mine has to be embossing.
Thanks very much for looking and enjoy Bank Holiday Monday x
It is now the 6th of May, and by my body thermometer it's STILL WINTER. I'm sorry for shouting but I'm fed up of the cold, wet, miserable weather. At 8 o'clock this morning the sun was shining, by ten past it had gone again. The cat does nothing but sleep and I would happily hibernate too! It doesn't help that Neil has ripped the kitchen out - by this I mean no units no appliances, bare breezblocks, floorboards, and electric wires dangling everywhere. Did I mention no power or lights. Never mind though, they are fitting a new one.... NEXT MONTH!!
OK, I'm calm again now lol. This is my calendar for May. The background has been done in Pan Pastels, with bits of acrylic paint splodged on with bubble wrap. The stamps are a mixture of Tim Holtz, Stampotique,
Creative Expressions, and Dylusions. I really like how the Pan Pastels work with Versamark, in fact I really like them full stop. Ooh forgot to mention the new TH Spring Distress Inks, I've coloured some of the flowers in with these and they are by far my favourite set. Lovely lovely colours. I know I'm on a spending ban but new ink is new ink and needs to be tried!
I'm linking this to the following
Kate Crane - Calendar pages
Pan Pastels - Anything goes
Snazzy - Spring Colours
Simon Says Stamp And Show - A kaleidoscope of colour
I'm going to wash up now... Outside...
Thanks very much for looking x
The challenge this fortnight over at Stampotique is to make an ATC. It can take me as long, and cause as much mess to make one of these as it could to decorate a small housing estate. I am not quick, and I'm not tidy!! Anyway... I started by making the background. The usual ink, paint, stencils, and the Stampotique French Text stamp. My Gentleman Fox has been coloured with Prisma pencils. Now to me, and everyone in Britain there is only one fox. Drum roll please for Mr Basil Brush - Boom Boom!!
Told you some things get lost in translation lol.
My second ATC features the wonderful Old Timey Frog. What is not to love about this stamp! He's been painted in Dylusion inks and decoupaged. As I don't have a printer at the moment the words have had to be handwritten. How I wish I was one of those people who could write, or draw, or even doodle, but never mind - I have rubber!!
Thanks very much for looking x
Over at Tag It On, Elizabeth has set the challenge of Behind The Mask. She is wanting to see some paint, stenciling, some text, and at least one real stamp.
Sooo time to break out the Dylusion paints - oh how I wish I had found these before I bought all those dabbers with the lovely (not) dried up paint inside!
This has been painted in a mixture of yellow and green, with a touch of Claudine Hellmuth's Traditional Tan. Then I've stamped the Impression Obsession Cover a Page newspaper stamp in black archival. I've stencilled through a hexagon mask with buttermilk acrylic from a well known DIY store. It's amazing how much more interesting these places are since I discovered their matchpots lol. The gold paint is Eco Green - I love these, I just use my finger to put it on the plastic weave that you use for cross stitch. Note to self, keep the wet wipes handy! Huge thanks to Kate Crane for sharing the tips on this and bottle tops! The birds and the stitching are both Tim Holtz stamps.
My small tag has been stamped and embossed with white, then inked with DI's and stamped over with the Stampin Up 'sanded' stamp. The crown is a brad that I've had in my stash since time began.
It's been finished off with some Kanban acetate, then stamped over with another from the Artistic Outpost London stamps. Thanks very much if you've managed to hang in with the verrrry long post, now head over to TIO and share your tag with us.
Thanks very much for looking x
