DT Call at Toodles and Binks

I realise I'm not known for my love of cute stamps, but sometimes needs must, especially at this time of year when I have all of my little boy's friends to make birthday, then Christmas cards for. Kay, over at Stamp Galaxy, and also from UK Stampers Forum, has got herself a rubber cooker and a great designer (and I think has the first plates already!), and is now putting out a design team call over at the Toodles and Binks blog. Here it is:

We’re looking for another Design Team Member

28 09 2008

have you got what it takes?

We appreciate that it’s going to be difficult for you to answer this without seeing our designs, but they aren’t ready for release for about 2 weeks (there might be a sneak peek in a few days though) ……….. also if you look in the side bar you will see a link under “Design Team” to Rose-a-petits-pois, which is a whopping big clue to the kind of images that will be available.

If you’re interested, to help us to decide if you might have what we are looking for, all you need to do is submit 3 pieces of work to us (via you blog is fine) using any of the the following stamps~:

Sugar Nellie

Magnolia

Whiff of Joy

Spiral Whispers

Stampin’ Up

Penny Black

If possible, we’d like to see:

• a card
• a tag
• and another small project of your choice

Please comment on this post with a link to your blog so we can check them out. If you are a Member of UK STampers please also include your username in the comment. If you don’t have a blog then please send an email with jpeg attachments (there is a link here to the Customer Service email address).

At the moment we will be able to offer one DT post, but we will also be giving away 2 pieces of blog candy chosen at random ….. so what have you got to lose, you’ve got to be in it to win it!

Deadline: 10th October 2008

If you're interested, go and have a look, and even if you're not, have a look anyway as the designer(s?) are really good! I'm just hoping the first release happens before I have my big making splurge...

I can't believe it has been 14 years!

It was my Wedding Anniversary on Wednesday, and as the title says, it has been 14 years since we got married! For once, I hadn't made a card, as I was so busy last week, but Paul knew I would make him 'something'! This is a tiny canvas, 8cm x 6cm that my friend got for me from LB Crafts. I have made the reverse into a niche, and I am going to use it for something personal and probably slushy for Paul!

Colour: Glimmer Mist, Stazon, Distress Ink, Versafine, heat embossing, Paint Dabber
Stamps: Elusive Images, Studio g (i)
Other: self-adhesive metal tape, tissue paper, old book page, Sizzlits tag die, embossing tool, drinks can

The little word plate was made by cutting up a drinks can and heating it in a gas flame, and I was told about this by Tasha. It was fun to do! ( Yes, that's my handwriting again :D ) I also planned this piece to fit in with Wednesday Stamper, where the theme is pattern. The damask background was made by stamping a heart stamp three times, close together.

Playing with my Brayer

The good thing about making ATCs in threes is that you can have a play around with one image. This is for UK Stampers September swap, and the theme was 'Buildings or Structures'. I faffed around for most of this month, thinking up ideas and discarding them, and determinedly resisting Elusive Images new Paris stamps, and then last night I decided to use this Paperartsy stamp, which is a stand-alone ATC-sized image. I had bought a new brayer recently, and thought it would be the ideal stamp to use it with. Little did I know that it wasn't like using a paint-roller and tray- I had ink-pads flying around the room, and ended up with the inkiest blue hands ever! Then (after begging for help on the forum) Joanne came to my aid with a link to a Youtube video, and the penny dropped- you take the pad to the brayer, just like taking the pad to the stamp. Sarah came up with some good advice, too- I love forums :D !

Colour: Marvy 'Dee Greunig' Blending Blox, Distress Inks, Versafine, Sakura clear Stardust pen
Stamp: Paperartsy
Other: Woodware brayer

UK Stampers Sunday Challenge no. 7- Pirates!

Gail likes to do interesting themes for her challenges, and this week's was no exception!

Sunday challenge no7

Did you know that the 19th of September is International Talk Like A Pirate Day?.............
Well it is!This weeks challenge is to create something with a Pirate theme...It could be an eye patch, a hat (which you could wear on said day!) or something simple like a card or an ATC..Upload here on the blog or post a link
Happy stamping!

It took me all week to think of what to do for this, but in the end it was a shop window display that inspired me!

Colour: Glimmer Mist, Stazon, Distress Inks, Paint Dabber, Versafine
Stamps: Rubadubbado (map), PSX (alphabet)
Other: Thin leather thong, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Lucky Squirrel sanding block, Grungeboard mini, Redicut gems, 3D Jean corner embellishments.

I was originally going to do the Bandanna technique for the background, but I was inspired by a recent post on Glenda Waterworth's blog. She had been playing with white core card, embossing folders and Glimmer Mists, and so I cut out the white-core card stage and just used plain ol' white card! The red colour is Glimmer Mist, then I sanded, then inked the pattern with Stazon, and sanded again. There you have it, textured Bandanna!

Two Tags

I may moan about making cards, but I can't say the same about tags- I love making them so much! Maybe I should make some tag-like cards LOL! These are for two kind cyber-friends, who both sent me something and saved me from spending money unnecessarily- thanks, Sid and Sarah. I hope you enjoy the little packages I sent back!

Colour: Glimmer Mists, Distress Inks, Versafine, Cosmic Shimmer mica powders, clear and aurora ep, Ranger white pen
Stamps: Cherry Pie, Paperartsy, Rubadubbado, Elusive Images
Other: Manila luggage tags, old book page, acetate, eyelets staples, ribbon and fibres, all from my stash, Cuttlebug embossing folder.

The dragonfly is part of the stamp sheet I bought last weekend, after swearing I would not buy any stamps! But after spending half an hour with Paperartsy's Leandra Frainch, I couldn't resist any longer! Now I just need a melt pot... :D

A Photo of a Card I Made

I haven't really shown a lot of cards recently, as I am usually pretty dissatisfied with the results. They are OK, but not really 'me'. Well, this one is different, because I am actually quite pleased with it! I realise it isn't complicated or technically brilliant, but it's true to my style and I knew my Mum would like it, too. Whew! I hope I can keep it up, as I have nine children's birthday cards to make, and four more adult birthdays, too. I am finding time for fun stamping, too, but you will have to wait a couple of days before I can show anything else, as it's in the post, going to the recipients!

Colour: Distress Ink, heat embossing
Stamps: Elusive Images
Other: silver card, free patterned paper (I can't remember which magazine!)

UK Stampers September Inchie Swap- Numbers

This is what I made after my mammoth creative effort on the butterfly was over- nice and simple, a set of inchies for another swap (we are busy bees over on UK St!). The theme was numbers, so I did a number background, and because I'm currently surrounded by books which teach you to count I did a visual representation of each number, plus wrote the numbers in French! (Told you I can't do simple LOL!)

Colour: Vivid dye ink, Glimmer Mist, Woodware liquid pearls, black pen
Stamp: Free from Simply Stamping magazine
Other: Redicut gems

UK Art Raffle September Entry- Wings

You know when you have one of those simple ideas that aren't simple at all... that happens to me all the time, and this project was an especially good example! This is my entry for this month's UK Art Raffle, where the theme is 'Take Flight'. I *love* my butterfly stamps, so I was more than delighted to make something this month, and I wanted to do something really original. My husband had received some computer bits and pieces, and they arrived wrapped in this silver, translucent, thin plastic, and I immediately hid it in my altering drawer, as I knew it would be great to stamp on. This project seemed like the perfect chance to try it, so I coloured it with a Sharpie and stamped on it, then glued it to a thick piece of acetate which came from my dishwasher tablets box. It was then I decided to add some Glossy Accents, in fact a *lot* of Glossy Accents, and each bit took a day to dry! So finally, after a week, it's finished, and I will actually be sad to see it go. I just wish I could take a better photo (I have been trying all day!) because in real life, it looks as though the wings are made of liquid.

Colour: Stazon, Sharpie pen, Brilliance
Stamp: Cherry Pie
Other: Beads, letters cut from my old book pages, findings from a necklace, cocktail stirrer, acetate and silver foil from my household waste

Once it was finally finished, I felt a bit lost, but then I made some other things for swaps, so I'm back in business again!

UK Stampers Sunday Challenge no. 4- Leaf Tags

Gail did it again, and issued a challenge which, well, challenged me!

Sunday challenge no6

Summer is nearly over and the leaves are starting to fall.........Make 3 tags, each must be leaf shaped and use the colours of Autumn....other than that anything goes!
Post your challenges here on the blog or post a link.
Happy stamping!

I did this on Saturday night, as always- I tend to do my swap/card commitments first and do challenges if I have the time. It was fun creating something just 'because', and I have ended up with three little embellishments which I am sure to use. I also used this challenge to experiment with some different techniques, which is always useful!

Colour: Distress Ink, Glimmer Mist, Paint Dabbers, Embossing Powders, Brilliance, Versafine
Stamp: Cherry Pie leaf stamp
Other: Japanese newspaper (base for first leaf), alcohol inked background (base for second leaf), funky foam (base for third leaf), eyelets, raffia, leather thong, ribbon, all from my stash.

The top leaf is heat embossed on paper, the second is made by using different colours of powder on top of clear UTEE, and moving the colour about with the heat gun before pressing the stamp into the hot goo, and the third is funky foam, painted with Paint Dabbers, heated, stamped into then heated again for the curl. I *love* my heat gun :D

Altered Board Book- Next Page

My altered board book is still happening, in with all of the other projects I have ongoing. This is the third page I have done, although it is the second in the book. I am working from both ends towards the middle, to make sure I don't make a mistake with the layout!

Colour: Paint Dabbers, Versamagic, Ranger white pen
Stamp: Daisy Bucket (a RAK from Jean, thanks hun!)
Papers: Crate Paper, and some bits from a pack I got in France
Other: Brads (coloured with Paint Dabbers), chipboard letters from Lakeland's sale, Ellison Block Party alphabet

I have other projects on the go, but I am using copious quantities of Glossy Accents, so each stage needs a whole night to dry. Grr!

Do not adjust your set...

I did make this! It's colourful AND cute, and it is my entry for the UK Stampers' Sunday challenge for last week. The theme was monograms, and I thought I would save myself some time by using a wooden letter that my friend Vicky gave me a while back. I forgot, of course, that I can't do simple, so after I decorated the letter I decided it would make a great picture frame. It all works, and I can change the photo when I want.

Colour: Distress Inks, Ranger white pen, Stickles, Brilliance, Twinkling H2Os
Stamps: Paperartsy, Stampendous
Other: Acetate, ribbon, curtain ring, lots of card, staple gun.

The photo was taken late in the afternoon at Dan's first birthday party, and is quite funny to look at now. I was shattered, Paul had been scratched across the nose (by Dan), and Dan had not slept all day. It's still a good reminder of a great day, although this year I may have any photos done at the beginning of the party!

4" x 4" page and charm

Someone I know from UK Stampers has been very sick, in hospital, for some months. She became ill with a very rare disease (not cancer) a few months into our CJ, and has only just reached the point of having one short day out of hospital. She has a very good friend, Sarah, who has organised a way of us stampers saying 'we miss you- get well soon', which is a charm bracelet with each of us making a charm, plus a 4" x 4" page which will show her who made which charm. I am not a jewelry maker, although I love playing with shrink plastic, and I definitely love working on 4" x 4" pages!

Colour: Glimmer Mists, Distress Inks, Perfect Pearls, Brilliance Inks, copper embossing powder, Stickles, Moonshadow Mist, Paint Dabbers
Stamps: Elusive Images
Other: Caught in crystal background (click on the word in my label cloud for more on this), acetate, old book page, florist's wire, Papermania jewelled brad, Sizzix tag die, Crackle Accents, Cuttlebug embossing folder, semi-precious gemstone beads (sorry, I have forgotten what they are!), jewelry findings, shrink plastic.

The panel on the top of the page is inspired by Arts and Crafts ceramics, and the Cuttlebug panel is my version of faux aged copper. It looks even better in real life!

The original inspiration for this charm project is here. Scroll down the page and you will find it near the end. What a great idea; Thank you.

A Bit of Fun

I always think these kind of quizzes are a bit silly, but I like the result of this little test, and I hope it's true!

You are The Star

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised

The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.