Turquoise, Blue and Purple with Gingersnaps

Gingersnaps current challenge is to use Turquoise, blue and purple. Some more colours I love to use together. Here I was playing with my new Dina Wakley stamps after creating layers and subtle resist with Claudine Helmuth Matte Medium.  Since I have incorporated a resist in the making I am also contributing this into Hel's  weekly Sunday Stamper.

Mother & Stitching: Dragon's Dream and Pan Pastel Challenge

I am very pleased that I have been able to join this challenge at Dragon's Dream in the nick of time. I must admit the subject had me stumped for a while. But as it has turned out I am very happy with the result. I am loving the colours and since my mother is no longer alive I love the dream like quality of the figure. Very ethereal.

I used a number of materials which included acrylic inks and stamping with embossing pad and adding pan pastels. So I am very pleased to also enter this into the First Pan Pastel Challenge.

Art Journey: Autumn Colours

Today...Begin

I must admit I love to use these colours! So thank you Art Journey for choosing them!

For the background I created it in Tim Holtz fashion which you can see HERE.

Then I used various stamps from the grunge set to add more depth. The Gentlemen were printed onto parchment. The colours looked so autumnal it really reminded me of the light at this time of year, particularly in the afternoon and the sun is getting lower. So to give this warm glow to the men I added some gilded touches as they walk amongst the fallen leaves.

The leaves are a process I developed which I have never seen anywhere else. They are actually dried leaves which I have heat embossed. These leaves had such a great colour to them that I only used clear embossing powder on them. Sometimes if the colour of the leaves are not so rich I will use a mixture of metallic embossing powders which gives another great look. You can see a tutorial on how to do it HERE

Christmas Ornament Swap with Gingersnaps

There is a new swap just starting over on Gingersnaps which I believe should be great fun! Things to hang on the Christmas Tree or decorate the house with at Christmas. There are many things these could be and below I have just created a few possibilities.

Firstly a Tag I made along the lines of one of the Tim Holtz 12 tags of Christmas, I think from Christmas 2009.

Secondly a tag along the lines of that above but completely my creation.

Thirdly a double sided Acrylic ornament taped with metal tape.

Fourthly a double sided Tim Holtz die that has been stamped and embossed.

My aim with the above was just to try to demonstrate the variety of ornaments that could be created. I must admit my favourite are the tags but a variety is good as well.

For more details please click on the link HERE

Third entry for Less is More!

This is my third contribution towards the  Less is More challenge this week to try to get to 1,000 entries.

The stamps I have used are from Rogue Redheads: Floriculture and Bits and Pieces plate.

Helping to make up the numbers? at Less is More

I love making Scrapling cards and haven't made one in a while, so I thought it would be perfect to try and make up the numbers at Less is More this week. Their challenge is to try to get to 1,000 entries. Is it possible? Not much time now until we will find out!

Less is More Challenge: 1000 entries?

I decided to use this delightful stamp for this weeks Less is More challenge where they are trying to get to a1,000 entries for the week..

I have used a Crafty Individuals stamp and there is just so much to look at in it. I love the little elephant that has just taken off into flight. In fact it is the first time I have used this stamp and it certainly will not be the last!

The embossing is one of Tim Holtz's embossing folders which I think adds a little interest. I really like the uneven edge it gives.

Black and White and a hint of colour with Stampotique

Come, my lovely!

Here is my offering for the current Stampotique challenge which is black, white and a hint of colour.

I ummed and ahhed a while and eventually this little underwater scene came to mind. Well, a Mermaid would not have a dog as a companion, (maybe a dog fish) but my Mermaid's pet is this delightful octopus and hence she is calling "Come, my lovely" Both these images are by Daniel Torrente.

I set her floating on this music score which is another Stampotique stamp, a row of tags stamped with music. I felt this appropriate since mermaids are renowned for the most alluring songs to entice fishermen to follow them.

I have just spent ages unsuccessfully trying to find this image on Stampotique. If anyone knows the artist I will be able to credit them.

I also found these beautiful sticks that were blown down in the wind and covered in this wonderful lichen. Perfect, I thought, to suggest a seaweed at the bottom of the ocean.

Shared Moments with Gingersnaps

This creation was very much inspired by looking at Joanne Wardle's lovely cards that are coloured with pencils. Even down to finding these wonderful Kraft coloured cards. I hope I have made it enough my own by adding the embellishments and the size of the image and to give credit to Joanne who was the inspiration behind it.

The words Shared Moments, to me,  really conjured up this style and type of image. I felt this type of colouring would also suit that remembering quality it gives off. The stamp is one from Paperbag Studios, who seem so good at creating these images.

So do go over to Gingersnaps to see all the other ways the design team have interpreted Shared Moments.

Dedicated Follower of Fashion: Tag it on.

I love making up dresses and layers and fabric and lace etc. This is one I have made for Dragon's Dream Tag it on. Just to say I was in my element. Such fun.

I drew the frock shape onto paper that I had already coloured with inks and sprays etc. Stamped and embossed a grungy word, coffee stain image and then just played with colour and fabrics and texture.

Fantastic challenge. Thank you!

Simon Says Show some Steampunk

So this is my contribution to Simon Says show some Steampunk. So what can I say about it?

I started by cutting a tag from Paper Artsy paper and then obscuring the print slightly with a white distress dabber. Then smooshed some distress inks over this.

The mannequin stamp is one I have had for years to which I applied metal wings to which were cut from the winged heart die, (yes my favourite material, tomato puree tubes) and then put through an embossing folder with black stazon applied ontop which catches the high spots.

I used a variety of other Tim Holtz dies and grungepaper to cut out clock, cogs and pennant. The clock face was rusted by the Tim Holtz method. The clock hands are from tomato puree tubes again. I also came across some lush embossing powders by Judikins called Jasper, Closionne, Garnet, Brass, Copper. Again an old purchase. I am not sure if they were the first embossing powders I ever bought?

Hope you enjoy my contribution as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Think Outside the ATC with Rogue Redheads

I love making ATC's so was delighted to see that Rogue Redheads had a challenge to Think Outside the ATC. I have used various images from several of the plates. The first two are from the Relish Reading plate and the last one is from the newest most charming plate called Beach Babes. Do take a look over on the site. There is lots of loveliness to look at.

Less is More Challenge: Seeing Double

This is my contribution to The Seeing Double challenge which is this weeks Less is More challenge.

The stamps I have used are from Elusive Images called Retro Flowers. And I just love them! I have not yet used their full potential, but do love them. The words are from a sheet from Rogue Redheads called Floriculture. Another very useful set of stamps.

The Octopede Factory: Quotes

I have found a new challenge blog run by Lily at The Octopede Factory. This week the challenge is quotes and I felt this ATC I made was perfect for the challenge. The Quails came from Stampotique and the wonderful words from Estelle at Stampsmith. I just think these words say so much and I am sure we all have a friend that does this for us. Currently I think it is about my favourite saying!

Sunday Stamper 9/11

I have been very moved by a number of tributes that have been created in remembrance of 9/11 that I just had to join in. For me it became quite important to start and finish it actually on 9/11, not that this really matters.

There are some Tim Holtz stamps that fit the bill rather well but I had already seen these used for 9/11 so wanted to use something different. I trawled through my stamps and came up with these Paper Artsy stamps. However I used the Rays at the top to try and lighten the whole look and create a sense of heaven? We all wish our loved ones to be in a happier place than us.

I got out my heat tool, that is like a teeny tiny iron, and burnt all the edges. I added measuring tape ribbon to show 9/11 and even found a price tag in the Salvage stickers that said 9/11. I hung the numbers at the bottom by sandwiching paper clips on to the numbers and hanging from Tim Holtz studs. A few kisses at the top to hang by as well as a piece of charcoal to represent all the burning at the scene.

The main stamp at the bottom has a skyline in the background that looks like a tumbling city and the woman with the rays reminded me of the Statue of Liberty as well as someone's lost love.

Thank you Hel's and the Sunday Stamper for such a poignant challenge that is so so apt and so current and truly a Time to Remember.

Tag it on & Sunday Stamper

This is my creation for Tag it On: Colour challenge "RED, Red Wine" and Hel's Sunday Stamper which the theme is "Love".

So I decided to get my Wendy Vecchi stamps out and give them a dust and a play with, and this is what I came up with. The tag is cut from some wonderful new Card from Pink Paisley called Mistables. the honeycomb design in the background is the resist pattern and I just smooched (since the theme is "Love"! LOL) Wild Honey, Worn Lipstick and Aged Mahogany Distress inks over it. "Love" the result.

I also "whipped",  from one of Hel's makes, the pen nib for the butterfly which has the words Memories engraved on it. And I can't resit turquoise with these colours so the watchful eye was added in this colour. I also added some lace to the left hand side, which had been dyed with some natural dyes, because I also thought the colour was just lush with the others.

Some of you eagle eyed may notice the date on the inchie. Yes it is the date I went on the Tim Holtz craft event. It was one of the inchies I made that I rejected for the inchie folder that was created for Tim.

Less is More: Week 31: Metallic

I think the title says it all!

So for the LIM challenge this week I have used Smile from Stampotique and a Tim Holtz Winged Heart die which I used to cut some Plum metal sheet. This was then put through an embossing folder and the high points sanded to highlight the silver metal below.

FLY was embossed with silver. Nothing else needed, I do think!

Marcy's Treehouse with Simon Says

 This week on Simon Says Stamp and Show there is a blog hop celebration. To celebrate I have made Marcy a treehouse for her cat and herself to play in!

The theme this week was Anything Goes so as they say I went to town, or climbed the tree for this weeks challenge.

Hope you enjoy this folly. Marcy is a Stampotique design. The cat is from D's Stamps and the hat was in my stash? which was to large so once it was stamped I cut it down to size. The two characters were stamped onto grunge board and the Paper Artsy house was stamped 4 times onto Kraft resist card before colouring and erecting.

The picket fence around the edge is a narrow piece of lace stuck into place.

One more picture as it shows the tassel on the top, which I think is rather a fun idea. 

Hope you enjoy.

Stampotique Bookmarks and Blog Hop

There has been a magnificent program on BBC Radio 4, Classic Serial, Gormanghast and Titus Groan.

Absolutely stunning. I wish I could hear it again. So whilst listening to the series these Stampotique characters designed by Daniel Torrente kept jumping into the fore front of my mind. What better way to use them but with a bookmark to pay tribute to the wonderful books by Mervyn Peake.

This fellow is one of the Christmas Elfs and I thought he was best suited to represent Titus. I needed to change his head gear and find a more suitable attire for the heir of Gormenghast. I also like the way this change of headwear really changes the way you can use this stamp. It becomes more versatile for any season of the year. All of the stamps are from Stampotique: Elf, Splatter, Abstract foilage, Crown and Spirals. Sorry I cannot remember all the correct names for these stamps. The Crow is one of Tim Holtz's  as I do not have Moon Girl's Crow, otherwise I would have used this.

Ooh how excited am I. I just checked out Sunday Stamper and the theme is birds. I have a bird on my bookmark so it counts! Yipeee! Hiya Hun I am joining you again!

The Sweetest Stamps with Rogue Redhead

Rogue Redheads has done it again. There is a new stamp set out which is just adorable!

They remind me of wonderful childhood books I had as a child and lend themselves to be coloured in. I like to use coloured pencils as I like the watercolour effect it gives. But I must admit I have not tried Copic or Promarkers. I feel more comfortable on the whole with coloured pencils.

Do take a look at the stamp set and also what the other designers have created with these adorable images over on Rogue Redheads.