Dragonfly Dreaming...

This is a sneaky peek at a piece I have made for Country View Crafts. When I saw Tim announce these stamps I immediately knew what I wanted to make with them and I might have gone a little further 'cos we all know I have to use a little Studio 490 in there somewhere...! Please do pop on over to Country View Crafts' blog and see what I made in full - I'm just thrilled with it!

Fashion!

For my final Creative Expressions DT project with the glamorous Gala Event stamp set I had David Bowie's 'Fashion' in my head - I wonder if that was because of the fabulous closing ceremony from the Olympics? I am easily influenced! 
I covered a piece of card with dictionary paper (I buy cheap dictionaries from those really cheap book stores so I never feel guilty when I cut them up!). A word of caution when using dictionary paper - you are bound to chose a page which has a rude word on it! When finalising your layout it is worth just checking if there is a word or two that needs covering up so as not to, unintentionally, offend! I added Vintage Photo Distress Ink to the edges of my card to draw the eye in.

I found the word fashion and glued it to a little card before attaching beneath an Ornate Plate. The dress was stamped three times using Sepia Archival Ink onto a plain page in my dictionary. Details were highlighted by painting Antique Linen Distress Stain and adding Vintage Photo Distress Ink to the skirts. The dress was assembled with the bow from one stamped image, the rear skirts from another and the central dress image from the third. For the flower I glued more dictionary paper to card and used the small Studio 490 flower stamp to stamp three flowers. I assembled them to create a 3D flower and added a small Grungeboard swirl (inked with Vintage Photo Distress Ink) as foliage. Thank you, as always, for stopping by!

Ink-King!

This week's challenge at Dragons Dream Tag It On was chosen by the incredibly talented Dragon who chose the theme "Art for Art’s Sake" which is to include a handmade background, interesting character(s), quirky twist (and the obligatory use of at least one stamp and for it to be on a tag).

I might just have had a little too much sun (it was a very hot day when I made this!) and decided that I would make an interesting and quirky character with an art theme! I have often thought that my favourite Wendy Vecchi ink bottle looks like a torso (didn't you? No? Oh! Just me then!) and so I stamped it out three times, covered one with Dusty Concord Distress Stain and clear embossing ink. The colour became a dark grey against the Grungepaper I used for all the stamps and I really liked it!

The crown was a piece of Grungepaper, covered with Gold Paint Dabber and then the top of one of Wendy's bottle stamps became a crown. The head is a light bulb stamp, stamped onto Clearly for Art but to make it stand out from the tag I backed it with a little white card. I accidentally snapped the Blossom Bucket glasses I'd made for my chap but I sanded down the bridge and turned it into a monocle. Funny how these happy accidents happen - I much prefer the monocle!

The hands are two more Ms Vecchi stamps and the legs are from the Umbrella Man die! In keeping with the Art theme I had my Ink-King hold a paintbrush and stand on pencils and a pen. I rather liked the sentiment - it seemed pretty perfect for him! Whilst I didn't make a background as such I did stamp one and so I hope you let me off with that (and that I have just realised I forgot to add a ribbon atop my tag - oops!) So, how would you interpret the theme? Stuck for ideas? Pop on over to the blog and see what my impossibly talented fellow DT members have made...

Tweet, tweet

It's the lovely Amy's turn to choose the theme at Crafty Boots this time and she chose 'Tweet, tweet' where the theme is birds! When I write my blog posts I often take a photo of the materials I have used to remind me as I make my projects in the Studio and write my blog on the sofa in the house and have often cooked tea, done the washing and been a taxi to the children in the meantime!!! I thought I'd share that photo this time so you can see how few materials are needed!

I made a large hole in the underside of the bird form so it would stand on the vintage bodkin. It was covered in torn pieces of dictionary paper. I then dry brushed Beach Hut Fresco Finish paint over the top. I cut a tail and wing from four sections of paper and cut fringing and curled them. Two of each were dry brushed with Beach Hut and two with Eggplant paint. To add them to the bird I used three Mini Fasteners on each. On some plain dictionary paper I stamped Song Bird Fly (from PaperArsty Hot Pick 1005) in Broken China Distress Ink which I adhered to the back.

On the bird's head is a crown I bought from HobbyCraft yonks ago. I sanded it a little and then rubbed more Beach Hut paint into it. Around my bird's neck I hung some chain linked together with a jump ring and some bling from an old brooch. 

So this is what I did for the theme of birds - what will you do? Hope you join in! In the meantime do pop on over here and see what how rest of the DT interpreted the theme!

I am NOT bossy!

Firstly I would like to welcome the new folk who have begun following this blog - thank you! I had a little card propped up on my desk for ages with a quote on it that is just perfect for me! I had intended to use it on this but the colours were wrong and, having a little spare time, I decided to use it! I had threatened to start making a Chunky ATC in Wednesday's post and I took the plunge with tons of Wendy Vecchi stamps and Art Parts as well as PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paints (London Bus and Little Black Dress) and Distress Stains (Antique Linen, Barn Door and Black Soot). My natural colours are brown, blue, bit of green and a whole lot more brown so I thought I'd challenge myself to do something without Vintage Photo Distress Ink and look - I managed it!

I thought I might use quotes that I could just point at while I am in the Studio when visitors come in and disturb me! You can perhaps see where I'm going with this idea...!

I love my phrenology head stamp which I've nicknamed Su - and I couldn't not include her here! The monocle is the other half of an accident - I was making a DT project (you need to pop back here on Wednesday to see it!) and I filled the inside with Glossy Accents. The star is a wooden star painted, sanded and Barn Door Distress Stain over the top. I love Su's moustache (an Art Part) - I couldn't decide if she's in disguise or needs to do a little personal grooming!

The base of the ATC has two small wooden cotton reels, painted, sanded and inked with Black Soot Distress Ink. The images were stamped onto Grungepaper or white card with Jet Black Archival Ink.

For the top I added an Art Part leaf and a Hinge Fastener as a little handle. I hope you like my Chunky ATC! Wonder which side I'll use the most...!

WOYWW #167

Happy Wednesday! Julia's call to share creative desks is once again upon us! I have been being tidy this week. I have been making things and then tidying away again. This has resulted in me having a clear desk to come to each time which has been just lovely and I can find stuff too! I know that, once the school's go back and life becomes a whirl of being here, there and everywhere that my tidiness will end but for now I'm enjoying it!

The chunky ATC block is out because that's my next project...! Just got to decide what to do with it... will ponder today if I get a quiet moment at work!

So many colours...!

My latest DT Project for Creative Expressions was born because I had intended to make a single colour card as I don't make cards often. I stamped a dress from the Gala Event stamp set several Adirondack Inks and I just couldn't decide which one to choose so I used them all! I cut the dress forms out and edged them with the now obligatory Vintage Photo Distress Ink!

The Adirondack Inks I used (in order!) are: Red Pepper: Sunset Orange; Sunshine Yellow; Citrus; Sailboat Blue; Purple Twilight

For the sentiment I used several of the inks on the same stamp adding to the rainbow feel of the card. I really must learn to make my mind up which of these colours is my favourite but it's a pretty tough decision!

Exhibit A...

Lori at Everything Wendy Vecchi challenged us to use a watch face, Tissue Tape and at least one Studio 490 stamp this fortnight and so I made an ATC with a flower Art Part. The ATC was cut from mountboard and covered it with Tissue Tape, I sanded the edges and inked them with Peeled Paint Distress Ink. 

The Flower Art Part was covered with two layers of Snowcap Adirondack Ink and then the stem sprayed with Cut Grass Dylusions Spray which I patted dry. I then inked the edges of the leaves in Peeled Paint Distress Ink. I then stamped the stem in with a background stamp (from Be Happy... Make Art) again in Peeled Paint. The face of the flower is a different Tissue Tape (I turned the flower over and removed the excess Tissue Tape with my scapel) and I used a real watch face with a small Game Spinner (I inked the spinner with Citrus Alcohol Ink). 

The Ornate Plate was covered in white paint and when nearly dry I rubbed it off and added Peeled Paint Distress Ink over the paint that was left - it looks really shabby chic in real life! The 'exhibit A' stamp was popped onto a little card and attached to the ATC. I had real fun making this - I hope you like it too!

A Nightmare Tag!

This week's challenge at Dragons Dream Tag It On was chosen by the incredibly talented Blackdragon (aka Lyn) who chose the theme "Nightmare" which is to include a murder of crows, a blue moon and a chill wind (and the obligatory use of at least one stamp and for it to be on a tag).

Ok. I know I have said this before but I really don't like anything scary. I have nightmares just at the thought of Scooby Doo cartoons! I really enjoy Dragons Dream challenges as they make you think outside your comfort zone and so this is how I interpreted Blackdragon's recipe! 

I hope that this conveys 'Nightmare' In a sort of Psycho way! I made two tags, one for the house and one for the moon and my 'murder of crows' flying off into the distance. The chill wind is what goes up my spine when I think about creepy houses! The clear tag is made from Clearly for Art and the stamps (birds, spider and spider's web) are from Dylusions.

So, this is how interpreted the recipe. My uber talented DT colleagues have made some awesome tags and we hope that you might join too!

WOYWW #166

The rather lovely Julia has thrown down the gauntlet yet again and challenged us to 'fess up what out working spaces look like. Well, I was all tidy last week (the evidence is here!) and I am pleased to say I'm still quite tidy! Yes, I've been busy but it's not too messy... yet! So what can we see? I have been playing a lot with Alcohol Inks (that's the evidence, that black, brown and gold patch on my craft mat!). The pot of UTEE has been well used too this week - as embossing powder rather than in my melt pot! The pile with the sanding block on has been used as weights (as have the acrylic blocks!) while gluey things dry.

This shot shows one of the projects I have been glueing, UTEE-ing and generally making - a better shot is below as it's my birthday card for a very lovely chap! So I have even employed clips in my pursuit to get things to stick (notice the torn bits of card under the clips? This is so they don't leave marks on my finished project! 

So I'm back again at 10am with my latest project for this fortnight's Dragons Dream Tag It On challenge - hope you'll join me!

Texture

Creative Expressions are holding a Design Team call for 2012 so this means that I have been part of the team for a year! Gosh! Where's that year gone? If you have any doubts about having a go at entering I would encourage you to do so. All the details are here and the requirements are not tricky at all!

One of the requirements is to make something with Texture and when I saw this I immediately thought I might make something with metal but the impossibly talented Tracy Evans made an incredible piece of art in the style I would have attempted so I thought I might make a different sort of card using my wonderful Wendy Vecchi stamps as Creative Expressions are the main stockist of Wendy's wonderful products!

I took a piece of Core’dinations card (which has it's own texture!) and embossed it with a Tim Holtz Texture Fade and then sanded the raised areas. I then rubbed Vintage Photo Distress Ink over the sanded areas to give it a grungy feel. I also die cut a piece of kraft card which is at the back of the pink card on the finished piece and will have my message for the recipient on it. I cut a piece of kraft card to fit within the aperture of the Ornate Plate and stamped a sentiment from Wendy Vecchi's Card Art Essentials stamp set in Jet Black Archival Ink. The little hearts were coloured by stamping some Barn Door Distress Stain on my craft mat and, using a small paint brush, painted the hearts - I needed a steady hand as they are tiny! The ornate plate had a little white paint rubbed into it and then wiped off. This highlights the texture on the plate but of course metal is an additional texture too!

Can you see I used the word 'Texture' on my flower?!

I used some dictionary paper and glued it to some Grunge Paper and then stamped two sizes of flowers in Sepia Archival Ink and cut them out. I bent the petals over a pencil and added Vintage Photo Distress Ink to the edges. For the centre of the flower I used a foliage flower, added a little white paint and removed nearly all of it! To keep the flower together I added a Hinge Fastener. For the leaves I used two stamp sets (Be Inspired...To Make Art and Love to Make Art) and Peeled Paint Distress Ink and stamped the leaves onto more Grunge Paper. To adhere the sections to the die cut I used Glossy Accents. The two die cuts were adhered together with a piece of wire frame in between. I had added some Alcohol Inks to the wire first (Gold, Ginger, Espresso, Pitch Black) so that it gave it a little more interest than the plain grey metal.

So, this is my interpretation of 'Texture' - what will you do?

Fabulous!

Oh my! I took advantage of a little time off work thanks to the school summer holidays and had a play day with Tim Holtz' latest Seasonal Distress Inks! I have fallen for these really bright solid colours which are just gorgeous! I thought I'd team my play with the Gala Event stamp set by Creative Expressions. I started by stamping out each dress in Jet Black Archival Ink and cutting each one out. I stamped the Mowed Lawn Distress Ink pad on my kraft mat and spritzed with water. I then swept my stamped dress through it, not worrying particularly about making sure it was fully covered with ink. I mopped up the remaining ink with my tag. I then did the same with the other two delicious colours! To finish my tag off I sprayed a little gold and then pearl mists on my craft mat, picking each one up with the tag individually. My tag looked like this when I'd finished!

I used the word 'Fabulous' from the stamp set, stamping it in Picked Raspberry Distress Ink, cut out the word and edged it in the same ink. I used a sentiment from Art Sayings, stamped it in Jet Black Archival ink and edged it with Salty Ocean Distress Ink and made a whole new saying!

All that was left was to arrange the dresses and sentiment on the tag and add a little sari ribbon. I hope you like the tag!