Fantasy Stampers Challenge #18 – Hearts & Flowers

Well honestly, what’s not to like about this fortnights Challenge at Fantasy Stampers? Remember you can join in with any kind of project, but it MUST include some stamping. 

 

Here’s my DT piece, suitably resplendent in hearts and of course, flowers!!-

 

 

base: Large Prima Tag

Main Stamp: Gorjuss – I gave you My Heart

Background Stamp (embossed) Meredith Fenwick Designs – Heart Stamp Four

Distress Inks – Worn Lipstick and Pickled Raspberry

Misc Hand made and purchase flowers

Don’t forget to visit the Fantasy Stampers Challenge Blog for some truly delightful inspiration from the DT and to link your projects.

Shhhhhhhhhh…. it’s a **th birthday

 

My bestie had a milestone birthday this week so of course  I had to make a special card.

However, I was NOT allowed to add any numbers or make references to free bus travel……even though I did point out to her that the top left hand corner was crying out for two big glittery numbers…………………….In the end though as I do treasure our friendship I decided to comply.

She does however love sunflowers, so this is the card I was making them for the other week. It’s a box card, and there on the LHS I added a pocket to put her present, vouchers for afternoon tea and a theatre and dinner trip. 

    

Now, I am pretty sure I saw a similar card some time ago around the internet, which is why the idea was in my head and I do like to acknowledge it when I CASE someone else’s project. However couldn’t remember where it was from, and a google image search of handmade cards with sunflowers and fence just served to show that it probably isn’t that original an idea and so if you are one of the many consider yourself duly acknowledged please!!

That’s all for today, hope yours is full of sunshine!

Vintage journey… A little Touch of Tim

Found a new to me challenge-that-I-will-probably-never-have-time-to-enter-again at A Vintage Journey. I don’t quite where I’ve been lately to miss this one as I follow most of the DTs blogs already. However the current challenge is to keep it small, and create an ATC in the style of Tim Holtz. As a first time entrant (and there’s only a week to go in this challenge) I thought I would also keep it as simple as possible, using the following techniques I associate with a Tim Holtz style.

- distress background created with stains and water

- inking through stencils to create layers/depth

- background stamping with distress ink (ditto above)

- Stamped sentiment/quote using black archival

- shabby flowers (tiny ones!!), grungeboard leaves highlighted with distress stickles

- distressed edges

On this occasion everything I used bar the background card, masks  and string was a TH product although that isn’t essential.

Here’s another similar one.

 

 

I often work in two’s or three’s so I can see what effect anything I do is going to have and maybe change my mind for the finished piece. I’m a bit out of practice with ATCs (it’s quite a small space!!) and think I could have placed my elements a bit better but not too shabby overall. Shame the cost of posting has strangled ATC swapping they are a nice way to play.

It was good to get a bit inky… now what to do next…….

BLOG HOP ALERT!! The Creative Blog Hop

I have been asked by Elizabeth from the silver scrapper’s craft space  to participate in the Creative Blog Hop. The hop includes all sorts of creative bloggers and takes place on Mondays. Elizabeth is a long time crafter, scrapper and family historian who has successfully tried out many different techniques and media and we have ‘known’ each other a while now.

But basically this post is ALL ABOUT ME. Oh and I’m going to send you on a little journey to visit some other truly awesome peeps at the end. (That’s probably going to be the best bit).

I gave Elizabeth a bio, so if you haven’t come from there you might want to pop back there and read it. If you have clicked through then you’ll have skimmed it already so I won’t bore you with it again.

NEXT I’ve been asked to answer a few questions (truly I’m not sure I understand all of them) – I’ll try not to be too longwinded!……and I’ll put some pictures in because they do say a picture paints a 1,000 words (and I know you’ll never read a thousand words)

1. What am I working on now?

What, right this minute? Here you go.

Any or all of the above. No idea what the result will be though.Phew that was easy.

(Actually right this minute I’m off to craft with my mum and will probably take some decoupage to cut out as it’s mindless and portable but that’s not a very exciting picture).

2.How does my work differ from others in my genre?

Genre? Me? Well mainly cards, MM and papercrafting and honestly I don’t think I’m different to anyone else – but I do like to try different things. Sometimes they work. (Sometimes they are just OK).

3. Why do I create what I do?

- It’s an itch that needs to be scratched.

- It keeps me sane, balanced and fulfilled.

- It keeps me curious. And my mind and hands occupied.

- I like to glue stuff together.

(And there is so much stash in this room I can’t stop now!!)

 

 

4.How does my creative process work?

(Mmmmm. You mean there is a process? No one told me!!)

OK. Seriously, lots of ways, all of them instinctive rather than rational. I have always said I have good technical abilities - I can copy a ‘thing’, make a ‘thing’, do a ‘style’ but I’m not so sure I have one of my own or that I have a really good imagination. I don’t think I could create a new ‘look’. I look a lot at real artists (ie everyone else) and watch endless demos trying to work out what it is I like about a piece. If I can do something similar I am happy and I love it if I feel I have created something worth looking at, touching, or giving to someone special. 

-  I like techniques. If some effect gets my interest piqued, I want to work out how to do it, whether it’s how to make a flat swirly rose (epic fail), using the melt pot to make waxed flowers (almost another epic fail) or doing a successful image transfer the hard way. (Epic!!)

-  Sometimes I just like messing about with paint and ink and seeing what happens.

Now the final part of this blog hop is to ‘tag’ three other creative bloggers. I have been woefully unsuccessful in finding anyone with time to commit to this but I didn’t want to let down my tagger Elizabeth by withdrawing. So I have had a trawl back through the blog hop (really worth doing!) and I am going to re-link three peeps who have already taken part – I can’t keep the thing moving exponentially but I can keep it in a loop and hopefully encourage some more visitors to their blogs. Here are my 3 suggestions, but really it was very hard to choose.

- Julie Harrison of little woollie – as the name suggests a yarn enthusiast.I  have linked to her creative Blog hop post back in June but please don’t stop there! I know you will love it if you take time to have a look around.

- Julie Kirk of notes on paper a talented, funny, sassy young lady who says she does her best crafting when “I'm happy, comfortable, awake ... and wearing something with an elasticated waistband.” Truly a girl after my own heart.

- Deena of A Creative Need a creative card maker and digital artist and designer with a fresh unique style.

Thanks for staying with me through this, it’s a bit of a marathon!  I’d love it if you would leave a message to say ‘hi’. Every month I run a giveaway and inflict some of my old tat on an unsuspecting victim. This month it’s a box thing. So as an incentive I’ll add anyone who leaves a comment here to the draw to win it.

(Whether they want me to or not. That’ll show up who reads to the end).

That’s all folks.

Nature Swap

This month I took part in a Nature themed Swap in a facebook group that I belong to. I decided I really had to use those Tim Holtz Stamps and Dies (French Flight) and I also had a rather sweet MDF butterfly base in my stash.

After painting the edges I added some blue patterned paper from my stash and then did various bits of nature themed stamping. The butterflies I stamped and embossed with white embossing powder. A large flower (yep, you guessed it, Arianna blooms again) also embossed in white which I think made a rather stunning flower. I think the recipient liked it, I have to make one for myself now!!

 

What’s on Your Work Desk? Wednesday #272

Morning deskers!! (Click on the button for more WOYWW info)

 

 

 

Tight desk shots today and honestly I am still pretty tidy after clearing up on Sunday. This week I am mainly working on UFOs (see previous post). These ‘frames’ were the waste from something else. Couldn't bear to throw them away but fed up moving them round the desk so thought I’d use them on a card.

In true BP fashion - Here are some I did last night LOL.

And on the other desk, a card to be finished – no idea where that guitar topper came from it was in a folder of vintage images. Still it’s another male card for the MM Open Day, took 2 mins!! Someday soon I am going to ink that rubber – yep that stamp set has been loitering for nearly a year. And I really really am going to have done something with those flowers by the end of the day…… Promise.

Am on a mission to get my UFO’s sorted because I want to get on and  do something different – not sure what yet but it certainly won’t be a card!!

And dear deskers, if you’ve got a min, pop on over to my Monthly Art Draw post for August and join in. Been getting so few entries am thinking I will wind it up after the Tim Holtz Tag set next January if take up doesn’t improve.  There’s no catch, it’s free and anyone can join in. I can’t believe no one likes receiving objet d’art mail, even if it is just my old tat!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!!

UFO’s

Actually I usually call them WIPS (Works in Progress) but UFOs (Un-Finished Objects) is a little funnier. I’ve got a zillion of ‘em. Wanting to do ‘art’ on Sunday (it was cold in the garden) but not having much mojo I tidied my craft room then sat down to tackle a few.

Probably wasn’t the best idea…….

This  tag has been sitting around for months. I had been trying to use up some old vellum stickers over a stencilled background. It looked OK but I didn’t really have a feel for where it was going. The Gorjuss stamps were out for another project so I stamped and coloured one and added some flowers (also old stash I’m trying to use up). Feel a bit blah about this one but at least it’s finished and can go in my ‘giftable tags’ box rather than the bin. (If you ever see anything you like do shout, it’s getting a bit full as you can see. And yes I am that sad). 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This tag just needed a string. It features possibly the most pointless die purchase ever. It’s from Tonic and I really liked it when I saw it at a show, now I can’t decide what to do with it and I’ve ever only used it this once.

Possibly just my lack of imagination.

 

A third tag for the box. This one was a Timmy Tag variation I think, and also just needed a string. It looked a bit flat so I stuck a word on it as well. And glossed it. Blah.

 

 

 

 

 

Really fed up with moving this MM piece about. It started off with an image transfer that didn’t quite come off but was interesting enough to keep. The rose covering up the bits of the transfer that didn’t work is from a set of weird laser cut shapes I have (they smell funny and are very odd paper) which I had coloured, then clear embossed. Butterflies - just some die cuts I had. I added some gilding flakes and a transfer. Still  not happy. Stuck another flower on. Decided to add a word or two – ‘embrace imperfection’ caught my eye and made me laugh. Ironically. Even they wouldn’t stick on in the place where I wanted them to go. Still, done now, no more faffing or I’ll start regretting that second flower.

That’s it for now, but on a mission to clean up more of these UFOs (yep – giggled again)….. more to follow!!

More Vintage (and flowers) from me…

Another birthday card for a friend. This one was actually my first attempt at using the Arianna Blooms die. So pretty. Please get used to it, I think I will be playing with this set for a while.

I decided to go for a different shape with this rocker style card and rather than an image just added a bit of text on the central topper – I think the flowers do most of the work actually. The butterfly is from my other fave new set. More to come!!!

By The Sea for Fantasy Stampers Challenge #17

Goodness another two weeks have flown by.

This fortnight at Fantasy Stampers we are looking for stamped projects around the theme of ‘By The Sea’.

 

When thinking what to do I immediately knew I wanted to use the Crafty Individuals stamp set CI-284 – I just love this image of young girls at the seaside. (Unfortunately the bunting stamp has gone walkies so I had to improvise with the bunting!!)

I have a few other CI seaside stamp sets and they were pressed into use for beach huts, shells and backgrounds along with various stamps for Paper Artsy. I love how this little hanging turned out and had great fun putting all the bits and bobs together.

So now it’s your turn!! Don’t forget  as long as there is some stamping on your project we’d love you to link up with our challenge. Have a good day!!

Birthday Cards

Gosh I do seem to know a lot of peeps with birthdays this month. And I have actually  been managing to get them in the post on time.

It’ll never last.

Here’s 2 more that should have been received by now. I have been in a bit of a spotty phase lately.

What’s On Your Workdesk? Wednesday, #271

Morning Deskers!!

Well. I am not exactly ashamed of todays desk as there is evidence of crafting. However I think I will entitle my offering today ‘What happens when you get involved with lots of projects at once and keep going onto the next thing without finishing the first or putting anything away’. I’m sure we’ve have been there. (And I don’t need to know if you haven’t).

First we have the window desk. I have been making sunflowers. You can’t see very well but that little guy is kinda cute.What may not be obvious to you is that there are still stamps, dies and paints on the desk from finished projects. I am in fact working on top of my dies that are attached (fortunately) to a magnetic sheet when they should be filed away. This of course is how one loses things.

  Second desk, well it has been a flower frenzy this week. You can see all the detritus from the sunflower making and some of the other flowers I have been faffing around with. Yet to find a project for most of them and loath to put them away – out of sight out of mind so to speak. My gorgeous LLJ tote on the bag of the chair – still unpacked from a crafty sess at Mum’s on Monday.

Oh goodness just spotted dies ON THE FLOOR. Helen would feel right at home. Really need to tidy up I think, this is just about as messy as I can bear.

So that’s me this week, pop over to Stamping Ground to link your desk or just to find out what I’m on about. Say ‘hi’ why don’t ya. Whatever you do, have a great Wednesday.

Monthly Art Draw – Ooh la la it’s August!!

Well, this month, indeed this year, are flying!! Been such a lovely summer, Hurricane Bertha notwithstanding. Hope you are all safe after that dreadful weather yesterday – it practically missed us down South and that was bad enough. Beautiful day today though, nice and breezy so washing going out as soon as I’ve done this.
But to business. Here is this month’s giveaway.

I used a template from the Dreamees Templates and More CD to make the box frame and just a load of stamping and cutting of bits from various stamp sets to a Paris theme. Lace, wooden embellies and hand made flowers. The template worked very well although I do wonder if the centre couldn’t do with some additional support. Anyhoo, usual rules apply, if you want to be put in the draw for this then leave a comment on this post before 9.00 pm on Sunday August 31st. Overseas players welcome, please feel free to link from your own blogs – if you let me know you have I’ll put you in the draw twice. Simples.
I am linking this into a couple of challenges;
Artistic Stamper – (August) Anything Goes
Altered Eclectics – (August) Anything Goes/MM/Not a card
Right I’m off!!

Waiting impatiently and another bloomin’ birthday card….

This one is for one of my besties, and indeed she is one of my best card customers as well though her very precise specifications do give me a giggle at times (although nothing will ever beat a polar bear, coffee, chocolate and Yoda). She does however like a flower, some bling and a bit of personalisation so that is what she got for her own card.

The fancy die cut bits are a Sue Wilson Die, and the flowers are made using my Heartfelt Creations Arianna blooms stamp. These stamp really well!! Unfortunately I AM STILL WAITING for the matching die to arrive, so had to cut them out by hand. Not too big a hardship but the die would be quicker. I hope you feel my pain. GRIN.

What a pair!!

Forgot to post these – I made them for a swap last month. Just a bit of fun – the theme was food, and although I do have plenty of cupcake stuff, this idea popped in my head and wouldn’t go away. It doesn’t happen that often so I have to go with the flow when it does.

Could be a christmas tree decoration, what do you think? Bonus was they folded down flat to post!! (Of course as usual I hadn’t considered that before starting).

Have a good day. I’m off to work today then 5 whole days to myself till I have to go again. It’s very hard work when I’m there, but apart from the 8.00pm finish on a Thursday (which I hate) I am liking this new timesheet, 2 or 3 day weeks and 5 or 4 day weekends.

Simply Bloomin’ Lovely…

Sometimes simple things work the best.

The large card is a birthday card made very simply with a large flourish (HOTP Viney Swirl) and three bright and cheerful flowers (you may recall they were  on my WOYWW desk last week) and a stamped sentiment.

I thought the negative of the die was too good to waste and fortunately I had cut it on a piece of card big enough for an A6 card. Another big flower and sentiment and all done. Do love a quickie, GRIN.

What’s on Your Workdesk? Wednesday #

Morning Deskers! A bright(ish) morning today in London and a day at home for me and sad tho it is I wouldn’t mind an excuse to stay at my craft desk all day.

Here are some photos of my desk – I was trying to get both desks in this one but it just ended up dark.

Weirdly this little desk remains the one I seem to gravitate to (maybe because there is some space on it). New stamp and die STILL on corner of desk but at least they have been out of packet. Buttons and die cut flower – literally, something I tried out at 1.00 am last night before I went to bed. Heaven only knows why it was so important. A half finished tag and the ‘funny shaped thing’ still visible from last week. Half finished card. A little MM piece that is still not finished and may end up in the bin very soon. I really cannot decide what to with it. And a tease of something rather nice I did yesterday under that dishcloth.

 

So for an explanation for the casual visitor or to join up your desk go here.

Leave me a comment if you have the time and inclination and I will return the favour.

Whatever you do have a wonderful Wednesday.

a 21st birthday card..

My son’s girlfriend is 21 this weekend and as usual although I have made a ton of cards this week I forgot to do the ones for people who actually have birthdays!!

So here it is, a bit of a cop out (well a 21 is hardly original…. and it’s all digi) but it’ll have to do.

Oh the fiddle I had trying to get the ‘Happy Birthday Annabel’ going round in a circle. Not helped by the fact that I forgot that an ellipse is not necessarily a perfect circle… Oh well, maybe I’ll remember how to do it next time!!

Buttons and Bows for Fantasy Stampers

Time for a new challenge at Fantasy Stampers and this fortnight we are looking for a buttons and bows theme on your project – don’t forget you need to have some stamping even if you use real buttons and bows like I did!!  

I decided to go a bit vintage when I read the theme and used stamps from Creative Expressions (bodyform) and Paper Artsy to create the centre topper and background. I added a bit of colour with distress inks and used some kraft card to back the topper.

Hope you like. Don’t forget to pop over to the challenge blog for more inspiration!!

July giveaway winner is…..

NIKKI. Well hun your dream has come true, as I note your comment was ‘I want to touch it!!’ . Can you let me have your address so that I can get the summery tag off to you.

Next Art Draw will be along in a couple of days….. when I have, er, figured out what it is going to be!!