A Tag for a Forum Friend

I made this tag for a forum friend for her birthday, and on the day of her birthday I was delighted to receive a really gorgeous piece of mail art from her, using 'three in a round' from Stampotique, which is such a cool stamp. If I get permission to blog it, I will! This tag uses lots of Cosmic Shimmer powder, so you will need to squint at it and imagine the gorgeous interference mica effects it really has!

Colour: Distress inks, Cosmic Shimmer powders, Sharpies, Versamagic, Stazon, Brilliance, Liberon Gilt wax
Stamps: Tanda (feather) and Studio g (alphabet)
Other: Beads, fibre, metal corner, acetate, slide-mount, eyelet and wire, all from my stash.

The feather in the slide-mount is stamped twice; once with Stazon, then with Versamark brushed with Cosmic Shimmer. When I put the two images, I offset them slightly so that you see the shimmer behind the dark feather.

A Present For a Friend- Part 1 of 3

I have had a couple of weeks of making presents for friends, luckily the ones who appreciate hand-stamped. This is a little wallhanging for a friend, and I sent it late as I didn't want to send any old stamped thing! All three of these pressies use the same Elusive Images sayings stamps- I can't stop using them!

Colour: Distress Inks, Glimmer Mist, Perfect Pearls, Paint Dabbers, Versafine
Stamps: Tanda, Paperartsy, Elusive Images
Other: Mountboard, metal tape, acetate, piece from necklace, leather thong, silk dupion, Glossy Accents

The shimmer on the stamping was created by swirling Perfect Pearls onto an image stamped with Distress Ink- not when it's too wet, but before it dries. The beads were made using long thin triangles of the silk, wetting them with Glossy Accents, then winding them tightly around a cocktail stick- exactly like making paper beads.

I will try to blog all of the other projects I have been making soon- I have such a backlog of photos as I have been too busy creating!

Altered Pringles tube

Would you believe this used to be a Pringles tube? Sid had the idea of doing a swap based on the idea of altering said tubes, and I hosted the swap on UK Stampers. It was quite a challenge to come up with a good idea, as I usually only decorate flat surfaces. I ended up buying some Windsor and Newton Galleria Modelling Paste, and used it to add texture to my tube, before using a silver paint dabber and alcohol inks over the whole thing (See Isa's blog for a step-by-step tutorial of this great technique). I then did my latest favourite technique, which is to use paint dabbers over metal foil which has been embossed with my Cuttlebug, wipe some of the paint off, then spray liberally with Glimmer Mist. The photos aren't brilliant here, as the light was appalling that day, but it looks a bit like distressed enamelling. Love it! I have another piece, also part of a swap, which uses the same technique, and tonight I'm making 'metal' themed ATCs, so guess what I'll be doing...

Colour: Alcohol inks, Paint Dabbers, Glimmer mist, Distress Ink, Versafine, Clear Sakura Stardust pen, Brilliance Ink (for edging)
Stamps: Tanda (alphabet), Cherry Pie (art), free love stamp
Other: Stampbord, felt from the alcohol ink applicator (perfect colour match!), silver-coloured wire, silver-coloured beads, newspaper, rock-crystal bead, butterfly heat-embossed on acetate (like the one on my header!), shrink plastic.

The swap was great fun, and this is the slide show. I got Petra's little tube, and I'm using it to store my mini-misters!

Slide Mailer Swap

I have started to host an altered art swap each month on UKStampers forum, and this is my entry for the first one. I have found myself drawn much more to altered work recently, to the extent that I can barely convince myself to make a card! I love to get inky, and to stamp on unusual surfaces, and altering just seems so much more 'from the heart' for me. I am trying to find a way to incorporate this sort of work into cardmaking, but it will take some experimentation before I feel I have found my style for cards. So here is a lovely altered slide mailer as my first piece.

Colour: H2Os on body of mailer, Caught in crystal behind acetate tag and slide
Stamps: Tanda (Peacock), Rubadubadoo (Peacock feathers)
Other: Sizzix tag, Siver detail embossing powder, Cosmic Shimmer arctic pearl embossing powder, Silk dupion fabric, acetate, Papermania jewel brad, beads and ribbon from my stash.
Techniques: 'Peacock' word printed from computer onto acetate, then heat embossed, Peacock design heat embossed onto silk fabric, back of mailer embossed with arctic pearl powder.

This swap took place in May (slide show is here), and June's swap was an altered Pringles tube. July's swap is about to be posted, so if you are interested, head on over to UKStampers, and sign up!

Next CJ Entry

This is the next entry in the 'Just One Stamp' circle journal. We are not far from finishing now; we have three more to do until our own journals wing their way home, full of gorgeous artwork. And the really great thing about this group is that our organiser, Gail, has kept us all on track, so we have no missing journals to worry about, which seems to be a common problem in these kind of groups. Just to recap, here is the link to all of the previous entries.
The stamp which came with this journal is a feather. I don't know who it is by, but it is a beautifully detailed stamp. The previous entries were all so good, and I wanted to do something different, so I decided to turn the feather into a peacock's tail. White peacocks are thought to be incredibly lucky, and I know the journal's owner, Alison, is very ill in hospital and could do with some luck, so I had to make my peacock white. I also really wanted to use the turquoise, as for some reason it is my favourite colour at the moment and I keep using it on everything I do (even my new clock is that colour, and I hope to do a new header soon, too).

Stamps: Unknown (feather), Tanda (Peacock and Peacock feather)
Colour: Alcohol inks, Moonshadow mist, Sakura glaze pen, White embossing powder, Nick Bantock Inks
Other: Words printed on Conqueror Silica blue paper, ribbon from my stash, Self-adhesive metal tape from DIY store, Cuttlebug embossing folder

The background is alcohol inks on glossy card which I then sprayed with the Moonshadow mist. Because of the glossy coating, it beads up when sprayed, and when dried with a heat-gun, you get a gorgeous effect, with tiny dots of the turquoise mica powder (sorry, it doesn't really show up on the photograph). The patterned section is the metal tape, which I ran through the Cuttlebug then coloured with alcohol inks. I can see myself trying that again, and maybe using some glaze pens too- it could look great!

Ismaki Challenge Card- Happy Birthday Mum!

I'm feeling strange and confused, as I show my next Ismaki challenge card, as I almost don't recognise it as mine! Using a sketch is very exciting, as it does make you think in a very different way to how you normally do. To me, this seems quite cluttered, as I have lots of different elements on the card, but actually, now I see the photo, I see how there is a balance to the design. Here is the sketch this card is based on- see what you think!
Inks: Brilliance Pearlescent Lavender, Purple and Crimson (also used to watercolour)
Stamps: Paperartsy, Personal Impressions, Tanda and MSE
Paper: English Paper Company
Other: Zoomz from Stamp Galaxy and ribbon from my stash
My husband is away for part of this week, so I am really hoping that I will get a lot of stamping done after Dan is in bed. I am really inspired by my new Paperartsy stamps so have some plans for those. All I need to do now is persuade my lovely cat to get off my lap...wish me luck!

Think Monday, Think ATC- Asia

I've been pondering this theme since Monday, trying to decide how to use my oriental stamps, as I don't have a lot to choose from. It's strange, as I love Japanese culture and I have some nice items around the house. Maybe that's why I don't have many stamps of that theme, I would want them to be beautiful and not at all cartoonish. I have my eye on some from Stonehouse Stamps, but have yet to take the plunge and order them.
The penny finally dropped that Asia also incorporates India, and suddenly I was inspired! The peacock is India's national bird, and I have used some text from a Hindu folk tale. And I love pink!
I stamped the main images (both from Tanda Stamps) in Versamark on cream card, and used matt clear embossing powder before creating my background with H2os and other metallic watercolors. Then I masked off the image and stamped the background with the feathers image (Rubbadubadoo) using Cats Eye Fluid Chalk in Dark Peony. The text was tinted with Distress Inks in Tattered Rose and Antique Linen, then the Paisley (Tanda Stamps) stamped and embossed in gold.
I feel the need to find some detail embossing powder in various colours, as the paisleys look a bit 'rough', but good old Google will surely help me!

Wednesday Stamper- Hats

I could have managed to be a little later for this weeks Wednesday Stamper, but not much! I seem to be pretty much caught up now, so hopefully will be more on time for everything. Of course, give me enough nights without sleep and that'll change again!
I'm into making ATCs at the moment. I usually have someone in mind for a card, and arty ones don't go down well with my family! But ATCs are just a little artistic indulgence, as they aren't 'for' anything. Hence this one, which I have called 'Hats off to the Music Man'. I am still inspired by these Paperartsy stamps; this is my third ATC using them. When I'm done I will label them as a series, my first!
Stamps by Paperartsy, Tanda Stamps and PSX, inks used are Distress Inks in Scattered Straw and Vintage Photo, plus Versacolour pigment inks in a mix of blues. The 'the' is Sakura Stardust pen. Thanks for looking!

Isa's weekly challenge- 'G'

Hurray! The first of my weekly challenge entries is done. This ATC is for Isa's weekly challenge. I was puzzling over interesting words beginning with the letter 'G', and I got hit by inspiration! This doesn't happen all of the time to me, so I did rush into my craft area and get going as soon as I could. Then I had to rush back to my computer to create the background text, which is from the various spam emails I get trying to sell me pills I definitely don't need! I am fascinated with the computer generated text that these emails contain, they make no real sense but have a gothic, whimsical feel. (If you haven't received this kind of email, lucky you.) I also have this great Cherry Pie face image, which also has a gothic feel, so there we are!
All of the images are stamped in black Stazon onto white card. Stamps are by Cherry Pie, Tanda Stamps and PSX, and I coloured the eyes with blue felt pen, washed over with a metallic watercolour paint. The black line at the right hand edge is narrow black velvet ribbon. Isa's extra options this week were to follow a sketch for the layout and use alphabet stamps, both of which I have done!
I ended up with four ATC sized backgrounds, so may do another three ATCs in this vein. I think 'Vampire's kiss' may have to be one of them, very traditional!

Kym's 9 step background

Kym had kindly posted a step-by-step set of instructions for a background she had created that I admired, here on her blog, and I thought I would have a go myself and see how different it would look with different stamps and colours. I am pleased with the result, and Kym was right, it didn't take long at all!
Step one is to choose your background paper. Mine is plain white card. Steps two, three and four are creating the first all over layer of stamping, using masking. Mine here is the music manuscript background from TandaStamps in Distress Ink Weathered Wood. Then a vertical stamp, again to cover the whole background, I chose a word stamp from Paperartsy's Stage lights sheet 3, in Distress Milled Lavender. Then the shaded border is created using foam and, here, Distress Dusty Concord. The last step is to stamp all over, again with another image, here another stamp from the Paperartsy sheet stamped in Versamagic Eggplant.
I'm really pleased with the result, it really has depth, and I wouldn't have thought to use so many different stamps in the background. I will finish the ATC later!

Black and white inchies.

Anyone involved in this swap, look away now! These are for a swap on UK Stampers with the theme of 'black and white'. I made the background as one piece, then cut it into the individual 2.5cm square pieces. When it was done, it made me think about the illustrations in fairy stories, I'm not quite sure why! Hence the fairy-tale inspired words, and the theme of the embellishments. I suppose inspiration comes from very individual memories and emotions, you just hope someone else will understand where you're coming from. Or at least like the results, yes, I'll settle for that!
Background stamps from Hero Arts, Tandastamps, and Aud design. Words printed from the computer. Now I just have to wait to receive my swaps!

Shrink plastic embellishments

I didn't do an awful lot last night, I mainly tidied up after my mad tag-making session of the night before. I am obsessively organised with my craft storage, but when I get crafting, I think I get out practically everything I own and leave it in my working space of 1m x 0.5m! But then I do have the satisfaction of putting it all back in the right place and in the correct order. I also finished cutting out my unmounted stamp sheets and putting them away (in order, of course) in CD cases. I had just cut out the ones I wanted to use, so I am now up to date and organised.
What I did do last night was make some little embellishments to go on my black and white inchies. Practically all of my embellishments are coloured or at least metallic, and I thought I would be a purist here and only use black and white. So out came the shrink plastic again, and I stamped a variety of images in black Stazon on the white, and Brilliance Moonlight white on the black. Stamps used are from: Tandastamps, Anna Griffin, Aud design, Cherry Pie, Stampendous. I think that's all of them!