Tuesday 28 October 2014

Try It On Tuesday – Colours of Autumn

 

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Oh the weeks sure do fly by, and nothing marks the passage of the year more dramatically than the flaming colours of Autumn.

Here’s a pic of the view from my craft desk the other day. (Today is even better cos the sky is blue!!)

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But to business. This fortnight’s challenge at Try It on Tuesday is ‘Colours of Autumn’ and for my DT piece I decided to make a Krafty card using browns, yellows, oranges, greens and a touch of red.

I used my stamping gear to create a corner of stamping on the distressed background and an old (docrafts?) stamp from a seasons set to make the topper. Quick and simple.

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As always we would love to see your project, just pop on over to the blog to see lots more yummy DT inspiration and link up. See ya!!

Sunday 26 October 2014

Stamping Gear

IMG_1539[1]Well I had a nice afternoon last Saturday playing with my stamping gear from Inkadinkadoo. So what can I tell you? Well, you don’t NEED this tool, but it is a fun bit of kit. You do need a fairly steady hand if you want a ‘perfect’ finish but for most things I think you can get away with the odd mistake. I know I wouldn’t even attempt this kind of stamping freehand.

I have a circular ‘gear’, a paddle and my most recent purchase an oval gear (which, if you wanted to would let you stamp an oval up to at least 10 inches – ITS HUGE!)

Here are some of my plays.

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IMG_1542[1]Basically you can use any cling stamp that fits on the paddle BUT they do need to be the thickness of rubber plus stamping foam so although acrylics will work you will have to faff about creating a faux foam backing so I just use the stamps I have that are already mounted. If you have a smallish stamp the position on the paddle affects the closeness of the stamping and the overall size of your project. I am not going to pretend I am any more knowledgeable than that, just play and always check out what  the distances will be by doing some trial stampings.

It’s a bit like a spirograph, you don’t know what it’s going to look like till you try!! This one on the left is keeping the gear on the same place and varying the the position on the paddle and the number of times you stamp.

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I then branched out into actually making a couple or cards. This candle stamp perhaps doesn’t work that well but I kinda like it – maybe with a big black glittery number it will work for a masculine special birthday card.

This last one I love how it turned out, even though I can see a couple of wobbles (don’t look too close!!). I added some die cuts and a sentiment to finish it off. So there you have it, may have another play soon if I don’t get totally overwhelmed by Crimbo Crafting, but for the time being, glitter calls!! Happy Sunday!

 

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Saturday 25 October 2014

Fantasy Stampers - Something Spooky!!

FS Blog Button Always lots of spooky challenges around in October so I am sure you all have your Halloween bits n bobs out by now!

So Something Spooky is the new challenge at Fantasy Stampers and we’d love to see what you can come up with. Please remember though that this is a traditional stamping challenge and we must see some stamping on your project.

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I recently bemoaned my lack of suitable Halloween images, but I purchased a clearance ‘grab bag’ of rubber from the wonderful Lily Chilvers at the Octopode Factory and was really pleased to get a ‘Wicked Witch of the West’ stamp so I was able to ink it up for my DT piece for this challenge. 

The background is a gelli plate piece that has been knocking around my desk for a while (in fact I think it is time to make some more, I think that was the last one) and the other stamps are from various sets I have. Unfortunately I could only find flying birds not monkeys!!

Having coloured up and stuck my witch on I added a silly sentiment… hee hee I have a recipient in mind for this one but better not let the cat out of the bag!

Anyhow, hope you’ll join in, hop on over to the blog for more DT inspiration and to link up your project.

Happy Halloween!!

Thursday 23 October 2014

Paper Artsy Inspiration from Helen Lindfield

Here is Helen's journal cove
Purely by chance, this month I have started following the Paper Artsy blog. Talk about a feast of creativity! There is a new project posted every night around 7.00 pm and a monthly challenge. Early on I saw a great journal cover made by fellow WOYWWER Helen Lindfield,  who I know just loves all things Paper Artsy. The bright fresh look of it appealed to me and as the challenge is to make something inspired by one of the designer’s I thought I’d have a go.

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here is Helen’s journal cover
I thought I’d try a couple of tags because I have some peeps to send things to and thought they would make nice gifts. So I chose my paints from my meagre collection of PA FF paints - Ice Blue, Honey Dew, Lilac and Spanish Mulberry. Then I painted the tag blue, and stencilled some flowers through a PA stencil with the honeydew. Ok, it’s pretty, but why isn’t it ‘fresh?’
Oops, lack of concentration - meant to do that the other way round!! Oh well that’s my creative process I guess, because I have the attention span of a hamster.
Sighing, I went on a search for a flower stamp that would work with the stencils - I wanted something a little more detailed but still ‘stylized’ - and found a very, very old set of acrylic stamps (possibly early Dawn Bibby?) that I thought would do. Wondering why Helen had opted to stamp her contrast image on tissue paper, I stamped the flower and the sentiment and then coloured in. Finished with a ribbon and  voila.
For the second tag thought I would try and stick to my original intention (darker stencilling on white) but after I had painted the tag white it seemed too stark – I don't have the PA chalk white - so I changed that for Nougat.IMG_1523[1]
Using the same stencil with Zesty Zing I stencilled my background flowers and then stamped the other flower onto tissue – well I might as well see why Helen thought it made a difference. As I was cutting them out, of course a light bulb went on – Helen had been decorating a journal cover and  the stamping onto tissue was to ensure a good image – doh.
Still I’d already done them so I stuck them on. I wondered if the black overstamping on the stencilled flowers Helen had done made a difference – I didn’t have a similar stamp so just used a black pen to add a few lines – it worked on this tag but I felt would overwhelm the sentiment on the blue one.
Helen had used some fabric flowers as embellishment – I tried die cutting from hessian which worked, but probably won’t stand up to much handling due to the loose weave. Made them into flowers with bits from my stash and added buttons.
And there you have it. Inspired by, but nothing like really!!

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Wednesday 22 October 2014

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #281

Wasn't going to link as have been out and about. But hey, I may be a bit late getting round but its good to say 'hi'. Here's the desk:


Went to visit our new TK Max this morning - needed a birthday present for a friend. Nope, no luck, but got myself a paper pad and a ball of twine. No hope is there? Bug is out because I had a die cutting sess with a friend yesterday - great fun!! You might be able to see my current project - there is a chipboard bauble and stocking that I am decorating. Over the back you may be able to see some painted reindeer  - they need glittering up. And I have a new set of speakers as my little 'hi fi' (LOL) stopped playing CDs on Sunday - been driving me mad as I went to see Caro Emerald at the O2 last Friday and have been dying to play her CDs ever since - of course she is playing now!! Had no idea what I was buying but did have the sense to choose one that had a bluetooth link and DS has shown me how to link to the music on my music player - simples!! Who knew it was that easy? (I know, not news to anyone else!).

Oh, why am I telling you this? go here to find out. Must crack on now -  Happy Hump Day!!  

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Tim’s Tags of 2014 - October

Sometimes I really don’t like October. It is just one Halloween project after another and I struggle to find appropriate stuff to use. But given that Halloween isn’t a big thing here in the UK it really doesn’t seem worth investing in stuff to use once a year. So although Tim’s tag is a Halloween one, I decided to take an easy route and make mine autumnal.

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Techniques for this tag are: Stamping, embossing, masking, stencilling with texture paste, watercolour distress background, embellishments, generally grunging up. Piece of cake (!?).
I made a paper mask for my embossed stamping – in my eagerness to get ahead I forgot to put it on before adding the texture paste, resulting in much fine work with a q tip and my pokey tool. The second time I did remember and it came out much crisper as you can see – one on the left if not obvious. Neat technique.





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No Distress Stains so I went old school, using my colorwash sprays. Really like the way the texture paste picked it up – could have tried to distress it more but liked how it was so added a bit of mica spray to add some sparkle, letting it pool in the dips. Nice.
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Stamped, coloured and glossy accented my leaves. Found the berries from stash and a bit of hessian string to go behind.
Don’t have the monocles so thought I would try and recycle some ‘medals’ I have. Added some rub-ons (is that an owl or a bug? I am not quite sure) and more glossy accents over the top. Finished with a bit of lovely orange blingy fibres and the word ‘FALL’ (Autumn would have been a bit big LOL).

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All done!! Think this may be my new fave for the year.

Saturday 18 October 2014

Time to hang up the brayer?

I had to make a sympathy card today and thought I would make one of those wistful brayered scenes as somehow too much fancy stuff seems a little inappropriate to me. However, since my last brush with the brayer I haven’t got any better at it. It looks simple enough when I watch a demo but I seem to get sludge and ink everywhere. Sigh. Oh well, I suppose you can’t be good at everything (GRIN).

Still I hate waste and managed to get one card and two notelets out of the least disastrous attempts. I know they are a bit samey but that birdy silhouette stamp works really well I think (and hides a multitude of sins).

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Hope you are having a good Saturday, bit blah here weatherwise and teen tantrums his morning have got me in a bit of a blah mood myself. Going to try out my stamping gear next, that might cheer me up (or demonstrate even more technical inability – well we’ll soon find out!!)

Have a good day!

Wednesday 15 October 2014

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #280

Morning deskers!!

Here’s how to find out about WOYWW and here’s how my desk looked last night when I got in from work:

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I’d had a crafty sess with my mum and sis the night before and, for no good reason at all, we had all had a go at making a 3d teacup from a dreamees template. My sis had a bit of bother and decided hers looked like ‘Chip’ from Beauty and the Beast. You can see him sitting on top of my DI pile. Didn’t take a photo of mum’s but it was coming along nicely (although there WAS a lot of arguing that there was a better way to do it until I finished one). That’s mine you can see, showing off its untidy bottom!! I wanted to put lots of flowers in it, and decided to follow the technique shown by Lise Cooke (Lise makes stunning pop up boxes … well everything she does is pretty cool - and I have seen one IRL and it was AWESOME). IMG_1516[1]

Here’s my finished project, a little wobbly but not too bad for a first attempt, I think I could work the wrinkles out with another go, but that’s a project for a commission or a special birthday methinks. 

Enjoyed finishing that off last night – really needed to wind down yesterday after doing a course – I am (I hope!) now an official Arts Award Advisor for Bronze and Silver level. Well, I think I understand the admin……not too sure about the delivery…….

And I showed you all that because the actual desk this morning is pretty boring. But I do have some new goodies to play with……

 

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Happy Wednesday!!

Tuesday 14 October 2014

Try It On Tuesday – something spooky! 14/10

tiot1 copyI took a little break from  the DT at Try It On Tuesday over the summer as I’ve had a lot on but its good to be back!

The current challenge is ‘Something Spooky’ – I love other people’s halloween makes (Laura Carson’s blog is one of my fave places for eye candy) but it’s not something I’ve ever really got into. So I don’t have a lot of Halloween stuff and every year I struggle to find things to use that fit the theme.

IMG_1507[1] So I’m afraid my ‘Spooky’ project is more cute than newt – and because I seem to be obsessed lately with putting things on cotton spools I decided to make a little 3D art doll sitting on same. The main stamp is of course by Gorjuss and the rest is just scraps and assemblage. I think I made her skirt a little too big but she is still rather neat and I’ve found her a nice spot on a shelf.

So, now it’s your turn. Pop on over to TIOT to check out the other DT makes and to link with your entry. Happy Spooking!!

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Monday 13 October 2014

21st birthday pop -up

Thought I would share my latest commission card with you as it should have been received by now. The brief was to do something with playing cards as the young lad in question does card tricks. Although I confidently said ‘OK’ I was in a bit of a panic when I couldn't find anything in my digi collection that I could use. Then I remembered a small pack of cards that I had in my stash and after a bit of a rummage to locate them (it turned out they were the perfect size!) it was plain sailing.

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I did do a tiny bit of stamping – see the black spade and club but basically it was just assemblage. Still quite pleased with the way it turned out though!

Saturday 11 October 2014

Fantasy Stampers - Time Flies

Blog HeaderOh yes indeedy it does!!   Thought I would get a bit inky for my DT piece for this fortnight’s challenge from Fantasy Stampers.

The theme is ‘Time Flies’ and you can make anything you like but it MUST have traditional stamping on it – no digis please.

IMG_1509[1] I decided to use the ‘Steampunkery’ stamp set from Chocolate Baroque for my tag. I used mainly Peeled Paint and Wild Honey DI’s to make my background and some other odd ‘time’ theme stamps I had to add some extra interest. There is a little bit of gilding (probably hard to see) and the diamonds are embossed with cream frantage. Would love to see what you do with this one, it’s always a popular theme.

Pop on over to the Fantasy Stampers blog to see some more DT inspiration and link your entry. Good Luck!

I am also entering this piece into the current challenge from Artful Times which is ‘GREEN’.

Thursday 9 October 2014

And Even More Cards….

Probably getting boring now but these are a little more than sticking on toppers.…… new Craftwork Cards papers and new dress stamp and tonic die from Allie Pally. I lurve the papers but for speed I copied some of Julie Hickey’s designs – but do love that curvy edge idea. And my large sentiment stamps from Ali Reed.

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Off to work now :0(.

Wednesday 8 October 2014

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday – # 279

Morning deskers!!Here’s how to find out about WOYWW and here’s my desk:

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There’s a little bit of Christmas about and I’ve also had my my Graphic 45 Steampunk Spells papers out – love this set, think it might time for another little project with them. Have been using a Gorjuss stamp, but that’s secret squirrel till next Tuesday. Other than that just a big mess!! If you liked the flower pot pops last week one is up for grabs – click the link top right.

Have to sort out some work emails this morning, contact the tax office, finish painting the porch, get nails done and then this avo I will be hunkering down in here for the afternoon and evening as hubby out and bestie coming over after tea for a craft sesh. If it doesn’t get any warmer I shall have to plug in my little electric radiator to take the chill off.

Brrrr! Have a great day wherever you are!

Tuesday 7 October 2014

More Cards

Bought some 4 x 4 envelopes and had a mad flurry making quick 4 x 4 cards which I sold for 50p. Made the card blanks myself. Cute. and great for all those little off cuts.

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Found some very old card blanks for ‘box in an envelope’ cards. Well that’s the only way I can think to describe them. Such fun, though I think I’m the only one who appreciates them. Most people just look bemused. They fold flat and when you pull them out of the wallet they burst into a box shape. It’s all done with rubber bands.

Well, it makes me laugh.

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Bye for now.

Sunday 5 October 2014

OCTOBER ART DRAW – FLOWER POWER!!

IMG_1499[1]Maybe a nice flower or two will get you joining in. Yep I decided to take the easy route and give away one of my flower pot pops – well they are made already so it’ll save me a bit of time.
Here you go. This one is sending you a hug.
Stands about 8” high with a very small footprint!

Usual rules apply, leave a comment on this post if you want to be included in the draw, international players welcome. 

Feel free to link to your own blog - if you let me know you have I will put you in the draw twice.

Closing date, 9.00 pm on Friday 31st October.  

And if there are more than 15 entries I will give away two. That’s all folks!!!

Saturday 4 October 2014

Fantasy Stampers – here come the girls

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Whatever is the matter with me? Just realised that this post never posted for Fantasy Stampers last week! So apologies if anyone has been looking for my card – I always seem to be saying sorry to someone for something these days!

Here’s my DT piece for the current Fantasy Stampers Challenge - ‘Here Come the Girls’.

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This is a 7 x 7 card blank and I have framed the image by cutting out the circular detail with a tonic verso die and adding some coloured paper behind. The stamp is 'Uptown Girl Maybelline’ by Stamping Bella. I added a bit of sparkly embossed stamping in the corners as well and made up some flowers. Simples. I didn’t put a sentiment on this one as I am not sure what I am going to use it for.

Anyhow, we are now into the second week of the challenge you have until Friday to enter. For more DT inspiration get yourself over to the Fantasy Stamper Blog. Join in why don’t ya!! Just don’t forget we want to see stamping on your project!

World Card Making Day 2014

 

Well, apparently it is world card making day today so I hope you are all doing your bit.

Not that I need much of an excuse to make cards – it’s been a real marathon as usual to build up stocks for my MacMillan Open House. I’m still trying to use up kits/CDs as well, though that could well take me another couple of years…

Anyhow, Happy World Card Making Day and here’s a selection of what I’ve been up to recently, nothing too fancy just putting bits together, it’s been about volume not technique LOL…. and not a dimensional flower in sight….

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Today I have to make a commissioned 21st card to quite a specific brief. Fortunately I’ve actually found all the bits I need in my stash so hopefully that won’t take too long. It’s grey and rainy here today, perfect excuse for spending the day in the craft room – though I did manage to do a bit of gardening this morning and freeze beans from my friend’s allotment, domestic goddess that I am.

Have a great day!

Wednesday 1 October 2014

September Art Draw Winner

Oh dear, not many players this month, what am I doing wrong LOL?

Anyhow the winner is Annette Reed. I have no idea if I should have your addy Annette but if you can let me have your snail mail I will get it off to you as soon as I can.

And put my thinking cap on for next month....... maybe I'll just do a flower pop.......

Cheers,

Cindy

What’s on Your Workdesk? Wednesday #278

Morning Deskers!! Happy WOYWW!! Finally made it, been a hectic few weeks with holidays, work and getting ready for my Macmillan Open House. Which went very well, we made £300 on the day so I was very pleased.

But back to business, here’s how to find out about WOYWW and here’s my desk:

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Empty I know but my craft room was all tidied up for Monday because I put all the things for sale in here. All that is out is the little bit of decoupage I cut out last night while watching tv. The little flower pop pot is there because someone asked me to customise one with a special message. Here is the collection I made for sale – I  think they are so cute!

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Didn’t sell many, so don’t look too close you may get one………

And can you see the little christmas tree? Made that last night playing with some new 6x6 papers…. (well I felt I deserved some retail therapy yesterday after all that hard work…. I’ll post a proper picture of those when I’ve finished a couple more.

Also wanted to flag this up – FLOOD THE STREET WITH ART. I was sent an invite by Kay Parke. Now, I haven’t been about much the last couple of weeks so you  may all have seen it already but it’s an interesting idea and I think I’ll join in – maybe you will too? Haven’t decided what I might do yet, maybe ATCs (I have quite a few ready anyhow, I’ll just change the backing on the back).

As I was about to finish writing this have just heard the sad news regarding Alice Gross, a local teenager who has been missing for a month. Gutted. We were all hoping and praying. The whole area is covered in yellow ribbons. Hold those you love especially close to you today and count your blessings. My heart goes out to that poor family. Cindy x

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? #771

  Morning deskers, welcome to our weekly Wednesday Blog Hop - WOYWW. Here's the link to the one responsible, the lovely   Julia at Stamp...