Sunday Stampers 164. Back to Black.

Well, goodness knows where last week went as I'm pretty sure I didn't sleep through it! So I was determined to do the Sunday Stampers this week. Hels has called for us to use Back to Black in memory of Amy Winehouse, so here is my contribution.

I used Black soot distress ink with a sponge applicator over the tag,especially the edges and then used the Time stamp all over it. The black swirls are I believe from Prima, I've had them ages and lost the packing. The Prima rose could not be made better by me, although I was tempted to turn it to porcelain with my melt pot but felt it looked better as it was. Then I covered some grungeboard with  music tissue tape and cut out a star. The words 'The Song Lives On' were from one of my letter sets edged in black promarker. The lower edge was cut from sheet music and then a border cut with a Martha Stewart edge punch. Black and white ribbon to finish.

A tragic end to such a young spirit, my heart goes out to her family.

Sunday Stampers 162. Flight.

Hi peeps. Here is my entry for Hels Sunday stamper, which was anything that had wings basically. I guess this may be a bit of a cheat, as it has wings on it but is not a plane or a bird or a winged insect! In fact I am not quite happy this has a right balance, so if anyone wants to tell me how I could have composed it better I would be grateful!

I took some 7 gypsies Conservatory paper and adhered it to a large square card. Then I painted gesso over the top and when dry added scrim and a square of muslin, which I machine sewed on. The edges were aged with walnut stain distress ink. A piece of the same range of paper was then rough torn and distressed using bundled sage and walnut inks. The young girl in the hat by Paperbag studios was black stamped on another piece of the paper, which is lovely as it is double sided, and distressed again with the same inks. The sentiment is by crescendoh and stamped on another scrap from the collection, but I did not feel happy with it hanging vertically so I cut up each word and adhered it to some sage green card. Her wings are grungeboard coloured with brown acrylic and distressed with gold viva paste, then heated to give slight dimension. Then I raided my button tin for each of the remaining corners.

I offer it up warts and all - do you think I should have layed it on a smaller card or had another coloured layer on the background?

Sunday stampers - The writing on the wall.

As my head is always in a book of some description I was happy to make a tag for Hels Sunday stamper challenge which for this week is writing. I love writing of all descriptions, eclectic to the core that's me!

I glued a sheet of dictionary to a tag, covered with a layer of gesso and then when it was dry painted

yellow and pink acrylic over the top and smeared some off to reveal the text. Then I used a tim stamp of text to the opposite edges and distress inked some mountboard letters with walnut stain and edged them with gold viva paste. I rolled up dictionary papers stapled in the middle and adorned with muse tokens to spell speak  down the side and a small tag with a sentiment from crescendoh stamps went underneath. I then stained some tissue tape with spun sugar and pleated a ruffle on the bottom, some matching ribbon and there we are!

Before I go I thought I would make you smile. My dear friend Sally lives too far away for a regular get together, but we send each other a card and atc or tag every month, it is so good to look forward to the packet coming!  Here is her July card from me, I can post it in safety as she has already received it! If you are reading this Sal, get a blog going, you make lovely cards!

The background is a project from craft stamper magazine, where I stamped cream and white card with text and tore it into strips along with some sheet music. Then I layered alternate strips and washed over gesso. I love this stamp, applied a shadow to the outside and then adhered it with sticky pads. I'm the one in glasses but in years to come I hope! I stamped vintage and added a philosophy token and a handbag charm to complete. Well, Sally said she laughed anyway!