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.

UK Stampers Sunday Challenge no. 4- Red, White and Blue

It was with a heavy heart I saw last week's challenge:

Sunday challenge no4

Well it's all over... the Olympics that is and it's been handed over to London for 2012..so, create a card ( good luck or a congratulations if possible) using.....red, white and blue! ..Happy stamping!

A card! I think I have made my feelings about cards quite plain recently. I wonder if I'm getting a phobia LOL! I did it anyway, in the spirit of the Olympics I pushed through my pain barrier, and here is the result. Not perfect, but not bad :)

Colour: Versamagic, Whispers pen, Distress Ink, Gold embossing powder
Stamps: Crafty Individuals (flower), Stampin' Up (sentiment)
Other: Papermania metal-rimmed tag, paper roses, tiny snap, metal corners (all from my stash), Cuttlebug embossing folder

This week's challenge is a different story altogether- I'm excited and raring to get going on it. Here is the link. It's easy to join in- just sign up for UK Stampers and play along!

UK Art Raffle August entry- Summer Sun

I seem to be blogging an awful lot at the moment, but I think that's because I am doing a lot! I haven't even blogged the cards, mostly because they are only really interesting to the recipients; I am not a natural card maker. I have nothing for tomorrow, though, as I have reached the point with the piece I am working on where I have to leave it alone for a while, so that I know where I am going with it. But I thought I would share this tonight, as I really want to wash my hair and do some housework before going out tomorrow morning, and spending time on the internet is not conducive to either!
Anyway, this piece is for Sarah's UK Art Raffle, a fabulous sort-of swap she is running where everybody sends in something, but only one person gets all of the art each month! It's such a great idea, and I can imagine how I would feel if a surprise box arrived, full of inspiring things. This is the first month, but even now a lot of people have put their name down. It's UK only, sadly, because of the expense of posting, but there will be a gallery each month after the parcel has been received.

Colour: Alcohol Inks, Gold embossing powder, Dee Greunig Blending Blox, Distress Inks
Stamps: Paperartsy, Studio g
Other: Gold card, Cuttlebug embossing folder, fusible film, photo of baby laughing (Dan at 4 months!)

This piece owes a lot to Linda B, who has started to do Youtube tutorials. I had never considered using the fusible film and just melting it onto a project, and it was great fun, if a little unpredictable. And it was also heavily inspired by a certain children's show- the one everyone loves to hate, but I just love!

ATCs- Children

This month's 3 for 3 swap on UK Stampers had a theme which most people jumped at, but I found quite hard: children. I am not a brilliant collage artist, and don't have a lot of children-y stamps, so I ended up buying a new stamp. I love these two little cowboys, and I can see this image being handy at birthday and party invite time; it's nice to find something arty and yet also suitable for children!

Colour: Distress Inks, Perfect Pearls (sprayed)
Stamps: Crafty Individuals, Studio G and PSX (alphabets)

My trick-of-the-day for these ATCs was to tap the edge of a rough old plastic ruler into my ink pads and then use it to add the 'scratches' to grunge up the work. I'm sure it's not a new idea, but it impressed my husband!

UK Stampers Sunday Challenge no. 3- Inchies

This is my entry for last week's Sunday Challenge. Here is what we were asked to do:

Sunday Challenge no3

The Olympics are in full swing so this weeks challenge is to create a set of 9 inchies with games as a theme...use gold, silver and bronze somewhere on them....Upload your finished challenges to the blog
Happy stamping

I haven't made a set of Inchies for ages, and was stumped for a while, until I cut out a piece of 3" x 3" cardstock and remembered that you don't have room for much on an inchie! I didn't have any really sporty stamps, so ended up using the ball (from a cheap set of baby stamps) and the word 'play' from an Inkadinkado set. I was slightly smug about the idea of tearing the red-coloured white paper to get the white stripes for the Union Jack flag- it's nice to be pleased with yourself every once in a while!

Stamps: Inkadinkado, Unknown (bought from 'The Works' bookshop!)
Colour: Distress Ink, Brilliance, Perfect Pearls (the balls are coloured with it for the medal colour theme), Versamagic
Other: Text from the computer

This week's challenge is up here, and it's easy to join UK Stampers to play- wherever in the world you live. Isn't the Internet great?!