My camera doesn't like black... UK Stampers CJ entry

This is Jean's journal, and I wasn't surprised when I saw the interesting page shape and the Zettiology stamp. I loved the stamp straight away, but did take my time deciding what to do with her. Early in the month I knew I wanted to use my Cherry Pie art doll, but it was so much bigger than the page. Then a song came on the radio and that was it... listen here:

Shame the camera doesn't pick up the details- I used a lot of interference mica powders in the background to create a sort-of psychedelic wallpaper effect. The lyrics to the opening verse are written around the door, and in the mini-envelope is the key to the door!

Colour: Versafine, Paint Dabbers, lots of black ep, Moonglow ep, Stickles, Stardust pen, gold paint, Stazon, Ranger white pen, Cosmic Shimmer/Perfect Pearls, Sharpie pen
Stamps: Zetti (head), Cherry Pie (art doll and flourish)
Other: Funky foam (to create the niche behind the door), Grungeboard door furniture, tiny key from my stash, corrugated card (for door, flattened using Cuttlebug)

Bottlecap swap- a few of my favourite things...

I really got carried away making this little piece for the February altered art swap on UK Stampers. Good job too; the standard was really high, as ever, so I would have been embarrassed if I hadn't gone that extra mile! I used all of my favourite techniques and products :)

Colour: Alcohol inks, Stickles, Distress Inks, Versafine, Sakura clear stardust pen, Opals UTEE in black and gold, Perfect Pearls
Stamps: Cherry Pie
Other: Two bottlecaps (flattened with a hammer and a block of wood), sheer ribbon, adhesive metal tape, Cuttlebug and embossing folder, buttons, Krafty Lady art mould, Melt Pot, Papermania adhesive gem

(If you can read the words, they are from Twelfth Night- another of my favourite things!)

January's Inchie Swap- Let's Celebrate

These are super-simple, as I couldn't think what to do for this theme! February's theme is 'Oriental' so I should be able to do something more interesting.

Colour: Glimmer Mist, Distress Inks, Brilliance Ink, Stickles, Sakura silver Pen Touch pen
Stamps: Cherry Pie (Klimt star) and Stampendous
Other: Wording from the computer, star sequin waste used as stencil, eyelets from my stash (hammered for texture)

January ATCs- Metal, plus Craft Stamper Blog Challenge

I had fun with these! The backgrounds were experiments in finding different ways to add colour to metal, and to create texture. They started off as an ATC sized piece of Mirri card, then I added random strips of self adhesive metal and embossing powder before running them through the Cuttlebug. The top one was coloured using paint dabbers and glimmer mist, the second one with different colours of Sharpies pens and Stazon (which helps to blend), and the last one was good ol' alcohol inks.

Colour: Paint Dabbers, Glimmer Mist, Sharpies, Stazon, Alcohol inks, Stickles, Distress Stickles, Cosmic Shimmer, Gilt wax, Krylon pen, Sakura Souffle pen (for faces), Distress Ink
Stamps: Elusive Images and Cherry Pie
Other: Vellum, acetate, Silver mirri card and ep, text from the computer

I also had a challenge in mind when I made these; Craft Stamper's blog is running a technique challenge each month, and this month's is to use the Cuttlebug. Isa made a beautiful piece for the mag using a wax-resist technique with the Cuttlebug folders. I have tried this, but my efforts were nowhere near as good as Isa's, so I went back to my favourite metal instead. Hope it's OK!

Hello to you!

Hello to you! I am taking a little time out to blog, safe in the knowledge that the housework is mostly up to date, and Dan is happily asleep in his bed! This may not sound like much, but trust me, it is really amazing to me. On Christmas day, Paul's and my main present was Dan, in his sleeping bag (which is really restrictive), coming into our room to wake us up. He had learnt how to escape from his cot, and needed to have a bed, as the escaping was a pretty hair-raising process. Then we came across a new issue, that of keeping in his bed. To start with we were staying in his room to stop him from escaping, and I stopped being able to craft as I was spending up to three hours in there. I got really down, the housework suffered, and none of us was happy. Then I had the miraculous revelation of just leaving him to it (with locks on a couple of doors to prevent him from flooding the house!). So this week he is finally happy, falling asleep in his own time (occasionally on the landing) and leaving us time to be adults again.

Anyway, enough waffling, I usually try not to bore everyone with family stuff, so now about the card! It was only my second ever commission, and I really enjoyed making it. I used patterned papers from an Artylicious CD, and I can really say that it was worth getting, as the designs are beautiful and I could print off what I needed on the medium I wanted- great for a control freak like me! And I have the co-ordinating stamps, of course :D

Colour: Distress Inks, Sharpies, Versamagic, Stazon, Cosmic shimmer, Aurora ep
Stamps: Elusive images and Cherry Pie (butterfly)
Other: Artylicious Damask Delight CD rom, Vellum cardstock (used inside and for the butterflies), mountboard (for hand cut numbers), paper roses, selvedge of silver ribbon, jewel brads, poem from Internet, Fiskars border punch.

The vellum cardstock is amazing to look at, but you need to handle it with extreme care as any crease or mark shows as a white line. I managed OK for this, but will only use is when nothing else will do otherwise!

Colours CJ- Sid's Red Book

I'm still in catch-up mode at the moment with photos. This is last month's CJ entry, in Sid's book. Everyone had to choose a colour as well as a stamp, and Sid's is (obviously!) red. Well, I rose to the challenge, and don't think it could be more red if I tried! I was actually inspired by Gustav Klimt, as Sid's stamp is design from a Klimt nude. I tried to recreate the patterns created by Klimt in this painting, Medicine, but in a more textural way. I used texture paste, red embossing powder, paint and gilt wax to create the pattern, and the main image is triple embossed. I hope Sid likes it- it looks even better in real life, I promise!

Colour: goache, gold and red ep, Liberon gilt wax, Brilliance ink, stickles, Sakura pen
Stamps: Paperartsy and Cherry Pie
Other: Texture paste, red gems.

All of my Christmas cards

This is all of the cards sent this year (minus a couple I forgot to photograph). The stamps are all Paperartsy and Cherry Pie, and I used all of my favourite products and techniques on them. Thanks for looking!

Angel

Now I have used that title, I have David Bowie's 'Golden Years' playing in my head. This is for this week's UK Stamper's Sunday challenge, and I actually made it on Monday night! I want to make her a sister too, an ice angel...

Colour: Distress Inks, Glimmer mist, Whispers dye ink, Stickles, Brilliance, Liberon gilt wax
Stamps: All Cherry Pie
Other: Metallic organza ribbon, Papermania jewel brad, old buttons from my tin, Maya Road wings, mountboard, star sequin waste as stencil

I have used two products here that are not my usual: the Whispers ink in black I wanted to use as I knew it would be quite sheer rather than a dark, opaque colour, and the Liberon gilt wax, which is fab for rubbing over anything to gild it. I have had the wax for years, and rediscovered it thanks to Linda Baldock, who does amazing things with her Treasure wax (same sort of stuff). On her blog are links to her Youtube Tutorials. Go and be inspired!

Art Raffle October- Dark

I'm afraid you're going to have to use your imagination with this one, but this is a gorgeous sparkly altered matchbox. It looks more speckley than sparkly in these photos, but this is Glimmer Mist over black gloss card with clear embossed CD pieces, so you can picture how lovely it is when you hold it in your hand and tilt it into the light. It is also my Art Raffle piece for this month, where the theme was 'Dark'. When I Googled dark, Googling being the main way I try to clarify my thoughts on a theme, it came up with images of dark matter, and being a bit of a science geek, I was really inspired! If you don't know what I'm on about, try it yourself! Select images, put in 'Dark', and prepare to admire :D

Colour: Glimmer mist, black ep, silver detail ep, clear ep, Ice Stickles, Sakura Stardust pen, Stazon, black paint
Stamps: Cherry Pie
Other: Matchbox, black gloss card, PVA glue, old junk CD.

I cut the old CD with my dear husband's kitchen scissors, and although the corners were sharp, the edges weren't. The coating did flake off a little, just at the edge. The heat embossing was a bit of experiment, as I wasn't sure if the CD would melt or not- especially as I use the UK's version of the white Ranger heatgun, which is hot, hot, hot! It was fine, though, and stood up to two coats of the ep. This acts as a lens, and magnifies the rainbow effect. I think I may have to make some jewelry next...

Diane's blog challenge

Diane from UK Stampers has put a challenge on her blog this week, and since I needed to make a card for my lovely Sister-in-Law's birthday, I decided to use the challenge to inspire me.
Here it is:

So, the challenge is that I'd like to see YOU make a card like the one in the other post. A maximum of two stamps, one colour of ink, one colour of embossing powder (can be the same or a tonal one). No pre-printed background papers!

It sounds so simple until you get going- just one colour of ink?! I usually use half a dozen! And then what do you do with the embossing powder? My solution was to use a Brilliance green ink, which dries on anything (with a little help from the heat gun), and to use the ep to do an intaglio effect. I like to think it looks a bit like fossilised leaves here.

Colour: Brilliance, Aurora embossing powder
Stamps: Paperartsy (panel), Cherry Pie (fern)
Other: Transparency, chipboard (for the intaglio) and white card- one layer was coloured with the ink, the other with the ep.

The closing date for this challenge is 25th October, and the prize is excellent. Thanks for the challenge, Diane!

Little Art Doll for a Swap

This is my first attempt at a shrink plastic art doll, so please be gentle with me! I think it's mostly OK, but I am not pleased with the face. I do like it from behind, though- do you like the grungeboard wings? It's such great stuff to work with. The tassel skirt was inspired by an art doll by Linda Baldock, although with hindsight I should have been more generous with the fibres. Oh well, you live and learn!

Colour: Versamagic chalk inks, Stazon, Stickles, Sakura Souffle pen, Versafine, Aurora embossing powder
Stamps: All Cherry Pie
Other: Prima flower, Grungeboard wings, wire, Lucky Squirrel shrink plastic, gem

A Tag Made for the Sunday Challenge

The theme was 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' at UK Stampers last week, and this is what I made.

Colour: Glimmer Mist, Versafine, Stickles, Sakura Stardust pen, Nick Bantock dye ink
Stamps: All Cherry Pie
Other: Redicut gems, fibres

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

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

Cherry Pie- Inched ATC swap

Eleven of these are currently winging their way to Florida, to Marina, who is hosting this swap. The idea was to use inchies on your ATCs- at least one, but as many as you like. I eagerly signed up to this, but then struggled to come up with a design I liked. In the end I fell back on my favourite face stamp, and a new butterfly stamp. I am pleased with the overall design, although I have no idea what I was trying to say with it!

Colour: Distress Inks, Versafine Sepia, pencil, Brilliance
Stamps: All Cherry Pie
Other: Silk dupion fabric, safety pin, staples, old(ish) paper from an A4 notepad, really old book page, textured watercolour paper, Sizzix tag die

The colour of the old book page hasn't been altered at all (except at the edge of the ATC), but everything else has been, to match. The turquoise colour is watercoloured Distress Ink, and the staples were grunged up with Brilliance. I got truly inky making these!

Here at last- Photos of my Cherry Pie swap!

I love being part of an international group of stampers, and I recently participated in this 4"x4" swap entitled "Tribute to Women". I have watched from the sidelines on many swaps in this group, partly as I didn't feel I had the right stamps to participate (it's Cherry Pie only, and I only had two sets for a while), and partly because of the postage costs. Well, this swap really inspired me, and I am so glad I joined, as you can see what I got in return for making my squares! Marina did a fantastic job of presenting the artwork, and this wall hanging currently has pride of place in my living room.

Participants, from top, left to right: Linda Kilsdonk, Bibi, Brandy Wickham, Linda Jennings, me, Kathy Ronan, Loretta D'Onofrio, Janie Husband, Marina Lenzino, Melanie. All stamps by Cherry Pie.

If you like what you see, click here to go to Cherry Pie's site. Love those stamps!

Cherry Pie 'Tribute to Women' Swap

When I find a technique I like, I tend to do it over and over, so I'm afraid it's the Cuttlebug/Glimmer Mist/Paint Dabber/metal tape thing again! This is a 4" x 4" piece for a wall hanging swap which Marina from Cherry Pie hosted on her Yahoo group. We each made 12 identical pieces, and Marina collated them, punched them and bound them into a gorgeous hanging piece of art, which arrived this week. I love swaps, as I am always so inspired by other peoples' creativity (I love blogs for the same reason!), and I hope my offering has inspired the recipients, too- at least to ask 'how did she do that?'
Other techniques I used here (just in case anyone is inspired, ho ho!): heat embossing onto ribbon, using gold Krylon pen on Dymo labels, then distressing with black Stazon, mount board painted with silver dabber before using alcohol ink to colour, heat embossing using clear lustre powder, then spraying with Glimmer Mist, and good ol' water colouring with Distress Inks and H20s! I think that covers the lot!

Stamps: All Cherry Pie
Colour: Glimmer Mist, Paint Dabbers, Distress Inks, H20s, Sakura Glaze pen, Gold Krylon pen, Versafine, Stazon
Other: Dymo labeller, mount board, white card, metal tape, satin ribbon.