By The Power of Grayscull (well Blogger actually)

Yep this is definitely a He-Man moment lol. Well I may not be here but my card is. The challenge at Stampotique this week is to use Eggplant hues. This made me realise that although I love these colours I don't use them very often. Anyway here they are.

And here's mine.
The background is a mixture of Inkadinks and Dylusion inks. They've been sprayed direct to paper, and then through a leaf mask.
The text is my 'go to' stamp, and has been stamped and embossed.
Wee Owl and his big brother have been coloured in Prisma pencils, and have Glossy Accents over their eyes.
I really enjoyed making this, and I will definitely use these colours more often.
Please check out my teamies fabulousness over at the Stampotique Designers Challenge blog, then have a little play yourself. It may be your lucky piece that wins one of the $30 gift certificates to spend in the Stampotique shop.
I've used:
6112 Tree
8100 Vintage Script
3040 Owl With Wings
3041 Wee Owl
7114 Shoot For The Moon
Thanks very much for looking x

Wot No Layers?

This weeks Stampotique challenge is to make a one layer card. Crikey how hard is that!! I didn't realise how much I like to slap the layers on until someone said that I couldn't.  So out come the old stamp positioner and I had to scrub my mat 'cos inky fingerprints would show.  Although I'm a very messy crafter I've now realised that I can't do random - I had to have my flowers in a little pattern, and the lines  are the same length, no doodling for me thank you very much! Note to self, stop being a control freak...
Everything has been coloured in Prismacolor pencils 'cos they're my new favourite toy.
All of the stamps are available from Stampotique Originals and I've used 
6095 Welcome Door 
4012 Gentleman Fox
9166 Carols' Flower (small)
Please pop over to the Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and join in with your own one layer card. Don't forget there's a chance to win $30 to spend on Stampotique stamps.
It's holiday time for me tomorrow - the fact that I'm typing this at 11.30 pm the day before I fly gives you some indication of how long my to do list is lol.
Thanks very much for looking and I'll catch up with you when I get back x

Art For Art's Sake

It's the boss (Frankie's) turn to set the challenge this time around at Dragon's Dream, Tag it On, and she has chosen a handmade background, interesting character(s) and a quirky twist. The handmade background came in the form of Dylusion house stamps that were stamped then masked. My tag was then sprayed with water then Dylusion ink in fuchsia. 
The leaves and border stamps are also by Dyan. The leaves were coloured in inkadinks, then stamped with the Stampotique spatter and text stamps.
Froggy has been coloured in Prismacolour pencils, and the houses in Twinkling H2O's.

For my quirky twist I added a piece of cellophane that came wrapped around a bunch of flowers. Yes it's true, I don't throw anything away! The heart is an ear-ring from the pound shop, it came with the matching necklace so I did alright there lol.
Please pop over and have a look at my teamies fab pieces of art dahlings then get out your stamps (at least one real stamp please), follow the recipe, then tag along with us.
Thanks very much for looking x

Twinchies Take Two

This time the challenge over at Show Us Your Twinchies  is to add a flower. My twinchies have been made with spray inks and a mask. The stamps are all by Stampotique, and are Carol's Flower (small), Daisy Daisy, and Vintage Script. They've been coloured with Viva glass and pearl paints. The stems are a mixture of Frantage glass glitters and mica flakes.
These should come with a health warning, as I feel twinchies could become slightly adictive!
Thanks very much for looking and enjoy what's left of the weekend x

Using Acetate

The Artful Times ladies are asking to see an acetate layer this time around. I love acetate, so I was straight in for this one. My background was made with some Dylusion inks and a mask. This was then overstamped with Tims background stamp from the Papillon plate, and embossed in black. Next came a little distressing around the edges, followed by a lick of a green ink pad.

The acetate die cuts were coloured with a mixture of Stazon inks and nail varnish. These were then overstamped with a Stampotique text stamp and a Scrollswork texture stamp. The clock is a Heidi Swapp ghost clock that I've had for ages, and it's all held together with some game spinners and a brad.
I really enjoyed making this, so thanks very much for the challenge Sam.

I'm also entering this into the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge which is to use a favourite technique. Mine is definitely making my own backgrounds.
Thanks very much for looking x

Stampotique Designer's Chalenge - Alter It

This time Polly has chosen the theme, and she wants us to Alter  It!

you can alter anything you like, we all have odd items lying around the house that are just crying out to be cheered up with a bit of altering such as unused CD’s , old boxes, photo frames you can even decorate the cover of an old book.

I chose a Maya Road greyboard keyring that had been filed in the big 'must do something with this' box, so out it came and was gesso'd to within an inch of it's life - but first I remembered to take it apart - Oh yes the number of things I have tried to paint without dismantling first, I don't make life easy for myself lol.

So after gessoing I sprayed with various inks - and they sat nicely on the top and bobbed about! OK plan B -Distress Inks,  Stains and stencils, messy but perfect!

Here are the guys in all their glory - sorry about the photography but I seem to fluctuate between total rubbish and OMG is that REALLY the best she can do! Please click on the photo's and all will appear (a little) clearer.
Please check out the Stampotique Designer's Challenge blog for loads of inspiration, and join us for the chance to win a $30 gift certificate so you can add to your colletion. Remember you can use any stamps now, but what a great opportunity to use any Stampotique that you own.

I've used 6007 Mr Stripes 

3056 Beauty Verse
6123 Hare
6075 Wilbur
6096 Kitty
6078 Smile
These are all available from Stampotique Originals 

Thanks very much for looking and have a fab day x

It's Twinchie Time

I keep seeing twinchies around the challenge blogs, and thought I would like to give them a go. The challenge over at Show Us Your Twinchies  is bright colours. My backgrounds are offcuts that have escaped the bin, and the stamps are all clear stamps, but I don't know who by. These were great fun to make, and I will certainly join in again. 
Thanks very much for looking x

Stampotique Sponsors CAS-ual Fridays

We are very excited today to sponsor the CAS-ual Friday challenge to create SQUARE cards.    This is a super easy challenge and you have a chance to win a $30 Stampotique gift certificate for stamps.

This was  such a challenge for me, just look at all that white space, but I must admit that I really like this.
This is a white base card, with a layer of Kraft, then a white layer again with a Nestie cut circle.

Hello! has been stamped and watercoloured. The 'friends' is a Timmy sticker. For all of you in the UK, this is my Harvey and Rabbit moment. And for all who are going Wha...? you MUST watch this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20UhjXpFX_c

So if you fancy making a nice clean and simple card, pop on over to CAS-ual Fridays and join in the fun.

Thanks very much for looking and have a great weekend.

Big Changes At Stampotique

With the big announcement last week of our growing design team we have decided to make a few changes to the way we do our challenges.

• First we will be going to WEEKLY challenges instead of only the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month
• Challenges will remain on Wednesdays and will remain open until the following Tuesday at 5 p.m. EST
• Challenges will be open to using ALL stamps, giving everyone the opportunity to win some Stampotique stamps to use
• Our design team will be posting in two groups, rotating weeks

*edited to add: Two winners will be randomly chosen at the end of the month from all the challenge participants to win a $30 gift certificate for Stampotique stamps.

Yay for copy and paste, that would have taken me ages, and here's the next bit... 

Hi, it's Kim here and today is my turn to host our next challenge. Anyone that follows my blog knows that I'm a big fan of sketches.  Even if you don't follow the EXACT sketch, it's a great jump start for your mojo and sketches are some of my favorite challenges to participate in.

This week I have created this sketch and we have lots of inspiration from the design team to share.  Please remember we are now doing weekly challenges so you will have until Tuesday, 8/14 to link up below using Inlinkz and play along for your chance to win.  All winners from the challenges from the month will have a chance to win, we will randomly draw 2 winners for a $30 gift certificate for Stampotique stamps.

Seriously until I got a blog I didn't know how to do that lol. Anyway, even though I'm in next weeks DT group that wasn't going to stop me having a play this time around. I've loved the Courting stamp for ages, so couldn't wait to try it out when it was handed over (my family hold my stamps to ransom ). The base card is a combo of The Luxury Stack, and Basic Gray. I always think that BG and Stampotique were made for each other. I've paper pieced her dress and his jeans, and just coloured with pencils. Hanging Hearts has been coloured with a red pen. The sentiment has been computer generated (is there no end to my techie prowess I hear you say) and printed onto Safmat. The little diamonds are rub ons that I've had forever, and the flower has been cut using one of Timmy's mover and shaker dies. I was going to try and leave a little white space in that corner but I caved at the last minute lol.

This will be winging it's way to my sister next month, probably a couple of days after her anniversary :o)

Now, head off over to the Stampotique blog, and join in the fun - you know you want to.

Thanks very much for looking x

In the UK both of these stamps are available at Art From The Heart  and everything is available from Stampotique Originals  Make sure you have a coffee and a biscuit, you'll be here for a while! x

By The Pricking Of My Thumbs...

Something wicked this way comes...

The recipe this time comes from Blackdragon, and she has chosen a 'Nightmare' So she's picked a murder of crows, a blue moon, and a chill wind. For the last 2 weeks I've been reading this as an ILL wind - hence my tag, but I think it still fits lol.
The background is black card, that's been stamped with Tim's trees, then embossed with white. The moon is a Clarity stamp that was embossed in silver. I've then mixed some blue Perfect Pearls with a bit of water, and painted all over, then dabbed off the embossed bits. Next came the Dylusion ink in granite which was lightly painted over certain parts. You can see this better IRL as it changes colour as it catches the light.
The ravens are a mixture of Tim Holtz and Dylusions, and have been stamped and embossed. The bottom one is a Tim Holtz die that's also gone through an embossing folder. Can you tell I have a bit of a 'thing' for embossing :o)
The quote has been stamped and cut out, the letters are quite small so are really nice when you want to stamp your own words.
Please head across to the TIO blog and check out my team mates tags - you know the rules, follow the recipe, include at least one real stamp, then come and join in the fun!
Thanks very much for looking x

With Apologies To Leo

Von over at Artful Times has chosen Mona as the theme this fortnight. I must be the only person alive who has not got the Tim Holtz Mona stamp, but I DO have the Cherry Pie ! 
My Mona has been given a touch of the Andy Warhol's, and yes it is this bright in real life 'cos its been coloured with Pan Pastels (and so have I) lol. Very basic stamping, 
colouring and sticking here but this was such fun to do.  I must admit that I was a little heavy handed with the lippy - I've not seen so much since the dog got hold of my Mum's make up bag, but that's another story :o)

Thanks very much for looking and for your support over the last week. It means such a lot to know what lovely people are out there in blogland. 
Pop across to Artful Times and see the fabulous examples over there x

Thank You Everyone and Some Sad News

A huge thank you to everyone for your congratulations, I'm sorry that I haven't been able to get to your blogs, but my Uncle passed away very suddenly. He was my Dads brother and hadn't had a days illness in 20 years. A fabulous way to go, but such a shock for those left behind.

I'll be MIA for a few days, but I hope to 'see' you all again very soon x

Look What I Got!!

Woo Hoo, I'm so pleased and proud to announce that I was lucky enough to be chosen to join the Stampotique Design Team. As you may know (if not where have you been lol) I've been a fan of these wonderful stamps for years.
I'm joining such a talented team, so please wish me luck, and take a look at the latest challenge which is Birds and Buttons, then come and join in.
I can't wait to get started, I havn't stopped grinning for days :o) So no cooking or cleaning for me - no change there then, I'm seriously playing!