Sunday Stampers - Week 232 - I've Just Seen A Face

I did have a little Christmas countdown blingy think at the bottom of my blog at one time but it seems to have disappeared!  I don't really need it to know that it is fast approaching & with very little done in this houshold I think I better start to get a shimmy on. 

On Hels Sheridan's blog this week she has chosen the theme of 'faces' & has made a gorgeous tag. Check it out here.  I have made a tag which has a bit of a Victorian feel to it.  I began by colouring a cream tag with Distress Inks Dusty Concord & Victorian Velvet, then edged the tag with my favourite Distress Ink Walnut Stain.  I stamped a Tim Holtz script stamp in Dusty Concord over the tag in two different directions then splashed with water & dried.  The Frame is one of the new Spellbinders D-Lites (Medallion Two) cut from black card. I stamped the girl (Wavy Locks-Rubber Stamp Tapestry) onto white card, cut out her face (Sissiz circle die) & mounted onto the frame.  This is such a pretty stamp & the first time I have used it despite have it for years & years!  I added the pretty flowers, pocking the wire through the frame then mounted to the card with a strip of blue velvet behind - I had to use Pinflair glue because of the wire behind the frame bulking it out a bit.  The 'Love' stamp is Anna Griffin & the lace stamp is Hero Arts. I have added some cream lace, key & vintage decopage from my stash & the drop crystal is from Prima.

I'm looking at this tag now & wishing that I had stamped the girl in brown or added some vintage photo to colour her up. Why didn't I think of that before? I shall have to make another one!!  I love the fact that all the submissions to this great challenge are all so different. Just noticed that I numbered the last Sunday Stampers as '321' - sorry Hels - now corrected!!  I hope you all have a great week. Sx

Sunday Stampers - Week 231 - And Your Bird Can Sing

Whoo Hoo! It seems like ages since I've posted anything. Hopefully I will be able to stay a bit more organised now.  Happy to be crafting for this weeks Sunday Stampers as I've missed it soooo much over the last couple of weeks.  This week Hels Sheridan has chosen 'Birds' as her theme as she had a workshop at 'Birds in the Barn' last week.  Was very sorry to have missed this but no doubt she will return soon.  I am also extremely happy to say that I work there now-part-time but another whoo hoo!!  Anyway back to the challenge.  Check out Hels's beautiful book here. 

I have made a little 8"x8" framed picture for my lobby to get me in the Christmas spirit.  I began by cutting an 8"x8" square from paper from BasicGrey's Figgy Pudding pad - had this for a while but simply couldn't open it!!  I stamped a few snowflakes in white to soften the blue/green colour then edged it with Walnut Stain Distress ink.  I mounted some pretty greenish paper onto card then cut out the Sizzix Birdhouse.  Again I've had this for a while now but not used it - now I love it so much want to use it loads.  I overstamped the birdhouse with TH script stamp in Adirondak Juniper.  Hardly noticeable as it blended in so well.  I cut the birdhouse again with some old leftover card in brown-very thick & used this for the roof & base of the birdhouse.  I adhered on top of the original birdhouse then added some Picket Fence Distress Stickles to look like snow.  One branch was cut from the TH Holly die (& covered with gold Stickles) & the other branch & bird with cut from the TH Bird & Branch die.  The bird was covered with the same paper as the house & Barn Door Stickles was added to him.  Yes - I've gone stickles mad!!  I made a stand for the birdhouse from the brown card then stickled it.  The wooden snowflakes are from Karrs & were painted with Pearl Paint Dabber.  The long banner is of course TH & stamped with Impression Obbsession snowflakes & the phrase 'Let it Snow' then edged with Walnut Stain. This was quite difficult to photograph & running out of time so please excuse any errors!  I hope all is well with you all & the crafting world. Take care. Sx  

Sunday Stampers - Week 228 - A Taste of Honey

Hels has made a stunning piece for this weeks Sunday Stampers with the theme being 'honeycombs & honey colours'. Check it out here.



I began my entry by cutting a honeycomb shape out of yellow Teresa Collins  paper (Fabrications pad) from the Silhouette then mounted it onto  green paper from the same collection which I inked around the edges with TH walnut stain.  This is a really pretty collection of paper - I'm still addicted to card & paper but at least I do use it now instead of just looking at it!!  I then mounted it onto black card to give it a border.  I stamped some little bees from Artemio in some of the honeycomb spaces then stamped the Dylusions leaf onto more of the yellow paper, slightly coloured with green Pan Pastel, then cut out & mounted onto the card.  The two larger bees (Artemio) were stamped and one coloured with walnut stain & the other with Scattered Straw Distress Stickles.  I stamped the large TH Tattered Banner with his honeycomb background stamp & coloured with scattered straw & wild honey Distress Inks & then added the Hero Arts sentiment.  Next I adhered the bee beer cap (donated by my kind husband - of course he had to drink the beer once opened) & the banner with approximately one ton of Pinnflair Glue Gel!  This was so I could slide the white & blue flowers (bought for £1 at a craft sale) & the TH Autumn Gattering leaves behind the banner.  It may take several days to dry!  I really enjoyed making this card & I do love the colours. 
After a dinner party on Saturday my craft supplies are scattered all around the house making crafting a little tricky at the moment.  That's the downside of crafting in the conservatory - it's a lovely big space but when we have guest I have to clear everything out which takes days & then I have to put it all back again.  The constant nagging for a craft shed is still falling on deaf ears at the moment!  I'm clearly not nagging enough!  Hope you all have a good week - watch out for that chilly weather on the way.  Sx

Sunday Stampers - Week 226 - Snowflakes

Hels has gone all 'Christmassy' this week for Week 226 of her fabulous Sunday Stamper challenge  with a gorgeous snowflake tag. 



For my entry I have made this card.  The background is made up with Hansa Yellow & Phthalo Blue Pan Pastel.  These are amazing to use but I really do need to practise more - am getting better each time I give them a go & need loads more colours!  Next I spritzed the card with Blue Patina Perfect Pearls with a little Pewter added to the mix.  I dug out some old Fancy Pants stamps & used IndigoBlu Mega-flakes (Winter Dawn) on the flourish then inked the edges of the card with Tim Holtz Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  I stamped the little Anna Griffin snowflakes in Lightening Black (how long does a stamp last - I've had this one for years!) & then added gold bling to each one.  I over stamped the Tim Holtz deer die with an Artemio music score stamp in the same ink pad & the 'Ho Ho Ho' stamp is Anna Griffin again & I added a small piece of spare ribbon underneath it. Lastly I mounted the white card onto black & randomly stamped the snowflake again around the edges of the main card.

Have a great week everyone - I can say this because 'yay' it's still 'Sunday' & I have already uploaded my entry!  I have decided not to go for the record of being last this week although I must admit that I haven't done the ironing!  Take care. Sx

 

Sunday Stampers - Week 225 - Happy Heart

Good Saturday afternoon to you.  Yes it's me posting a possible last as usual despite trying very hard this week to be organised!  The Sunday Challenge this week from Hels Sheridan is 'whatever makes you happy'  to mark the sad passing of Andy Williams & 'Happy Heart' is her fave Andy Williams song .  Hels challenge is great fun to do each week so check it out here.

My entry is a 'nod' to Halloween, a kind of tame version of 'spooky'.  Finally got round to buying some Dylusions inks & started by spritzing 'vibrant turqoise' & 'crushed grape' onto a craft matt & dragging the tag through. Wow these inks are bright - love them of course but don't normally 'do' bright so a bit of a shock to the system.  Next I stamped & embossed a PaperArtsy tree then stamped the vines from Chocolate Baroque at the top.  Could I find my bat stamps?  No of course I couldn't or indeed any of my Halloween stamps so that panicked me.  I decided to stamp a few birds (Tim Holtz) instead then made a large moon from a black circle covered in orange angle hair then added one of the larger of the bird stamps cut out & placed slightly over the moon.  The '31' plate is Tim Holtz & the label is printed from my Dymo machine.

 

If you collect 'Craft Stamper' magazine you will see (page 35, November edition) that I am a runner-up in Round Three of  the Stamper of the Year Competition.  I was very excited to learn this  - I have enjoyed the challenge.

 

Off to find the elusive Halloween stamps.  Have a great weekend everyone. Sx

Sunday Stampers - Week 224 - Behind the Mask

The Sunday Stamper theme for this week on Hels Sheridan's blog is 'masks'. I seem to have built up quite a collection of masks recently & find them very versatile & fun to use.  I really like the colours in this tag but really it was all a bit 'try it & see' random inking! I squished a selection of distress inks onto a mat (peeled paint, walnut stain, antique linen & stormy sky) spritzed with water & made a background on the cream tag.  I added a bit more of the walnut stain to the edges then stamped the PaperArtsy flora stamp in black.  I then spritzed Cosmic Shimmer Mist (Teal Wash - one of my favourites) through a Prima corner mask (comes in a set of two).  I seem to love all things 'Prima' at the moment.  I added the twine & green button & then 'frantaged' the base of the tag with Stampendous Aged Aqua embossing enamel & Frantage fragments in sage. The sentiments is a rub-on from KaiserCraft as are the little butterflies at the top of the tag.  Lastly I added a crown (from Ali-Crafts) & a brass key to complete the tag. The sun is shining & I will be spending the rest of my (birthday) Saturday finishing of a craft project & later partaking in a glass (or two) of wine but not too much as I have an early start for the re-scheduled 'Race for Life'...which I will be walking!  Take care. Sx

Sunday Stampers - Week 223 - Tie A Yellow Ribbon

It's been a lovely week here & I expect a lot of you will be enjoying Ally Pally today. I love the setting around Ally Pally - it actually feels like going home as I was born just up the road in Finchley.  I love the view across London from here.  I shall be going with a few friends on Sunday so looking forward to that.

The subject chosen by Hels Sheridan this week (check out her fab blog here) is 'Ribbons'.  I began by making a background with distress inks (worn lipstick, milled lavender & antique linen) then stamped one of TH's background stamps (called Mixed Media)  over part of the background with worn lipstick then spritzed with water to blend it.  Next I stamped a Artemio script stamp in Versafine Smokey Gray.  I gathered some gold ribbon along the bottom of the card then mounted onto black card.  The acetate lady is from Crafty Individuals & placed behind a frame cut from my Silhouette.  The beautiful velvet embellishment is Anna Griffin & I've had it for ages because I couldn't bear to use it!! Finally the Creative Expressions hat pins were added.  It's quite 'girly' for me & makes a nice change.



 

I expect I shall be one of the last to post again this week!  I really am trying to get more organised - maybe next week!  Thanks to those of you who have posted messages to me - much appreciated.  Have a good week everyone. Sx