Tags

The girls over on the PaperPlay forum have been very supportive, so this month I sent them all a tag back with their atc swaps.

Over at Out of a Hat Creations, the theme is 'If I Had Wings', so I'm entering the above tag which was stamped with T!m's papillon plate in black stazon.

Lynne Perrella collection 003 stamp coloured with pan pastels.

Lynne Perrella collection 008 stamp coloured with artbars.

Lynne Perrella collection 008 stamp coloured with various ink sprays and paints.

Art Journey and Lynne Perrella collection 008 stamps coloured with various ink sprays and paints.

Atc Faces

May's atc swap theme over on the PaperPlay forum was 'faces'.  These are my 3 using stamps from the Lynne Perrella Collection 003.  The backgrounds were created with artbars, ink sprays, white picket distress stain and stewart gill paints.  


June's theme is 'by the seaside / beach', so if you fancy joining in, click on the link and join the forum.  I'd appreciate an email just to let me know if I don't know you.

Another Surprise

That Neet is full of surprises you know.  When her and Chas left the Lincoln Craft Show on Sunday, instead of going home, they went to Cleethorpes to stay for a few days.  Now Cleethorpes is only about 6 miles from me, so imagine my surprise when she phoned and told me she was coming to see me and wanted to meet Fraz whom she'd heard so much about.  Well here they all are.  Fraz was on his very best behaviour and even posed for the photo!!!

It was absolutely fabulous to see you both again, even if I only saw you on Sunday, and I'm looking forward to seeing you again a week on Thursday, can't wait!!!


But at least I got to surprise her too.  I decided to make her a little baggie to take with me on Thursday, so I gave her it today instead.  I also put some other bits I made inside.  I wanted to make her something that incorporated some machine sewing as she has recently purchased a smart new sewing machine herself.  I wasn't brave enough to free motion sew an image on the front so I stamped one instead!!

And this is the back.  I know she likes the TH papillon stamp plate, even though she doesn't own it yet!!!

So I gave it to her today instead, see you on Thursday!!!

Lincoln Show - Sincerely Yours

Well having been cooped up for so long I finally got out to the Sincerely Yours Craft Show at Lincoln today, even if it was a tad warm.  I really wanted some stencils/masks to use with my pan pastels as I've only got 2, but as you can see, I've rectified that now!!!  I also picked up a few stamps.  I'm really not a lover of clear stamps but we saw a demo with them so decided to give them a go.  The Stampendous and Graphic 45 stamps are cling mounted.  And finally in the top right, some beads. Oh and I picked up a box of Papermania chipboard butterflies and dragonflies cheap (£1).

A close up of the beads.  The long silver hook is a bookmark, I had to ask too!! You attach beads to the end and put the metal piece in the book page.

This is what I really went to the show for, but alas I didn't buy any as they were too expensive.  But it was lovely to see all of the colours together, side by side.  I've made a list of ones I need to order from Oyster Stamps as they have them on offer, buy 5 for £20, these at the show were 3 for £16.  

And then the biggest surprise of the day, Maz spotted Neet doing a bit of demo-ing on the Oyster stand.  I told Maz it couldn't be her because she wasn't going.  She was really, really naughty and didn't tell me coz she wanted to surprise me, she nearly did as we were on our way to the exit to leave for home and if Maz hadn't of said something, we'd of gone home non the wiser!!  

And then we went outside and I met Chas, Neets other half.

Artful Times - Challenge 5

I set this weeks Artful Times topic of 'Ribbon & Lace'.  I used various different pieces of fabric, lace, hessian and a skeleton leaf to surround the main image.  I added fabric flowers and a silk rod tied with ribbon to the lace on the left hand side.   I coloured a piece of plain white twill with spiced marmalade and mustard seed distress stains.  I then stamped the word 'cherish'.  I found a delicate gold coloured butterfly in my stash which I think Sarah sent to me in an envelope swap which just fitted perfectly.  It measures approx 9" x 6".


Please feel free to join in with this weeks challenge and pop over and see what Neet and Von have made.  Leave us a comment, we love to hear from you.

A 50th Birthday

A friend of mine has a 50th birthday today, can't tell you who as I promised I wouldn't tell anyone how old she was!!!!  The head and body were made from modelling clay, the hook screws and pins were added and were left to dry for over 24 hours.  Once dry I sanded them down, painted the body in faded jeans acrylic dabber and the head in sand CH studio paint.  I created the face with Artbars.  The head is wrapped in a piece of window lead.  I used beads to create the arms and legs, added washers to make the hands and added a bead and a bead cap for the hat.  To attach the head to the body I used a washer, a metal flower and a bead cap.  I made the metal frill for the neck from the smallest of the flowers on the TH tattered floral alterations die and added the key chain.  I added the

'5' '0' gold peel offs to finish.

This is the card I made.  The 50 and the happy birthday are clay pieces which have been coloured with cool peri alcohol ink as was the card background.  Various Art Journey and T!m images were stamped in shaded lilac and seedless grape distress inks.  The main indigo blu image was stamped on a separate piece of card in black stazon.  The edges were coloured with frayed burlap distress ink.  Frayed burlap was also added to the main background to balance it out.

Pastel Tag

This week Pan Pastel UK Challenge are asking for pastel colours.  I went back to my old faithful canvas ~ corrugated card.  I cut a piece in the shape of a tag, peeled back some of the first layer and gave it a couple of coats of butternut eco-friendly paint.  Once dry I applied sand eco-friendly paint to the edges.  I ripped a piece of white copier paper, stamped it in versa mark with the script from the TH papillon plate.  Used the violet and turquoise pan pastels to pop the image and colour the background.  (Well I had to use some pp's with it being the pp challenge.)  I coloured the butterflies using the new spring limited edition of distress inks, gave them a spritz of water, stamped them onto white cardstock and cut them out.  I rolled a piece of text paper, tied it with a bow that I had made from white fabric and dyed with dusty concord distress stain and placed it on the copier paper.   I stamped the words 'happy place' onto a piece of white cardstock in shaded lilac distress ink and coloured it with squeezed lemonade.  I added the pearls, the fabric flowers and stapled the loop of fabric at the top.  I finished by edging the tag with dusty concord distress stain.

School Postcard

I haven't joined in with the Sunday Postcard Art challenge for a very long time, but this week I decided to change that.  Their theme is childhood, so I chose a school theme.  The background was created using a brayer, a credit card and Stewart Gill paints.  I stamped some random images into the background.  The letters were stamped onto tissue paper with black stazon.  I gave the background a coat of matte medium and carefully laid the tissue on top, but still managed to ruckle it a bit as I was brushing over it.  I did the same with the image of the school girl.  Once dry I went back in with the SG paints over the tissue paper.

Take a Stamp

I have seen in some Stampington magazines where a stamp is chosen and used in different ways, so with this is mind I set off having a play.  I decided to choose my new Art Journey 'Pear' stamp from the aptly named Pear plate!!.  As you can see I made an arch, an atc, a couple of tags and three cards.  This is a long post as I am going to explain each one below.  So either grab a coffee or carry on blog hopping!!!

The arch ~ stamped background using distress inks, adirondack dye inks and stazon in shades of purple.  I then gave them a light dusting of violet shade and ultramarine blue extra dark. I stamped the two pears onto tissue paper with timber brown stazon and cut them out.  I gave the arch a coat of golden matte medium, laid the first pear on and gave that a coat too and then laid the second one over the top and coated that too.

I used glossy card for both the background and the card.  The white card is stamped with olive stazon using the image from the TH papillon plate.  The pear is stamped in black stazon on to glossy card as the background was created using juniper, lake mist and willow alcohol inks.  Edged with forest moss distress stain and smudged in.  I used my one and only distress marker, picket fence to squiggle underneath the pear so it didn't look like it was floating, not sure if you can see it on the photo or not.

This is my least favourite one and the one I did last.  I covered the background with yellow and green Stewart Gill translucent paint.  I stuck on a few pieces of music script and added a bit more paint.  I inked clear ink through a piece of sequin waste and coloured it with burnt sienna extra dark pan pastel. I stamped the pear in versa mark but because it was dark by this time and the light wasn't good, I couldn't see where I had stamped to put the pan pastel and I was a bit heavy handed with it on the left hand side while I was sussing out the image!!!  I stamped the words in timber brown stazon and coloured it with some other Stewart Gill paints.

Atc ~ I stamped the pear in 3 shades of green using colorbox fluid chalk inks from the Autumn Pastel range.  I masked the image off and stamped the CI music background with saddle brown stazon.  I used orange extra dark pan pastel to colour the background.

I stamped the pear image on the plain white tag in bamboo leaves Memento ink, masked it off and stamped the twigs image (from the same plate) in various colours of distress inks and adirondack dye inks.  I spritzed it with water and stamped it onto the tag.  I took the scroll from the same pear plate and again used various colours and randomly stamped it on the tag corners.  I took a wet paintbrush to my art bars and coloured the background of the tag.  I used forest moss distress stain to edge the tag and added the fibres.

I stamped a script Paperartsy image in versa mark all over the tag.  I used ultramarine blue extra dark pan pastel to highlight the script.  I went over the whole tag with a combination of violet shade and turquoise shade pan pastel.  I stamped the pear images in cool peri and eggplant adirondack dye inks, cut them out, mounted them onto the tag with 3d foam and added fibres to finish.  I edged the tag in dusty concord distress stain.

And this is my favourite one, a card.  The three pears were stamped in olive, timber brown and saddle brown stazon.  They were masked off to create the effect.  I gave them a bit of shadow using my artbars.  I edged the card with one of the greens from the Colorbox fluid chalk autumn set as above.  I stamped the word 'friends' in timber brown stazon on a separate piece of card, edged it and stuck it on the card.  The whole thing was then attached to a white card.

Thank You Card

I made this little card as a thank you to Neet.  I used pan pastels as I have been trying to talk her into buying some for ages and I'm happy to report she now the proud owner of lots of colours!!!!!  I created the purply~lilac background by, are you ready for this, going outside, picking up a handful of red, white and pink blossom that had fallen of ours and our neighbours trees, placing them on a piece of card and then on my big shot plates.  I gave them a spritz of water, put the top plate on and ran them through the machine.  Once dried off I lightly tinted it with violet and magenta pan pastels.  I stamped the cow slip in black stazon and went over certain areas with a white pen.  I also wanted to incorporate the new spring limited edition of distress inks as they were fast becoming a favourite of hers too!!!  So the butterfly was inked in all 3 colours, spritzed with water and stamped to give a water coloured effect.  The word thanks was stamped in the peacock.  The actual card was coloured with turquoise pan pastel.  I didn't press on too hard as the card was hammered so in some places the white came through giving a lovely effect.


Apologies for the quality of the photo and the colours, but it was a real gloomy, dull day when it was taken.

Postcard Bingo!!!

Well I don't normally play bingo, but today I did and created this postcard to join in with the girls over at Out of a Hat Creations.  Hop over there to see all the different combinations you can have.  I went for the top one, left to right, lace, buttons, flower and image.


I am also entering my purple postcard in to this weeks Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge as their theme is anything goes.

Black & White Arch

I haven't joined in this challenge site for absolutely ages and at one time I was an avid visitor, times change I guess.  Anyway this week the girls over at The Gothic Arches Challenge blog are asking for black and white.  So with that in mind I randomly stamped a collage of images onto my arch in stazon, distress stain and distress ink, all shades of black of course and this how it turned out.


Why not hop over, see what they have created and may be join in ~ after all, I did.

More Scraplings

I wanted to join in with the Less Is More challenge this week as their theme is 'use 3 stamps, not 2, not 4, but 3'. 

And another.

Then I got on a roll and did 2 more.

This was quick, easy and great fun, thank you for the challenge.

Just Playing

I was having a little play yesterday with various mediums and I made these scraplings.  Now for those of you who don't know what scraplings are, check out the exp here.  I used pan pastels to colour the background of these top two and then I played with some of my new Art Journey stamps.  Background on the right is violet and magenta and on the left turquoise and violet.  The stamping on the left top is the new lilac and the quote, left and the numbers and play on the right are the older seedless grape seasonal limited edition distress inks.  I spritzed the right hand one with Biscotti Perfect Pearls.  Not sure if you can see the glimmer or not. 

The backgrounds for these two above were created using all the new spring edition distress inks.  All the images are from either my new Art Journey stamps or T!m's papillion plate.

And lastly for the backgrounds of these bottom two I used my Artbars.  I used about 6 or 8 different colours on the left one and just the two blocks of colours on the right.  Again all the images are from the same as the above.  The butterflies have been stamped in peacock DI and over stamped with picket fence distress stain.

Vintage Tag

Out of a Hat Creations theme this week is vintage lace.  I recently held a vintage tag swap on the PaperPlay forum and made this tag.  It didn't say how much or in my case less, you had to use so I hope this is okay as there is just a strip at the bottom covering the beaded trim.  The image was stamped onto tissue paper with timber brown stazon and given a coat of matte medium.  This then enabled me to use my artbars over the top to colour in the flowers.  A piece of purple lacy ribbon was attached to the top of the tag, pearls added and fibres.

Birthday Card

I made this birthday card for my football mad brother in law.  As you can see from the stickers, he supports Man United!!!   The whole of the card was coloured with permanent red pan pastel.  I stamped the image and the happy birthday in versa mark and once the pan pastel had 'set' added the appropriate stickers!!


This weeks Pan Pastel Uk challenge is sports, so this card fits in very nicely.

Artful Times - Challenge 4

Von chose this weeks Artful Times challenge theme of 'Birds'. This slightly threw me as I only have two birds, T!m's alteration caged bird die and the one on the urban tapestry stamp plate.  So as you can see, I decided to go with the die. The background was coloured with two shades of blue pan pastels and a violet. I then run the tag through the stylized flowers embossing folder. I lightly brushed over it with picket fence distress stain. The bird and the cage were coloured with distress stains. I threaded the dark ribbon through the holes and attached a caged bird charm. I glossy accented the bird. I coloured the strip of material with distress stain and attached it with a brad.

Come along and join us this week.

Stamps, Inks & Re-Inkers

Look what arrived today, my new stamp plates from Art Journey, my copy of Stampers Sampler in the new format and my spring set of distress inks and re-inkers at a bargain price from Oyster Stamps.

A Favourite Tag

This week Simon Says Stamp and Show are asking for a favourite stamp.  Well as I've only just got the Papillon Tim Holtz plate and the Dina Wakely Lonely Girl these are for the moment, my favourite stamps.  I really like the Tim Holtz plate as it's so versatile and combines well with almost anything.

I created the background by using 4 different shades of green pan pastels.  All the images are stamped in timber brown distress stain and the butterflies were over stamped with picket fence distress stain.   The tag was edged in walnut stain distress stain.  The ribbon started off as a piece of white material. I ripped a strip off and coloured it with crushed olive distress stain.

So not only my favourite stamps of the moment, but in my favourite colour scheme too.

Tag of Colours

The background for this tag was created using Dylusion inks and Dylusions acrylic paint, which unfortunately is no longer available.  The script is from the TH papillon plate and was stamped in fired brick distress ink and over stamped in picket fence distress stain. The main image is by Dina Wakely and was stamped in black stazon.  Colourful fibres were added to finish.


I am entering my tag into Simons says stamp and show as their theme this week is a Kaliedescope of colour and Pan Pastels Uk theme this week is anything goes.

Birthday Card

I finally got round to making a birthday card for my mum.  There was still plenty of time as it's not needed until a week tomorrow, but it feels good to have finally made something.  I stamped the main crafty individuals image with dusty concord distress stain over a patterned paper.  The flower was made from punching two different sized flowers from book pages and curling the petals.  The larger one is edged in dusty concord distress ink.  The outer edge of the white card was coloured with antique linen distress stain to tie in with the paper on the right and the paper flower.

Art Journey Zentangle

This months AJ challenge is to Zentangle; this basically means to doodle around your artwork.  It's not really my cup of tea and I get bored with it, so I chose an atc as it's a small area to work with, but I really wanted to join in as I've only just found them!!  I used images from the Words and Sweet Dreams 2008 plates.

Atc - out of the hat

Out of the hat creations theme for this week is the inspirational picture featured on their blog, or if you have one of your own you can use that.  I decided to go with the colours from their featured picture, using the oranges and the browns.  The orange is actually brighter IRL, but unfortunately due to the weather, it looks duller than it really is.


Hop over to their blog, check out the inspirational photo and see what springs to mind.