Butterfly flourish

Hello  everyone
It has been several months since I last blogged I can't believe how the time has flown by, I hope you have all enjoyed the summer and the beautiful weather we have had, we have spent a lot of time traveling in our Motorhome started in Ireland in May for 3 weeks ish, then back home for a while and off we would go again ............it's great now DH has retired  He is not sure how he had time to go to work ha ha!

I have missed joining in with challenges although I have popped in from time to time when I have had WiFi connections.   Today I am back for  Challenge 13 at A Vintage Journey  how could I resist this one  " A little touch of Tim" ATC.
ATC's are my favourite things to make especially using my TH stash.

I started with Kraft card and cut out  an ATC using  Tim's Sizzix die which includes the corners, I picked one of  the ATC sized stamps I had in my TH stash and stamped onto white tissue with Archival Coffee ink.  This I stuck onto the craft card with glossy accents and ripped the tissue around the card, love the edge effect this method leaves, I went around the edges with Vintage Photo distress ink (my fav) next I gathered up some bit and bobs from my bit box, burlap, corrugated card, and a piece of lace all had been left overs from other projects, next I rummaged in my box of Tim's hardware and came across this flower which for some reason which I don't remember has had the petals bent :(  but hey ho waste not want not is my motto so a further rummage I found this small knob which I added to the centre, added a metal leaf and glued everything together with glossy accents (wonderful stuff!!)
Lastly I added chitchat stickers to my ATC (edges vintage photo).  I chose these words as they say the reasons I love to make ATC's

Thanks for looking hope I didn't ramble too much....... it's nice to be back blogging :)

Fame ATC's

Hello Bloggers long time no post  I haven't been around in blogland very much lately firstly we were away at Easter touring in our Motorhome we had a lovely break but unfortunately I picked up a cold which turned into a horrible bug, then hubby caught it and it has taken some shaking off, so all in all I haven't really felt like crafting or blogging but I'm better now.
I was gutted to miss the 8th challenge over at The Craft Barn Q & L challenge, hope I can catch up later.   So today I made my 2 ATC's for the 9th Q & L challenge the words we have been given are Unique and Fame I chose Fame as the song popped straight into my head and has been buzzing around ever since.  click here song from film....I loved the film!

The backgrounds are made using a paint which I swirled together and then put two pieces of card together and pulled them apart. An experiment  which was a success as  I really love the effects that I achieved and the texture is fabulous, the thicker the paint the better the texture and effects.

I have chosen to use the chorus on my ATC's which was too long for the ATC so I made two, tissue tape was added to the edge of one and torn into pieces for the other, I used the butterflies as I thought the background looked like the pattern the wings when magnified........or is that just my imagination lol. 

I wish you could feel them they are very touchy feely

Thanks for looking 
'till next time


Items used
Tim Holtz ATC die, distress ink
Acrylic paints
Tissue tape

Butterflies and Birds ATC's

Here are my 2 ATC's for the 7th set of words for The Craft Barn Quotes and Lyrics Challenge. Change and or Truth.
As a song didn't pop into my head and my searches left me uninspired I have gone with quotes this time.



 

 

A gelli print background was my starting point which I cut with Tim Holtz ATC die, then using 2 different embossing folders.....

 

Sheena embossing folder

 

Couture Creations.

 

Using metallic gilding wax colours amethyst, patina(turquoise) and bronze I went over the raised areas the smell is gorgeous, quotes were printed on computer and edged with frayed burlap distress ink.







I would also like to play at
Imagination Crafts Anything Goes


Sorry I haven't been around to many blogs lately Life has been a bit hectic but I am catching up slowly

Thanks for looking
'till next time


Ingredients
Tim Holtz Sizzix ATC die, distress ink frayed burlap
Embossing folders Sheena Douglass and Couture Creations
Gilding Wax Creative Espressions
Gelli Plate background

Flowers in the Rain...

News Flash...........My last two ATC's for the Craft Barn Q & L challenge ART/ROAD  HERE have won a prize of ....a gift voucher £20 to spend at the Craft Barn..........I shall be shopping later.......Thank you Craft Barn this is the icing on the cake for a very enjoyable challenge.

Time for  The Craft Barn Qand L challenges  this fortnights words are Flowers/and or Travel.
 I have made 2 ATC's, firstly for Flowers I have chosen to go with Lyrics for the song "Watching flowers in the rain" rooted well into the sixties by The Move. I searched for it on UTube Here if you want to sing along, careful it is addictive I have been singing and humming it all week!!!!

 

I started with a piece of cream card from my bit box which I cut with TH ATC die, this piece had been stencilled with rusty hinge (I think) flowers so I stamped  larger flowers over the top.    I used Free Stamps from Craft Stamper Magazine over this ,the flower was stamped in vintage photo distress ink and the girls eyes in espresso adirondack ink, words printed in word and edged in vintage photo.

 

 Travel

I searched for a quote and came across this one which I really liked.  Background was again a piece from my bit box cut with Tim's ATC die and had a mixture of stamping and paint on it, I tore bits of TH tissue tape and attached them to the background, quote was printed and edges inked.





  

Thanks for looking

 

'till next time

King of the Road

Hi everyone
Firstly welcome to my new followers thank you for joining me, also a big thank you to everyone who has dropped in and left me some lovely comments I really do appreciate them......thank you :)

I have had a lovely inky few hours this morning making these 2 ATC's and they will fit in with 2 challenges firstly The Craft Barn Q and L challenge, Art and or /Road were the words we had to use, so the first thing that jumped into my head for Road were the lyrics from  one of my favourite Country songs King of the Road which I love, there are lots of  versions by various artists HERE is a link to a UTube version if you want to sing along.  My fist ATC is using a quote including the word
Art. 

Oh yes and as you can see I have been heavily influenced by  my Tim Holtz stash.......well he is the King of  all things inky.....and they just happened to be on my desk ( always lol),  which fits in nicely with A Vintage Journey Challenge Anything Tim, my second visit there.

This ATC is softer in colour I used spun sugar and old paper distress inks and stamped the image in coffee Archival, I have had these stamps ages and they are great for a quick effect they are from Eclectic Palatte, Stampers Anonymous.

King of the Road is one of my favourite Country songs and has been sung by so many artists hope you clicked on the link above to hear the version I found on UTube.  Now I had to improvise... there goes that word again..... as really I needed a Train stamp and would you believe it not one in my stamping stash.......so this little truck came to the rescue.  Background is distress inks rusty hinge and tumbled glass, all stamped images are from Tim Holtz stamps Visual Artistry collection, except for the title of the song which is stamped using a small alpha set I have onto distress inked background (same as main image).  I have to apologise for the photo as no matter how many times I took it the words didn't come out in real life they are much darker.........honestly!

Challenges I am joining

The Craft Barn Q&L challenge words Road and or/Art
A Vintage Journey Challenge #1  Anything Tim

Thanks for looking
'till next time

Silence is Golden................

Hi bloggers hope you are all safe and dry I can not believe the weather we are experiencing  rain and more rain and here it is so cold windy and wet today. 
Today I am going to share my latest entry  for the Q & L challenge at The Craft Barn.  If you not sure what I am talking about click on the link for The Craft Barn and all will be revealed.

For challenge #2 we have the choice of 2 words Silence and Dazzle.  Well the first thing that popped into my head was the song Silence is Golden by the Tremeloes, fabulous song at the time and I have been singing it every since lol.  I have made an ATC with a tag pocket thingy.....

 

 

Firstly apologies for photo's the light here is so poor today. I cut a tag with Tim Holtz large tag die and folded up the end to make a pocket to hold the ATC.





The tag was inked with distress ink wild honey dried marigold I added rusty hinge through several masks one was a retro circle design, another was dots and lastly bars.  I stamped and embossed in gold with a stamp from my Tim Holtz  stash.

 

 

 

ATC was inked in the same inks and stencils the "eyes" stamp is an really old one  and knew I had to use it as it went so well with the words, I embossed the edges with gold embossing which also stuck to the wet ink which I had forgotten to dry so a happy accident as I like the result.  The words I typed and printed out on the computer, cut into strips and inked the edges with rusty hinge.  

 

 

Who remembers this song and is still singing away, would love to know let me know if you drop by.

 

Thanks for looking again I have really enjoyed making this project just wish the light had been better for the photos  the flash wanted to work but that left a shine on the embossing and obliterated the design hey ho!!

 

'till next time

 

Ingredients used 

Tim Holtz stamps and Tag Die, Distress Inks

Masks 

Eyes stamp unknown

manila and orange card

 

Smile...........

A very quick post for my entry into the new Q & L challenge at The Craft Barn . For this challenge I have decided to make ATC's I love this little cards and haven't really made any for a long while, I may mix it up with tags or ATC's on tags...........we shall see how things progress.

I apologise for the shadow on the photo had to take in bad light and flash kept coming on.
Image is stamped in vintage photo on cream card coloured using distress ink. I found in my stamp stash this lovely quote which I stamped onto cream card and inked edges

'till next time


Ingredients
Stamps IndigoBlu, TCP Studio (Quote)
Inks distress ink peacock feathers picked raspberry vintage photo, versafine black

Fun at the Beach

 

A new challenge Blog Crafts -Too Challenge You challenge #1 is choose a decade or Era, with a twist "Anything Goes".

I have made a set of Beach time fun ATC's and my decade is the 50's, as this stamp set from Crafty Individuals reminds me of that time.........my memories of hot summers spent at the beach in Cornwall on Holiday with family.

 

This image I stamped on craft card and Espresso Adirondack Ink, letters and flag stamped in Denim

the rick rack is from  Mums sewing box and could even date back to the 1950's as she made all our clothes never throwing anything away,  her sewing box was an Aladdin's Cave for me as a child and now as a crafter ...... lol

 

 

Stamped in Denim Adirondack Ink and aged with vintage photo mounted onto kraft card

 

 

same image which was stamped onto white and aged with vintage photo same rickrack added and tissue tape, this ATC reminded me of a faded photo I found in amongst all the old holiday shots

 

 

 

Good luck to CTCU on their first challenge pop on over and take a look I'm sure they would love to see you

 

'till next time



 

ACT butterflies and things.....

Hi everyone just realised how long since my last blog.......Life has been sooooo busy just lately, I have been crating but nothing I can share at the moment, so today I thought I would share some ATC and Tag swaps I have completed lately for a forum I belong to.

The brief for this swap was butterflies I love how a little piece of lace an bakers twine turned into a lovely butterfly .... Distress inks and Tim Holtz ATC stamps in the background.

The brief for this ATC was using the free stamp from Craft Stamper Magazine for April.... I have used Kraft card and white distress stain stamped the hare in black and embossed with clear, the grasses are stamped in black with Stampin' Up! stamp set.

The brief was for Ribbon

My tag was Kraft card Tim Holtz Stamps the background is stamped in distress stain, main image stamped and embossed in black and highlighted with white pen.  I added gingham Kraft ribbon(Stampin' Up!)

I am also linking this post with The Stampman Challenge which is Favourite Technique.....mine is Distress using Distress Inks and Tim Holtz products....

I would also like to welcome my new followers and also thank my followers for their lovely comments

Bye for now

Maggie

Mermaids....

Oh my where does the time go to can anyone tell me what happens to the days as they seem to wiz by while I'm not looking.......or is it just an age thing!!!!!!!! lol.

I have made another ATC for the Wicked Wednesday challenge #17 which ends today!! Now when I saw the theme Mermaids I knew I had just the stamp.....as I've said many times I cannot draw...well I searched on and off all weekend where oh where was it......... now I know my crafty room is a tad on the untidy side....rofl.....basically it is a mess but I know where everything is or thought I did and my stamps are my little treasures and I keep them altogether so couldn't understand why this stamp had gone missing, well I had given up when in a light bulb moment I remembered I had loaned it to a friend with some other things and maybe just maybe I hadn't put it back in its place.......who me!!!!!.....never......yep I had left it in the box she had returned my things..........such joy......so  I stamped and painted before I went to Doctors this morning to have blood test and finished assembling it  when I got back. 

Main background is distress ink swooshed onto Manila card, Mermaid was stamped in grey Memento Ink and painted with Distress Inks  wild honey, dried marigold, spun sugar, tumbled glass, broken china, Mermaids tail was painted with a mix of broken china and cosmic shimmer paints, shells and hair band were also cosmic shimmer...it does shimmer in rl...honest!  Lastly I added a real shell from my large collection of beachcombing stash. Stamp is one I have had for years and years and there is no name on the block, I cut the images  out and arranged on my background.
So glad I managed to play again this week even though it's last minuet again!

Nursery Rhymes.........

Today the electrician has fitted some new energy saving lights in the kitchen and the hall hopefully they will help to reduce the electricity bill!!!!!!! So this is a quick post as I have all the cleaning up to do now ........yuk!  So in between making tea for the electrician.....you have to keep them sweet lol.....I have also been catching up on some crafting and  have managed to make some ATC's, some are for a forum swap and one for the challenge over at Wicked Wednesday #16 Fairy Tales/ Nursery Rhymes I have chosen Nursery Rhymes and have used a Free Stamp with Craft Stamper Magazine..... to make Cock-a-doodle-doo.

Cock-a-doodle-do my dame
has lost her shoe
my master has lost his fiddling stick
and doesn't know what to do
Background was a piece I had already in my ATC box and it looks like  I used a cosmic shimmer spray
I stamped the Cockerel in versamark and embossed with black EP stamped him out again and coloured using DI's wild honey, fired brick, pine needles, the shoe was cut from a magazine....can you believe I didn't have one shoe stamp that was suitable!... violin charm was in my stash mounted onto a dark blue piece of card.
  I am a bit late with this challenge but was determined to play especially as I was the lucky winner last week.....thanks Jenn.

Thanks for all the lovely comments left on my first Chunky ATC here

Bye for now

Sewing Room

Hellooooo long time no blog I have not been able to shake off this bug I caught at the beginning of January.....but I think at last I have got rid of it....shhhhh won't say that too loud...
So today I went into my room of craft and had a little play I had some birthday cards to make but they did not go well.......... so instead I made an ATC for Wicked Wednesday #15 ~Dress/Dress Forms as soon as I read the challenge my brain went down the path of sewing rooms and Dress Forms....must be because in a younger life I used to make all my clothes.... I dug out my Tim Holtz stamps Seamless Experience from Visual Artistry collection and this is what I made...

Background was cut from TH Kraft Resist Paper Pad, I used the one with vintage sewing patterns on.  The dressform was stamped and embossed with Distress Embossing Powder I love the texture, I stamped part of the tape measure onto some binding , the spool circle which is so like the top of a cotton reel was stamped and embossed in black and Distress Stain broken china was used to colour the card I then crumpled it up before attaching.
 So glad I was able to play this week I have missed joining in these challenges hope I will be back soon with some more crafting......

Bye for now

Flower Power....................

..................Child of the 60's

Still trying to shake off this awful flu bug so haven't felt like crafting or anything else much this last week but today the theme for Wicked Wednesday Challenge #13 the 60's has been running through these mushy flu ridden grey cells of mine so after searching for inspiration in my papers and stamps I finally came up with this ATC.

Papers from My Minds Eye and Stamp Free with Craft Stamper Magazine, I doodled over the flowers on the background paper with gel pens and stamped the girl onto one of the papers placing stamp over a flower so it is  on her cheek which I doodled over again with gel pens, also did same with the circles.
Great challenge Jenn so glad I managed to play!

bye for now

A Cold and Frosty Night...............

............Christmas ATC's
Christmas is coming.........phew weekend over and already it is Tuesday and 4 days 'till Santa comes and we can all relax mmmmmmm.....anyway last night I realised I hadn't made my ATC for Wicked Wednesday theme this week is #10 Christmas or Winter Holidays so I spent a relaxing time in my little craft (looks like a bomb has gone off in there) room.  As you know I followed Tim's 12 Tags of Cristmas and in a container I had all sorts of little bits and pieces left over waiting for me to use up so this was my inspiration for my ATC's.

Background was inked with DI tumbled glass, stormy skies, frayed burlap, vintage photo, snow is torn card with stickles added to top, trees were stamped (TH) in pine needles, snow was added with white pen finally the Deer had been cut from metal with TH alterations movers and shapers die embossed and painted with white paint and sanded back to show metal, a little piece of tinsel was added around the neck, Merry Christmas was Dymo tape and stapled on to ATC edges inke with frayed burlap.  I really love this little Deer.....I got a little bit lost in the moment and didn't know when to stop........ended up with 3 altogether so will share them with you too..

ATC #2
Background was made with DI shabby shutters and pine needles, Merry Christmas stamped and embossed in black, the holly leaves are made with glassine paper...love this paper.....and coloured with alcohol inks and scrunched which I had cut out by hand, berries are beads coloured with alcohol inks, ribbon dyed with walnut stain and crumbled tied in bow and added twine bow

ATC #3
More rummaging in my container and I found part of a candle which I painted and added stickles too, I had lots of foliage left over and arranged this around the candle added a piece of Victorian lace tied with twine, the metal JOY is from my stash and I painted this with acrylic paint in green and added red berries, background was made with DI frayed burlip and antique linen for a soft colour I over stamped this lightly with a music stamp and added tissue tape around the edges.....
My inspiration and some  of the techniques come from Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas which I really enjoyed doing and of course learning new techniques too.

Also linking to Try it on Tuesday - Anything goes
Tim Holtz products used: Dies TH festive greenery, movers and shapers, candle stick, pine cone, tissue tape, Distress Inks,
Others ribbon, metal charm beads from stash

Got to dash now DH pressies to wrap while he is at work!!!!

bye for now

Black and White ATC

I have been having a Christmas crafting morning and had a break to make this ATC for Wicked Wednesday ATC challenge #8 Black and white.  As I was in Christmas mode I have made a Christmas ATC using non christmas stamps and a little bit of bling.
Sorry photo is a little blurred......it does look crisp and black and white irl!!!

Trees were stamped in black and be merry sentiment down the side, I tore white card and layered along the bottom adding stickles to the edges for snow, edges were inked in black soot distress ink .

products used

Stamps Stampin' Up! and black basic ink

Distress Inks Ranger

bye for now

Wild and Windy Tuesday

Another ATC and Wicked Wednesday Challenge

Hi everyone OMGoodnes it is sooooo windy here and the rain has just started, I have spent all morning moving things in the garden to make them secure, the wind has broken my whirly line snapped it off in the ground so that will have to wait for DH to get back as it is stuck fast.  After the morning events I decided to retire to my craft room and do some Christmas crafting but my Christmas mojo seems to have gone awol!!!!  So I have made an ATC instead for the Wicked Wednesday which this week is Books/Reading Challenge. 

I love reading and have so many favourites so really struggled to choose just one thing, and then I remembered a super quote I had found which summed up exactly what books mean to me..... so this is what I based my ATC on.

Quote was printed onto card and inked with DI tea dye  torn edges were also inked in same ink, a page was torn from an old dictionary, this was inked in tea dye and spun sugar and stamped with a flower image and embossed in white, I also stamped same flower head at the top of my ATC onto the background which was a piece of Tim Holtz papers, edges were also inked with tea dye.

Storm is raging outside again so will quickly post this as I feel we may have power cuts!!!!!!

Bye for now

ATC and Alcohol Inks..............

Wicked Wednesday ATC challenge this week is Flowerful.  The design team have used a digi image from Dilly Beans Digi Stamps, who are providing the prize.  Great inspiration.
As I had been playing with Alcohol inks in my last post and it was a little addictive... I decided while they were out I would make an ATC! !
I covered a piece of Acetate with cranberry and pitch black and blending solution and with archival ink I stamped a flourish 3 times and wiped the ink away.....I love this and it never ceases to amaze me how the design pops.... then I stamped my flowers and embossed with black, also a little butterfly crept in as well......... where there are flowers there are butterflies......yes!!!!

I mounted this onto silver mirri card and secured with silver brads, the whole ATC has a very metallic look to it and the embossing gives texture, The hardest part was taking a photo!!! I think this is the best one for light here below are couple more I took

Looking more metallic in this one but a bit blurred!

This one shows up the background a bit better ................maybe

Thanks for the challenge

Stamps used : Flowers Sheena Douglas A Little Bit Sketchy her new range ,

flourish Creative expressions (I think)

Ranger Alcohol Inks, Versafine Black ink and Cosmic Shimmer Black Embossing powder

Heat resistant Acetate, Silver Mirri Card

bye for now