Barbed Wire Day!

Today I felt like making barbed wire!!!

I usually explain how I did it but today?

Today....I'm not in the mood....today I feel like shouting but as there is no one to shout at here I'm going to shout at my blog!!!

Suffice to say the words are the title of a song that won Celine Dion the Eurovision Song Contest and it was played at Pip's funeral.....'nuff said I think!

Thanks for looking :)

xoxo Sioux

P.S. If Ann Widdicombe does not get booted off Strictly tonight I'm going to be in one hell of a mood later! HOL

P.P.S. Whilst I might not strictly do "Art Journalling" I work my angst out in other ways ;)

Strictly Trick or Treat!

It's very much a "trick or treat" sort of thing for me watching Strictly Come Dancing this year!

One of those programmes me & Phil both liked

...in fact I'd go so far as to say Pip loved it with a passion!

Now Pip did not dance...he would send himself up in other ways....but dancing in front of other people?.....Strictly a no no!

Perhaps that is why he admired the people who went on the show?

This week especially was very hard to watch....I think it was the theatricality of the Hallowe'en show that got to me...I know for sure that it would have appealed to Pip's showman tendencies :)

Well after all the sobbing and a sighing I have to say

...Ooh! Taa..ra...ra!

...Ooh! Jim..ee...eee!

...Ooh! Scott....te..taa!!!

Loved...loved the show tonight...yes...even Ann Widdicombe could not make me wish she was not there!!!

However.....dearest Ann....I do feel you do not look as if you are trying and that to Pip would have been a no no!!! LOL

So dear Ann....I'm sorry but I think the time has come for you to go!

xoxo Sioux

Claret and Blue - SCD

I'll confess I had in mind to make something different when I chose the colour combo "Claret and Blue" for the SCD challenge this week!

I was going to make a scrapbook page to remember my dear departed Phil's love of Burnley F.C. (they play in Claret and Blue) - at least he lived to see them make it into the Premier League ...pity he also knew they were going straight back down again!

- but I just could not do it....not as strong as I thought I was!!

On the bright side it meant that I made this birthday card instead for a dear friend who is madder on Burnley F.C. than Phil ever was.....as he lives not far from Burnley he very rarely misses a match!.....Phil only got to see them when they were on the television.

Stamped the T!m David in DI aged mahogany then masked and stamped the T!m numbers in faded jeans
...over stamped this with a Paperartsy number stamp in Colour Box Pigment Ink Sea glass and colored the iris with DI broken china
...edged with DI tea dye and coloured the face a little with it too
....matted and layered onto two pieces of card one coloured with DI black soot and one aged mahogany
...word fragments using Studio G letters....I do so love those :)

So what will you make this week with the colours Claret and Blue? We are all looking forward to seeing your takes on this over at SCD ;)

Thanks for looking and happy stamping

xoxo Sioux

Boo! Hallowe'en Hanging

Last year I played along with some Hallowe'en challenges and then made a few other bits and bob's with a Hallowe'en theme with the intention to hang them all together as one finished piece.
Well...........Things happened and it languished in a box and never got done!

But at long last here it is.....the whole finished piece!
Hope you think it was worth waiting for!!! HOL

The base is cardboard covered with scrapbook paper.....need to start using some of the pile instead of stroking it for pleasure! HOL

....added some black acrylic paint to grunge it down a bit

....bit of drift wood to hang it....the twine wrapped up the boxes that my friends new patio furniture came in.....could not help myself just had to rescue it!!! LOL

....the white stuff behind the large tag is some UTEE waste from the workshop I went to in September...thought it looked good as ghostly ectoplasm!! HOL

Well there are layers a plenty and plenty of stamping on this Hallowe'en hanging so just for the fun of it I'm linking it to The Artistic Stamper monthly challenge ('cos I can't win you know...being on the DT)....but you could!!!
All you need to do is make a piece of art, a card, ATC, wall art, altered art... just use some stamping and the theme... and... if you use Artistic Stamper stamps on your entry you will be entered into the draw twice! The prize is £15 worth of stamps from the Artistic Stamper shop... along with the KlingOn to mount them onto...I hope you get chance to play at the challenge... it is open until October 31st and the winner is chosen by Random.org and announced the following week.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping :)

xoxo Sioux

Yellows and Greens - SCD

It was teamie Ang who chose the colour combo of

"Yellows and Greens"

at SCD this week :)

I've chosen to make an ATC again.

Thought I'd give some of my other inks an airing and used Adirondack Dye Butterscotch to blend across the ATC

...stamped the door (Art Impressions) in Adirondack Archival black and then masked

...stamped a tree from (Stamp Attack) in shades of Adirondack Dye Lettuce and Bottle over the background and removed the mask

....coloured the door with Copic colours

...added a few more sprigs of greenery to the foreground (again Art Impressions)

...Studio G letters to create the word fragments

Hope you are inspired to make something this week and share it with us at SCD 'cos don't forget as long as you use the colour combo you can make anything you like ;)
It's been fab looking at all your creations :)

Thanks for looking and happy stamping :)

xoxo Sioux

Free As A Bird for The Artistic Stamper

I'm sharing an ATC over on the The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog today

Curious? Then just hop on over to The Creative Team Blog for all the details.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping
xoxo Sioux

Spooky Coffee!

I noticed T!m was sharing an Hallowe'en project using his die shapes on his blog today.

....so I'm sharing my spooky coffee I had on Saturday courtesy of a T!m die and the lovely person who gave me the die shape and the negative to do this with!! Thanks again :)

Thanks for looking.......I'm off for another spooky coffee!!! LOL

Ooh! BTW I wonder what the QVC special value is at midnight...I'm sort of hoping it might be that Vagabond....but I've got a funny feeling it won't be!!!

I'll be tuning in anyway for a look see if I can keep my eyes open.....I'm a bit prone to falling asleep all of a sudden with no prior warning on the settee at the mo!!

Will have to set my alarm!!! HOL.....I'll be wide awake at 9 though for RA in Spooks :)

xoxo Sioux

Dont' Walk Under The Spooky Tree!

As part of the ongoing saga of the Halowe'en hangy piece that I started over a year ago now...here is another element that I made today - an ATC
...did you sing along to Don't sit under the apple tree as you read it? I did! LOL

Masked the ATC to drag DI scattered straw to make the moon

....masked this circle and dragged DI milled lavender across the rest of the background only it had become a bit contaminated with black somehow and it's a more blended colour but looks fine I suppose LOL!

....the T!m tree is a bit more chunkier than the real die cut would be as I don't have that Vagabond yet....and used a die cut very kindly given to me (you know who you are and thanks) to trace round and cut by hand

....dragged DI black soot to colour and stamped the T!m eye onto the trunk in Versicolour boysenberry....what is it with the colour purple it never seems to reproduce well on my photo's!

....stamped the T!m skellibob in Archival black
...I have to admit that it was not the way I had intended as stupido me completely forgot to mask off the tree!!!.....I had wanted just the ribs and head to be peeking out from behind it! HOL
....should have had more forethought and just stamped it on the background before sticking the tree down! Hey Ho! ;)

...Studio G letters to make the word fragments.

Just for the fun of it I'm linking my layers of stamping ATC to The Artistic Stamper monthly challenge ('cos I can't win you know...being on the DT)....You've got plenty of time to enter still as the closing date is October 31st....spooky time!
There is a random candy prize on offer too from the generous Jennie so it's defo worth playing along ;

Thanks for looking and happy stamping :)

xoxo Sioux

Orange and Black - SCD

It's Dawn's colour choice of Orange and Black this week over at SCD and it kick started me into making some extra elements to complete a wall hanging I started last year around this time!! Thanks Dawn :)

So what did I make?... I made a moo...in fact I made two moo's!

Dragged DI wild honey around the edge and stippled DI rusty hinge in the centre

...stamped the Inkadinkadoo eyes in Archival black then masked them

...the stamped bit that looks like animal print I got really excited about (sad or what! LOL) it is a Prima alphabet stamp and I thought it would just look cool as a background but when I'd done it it looked like this! Yeh!
....dragged tea dye and rusty hinge around the tattered edges
...added glossy accents to the eyes and Studio G letters finished it off
Those words will always remind me of Pip....he was a great one for remembering one liners from films and using them constantly in an everyday context :)
This one is from The Devil Rides Out

The second moo uses the same colour ink
...the sentiment is my own acrylic stamp
...the background feather image that looks a bit like flames is a Lawrence Lewellyn-Bowen stamp from Trimcraft that I was lucky to win as part of my Craft Stamper of the Year prize :)

Not long now and my year will be up and someone new will be Stamper of the Year
....have you entered? Good luck if you have :)

I have not got round to finishing the hangy piece yet but will try to do that and post it in the next couple of days.
Don't forget you can make anything for SCD this week as long as you use the colour scheme....does not have to be Hallowe'en...although the combo is ideal ;)

Thanks for looking and happy stamping

xoxo Sioux

Eat your heart out Dan Brown!

Sorry bit of a long post coming up!;)

What auspicious thing did you do on 10.10.10?
Me?
I read some of the Sunday paper....still got some to finish!
........I scarified the lawn....realised half the lawn no longer existed!....Had to drive to the garden centre for lawn seed and feed and apply and then water 'cos just as you want it to rain it decides to be bright and sunny!!!
...had to sort out the small shed so that my new electric scarifier could actually be put away!
....by this time my back is telling me it's time to quit!! LOL

...made Quiche Lorraine for dinner....my back is still telling me it's time to quit!!!

....decided to collapse in a heap eat dinner and watch Strictly results.....not fair that Goldie had to go....as much as Peter Shilton is an icon to the football fans out there...as a mover and shaker he is decidedly lacking...and I know at the minute Ann Widdicombe is obviously the comedy slot this year....but as a dancer she is even more lacking....I know it's a "journey" but not sure I can travel with either one for very long ;)

So what's this all got to do with Dan Brown? LOL

Well....I noticed that The Da Vinci Code was on later and I've not seen that yet so watched it and then it reminded me that I had this post ready and waiting to add the pictures.

One of the most amazing things about Valencia was the fact I lived out a bit of a fantasy connected with King Arthur/The Knights Templar/The Da Vinci Code et al
(although Dan Brown has got it all wrong in my opinion! LOL) as I got to see the Holy Grail!!

No...seriously..........THE Holy Grail!!!

Now please don't be sceptical....because this particular Holy Grail, yes I know there are a few, has (unlike all the rest) never actually been disproved.

Makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up doesn't it?!

The Cathedral in Valencia which houses the artifact is a fabulous mix of both Gothic

..and Baroque architecture and it is absolutely stunning!

....in one of the little chapels off the main church is the Holy Grail Chapel where the Grail is on display above an alter and where the people of Valencia can have a wedding ceremony.

Wow...what a place to be married!

We were lucky to be there just as a wedding had ended and pictures were being taken......unfortunately this also meant that we could not get as close to the Grail as normally allowed so that's the reason for the arrow pointing at it I'm afraid.

As we left the cathedral we met up with the rest of the gang who had gone for a drink and a sit in the shade

...I decided to take a little walk down an enticing alleyway I had seen previously...that small passage opened up into this

....Love that bridge affair going across the lane

...then ending up in a square at the back of the cathedral where this red car (sorry have not got the faintest idea what make it is but it is fab!)  was waiting to whisk the newlyweds away :)

I'm afraid my pictures really do not do the place justice...you will just have to go and find out for yourself!....I promise you will not be disappointed :)

xoxo Sioux

Listen to your Heart - For The Artistic Stamper

I'm sharing a card over on the The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog today

Curious? Then just hop on over to The Creative Team Blog for all the details.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping
xoxo Sioux

ATC's from Ossie!

That would be from Oswaldtwistle and not from the dark man of rock Ossie Osborne!! HOL

...although who knows?...maybe he makes ATC's in his spare time!! Even more HOL

Anyway...I have been very remiss in not posting a picture of these fabulicious ATC's that I swapped at the workshop held by Lindsay Mason at The Dawn Bibby Design Studio.

Brown Beauty - She
Friendship - Joanne
The Giggles - Heather
Friends - Gez
Nature - Chris

Here is a picture of 5 happy people at the workshop who spookily also happened to have taken part in Heathers Chunky Grungy book swap :)

Joanne - Sioux (possibly the first and last time you will see my photo here!) - She - Gez - Heather

And here is Lindsay of course who is displaying the smaller of the matchbox shrines she made....which I have still not managed to find time to complete as yet!
..Hangs head in shame! :(

Lindsay was also in the grungy book swap but could not be in the group photo as she was the one taking the picture with my camera! Thanks Lindsay :) Thanks for a great class too...I learnt a lot and have now got a new very, very, very favourite technique of image transfer onto sticky back canvas :) :)

It was truly a day to remember for so many reasons...a lot of which I cannot put into words but here goes :)

....meeting lovely people who I have connected with through the power of the net for the first time

...Amazing!

....taking my first workshop...well two actually as there was a morning session making a mirror and the afternoon one making matchbox shrines

...Amazing!

...receiving my first Chunky Book

...Amazing!

...my first time eating lunch in a motor home - thanks for the hospitality Joanne ;)

...Amazing!

...time flying by faster than a speeding bullet

...Amazing!

...being absolutely pooped out for 2 days afterwards

...Amazing!

Sharing a crafting morning shopping, having coffee and cake - and realising time had flown by yet again

...Amazing!

Thanks for a wonderful time...it's been a bleak period recently for me

...some days it still is...suddenly togetherness vanished after 33 years of marriage!

...but it was refreshing to feel normal again....although some of you might question that looking at my photo!!! HOL

xoxo Sioux

Purple and Green - SCD

Whoops!.....I said to myself.....or words to that effect! LOL

Purple! and green?....That's Carol's colour choice for us this week at SCD ;)

.....well it is a challenge!.......my previous attempts with purple have not been good so was not expecting much of myself......however I am pretty pleased with how this ATC turned out although the colours don't seem to be showing up well as the outer line of dots are defo purple and the inner dots are defo green!

Stippled background with DI's shabby shutters and peeled paint

....stamped the Paperarsty winged thing in Adirondack eggplant and added some aubergine glitter to accent the wings
(again the colours are off as this looks more like black on my screen !)

....stamped the T!m swirl in DI dusty concord

...stamped the Paperartsy sentiment in Adirondack wild plum

...added Adirondack dimensional acrylic dots in eggplant and pesto.

Go on.......challenge yourself this week!

Make anything you like for SCD as long as you use the colour combo purple and green :)

Thanks for looking and happy stamping

xoxo Sioux

New Links!

I'm playing about with my side bar links!

I'm a bit fed up with having to go to the dashboard to see the blogs I follow and then have to go to my favourites folder in IE to see other blogs that do not have the follow link or all the other interesting bloggy places that are not on blogger at all........if you get my drift....that I want to see the updates on.

There is probably a different way to achieve this but it's the route I'm taking so if you find that you had a link on my side bar and it vanishes.....I still love you :)....I'm in the middle of making sure all that used to be there is transfered!!!

Let me know if you think I've missed you off!

xoxo Sioux

Thank You CAS! For The Artistic Stamper

Some of the eagle eyed amongst you may have already noticed my name went live on The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog last week........but today?
HEY! It's official and I can now feel part of the team as I get to show you my first piece :)

I know it's not like me.....you know how very messy I can get don't you?!

But I thought this divine Gibson Girl from The Artistic Stamper deserved to shine on her own :) so this "clean and simple" card evolved.

....Well....actually.....it may be simple but it is still a bit on the grungy side!!! HOL

Curious? Then just hop on over to The Creative Team Blog for all the details.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping
xoxo Sioux

Joanne's Candy Surprise

If you have read Lindsay Mason's blog recently you will know that I scared the $#;!% out of everyone on the workshop when I let out a very loud scream

......they must have all thought I had stuck my finger in hot UTEE! HOL

The real reason was this fab ATC from Joanne and you have to see it as I did

...first....Joanne passed it to me with the back on view

....so I read it

.....then I turned it over

.....then I screamed with delight!

....well you know I do like Richard!!!

This was soooooooo perfect...the numbers....the eye peeking at the edge...the music notes...the dictionary fragment...the gorgeous wing charm
.....and of course RA leaping out at me!!

....Is it any wonder I screamed?!!!

Thanks so much for making this for me Joanne I will truly treasure this......and the day forever :)

xoxo Sioux

Thrilling News!

Some of the eagle eyed amongst you may have already noticed my name went live over here

last week :)

I can't tell you how thrilled I was

......well actually I can as I'm doing it now aren't I? ;).....

when Jennie (The Boss) and Hels (Creative Co-Ordinator) asked me to join The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog :)

I am in awe that I will be creating alongside Hels......she who does amazing things with frames and what's that paint she uses?...Ah yes Trad Tan! LOL

Jennie...she who creates amazing stamps and does things with unusual stuff in a Melt Pot! LOL

Nicky a.k.a. Minxy......she who does amazing things with?...Well just about anything! LOL

Tina.....she who is the amazing cute queen over there! LOL

As it's the first of the month the new challenge is up and it's "Layers"....so we will all have to have a go at that 'cos if you use Artistic Stamper stamps on your entry you are in the draw twice for the fabby prize on offer!

I start the journey officially with my first post on 4th October and I hope you can pop along then to see what I've been up to!

In the mean time check back often as there is new art work posted all the time!

Until then.....keeeeeeeeep stamping!

(Whoops.......sorry...I just can't wait for Strictly to start tonight!!)

xoxo Sioux

P.S. If you have arrived expecting to see my Something Completely Different DT piece you can see it here.

Shades of Autumn - SCD

A new month and a new month of themes at SCD  and we are having colour combo's as our inspiration so that you can make whatever you like! :) Sounds good to me ;)

The lovely Gez has chosen the colour palette this week at SCD and it's Shades of Autumn incorporating oranges, golds and browns.

I decided to make an ATC.

Stamped the T!m man (I do like a man who looks smart!) in Archival and coloured with copic markers

....masked him and stippled the background with spiced marmalade and brushed corduroy

...stamped the Paperartsy numbers in a second stamped wild honey

...cut slits at the side of the mans arms and inserted the wings (Paperartsy) that had been stamped in Stazon onto some gold Cava wrapper

....got to try to make some inroads into the stash I've built up!! HOL

...word fragment Paperartsy and the edges tattered and inked with walnut stain.

So.....what takes your fancy this week?.....a card?....an ATC?....a tag?

Does not matter what you make for the SCD challenge this week as long as you follow the chosen colour palette :)...Simples!

Thanks for looking and happy stamping :)

xoxo Sioux

P.S. Come back a bit later today and I'll be sharing my thrilling news! :) :)