Lotstodo Week 5 - In Stitches

I really struggled with this theme and I'm still not over the moon with what I've produced, but never mind. I punched holes around the outer edges and stitched my cord throught the holes. I got a new wizard die, which fits perfectly through the cuttlebug although you do need the tan embossing mats, and this die had 3 different buttons in the set. So I sewed my buttons onto the card and finished off by printing the saying 'a stitch in time saves nine' onto safmat and stuck it to my skinny.

Lotstodo Week 4 - You've Been Framed

I tore a piece of newspaper to make a frame, added an image, a newspaper flower, a piece of grungeboard and 3 brads. I used a variety of shades of brown inks.


This started life as a red plastic frame. I painted it with copper acrylic dabbers. I wrapped wire and beads around the frame before using rub offs to add the word 'inspired' and then added an image and a piece of ribbon.

Fantastic Friends

What wonderful friends I have on the Lotstodo forum. I opened my post today and this is what had arrived. I was so over whelmed with it. Everyone on the forum had joined in and made a couple of skinnys to make up this absolutely stunning book. Thank you to Chris, Jo, Angie, Shairon, Alison, Andrea, AngC, Lauren, Dawne, Caz, Ju, Kathleen and Mags for the stunning pages and Hilda for the fabulous covers. Hilda was having problems getting to grips with the metal, but as you can most definitely see, she's cracked it now. A big THANK YOU to all of you, especially Andrea who came up with the idea but everyone else for taking her up on it and joining in.

A Few New Stamps

A few inchies. The eyes have been embellished with diamond glaze but it doesn't show up on the photo

This is a trinchie. I really love this stamp. I'm going to use it on a tag with distressed embossing powder

An arch. I stamped the swirl on the right and then used the gold stickles to trace over it

A couple of skinnys, nearly the same, but not quite!!!

Sets of Skinnys

This is my yellow set. The background for the left hand one was created by using a background stamp and yellow fluid chalk inks. I then stamped the images using mustard seed distress ink or butterscotch adirondack ink. I traced round the main images with a gold pen and used two gems for the eyes! The middle one was created using a distressed mustard seed re-inker mix with a spritzer bottle and heat drying. The main image was stamped with saddle brown stazon ink. I used a yellow colour wash on the right hand one and then spritzed it with mustard seed re-inker mix. The collage of images were stamped with butterscotch adirondack ink and mustard seed distressed ink.

This is my brown set. The background for the left one was first colour washed with brown paint then stamped with latte adirondack ink. The image was created by using sellotape to lift the image off the stamp. The middle image was stamped onto tissue paper using timber brown stazon ink. The card was covered with mod podge, the image placed on the top and given another coat. The background for the right one was created by spritzing a walnut crystal mix and rubbing on ancient page distress ink. The background images were created using latte and ginger adirondack inks and spritzing the inked up stamp with water, I also used saddle brown stazon for some of them. I added a couple of gems in the centres of the flowers. The background for the image of the little boy was created by burning spritzed lemon juice onto a separate piece of card, stamping the image with saddle brown stazon and attaching it to the skinny.

This is my purple set. The background for the left one was created using chalks. I used various shades of purple to create the large flower in the middle, masked it off and stamped the smaller images around the outsides using royal purple stazon. For the background of the middle one I used lavender distressed ink direct to paper. Used a piece of torn paper on the top left. Stamped my images with royal purple stazon and added some ink splodges using purple fluid chalk ink. The background for the right one was created using the darker and lighter purple fluid chalk ink, direct to paper technique. Then my collage of images were stamped using royal purple stazon and the two shades of fluid chalk inks.

Distressed Re-Inkers Skinny Swap

These were created using re-inkers in a spray bottle and spritzing the backgounds. The images were stamped with black stazon

Lotstodo Week 22 Challenge - Recycle It

The Lotstodo Challenge this week is to use recycled items - I covered my card with crumpled tinfoil, use stream alcohol ink to colour it. Added a bottle top with an image, a piece of jigsaw puzzle, a used 2nd class stamp, a piece of ribbon from a chocolate box and a ring pull. The eyelets were the only items that were not recycled

Paperartsy Skinnys Swap

The backgrounds for this set were created by using watercolour card, applying texture paste and gesso on to one of the pieces, then sandwiching the other piece on top. I then waited for them to dry and covered them in various inks. I used stazon, distressed inks and adirondak dye inks. They all gave different effects. I stamped one image direct to the card and the other three I stamped onto white card stock, coloured them with chalks or distressed inks and attached them to the background pieces.


These backgrounds were created using Ranger acrylic paint dabbers and/or Jo Sonja paints. I used gesso on a couple to act as a resist. I then stamped the images directly onto the backgrounds.


These three were created using backgrounds I'd previously made. Top left is my textured alcohol inks background, and I added the image and some direct stamping around the edges. Top left is an acrylic paint sandwich background with the images stamped directly onto the background and the bottom is my leaf style adirondak colour layering background, again the images have been stamped direct using stazon ink.

If anyone in the swap has any preference please let me know as soon as, as they are going in the post tomorrow!!!!

Lotstodo Week 20 Challenge - A Pair of Glasses

I was asked to be a guest designer on the Lotstodo Challenge Blog. I chose the theme 'a pair of glasses'. This is my piece. All the regular members of the design team sent me their creations too. You can find out what they were by visiting the challenge blog

Lotstodo Week 19 Challenge - Friends

This weeks theme on Lotstodo challenge blog is friends. I made this skinny for the alphabet swap being hosted on the Lotstodo forum

Created By Hand Challenge - Orange Skinny

This weeks Created by Hand Challenge was to create a skinny using only orange. I inked up the background with spiced marmalade and dried marigold distressed inks, threw some water over it and dried it off with kitchen roll. Stamped my main image in pumpkin stazon, masked it off and added the flourishes on the left and the music notes on the right

Lotstodo Week 18 Challenge - Angels

This is my entry for this weeks Lotstodo challenge which is angels. The background has been created using olive glimmer mist.

Rainbow Lady Challenge - Monotone

I am rather pleased with this skinny. I have made it for the Rainbow Lady Challenge, which this week was monotone - obvioulsy I chose the colour green. But the reason I am rather proud of it is because I tried a new transfer technique and the main image is a transfer. I used lettuce adirondak acrylic paint from the dabber, applied with a paint brush and stuck the photocopy of the image into the paint whist still wet. Left the whole lot to dry for about an hour, then using water, gently started to rub the paper away and I was left with this wonderful image. I then added a flourish to the top left and a scratches image to the left side using olive stazon ink. To finish, I added a piece of green organza ribbon and a button

Skinny Saturday - Hats

This weeks challenge on Skinny Saturday is hats - I'd already made this skinny before I read the challenge, so I've just given her a hat

Rainbow Skinny Swap - Lotstodo

My last red skinny for the lotstodo rainbow swap. Chalked the background and then stamped the images over the top

Crazy Amigo Challenge - Travel

Travel was this weeks theme on the Crazy Amigo's blog challenge.

This will also double up as my rainbow skinny for a swap on Lotstodo.

Mixed Media Monday Challenge - Monochromatic Colours

This is my entry for the Mixed Media Monday Challenge - the colour I chose was red. I inked the skinny with aged mahogany distressed ink, then I threw water over it to make the watermarks. I dried it off with a heat gun, then I stamped my images using various different shades of red.

This will also double up as one of my red skinnys for the lotstodo rainbow swap

One to One with Sue

I recently did a one to one swap with Sue (monalisa) on the Lotstodo Forum. This is what she sent me - they are all stunning but I especially like the bottom left 4 x 4

Theme Thursday Challenge - Love, Romance, Weddings

The theme this week on Theme Thursday blog challenge is love, romance, weddings, so here is my skinny

My Time to Craft Challenge - Numbers

This week on My Time to Craft, the theme was numbers. Here is my skinny.