Sunday Stampers. theme 'love'

Here is a happy blog anniversary to Hels for her 1000th posting! She has asked us to use the theme 'love' for products and designers. scrummy! Here is my effort:

So, here is the run down! I Love doing tags. Tim Holtz is one of my fav. designers (bet you didn't guess that one!) I love his alteration sets. I love Ranger colour washes. I love all Ranger products. I love distressing things. I love Hels blog. I loved going to one of her workshops at the Stamp Attic where I got the idea for inking and embossing and stamping and adding paper flowers (Tim Holtz tattered floral die of course) to a tag. I love the above colour combination.

If that is not enough 'Love' I have added a red heart and a locket which I have distressed with some black acrylic. I dyed the piece of upholstery braid with colour wash. The tag was dipped in butterscotch colour wash and then wild honey and spiced marigold. I distressed the edge and used walnut stain to close it in. Then I ran it through my cuttlebug to emboss the ledger page which was ruthlessly sanded back to reveal the core of the tag. The paper flower was die cut and scrunched up before pinning together with a brad. The chiffon on the top was heat distressed til it shrivelled. Phew! Oh yes, the book plate from Tim's tags die was covered in Viva gold, then rock candy distress,dried and sanded back to look, well, distressed - and then I stamped Hope in the middle and used glossy accents in the middle - yet another product I lOVE! There we have it, a tag of Love!

Love to you all, have a great Sunday evening. x

PDCC#77

It's Play Date Cafe Challenge time again! You will find it here: http://theplaydatecafe.blogspot.com/ This week it is to use brown, green and white. I have tried to put the picture on my blog but I am so daft I can't make it work! Have to wait for beautiful daughter number 2 to visit! Here is my entry:

I was inspired by Racheal Jackson's article in the April 'Craft stamper' magazine. She can make delicate look so easy and I think mine is a bit heavy handed. I used the Elusive images hydrangea stamp that I coloured in with my watercolour pencils. The green muslin paper was stamped with a Prima script and then I cut the outer edge of the flower. The text is by Crescendo stamps, the back of the card is the Martha Stewart hydrangea punch and then I used three brown pearls to finish. Now to try and remember how to link this to the PDCC site! Have a lovely evening.

Sunday Stamper 'Blue'.

Managed this a bit earlier this week! I've had it made since Tuesday but it has proved a challenge to photograph.

I used some Maya road bird shapes which I covered back and front in different papers from Tim Holtz shabby vintage stack. I then inked the edges with weathered wood distress ink and stamped paper artsy hot pick 'Song Bird Fly' and some T.H. stamps over the bodies. The big wings were cut from T.H. 'fanciful flight' and layered up . The small wings were from his winged heart dies. Prima paper flowers were distressed inked and layered up by the side of the wings and on the hanging saying at the bottom.

I then seperated the birds with toning beads and paper birds punched from Martha Stewart bird punch which I love. The two sayings on the atc at the bottom are from T.H. and Exclusive images. I used touches of green distress ink to break up the blue.

Blue birds of happiness? I certainly have enjoyed the beautiful blue skies we have recently had. I think this may become a gift for my persian cats Hermione and Molly, they have been eyeing it up with interest!

Have a good day all. x

Play Date Cafe Challenge #76.

Here is my first attempt at the Play Date Cafe Challenge. The theme for this week is to use bright blue, sky blue and bright green.

I used Adirondach colour wash in Stream, Denim and Lettuce to colour the background of the tag and then I put it through my cuttlebug with the swiss dots embossing folder which I then coloured over with tumbled glass and weathered wood distress ink to pick up the dots as if they were bubbles in the sea. The 'seaweed' is made from green and blue chiffon which I shrivelled with my heat gun and machined down. The shell is pain spattered blues and the starfish and sea plant are from Stampington's 'Shore Cliff Elements' stamped in distress inks again. The iridescent shell shaped sequins and blue beads are from my stash and were charity shop finds. The blue nylon string at the top of the tag was collected from last years beach combing. With the lovely weather we are having this weekend it makes me wish I was by the sea, perhaps crafting with these colours is the next best thing! Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine. x

Sunday Stampers - Gold.

Sunday Stampers! Oh my goodness, only just in time! Manic week I'm afraid, never mind made it with some hours to spare. The challenge was to use Gold, harder than I thought.

I swished wild honey, scattered straw and rusty hinge inks on my craft mat and swiped the tag through until I got a good background colour. Then I embossed it with Tim's rays, wiped colour over again and then smeared gold viva paste at the edge and the almost sun shape. It looks far richer than the photo has shown. Tim's in flight stamp on grunge paper with black archival ink then smeared with the gold again. I then altered some feathers with the viva and attached them under the bird. Gold beads from my stash at the bottom and a faceted crystal with a toning bead and gold threads at the top attached with a trinket pin. Blinded by the light because the bird looks as if it has flown too near, hope his wings are not burnt!

Saturday Sortings.

Today I have been doing three things.The first thing I have been doing is not doing the housework. I have not been doing it all day.

The second thing I have been doing is wandering about my garden, considering how to sort the ravages of winter and turn it into a haven again. I thought you might like to see some of the projects I have done and will have to consider doing this year. I am very good at considering.

Here is my garden guardian angel in her beautiful mosaic shrine inspired by a trip to beloved Italy. Clever hubbysand make the shrine. It has had several incarnations.

Unfortunately the winter has taken off some of the china plate mosaics that we lovingly collected from car boots and smashed up. Last year we attempted to stick them with the stuff that is supposed to be as strong as nails, but the snow and rain got in and we will have to attach them again. Other years we have tried grout and cement and read a multitude of garden mosaic how to do books. Never mind, I haven't lost them and I don't do perfection.

Here is chamomile swirl stage two. I have tried to grow a chamomile lawn in this circle (My garden is made up of circles) four times. It is a very hard thing to do I have discovered, as the slugs feast out on chamomile. Dearest hubbysand got clever with string and pegs and has put in a spiral. The job this year is to plant chamomile inbetween. Next time I blog this I hope it will be well underway and the smell will knock you out!

This is my special retreat looking worse for wear. When I have spring-cleaned it and plumped the cushions and put them in the seats, lit the scented candles and put my tea pot and cup and saucer on the table you won't recognise it! My favourite spot to meditate and re-charge. I have crystals and garden chimes that tinkle in the breeze. Luverly.

This is a piece of wood from Westonbirt Arboretum. Purchased one year during their tree carving show. I found a special crystal and when the sun catches it rainbows dance every where.

These are some of my heads that adorn the wall in front of a little seated area.

May I introduce you to George and Mildred who live on top of an ornate column near the rose arch. They don't need feeding and my cats can't reach them. Perfect.

The third thing I have been doing is playing in the craft room. I have recently purchased Ruth Rae's book 'Layered. tattered, stitched. Full of gorgeous scrumptiousness that I want to make. This is my first absolute copy from her book of a cuff. I'm hoping beautiful daughter number 1, 2 or 3 will like and want it as I have made it a tadge too tight for my old wrist. No. 2 will hopefully like it as it more her style. Now I understand the basics I will experiment with my ideas and fabrics. Well, even the likes of Michelangelo copied from the Masters when he set out!

Well, off to not do the housework now! Enjoy your day.

Sunday Stamper!

Well, had a most glorious day today and did Hel's challenge on the Sunday Stamper on Sunday. The theme is die cuts and I was longing to use Tim's new die and stamp set bought from one of my most fav. shops in all the world, The Stamp Attic.
I have made a sewing set:

The button tin was an old sweetie tin I thought I should save, covered in pink papers and stamped in aged mahogany distress with one of Tim's stamps and one from paperartsy.

The rim was edged in some matching trim I had in the craft room and I protected the surface of the tin with glossy multi medium. Here is a side view.

The needle case was some of Tim's lovely paper overstamped in aged mahogany and a grunge board die cut of a spool coloured with mahogany acrylic dabber.

The inside has needles already in situ on pink felt pages.

The scissor holder was the most work. I die cut the dress form from grunge board and then balsa wood, glued them together and then coloured with mahogany acrylic and set it into a piece of wood similarly coloured. Then I die cut it again from Tim's paper and cut out the bodice. The arms are stamped from a doll set I have had so many years and I do not remember the maker, jointed with tiny brads. Then I die cut the bird cage and glued it on as a skirt. Added ideology bits and some words and little roses.

The sash is tied and holds the scissors at the back. If I make this again I have thoughts of the scissor handle becoming a ruff for an Elizabethan lady. Here is the back view showing how the scissors fit in the sash, it is quite stable because I layered up the die cut with balsa and grunge.

I really enjoyed making this, only one thing would have made it better - a vagabond machine. Must be good, it is a want, not a need, and my dear old cuttlebug worked. Still, I do covet!