One World One Heart

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Come Ride the Magic Carpet

Welcome all you blog comrades both old and new alike. One World One Heart was created and hosted by Lisa Swifka in 2007. It was developed to bring bloggers together from around the World. To meet new people, to discover new and wonderful blogs and creations. There are just so many talented individuals out there. Along the way there will be opportunities to win prizes.

The event is open to all bloggers who have an active blog where it is possible to leave messages. I am sorry but I cannot accept Facebook or Twitter applicants, after all this is a blog event. To be in for a chance to win you must leave me a comment and make sure I am able to contact you from this comment. The cut off time for comments is 11.59 am Greenwich Mean Time on 14th February. The winners will be announced on 15th February.

Here is the give away item I made especially for this event

There is also some candy that I will 'divi" up as well for prizes. Photographed, of course, on a magic carpet.

While you are here please take the time to look at some of my other creations. Blogging really does open up the whole world as being our community. The World has shrunk!

The Moon is made from Gold: PDCC 15

It has been an emotional draining and upsetting week and to do anything creative has been a real effort and just not happening. I have been sitting in my craft room staring blankly and feeling numb and uncreative. So to have created this has been an achievement to say the least. "The Moon is made of Gold" is a line from a Ricki Lee Jones song which I had jotted down in my ideas book. It came to my rescue this week. Below are the colours for the challenge this week from the Play Date Cafe.

ATC Month with Something Completely Dfferent

Mad March Hare

Fantastic. Who doesn't love ATC's? 

Wonderful little pieces of art to swap. Over on SCD it is a month of these little gems and if you make one for each of the 4 weeks Carol has kindly suggested and will organize a swap. I know I am going to play! 

If you think this subject is too difficult or you just don't have a stamp or whatever to fit take a hop over to SCD as there are other options around this subject that may make it easier to play with us. Hope to see you all there!

This stamp is from 100 Proof Press and I just think he is superb!

The Artistic Stamper and Gingersnaps

Romance

I am running behind with my postings this week. To say the least it has been a very traumatic week so it  has put my somewhat and I am finding it hard to get things done.

However The Artistic Stamper is sponsoring Gingersnaps this month and has sent us some beautiful stamps to design with. This is an example of some of the lovely stamps. A wonderful background stamp that just speaks for itself. Some gorgeous plain hearts which enable you to stamp into as if they were picture frames, fantastic 20's fashion and images and some great words and sayings. Over the month I shall try to show a selection of the wide range of wonderful stamps they produce. There are some terrific background texture stamps, similar to these hearts, but more distressed looking, that I love and will definitely be using lots. The stamps are also deeply etched and stamp very well.

Play Date Cafe No: 14

A Strong Foundation

This is my entry this week for the Play Date Cafe. Yes I have been looking at Teesha Moore's art work and videos this week and thought I would have a play. Gosh I find doing the lettering so hard. I really do not feel comfortable with this bit at all!
"A strong foundation, best start in life" is a very important gift. I feel I have given this to my children and with this strong foundation when life and times are hard and stormy they will always have a strong foundation to fall back on.
Here are the colours we were challenge to use.

Arches & Cats with SCD

Over on Something Completely Different this week is Arches and Cats. I thought this image of the children dressed up as King and Queen so delightful and it reminded me of this nursery rhyme. The two seemed well suited. So why not come and have some fun with us on SCD.

Numbers with Gingersnaps

Over on Gingersnaps this week there is a new challenge, called Numbers. Here I have used a stamp from Serendipity Stamps which I really like. A jug full of paint brushes and tools. I am sure nearly all of us must have one standing on our desk. It is also very important for me to take time to create so I have also added this to the piece.

CREATING BACKGROUNDS WITH ACRYLIC PAINTS

To start choose about 3 background colours to work with. It can be more, this is just a starting point. Paper towel, spritz bottle and a sponge for each colour for application.

I am working in my journal where the pages are a thick water colour paper.

Start dabbing the colours onto the page into different areas. Fill the page with colour blending slightly where they meet. Not too much or it could go muddy. Leave to dry.

When the page is full and dry you can add some mask or stencils and dab over them.

Here I have used a scroll dabbed over with translucent blue and below is with a crown and some red added over the top.

You can use your non stick craft mat to put the paints onto. I tend to ruin other pages when I do this as I get carried away and forget there is paint on it.

Now I have chosen a rubber stamp to use and have applied white acrylic paint to it and stamped with it.

The next stage I have dabbed through some sequin waste. I always love the way this adds a wonderful layer.

On the top left corner you can see that I have turned the sequin waste over and have created a subtle negative print from paint left on it. You need to do this before the paint dries.

I have then added some stamping, a little journaling and stamped a figure onto patterned paper, cut out and stuck on.

Here are some other backgrounds from the journal. Some not finished yet, but show how different colours work.

Just play with what you have to hand. This last page was coloured by using Adirondack sprays. This is a much quicker method and gives a different effect.

Metallics: Gingersnaps

You may need to enlarge this image to notice both the metallics used in it and the deep intaglio embossing that I have used. The stamp of books is from Serendipity Stamps which I particularly like and Serendipity are the sponsors over on Gingersnaps this month. It worked very well for this technique as these stamps, as i have said before, are very deeply etched.

I started off by painting he chipboard shape with acrylic paint. Whilst it was still wet I sprinkled Moonshadow Olive Gold embossing powder over the top, available from The Stampman. This caught where the paint was still wet. These embossing powders give a lovely metallic two-toned effect. I decided I wanted more so smooshed an embossing pad over the surface and added more. Then I made a mistake and added some too dark powder, Midnight Emerald, I think. Top Left corner. So I had to reheat this area and tried to it scrap off. When I thought I had softened it enough I added little bits of Madonna Robe powder to the right hand side. I then used an embossing pen and gold powder around the edges. Next I prepared my stamp with archival black ink ready to stamp once I had covered the whole lot with extra thick clear embossing powder that was hot and melted. The left hand side of the books looked too dark because of the remaining Midnight Emerald powder so I lightened with acrylic paint lightly applied to high ridges and painted gold into the hollows.

Added reading time because the theme this month is Time. It also reminded me of when my children were little. We always enjoyed reading time and looking at books together. One of the trips we often did was to the local library where we would rummage and explore the children's books and decide which to take home. This acted as a fun time as well as a trip out.

The Cool Blue Eekie Beekie Bird: PDCC 12

Cool Blue Eekie Beekie Bird.

The Cool Blue Eekie Beekie Bird

Is devoid of feather

yet loves cold weather

Has lost the ability to build a nest

A wicker cart on which to rest

With blue jewels for a bed

Wears lurex bloomers on its head

Thats the Cool Blue Eekie Beekie Bird

Now I am certain. I have completely lost the plot, lost my marbles (no pun intended) And I must apologize for my meagre attempts of a rhyme. Making them up was never my strong point. Some people just have it. I don't.

Well this creation came about initially by looking at Sarah Anderson's crocheted owl over on Play Date Cafe which sparked a connection with Julie Arkell's mad and fab creations. If you haven't seem them, google her. Sarah has been the inspiration behind both of my past 2 creations for Play Date Cafe. I don't know whether to thank her or has she eventually toppled me over the edge? What do you think?

Something Completely Different: Fashion

The Gothic Arches over on Something Completely Different this week are on the subject FASHION. I have used a Tim Holtz stamp for those of you who do not recognize it. I love this stamp and was pleased to have an opportunity to use it again. I have paper pieced it simply to highlight the garment. Used the staple/stitch stamp that came with the sheet along the edges. Then I actually over stapled it to the backing arch.

Tuesday Taggers: Tag it with Birds

Tuesday Taggers has a great challenge this week. I love working with birds so I loved it anyway. The words were made on the computer and printed out. Does this make it a digital stamp? The background card is fairly thick water colour paper bought cheaply in a pad from a pound shop. This allows a strong surface to apply paints and inks to. This wonderful stamp is available from The Stamp Attic in the UK and is one of the Stampotique stamps.

Tag Tuesday: Happy Birthday

Just been having a bit of fun with some old Birthday Stamps and had a play along with Tag Tuesday again. The flames are gold embossing powder which I sprinkled ontop of quickie glue. There is a tutorial on this technique over on Gingersnaps.

Embossing with Gingersnaps

Second comer, waiting

I seem to have quite a deer thing going on at the moment. This was not conscious until just now I became aware that my last posting contained a deer. This is one of the Serendipity stamps and I just fell in love with it when I saw it. The connection with time is waiting. Time is the ongoing theme at Gingersnaps this month. As I said before these stamps are very deeply etched and just stamp beautifully. I have embossed the image with Tim Holtz distress embossing powders and have used 5 colours spooning them on very carefully to depict light and shade. I tried to show the very low sun during the winter and have the light source shining from lower left travelling slightly upwards.

I identify with the image those special times when one is honoured by wildlife allowing you to share a glimpse of their lives with you. I always treasure these happenings and feel I have be treated to one of the "Lords of life". The words are in fact from a D H Lawrence poem called Snake. Although this poem is obviously about a meeting with a snake it encapsulates my sentiment above.

Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland

On Play Date Cafe this week we are to work with Gold, Silver, White and Black. Since we are still blanketed with snow my mind was set on this Winter Wonderland. I live in the Forest of Dean and fairly often see deer in the woods. Instead of snowy trees I have surrounded this one with winter wonder flora. The deer is a model I created from thick card. The antlers are silver metal, cut embossed and adorned with jewels along with a jaunty necklace. the flowers are made from black, white card, silver metal foil and gold was the ever useful tomato puree tube.

I shall also ener it for the Lots to do Challenge. I am trying to get my head into gear again with the challenges I enjoy. I have just noticed theirs is Winter Wonderland. How wonderfully apt!

New Year and Arches

Over on Something Completely Different the New Year has begun with a new challenge based on Arches this month. This weeks theme is the New Year which also happens to be the start of a new decade. I don't really know if this has any extra significance but typing 2010 feels odd and clumsy to do. I have taken a romantic twist to the doorway of a new year and I wish you all a loving year ahead.

Gingersnaps and Serendipity Stamps: Time

Capture Time

This is a page from a journal I am in the process of making. The theme this month over on Gingersnaps is Time and we have been very fortunate to have been given some stamps to design with. These Serendipity Stamps are really lovely and are deeply etched and stamp beautifully. I have used a stamp which is a pile of books to depict one of the best ways to Capture Time whether it be a photo album, journal, scrapbook let alone the millions of books that have been written. Where would we be without Charles Dickens and his wonderful stories that portray the social aspect of his times.

Play Date Cafe 10: See if I care!

Play Date Cafe, what a wonderful name. Yes that is exactly what I have been doing. A cup of tea and a play. With the new term about to begin I hope this isn't experienced or heard too much in the playground next week. I had great fun working with these colours. The ink used is a Dark brown which doesn't show too much as brown in the photo. I put the turquoise border at the top to both balance the piece but also it reminded me how children often draw a blue stripe at the top of the page to represent sky. I can see the logic in this as although air/sky is all around us it doesn't appear blue when we look around us only when we peer upwards to the sky. I hope you enjoy my jolly picture although the subject is not so.

Believe in Santa

Over on Hels blog, Ink on my Fingers there is some terrific blog candy up for grabs. Why not take a look at her fantastic blog. I love it when a fellow crafters work is recognized for what it is and Hels has been enjoying success with hers, being now regularly published in Craft Stamper as well as a designer for numerous people. Well done girl. I am truly thrilled for you.

I am just getting over Christmas as lovely as it could have been and have enjoyed sitting down creating again. So this is my contribution to your challenge: Believe. Well it had to be Believe in Santa, didn't it. I tell my teenage girls if they do not believe in Santa they will not get a stocking. We share some funny sideways grins I can tell you. But they did get a stocking again this year so it must be true!

Reasons to Stamp in January

Over on Gingersnaps there are reasons to stamp in January and lots of ideas to get you started. I have contributed with these. The first is Appreciate a Dragon Day and the second names itself with Inspire your heart with art. You can see I have fallen in love with my new Maroon Archival Ink pad. I just can't stop using it. I was very pleased how the heart stamps stamped, particularly the lower one, as the paper is textured and the stamp has very fine detail on it. These two wonderful hearts are by Elusive Images from Graphicus.

12 Tags of Christmas

Here are my 12 tags of Christmas hanging up together. I always seem to be one to leave things to the last minute but nearly always meet the deadline. It still is not to late to join in. Email Tim an image of your tags to be in with a chance to win wonderful goodies.

The Stamp Man Award

The Stamp Man Award

My most favourite thing I made this year, I think, is this whimsical dog kennel for Travel in Style for the Lots to Do Challenge. I loved making it and I still enjoy looking at it.

New Year Resolutions with Gingersnaps

Our New Year Resolution at home is to de-clutter. I have made this card to depict this. It is in the vein of Rachel Jackson's work and she was definitely the inspiration for this. It is not a patch on the serene, peaceful, delicate and above all beautiful things she makes. I urge you to go over to her blog and look at the beautiful things she puts together. Just divine.

Also take a look at the other great creations by the Gingersnap team.

If you haven't already watched the mad video above please do so. It is completely mad and still makes me laugh.

Butterflies?

I know, I know, just being silly again. The truth of the matter is I wanted to use this stamp! I originally thought it may do for angels but angels has not come up. So I just had to adapt it for butterflies. I think t is quite cute really. Anyhow I enjoyed making it. Also if you like silliness have a look at my Christmas greeting. It makes me laugh every time I watch it. Lol

The Butterfly theme is over on Something Completely Different this week. Why not join in and make a tag. This is the last challenge of he year over on this site. We will be having a break until next year.

My splinter just got much bigger!

I guess I should have done them in numerical order but am not going to waste time changing them now.

Tag 12

Boy those roses were tough to make. Took awhile but pleased with the result. This design of Tim's is a very pretty tag. Everyones looks lovely. I did stamp the flowers before I cut them out. I saw something similar on Artyjen's blog and thought it was a great addition so this is because of her. Thanks. It just gives an extra dimension to the flowers. The Noel tag came from Louise from Kard Krazy in the package of things she sent me. I think it works just fine here.

Tag 11

Reindeer leaping. Improvised flowers by punching out glittery paper flowers and trimming some images to fit the centres.

Tag 10

Magnificent Cheat

This is a magnificent cheat and I am not ashamed but rather proud. It was so easy to do and I think works fine. Yes metal through a Cuttlebug embossing folder and then cut to size and coloured how Tim coloured his only I had to use a paint brush as I do not have those smart alcohol ink  pens. The ridges on the embossing made it easy to colour as they gave little walls to contain the ink.

Tag 9

This is my absolute favourite tag both with how it turned out and the enjoyment of making. It is also very personal to me. The film strip are tiny images of my daughters, some when they were  dressed  as a star in the primary school nativity play and others dressed up for a halloween party. Such dear memories. Oh yes the poor little soul in the main picture is me being blasted with a snowball by my horrid brother. To good a shot! The other reason I particularly enjoyed this tag was because I do not think I would have made anything like this if I hadn't been playing along.

Tag 8

Another favourite because I think Umbrella Man works really well as a substitute to the lamp post. I love this image so in fact I actually prefer this image on the tag. I am also proud of my metal corner. I used a corner punch on some puree tube then cut out larger than needed and fitted and shaped to the corner. Embossed into it to give it a swirly look.

Tag 7

This was another tag I particularly enjoyed making. I substituted the Father christmas stamp with a Paper Artsy stamp which I think works rather well.

Tag 6

This one was fun and games. I didn't have a car stamp so found an image off the internet which I clear embossed. used a different Christmas Tree stamp. I did play with my stickles and highlighted the "S an G" of the greeting with it.

Tag 5

I really enjoyed making this one. I didn't have a spruce branch so improvised with a fir cone!

Play Date Cafe 8

"If the Cap Fits"

I know I haven't posted for about a week but when I had time I have been making Tim's tags . All made now and ready to photograph but I needed to post this first. The Play Date Cafe 8 challenge, colours pink,red and green. Hope you enjoy.

the Stampotique image is available in the UK at The Stamp Attic.

Party Girl

On Something Completely Different a new challenge has just started. All ready for the Christmas season and Party Girl. If you like bling it would really lend itself to this. I have more of a grunge alternative party girl. Whatever your style come and play along. The stamp I have used here is a Stampotique stamp available in the UK from The Stamp Attic. The background paper has been sprayed with Adirondack colour wash sprays. I am in love with these sprays at the moment. Really great strong colours and so quick to produce your own papers. You can use masks with them too. I have sprayed onto watercolour paper as it gives a very strong base. Highlighted with chalk pencils and over stamped with a random spotty stamp with gold ink. Not sure this shows up?

Sandpaper with Gingersnaps

Over on Gingersnaps the challenge is Sandpaper. This is a card I made using the Hearts in Touch stamp sheet and the lovely snowy tree stamp. I stamped the tree and embossed in white to replica snow. There is an acetate overlay where I used pearly doodles to highlight the Christmas lights. The Cuttlebugged backing paper was sanded and although it is not apparent on the photo this created a wonderful flocked look to the paper, like raised velvet. This sits on sandpaper that has been smeared with green pearly doodles. 

Play Date Cafe 7

I was really concerned this week as I thought I may not have time to join you all at the Play Date Cafe. Time just runs out. So I thought I would just try to come up with something. This was literary a 5 minute make. This does not happen very often. In fact joining you was so much on my mind that this is what I was thinking about when giving the dog a really wet walk in the rain. I have recently bought a very waterproof long coat and a great rain hat with a wide brim so walking in the rain has become less of an ordeal. Anyway whilst walking bits and piece formed in my head  so when I came home I just put them together. Must walk the dog more often, I think, it can save loads of time. I must mention Louise from Kard Krazy as the reason this came together so quickly is really due to her. You see the wonderful shaped backing paper on the card, well this amongst other wonderful bits a pieces came from her when I won  on her challenge blog a few weeks back. She made me some delightful Christmas tags, these great shaped Christmas backing papers and trinkets etc. It was so wonderful to open and find all these useful bits and pieces. Thank you Louise. This is for you!

Sunday blog hop with Gingersnaps and Hearts in Touch

Snow Globe Shaker Card

Welcome to the first-ever Gingersnap Creations Blog Hop and Hop Stop #8! 

If you’ve already been hopping then hopefully you have just come from Joanne at Made By Joanne.  If you are starting here, welcome! It's a loop so you can start anywhere along the way!

At each stop, you need to collect a word! There are 10 stops in all starting and ending with the Gingersnap Creations blog where you can get all the specific information and get a peak at the Christmas 2009 plate from Hearts in Touch.

When you get all your words, 9 in all, unscramble them to form an art quote. Once you have your guess at the quote, email it and your name to gingersnapstamp@gmail.com by December 13, 2009. We will be picking one lucky winner at random from the correct entries to win the Hearts in Touch Christmas 2009 plate! 

My word is "This".

Your next stop on the hop is Lynn at Trash to Treasure Art. Good luck!

The sponsors this month over on gingersnaps is a stamp company called "Hearts in Touch". They very kindly gave us a Christmas stamp plate to use. This is one of the images off the plate. I love this one as it instantly reminded me of the magical Snow Globes we had as children  that you would  shake to see the snow falling. So I have used this stamp to create a shaker card. I hope you can see the glittery snow inside that does float around when shaken. As I have mentioned before I just love this christmas greeting also on the stamp sheet. Why not have a blog hop and see what other people have done with the stamps on the sheet and have fun. You never know you may end up winning.

Tim Holtz Tag Play Along

I think I have actually managed to catch up. I think I am more surprised than anyone. It has been fun and games, NOT, here this week. New boiler, oil tank and plumbing. Workmen everywhere all week. House is in chaos. Even more than usual. Filthy. Muddy footprints throughout. But nearly finished, I hope. John just said they will be back Monday. Hope he is joking or it  is a small amendment!

Anyway the during this process they needed access to my work room. Now if you are anything like me this was rather topsy turvy.  Tiniest space on the work table to work. Craft stuff everywhere and no warning that they would need to be there. So mad panic trying to clear space to radiator. Of course my desk, cupboards etc right in front of darned radiator. So quick shift was needed. Today frustration. Could I find the snowman I made for tag 1, could I find my Tim Holtz scissors. NO. Aaaargh. So I had to make another snowman for the tag. Still cannot find these favourite scissors. Maddening. However I have managed to catch up!!! Not for long. Hope to do Saturday's but will not be able to do Sunday's, so I will be back to catch up again. Oh well it is fun when I get my head down.

Panto Season

Over on Something Completely Different this week the challenge is to make a tag with Marilyn Monroe. Since it is Panto season I decided to do Marilyn playing Cinders. Why don't you pop over and have a look and play along.

Tim's Splinter Group: Tag 2

The Twelve Tags of Christmas with Tim Holtz.

I am playing catch up. Tag one is still drying so I have posted tag 2 first. I was never one to do things by order! The only Tim Holtz products I had that matched were the distress inks and distress embossing powder. The flourish and words are Graphicus stamps. The rose, flowers and leaves are of course fro a tomato puree tube, as well as putting some through a cuttlebug and folding over the corners.

Winter Wonderland

Over on Gingersnaps is a new challenge called Winter Wonderland. Here I have used a great word stamp from Hearts in Touch. I just love this Christmas sentiment "Believe in the Magic of Christmas". Hearts in Touch are the sponsors this month over on Gingersnaps. Keep in touch! There will be lots more great makes by the Gingersnap Team using their Christmas plate this month. The Polar Bears is a stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms. I wanted to keep this card very simple so that nothing would detract from these magical polar bears.

     

Tag Tuesday

I have made 2 tags this week  for Tag Tuesday on the colour theme of red, green and yellow and Christmas. Great colours and great fun. I particularly like the Traditional Santa as there seems to be quite a few of these images this year. I just had to add my little addition of presents hanging on the bottom of the tag. The Santa image is a stamp by Hearts in Touch, who are also the sponsor for Gingersnaps this month. The Robin tag stamps are from Graphicus.

Red and green Snowmen

Over on Something Completely different is a challenge this week for Red and Green Snowmen.  I think I read the brief a bit literally. I wondered this at the time but then decided I liked the quirky nature of having red and green Snowmen. So here is my contribution!

Play Date Cafe 6

This is my entry for week 6. Bit of a struggle today. Not because of the colours. I kept on making great coloured backgrounds and then mucking them up after. the colours are my sort of colours. I mounted it onto some paper which I chose because I felt it created a weathered wood beach hut look. After a difficult day it is good to end with something. I feel the colours match the brief well.