Sending Big Hugs

Good morning all.

A much needed visit to the beautician yesterday for some waxing and polishing - my beautician has been travelling in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam for 5 weeks so it's been a while!!

After seeing the lovely Becca's stencilled background here I had to give the technique a try. Here is the result:

I inked the die cut piece with DI inks in mustard seed, spiced marmalade and picked raspberry then using a stencil from Splodgeaway I inked over with black soot. Stitched dies are from Spellbinders. Stamp is from Indigo Blu and was a magazine freebie, stamped with black versafine then overstamped with a big and juicy sunset ink pad. Sending die is from Simon says Stamp cut once from waste card and once from the background and layered up. Sentiment is from STAMPlorations. Sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.

Challenges entered:

CASology - tropical

Happy Stamper's - sponging

Happy Stamper's - sketch

STAMPlorations - stamps and stencils

Muse Challenge - I was inspired by the pretty pattern in the background and bright cheerful colours

ShowCASe your Style - colour inspiration

Addicted to Stamping - photo inspiration

Addicted to CAS - distress

Journalling Pad

Good morning all.

Yesterday was a total washout except for about ten minutes mid afternoon when we saw blue skies and a beautiful rainbow!

Another altered water colour pad to share today. No inanimate object in the house is safe from being gessoed at the moment...Hubby and the kids better watch out!!

I forgot to take a before photo but this is a bog standard A4 water colour card pad. I gave it several coats of Gesso then masked off the edges (although there has been some seepage!). The newsprint stamp from Clearly Besotted was stamped in two corners and also masked off. Next I got out the bold and bright set of aquatints and daubed the colours all over. Using a stencil from Memory Box and textured paste I stencilled the flowers bottom right. The main image is a stamp I got in a lucky bag, it's huge...I had to use a pyrex flan dish to stamp it as I didn't have an acrylic block big enough! I stamped in archival ink on tissue paper and used studio multi medium gloss to attach it. The journalling stamp also came in the same lucky bag, the other two sentiments are from Premium Craft Brands and are also stamped in versamark and heat embossed. The background has been stamped with various stamps from Stamping All Day, Indigo Blu and Premium Craft Brands in an assortment of distress and memento inks. The stencilled flowers were then sprayed with tangerine Sprinkys.

Challenges entered:

Bloggers Challenge - alter it

Crafts 4 Eternity - bright colours

Just Add Ink - add texture

Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes

Not Just Cards - anything goes

Anything but a Card - anything goes

Altered Eclectics - anything goes

Rhedd's Creative Spirit - anything altered art goes

Scrap it Girl - use watercolours, paint or gelatos

Thanks so much!

Good morning all.

House work - tick, washing - tick, shopping - tick...looks like today I get to choosing! Until eldest gets home from Bulgaria then I'm sure there'll be a bagful of dirty washing with him. Then again darling daughter has holes in her school shoes...we may have to go shopping!

A change from Christmas to share today but still CAS.

I've used Flitterglu through an old brass stencil then covered with IndigoBlu Lancashire Rose mega flakes. Topper is then layered onto some multi coloured mirri card and mounted onto a black card blank. Sentiment from Imagination Crafts has been stamped with versamark and heat embossed with some sparkly EP.

I've got three tubs of these mega flakes and I'm quite sure they'll be the death of me...they go everywhere but where you want them to, I'm sure I don't know whose idea it was to buy them!!

Challenges entered:

A Crafty Mess - anything goes

Fussy and Fancy - thankful

Sister Act Card Challenge - anything goes

Moving along with the Times - sparkle/shine

Crafter's Cafe - thank you

Crafting by Designs - anything goes

Divas by Design - bonfire colours

Paper Pretties - give thanks

Scrappy Hands - autumn colours

Great Impressions - thankful thoughts

Imperfection is Beauty

Good morning all. Hope you've all had a pleasant weekend.

Well I tackled the snippets invasion yesterday...I probably spent 8 hours die cutting and I've only just made a dent in the first box (there are four of varying sizes and fullness),  I think this was the largest! All the workspace I created on Saturday is now full of piles of die cuts and mats!
Off to the hairdressers this morning but I think I know what I'll be doing this afternoon!

An altered notebook to share today.

Cover was coated with several layers of gesso before being painted with no 6 aquatints. I then used various background stamps from Artistic Stampers, Bo Bunny and Visible Images inked with DI or Memento ink. Main image is from Indigo Blu along with the flowers in the top right hand corner and were a magazine freebie. Two sayings are from Visible Images along with the flower in the bottom left hand corner. I finished off with some white splats from my Premium Craft Brands set.

A picture with the protective front closed and one after the first coat of gesso as I forgot to take a before photo!! 

Challenges entered:

Frosted Designs Friday - mixed media

Inspiration Destination - anything goes

The Three Muses - shades of blue

Red Rubber Inspirationals - stay focussed on stamping

Not Just Cards - anything goes

Eclectic Ellapu - flowers

Altered Eclectics - anything goes

The Mirror Crack'd - the human form

Rhedd's Creative Spirit - anything goes/Halloween

All Crafts Challenge - anything but a card

Sweet Stampin - anything but a card