Live Laugh Love

Since today is overcast with a few rain showers around, I thought I would do a bit of crafting, so first up were more bookmarks to abandon, similar to last weeks, but with different background paper.  

I really like last weeks background paper but have run out,  

hmmm .... maybe I'll have to go back to the shop and hunt out some more!

Anyhow .....

..... "Ta Dah" and "Dwindled" thought they would come and play again.

I really love having background paper that doesn't need anything doing to it, except a bit of 'black soot' Distress Ink on the edges before being adhered to black cardstock.  A little piece of washi tape helps to ground them and the words are a combination of stamps and stickers.

"Boots" also thought she would join in the fun and hope someone nice picks her up.

Stamps

Stampotique - "Ta Dah"; "Dwindled"; "Boots"

JOFY - 33

Craft Stamper - freebie

 I'll be back again soon, so in the meantime ....

Happy Crafting!

Ponytail & Friends

Added to my list of challenges is 

Art Abandonment - make bookmarks

Last weekend, some ladies (various ages) from my church got together for a Craftanoon.  This was a very easy going time to spend together doing whatever crafts we chose to bring along.  Some brought crochet, some embroidery, some colouring books, one even brought mending and as for me, I brought along the beginnings of some new bookmarks to abandon.  It was a very relaxed afternoon enjoyed by everyone who came along.  Here's hoping another afternoon may happen in the next couple of months!

Anyhow .......

..... this is five more finished bookmarks ready to abandon.

Well, almost ...... I really, really liked one of them so it's been put aside for my own use!

This is the one that will be sharing my book as I read!

Hmmm ........ I may need to make another to abandon ..... what do you think?

Stamps

Stampotique - "Dwindled"

- "Ta Dah"

- "Queen of Everything"

- "Ponytail"

- "Grace"

JOFY 33

Challenges
Craft Stamper - 'Anything Goes'

Happy Crafting!

Spring Time

It's been a cool, wet day here in Sydney today, such a relief after the heat & humidity of a long summer.  So, after doing a letterbox drop for the coming Easter services at church, I headed home to collect #2 son, and we headed to the shops (him on a driving lesson, we're nearly ready to sit for P's!).  

I just realised I'm going to be out with friends tomorrow, so if I'm going to get my entry in for this week's Wicked Wednesday Challenge, then I'd better do it now.

The theme is "Spring Time" although we are just heading into autumn, but that really doesn't matter.

I created the ATC from patterned paper and with the greenish bit being at the bottom, it sort of looks like a garden background.  I inked up stamps from Carabelle Studio and coloured them with Distress Markers.  A touch of blue Distress Ink around the edges finishes it off.

I wonder what it would be like to be tiny and wander around in a garden with big flowers and leaves as such.

Stamps

Carabelle Studio - "Zinouk du jardin"

- "Zonouk des marais"

Challenge

Wicked Wednesday - #201 "Spring Time"

Happy Crafting!

Being the Outdoors Type

Hi there, me back again - twice today!

I'm not sure but I have a feeling the cut-off for

Sunday Postcard Art

may be Friday rather than Saturday, and since it's Friday afternoon .......

The theme this week is "Photographs" so I had a poke around my stash and found a little pad of Miniatures 'People & Places 2' by Crafty Individuals.  This girl caught my eye so I cut just inside the border and lightly inked the edges with 'black soot' Distress Ink.

The background is paper I found recently from Prima 'Royal Menagerie' collection called 'Bicycle Built for Two' which has a lovely hand made look (but isn't really).

This was also inked around the edges with 'black soot' Distress Ink.  The words are from Tim Holtz and the stamp on the bottom right corner is from Darkroom Door 'Mail Out'.

I love the softness of this postcard and with the background done for me, I put it together in no time at all.

Challenge

Sunday Postcard Art - "Photographs"

Happy Crafting!

Gear Trouble

It's been one of those odd weather days today.  You know the kind I mean ...... one minute it looks sunny and before you know it, the clouds have come over and you're not sure whether it's going to rain or not.   The result is (a) my washing is still not pegged and (b) yes, it did rain!

So, what to do?  Craft of course, what else!

Looking at this week's list of challenges, I decided to go with 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - 'G is for Gears (Steampunk)

and

Creative Carte Blanche - "Triple Trouble"

(Three things that do not go together)

[corrugated card, lace, metal]

Choosing a stamp for this project was easy.  "Steampunk Lady Cyclist" is quirky but fun and fits with the "Gears" theme quite well.  I fussy cut her and added colour with various metallic gel pens.

Looking through my stash, I found a piece of gray corrugated card which almost gives the appearance of a fence.  To give it more interest, I scraped on some Ferro 'Graphite' texture paste and put it aside.  While it was drying, I ferretted through my ribbon basket for some lace.  Once the texture paste was dried, the lace was secured in place with double-sided tape.  Each time I go to a craft show, I seem to come home with some metallic findings and this geared steampunk clock was one of them.  

Because the black card mat was very plain, to give it more interest, I added two rows of black lace washi tape before adhering the corrugated card in place.  This black card mat was in turn adhered to a white card.

This card is a bit different for me, but I'm reasonably happy with how it turned out.

What do you think?

Stamps 

Deep Red - "Steampunk Lady Cyclist"

Challenges

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - #54 "G is for Gears"

Creative Carte Blanche - #2 "Triple Trouble"

Happy Crafting!

Enjoy today

This week's challenge at 

Simply Less is More is 'One Layer Sentiment'

Hmmm ...... what to use?  Looking at the stamps sitting on my bookcase, this one jumped out at me and I could easily visualize the other stamps that would work together nicely.

What do you think?

Take a plain piece of A5 cardstock, fold in half and stamp sentiment in the centre.

Stamp mortar board and rolled certificate in diagonal corners, add a touch of colour and there you have it - a simple one layer card.

I felt it needed a little something extra, so carefully scored a border around the edges.

All finished and took around 15 minutes to complete.

Although this week's challenge at Stampotique has changed today, this card will still fit in with the 'Time Challenge < 30 minutes' from earlier this month.

Stamps:

Stampotique - 'Enjoy Today'

Tim Holtz - 'Crazy Things'

Challenges:

Simply Less is More - #267 'One Layer Sentiment'

Stampotique Designers Challenge - #234 'Time Challenge < 30 minutes'

Happy Crafting!

Top of the Morning

"GREEN & GOLD"

is this week's challenge at Wicked Wednesday,

so with this in mind and not having any leprechauns or shamrocks, 

"Key Keeper" monster stepped in to help me out.

The background is a leftover piece of patterned paper, (which is actually more yellow in real life than the photo) cut to an ATC.  "Key Keeper" was stamped onto white card, coloured with green and yellow prismacolor pencils and fussy cut.  His top hat is a darker green with the band coloured with a gold gel pen.  The quote letters are from Kaisercraft.  A little piece of washi tape in a similar colour to his hat finish off this ATC.

Stamps:

"Key Keeper" - Stampotique

hat - Tim Holtz "Crazy Things"

Challenge:

Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge - #200 "Green & Gold"

Happy Crafting!

Hip hip hooray!

I purchased this stamp at the recent Stitches & Craft Show and couldn't wait to use it.  As today is my BFF's birthday (and she was with me when I bought it) it seemed only appropriate to use it on her birthday card.

I stamped her first on white cardstock, colouring only her skin, the flowers and playing cards.  I stamped her again, this time directly onto some patterned paper, fussy cut her dress and glued it to the first image.  Her little teddy was also stamped onto a piece of leftover handmade paper, fussy cut and glued into place, as is the tea cup.  The third stamped image was her hair which is coloured using black, brown and purple pencils blended together.  The whole image is popped onto dimensionals and adhered to handmade paper.  To finish off, a Happy Birthday sticker was added.

Hip hip hooray!  It's your Birthday!!  Woohoo!!!

Stamps:

'Dear Alice' - Santoro

Happy Crafting!

Hippity Hoppity

Now I know I don't usually post twice in one day, but I won't make the

Sunday Postcard Art challenge if I don't!

The background postcard is from Bo Bunny which takes all the hard work out of creating a postcard!  The hare (bunny) was stamped onto a piece of patterned paper and fussy cut.  His crown is coloured with a gel pen to add a touch of bling.  To ground him, he is sitting on a piece of washi tape, with the words from Tim Holtz.  I've edged around the postcard with Distress Ink to finish it off.

Stamps

"Crowned Bunnies" - Crafty Individuals

Challenges

Sunday Postcard Art - "Mad as a March Hare"

Happy Crafting!

Flower Meadow

I really enjoy playing along with various challenges, but challenge #235 at

Stampotique - "Include Flowers in your Project"

had me thinking outside the square, so to speak.  The reason?   I don't own any Stampotique flowers.  I know that any stamps can be used in this challenge but I prefer to use Stampotique rather than other companies.

Looking through my stamps, I spied "My Heart" and decided it would make beautiful flowers.

There are three layers of petals on each flower which are fussy cut and glued together.  The petals are coloured with various Prismacolor pencils blended together.  The flower centres are a splodge of Liquid Pearls.

I generally make cards or ATCs when I'm playing with my stamps, however, as these flowers are quite large I thought they would be much better suited in my journal.  Flipping through the pages I came across this background which had been a mop-up page, but the green reminded me of flower stems and so as they say, the rest is history!

The words 'flower meadow' are old rub-on letters and by dating the page, I can look back to when it was created, or in this case ...... finished!

I'm also going to enter this page in this month's Craft Stamper challenge.

Stamps

"My Heart" - Stampotique

Challenge

Stampotique Designers Challenge - #235 'Include Flowers in your Project'

Craft Stamper - 'Anything Goes' [March]

Happy Crafting!

Girls rule!

This week's challenge at 

Wicked Wednesday is "Girly"

so with this in mind, I opened a new stamp which I think worked very well with this theme.

I found this stamp while browsing in a papercraft shop recently and thought she was rather sweet.

I stamped her onto ivory cardstock with 'jet black' Archival Ink, and using the picture on the front of the packaging for guidance, coloured her with Prismacolor pencils.  She was fussy cut before clear Wink of Stella was added to give her shimmery wings.

A leftover piece of patterned paper gives a contrasting background, with a torn piece of washi tape added to give her somewhere to sit.

A black pen line was added around the borders and a title finishes this ATC.

Stamps:

"Wings" - Dollhouse 'Little Darlings Rubber Stamps'

Challenges:

Wicked Wednesday - #199 : "Girly"

Craft Stamper - March : "Anything Goes"

Happy Crafting!

Have you spotted Boots?

Yesterday I spent a lovely day with my BFF looking around 

The Stiches & Craft Show at Rosehill Racecourse.  

Of course, we didn't just look, but opened up our wallets too!

You can't go to a craft show and not buy anything - that would be too awful to comprehend!

I have a friend who has started up a new little business called Mercier and her stall has all sorts of interesting bits & pieces to ooh and ahh over.  Along with fabric she is also stocking some rubber stamps including (and here I'm doing a happy dance) Stampotique!

I thought I would make a card for her to display on the stall, and was hoping the shabby chic style would fit in with her display.

This is "Boots" and she really is a delightful bunny.

With a little bit of colouring with pencils and some paper piecing of her lovely spotted dress, she was ready to present herself at the craft show.

The lilac background paper is handmade (from my stash) and the printed background paper is Prima Butterfly Collection 'Princess Papillon'.  

Stamps:

"Boots" - Stampotique

Happy Crafting!

Make a Wish

One of my friends asked me if I would make a 1st birthday card for this coming weekend.  As I don't have very many children's stamps any longer, I decided on a little bird instead.

I stamped this sweet little bird directly onto white cardstock, and watercoloured her with 'victorian velvet', 'peeled paint' and 'squeezed lemonade' Distress Inks, using an acrylic block as my palette.

I then stamped a party hat and gift, colouring them both with Inktense pencils.   I added glittery wash tape (torn longways down the middle) across the bottom on the card to ground the bird and gift.  The party hat and gift were then fussy cut and glued into place.  The sentiment was stamped with 'twisted citron' Distress Ink.

Stamps used:

bird - Katzelkraft

party hat & gift - Tim Holtz 'crazy things'

sentiment - Tim Holtz 'simple sayings'

Happy Crafting!

Use Squares

This week, it is the turn of "Heart Throb" to take centre stage on the

Stampotique Challenge -  #233 "Use Squares"

I started thinking about the bokeh technique and that in turn got me thinking about squares, so I made myself a template using 1 1/4", 1" and 3/4" punches and got inking.

The three background colours are 'antique linen', 'victorian velvet' and 'cracked pistachio' Distress Inks.  These were inked randomly over white cardstock, overlapping slightly.

"Heart Throb" was stamped using 'jet black' Archival Ink, coloured with Prismacolor pencils and fussy cut.  He was glued directly onto the card with a touch of shading added to create a shadow.  A little "hello" stamp (from my stash) finishes the front panel off.  This was mounted on a black mat before adhering to a white card.

Happy Crafting!