Oh Happy Day Tag

Good afternoon all.

Arrived safely in Dorset yesterday afternoon to glorious sunshine and had more of the same today. Been sightseeing on the Isle of Purbeck....I haven't been here since 1972!! Going to the tank museum tomorrow before we head off to Somerset.

Today it's my turn to inspire you over on the ARTplorations blog with a tutorial. Here is my project...click on the link to see how I made it. 

Today's project is a canvas tag.

Products used:

• ARTplorations - Bold Florals
• STAMPlorations - Mixed Media Backgrounds and Bloom Sketches

Challenges entered:

Stencil Sunday September Challenge

Good afternoon all.

Another month gone by and it's time once again to inspire you for our September mixed media Stencil Sunday challenge at STAMPlorations. It was great to see so many entries in August. I have an altered bottle to share with you today.

The bottle originally contained a very nice smoothie drink and the plastic label came clean off leaving me a lovely blank canvas. I started by painting all over with Vintage Lace Fresco Finish  paint which is an opaque acrylic. Once I was happy with the coverage and everything was dry I stippled over with a translucent paint in Limelight. My paper was leftover from a previous project and as I'd use the limelight paint in it, it matched perfectly...it also fitted perfectly!The top of the bottle was stamped using archival ink and a stamp from the Artsy Border Makers set.

 

I stamped the Subway Art Builders Create stamp onto tissue with black archival and cut out and attached two of the sentiments with gel medium.  I added lace, flowers and beads from my stash to finish.

Products used:

ARTploration stencils - Some Birds, Hearts Tumbled, Shutters, Oh My Stars, Dots and Dashes,  Hearts all Over, Gridlocked, Nestled Circles, Bubbles, Foiled and Foiled Again.

STAMPloration stamps - Trendy Birds, Artsy Border Makers and Subway Art Builders Create.

The theme is always anything mixed media goes except a card and you must use at least one stencil (any brand) in your project. Linky closes at the end of the month.

Prizes: $15 gift certificate OR choice of any 2 ARTplorations stencils to the winner

choice of 1 ARTplorations stencil to the top picks.

 Looking forward to seeing all your creations.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see what my team mates have produced, you won't be disappointed!

Challenges entered:
Recycle, Re-Purpose & Re-Invent - anything goes (must recycle)
Decorate to Celebrate - anything goes

Christmas Card Club "Christmas Carols"

Good morning all.

Men....what is it with them! Hubby has an appointment this Wednesday at the Ariel Motors factory, so why did he tell me it was on Tuesday!! I've had hotels and everything booked around him and found out on Friday night that he'd given me the wrong date grrr. We left home yesterday and spent the night at Trentham and will be heading to Dorset today for two nights...then to hubby's Aunty for two nights before heading up to Tetbury on Thursday for our trip round Highgrove on Friday.

It's that time again! Us girls from the Christmas Card Club are back to show our wares. Rita gave us the theme of "Christmas Carols" this time.

I opted to use my "Oh Holy Night" die by Die'Sire from Crafter's Companion as this is my favourite Carol. I used navy blue card and layered it up on to white card and finished off with some stickles to give some sparkle.

You'll find a list of the girls on my sidebar if you'd like to see their interpretation of the theme...I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes

Allsorts - lots of layers

CHNC - 'twas the night before Christmas

Simply Papercraft - anything goes

Creative Card Crew - Christmas

HLS Christmas Challenge September "Holly"

Good evening all.

Thank goodness today has been warmer than yesterday! Washing all done and dusted, house tidied...just need to do some shopping and the packing and we'll be ready for the off again.

Another month has passed and it's time once again for a new Christmas challenge at Happy Little Stampers. The theme this month is:

This challenge is sponsored by

Winner will receive this stamp set

Here is my card:

All dies are from Spellbinders and sentiment is from the Mixed Christmas Sentiments shown below. Red stickles added to finish. The card is green not black as it looks in the photo!

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the inspiration from the rest of the team, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. 

Challenges entered:

Merry Monday - use holly

Jingle Belles - tic tac toe (glitter, die cuts and stamping)

Winter Wonderland - sentiment as focus

Holly Jolly - use a die

CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes

A Snowflakes Promise - anything goes

Golden Oldie

Good morning all.

A busy day yesterday so apart from a coat of paint being added to a project in progress there was no crafting done. We spent most of the day in Edinburgh with Lora at a university open day at Queen Margaret's then after a quick tea headed back out to an awards evening at the school where she had been chosen to receive an Outstanding Achievement Award in Higher Modern Studies....cue the proud Mum moment!

Any way we've got to Friday once more so time to pop over to see Erika and share an oldie. As it's our wedding anniversary next week I thought I'd share the one I made for hubby in 2009.

Now many of you may have wondered why I don't make fancy cards for hubby and the kids...this waterfall card (it was considered fancy way back then lol) was out of it's envelope for all of about 5 seconds before hubby had "dismantled" it!! I think he thought he was bell ringing when pulling the tassel!! I vowed never again....and I always keep my vows, hence one of the reasons I'm still married to him after nearly 27 years :)

Images and papers from Joanna Sheen's Enchanted Dreams Cd; tassel also from Joanna. I have to confess to still having a considerable supply of tassels in a multitude of colours...I just couldn't give them away to any old body in case they binned them! Must start making use of them in my mixed media projects...then I can keep them all for myself. 

Someone please tell me I'm not alone and they feel the same about certain crafty products!

I'll be back later tonight with my inspiration post for Happy Little Stampers, meantime have a great weekend whatever you're up to.

Sweet Friend

Good morning all.

Well the ironing mountain was climbed yesterday...now to stop hubby wearing everything before we go away at the weekend! We're going back down south to use my Christmas present...a tour of Highgrove Gardens with a champagne tea (unfortunately we'd missed all the slots last time we were down).

Sharing today the card I made for the August Card Chain Challenge.

Made using my latest Stamp Club stamps from STAMPlorations....Floral Bliss.  I used the colour palette this month with distress inks.

Die is from Wplus9 and card is finished with some sequins.

Challenges entered:

Sweet Stamps - anything goes

Crafting from the Heart - anything goes

Craft Your Passion - anything goes

Crafty Cardmakers  - no patterned paper

Get Creative - no printed paper

Simon Says Stamp - trio of colours

Vintage Stamping - anything goes

Amusing - anything goes

Pile it On - friends

Sister Act Card challenge - anything goes

Eclectic Ellapu "Anything Goes"

Good morning all.

Yesterday was spent catching up with the washing, tidying up the house and grocery shopping...today I have an ironing mountain to tackle if I can stand up long enough. Don't know what I've done to my right foot but it is very sore so I'm hobbling around.

Another new month and a new challenge here at Eclectic Ellapu, where the Pink Team have a theme of "Anything Goes". We look forward to seeing all your makes.

I've upcycled a spice jar for this challenge. This was really a test piece...I wanted to start with something small! The jar was painted first with Vintage Lace opaque Fresco paint then a translucent Cherry Red. I then stencilled a butterfly from ARTplorations  Flutterby stencil onto tissue paper with sparkle medium and once dry I painted the back of the tissue cherry red to help it blend onto the jar. The tissue was attached with gel medium. My piece was finished with a few gemstones and a tassel.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the inspiration from the rest of the pink team, you won't be disappointed. Meanwhile the purple team are using up their forgotten or hidden stash (6 months old or older).

Challenges entered:

That Craft Place - mixed media anything goes

Love 2 Create - anything creative/mixed media goes

Rhedd's Creative Spirit - anything goes

Welcome Baby Girl!

Good evening all.

I'm back from a relaxing couple of days away, weather wasn't too bad and we managed to dodge the odd showers. I've been on tenterhooks all weekend though as I had limited wifi and Shery our lovely boss and owner at STAMPlorations had gone into labour on Friday....us girls have been getting a tad excited over our imminent STAMPbaby.

Fabulous news.....a happy, healthy little STAMPbaby named Kathryn Corazon was born last night. Congratulations to the Russ family!

To celebrate us STAMPloration girls are having a surprise blog hop.



Here's my card:

Background is made with distress paints and an acrylic block. Dies from Wplus9 and Spellbinders. Stamps are all from STAMPlorations Heaven Sent set. Finished with some sequins.

Do pop over to the blog to see what the other girls have made and feel free to join us to celebrate this happy little event.

Challenges entered:

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - make your own background

Alphabet challenge - N for no design papers

Simply Create Too - it's a special occasion

Cute Card Thursday - monochrome

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes

Golden Oldie

Good morning all.

Weather not been too bad here this week, just hope it stays okay over the weekend as we're off up to Pitlochry for a couple of nights. Not done an awful lot of crafting apart from DT stuff the past couple of days so no scheduled posts for over the weekend.

We went house viewing again on Wednesday...found something only about a mile from where we live which we're expressing an interest in but we need to get some flood risk assessments done before we can think of making an offer....hence yesterday afternoon was spent speaking to estate agents and solicitors instead of doing the ironing - that got done about 11pm last night!!

Popping over to Erika's to share another oldie today and since I've been in Christmas card mode I thought I'd share some of my 2009 specials with you.

Toppers were all from Flower Soft, I think these photos were taken before I added the "snow". These would go to my brother and three sisters so would have had personalised sentiments added to them.

Have a good weekend whatever you're up to and I'll catch you all at the beginning of the week.

Rudolph Day

Good afternoon all.

Another lovely day today and just back from the hairdressers so had a relaxing morning. Doctor managed to get blood first time yesterday from my right arm so the nurse had to use my left arm to inject the dye for my scan...I'm a little bruised and battered today, oh to have some prominent veins somewhere!

Another month is nearly over so we've reached Rudolph Day...here is my offering which I managed to make last night.

I'm making a concerted effort at the minute to get some of my special Christmas cards done and dusted...this is only number three so still a few more to go!

Topper is from Wild Rose Studio, die cuts all from Spellbinders, papers and bow from Docrafts, sentiment from LOTV, border punch from Tonic and button and gems from my stash. I've used a similar layout to my other two specials so making a little dent in my stash of backing papers.

Challenges entered:

Rudolph Day - August challenge

A Snowflakes Promise - anything Christmas goes

Christmas Card Challenges - anything goes

Crimbo Crackers - snowmen

ABC Christmas - Q for quantum leap ( c for colourful)

CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes

Winter Wonderland - Christmas Carols or songs (Frosty the Snowman)

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - anything goes

Lucky

Good morning all.

Doctors appointment this morning which will probably incur blood tests and an MRI scan this afternoon which involves being pumped with dye...I just hope they can find some veins or I'll end up looking like a pin cushion!

Today's share is a small canvas. I bought a set of Gelatos quite some time ago and haven't really spent any time playing with them. I made amends yesterday and here is the result:

Using yellow, orange and red I scribbled over the canvas which I'd primed with gesso. I used a baby wipe to blend the colours. Then I decided to have a play with some Tim Holz goodies! Texture paste was applied through the sunburst stencil and left to dry. I stamped and die cut a Crazy bird from some waste gelli print card cutting the smaller pieces from contrasting card and glueing them in place. Sentiment was stamped on tissue with black archival. I used black soot DI to ink around the canvas then used gel medium to attach the sentiment and bird. Canvas was finished with some texty words.

Challenges entered:

A Vintage Journey - things with wings

Love to Create Challenge - anything mixed media/creative/inky goes

Not Just Cards - anything goes

Artistic Stampers - anything goes

Country View Crafts - summertime
Rhedd's Creative Spirit - anything goes

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge - get texty

Christmas Card Club "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"

Good morning all.

It's time once again for our little Christmas Card Club to show our wares...it was my turn to set the  theme of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town".

Here is my make:

Using my favourite Father Christmas image from Joanna Sheen's Vintage Christmas CD. Papers are from DoCrafts. Mat dies are all from Spellbinders, reindeer from Tattered Lace and snowflake was a magazine freebie. Border punch from Tonic. Sentiment from LOTV. Finished with a few gems from my stash.

I've used virtually the same layout as my last CCC card and that's another special to add to the pile.

You'll find a list of the girls in my sidebar if you'd like to see their interpretation of my theme.

Challenges entered:

CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes

ABC Christmas - Q for quantum leap (d for die cuts)

A Snowflakes Promise - anything goes

Christmas Cards all Year Round - snowflakes

Winter Wonderland - Carol's or songs (Santa Claus is Coming to Town)

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes

Spotlight Week Day 5

Good afternoon all.

It's Day 5 of Spotlight Week over at STAMPlorations and sadly the final day. We've had some gorgeous inspiration from my team mates.

Spotlight on FRAMES AND FLOWERS

Remember you have to comment to win and the more comments you leave the more chances you have of winning! Commenting closes on August 23. Winners will be announced on August 24.

Check out what the team have made today! You'll find links to all the projects here.

Golden Oldie

Good morning all.

Gosh it was so muggy here last night, whilst I like warm weather I do prefer a cool evening! Domestic goddess duties calling this morning then it's off for some pampering this afternoon.

As it's Friday I'm off to join Erika to share a Golden Oldie.

My share today is a tag from 2011, the original post of which can be found here. The background is done with distress inks using a Tim Holz technique....sadly the link no longer works but I think the technique involved heat embossing one colour then inking over with the other so it just filled the white spaces (I could be wrong though!).

Image is from Polka Doodles, mounted on a SP bauble and a gold glittered snowflake.

Challenges entered:

Throwback Thursday #12 - techniques

Spotlight Week Day 4

Good afternoon all.

Another warm and sunny day...typical after the kids go back to school!

It's day 4 of the spotlight week over at STAMPlorations, I hope you're enjoying hopping along with us each day...remember you have to comment to win!

http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/2015/08/stamp-spotlight-week-day-4.html

Spotlight on HOUSESEXTRAS

Check out what the the team have made today! You'll find links to all our projects here.

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Prizes:

• FIVE (5) commenters randomly drawn from the designers' blogs will each win the stamp set featured for the day.
• ONE (1) commenter randomly drawn from the STAMPlorations blog will win a $25 gift certificate

STAMPlorations DAY 3 July Stamps Spotlight Week - FOND EXPRESSIONS 2

Good afternoon all.

This is my second post today...click here if you'd like to see my guest design card for Freshly Made Sketches 200th challenge.

It's a spotlight week over at the STAMPloration blog and today I get to inspire you all using stamps from FOND EXPRESSIONS 2.

Spotlight on FOND EXPRESSIONS 2

Here is my project:

I've opted to do some journalling pages. I started by adding some stencilling using texture paste, added some pieces of tape from my last STAMPlorations delivery and did some stamping with black archival ink. Everything was then coated with white gesso, once dry I used distress paints in Mermaid Lagoon, Cracked Pistachio and Abandoned Coral randomly over the pages. Once all the paint was dry I did some more stamping with black archival. All the sentiments were stamped onto tissue and applied with gel medium.

Products used:

ARTplorations stencils - Oh My Stars, Hearts all Over and Gridlocked.

STAMPlorations stamps - Fond Expressions 2, Mixed Media Grunge, Artsy Border Maker and Trendy Butterflies.

And some close ups to show the details:

As always at STAMPlorations there are lots of fabulous prizes up for grabs to those who comment here and on the other girls blogs.

Prizes:

• FIVE (5) commenters randomly drawn from the designers' blogs will each win the stamp set featured for the day.
• ONE (1) commenter randomly drawn from the STAMPlorations blog will win a $25 gift certificate

Check out what the rest of the team made! You'll find links to all our projects here.

Challenges entered:
Mixed Media Monthly - get texty

We Love 2 Create - anything goes mixed media
Rhedd's Creative Spirit - anything MM goes