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25 January 2015

Aquarius

Hello! The very lovely Deborah Wainwright has set a new challenge. I can't promise to join in every month but it's good to start as I mean to go on! The challenge is monthly based on the zodiac. I know nothing about the zodiac really so I had to look up what Aquarius was all about! I like the bit where it said that the symbol can be a water jug and took that bit pretty literally! 
The head and plinth are one stamp that, after painting I cut in half and the jug is a Wendy Vecchi stamp that I love lots! The head stamp I have had for ages and never inked (despite the rest of the set being used several times!) - I hadn't spotted the shells before! I will now use it loads of course!
Congratulations to Deborah on starting this new challenge an I hope lots of folk join in too!
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24 January 2015

My New Hat!

Hello! I have had the chance to have a play in my Studio this morning and wanted to use some metal to be able to play along with the current challenge at PaperArtsy - Shiny Stuff. I  was ultra prepared this time and had even sketched it out beforehand! 
However, as is pretty typical it came out very different to my sketch! Isn't it always the way?! The hat is stamped onto plumbers tape (that's shiny!) and the rest of her is stamped on the world's wrinkliest tissue paper! I have no idea why it's suddenly wrinkled but I am embracing the wrinkles (if through clenched teeth!)
Thanks for stopping by!
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Bird on a Branch

Over at Country View Crafts Project Blog I have made a tag - want to see more?!
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21 January 2015

Red and flowers

It's time for a second in our new series of challenges over at Dragons Dream Tag It On. This fortnight my lovely friend Helen has challenged us to use Red and a flower(s) (as well as the regular rules of a stamped image and a tag).
The background is PaperArtsy Frescos which I 'cracked' with their Crackle Glaze. I chose to use a lovely Wendy Vecchi stamp which I stamped five times on tissue paper and then cut out, painted and added some directly to the tag and some to card so I could make the flowers and leaves 3-Dimensional. The sentiment is made up from two Wendy Vecchi stamps which I drew round to make them 'pop' from the background. I really hope you'll join in with us this fortnight!
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13 January 2015

Indian Ink

Over at Country View Crafts Challenges the theme this month is ... Something new to you! I thought this was a great idea for a challenge because you could use any crafty stash you might have had for Christmas or perhaps try a technique that you fancied but never actually had a go at.
Ooh! I *might* have bought myself a Christmas present or two when I found these little shrines! I bought enough to keep me going for a while and this was my first attempt at using them - so that makes them 'new' doesn't it?! I started by covering the wings in old book paper. I scour charity shops for books that can be repurposed - this one is a gardening book - I probably should read that one before cutting it up!
The lady is a Lynne Perrella for PaperArsty stamp. I stamped her on tissue paper and painted the reverse. She fits very well doesn't she?! The 'Indian Ink' sign disappeared where her shoulders are so I stamped that on cream card and added it where it should be. As it pretty standard for me, I added brown Distress Ink round the edges of the whole piece before gluing her together. The crown was painted with gold paint and then sanded - I wanted it to look a little 'faded glory' rather than the bright blingy gold colour. The final flourish was to add a pen nib in the aperture!
My lady's currently placed on top of my pile of acrylic blocks (guess who tidied up over Christmas!?!) but she needs a name - suggestions very welcome!
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8 January 2015

New Year... New Hanging!

It's my turn over at Country View Crafts Projects blog and I made a New Year hanging with some new stamps! Ooh! That fits in nicely with the Country View Crafts Challenge blog at the moment! Clever old me! ;)
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7 January 2015

Turquoise and Bling

Ooh! Time for a new series of challenges over at Dragons Dream Tag It On. We bid a tearful goodbye to the Alphabet Challenge during 2014 and wave hello to a colour challenge for the start of 2015! This fortnight Elizabeth has challenged us to use Turquoise and bling (as well as the regular rules of a stamped image and a tag).
Now I'm really not a huge user of bling and don't really have much that's 'blingy' but I do have Liquid Pearls and so that prompted me to think of a pearl necklace... 
I used a favourite Lynne Perrella stamp set and Turquoise Fresco paint and my tag was born! Now it's your turn! We look forward to you joining us but in the meantime, do pop over and see the fabulous tags my team mates have made!
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Baby, it's cold outside!

Before my bike accident 19 months ago I was playing along with Kate Crane's Art Journal Calendar challenge. I have decided that I need to get back on track with a few things that my blummin' elbow interrupted and this challenge is one of them! For Christmas, my lovely friend Kitty bought me an A4 Moleskin Journal - I am a very, very grateful recipient! It seemed to be just perfect as a blank canvas to start my Calendar in!
I am so cold in January (even though it's been quite mild here so far!) and so the page reflects that! Lots of white, blue and green paint (Frescos from PaperArtsy) and Broken China Distress Ink snowflakes! I used some old book text for the dates that I painted - I like them very much! It's nice when you do something that pleases you isn't it?!
Was lovely to be back playing along - thanks for the book Kitty! 
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5 January 2015

Create Small Things

I love making 'people' and these little angels are, to my mind, so cute! PaperArtsy are challenging us to use 'Fragile Paper' this fortnight and the paper in my vintage gardening book from a charity shop is pretty fragile!
I adhered the bodies (neck down!) to my paper and sanded the edges so they became the right shape. I coloured them with Portfolio Pastels - love those lots but be careful on fragile paper as they will lift the surface if you use water or rub really hard! 
The faces are from a Lynne Perrella stamp, stamped onto tissue paper and painted using Fresco paint on the reverse. When they were dry, I cut them out and carefully added them. The wings are covered in the same paper, sanded and then I added a little Gathered Twigs Distress ink to all of the edges. The final flourishes were to add halos, a word and wire to hang them with!
Thanks for the challenge Leandra, I enjoyed it immensely!
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1 January 2015

Resolution

Happy New Year! I hope 2015 is YOUR year and that it brings you nothing but good fortune! Over at Country View Crafts Challenges the theme this month is ... Something new to you! I thought this was a great idea for a challenge because you could use any crafty stash you might have had for Christmas or perhaps try a technique that you fancied but never actually had a go at.
For my project I made a journal page (nothing new there!) but used a die cut from my new Big Shot that Santa bought me. Confession time! I did have a Vagabond that, like many of you, was swopped by Sizzix more times than I care to mention. However, back in October I tried to fit a 'sandwich' that was far too thick through it and broke it! So Santa, knowing my somewhat self inflicted and embarrassing plight was incredibly kind and bought me a Big Shot in the hope that it might be harder to break!
I also had a go at a new technique - writing with a dip pen and ink. This was also a Christmas present and needs a lot of practice! I also need to learn to write in straight lines! I quite like that there is a record of my first ever time using the pen, and that it's not perfect!  I added some drops of ink randomly on the page because I was reluctant to put the pen away as I enjoyed it so much!
I hope you join in with us this month and show us something new!
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