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!

Look Into My Eyes....

At Stampotique this time Kaz has chosen birds and buttons as her theme. At first I thought they would all have to play without me 'cos I don't have any bird stamps,  but then I remembered Wee Owl... phew!
My background is a mop up page on some cartridge paper and look - white space!! not often I leave any of that!
My tree has been stamped in coffee archival, then painted in cappuchino Perfect Pearls mist.
Wee Owl has been stamped onto a scrap of the paper, then my clear button (stampin' up) has been glued over the top. The button holes match his eyes perfectly. Did I know this in advance - was it perfect planning- of course (not).
The words are Timmy stickers outlined with a black Pitt pen, and that was it, all done. Very less is more for me, but I like him just the way he is.
Head on over to Stampotique for lots of inspiration, and the chance to win a $30 certificate.
Thanks very much for looking and have a fab weekend x

Compendium Of Curiosities .....

Over at Studio L3 Linda has chosen

Technique 14: Guilded Kraft Glassine

A Compendium of Curiosities, Vol. 2, page 39

Sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique

I've been rubbish at joining in these challenges, so it was time to get my bum in gear and make something.

You know the rules, no details or Linda would have to kill me, but I can say that I used Stream and Pool as my inks and very beautiful they looked too! 

My stamps are by Stampotique, and Prom Queen is all ready to go to her er Prom!

So a technique by Sir Tim, and a $25 gift certificate up for grabs from the wonderful Funkie Junkie herself, why would't you enter!

So get yourselves over to Linda's and have a go!

Thanks very much for looking x

Fifty Shades Of Grey

Made you look, made you stare...
No it's not THAT fifty shades of grey (which I have not read by the way but I don't know how much longer I can resist) this is Alice's version.
My Tag It On team-mate May has chosen 'Following Alice' as her theme, and the elements needed are Alice, the rabbit, and a situation - plus at least one real stamp.
Alice's bottle wasn't marked drink me, so she knew that she wouldn't shrink, but it was marked 50 shades of grey (in very scruffy writing) so that should have been a bit of a give away about what would happen to her - and judging by the White Rabbit's shifty expression - he did it!!.
The background is a combo of Dylusions in fuchsia and yellow, then masked and a light spray of lime over the top. The usual mix of text stamps and silver paint and the background was done. The foliage was punched from various Basic Gray and Prima papers.

The Alice, Rabbit and Mushroom stamps are all by Stampotique, and have been stamped in black Archival and coloured with Twinkling H2O's. My but it's been a while since they've been out of the box, but they work as well as ever. 

Alice has been coloured with Prisma pens in a mxture of greys - she really should learn to stay out of trouble!
Please pop on over to the Tag It On blog for loads of inspiration then get stamping!


I'm also entering this into the 
Anything Goes Challenge which is Anything But Square, and
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Hey Girl.
The Stampman - Summer Colours/Anything Goes
Thanks very much for looking x