Gingersnaps New Challenge: Inchies

Well this is my inchie collage for the new Gingersnaps challenge.  I rather liked the pretty pinks alongside such scary images. It sort of made me chuckle, the incongruousness of it!
Well I am in the UK and I do not know whether anyone else has had this problem? Trying to find a 1 inch square punch that actually cuts 1 inch. I have bought several that say they are 1 inch but it is measured across the diagonal not the sides! I am somewhat frustrated by this. Can anyone help me please?

50's Style Arches with SCD

This week at SCD the arches theme is the Fifties. So I had a bit of fun with this glamour puss. I just love all those different 50"s style patterns on the borders and the colours they used. Come and join the fun and see what you come up with. For more inspiration visit the SCD blog and see what the other designers have come up with.

Arches and Lace with Something Completely Different

A new month and a new theme over on SCD. This month we are playing with Arches and this weeks subject is to incorporate lace in your design. So here is my contribution. There are some fabulous creations made by the design team so please hop over, take a look and come and play. Can't wait to see your interpretation on the theme.

My Unique Technique: Embossed leaf

Today I will show you a technique I developed to preserve fall/autumn leaves and to enhance them. I adore oak leaves. I just love their infinite variety of shapes and I find them all so unique and beautiful. I am completely drawn to them so I thought up this method to try to preserve them without drying or pressing them for ages. They are slightly stronger than dried ones but are still fragile and can break over time especially if they find themselves stored in a pile of papers or cards.

The finished leaf. Isn't it just beautiful?

So if you are interested in how to achieve this hop over to Gingersnaps where there is a tutorial showing you how!

 Once made you can then use them in your creations and projects.

Here I  made one into an ATC.  The ATC background was tissue paper stamped, torn, layered and glued. The leaf was matted and layered  onto card. cut out and gold pen run around the edges of the mat. The edges were stitched and beaded. 

As you can see part of a lobe has broken off over time but I did find it bunched up in a pile of papers, which did not help.

And Lavender dipped in silver....

Hope you have fun with this technique: Laura Liddell

Ancient Ages with Gingersnaps

The theme over on Gingersnaps this week is Ancient Ages. I am not sure I understood the era correctly but my thought process was you cannot get much more ancient than Cave Paintings nor more magical. Hence this being my contribution rightly or wrongly? After all the challenge sparked this thought process from me so it achieved in its purpose as an inspiration.

These are one of the earlier 2 stamps I ever bought as I always found their imagery provoking. Take a look at what the other designers for Gingersnaps have come up with. Probably a more accurate era. But the main objective is to enjoy!

Of the Sea

This week on SCD the challenge is to make an ATC size Torso on the theme "Of the Sea" This is my contribution but there are some really glorious makes by the design team this week. So hop over and take a look. Well done team!!!!

Red and Black Torso

SCD torso theme this week is red and black. Here is my little number. Embossed black card highlighted with red chalk and red embellishments added. Hop over to SCD to see the other design team creations.

Memories and Torsos

This weeks theme over on SCD for Torsos is memories. See what memories you can put onto your ATC sized torso that are close to your heart. Of course you can take the theme any way you wish. Hop over and see what the other design team have created.

Paint with Gingersnaps

The Gingersnaps challenge this Wednesday is to use paint. On this piece there are a number of different paints used. There are first patches of  Terra paint applied to create patches of texture. While still wet dampened stamps were pressed into it to create further texture. When dry acrylic paint was then added over the background. You can see where a cog mask was also used. Some metal was passed through a cuttlebug and sprayed with Adirondak  spray ink. The wings were painted with acrylic and then lightly stroked with a pale precious metal colour that creates a subtle sheen. Around the edges and over some high spots Ferro gold iron was applied. Croco clear paint was added to the heart once the purple acrylic was dry and the surface of this has a subtle crackle on it. The backing paper has been painted with acrylics too.

A Bit of Bling

What a great challenge we have in store for you this month over on SCD. This is Carol's brainwave and great fun it is too! These torsos are about the size of an ATC so not too daunting. I really enjoyed playing with this and this is my contribution. Can't wait to see what the rest of the design team have come up with. And also really exciting we have a new design team member, Artyjen. How cool is that!!! A great favourite of many of us and it is just so exciting she has agreed to join us. WELCOME!

Brown, orange and blue tag with SCD

Been away last week so I am trying to catch up with my postings. It will be similar next week too as again I will be away with my girls in London. This is my tag for SCD this week to include brown, orange and blue. This was great fun to make with all the terra and ferro paint in the background. Hope to see your creations on this theme.

Yellow, orange and red with Gingersnaps

The colours yellow, orange and red are the new challenge over on Gingersnaps. I just love paisleys and I thought these wonderful sumptuous colours just lent themselves to this look. These paisleys are really quite dimensional and the large one has numerous layers to it, several layers being copper metal. The stamp is designed by Elusive images at Graphicus. It is also glitzy as you can see quite well the glimmery mists that I have used on the background.

Circle tags with SCD

Rather late posting but here is my contribution to the Circles challenge over on SCD this week. I must admit not only do I enjoy making tags but I also enjoyed the circle challenge immensely. The cogs were cut from a Tim Holtz die and covered with a Terra paint coating, the covered with ferro paint and on the high points some metallic paint gently applied to ad a bit of contrast. The background postage stamp is a Paper Artsy Stamp. The cogs were attached to the tag with large eyelets and paper fasteners all adding to the circle theme.

Resaved image

Well I have re saved image and have uploaded again. I will keep fingers crossed and go check on another computer!

No did not work. Will sleep on the problem and try again.

Fantasy Tag with SCD

More tags this week and the theme is Fantasy over on SCD. Here is my take and what is more fantastic than some of the images and stories from Alice!

I was blown away last week by the creations for "Are you sitting Comfortably?" Loved them all and I loved how people interpreted the theme. Just fabulous. Thank you to everyone who played along or left wonderful comments. It does make the week better and more fulfilling.

Have a go at this weeks and see what you come up with. Can't wait to see your creations. Take a look how different the design teams are over on SCD.

Have a good week!

Are you sitting comfortably? with SCD

We are still on tags this week with a new theme. Are you sitting comfortably? There are quite a number of chair images around at the moment so I thought this would lend itself to these. However any take on the theme is fine. Mine definitely changed since setting the theme. I think it is fabulous how everyone on the SCD design team has a different angle to the theme just proving how versatile it is. 

Hop over and have a look. We would love you to play along.

Tags are the July theme over on Something Completely Different. Great fun in my mind! 

This weeks theme is Hearts which lends itself to so many different interpretations and layouts. 

Here I have used one of my all time favourite stamps, which I call Balloon Hearts from Paperbag Studios, available in the UK from The Stamp Attic. 

Come join in the fun. I love tags.

ATC Gingersnaps Art Exchange: Soar

The deadline for joining the current Gingersnaps Art Exchange is fast approaching - July 1. This is a popular exchange, but there is room for a few more players. We welcome participants from all around the world.

Specifics
Format: Artist Trading Card - 3.5" x 2.5"
Theme: "Soar"
Media: Any but should include some stamping
Number of Pieces: 4 for 4
Sign-Ups/Withdrawals: by July 1, 2010
Due Date: July 15, 2010

All the exchange details are on the Gingersnap Creations Yahoo Group.In order to participate in the exchange, you will need to become a member of the Yahoo Group, so that we can maintain proper communication. The membership process is quick and easy.

If you have any questions, you can drop us a line at gingersnapstamp@gmail.com.

I am the co-ordinator for the swap in the UK so you do not have to send items to the States. It is so much fun to take part in these Art Exchanges as it is wonderful to receive fabulous things from other creative people. Why not give it a go. It is ATC's this time so not too demanding but lots of fun.

Flora and Fauna with SCD

This weeks Skinni ( 3 x 5 inches) theme is Flora and Fauna. This is my take on the theme. The stamp is an Elusive image stamp from Graphicus which I have inked with pens and then spritzed before stamping to give a watercolor effect. The butterflies are just Anita stickers which are quite fun as they are 3 Dimensional and slightly glittery. Since it was Flora and Fauna I thought I better photograph it in the garden.

Reasons to stamp in July with Gingersnaps

Rabbit Week

Embrace your Geekness Day

Rock N Roll

Quite simply these are my contributions for July. Hop over to Gingersnaps and see all the other reasons to stamp in July and the great makes by the design team.

Blue and white with SCD

The theme this week for Skinnis over on SCD is blue and white. I love this image and sentiment. It is so strong it really does not need anything else apart from itself.  I just embellished the edge with some ribbon. The image is one of the Paperbag Studio stamps available in the UK from The Stamp Attic.

Skinni cats with SCD

No the cats do not have to be skinni! You can have fat cats, cuddly cats, stripy cats, spotty cats, whatever as long as there is a cat!

This is my make and the saying just made me laugh. This Stampotique cat (available in the UK from The Stamp Attic)  looks so guilty here that I thought it enhanced the joke. It was just calling out for a hand pointing to the guilty party!

Enjoy the make this week. Remember Skinnis are 3 x 5 inches.

Hop over to SCD and see what the rest of the design team have made.

The Mad Hatter Blog Hop: Come and have some fun with Gingersnaps!

 
Welcome to the Gingersnap Creations’ Mad Hatter’s Day Hop and Hop Stop #8
 
The Gingers are celebrating Mad Hatter Day and hope that you will hop along with us!


The reason Mad Hatter Day  is today (10/6/2010) is because of the 10/6 in the hat band. When we had sterling coinage this was the way prices were often written. It would have meant 10 shillings and sixpence. In the UK we put the day before the month. I know it is the other way around in the USA. 
 
If you’ve already been hopping then hopefully you have just come from Lynn at Trash to Treasure Art. 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 the goodies in the Mad Hatter Giveaway.
 
When you get all your words, 8 in all, unscramble them to form a quotation from the beloved classic, Alice in Wonderland. Once you have your guess at the quote, email it and your name to gingersnapstamp@gmail.com by June 25, 2010. We will be picking one lucky winner at random from the correct entries to win the Mad Hatter package! We’ll let you know who won on June 29, 2010.
 
If you visit all the stops, you should end up right back at Gingersnap Creations with 8 words! Unscramble the words to come up with the correct quote and email it on to gingersnapstamp@gmail.com. That's all there is to it!
 
If you get lost along the way, you can see the entire route at Gingersnap Creations.
 
My word is "a".
 
Your next stop on the hop is Shar at Ill Tempered Ink.  Have fun and good luck!

Transparency at Gingersnaps

This weeks theme at Gingersnaps is Transparency. This is one of those wonderful Brag Bags with see through pockets with which you can show off your art work. When I first saw these several years ago I thought it a wonderful idea. After all many of us make things and then do they go in a box or a drawer? Or does everyone post all of theirs to family and friends? Anyway I felt this was a grand alternative. You can also insert new artwork  when you want a change.

 This is my contribution to the theme Transparency. These bags were available from Graphicus but I do not know whether they are still available through them?

Way behind on postings!

Well this is the first image to post. We went away last week and camped. Enjoyed glorious weather and even got our sailboat on the water which John has very lovingly restored. Felt quite an achievement. But it has meant I am way behind on posting and haven't created anything last week. This first image is for Gingersnaps and their current challenge "Wings" I must admit I flung this together at the last moment but still had fun doing it.

The second image was for the SCD challenge where Skinnis are the format this month and this weeks theme is house or houses. I love these Paper Artsy stamps and they remind me of an English seaside town, possibly Aldburgh, which is close to where one of my brothers live, so reminds me of him!

I feel rather out of the zone at the moment, what with the garden and the plants to plant out and having a week away.

Well my dear blog friend has sent me an award. Thanks Hels!
But in order to display it there are some requirements to fufill.

1 Express gratitude to the blogger who bestowed the award unto you. Thanks Hels.  I have had to use my grey matter to play here!

2 Display the picture on your blog proudly.
3 Be nice and provide a link to the person who gave it to you.

Thanks you so much. I am not really lazy although I have copied and pasted  most of the instructions. Lol.

Here is Hels blog link. 

Hels, Hels, Hels.......

4 Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth, or switch it around and tell six outrageous truths and one outrageous lie.

5  Nominate seven creative writers who might be into doing this. I am passing this one on to Bloggers who make me smile, laugh, emote in some way or another. (direct copy)

6  Post links to the seven blogs you nominate and let the owners of those blogs know:
So here are my Lies &/OR Truths....

1. I can fly and am not scared of heights.
2. I have the most amazing singing voice. Far to good for Britains got Talent. Have to give everyone else a chance.
3. What is an IQ and what is Mensa? (this only makes sense if you read Hel's blog-this is for you Hun-Lol)  But I can do the Times Crossword in 10 minutes! Does this count?
4. Don't know how anyone can drink cold dry white Sauvignon Blanc?
5. I can scuba dive and have spent many hours enjoying the Bermuda reefs.
6. I cannot understand how anyone can think Johnny Depp is lush?

True or False?

And without further ado here are my nominees. Hope you don't mind.

Artyjen

Lesley

Gezzy

Carol

Shar

Ali

Lynn

Crowns; Trinchies with Something Completely Different

It is our last week of Birthday Celebrations over on SCD. It has been a very fun month and I have been blown away with the fabulous makes everyone was been creating. I have visited some tremendous Twinchies!

This week the theme is Crowns. This has been interpreted by the SCD team in different ways so why not hop over and take a look. There are some more prizes too!

With this Stampotique image, available from The Stamp Attic in the UK, I have been playing with Sakura pens again and using them in places with a waterbrush. They are water soluble so this works great and it softens the colours and makes them work more like paints. I like this element of the pens. This speaks someone who has never got into Copic or Promark pens, although I love what other people do with them!

Paris Twinchie with Something Completely Different

This week on SCD as you can see the theme is Paris. We also have the wonderful guest designer, Artjen, or Sioux. Sioux is the well deserved winner of Craft Stamper of the year. I was so happy when it was her that won. I have a great fondness for Sioux in my heart as she was my very first blog follower, and my very first blog friend. I sort of feel she discovered me in Blogland. I know Sioux has been having a really bad time recently and I think of her often and how she is coping. I am so pleased she was still able to join us this week. Thank you Sioux and for the prize she has donated that you could win if you enter a Twinchie on the theme of Paris.

Take care Sioux.

Quotes with Gingersnaps

This quote from Mae West always makes me chuckle. Also I thought as we have just had an election over in the UK it was very apt. There are some fabulous creations over on Gingersnaps. Well worth a look and lots on inspiration.

Spring is in the Air: Play Date Cafe 29

I just love the colours this week at the Play Date Cafe. Just my type of colours. Scrumptious. Time was running out so when I came hoe from work I thought I simply must create something for this weeks challenge. Out came the paint daubers and I had fun creating the background for the stamped image. Another great image from Paperbag Studios. 

And now I know how these cards are meant to go, one of these came out again to mount it onto.  The "Remember" I felt was such an apt wording for this imagery which is all about memories.

So glad I could join in the fun.

Stampotique Challenge No: 7

Over on the Stampotique challenge this time we are asked to use a template in our work. So here is a template I have designed myself. I thought with this stamp I could have a little fun. I must admit it has been a very useful image and I have been able to use it time and time again. I hope you enjoy the it!

Flower Twinchies with Something Completely Different

Happy Birthday week at SCD and what could be more fitting than flowers! I have made a bold fairly simple Twinchie this week by using a Wendy Vecchi tulip stamp which I have layered up in a decoupage style. The background was first painted with acrylic paint and textured slightly.
Why not jump over and see what else there is to see. We also very lucky to have the fab Guest Designer, Hels, who always creates wonderful things. I hope something will inspire you to join in the fun.

Pencils with Gingersnaps

This is my contribution to the pencil challenge over on Gingersnaps. I was a little disappointed how flat this photo looks. I have actually layered the pencils  and nibs up so that it is far more 3d'ish in real life and I think looks better in real life. Maybe I will try to photograph it again? However it was fun to do and this stamp from Lost Coast Designs just reminded me of a big city skyline, maybe Hong Kong?  I then added the nibs which is a Tim Holtz stamp to gain greater depth and density, just like a city.  I enjoy visual jokes.

Anyway take a look at all the other great creations. Dan has actually used the same stamp but very differently. It is worth taking a look to see how stamps can work in so many ways.

I have added another photo which may show the depth a little better. Still not great but it doesn't look quite so flat.

Play Date Cafe No: 28

This weeks Play Date Cafe Challenge has been based on some very pretty elegant colours, so I decided to do something elegant and up market. No we do not have chandeliers in our house, our ceilings are far to low and we are way too scruffy. But I thought the image suited the feel, plus I wanted to use this image and place little light catching jewels on it to depict the glass crystals that hang down.

Stampotique Challenge

This is my contribution for the current Stampotique challenge. Out of the box.
Must sign off  as I must leave for work now.

Birthday Month for Something Completely Different

Over on SCD it is the Birthday month, this being week 51. SCD started with Twinchies so the theme to celebrate this month will also be Twinchies. There will be birthday gifts to give away and Guest Designers helping us to celebrate, which will lots of fun, and great to have their support. Tando Creatives are also sponsoring SCD in their Birthday bash. How fab is that. So come over and take a look and join in the fun.

If you haven't already guessed the Twinchie theme for this week is "Butterflies"