Cupcake Inspirations Challenge

This week Stampotique are sponsoring a challenge at Cupcake Inspirations. 

This time around it's a colour challenge.

And this is what I've come up with. The background is Pan Pastels, and Molly  and Teddy have been coloured with Distress Inks, and I Feel Happy Inside has just been stamped on the bottom.
Please join in with the challenge for the chance to win a $30 Stampotique gift certificate.
Thanks very much for looking x

Just Be You!

It's France's turn to choose the theme today at Stampotique, and this is what she has to say.

‘Don’t you just love all the details on Stampotique stamps? The best way to realize just how detailed they are is… by trimming them! And that’s our challenge this week: I’d like you to use (at least) 3 trimmed stamped images!

Up to you to use 3 times the same image or 3 different ones, to use them on a tag, a card, an altered object,…  I hope you find this as relaxing as I do!

 Ps: sometimes you need to cheat a bit to get all the details. You can for instance cut off some details when trimming and make them visible again by stamping directly on your piece and sticking the trimmed image on top of the stamped image.’

 I wanted to let my stamps do the talking so the background is  just torn book pages on mountboard that's been painted over with watered down white acrylic paint.

I've stamped Crowline,  Village and Just Be U in black, then stamped, coloured and cut out the bird from Just Be U, Home Sweet Home and Banner.

For once what I had in my head has managed to come out - it's not very often that happens :-).

I'm also entering this into the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge, which is colour.

I hope you'll join in with our challenge, and thanks very much for looking x

Hold Fast To That Which Is Good....

Happy St George's Day everyone!
I'm flying the flag for England today - though I had to add the Yorkshire Rose (OK maybe it's a Carnation lol)
They say that St George was born in Palestine, but I think he was from around here 'cos there's a pub in the village named after him!
My arch was cut with the Tim Holtz die, and all of the stamps are by Artistic Outpost - the quote is from the Typography plate.

These are the insides of my arches. They've been coloured with spray inks and DI's.
The stamps are a combinations of the two London Plates, London Underground and Loverly London

The two arches are joined together with a strip of seam binding which allows them to stand up and also to close.
I can see me having loads of fun with this die :-)
I'm entering this into the Artistic Outpost April referral,
Fashionable Stamping - sentimental, and
Pan Pastel - red white and blue 
Thanks very much for looking and enjoy your St Georges Day x

I'm A Big Bird....

 
...No not really it's just that I live in a teeny tiny birdhouse lol.
It's the fabulous Linda's final week at PaperArtsy, and her first make was to alter a birdhouse. Well I knew I had one, but I guess it's not as big as Linda's - hey they say size doesn't matter...

My birdhouse is wooden so one coat of Haystack was fine. I'm still useless at crackling so mine's a combo of crackling and dry brushing. My stencilling is Ferro that's been heated, then gone over with Treasure Gold

My roof is copper sheet that I've punched into leaves. It was a bit that I've practised on with TSS moulds so there's a few different designs going on. It really glows in the wait for it.... SUNSHINE!

Here's the Dove from Above which has been stamped onto Metal on Card.
I used stamps from the Clocks 1 plate and HP 1104.
Right I'm just off to run the London Marathon ... no I'm in the Grand Prix this morning... or am I cleaning the kitchen after someone's 02.30 'snack' then doing the ironing... Mmm decisions decisions.
Enjoy your Sunday and thanks very much for looking x

Happy Happy Happy....

Happy Birthday is the theme at Stampotique this week, and nothing says happy like a googly eyed monster!
The background is an old dictionary page that's been splattered with Distress Stains.
Whisker Monster has been painted in pale green and white, and Roc's Scalloped Lace Border has been stamped onto washi tape. The words are rub on's.
I loved making this, and note to self - need more googly eyes!
Thanks very much for looking x

Art Houses...

At last I've managed to get hold of Sam Poole's Art Houses stamps. I've been trying to smuggle these into my basket ever since I saw Tracey's samples, but they've always been sold out!
The background has been Fresco painted and stencilled then overstamped with my favourite Stampotique text stamp.

The houses have been painted in Dylusion inks, then had a few white pen highlights. The house on the left has been stamped on washi tape.

I covered some card with the same washi tape then stamped and embossed the sentiment.
This was great fun to make and the stamps are just as gorgeous in real life.
I'm entering this into the Artful Times  challenge which is stencils and/or masks, and
The Sunday Stampers - Paint Box
Thanks very much for looking x

Parisienne Butterflies (In The Springtime)

It's been ages since I joined in the challenges at Frilly and Funky and I really wanted to enter this one which is April In Paris. I love Paris though I've only ever been in Autumn (I'm an October birthday)
I loved last weeks PaperArtsy technique which was distress inks on glossy card so I've used this again for the background. 
The stamps are a mixture of Tim Holtz and PaperArtsy and have been inked in DI's and Momento.

The edge has been cut with a TH border die, then a separate piece cut from a DI and tissue tape piece of card. 
The Eiffel Tower is a TH die, and has been embossed, inked, then overstamped with a Stampendous music stamp. This die has gone straight into my top 3 dies, I know it's going to get loads of use.
My little butterflies flying around are nail charms, and I've added a piece of lace to the bottom.
I'm entering this into the
Country View Crafts challenge which is butterflies
Frilly and Funky - April in Paris
Simon Says Stamp and Show - backgrounds

Thanks very much for looking x

Minutes To Spare....

This is my entry for this weeks PaperArtsy challenge. I know I'm always last push, but 13 minutes to spare is ridiculous lol. I would have been earlier but my back garden wall and fence have just blow down!! It's meant to be the hottest day of the year and we get a flippin hurricane instead!
It's Helen's last post (for PaperArtsy) this time, and I know we will get fantastic people next time too, but I will really miss the ladies from this trimester. They have really inspired me to dig out my paints, stamps and pastels and get playing.
This has been made with glossy card and Distress Inks, and stamps from the  Lynne Perrella and Ink And The Dog range. I'm not as bold a Helen with the white pen but I did try lol.
Thanks very much for looking, and enjoy your blowy Sunday xx

Oh Mr Darcy

I've been having a play with my new Indigo Blu stamps (if you're looking Neil they're not new - had 'em for ages', cos you know I'm sticking to my spending ban right?!!) Ahem so... little play, and I made a hangy whatsit.
The hanger has been painted with lots of Fresco paints in neutrals, browns and blues, then out with the stamps.
I've randomly stamped the crackle from the Alice plate in white, then the netting and lace from Mr Darcy along the top and bottom. The swirl from Poppy Meadow has been embossed over the top in Distress EP. It's been a LONG time since this came out of it's box, but it's given a great shabby feel. Birdcage lady and silhouettes have been stamped onto tissue paper.

My beautiful wooden love birds are from        Crafty Emblies and have had a touch of gilding flakes. It doesn't show up too well here 'cos guess what - no sunshine again! The sentiment is from the same stamp set and has also been gilded. 
The rose is from Crafty Emblies and it's far too nice as it is to alter.
So this is me getting in touch with my feminine romantic side :-)
I'm entering this into the following challenges;
Indigo Blu Words and Phrases
Crafty Emblies Anything Goes
Artistic Stamper texture

Thanks very much for looking and I hope that the sun is shining where you are xx

Drip Drip Drop Little April Shower...

It's my teamie Sarinda's turn to challenge us over at Stampotique and she has chosen April Showers Bring May Flowers. I've had another go at making a journal page.

The background is lots and lots of Pan Pastels. These all blend together so nicely and are perfect to stamp on.
 Lots of stencilling, painting and background stamping, then my raindrops have been added in Pewter Distress Stain through a stencil.

I'm continuing my love affair with tissue tape, I've inked up the stamp then just laid over the bits I wanted. Ooh look... inky fingers again :-)
My tree has been painted with Dylusion inks, the lovely bunny has been stamped onto tissue paper and coloured with Prisma pencils, and the shrooms have been painted with watered down Distress inks.

Stamps used
Journey Collage
Tree
Vintage Script
Row of Numbers
Rainy Day
Mushroom Forest

I had a fab time making this and I'm sure you will enjoy playing along with us too. Check out what my other teamies have made then please join in.
I'm also linking this to 
Pan Pastels Use a stamped image
Fashionable Stamping  Journaling
Artistic Stamper Texture
Simon Says Stamp April Showers/and or May Flowers

Thanks very much for looking x

Late As Usual For PaperArtsy

It's Michelle's last week of fabulous inspiration over at PaperArtsy and she has certainly gone out in style.
I've tried to follow the instructions for the 1st day tag as closely as I could as Michelle's looks amazing. Mine's a bit too 'blocky'  but practise makes perfect so that's my excuse for having another day of playing today :-)
I've used stamps from HP1004 and IATD Clocks1 for my background. It was great to dig out the Perfect Pearls, I love these interference colours on black. If I never use my Distress Stains for anything other than dying seam binding they will still be worth every penny. I love how the colours glow (and I get to dye my fingers as a bonus :-)
Chris is home from Uni for Easter so goodness knows when I'll get to play this week - he tells us what a great cook he now is but seems to lose the use of his arms and legs when he gets home....  Kids eh, gotta love 'em.
Thanks very much for looking, and enjoy the sunshine! 

More Flowers at SDC 94

We had some sunshine yesterday, so that's it now, we officially have Spring! To celebrate Gez has chosen flowers for the theme this week at Stampotique.
I've painted a page from a chipboard album with lots of chalk acrylics, then stencilled through a Wendy Vecci stencil with even more paint. 

Time to stamp now, so I tried to be a bit random with Fax to Wolfgang in black archival over the whole thing and the fully painted flower. I've stamped Carol's Flower (small) in paints as centres and also over the buttons.

Dandelion Duo has also been painted in white and used as flower centres, and Abstract Foliage has been stamped along the bottom in various colours.
Beauty Verse has been used to finish it all off.
I was a million miles out of my comfort zone with this one, but I really enjoyed it once I got into the whole slapping the paint on thing, so thank you very much Gez for a fab challenge.
Please join in with us over at Stampotique, and have some fun with flowers.
I'm also entering this into the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge which is anything goes.
Thanks very much for looking.