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)

Playing card swap plus Lots to do challenge- boxes

I don't normally post photos of my altered art swap piece before everything is swapped out (I don't want people to say 'I don't want that'!) but as the Lots to do challenge this week was boxes, I just had to break my tradition. Sam had posted a tutorial to her Technique Zone blog, and I found it fitted my original idea (house of cards) really well. My lovely friend, Lucy, had lent me this stamp, and it all just came together so well. Where would we be without friends, eh?

Colour: Whispers markers, Versafine, Distress Ink, Whispers inkpad, fineline pen, Sharpies
Stamps: Crafty Individuals (birds), Paperartsy (swirls)
Other: Playing cards, acetate, white card, Pinflair glue gel, mountboard

The shadows in the background are not a trick of the light, I stamped first onto acetate and then coloured the birds black, before placing on the bottom playing card. I like the feeling of depth this gives. The layers are supported by thin strips of mountboard glued in place with white craft glue. And I hope that all my friends who twitter enjoy the little joke about birds tweeting to each other :)

Hannah's Pink CJ- Queen of He-ART-s

Here is another entry for our UK Stampers' 'Colours' CJ. This is Hannah's lovely little pink book, and for once I decided to stamp directly onto the page, as the page colour was so delicious! I love pink, but don't use it in my work as much as I used to, despite having lots of yummy paper in that colour. Must remember to use it more often...

Colour: Dee Greunig Blending Blox (again!), Distress Ink, Glimmer Mist, Sharpies, Stickles, Versafine, Stazon
Stamps: Elusive Images (small 'art'), Limited Edition, unknown 'A-R-T' signing stamps, Tim Holtz (Grunge Alpha)
Other: Playing card, border punch/fancy scissors (used to create paper lace), cardstock-weight vellum for corner, Ranger Crackle Accents (used on A-R-T)

Mother's Day

Before I start describing the top card, I just want to say that it wasn't that colour! My Mum loves coloured card, and so I used a soft turquoise card as the base. I have tried to get the colour back using various editing tools, and it wasn't happening, so I am sorry, you will have to imagine the real colour.

Anyway, this is the card and stampbord brooch I gave to my Mum for Mother's day. I used my new Elusive Images plate, which I absolutely love- expect to see a lot more using it as it is really versatile.

Colour: Card: Distress Ink, Whispers Dye Ink, Versafine (used on acetate then embossed), aurora ep, Sakura glaze and Stardust pens, Stickles; Brooch: Dee Greunig Blending Blox, Whispers Dye Ink, Stickles, Sakura Stardust Pens, Stazon, Opals UTEE, silver Paint Dabber
Stamps: All Elusive Images
Other: transparency, shrink plastic, wire, brooch back, blue card, Stampbord, butterfly charm.



I also wanted to share with you my own Mother's day card, made by my little budding artist. Inside it says 'Remember when you do my washing that I love you'. Bless! I couldn't eat the cookie as I am gluten intolerant, but my little boy was more than happy to eat it for me :)

Lots to do challenge- Masks

I made these little tags to send off with the swaps- I don't normally blog these little RAKs, but this week the challenge on Lots To Do is 'masks'. I bought a Tim Holtz mask a while ago, but hadn't got around to using it. Tags are a brilliant way to experiment, so I got out that mask and away I went! I haven't entered a challenge for ages, but since this one came along at just the right time, I am entering.

Colour: Glimmer Mists, Distress Inks, Versafine (red and black), gilt wax
Stamps: All Elusive Images (the damask design is actually the corner flourish from the new Butterfly Daisy Collage plate)
Other: Mountboard shapes cut with Sizzix (thanks, Tasha!), Tim Holtz flourish mask, Prima flowers, gem shapes from Hobbycraft.

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!)

February Inchies- Oriental

You may realise this week that I have downloaded the contents of my camera, and am now trying to blog it all! This is my inchie swap for this month, and Sid gave us the theme of Oriental. Recently, I have been rifling through my scraps drawers before I start any new project, and this time I found a scrap of background paper that I made for my first Bind-it-all project in July 2007. It's nice to recycle :)

Colour: Nick Bantock inks, Perfect Pearls, Versafine, Versamagic (stamped into clay)
Stamps: Paperartsy (Buddha), Non Sequitur (chop)
Other: Das air-dry clay, red embroidery thread, black card

Mum's Birthday Card

When I started to make this, I told Vicky that I wouldn't blog it as I wasn't too happy with how it was going. Actually, I felt in the end that it came together pretty well, so here it is!

Colour: Dee Greunig Blending boxes, Sharpies, Iridescent Medium, Versafine
Stamps: Magenta, Elusive Images, Field of Sky, Hero Arts
Other: Bazzil Bling card, brayer

Colours CJ- Morti's purple book

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Here is my second journal entry for this new CJ I am in. I can definitely say that this one is more challenging than the last as thinking of a colour theme that fits the stamp is hard! I love a challenge, though, so here is my entry in Morti's book. I was thinking of 'purple heart' for a while, and had decided how I wanted to do the background, but my original idea was to pin a tiny 'medal' to the art doll's chest. Well, as you can see, I was a little rough when cutting out, and pulled the poor creature's arm off! Perfect really, as she then was really a wounded soldier! The real purple heart medal has the phrase 'For Military Merit' inscribed on the back, so I had to change it to 'artistic merit'.

Colour: Dee Greunig Blending Blox, Distress Ink, Distress Crackle paint, Stickles, Versafine, Glimmer Mist, Stazon, permanent fineline pen, Liberon gilt wax
Stamps: Elusive Images, plus Morti's Paperartsy art doll
Other: Shrink Plastic, metal corners, ribbon, safety pin, all from my stash.

When I made the shrink plastic 'medal' I stamped on one side with Stazon, then sprayed the other with Glimmer Mist, not realising that the GM and the Shrink are not completely compatible! The back (the side I sprayed) has a very bobbley texture, and you can see this distorted the shape of the piece, too. However, I love the effect, as it looks less new and perfect than usual, so I may try this again!

Jambalaya kit

Another pressie, this was a recipe card and the dry ingredients for making Jambalaya- one of our favourite New Orleans' dishes (we had a week there in 2004). All of the herbs and spices were individually wrapped in cellophane and labelled, so all the recipient needs to do is put them in a mortar and grind them up!

Colour: Distress Inks, Versafine, Ancient Page
Stamps: Paperartsy, MSE
Other: gold wire, raffia, stiff card for box, cellophane

PS This is the last time you will see my beloved (and old) MSE alphabet, as I left the word 'spice' on the block after I finished. Paul let me have a lie-in and gave Dan his breakfast, and when I looked at the block later it was empty! I found 2 letters on Dan's place-mat, and one in his cereal bowl, but the other two seem to be gone for good- and there was no way I was going to look in his nappy for them! Farewell, lovely alphabet, I suppose I will need to replace you at last!

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!

Toodles and Binks mirror (cute!)

My fingers are covered in arty paint as I type this, but I'm afraid I'm showing you another cute project here today. This is for my Niece's 6th birthday, and it started life as one of Ikea's 99pence mirrors, as seen in Craft Stamper a couple of issues ago. I used a stamp from the new Toodles and Binks range, which are only available from Stamp Galaxy. I love the stamps that are available so far- they have a quirky feel to them which I feel comfortable with, even though they are cute! I have been assured that there will be some boyish images available soon- I need to make Dan's birthday card for the 24th of Nov, Kay, if you read this!

Colour: Distress Inks, Versamagic, Versafine, H2Os, Caran D'Ache watercolour crayons, Stickles
Stamps: Toodles and Binks, Paperartsy
Other: Zooms, Prima flowers, wand from my stash.

For a change, I applied the Distress Inks with a baby wipe, and it enabled me to get a much better range of tone. Note to self, though, paint applied in this way goes straight through the wipe onto your fingers!

UK Stampers ATC's for October- Newest Stamps.

I realise these photos all seem to be taken at a really odd angle, but since these ATCs were all painted with a mixture of Perfect Pearls, Cosmic Shimmer and Stickles, I wanted to show the effect. My newest stamps at the time the theme was set were a set by ISC, which you may have seen on many other blogs- that face stamp is so beautiful that lots of stampers have it and use it well! It was nice to play around with effects, and I deliberately kept these simple, using straightforward stamping for a change! Don't worry, though, I have signed up for another CJ at UK Stampers, so expect to see me get carried away at least once a month!

Colour: Versamagic, Versafine, Cosmic Shimmer powders, Perfect Pearls (both used as paint), Stickles, Aurora ep, Stazon
Stamps: ISC
Other: Vellum printed with script (used for butterflies)

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

UK Stampers' Sunday Challenge No 10

I was lucky enough to get some serious crafting time in on Saturday afternoon- I had been creating in half hour bites all week, and found I had barely got all of my stuff out before it was time to put it away again! By Saturday, I *needed* to stamp, so I completely ignored the housework and the husband, and got inky! This piece was created for the Sunday challenge over at UK Stampers, and was really about a) using my gorgeous new stamp from Elusive Images, and b) trying out some techniques I have just been reading about in an amazing book I borrowed from the library, called 'Paper, Metal, and Stitch'. I think I may need to buy this book once I have returned it, as there is enough inspiration inside to keep me going for ages!

Panel 1
Colour: Glimmer Mist (Peach Delight and Black Cherry), Distress Ink (Worn Lipstick), Versafine
Other: White cardstock base, pattern created with PVA rubbed over with gilt wax when dry.

Panel 2
Colour: Gold embossing powder, Versafine
Other: Base of silk dupion fabric, frayed at the edge.

Panel 3
Colour: Distress Inks (Spiced Marmalade and Worn Lipstick), Stickles, Versafine
Other: White cardstock base, stamped repeatedly with swirl stamp then embossed with Cuttlebug folder.

Panel 4
Colour: Stazon black, Sharpie pen, Glimmer Mist
Other: Base made from inside of coke can, coloured in a flame, and embossed freehand, using an embossing tool and foam mat.

Header
Colour: alcohol inks followed by Black Cherry Glimmer Mist, Stazon
Other: Making Memories metal shim, freehand embossing, Papermania jewel brads, black ribbon, corner embellishments from my stash
Stamps: Notre Dame from Elusive Images, words and swirl from Paperartsy.

The whole piece is 6" x 6" square, conveniently the Notre Dame stamp is 1 1/2" wide. I promise I will clean the lens of my camera before I take another picture- the soft-focus effect wasn't intentional LOL!

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

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