Sunday stampers 178. Halloween - Bats out of Hell.

Although I don't own any halloween stamps, I thought I would have a go with this weeks Sunday stamper challenge.

So I splodged around on my craft sheet with Tim's Autumn distress pads and then made a stamp out of his Houses edge die for the bottom, adding an Elusive image tree. Then I found an old wooden Happy Halloween stamp in my stash I forgot I owned. I drew the spiders web and added a black glittery spider from my witches outfit I wore to a dance on Saturday. The Boo comes from Tims stickers and the 31 was amongst a hoard of die cut numbers stained with the seedless preserves ink. The lace at the bottom of the tag is some velvet sticky back edging from Prima I think, adorned with an orange spider and the tag is finished with a strip of bin liner!

Happy Halloween to you all. I'm back to the Christmas card stash now, will post some of them later.

Sunday Stamper. Week 177 - Forever Autumn.

Forever Autumn.

Help! I wanted to kick start my mojo and so I have brought the new Tim Holtz die of the pine cone. Then I thought it would look good on an Autumn card for the sunday Stamper challenge. After half a dozen aborted tries I managed to make two that could resemble pine cones! (OK. So they may to a blind hedgehog in a paper bag).  Can someone out there share their tips for making these? Is there a Tim video on it I have missed? Thanks!

I also used my recent aquisition of the limited edition Autumn ink pads from Tim - mixing them in  with an assortment of his other colours. The Large leaves are from the tattered leaves die which were splodged in any ink I had left on the mat after colouring the layers of card. The sentiment is from Elusive images Autumn set and I used another on shrink plastic under the cones. The backberry is made from glass beads on a small base.  I drew some veins on the leaves with a sakura pen.

I have to say the cones are giving me hysterics, they so don't look right. Mind you I couldn't make a rose until Hels (she of the sunday Stamper fame!) showed me the right way. I put it down to my age - as you do!

Off for a girl's break!

Well, I really wanted to post some wondrus item I had produced this week, and in fact have made a box with a 'porcelain' flower on top, but I am off for a girly break with my little sister and her two friends and the camera is packed! It's about the only thing that is mind, I have to shoot off to work, then fly home, pack the rest and then sis is picking me up for our adventure! We are staying in her Spanish residence, so plenty of sun, wine and chocolate. I have loaded up the kindle, packed the suntan lotion and  sketch book and am leaving dearest hubbysand in charge of Hermione and Molly our cats! Have a good week everyone, I shall try my best to enjoy myself!!

Sunday stampers week 170 - Love Potion #9

I'm very sorry  but I seemed to have lost last week. I put it down somewhere and can't find it, it's probably in my craft room under a pile of stuff. So I haven't blogged for days! Tut tut. Here is a tag I have managed to make between working. It is for Hels Sunday stamper challenge and in celebration of her blogaversary I have used some techniques she has taught!

First I cut a tag from glossy paper and stamped the sentiment 'Love is' in resist. then I swooshed spun sugar and aged mahogany stains on my craft sheet and swiped the tag. It is the first time I've tried this and it is not perfect, but I kinda liked the blotched look so I left it! Then I die cut a swirl in aged mahogany and stamped the word love from the big stamp and trapped it in a Tim ornate plate. Then I made a faux porcelain rose from the tattered floral large flower and added a tattered leaf also dipped in UTE. Thanks Hels, I love making these now! The perspex heart was stamped with the same word and then coloured with red and gold alcohol inks. I dyed lace with the same stains and added pearl hearts at the bottom. I have a lovely new camera but am wading through the instruction book at the moment and can't quite get the photos right, so please forgive the picture! I hope to blog again this week, keeping my fingers crossed!

Sunday Stampers 168: Houses, Home.

Hels Sunday challenge this week is to use the theme House, Home. I thought as it has been a wonderful late summer day that I would portray the summer home I would buy if my lottery numbers ever come up!

Picture a small cottage, whitewashed walls decorated with shells, a blue roof with an attic studio and golden sands and a beautiful blue sea, set problably in Cornwall. Ahh! We can all dream!

I swooshed Weathered wood and Broken China distress stain over the tag and stamped some cliffs and sailing boats with some tiny Scene It stamps I had. Then I vagabonded a Tim rickety house die in white and then blue card and cut it to get a slightly different look. To get the rendered look of the walls I slathered white acrylic on and then stuck my collection of tiny shells over it. The sand dune in the front was made with Wild honey stain over some torn card that was layered then more shells and beachcombed pieces. The life belt on the porch was made up as I went long, wish I had a stamp for it! I made tiny waves in the ocean with a glitter pen and found a piece of balsa wood to write the name of the cottage. Can you imagine crafting in the attic studio with the salty tang of seagull cry for inspiration? If I ever aquire this you are all invited to come and stay!

I've been waxing!

No, not a visit to the beauticians, but a great workshop at the http://www.thestampattic.co.uk/. given by the great Hels. You can find her at http://pinkleart.blogspot.com/ but I guess everyone must know the host of the Sunday Stampers! She is a lovely teacher and I had a really enjoyable day learning all about applying beeswax. Here is my effort:

The other ladies made their own unique take on the same frame and we all had a lovely time. Thank you so much Hels and Wendy! Please note my beeswax rose at the top! I have never been able to make one quite like this, but Hels shared her tips and bobs your uncle, a near perfect rose as ever I have produced!

I'm off now to melt and play with my purchases, one of which is a new Dina Wakley stamp. I also have some pieces of mountboard donated by Thelma who was also at the workshop. Aren't crafters generous souls? A perfect day!  Hope you are all having one too.

Sunday stampers: Week 167: White Lines.

Sunday Stampers - White Lines.

I've been playing with bleach and thought that would fit in nicely with Hels challenge this week:

Unfortunately the photo has not come out well and I blame the weather, well you would wouldn't you? I've been wearing TIGHTS today, cos my feet were so cold! I mean it's only August, whatever is going on, and whats more I distinctly smelt Autumn this morning. It is my fav. season but it could have waited a tadge!

Enough of this moaning, the above tag was swiped with spun sugar and aged mahogany stains and the new picket fence which I love! When I had faffed about enough with the background I stamped on  Penny Black flowers and embossed in black detail. Then out came the bleach to take the colour away. I then made a few flowers that I vagabonded from Tim H's tattered floral and added a bead and some stamens too. I had also picket fenced the papers first! (I'm sure this isn't correct English but sounds like I mean it to!) Then a Prima diamonte swirl and some punched butterflies. The sentiment is from Studio 490. Looks far more dimensional in real life!

I thought I would share a not very good attempt at bleaching I did earlier following the project in this months Craft Stamper:

Certainly full of faults and not as good as the wonderful example in the magazine but fun to do and learn a new technique. Off now to put a woolly cardi on I think! Keep warm, love to all.