Family LineUp

Well, here I am back again, this time with something a bit bling-ey, perfect for this weeks theme at Tagalong Challenge which is "Ring a ding ding, .... lots of Bling".

These cute little guys are two of my brand new stamps which arrived from Stampotique recently.  The blue monster is "Feathery Monster" and his four companions are from "Line Up".  "Why do all five monsters?" you may ask.  Well since there are five in our family and the tag had plenty of room, I thought "why not".  The mind works in mysterious ways sometimes - hee hee hee.

The tag is cut from lime-green glitter paper/card  (I really need to use a craft knife and ruler, 'cause each time I cut glitter paper, I keep blunting my paper trimmer blade and this one is almost new) and mounted onto a piece of black card.

The monsters are stamped onto watercolour paper using Archival 'jet black' and coloured using, yep, you guessed it,  watercolour pencils blended with a water brush.  They were all fussy cut and popped up onto dimensionals.  Feathery Monster has some silver kindyglitz on his spots, the monster next to him has some gold liquid pearls, the orange one has some silver kindyglitz and ruby red liquid pearls, and last but not least, the littlest monster has a ruby red heart.

To finish off, I've added an offcut of red textured paper for a ribbon.

I'm entering this tag in this weeks theme at Tagalong Challenge

Thanks for looking and any comments are always appreciated (nice ones, of course) !

Happy crafting!

Southern Belle?

OK, now this is getting beyond even me - a second post for the day!

Over at CASology the theme is "Bells".  Now I don't think I own any 'bell' stamps at all and I haven't really seen any that really 'apeel' 'apeal' (hee hee) to me either, so I put on my 'thinking cap' and came up with this ....

Eeeeek !!!  Another blurry photo - sorry :-(

I thought maybe "Gooseneck" could play the part of a 'southern belle' with a bit of a modern twist, after all her dress is sort of  bell shaped.  She is stamped in Archival 'jet black' and coloured with watercolour pencils.

I'm entering her in this weeks CASology challenge.

Happy crafting!

Lost Dog!

With a different challenge but with a follow-on from yesterday's post, the little 'lost dog' has been found!  "Where?" you may ask - the answer is on Wicked Wednesday's challenge 'Spots & Stripes'.

He's just waiting to be picked up and taken home .......

Both the striped and spotted papers are from Kaisercraft "Christmas Carol" collection, with the letters also from Kaisercraft.  The little dog is watercoloured and fussy cut before being popped onto dimensionals.

I'm entering this ATC in this weeks Wicked Wednesday challenge.

My apologies for the slightly blurry photos, my current camera just doesn't do close-up very well - I really need to play with my new camera which has much better resolution.

Happy crafting!

Oooh, I like splats!

This morning was my last class at Alice in Paperland for the year, and I have that strange feeling of freedom and kicking up my heels.  Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy teaching classes, it's just that at this end of the year it's is nice to feel that you are winding down, but at the same time, more time to just play!

But, there are a few things that have to be finished this week or I will be letting people down and I definitely do not want to do that!   So, I have almost finished a Christmas Card Swap; and I have made 33 out of 40 card packs.  Each pack contains 4 cards and envelopes popped into a cellophane bag, which will have a length of curling ribbon wrapped around it for some festive cheer.   Our church has a 'Friendship Service' each month for the old folk who can't normally get to church any more.  A number of people pick them up from their homes, and drop them back again around lunchtime.  In December a Christmas lunch is put on for them, and it's nice to have a little something at each place setting, so this year it's a pack of cards, left blank inside and suitable for all sorts of occasions.

Of course, the other thing this week are the different challenges to get those creative juices flowing.  At Stampotique this week, the theme is "SPLAT".   Oooh, I like splats!!!

I started off with gesso, mixing some drops of yellow re-inker into it which produced a sort of pale apricot colour.  Then using 'cell theory' stencil and a spatular, added it to the tag and heat dried it.  I like the way the gesso starts to bubble when heated - it adds a bit more texture and interest.  Next I sponged on some 'peeled paint' and 'fired brick' Distress Ink in the white areas, spritzed with water and mopped off before drying again.

The "splat" comes from flicking Dylusions 'black marble' ink randomly across the tag.  "Every girl and her dog" (minus the dog, but come back again to see where he/she ended up) was stamped onto ivory cardstock, and again onto a leftover scrap of paper for her dress.  She was fussy cut and popped onto dimensionals before being attached to the tag, with a little piece of washi tape to ground her.

Another smidgeon of washi tape was added to the top and a folded length stapled on for the ribbon. The words are made up from Kaisercraft letter stickers.  Lastly the tag was adhered to a black mat.

This was so much FUN and without much thought, it all just fell into place.  Gee, I wish all my projects were this easy!!!

I'm entering this tag into this week's Stampotique challenge.
I'm also entering this tag in Craftstamper Make It Take It Challenge
Happy crafting!

Which clock needs winding?

Now this is definitely a first for me - two posts in one day!!!  I keep checking the different challenges each week and thinking "this week I'm going to enter ........" and before I know it, the week has wizzed past and I've missed the deadline again.

Over at Stampotique this week, the theme was "One Layer".  With this in mind and with some new stamps I started ....... and started again ....... and started yet again.  It's just NOT happening!

With a different stamp and background, this is what I came up with - definitely not what I originally had in mind, but for today the best I could do (big SIGH !).

I first stamped "Key Keeper" with Archival 'jet black'.  With Distress Inks in various colours, I sponged through "mini time travel" stencil so he appears to be surrounded in the clocks, wondering which one he should be winding first.

I did wonder whether I should colour him, but after the last couple of colouring attempts on the previous tag (which never made it) I decided I would just leave him as an outline.  It doesn't make a particularly colourful tag though, oh well!

The ribbon is a piece of scrap paper I had on the table, doubled over and stapled, and lightly sponged with black soot Distress Ink.   I was thinking of layering this on a black mat, but realised that it wouldn't be a one layer card if I did that, so instead edged the tag with black soot as well.

So, not my best attempt at a challenge, but it's done.  Do I still have time to enter the challenge though?

I'm entering this in this week's Stampotique challenge.

Happy crafting!
 

From Florence with Love

Today I thought I'd just share a quick post with an ATC, something I don't tend to make very often, but I came across a new challenge that is for ATC's only!  The theme this week is 'Anything Goes' so I had a play with a new stamp from Deep Red called 'Born to Ride'.

This was FUN!  She is such a quirky character riding around on her vesper with scarf and hair flying in the wind.    Two of my friends recently were travelling (separately) through Europe and this stamp just makes me think of them putt-putting along the cobblestoned streets of Rome? Florence? ...........?

The background is 'peeled paint' and 'stormy sky' Distress Inks, edged with 'black soot' for definition.

The lady (I think she should be called 'Flo' - short for Florence) was coloured using watercolour pencils.

I have a few more new stamps just waiting-in-the-wings to be played with, so I'll be back again soon.

I'm entering this ATC in this weeks challenge at Wicked Wednesday.

Happy crafting!

Tag-a-long Christmas

Well, I said I would try to be back here again soon, and well, here I am!  I didn't quite get around to playing with my new stamps but I did finish preparations for my class later in the week, complete with notes.

This set of tags uses Graphic 45 "Twelve Days of Christmas" stamps inked up in Archival 'Jet Black' ink with the backgrounds inked in 'Peeled Paint' and 'Fired Brick' Distress Inks.  Each bottom edge uses a line from Graphic 45 'joyeaux noelle' paper.  The tags are edged with Distress Inks and are finished with co-ordinating ribbon.

The box is a very simple style with lid and box all in one piece - a bit like a pizza box but rectangular and with deeper sides.  A length of ribbon finishes it off.

I've now also finished my class suggestions for next year, complete with description.  The question is though will I remember what I had in mind when the time comes to make samples for the classes?????

This Tag-a-long Christmas class is my last for the year, (breathing a sigh of relief, phew !!!) so let the play time commence ........

Happy crafting!

I'm all out of ideas (sigh...)

Sigh !!!  I've just realised it's been almost a week since I last posted, oh dear.  I'm very stop/start aren't I?  Three posts in a row followed by nothing!  Sorry about that, why do other things pop up and get in the way?

Today has been rather overcast with the rain falling around 5pm and is forecast to continue tomorrow as well.  Last night we had a thunderstorm, although we must have been on the edge of it as there was lots of lightening and thunder but the rain wasn't torrential.   I was watching the news tonight and other parts of Sydney had flash flooding as there was so much rain.  We certainly need rain but the slow steady variety is much more beneficial to the garden.

So, apart from doing Saturday washing and other chores, I spent the afternoon trying to come up with ideas for my classes in next year's program at Alice in Paperland.  I find by the time we get to November I'm all out of ideas and just want to play and catch up with my 'to do' list that seems to grow longer every year.  All those projects just waiting to be started (sigh !).  Oh well, there is always January and my mini holiday at my BFF's while the boys are away at camp and the cricket.  Gee, hope I'm invited expected again?

Tomorrow I'm going to try to squeeze in some play time so I can enter some challenges before they finish.  But if I miss out, there's always next week, hee hee!

 

AND my first order of Stampotique stamps arrived first thing last Tuesday morning and so far all I've done is drool over them all excited, so I think maybe I need to start with these.  I also bought a Christmas one when I was in Melbourne recently and I've been loaned two more Christmas ones so I've plenty to keep me occupied. 

I'll be back soon (I promise) and show you what I've been doing!

Happy crafting!
 

being fabulous

Ahhh, this morning we woke to the sound of RAIN, music to my ears, and although it has now stopped, it is much cooler outside today !!!

This is the third tag I've made using gesso and I thought I'd try out a new stencil I bought at the Paper Crafts Festival last week.   I started this tag by spritzing all over with Dylusion 'Lemon Zest' and heat dried it off.

I then added the gesso through the stencil and heat dried it as well.  I discovered as it heated that where it was thicker towards the ends, the heat makes it bubble and gives it a bit more texture, hmmm interesting, eh?

 After the gesso had finished drying, I gently rubbed 'Metallic Rub-ons' (red) over the bubbled ends and was quite happy with the result.

Next I stamped "Gooseneck" and "Kitty" onto ivory cardstock and coloured them with watercolour pencils before clear embossing.  I added a piece of black lace to Gooseneck's skirt and grounded her and Kitty with a bit of washi tape.

With the two leftover words from yesterday's tag, I coloured and blended them with watercolour pencils, and matted both with washi tape.  A bit more washi tape was doubled over and stapled to the top and to finish the tag off it was given a black mat.

My dabbling in gesso is definitely fun and is now firmly on my favourites list.

Happy crafting!
 

Today I Fly

I have to say that playing with Gesso is really fun, seeing what works and what doesn't, and how different colour mediums work too, so today I've been having a play with Distress Paints.

I started with the other tag that got smooshed together yesterday and decided I'd add Distress Paints to it.  Looked great until I blotted it with paper towel and then it faded somewhat.  So I heat dried it and added another layer of the same colours - better.  Again I heat dried it and added yet another layer - much better!

Next I added some 'metallic rub-ons' (in silver) that I've had in my stash for years and never really used, but this helped to highlight the veins left behind by the gesso.

I stamped "Karin" on ivory cardstock before colouring her with watercolour pencils - so easy to blend colours using pencils.  While looking for what else to add, I came across these wings from Graphic 45 "Steampunk Spells" and thought I'd let Karin fly.  Again the wings were coloured with watercolour pencils before clear embossing both images, cutting them out and mounting them on dimensionals.

The words came from Dylusions "say it how it is" and I added "today I fly".  To finish off, the tag was edged with black ink, a length of black lace added to the bottom edge and another piece threaded through the top.

I'll be back again tomorrow to show the third tag I was playing with.  As I said yesterday, this technique is shaping up to be added to my favourites list!!!


As an addition to yesterday's post, there was indeed another bush fire, but this time only a couple of suburbs away and very close to some friends, whose house is built on the edge of the bush.  Scary indeed!!!  And the predicted rain didn't come - it's now forecast for this afternoon but it doesn't look like it at the moment.  We really need some rain as everything is so dry, hopefully in the next couple of days - fingers crossed!

Happy crafting!

Remembering Mela

What a hot, smokey day it has been today.  There are obviously bush fires burning somewhere so I really hope the forecast rain makes an appearance tonight.  It's not even officially summer yet and we're experiencing the worst fires in years - already so many people have lost their homes in the Blue Mountains and further north on the coast.   All very sad, not a good start to summer at all.

Over at Stampotique this week, the theme is Using Gesso, so I hopped over to Sarinda's blog for a quick tutorial on how to use it - it is as easy as it looks - FUN, FUN, FUN !!!

So, how did I do it?  Firstly, start with a blank tag, swirl gesso all over it, then pop another tag on top, smoosh it together and peel the two tags apart, which leave veins.

Playing with Dylusion inks came next, using Lemon Zest, Squeezed Orange & Cherry Pie.  Using Archival 'Watering Can' I lightly stamped words and splodges from SU "French Foliage".

I stamped Mela onto a piece of ivory cardstock and coloured her using watercolour pencils, blending the green and blue together.  Her shoes are coloured using blue and the heart is purple, as are her arms and legs.  I then clear embossed her before cutting her out and popping her onto dimensionals.

The letter stickers are from Kaisercraft and for some reason the song "those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end ......." popped into my head, so there you have it!  To finish off, I've gone around the edges with Distress Ink 'black soot' and tied a spotty piece of washi tape to the top instead of ribbon.

Come back again soon and see what I did with the next gessoed tag.  This is definitely a fun technique to play with, it could even turn into one of my favourites!!!


I've entered this tag in Stampotique Designers Challenge - Using Gesso
and Tagalong Challenge - A Time to Remember

Thanks for looking and always enjoy reading your comments so long as they are nice ones!!!

Happy crafting!

A & J are Engaged!

Gosh, it's November already!  October simply flew past with so many things happening, no wonder I'm feeling just a wee bit weary, although at this end of the year, you tend to feel that way, don't you?

Last weekend I had my stall (with my BFF) at the local school's Spring Fair.  The weather was perfect, not too hot with a little breeze wafting around and a reasonable number of people attending.  Oddly enough most of my new handmade items for sale didn't but quite a number of my pre-loved stamps and ink pads did - sell that is.  I guess markets/fairs are a bit like that, sometimes the're successful while othertimes the're not.  My BFF didn't have much success either with her colourful children's backpacks, coin purses and quilted purses; and her daughter was selling friendship bracelets, all handmade - I felt quite disappointed for them both.  The upside was that I got to spend a whole day with my BFF!!!   Some of the other stalls around us didn't have terribly much business either as three of them had packed and gone by 1.30pm, and the Fair didn't finish until 3pm!

This weekend is the Paper Crafts Festival at Penrith which I'll be heading out to tomorrow.  Alice in Paperland has quite a large stall and I'll be demonstrating probably through to lunchtime.  I'm planning on decorating envelopes with Distress Inks and stencils etc.   I've made some samples to start off and hope my mojo doesn't dessert me 'cause it wasn't being terribly helpful yesterday!

A few weeks ago, one of my friends asked if I would make a card for a good friend who had just become engaged.   She wanted something fancy with initials of the couple, using pink, purple or red but definitely NOT green and on A4 folded in half (ie a big card).  So with a bit of thought, umming & ahhhing, this is what I came up with :

I find it quite difficult to do fancy/fussy cards, so I started with the letters.  I have a box of large chipboard letters that I've had for quite a number of years now (and rarely used), inked them up with SU's white craft inkpad, dried with the heatgun and added purple bling in different sizes.  What to do next?

I cut a tag from purple cardstock, folded a paper doily around it, and cut the butterfly using SU's embosslits die.  A few purple bling for the body ties in nicely with the letters.  I was trying to work out how to attach the heart which has a small hole to tie it on with, and then realised that the stem on one of the roses would go through perfectly.  Then I attached the ribbon and the flowers.

At this point with the main elements done, but not stuck down, there was still something missing - the background just wasn't working as it was too plain.  So out came my Cuttlebug and my collection of embossing folders and voila, all fixed and looking much better, which meant everything could now be put together to create the finished card.

Only the insides to finish off, and out came two of my favourite SU stamps, they just add a perfect touch of elegance to any card!  Finding an envelope large enough, ah now that's another story!!!

I couldn't post this until I knew the happy engaged couple had received their card, so I hope they like it !!!


Happy crafting!