12 Tags of Christmas - Day 1

"On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me - ?"

Well not going to waffle on....barely got time to dream the piece let alone make it! LOL

As I mentioned before I could come unstuck here as I don't have any T!m Christmas stamps but I'll give it a go :) Here is the first tag.

Had to use some chipboard circles for the snowman and heat emboss some snowflakes and drag black acrylic over....couldn't be doing with cutting fiddly arms so found some twiggy bits in the back garden for those! Cut a Santa hat similar to one I made last year (free download available here) and embossed with Disco Black powder, also did this on the nose. Cut the swirl from dotty grunge board (it is the only sort I have) and painted gesso on (no white acrylic!).

Here is a close up to show I really did put some rock candy on the tag....just not as thick as T!m did... it is a big tag and takes a lot to cover it and I'll run out if I need some again in the next 12 days.

Rest is pretty much as T!m showed us so take a look at his 1st tag.

Thanks for looking and Happy Stamping

xoxo Sioux

P.S. I might not be posting every day as T!m is allowing us mere mortals an extra 7 days to finish. I think I just might need the breathing space! LOL

I'm off to bed.....nightie night! :)

Serious Flaw!

I've just realised there is a serious flaw......

in my desire to play along with T!ms' 12 tags of Christmas.

I don't' posses any T!m Christmas stamps!!! LOL

Me thinks a spot of improvisation (that's a tricky word to say after a bottle of rose wine on a Saturday night! HOL) is called for.

Perhaps......seeing as he seems to be a very nice man......he will excuse this small flaw.....I will be using all that I can that is T!m after all!!!

Maybe I will chicken out?..............maybe not!

xoxo Sioux

Journal Girl

I've been blog hopping......you know how it is........you start one place and can sometimes end up somewhere completely different! LOL

I ended up watching some You Tube vids by Teesha Moore about art journaling.......facinating stuff.

I've never made an art journal or any other sort of journal for that matter but am very tempted to try something having watched all these vids......she talks through the whole making of one start to finish. The link above takes you to the first one on painting the pages at the start........although there are two more before that about actually cutting up a large sheet of watercolour paper to make the journal............after that I landed on Teeshas blog and she had posted a fun drawing lesson..........

I've always been a bit of a doodler........doodle whilst on the phone talking to someone etc.......so I suppose this was an accident waiting to happen! LOL I think I could get hooked!!

Anyhow........I've something to show you........something like nothing else I've put on my blog before so please no tittering in the back there!

Here is my attempt at Journal Girl

It is only a small thing on a bit of scrap paper about 8x10 cm.........perhaps I'll draw a bigger one and colour that in........Oh! Please don't ask me what the significance of the wording is 'cos my pen just seemed to take on a mind of it's own as I did it!! LOL

P.S. I had started this journey via Ginny's Small Studio blog (I feel she would be a lovely artistic person to meet.....don't suppose I ever will, but visiting the blog is the next best thing) and she is organising some workshops next year and Teesha is one of the guests so if you are interested.....and you can afford to go to America........keep a watch out for when the class goes on sale.........I know I'd be signing up for this one at least if I won the lottery.

Thanks for looking

Happy doodling!

xoxo Sioux

Be Happy!

I have admired the stamp of this lady for quite a while....it's from Elusive Images........but you know by now I have to be careful what I spend my money on so you can understand how the sale at Graphicus last week sort of tipped me over the edge and I bought it!!!

I have been working on this piece all week when I had a few spare minutes and it was going to be a card for future use but it just seemed to grow like Topsy and it's now hung in a frame and it is definitely staying here on my wall as a cherished piece!!

I'm entering it in this months Graphicus blog challenge which is to use a resist technique and colour scheme metalics.

I stamped the swirls from Dawn Chorus and the top part of the grass the little bird is perched on from the same plate all around the edge in Versamark and clear embossed.......

stamped the words "art" from the lady plate in Versamark and embossed with

Stamp & Stuff pewter........love that............

swooshed DI FJ and SS with a hint of WS onto the craft sheet spritzed with water and dragged the card through it...........stamped Be Happy from the words of wisdom plate in black Staz On.

Stamped the lady in Impress chocolate, masked and stamped a T!m script stamps in DI SS and partially cut out the image...........Made the flowers using the same script stamp using DI TD, SS and WS and drew with an emboss pen round the edges and heat embossed with pewter again.

All layered onto a piece of cream card then a card edged with DI FJ and heat embossed with pewter.....then onto the background made with DI SS and stamped in TD using the script stamp........and what about those metal filigree corners? They cost me a fortune...not!

They were a bargain pack of laser cuts for 50p and I just heat embossed with pewter.

Thanks for looking.

Happy stamping.....I have been this week.

xoxo Sioux

P.S. Here it is in the frame.....if you look close that is DH's fingers holding it while I take the photo.....bless! Just caught a chink of sunlight today.

Whiter shade of pale?

I have been very taken with the fabulous white space cards that Paula often creates and have been wanting to have a go myself......just for the challenge you know!

Not sure that this is "what it says on the tin" as I seem to have stamped all over it!!!

It does appear to fit the Tuesday Taggers theme this week though which is no patterned paper so am entering it there.

I stamped the umbrella man in Impress chocolate onto some card adding one of my own background stamps in DI SS and partially cut out the outline on one side. Stamped my own distressed alphabet stamp onto the background card again in chocolate and a T!m scroll stamp at the opposite bottom corner in DI SS. I stamped the watch face (a freebie from magazine) onto a bit of the tomato paste tube metal that Laura ever so kindly sent me.....fab or what!?......then had a go at trying some embossing onto metal just like Leandra from Paperartsy shows on her blog.....think I must try harder..............but then that stamp was not specifically designed for that technique!! Stamped and cut out the Artifact pen nibs and added my own sentiment stamp.

Thanks for looking.

Happy stamping!

xoxo Sioux

P.S. I'm still waiting for the rubber stamps I won in the Paperartsy draw the other month as the first lot got lost in the post!! Hoping the second lot have not ended up the same way!!!!

Spooks!

Not another Hallowe'en piece I hear you say?

Yep your right it's not! LOL

Just a picture of two people who make Spooks on the BBC worth watching.

I read recently that Richard started out as a dancer.......and what's more his favourite ballroom dance would be the Argentine Tango........I went quite weak at the knees at the thought of that!

I can dream........... :)

.......and Peter? Lets just say that's a long standing thing.........

involving the Double Deckers and Scooper..........Equus/riding naked on a horse.........

and after very infrequent television appearances...........Spooks and Harry!

So glad he did not get terminated last night!

Live as if..........

I think this may be my last Hallowe'en piece for a while.......had to do one last twinchie for the challenge over at Theme Thursday using your favourite colours!

Two of my favourite colours are Spiced Marmalade and Scattered Straw distress inks both used on this twinchie.

I cut a positive and a negative mask to sponge the DI SS and DC onto the textured card and stamped the T!m clock in SM over the SS........stamped the Paperartsy wrought iron in Adirondack wild plum and the corner decal and wording (my own stamp) in black archival.

Over the past few challenges I seem to have inadvertently built up a little collection of Hallowe'en pieces and this twinchie fits nicely with the rest that I am going to make into a wall hanging......

at least that is the intention! LOL

Watch this space.....

Thanks for looking

xoxo Sioux

Don't look at the Eyes!

Here I am again for the inchie month over at SCD with the theme "Hallowe'en".....Yeh!

Did the trick or treaters come your way last night? We don't, as a rule, get many round our house but the bags were at the ready just in case!! In the end not one visitor........looks like we will be munching Haribo's for a while. LOL

Stamped the backgound with DI TD using a Cherry Pie harlequin stamp.........

added a T!m script stamp (barely visable) in Impress chocolate.........

stamped the Inkadinkadoo eye and coloured the eyeball with Adirondack cranberry.......

sponged a bit of DI SM over and hand wrote the word fragments.

"Don't look at the Eyes!"................

for anyone struggling to remember where they have heard the phrase before....................

comes from the film The Devil Rides Out........an all time classic Hammer Horror!......starring a very young Patrick Mower the fabulous Charles Grey and the deliciously spooky Christopher Lee who happened to be playing a goodie in this one instead of the Prince of Darkness for a change!

I read in the paper yesterday that he had been given a gong and is now Sir Christopher Lee.....

Congratulations!

Happy stamping

xoxo Sioux

Little Witches

On first glance you might be asking yourself what on earth has this got to do with the theme "Little Witches" over at TGIF this week!!! Perhaps I can explain my thought process?

Immediately I thought about putting 3 images of different witches onto an ATC......however I could not find 3 different images I liked (I can be sooooooooo fussy LOL).......

then the words good and bad witch started a different thought process............taking me to the Wizard of Oz..............

so googled the red shoes that Dorothy wore and the sort of shoe the Wicked Witch of the East might have worn......

then I was stuck for a third set of shoes and "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly" phrase sneaked in so googled the word ugly and the picture of the crocs popped up so used that!!!

Drew the legs for both the red shoes and the crocks 'cos the pictures were just of the shoes.....thankfully the wicked shoes already had the legs! Inked & stamped the good legs with DI FJ using a T!m script........Inked & stamped the ugly legs with DI SM and Adirondack wild plum using a Cherry Pie harlequin.......added some sparkle to the red shoes and some adirondack acrylic lettuce to the striped stockings. Stamped the background with an Inkadinkadoo web and added a bit of DI FB around the legs for a bit of shading..........

In the end this turned into a Skinnie (2"x4") as it did not sit well on the ATC size.......hey!

My first Skinnie!

Thanks for the inspiration Sandy

Thanks for looking and happy Stamping!

xoxo Sioux

Face Off Part III !!!

I know.......I know.........I'm getting boring now!!! LOL

Here is Face Off part III in a hybrid version.

Stamped as in part II here and the digital alphabet images printed off, cut out and attached......

oooooooooh! Far too fiddley for an inchie size.

Thanks for stretching me this week SCD..............artistically speaking........although if I could gain a couple of extra "inchies" in height I'd be the ideal weight don't you know?!!! HOL

Thanks for looking and happy hybrid/digi/stamping.

xoxo Sioux

ATC-Telephone directory swaps

Doing a bit of catch up........here is the ATC I made for the Telephone Directory swap over at the Artist Trading Club a couple of months ago.

I glued the directory page to the ATC backing and spread some bottle Adirondack acrylic and dragged a comb through it on the edges........adding a bit of printed card from my bit box that had had circles cut out of it a one point.

Stamped the head (one of my own stamps) onto some more directory paper tore one edge and fixed to some black card and added a little heart brad...........

I wanted to experiment with making some background paper and stamped the motif (one of my own stamps) in a repeat pattern on the band across the front.......

Made the inky splattered background and layered up the pieces and adding a bit of green jute that I picked up in Austria on a Christmas market trip a few years ago. Hand wrote the word fragment and stamped the question mark.

And here are the super one's I received........why not join in yourself......you never know what goodies you will get in return!

from Chriss Rollins....thanks Chriss

from Sue Law....thanks Sue

from Carol.....thanks Carol

from Denise Long.....thanks Denise

Happy stamping!

xoxo Sioux

Face Off Part II

I thought I'd post this to try to show how digitally making something can make it easier to then do the tactile version......well it does in my case!!!

Face Off for the challenge over at SCD was the totally digital version inchie here. if you want to take a look.

Then I made this tactile stamped inchie version. I knew I could do it if I tried!!!!

Aged the background for the skull stamp (my own) with my coffee mix coloured another piece of card with DI SM and WS..............cut both pieces in half and joined them together. Used a black pen to draw the doodling down the middle and the word off.......stamped the word FACE with my Studio G letters in Adirondack cranberry and doodled a bit with a white gel pen over the top.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping!

xoxo Sioux

Vampire

The theme over at TGIF this week is Vampires!

I have as yet not read or seen any of the new batch of vampire genre............which is a bit strange as I always used to have a sneaking desire for

Christopher Lee to come up and bite me sometime! HOL

This did not turn out as I had intended.........but you live and learn.........part of the reason for blogging is to record the things that work and don't work for future reference.

I stamped the Inkadinkadoo vampire bite with cranberry onto white textured card stock and heat embossed with clear then used a clear emboss pen to fill in the teeth and emboss with clear again.......however the pen leaves a blue tinge on the work which was something I was not happy about........will have to think of something else if I want to do that again.......I expect vampires don't brush their teeth that often so I don't suppose they would be pristine white!!! LOL

Inked the background with DI SM and WS and stamped the T!m scrolls around the edge with Adirondack wild plum which strangely does not look much different from the cranberry when placed on top of the SM! Roughed up the edges and dragged on WS.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping!

xoxo Sioux

Hallowe'en Dream

First time for me over at Wednesday Stamper somehow don't seem able to fit this challenge onto my list of things to do! ........however I was very keen to make this as it incorporates one of T!m's techniques that Jennie at the Artistic Stamper re-visited this week (wood effect) and I've been meaning to try this out for ages!!!

Stamped the skeleton in clear emboss onto a textured white card stock and added black acrylic randomly with a dry-ish brush technique and used DI DC over the top to distress and wiped excess off with a wet cloth....stamped the T!m script over the whole thing with DI WS...stamped the clock and R.I.P. in Ardirondack wild plum.....stamped the Inkadinkadoo cobwebs (LOVE them!) with smoke blue Colour Box Cat's Eye ink......stamped "Dream as if you'll live forever....." (my own) in Adirondack cranberry and then stamped and embossed with Distress powder scattered straw over this and slightly off set......I like doing this overstamping as it gives it a shadow look.............wiped off any ink lingering over the resist embossed skeleton and added a ribbon to the top..........also for a bit of whimsy........a black circular embellishment hanging from the arm (like a handbag!)

and a jump ring threaded round the neck!!! LOL

Some days I think I'm just plain loopy!

Thanks for looking and happy stamping ;)

xoxo Sioux

Face Off

Back to challenge myself again and explore the world of digital inchies!!!

Over at SCD they are still asking for inchies with the weeks theme being "Faces".

I thought I'd have a digi play for a change seeing as tactile inchies don't do a lot for me! LOL and came up with this. Now it is so easy to make anything you like fit on a one inch square.......... digitally speaking..............as you can reduce any image you have.......... however, I like the idea that on a tactile inchie it is very difficult to get full size images on there and inevitably they become chopped off at the edges....so tried to do something similar with this.

Have to keep going with Hallowe'en as a theme at the minute as I am in that sort of mood and have things ongoing stamping wise that I might share soon!

The skull is a Wikipedia file of a Da Vinci skull, Orange background my own, the doodling image by Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals and the red letters that I think give it a bit of a Mexican Dia des los Muertos feel are something I got free years ago from I don't know where 'cos I did not keep track of stuff like that then!! So sorry.......if anyone knows please let me know then I can credit.

Thanks for looking.

xoxo Sioux

It's Hard Work This Crafting Lark!

Well it is hard work crafting 24/7 as you do!

Just thought I'd take a few Z'ds and catch up on some sleep.

My Fitzgerald is soooooo cute I did not have the heart to move him..............

and this is my excuse for not creating as often as I would like.........I just can't get to my crafting space for this gorgeous furry bundle!!

Sssssssssh my sweetie is sleeping!

LOL

xoxo Sioux

p.s. Heaven's I am a messy crafter!! ........I've been busy with something that I might just reveal later in the year!

p.p.s. Why he can't sleep on a comfy sofa like most cat's is beyond me! LOL

It Is Written

I have to confess.........I am not a fan of inchies..............but if you don't challenge yourself how can you improve?

I've missed the first two inchie themes at SCD this month but here I am for the third one

"Black & White"........

Stamped the T!m script stamp in white and embossed with Winter Wonderland from Stamp & Stuff........Hand wrote the word fragments and stamped a pen nib from Artifact and cut out and attached.

To me...............there is so much symbolism wrapped up in this one inch square that

I can't begin to explain.....and in fact, did not realise it until I had scanned it and was preparing it in my Serif programme ready to upload to Blogger!

(I had actually started out making something based on Yin/Yang and somehow or other it turned into this!! :))

Lets just say that I have come to the conclusion that some things in life cannot be explained...........and just sometimes it takes an unexpected turn to which you can only say

"It Is Written"

Thanks for looking and happy stamping.

xoxo Sioux

P.S. No....................I have not been on Who wants to be a Millionaire and neither have I won the lottery!! LOL :)

Viking Men

"It is the great North wind that made the Vikings"

Great quote don't you think?

Especially for a man card! As I've mentioned before I work in the fishing industry in my part of glorious Devon and get to make men cards more than women's! Here is one I made last year and forgot to post......so yer tis now.

The map background was scanned from an old fishing book in the office where I work and printed onto textured card......had to add a bit of grungy ink to it. The Viking boat is a Microsoft clip art file printed and cut out. The compass another clip art file printed onto some vellum that had printed squares on......these were attached to another clip art file used as a background to which I added a bit of stamping round the edge with some Paperartsy stamps that were in the subscription to Craft Stamper last year. This was layered onto gold mirri card and the quotation panel was digitally designed in my Serif programme and is hidden behind the front panel until the card is opened.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping.

(Although there is precious little of it on this one!! LOL)

xoxo Sioux

ABC at SCD!

Last weeks metal theme got away from me so am pleased to be joining in this week at SCD where the theme is ABC

Background inked with DI SS and over stamped with TD.........Impress ink "chocolate" used to over stamp again with the Langnickel Abc and the PA numbers stamps........hand wrote alpha numeric and faux stitched with a copper pen and pricking around the edges......

and honest it is moo size.........the terracotta jug propping up the moo is a miniature only 3.5cm tall!!!
Thanks for looking.
xoxo Sioux

Skull Sir?

I thought popped in my brain........as it does!....Well it does when I am not having a dry spell!!!......and now I can play along with the TGIF challenge this week which is "Skulls"..............

so, if you are of a nervous disposition........I'd look away now! LOL

Stamps on my ATC are Paperartsy and an oldie post card from my Royal Langnickel set......Skull from a Wikipedia file layered on top of the PA man.........hat cut from a vintage image of a circus poster........background various inks and shimmer spray...sorry made it a while back and can't remember what I used exactly! Wording from my computer and inked with DI SM and WS.

Thanks for the skull theme Sandie and thanks for looking......xoxo Sioux

Never Ending Circles

Over at SCD this week the theme is Circles in conjunction with the monthly moo challenge.........

I must have taken at least 20 shots of this moo before I got something that was in focus and looked "almost" as it does in real life!!........

It's a darn good job I don't have to pay for developing costs these days!!! LOL

I drew the digital "Mystic-Magical-Mystery" circle stamp you can see in the background using my Serif programme and printed it off using another digital image of one of my own tactile inked backgrounds...added a piece of stamped acetate with part of a clock showing.....cut out the butterflies and added a bit of stickles.....hand wrote "never ending story" down the side and aged the edges with DI WS.

Oh yes..........and the circle of yellow is a bit of chipboard covered with Adirondack acrylic.

Thanks for looking.........xoxo Sioux

Think My Moo's is Recovering!

Over at Something Completely Different this week the monthly challenge is to make Moo's whilst this weeks theme is the colour combo Black & Gold.

Since the make a moo challenge site stopped I have not made a single one........I am not an addict of them but find it interesting/frustrating to fit all I want to on such a small size!!! LOL

The sunburst lines are from a very large Inkadinkadoo Nativity stamp that was a RAK from Laura.......along with a variety of other goodies that has kick started the old muse................

Thanks again Laura :).........the word fly and the birdcage stamp images are the best bargain I have had in a long time....£1.49.........and there was another image on the sheet as well........thanks We are Memory Keepers........the bird is a free image from The Vintage Moth so thanks to Abbie.

The gold embossing does not seem to be showing up as much as I would like but hey ho! We can't have everything!

Thanks for looking

xoxo

To Thine Own Self Be True

Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledg’d comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel but, being in,
Bear't that th' opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgement.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man;
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Neither a borrower, nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell; my blessing season this in thee!
William Shakespeare - Hamlet Act 1 Scene iii

I am pondering.......I love that word in fact I like it so much I will say it again!....I am pondering the reason for my blog. I started out with the intent just to record what I have made and quite frankly did not comprehend the interaction that might follow........then I discovered Challenges!!.......the source of inspiration is amazing and I was caught up in a frenzy of "challengitis"......

so many blogs to visit so many people who deserve a comment.........

so many things to make..............

so little time to devote to making them......

as Mr Micawber said "result misery!".......

and burn out......which is what I think I am suffering from at the moment.

I came across the quote above the other day and was reading it whilst subconsciously thinking about blogging and it seemed to me that old Will could have been writing about blogging, challenges, commenting and the rest!!!

Is it me and my imagination........which can get the better of me LOL.............or can you see a connection in there too?

Imaginatively yours

Sioux

xoxo

Birthday - Stamp with Fun

The challenge theme this week at Stamp with Fun is birthday! So it's a birthday project on show today for me!
This was for a friends birthday and I can now post it as she has received it :)

I made the card using my own design digital papers and my Fitz digi stamp.....I made up a template for the box to fit 3 "Thorntons Chocolate Blocks".......it should have been for 4 blocks but afraid DH lost the plot in the shop and only came out with 3! LOL......The edge was punched with a Fiskars border punch......it's the only one I have but they are easy to use and I'd definitely have more if the old piggy bank would let me!!.....The papers were stamped on the edge with that little dotty border again too.The inside was decorated with more of the same papers and I stamped one of the Elusive Images sentiments from my lucky lucky win that is available at Graphicus on the pink heart paper.....I think you may have to enlarge the picture to read what it says..........The sunflower on the front uses the same template I designed for a poinsettia on this card........can't believe how different it looks inked with DI SM! LOL

Thanks for looking......happy stamping!
xoxo

Three Musketeers

I am not playing with anything at the moment........but thought I had better post something just to keep those who do visit interested!!!
This is a digital scrapbook page I did a while ago.....it features my Dad - John Whittaker (he is the one with a cigarette in his hand) and two of his friends that were so inseparable they were nick named the Three Musketeers......the one in the middle I knew as Uncle Sam (Sam Price) - even though he was not really my Uncle!........and I am afraid I do not know the name of the other chap on the end..........They were from Accrington in Lancashire so someone might recognise him perhaps......my dad would have been about 94 if he was still alive.......just as an after thought.....NO I am not that old please don't knock 20 years off and say that was when I was born!!!!!! LOL.........my mum & dad had me late in life. My Dad has been dead for 40 years but there is not a day goes by when I don't still think about him........just looking at the flowers or trees or grass or weeds brings him back as he was a gardener you see.

I am only guessing that this was taken in 1933 when they were about 18.....it could be a couple of years later......don't they look much older with the 3 piece suits? Everytime I look at this I can't help wondering if there isn't a bit of Greek somewhere in my Dad's distant gene pool.......he just seems to look a bit Greek to me!!!!!!!! LOL

Digi Elements Used; http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/ Antiquing Pack Created by Lauren Bavin: Victorian Edge Overlay Created by Suzanne C. Walker: Fall Date and Detail Chips Created by Jamie Rousselle: http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/ World Traveller by Sande Krieger

Postcard back and wording my own design.

Thanks for looking.

Glass Half Full?

Inspired by the Sea and Two Colour Harmony - Graphicus July Challenge

I am usually a glass half full sort of person but for a number of reasons I am having a glass half empty period! LOL........Yes I can still laugh!!!!

So this sentiment from the Loving Sentiments set at Elusive Images that Glenda kindly gave away and I was mighty lucky to win suited my mood.....I am grateful to have come up with any idea at all for this months challenge at the Graphicus blog and it sort of evolved from the Distress Inks that I plonked on the mat and swirled around a bit!

The Faded Jeans and Shabby Shutters mixed together in one spot and formed the yellowish colour up in the corner that in the end I decided to keep as it looked like the sun was breaking through the clouds after a storm whilst the sea was still trying to calm down..........that's my interpretation of the torn bits of inked paper and I'm sticking to it! LOL

I have found there is also two ways of photographing your work.....one that shows the card in it's (more or less!) true colours.....and one that will show up any glimmer effect! I have as yet not managed to be able to do both at the same time.....any tips? So I am including a close up area of both!!!

The backing paper is one of Glenda's and is available as a freebie from her Artylicious blog here I just altered the colour to match the inked sentiment better.....the wide gro grain ribbon was a gift from a friend (she thought of me before she chucked it out!) and the metal tag is from All My Memories that QVC provided some time ago now.

Thanks for looking........keep stamping.........I am trying to.

xoxo

Edit: Today my boss gave me a rise.....Yeah!!!! It's back to glass half full for me then!!!

Desperate Romantics!

I am looking forward to Tuesday evening 9.00 p.m. on BBC 2........."Desperate Romantics"......it's all about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood of painters..........Rossetti, Millais and Holman Hunt.
I am imagining the colours, style and evocative feel of the programme already.....have always loved these paintings.
xoxo

Ready Steady Stamp

Get ready........get steady.........lets stamp!....Tomorrow sees the start of a new challenge blog......Ready Steady Stamp don't all groan!!!....This is a bit of refreshment from the norm.........no prizes! Who cares........if you are anything like me Mr Random never liked me anyway and......dare I say this?.........I think Mr Random degrades the quality of the entries at times......that goes for me as well because there are a couple of items on this blog that I am not proud of and I would never have posted if it wasn't for the desparate need to catch a deadline!!!! LOL

Also no cuteness allowed.........again there are plenty of other challenges to satisfy that when you want them.

Cant wait myself......see you there tomorrow.

xoxo

Light up my Life!

It's Sugar Bowl challenge time again for me and I have been tinkering with the Gorjuss one! The sketch this time is by Judy which was really for a square card but I needed to make a different size format so this turned into an A5 card.
The lighting here today is bad...the weather is bad.....I feel bad!!!! Lingering cough plaguing me from my summer cold still.
I decided she needed to be sat on a string of Christmas lights.......still pondering my Xmas cards you see..............this is the first time I have included the little birdie....it's not that I don't like him/her but the other times it sort of didn't fit in!

The die cut swirls were just some plain card that I added glue and glitter to and I put 3D glaze to the bulbs which shows up a bit better in the close up...............added little blobs of glue to her dress and sprinkled on the glitter.....made up the flower........hope you think it is poinsettia like!!! The dotty and green papers are my own digital design again.........the striped bit is K&Co and the music paper is the web freebie from CS this month.....gave it the same treatment as my last card...........I like to think this would be equally suitable for a man to give a woman or for a woman to give a man.
Thanks for looking........happy stamping!
xoxo

Edit: Bl*&$£y H#!**l!!!! I've put the music on upside down.....unforgivable

Singing Ringing Tree

There is a sketch to follow over at Katherina's blog......if you make a card using a Whiff of Joy stamp you might get to join in the blog hop coming up on 25th July as a guest designer......how cool is that!!....and you get one of the new release stamps to showcase too.
Thought I'd give it a go.....can't win it if your not in it!



Because you can see both the inside of the card and the outside at the same time it was difficult to get the whole card in focus standing up............so I laid it down flat to get a better picture and took a separate one of the inside.
The papers are my own digital designs.......I am still messing around with Christmas themes hence the red and green!.........The piece of music paper was the free download from CS this month which I distressed even more...scrunched up...unscrunched...... bit of DI FB and WS added and sprayed with some Glimmer....the buttons were coloured with Alcohol inks....The fruits on the tree had gilding flakes added to follow the "Singing Ringing Tree" title.........loved that fairy tale from way back when.....thought the tree suited it.....you can read about it here.
Thanks for looking.

Fly With Me? - Papertake Weekly

Once again the sketch by Dawny at Papertake Weekly has come up trumps just when I needed it....I'm beginning to wonder if she is psychic!!!.......fab sketch and suited what I had made as the topper/ATC itself had the sentiment already so no need for additions.....although I did decide to add a trio of gems top and bottom.

I stamped the Artistic Stamper birdie (free with CS) and the Paperartsy heart thingy and swirls onto some patterned paper for a change instead of making my own background as I did with this one...sometimes time is of the essence! LOL.......all the papers are K&Co Roam.

The yellow fibre stuff was from a stall at the Exeter craft show a few years back......it is coming again in September but I am thinking of giving it a miss as it just seems to be the same old stuff.....afraid it is one of the hazards of living down here on the way to nowhere else because it is a long way for a lot of companies to travel to......

Wondering whether to save up the pennies and have a look see at the NEC one coming up anyone any recommendations on that? Is it worth the trek up there and the extra cost for me considering I would most likely stay overnight to make the most of a full day there....any comments gratefully received.

Thanks for looking...........and thanks again for another super sketch.........loved it.

xoxo

Give it some Distress!

At Tuesday Taggers this week the theme is to distress using Tim Holtz techniques....can't refuse that one! There is a sponsor this week with a prize from The Craft Barn.

My tag has turned into a bit of a deep thought exercise......with making Christmas cards on my mind I started out with one thought but it turned into this thought..........that for everyone who celebrates Christmas and the Joy that surrounds the season............there will always be people in the world who will not be living in peace & harmony.....I did say it was a bit deep!!!
The wording and numbers are both Paperartsy, the head is from one of my computer fonts....DI's SS,FB,WS,PN,WL........Adirondack acrylics cranberry and butterscotch.

Thanks for looking........and as dear Dave Allen used to say "May your God go with you"
xoxo

It's So Exciting!....but I'm stumped!

I couldn't be more excited if I had won some candy..............and believe me if I ever do I will be so shocked I will no doubt keel over in a dead faint!!! LOL.........anyway.......I am so excited to see one of my cards in Craft Stamper this month in the "Inspired By" section.........hope you have your copy by now....I made a masculine version of the card first which you can see here and because I liked the free ticket stamp so much went on to make this card and decided to send it in....here is the blurb I sent with it that appears in the mag......

"Just wanted to say thanks for the great stamp this month………and thought I would send you one of the projects I did with it. I love collage stamps and drool over quite a few but on a limited budget it is hard to quantify the cost….so I decided to try and work out what it was that I liked so much and then have a go at creating my own with the stamps I already have…….so here is my collage homage to Crafty Individuals. Thanks again……………I can see me using this stamp quite a lot."

Actually I should be doubly thrilled because I also got a mention in the "Design a cover stamp" article..........well I am really.....but also a bit mortified that it was the stitches design that got a mention....It was my least favourite by a mile and it contained no drawing skills whatsoever!!!!.....it was all done digitally.......whilst my other two were hand drawn........I'm not sure if I can show them here though as CS now hold the copyright to all the designs sent in.......it was part of the conditions of entry..........with which I had a bit of bee in my bonnet about.......hey ho......I'm a bit stumped as I really wanted to use my drawing of a fancy bow and a tiger myself.....perhaps if I change them a bit that will get round it?

Love the dragonfly stamp this month by Kay and The Stamp Man and perhaps I'll send in something else soon.....it is very special to see something of your own in print. :)

xoxo

It's Christmas! - Ismaki 22/06

The sketch this week at Ismaki was just what I needed to kick start my idea's for my Christmas cards this year....I had already had a thought to do a design based on moo sizes and this sketch fitted that perfectly.........

I just could not stop when I started.............in the end I will not be making 65 of these for Christmas!!!!!!!!...LOL.............far too labour intensive....so will have to think again......I used Paperartsy stamps for the moo sized images and the background is an Anna Griffin stamp....made the flower up...the poinsettia that is........not the little burgundy ones near the swirls.........added a bit of stickles to the edges........distressed all layers a bit with DI FB.

It is a super gorgeous day here again....hope you are having good weather too wherever you may be.....It did seem a little odd making a Christmas card!

Thanks for looking.

xoxo

Enjoy Today - Sugar Bowl #13

The Sugar Bowl Challenge sketch this time is by Lilian and it was a pleasure to work with...although I like the look of lots of layers I don't always feel like making them all! LOL......
the please include is to use "Kraft" in your piece.....I loved how this turned out if I do say so myself.

I stamped the bunch of flowers all over a piece of Kraft card with DI TR for the background and wrapped some raffia round the middle.........the piece of DP in the top corner is my own design digital paper (the one I used for my blog background)......the bottom piece of DP is by Deja Views which I also used to make the flower....it is double sided so coordinates well.....

I distressed a couple of petal layers with DI to tie in with the colouring on the image......Yep my stamp arrived day after I ordered it how great is that!!!....masked off the flowers,butterfly and bees and stamped upside down one the right way up.....if you get my drift!........masked the girl and added a stamped background of script by Paperartsy (sub freebie from CS again) in DI TR.....coloured her with pencils and computer generated the word sentiment.

Thanks for looking.......I'm a happy stamper......I wanted that stamp........I needed that stamp!

xoxo

Upside Down & Round and Round - Yippee!

The title says it all really............that is how I felt when my new upside down stamp from Funky Kits arrived today.........YES! today........I only ordered it yesterday just before I went on the blog hop that launched the new range and here it is and here is the card I made almost straight away.........yes, Yes, YES!!...........I'm easily pleased LOL. ;)

As soon as I saw this design by Diane Duda I just had to have it............I was going to buy a new bra this week but I decided that could wait and went for the rubber instead!!!.........I have a multitude of ideas brewing for this one but for now I stamped her as is and coloured in with the pencils & baby oil technique........oooh dear bra's.........rubber.............baby oil..........hope a search engine doesn't come to the wrong conclusion! HOL. :)))
Thanks for looking....Happy Stamping.

xoxo
P.S. At the time of writing the stamp is still in stock.......I'd be inclined to go there quick and order though because I am sure there will be lots of great cards made with this one.

P.P.S. It must be my lucky day..........I was looking for some challenge inspiration and this card fits the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge to use pink & green....I love pink & green........

spooky!!!.........off to buy a lottery ticket. LOL