Pretty in Pink......

Orange and Green and Pink these are the colours to be used for Tando Creative Challenge this month
I have recycled an envelope and decorated into a gift envelope for giving money or gift cards etc.  I have many birthdays in January including my daughter's she will be 40.........omg how did that happen!!

 back view

I had great fun making  this rummaging through my papers and flowers and ribbons to find the colours I needed and once gathered together I just had a great time cutting and sticking it all together. 

front view

I added distress ink vintage photo to all the edges including  the tag, Happy Birthday was stamped in black archival, pieces of washi tape were torn and added to the pink spotty paper and to the tag between the ribbons the green rickrack is velvet it is gorgeous in real life.

I would also like to play at

Anything But A Card - Recycling

'till next time
 

Canal Barge Christmas

I have been wanting to join in over at the Clarity Stamp Challenge for a while, but with only two Clarity stamp sets the challenge really is a challenge for me as you can use only Clarity stamps.
So today I bit the bullet and made this card to join in with challenge 9 Christmas. 

Stamp sets used Canal Barge Kit and Kingfisher kit (tree)

Think cold and frosty with snow on the hills, spending Christmas on the canal............well that's what I was thinking when I set to make my card, Distress Inks stormy sky and chipped sapphire were used for the wintery sky and crushed olive and vintage photo for the water.   Images were stamped in black archival and vintage photo.  Barge was coloured with Spectrum Noir Pens.   I added glitter for frost and  snow with quickie glue pen.  Merry Christmas was generated on the computer as I haven't got a clarity one.  This was mounted onto centura  pearl card and I found a piece of card which was the same colour as the barge for my card blank.


'till next time

A Splattering we will go.........

Hey Ho a Splattering we will go...................

Lol  sorry for the tittle but I had to go with it has been in my head since the start of this project....... ...anyway hope you all had a good weekend and it wasn't too cold where you are. I had a lovely lazy crafty weekend and got quite a lot done including this project which fits in with two  challenges  -   Craft Stamper Make It Take It Challenge 5  - Use a splatter technique as shown by Paula Whittaker in the November issue and Letters which is the November Challenge at Country View Crafts

Now who can resist getting all splattery (is that a word...) well not me that's for sure as you all know I love to get all inky and messy in the craft room so here is what I came up with.

I found a piece of mount board lurking in the draw which was just the right size for my plaque I covered the board with distress stain and went around the edges with tarnished bronze metallic distress stain, next I had a rummage through my gelli plate papers I have waiting to be used remember I am very new to the gelli and these backgrounds are my first attempts, I used a cut out from a magazine as a template, you can just see the outline of the lady in green.
I decided to use glimmer mists and distress inks and distress stain to make my splatters.  Firstly I splattered with Cosmic Shimmer Mists -  aqua lagoon, golden mint, midnight blue -  by undoing the top and using the inside pumpy bit to flick the ink.....ooooh fabulous results, next came distress fired brick squidged onto my craft mat and then with a damp old toothbrush I loaded it up and  flicked this over some areas quite subtle but I liked it, lastly I splodged barn door distress stain using a lot of arm power to make a big splodge lol! 
Of course I had to add stamping using flourish stamp from my TH stash in chipped sapphire second generation stamping so they faded into the background, Butterflies TH in black archival ink.

Thought you might like a photo of splatters in progress which actually shows up the colours well and my practise splodges this scrap paper  has been saved to my bits box so nothing wasted lol.

 The strips you see here are spare from trimming down my gelli print which I intended to stamp onto but changed my mind and splattered some white card with same ingredients as above to stamp my words onto using Stampasaurus stamps "carry on",  I thought these words were very apt ........for me anyway...........at this time of year.!  I stamped in jet black archival and embossed with black fine detail EP.  All edges were distresses and inked with chipped sapphire and black soot.   Finally a touch of idea-ology hardware and my plaque was finished which will now stand in my craft room to remind me to "Keep Calm and Carry On"!

Tip when shaking bottles of spray mists keep piece of kitchen roll around top this will save you getting covered in colour......I now have a lovely blue lagoon spotted tee-shirt !

Thank you for looking and staying to the end of this rather long post.

'till next time










INGREDIENTS
Inks: Archival black, Distress Inks;
Stamps Stampasaurus; Tim Holtz stamps and Idea-ology
Cosmic Shimmer Mists; Fine detail EP Creative Expressions

Jingle Bells ..................

Jingle Bells............................

Two posts in one day Wow unheard of for me lol; 
I have had a lovely day today crafting and wanted to share one of the Tags I made which also fits in with Crafts-Too Challenge You for November Twist 2 - Polychromatic - 3 colours I have used green red and gold very traditional colours which I love.

A sprinkling of Tim Holtz and stickles glitter and my tag was born.  Santa's face isn't really green ....honest but for some reason photo turned his beard green.  (see photo below)as I can't take another as it's dark now, think the light was going when original was taken which was probably the problem.

Distress inks pine needles, olive and barn door were used, also festive greenery die, bakers twine and Gold embossing powder.  Tags are creative expressions stamps with gold EP   added.  Red one reads Hope and Green one Dream, TH Bingo embossing folder was used for the 25 which I cut out and added barn door and a little pine needles.  Red and gold ribbon were added (gorgeous red ribbon was in my prize package from C2CU October challenge).
Lastly I added 2 old bells I have no idea where these came from just found them in my Christmas bits and bobs I would think I recycled them from something...sometime...well Santa has to have Jingle Bells ......doesn't he?

Look I told you his beard wasn't green lol, but this photo was blurred so I didn't us it as main image just wanted you to see his white beard. lol.


I would also like to play at

The Artistic Stamper - Christmas


Thanks for looking

'till next time

Three Wise Men

Artful Times Challenge Lilac and Silver popped into my mail box yesterday and I just had to play, don't usually use purple but couldn't resist the silver .........as embossing powder and all things glittery popped into my head I just knew I was hooked.

 

 

First stop were my Tim Holtz Mini Holidays Christmas stamps and an embossing folder which I inked with dusty concord before adding my card and running through my big shot, I love this technique it can have some very different effects each time. The colour was quite pastel so I stamped the snowflake and inked around the edges in same colour, also stamped one in silver for the star and quickly added silver fine detail EP, the three wise men were stamped in same ink (Silver brilliance) inside the embossed frame, sentiment was heat embossed with same silver EP. Lastly I added versamark to the edges of card and added more EP (not showing up to well in photo) so hard to get the sparkle without the glare with EP.  After a rummage in my card blanks I found this lovely deckle edge purple card to mount my creation on...........and a quick Christmas card was made, think I had better make a few more quick ones as I haven't really started yet!!

I would also like to play at

Heck of a challenge November In the Frame

Thanks for looking
'till next time

Ingredients

Tim Holtz stamps Mini Holiday Sizzix Alterations Embossing Folder
Ink Brilliance Silver and distress ink dusty concord
Card

Oriental Clock

Hello bloggers on a very cold but sunny (well it was) it's getting dark now Saturday, hope you are all well. 
Today I have shut myself in my craft room to have a little play and also finish off  1 or 2 ( or 3)
projects I have had on the go for a while and trying to get my head around Christmas cards for the family..........not much luck there!!!      One project I did finish is this altered CD clock using my new Sheena Douglas A Little Bit Oriental stamps sets, I treated myself to all three A5 plates in the series as I just love Oriental anything. 
This project fits in with the challenge at Craft a Scene which is Trees

 

 I have used stamps from Koi and Waterlillies and Oriental Silhouettes.
Firstly I inked a white circle of card with bundled sage and dusty concord ink lightly at first by only dragging across the card with cut and dry foam, I darkened areas later as I added the stamps. I used   the bridge (Oriental Silhouettes)  and built up the colour around the edges and behind the bridge, with water I dragged some colour into the bridge. Next the water (Kio and Waterlillies) was stamped in dusty concord and I painted the lilly pads with bundled sage and shaded with dusty concord.  Next came the trees ( Oriental Silhouettes)... aren't they wonderful love this stamp.......in Forest Green Stazon.
Lastly I added two  Cranes....well that's what I think they are!  The numbers are black plastic from the Tim Holtz stable but sorry have no idea what they are called as I have no packaging and have had them ages......they are sticky on the back but I also used glossy accents to make sure they stayed stuck! 
I sanded around the edge of the card after I had stuck it to the CD with glossy accents and added dusty concord to them, lastly  I added clock mechanism and voila I have a lovely clock to hang in my bedroom.

thanks for looking
'till next time

Queen of Hearts

Here I am again with another page in my altered dictionary for the letter "Q" at The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge the word Queen had jumped off the page at me even though I went with Quill for my first page Here.  

My 2nd page for this letter was born after I found some small playing cards and  part of the definition was "a playing card with a picture of a queen" this was glued to the centre of the page and an assortment of images were added.







I  used a postage stamp by Papermania Portabello stamps in Archival Ink Vermillion and chipped sapphire distress ink  and added a little gold  by embossing the crown and lion (Tim Holtz) stamps

 

 

Thanks for looking
till next time


Stamps Papermania Portabello Road Urban Stamps, Tim Holtz stamps, Archival and Distress Inks
Gold sparkle embossing powder (unknown), playing card

Q is for

Time for another page in my altered dictionary and this time "Q" is the choice at The Craft Barn Challenge.    Not many words to choose from so I went with the one that jumped off the page at me Quill.   I apologise for the photo it is such a dark rainy day here today I will edit photo tomorrow if it is a better day!

 

Photo edited 

 



The definition "the hollow stem of a feather"
 I used this feather stamp from Sheena Douglass falling feathers set. Also added  corners and splodge stamp from her ageing beautifully set. Ink Archival black and I crossed out some words with a fine line pen, I wanted the page to be messy like mistakes on a page written in ink......I achieved messy alright not sure if I got the look I was after though......lol,
Edges of pages were inked with black soot distress ink.

Thanks for all the lovely comments
'till next time



Reciepe

Stamps Sheena Douglass A Little Bit Sketchy Range, falling feathers and aging beautifully
Inks Archival Jet Black, Black Soot DI;
Fine liner pen, Alpha Stamps (unknown)

A Life on the Ocean Waves

Week 22 and the Letter is N at The Craft Barn Alpha Dictionary Challenge.  I found this letter uninspiring and had a difficult task to make anything of my chosen word Navigate, Mr Mojo has certainly gone walkabout this week hope he comes back soon............

Main image a ship stamp by Sheena Douglass inked with distress ink walnut stain I added water to the image and dragged the ink to paint the sails.  On the other page I stamped a compass in same ink which didn't work it smudged so I re-stamped  onto card with Addirondack Coffee and cut out and stuck over the stamped images, a swirl stamp was inked with distress marker broken glass ........ which is supposed to give the impression of waves!!  Not sure if it does or just looks like a swirl in blue..........
The edges of the pages were inked with combination of the same inks. Although I found these pages a struggle I am quite pleased with how they eventually turned out funny how sometimes things just don't flow..............

I'm  off to have a look at everyone's entries now as I never look before I make my page something I have managed to do since the start.  It is very hard but really enjoy looking after I have my page under my belt as they say...lol.
 
Before I go I would like to share some good news
I also had a lovely surprise to find my Spooky Halloween make had been chosen in the top three at Country View Crafts October  Challenge "Something Spooky" and I have been offered a Guest Designer spot there in December so exciting.

See the original  post here

Thanks for looking
'till next time

JOY for Christmas Canvas

Today's post is an exciting one for me as I have been invited as a Guest Designer   at Crafts-Too Challenge You after my Wall Hanging entry for their Texture September challenge was picked as the winner.


Challenge #5 for November  is "A Vintage Christmas" and Twist 1 is Monochromatic.  I chose the colours Brown and White and my project a Christmas Canvas.

My Canvas was covered with gesso and when dry I used Tim Holtz Mini Holidays Stamps,  holly, script and snowflake  for the back ground  with vintage photo distress ink  the edges were also inked with vintage photo, walnut stain and Adirondack Dye ink Coffee. 

Chipboard letters were from my stash and painted  white and again stamped with same stamps and ink, old string was added to them and edges given the same ink treatment as before.

I cut the bauble in Kraft card for the "O" with the Alterations die Carved Ornaments #2. I sorted through the lovely  tin of vintage buttons  I rescued from Mum  a while ago, she was about to throw out a huge tin of old buttons, some of them must date back to the 1950's such a blast from the past when I opened the tin as you can imagine.   Anyway as this is a vintage project it seemed fitting that I used some of them on this project. I stuck them to the Kraft bauble with Ranger Matt medium and sprinkled glass micro beads into the spaces for a frosty effect and left to dry.
After a good rummage through my lace drawer I found some scalloped lace and attached two strips of lace to the canvas and placed the J and Y over the top with foam pads The bauble "O" was stuck straight onto the canvas, lastly another piece of lace was tied in a bow and added to the top.  My first finished Christmas Decoration made for this year I do like to make at least one new one each year it has become something of a "thing" I have to do lol.

Thanks for dropping by and Thank you Crafts-Too Challenge You for asking me to GDS I really enjoyed the challenge.  Please pop over to the blog and admire the lovely DT inspiration and  blog entries and be inspired.

'till next time


Recipe
Tim Holtz Stamps Mini Holiday, Distress Inks, Matt Medium, Adirondack Earthtones Ink Coffee,
Die Alterations Carved Ornaments #2
Kraft card, chipboard letters, white paint, gesso, Canvas, string, Old buttons, lace from stash.