The Stampman ATC Garden Challenge

The Stampman's challenge this month is In The Garden.  In the top 2 I've used The Paper Company stamps and these are really lovely. The inky backgrounds have been made with Distress Inks.
The bottom one is a Stampotique background, with tissue tape, some prima paper, and the Stampotique bee's have been stamped on to tissue paper and PVA'd down. I really enjoyed making these, I should make more ATC's lol.
Thanks very much for looking

Simon Says Stamp And Show us Yer Punk!

The challenge this week over at Simon Says Stamp and Show is Steampunk. I love steampunk though it did take me a long time to 'get it'.

I decided to decorate a lage box to keep my steampunk stamps in. I painted with Eco Green paints in green patina and bronze,  then stamped various stamps from Scrolls Work Stamps (sadly with us no more) The dies are Tim Holtz Dress form, Birdcage, butterflies and Gadget Gears large and small. The gears have been painted with black, brown and orange then covered with crackle glaze. The silver washers have been coated with bronze embossing powder.

The sides have been stamped, and the 'steampunk' grungeboard letters have been painted and stamped. 

The gear has been stamped, and the small gear cut and painted. I also made a foam stamp from the small gear and stamped in Distress ink.

The front has been stamped with a Tim Holtz stamp from the Steampunk set, and the label made on a label maker.

I really enjoyed this challenge as I've wanted to decorate this box for ages.

I'm also entering this into the Shopping Our Stash  challenge which is Vintage/shabby chic/distressed, and the

Creatalicious challenge which is Anything Goes.

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

Take Time To Enjoy Life - Gingersnap Challenge

The challenge this week at Gingersnap's is to use crimpers (that's a ribbler to us Northerners lol) I was looking for my TH glassine paper when I came across these Sara's Surfaces 'tag in a bag'. I stamped the bag with a couple of Wendy Vecci HUGE bacground stamps then ribbled away. The Art Declasified stamp has been stamped in coffee onto my new favourite La Blanche card and edged with Broken China & Tea Dye. If you look really really closely you'll see the TH ribbed glassine under this.

The tag has been inked in blue DI's and stamped with TH swirls. I'm not sure that I'm a fan of this card, the ink just sat on top and bled so I heated with a heat gun and that didn't work so I finally covered with embossing powder. I think the quote is a Just For Fun stamp that I've had forever. The flower stamps are by Kanban, and a bit of seam binding to finish.
I really enjoyed making this, and I love the idea of a tag in a bag. Thanks very much for looking x

Black and White and a Hint of a Tint for Stampotique

The challenge this time over at the Stampotique blog is to use black and white and a hint of another colour. So in the spirit of re-cycling, I took the empty box from the cats food pouches and made a stamp box.

It's been gesso'd, then painted in black acrylic, then stamped and embossed with white embossing powder. The small and medium bees are Stampotique stamps, and the large one is from The Stampman. These have been stamped on tissue paper and pva'd onto the box. The back and sided have been left plain.

Then I made a flower out of organza, put the flower on, took the flower off. Put the flower on, took the flower off. Moved it over a bit, then finally took it off altogether. Thank goodness for Pinflair glue lol.

The poor old cat couldn't understand why I had her food box, but none of it was coming her way :o)

Thanks very much for looking x

London Calling

I've just discovered a new (to me) challenge site which is Fashionable Stamping. I really like it 'cos stamping /inkyness really is my favourite. This time around the challenge is to make a tag.
I've used a mixture of stamps from Artistic Outpost and Creative Journey. These stamps are brilliant, really thick rubber. The background is a mixture of Kanban and Graphic 45, and there is a gread deal of Diamond Glaze going on!
I really enjoyed making this, and thanks very much for looking x

A Season Of Mists And Mellow Fruitfulness

Or in the case of today, lovely sunshine!! Last year we went from Summer to Winter in about a week, and this time Autumn seems to have come around in the middle of August.

The challenge over at The Stampman this time is monochrome and one other colour. I've chosen brown, 'cos it comes in lots of shades.

This started life as a childrens board book which I gesso'd and painted with brown paint and then crackled with PVA glue and white acrylic. This has then been stamped with a crackle stamp.
The leaves are cuttlebug dies, the shiney ones have been made with alcohol inks that have been overpainted with Starburst Stains, and the matt ones are brown card painted with the stains.
This is now my little book of Autumn, so who knows, it may snow next week :o)
Thanks very much for looking

Hey Girlfriend!!

Here's a card I made for the latest Gingersnap Gal Pal's challenge. The stamp is from The Stampsmith so it would be rude not to enter their challenge as well with is Fabulous Faux.
So I blew the dust off my melt pot, choked a little 'cos it's been a long time, and made some faux porcelain flowers. The centres have been filled with green micro beads - they look just like the bobbly liquorice allsorts lol.
The paper flower centre are from Harrogate last year.
I used clear UTEE but it is now an amber colour, I don't know if this is because of the flex or if I have overheated it. It's fine for dark colours, but some of these flowers started off as pink.
Thanks very much for looking x

Hello, It's Been A While

It's been far too long since I got all inky and messy, and now that I'm back from my hols and the mud has been washed away AND I had the house to myself it seemed the perfect opportunity.
This is my entry to the Stampotique bookmark challenge. The base card is from LaBlanch and it really is fab - well worth a go. It's been inked sprayed and painted and it took it all in it's stride.
I've used various spray inks and Tim Holtz and Prima masks.
It's been a while since the Heads in a round has been out - I love their curious expressions, and the Bla Bla Bla stamp is just how I was feeling today lol.
I've edged it all with some Ranger copper tape just to keep the sides from getting ratty (and 'cos it's shiney mmm)

This is how it looks when it's on the book - hands up who remembers where Hairy Mclarey's from lol.
Sincere thanks to everyone who's e-mailed me asking if I'm ok. I know it looks like I drop off the planet ever now and then, but I'm still here and life is good.
Thanks very much for looking x