MOVING ALONG WITH THE TIMES - #188 - SPRING

Welcome back to Moving Along With The Times and our challenge of Spring.  There are so many ways of interpreting Spring and I look forward to seeing what you all come up with.

I've used Alison Bomber's gorgeous Apple Blossom stamp set again as I do love to see my apple trees in blossom.  They are very young trees and so far we've only managed a few apples of them but I live in  hope! 

I used some watercolour paper for my background and added some subtle Distress Oxide in Speckled Egg and Spun Sugur.  I added some extra background stamping from the same set - stamped off in Versafine Morning Mist to keep it subtle.  I stamped and cut out the main apple blossom stamp and coloured it in with Distress Inks in Spun Sugar and Peeled Paint. I stamped the lovely birds nest ephemera stamp in Versafine Verdant to give a contrast to all the subtle colours.

PEARLY SPARKLES - #118 SOMETHING OLD SOMETHING NEW

Welcome back to our challenge at Pearly Sparkles this month and it's my choice of Something Old Something New.  I'm sure lots of us received new goodies over the Christmas period - maybe even some we haven't used yet so now is your chance.

I recently purchased some new dies from Lou Collins Textures - the set is called Clipboard Coverings Vol II.  I don't really go for dies unless they are Tim Holtz but I really loved this clipboard set and all its little embellishments like the paper clip, the bulldog clip and the actual clipboard.  It also has two great add on dies that give a stitched edge and as I don't do sewing that's great for me.

I've created my little clipboard to go into my journal. I'll use it as a tuck spot to add some journaling behind.   The old part is the stamp set from Alison Bomber EAB46 Apple Blossom.  

After cutting out the clipboard with the die I used some Paper Artsy paint in Sea Glass and Snowflake to add some interest.  I also cut out the inner which gives the frayed edges.  This was a gel press paper I had which had been made with an old stencil and a new stencil - the new one was from 13 arts called Back in Time Dress Circle and one of the stamps from Apple Blossom.  I then stamped an extra flower stamp and added it to the surface keeping the colours soft and muted with some Prismacolor pencils.  I added a little tag with one of the paper paperclips and some netting and a number.  The butterfly was cut from some new decoupage paper from Lou Collins.

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE #513 - BIRTHDAYS

Welcome back to our Birthdays challenge at ATSM.  March is a very busy time in our household for birthdays and this one was for my daughter who loves her chickens.  She has about 20 of them and has raised most of them from chicks.  

I just had to use this lovely chicken stamp by Tracy Evans Boutique Designs. together with the cheeky mouse.  The wellington boots are from an old Tracy Evans set for Aallandcreate.  I added some stencilling behind and the sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp Wild Birthday stamp set. 

I'm adding this into the following:

Paper Funday - fur or feathers - we have both 

We Love Stamping - wildlife - mouse 

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA #124

Welcome back to Creative Artiste Mixed Media.  I'm having great fun creating little books out of upcycled packaging and this one started out life as the inside of toilet roll holders!  Who knew!  There are a total of 6 pages both double sided. 

I covered the papers first with white gesso to give me a good base to add all the extra stamping and collaging.  

On the one side are some lovely images of vintage birds I found in an old book.  The other side has stamped images of birds from my stash - mainly from Tracy Evans various stamp sets.  I've also added stamping by Tim Holtz and some of his collage tissue. 

Each page has a motivational word which co-ordinates with the tag so that journaling can be added. The ribbons on the tags were stamped with a butterfly collage stamp and then torn.

I've also been enjoying making my own paper beads so I've added some of these to the book binding ring together with some charms.  

I'm popping this one into my Etsy shop so it can find its way to a new home. All the 12 sides of this project can be seen there.

We look forward to seeing your mixed media pieces this month - don't forget to use at least 3 mediums on your project. 

I'm adding this into the following

The Outlawz - Anything but a card 

Triple B - Birds and Blossoms 

CRAFT - AG 

Creative Inspiration - AG 

Ellibelle Garden - something from the garden 

Paper Rock Scissors - everything but a rock! 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE - #512 - CHRISTMAS

Time for another Christmas Challenge at ATSM.  I created my scene with a stencil mask by Lavinia Stamps - I love these sticky stencils and thought I'd try an arch for a change.  I added a moon just with a paper mask and created my snow hills with a piece of torn paper.  The stamps are by Tracy Evans Boutique Designs. 

I'm adding this into the following:

Simon Says Stamp Monday - make your own background using Tracy Evans 

Little Red Wagon - include an animal 

Paper Funday - Fur or Feather 

We love Stamping - Wildlife, Christmas 

THE MALE ROOM CHALLENGE #208 BLUE AND BROWN

Welcome back to the Male Room Challenge. I'm sad to say this will be my final entry as Design Team member for this challenge.  I've been with Helen and the team for a good few years now but I find I am moving away from card making as they are taking over my craft room with nowhere to send them!  The Male Room doesn't always ask for cards but I find the books and mixed media pieces I'm turning to are not quite always male orientated.  It's fitting therefore that it's my turn to choose the theme for this month and I chose blue and brown.  I've gone full grunge with my card for this one.

I started off using a piece of Kraft Glassine paper by Tim Holtz.  This is something I've had in my stash for years and rarely use it.  I was trying to go for an old leather type look.  I stamped it first with a very old Tim Holtz post card stamp in black and then scrunched it all up.  I added some Speckled Egg Embossing powder but that didn't work on the paper so I just used some Speckled Egg Distress Crayon. I added a few strips of Tim Holtz Washi tape to the side.

I then created the tag with the same stamp and here the Embossing Powder did work.  I added one of Tim;' paper dolls and some gears underneath.  As the clock embellishment had such a large back to it I layered the tag on some dimensions.  The extra stamping is from Creative Expressions - yet another find in my stash I didn't know I had. I wanted a sentiment with a time connotation and finally found this one from Aallandcreate on a stamp set.  Another great find.

This project turned out to be using what I had and it was great to find some new treasures.  I would urge you all to dig through and see what you've got. I layered the card onto some card stock with Ground Espresso Distress Ink edging the border.  Full on grunge! 

I'm adding this into the following:

Cardz4Guyz - Monochrome 

Paper Rock Scissors - lots of papers and lots of cutting

SSS Monday - make your own background 

Make My Monday - card for a guy 

WE love2 Create - AG 

INSPIRATION STATION - #83

Welcome back to Inspiration Station and our inspiration photo for you this month.  I found this one a bit tricky I  must say.  I wanted to use the dogs and remembered I had this wonderful set by Anita Jeram.

I gave them some green grass to keep in with the photo and then stencilled some bare tree branches and added some green leaves with a stencil.  I kept the dogs to a pale colour as per the ones in the photo and added green to their collars and the treats in the jar.  The green in real life is much more like the Emerald Green in the photo. I stamped the dogs and cut them out - there is a die for this set but I don't have it. The sentiment is from the same set.

I'm adding this into the following;

Little Red Wagon - add an animal 

Simon Says Stamp Wed - make it cute 

FabnFunky - shades of Green 

Creative Inspirations - Cute Critters 

I Spy - something you love - the colour green is my favourite - I do love my dog

MOVING ALONG WITH THE TIMES - #187 - BIRDS AND/OR BEES

Welcome back to another challenge at Moving Along with the Times.  Our challenge his month is birds and or bees.  I use quite a few birds on my projects so I thought I would go for the bees this time.  I don't do well with insects but bees and butterflies I can cope with.

This is a great set by Aallandcreate by Bipash BK.  I stamped the image first and then stencilled around it - it's supposed to be Spun Sugar Distress Oxide but it came out more brown than pink.  I coloured in the honeycombs with a Distress Oxide Marker Pen in Wild Honey.  I used a yellow sparkle pen for their wings. 

PEARLY SPARKLES - #117 - MIXED COLOUR FLORALS

Welcome back to another Pearly Sparkles Challenge and we want to see your mixed colour florals.  Spring is right around the corner for some of us..... well hopefully but I do have a few small crocus pushing their way up to brighten up the garden.

My card uses an old stamp by Tracy Evans.  I added it to a tag and fixed it to my background which was made with Tim Holtz Distress Inks and some Creative Expressions stencil of tiny leaves.  I added the faux stitching around the edges.  The sentiment comes from Indigo Blu.  I used Prismacolour pencils to colour in my flowers, 

LOVE TO CRAFT -#90 SO MANY CARDS.... LET'S MAKE BOOKS

Welcome back to another challenge from Love to Craft where we love seeing all your projects. 

I  used to just call myself a card maker - but oh I have so many cards cluttering up my craft room.  I can't sell them - sometimes I can't even give them away and I sometimes lose the mojo to create just another card which is going to sit in a cupboard.  What do you all do with your cards?  I'd love to know - drop me a comment.

 

As I've delved into the world of Mixed Media over the years I'm finding it really is my happy place crafting wise especially making little books.  Luckily there does seem to be a bit of a market for me for these and I have been selling them on Etsy much to my surprise.

My latest addition was this little beauty. A little accordion book on the theme of birds.  What I love is that I'm making them with supplies I already have - and recycling old packaging at the same time.  The little cover for this one was made with an old cat food box.  That cardboard is just shouting out to be re-used.    

I used stamps by Tracy Evans Boutique Designs and Tim Holtz.  I also used some of Tim's collage paper called Aviary.  

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE #511 - MAKE YOUR MARK

We are back with another challenge for you at ATSM - make your mark - we want to see you using paints, markers, crayons etc.

I've used a stamp set I received for Christmas which is by Tracy Evans Boutique and I think it's just called Sunflower.  I used some Prismacolor Pencils to colour in the stamps.  I love the little addition of the bee too.  I used a Tracy Evans fern stencil for my background. 

CREATIVE ARTISTE - #123

Welcome back after our Christmas break to Creative Artiste  Mixed Media. Please note that we are a mixed media challenge so we do want to see lots of different mediums on your projects.

 I hope you got lots of lovely new crafty pieces to play with over the Christmas.  But if you didn't here's an idea for recycling all those pieces of cardboard packaging you may have had come through the door over the festive period.  The cover of my little Treasure Book has been made out of some old Amazon cardboard packaging.  It has been covered both on the outside and the inside with some material which I have stamped.  For the edges I used some of Tim Holtz material washi tape.  Throughout the book I have used a combination of stamps by Tim Holtz, Alison Bomber and Tracy Evans. 

There are 5 individual signatures within the book and they have all been made with old book papers, scrapbook papers, gel press stampings that I have had lying around in my stash.  There are pockets with hand made ephemera pieces, stamping on some of the pages, tags for journaling, space on the pages for journaling, lace, buttons, flowers, all sorts of interesting pieces.  Each signature is bound but they are all separate from one another and from the cover.  That way they are easier for you to get to if you want to use a particular piece.  I've used twine to close the book together with a dangle and a dried flower.

I'm really enjoying making my own books at the moment and a lot of them go on my Etsy store.  You will probably see a lot more of them over the forthcoming months on my blog.