Hey You for The Artistic Stamper

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

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

Thanks for looking and happy stamping
xoxo Sioux

P.S. I appreciate each and every comment here but time is short in all our lives so please do not feel obliged to comment both here and on the creative team post.
...I'll see your comments and share the feed back all at the same time if you use The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog post ;)
Thanks

Autumn Card for The Artistic Stamper

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

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

Thanks for looking and happy stamping
xoxo Sioux

P.S. I appreciate each and every comment here but time is short in all our lives so please do not feel obliged to comment both here and on the creative team post.
...I'll see your comments and share the feed back all at the same time if you use The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog post ;)
Thanks

Alter Something for The Artistic Stamper

You all made some very inventive entries for last months challenge "Autumn" :)
So.....how about joining us this month for something a little different?

"Alter Something"

Yes, that's the challenge for October over at The Artistic Stamper Creative Team ;)

So.....I was struggling to decide what exactly to alter and how exactly to alter it!!! LOL
In the end serendipity played it's part (as it so often does in my life!) and whilst I was getting rid of lots of junk in the shed I came across some tiles left over from when the kitchen was fitted a few years ago! Well lets face it if I have not needed them up to now there is not much chance I will need them in the future! But just as I was throwing them out I thought....hang on a minute...they might make a great base to alter....so I did....and made them into some drinks coasters for my honey and I to use :)

It's a pretty simple process.

First I did a rough doodle of what I had in mind for the layouts...

Then I drew round the tile onto some scrap paper and had a practise run with some stamps ;)

I then placed some tissue paper over this practise run template and secured both layers to my non stick mat with tape so they did not budge and started to stamp my images using Archival inks.

Masking the images as necessary as I went along and sometimes using a second stamping of an image to get a slightly different shade onto the design.
(I really must get a few more of those gorgeous new Archival colours ::))

This is the finished tissue paper layer compared to the original practise layer...I did alter it slightly as I went along to get a more pleasing (to me) layout :)

Now to attach the tissue to the tile...I used Glue and Seal and firstly gave the tile a coat using a brush before placing the tissue paper on top of the still wet Glue and Seal and using the brush and more Glue and Seal all over the tissue paper to attach it to the tile. Try and take the tissue paper down the side of the tile for a nice edge and don't overwork the tissue on the surface or it may tear...although where the edges are concerned the fact that the wet edges tear easily is a bonus as you can then easily mould any surplus onto the reverse of the tile.

Now be patient as this will be best left to dry overnight (as the tile has a very slick surface).
Then use some designer paper (we all have plenty of that lying around now don't we LOL) to cover the reverse of the tile so that you don't scratch your table when you use the coaster. I used some T!m Holtz Crowded Attic papers attached with Glossy Accents and finished the edges of the coaster with some Adirondack Gold Dabber.

For the female coaster I plumped for using some of the new stamps from Katy Fox, the wings from my Dance plate, the lovely lady from Twenties no 1 plate,  and the word Love from Journaling Words 1.

For the male version I used the same new stamps from Katy Fox and the wings and crown from Crowning Glory.

P.S. The significance of the date is the day my honey and I met for the first time:)
We are so lucky to have found each other. Aaaah!

You really must take a look at the "Alter Something" creations the rest of the team have made.

So don't forget.............the monthly challenge is "Alter Something"

The rules are simple... all you need to do is make a piece of art and alter anything you fancy ;)... just remember that it must include some rubber stamping... 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 will be chosen by Random.org shortly after :)

Thanks for looking and happy stamping

xoxo Sioux

Romantic Austria! Part 1

SF and I have just returned from our first holiday together in Austria ;)

We had to go all the way to Birmingham for the flight which meant an early start to make sure we got there O.K. You know what it's like...you allow more time than strictly necessary in case there are traffic problems!!! LOL

We had an early snack lunch at the airport as it would be a long time till evening.

Although the service was good...we just sat at a table and a waitress served us...and when the food arrived it was presented nicely...

...but I'm afraid my veggie burger tasted disgusting!!! It was like eating dry stodge and I left most of the bun too!!

SF's brie melt on the other hand was a lot better although the brie wasn't very melty LOL...and the wine nearly cost as much for one glass as for a full bottle!!!
Hey ho...at least we can both laugh about this sort of thing and not get stressy about it ;)

After landing in Salzburg we went by coach to Zell am See in Salzburgerland.

SF last went to Austria as a young boy and this was his first time back....and the first time on an aeroplane abroad in an awfully long time.

The Tirolerhof Hotel was our destination and we can thoroughly recommend it.

We were welcomed with glasses of bubbly (sigh....they had me right then LOL) whilst our bags were taken to our rooms.

The room was beautiful...

...with a little balcony and a view to the lake, oh and the rubbish skip! ROFL.

They have to have skips even there ;)...

...and every night at turn down, they placed wafer biscuits on the pillows ;)...

...the spa area and pool were fantastic (except I somehow missed taking pictures of it so I took a picture of the brochure and I'm afraid it does not do it justice!)...

...we had some fabulous evening meals...

...and great breakfasts from the buffet, you could not go hungry that's for sure!

We sampled the local plum brandy ;) Mmm lurverly!...

...and had some very tasty Austrian wines...

...free cakes every afternoon...

...Yes, if you want a good place to relax and unwind then you can't go wrong with the Tirolerhof.

It's a lovely romantic place to be ;)

xoxo Sioux

More Austrian travels to follow ;)

Catch up Post 5

So....here we are at catch up part 5!!!!

...we went to Fishstock a couple of weeks ago and had a full on great day out in town with friends and saw celebrity chefs demonstrate in the kitchens...
(Mitch Tonks)

...there were lots of food stalls selling all sorts of fish and other goodies to eat...

...SF could not resist the scallops...well....neither could I actually! :)

...tables to sit and relax and have a drink...Prosecco with the girls has become a bit of a tradition :)

...craft stalls to visit where I bought my facinator for the Goth wedding I am off to at the end of October! It is just perfect.

...boats to look at...the boys did that bit! ;)

There were lots and lots of great live bands all day from 10 till midnight, although we missed much of that as we all went for a Chinese together!

I have been trying to keep on top of the garden as well and many plants are looking much improved on last year....whoops the fence looks like it needs a fresh coat of preservative!!

I planted some sweetcorn for the first time this year and surprisingly there seems to be the prospect of at least one corn cob...after slugs devastated them and munched their way through 50% of the plants when I planted them!!

...the rhubarb...also new this year looks well...

 ...my banana plant...also much improved ;)

...the sedums...it's the sign that Autumn is on it's way though!

In addition to all this I have also been trying to design our wedding rings ;)

I've already bought my wedding dress, shoes and jewellery! I know...I know....I was not really looking, the dress just popped into my e-mail notifications (it's not even classed as a wedding dress, I got it from Dorothy Perkins believe it or not!!) and the jewellery was just what I wanted too!!!
Nothing like being prepared is there?!!! ROFL

(Sorry, but for obvious reasons I am not sharing what they look like....you will just have to wait till next May...like my SF has to too! :)

Take care and I hope as the nights start to draw in I will find more time to blog and make art!!

Although I start Zumba again on Mondays soon and SF and I are signed up to night classes on Thursdays from October to learn to ballroom dance! It's something both of us have always wanted to do...yet another spooky thing we have in common!!! :)

Sorry again for being absent!!!
I'll try hard not to leave it so long next time ;)

P.S. we have just arrived back from our first holiday together, so there will be photo's of that real soon :)

Sioux xoxo

Catch Up Part 4

Hiya again Folks!
As well as all the things that have been happening in Part 1, 2 and 3 of the catch up...

...SF and I have been busy turning the dining room/craft space as was...

...that over the years has hosted meals for friends...

...both for Christmas and New Year...

...garden party buffets...

...Christmas decorations...

...and messy crafting too...

...turning it into a study/craft space for us both to enjoy...it took a little while as it involved some electrical work to move/add sockets and lights but we had fun doing it...



...YES SF might just become an IKEA man yet!

(Believe it or not he has never visited an IKEA....something that will be corrected in October!!! ROFL)
...and it was such a joy to see how happy he was with the result.....he left the planning to me....loved doing that!

So now there is a dedicated man desk LOL...

...still space for the dining table and to sit and eat and entertain....and obviously do some crafting and make a mess!! LOL...

...lots of shelves for SF's collection of books (mine are in the living room ;))...

...a cupboard space to tidy away some of my crafting stuff that was moved from the bedroom to make more room there!!!

Still more to do with adding pictures back etc but we will get there ;)

More catch up will follow ;)
xoxo Sioux