ATC'S SUN, MOON, STARS

Over at my own little Facebook Group The Joy of Friends we organise swaps each month and this month we decided to do ATC's with the theme of Sun, Moon, Stars. 

My sun one used a piece of old designer paper to which I added a stencil and some texture paste.  The paste was coloured with some yellow acrylic ink to keep the yello theme.  I then used an old Tim Holtz Impresslit called Radiant which I found in the cupboard not used for years and cut it out of some more paper.  The words at the top came from a dictionary - the others from Tim Holtz Ideaology.

The moon one - I masked off a circle for the moon and used Chipped Sapphire and Black Soot Distress Oxides for the sky.  The owl stamp is from Lavinia Stamps.  I added a touch of yellow to the moon and his eyes.  The sentiment is from Tim Holtz Ideaology.

The stars - I created a universe background using various Tim Holtz Distress Oxides and black soot.  The star from an old Stampin Up set was silver embossed. The words are from Anita Jeram set.

I'm adding this into the following:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - not a card 

Creative Inspirations - AG 

Ellibelle Wednesday - AG 

Neglected Stuff - Impresslit by Tim Holtz 

Stamping Sensations - AG 

We Love Stamping - AG 

Outlawz - Not a card 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE - #499

Welcome back to another challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More and our Any Occasion challenge.  I thought this card might help cheer up someone who needed a pick me up.  

I love this little set from Anita Jeram for Colorado Craft Company called Paint Town.  I stamped the little guinea pig first and then masked them completely to create the background.  The city scape is a stencil from Sizzix called Cosmopolitan #2.  I added a night sky with Chipped Sapphire Distress Oxide ink and some ink splatters for stars.  I used all Tim Holtz Distress inks for the other colours.  

I'm adding this into the following:

Creative Inspirations - AG 

Ellibelle - Wednesday - AG 

The sisterhood of crafters - card of encouragement 

Shopping your stash - hot hot hot red 

Allsorts - Animals 

Sweet Stampin - use a stencil 

Cards4galz - create a scene 

Craft Rocket - animals 

STencilfun - AG 

THE HOLLY & IVY #189

 Welcome back to another challenge at Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge - I love looking through all your inspirational Christmas projects.  Joining in with challenges is a great way to use your stash - especially Christmas goodies which can linger unloved for nearly 11 months of the year!  

For my background I used a stamp by Creative Expressions which is a delightful dear Santa letter.  I used two colour Versafine inks - Avocado and Verdant to stamp it as a background.  I used the stamp set Vintage Holidays by Tim Holtz for my images.  Stamping them and then cutting them out and adding a mini collage.  Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Festive Berries and Brushed Corduroy for the colours.

I'm adding this into the following:

Make My Monday  Christmas 

Peace on Earth - Christmas 

Outlawz - Christmas 

As you like it - Favourite Season for me is winter - I quite enjoy early dark nights, lighting the fire and candles and snuggling up. It's a great time to craft as I don't feel guilty about not doing the garden! 

Creative Inspiration AG 

THE MALE ROOM -#201 THE UNIVERSE

I must admit I found this challenge a challenge for The Male Room this month lol! I kept looking at it and not finding anything I fancied doing and then I remembered years ago I had created a similar background using Distress Oxide Inks.  It hadn't really worked back then as at the time I didn't have Black Soot Oxide but now I do so I had another go and I was really pleased with how it turned out.  The only problem was knowing when to stop with it.  It was such fun to make I think I'll be making some more.

The Distress Oxide colours I used were Dusty Concord, Wild Honey, Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers and  Lumberjack Plaid but you can really use any bright colours you have.  The Oxides just help it all to blend perfectly.  I used watercolour paper too although I think it could have been a bit heavier.  Once I had added my colours, I spritzed with water and I then dried it with the heat tool.  I then added a top layer of Black Soot and dried it again.  I kept adding Black Soot and drying until I got the effect I wanted.  I also added some Cosmic Shimmer Pixie Powder in Emerald Green and Aubergine Dream to add a bit of sparkle and some droplets of Distress Spritz in Broken China.  Once it was all dry I used a white paint maker I use for splatters to add extra stars and some shooting stars.

The sentiment is from an Anita Jeram set called Treat Yourself and I thought it worked perfectly.  I used a circle die cut to cut it out and added some marks in black soot to make it look like the moon. I embossed the sentiment in silver embossing powder. 

I'm adding this into the following:

Alphabet Challenge - I is for ink blending - plenty of that in this background 

Creative Moments - Embossing 

Creative Inspiration - AG 

Word Power 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Quirky 

TAGGING ALONG

I was delighted to be lucky enough to win a set of Tag Die Cuts from Brenda at Tag Along new challenge so I just had to put them to good use this week.  The theme over at their challenge is Travel.

My tag uses just one of the 11 dies in this set and I used an old Stampin Up embossing folder for the background.  It seems ages since I've used embossing folders.  This whole tag became a case of using up long forgotten items.  I inked the folder first with some Distress Oxide in Bundled Sage and Peeled Paint to create the mottled background. As it's quite a detailed emboss I didn't think stamping direct on to it would work so I used some tissue paper to stamp on.  

The stamp is from a set by Bipasha BK for Aallandcreate called Phonebooth Elements - another hardly used stamp.  I loved the idea of the world on it which I thought really fitted with the Travel element.  I then added some very very old Tim Holtz stamps.  I think I've had them over 20 years and the polymer is starting to give up a little but hopefully it will last a big longer.  I used the city scape stamp at the bottom and the Postcard and Discoveries word.  

I'm adding this into the following:

Tag Along - Travel 

Neglected Stuff Challenge - lots here - embossing folder - lots of stamps 

Masculine card - Cheers

 I had a bit of spare time on my hand free from my own Design Team challenge duties to have a play with Time Out challenges which I had spotted on my travels - I liked the idea of using the word prompts.  This was my second attempt at a card as I wasn't happy with the first one and it went in the bin.  I know - terrible - normally I would use them as a die cut or a background but nope - in the bin it went.  So I started again.

Their brief was to use at least two of their given words.  I took some scrap paper and tore the edges and this became my Torn part of the words and I created a Rainbow with some Distress Oxide inks.  I then added a stamped image of the car from Visible Image You're a Classic stamp set which I cut out and added to give a bit more dimension. This was my Transport.  The sentiment was a die cut from my stash.  I then added an old SU Star stamp to the background - I ended up using 4 of the prompt words. 

I'm not normally one for so many colours or bright colours but I do like how this one turned out.  It's not destined for the bin lol!

I'm adding this into the following

Time Out challenges - 4 prompt words 

Krafty Chicks - AG 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - AG 

Simon Says Stamp Monday - Happy Birthday 

Make My Monday - Masculine card 

INSPIRATION STATION - #76

Welcome back to another Inspiration Station - I hope you are inspired by our lovely picture above - please let us know when you enter what inspired you.  I chose the Unicorn and the fact that it was a birthday cake.  My little granddaughter was 6 in June and she is just at that stage where she loves pink and unicorns. 

All my stamps were from Lavinia stamps.  As my little girl loves all things pretty I added the little ribbon and the gem - not something I would normally add to my cards.

I'm adding this into the following:

Simon Says Stamp Monday - Happy Birthday 

Allsorts - AG Animal 

Heart's Quest - Fantasy

Send a smile 4 kids - birthday card 

Critter Crazy - AG 

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA - BOTANICAL TILES.

Welcome back to Creative Artiste Challenge blog.  I really enjoyed creating these projects which I'm calling my Botanical Tiles. 

They are created on waterproof paper backed with some brown cardboard packaging to give them extra strength.  They started out as a full Moodboard of playtime inspired by Alison Bomber.  I added Tim Holtz tissue paper, inks, gesso, and some background stamping of Alison's grasses.  I also used an old bottle top dipped in paint to create the extra circles. 

Each little flower is a rub from Taperlogy which has been added to small pieces of linen and framed with various frames. There is fine thread behind each frame.  I added some Tim Holtz hardware and tied some very tiny labels to them with the words Note, Grow, Seed and Wild stamped on them.   The larger words are from Tim Holtz Ideaology. I added some clear gems and a splatter of white.

I love how they turned out although I  have no idea what I will do with them.  Answers on a postcard.....lol! 

PEARLY SPARKLES #110 - UNDER THE SEA.

Our challenge for you this month at Pearly Sparkles is Under the Sea.  I really don't have many sea themed crafts and really should have a look for some new ones.  In the meantime - I've fallen back on my old favourite from Kaisercraft. 

I created the background using Tim Holtz Distress Oxides and the gel press and then added a bubble stencil over the top.  The images were simply stamped over the top and some shine added to the coral pieces.

I'm adding this into the following:

The paper players - by the water 

Outlawz - critters

Critter Crazy AG 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE - #498 BIRTHDAYS

Welcome back to another Birthday challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More.  I've chosen to have another play with Tracy Evans Boutique Designs new release stamps.  

This one is TE45 and I've allowed that lovely dog rose stamp to take centre stage - well stage right but you get my drift!  I added some of the leaf stems to surround it.  I used the Prismacolor pencils to colour in the flowers.  The background was made with a gel press on one of my gel press inking days!  

TAG PLAYTIME

I was recently watching one of Alison Bomber's videos and although she was using crackle paste I decided to use a bit of Texture paste and just craft along.  It was one of those 4 a.m. mornings and I find it very restful listening to Alison.

I started off by using some old packaging from a well known internet company and you can just about still see some of their logo to the left of the bird.  Their packaging makes great tags - I wonder if they realise?  I added some Tim Holtz Distress Paint in Speckled Egg to the brown tag.  I then added some Daler Rowney Texture Paste with a Tim Holtz stencil and waited for it to dry. 

I added one of Alison's grass stamps in Ranger Archival Ink called Seafarer.  I've just recently re-found this ink in my stash and didn't even know I had it and it's become a firm favourite for a blue/grey ink.

I turned to the packaging again this time it was the textured cardboard which was in my stash already painted with some white paint.  I used an old die cut of a stem to cut two stems out.  The bird sitting patiently on her nest is a Tim Holtz Die.  The little nest stamp is from Alison.  I added some extra ephemera pieces and some burlap to the bottom.  The quote is from Tim Holtz Ideaology and I found it fitted this scene perfectly.  Birds and other animals just merely get on with their lives and don't have to think over everything like we all do.  There must be a kind of calm and peace in that and at 4 a.m. in the morning I could do with some of that! 

A splatter of white ink and some twine finished off my tag. 

I'm adding this into the following:

Let's Craft and Create - use a die cut - I've used 2

Tag Along - I'm allowed to enter up to 4

We Love2Create - 

Creative Moments - use a die cut 

A cut above - Die cuts 

THE HOLLY AND IVY #188

We are back at The Holly and Ivy  after a little break with some more Christmas inspiration for you.  

I've used some of Tracy Evans' Boutique Designs stamps and stencils for my card.  I started by stamping the word Christmas as a simple background.  The vase is a stencil which I coloured with Tim Holtz Distress Oxide.  I then added some more words and a crackle stamp.  

I masked off the stencil to add the Christmas bauble and added some holly in the vase and underneath the bauble. 

I'm adding this into the following challenges also:

Rudolph Days Challenge - 

Peace on Earth

Avenue 613 - Christmas Holiday 

Polkadoodle  

Just Add Ink - Christmas 

CRAFT - Christmas 

Unicorn Challenge - Christmas in July 

ON THE WILD SIDE

Another play with the new stamp sets from Tracy Evans Boutique Designs - TE50 On the Wild Side and TE45 Dog Rose and Butterfly.  I created the background with some Distress Oxide inks then added the stamping.  The butterfly was cut out and popped on dimentions and has lots of sparkle.  I love the extra ephemera pieces in TE 45 too.  I added a pop of colour as everything else had been stamped in Versafine Portobello or Black.  

This fits in perfectly with the Just Us Girls challenge and their mood board 

Stamping Sensations - AG 

We love2create - AG

We love stamping - AG 

Allsorts - AG 

Ellibelle - from the garden 

Simon Says Stamp - Monday - make your own background 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE #497 - CHRISTMAS

Back to our Christmas challenge this week at Addicted to Stamps and More.  I grabbed a background from my stash that had been made with the gel press and a stencil a few weeks ago.  

I wanted to use these Indigo blue stamps as I spotted those little deer under the stamp.  I do like to see deer at Christmas.  I paired it with some Tim Holtz thinlets of the doe and her baby.  I covered them in Tim  Holtz Speckled Egg embossing powder.  They look a bit greyer in the image.  The oval image was also embossed to give it a bit of shine. 

TAG TIME

I do love to make tags but really don't know what to do with them after I've made them.  I couldn't possibly add them to a gift and give them away as I'm not sure the receiver would appreciate them and all that time I've spent creating.  What do you do with your tags?  

I was inspired to play along with the new challenge Tag-Along (and ATC's) and their theme is AG with the option of Garden. 

Tracy Evans Boutique Designs has just released a new set which is fast becoming my favourite called Dog Rose and Butterfly.  I love the extra ephemera stamps she has added for us and I just love the butterfly.

My piece started out as a play on the gel press - inspired by Alison Bomber to add real grasses to the paint and you can just see a faint imprint of the grasses I used. The paints used were Tim Holtz Walnut Stain and Cracked Pistachio.  I then stamped the butterfly collage stamp from Tracy's set in Versafine Shady Lane.  I restamped the butterfly in Versafine Portobello and cut it out and inked it with Distress Oxides in Cracked Pistachio and Unchartered Mariner.

I added some of the extra pieces of ephemera stamps and added some splatter.

I'm adding this into the following 

Tag Along - AG plus Garden 

Dream Valley - AG 

Stamping Sensations - flowers - AG 

INSPIRATION STATION - #75

Welcome back to another challenge from Inspiration Station.  We hope you are inspired by this gorgeous image - it could be memories of holidays taken, the beach scene, the colours, the houses, the shadows.  Anything that inspires you but do let us know what it was from the image that drew your creativity.  Mine was the little houses and I suddenly remembered an old stamp I had that hadn't had much love. Isn't it amazing that no matter how much crafting stuff we may have we can still remember that one stamp or paper or die cut!  

The stamp I used is an old Chocolate Baroque stamp called Mushroom House.  Sadly the owner and designer of Chocolate Baroque stamps Lesley passed suddenly late last year and I'm not sure what's happened to the company since.  

I used the gel press for the background with some Tim Holtz paints and layering the paint horizontally to see what image I would get.  I quite liked how it created a bubbly sort of texture and a round idea of sky, sea and sand.  I added a stencil by Alison Bomber for the branches and hand drew the leaves.  I stamped the little houses and used the same paint to colour in the thatch.  I thought the sentiment which comes with the set was just perfect for this challenge. 

A PEAR OF TAGS

A bit of a pun there for my heading as I'm not offering a pair of tags but a pear of a tag lol!   

I had great fun creating this tag - lots of lovely texture with stencils, paste, stamping, stamped ribbon for the background.  The pear image is an old one from Tracy Evans for Aallandcreate. 

I stamped it twice and layered it to give it more of a statement on the busy background.  I added some thread behind  and can you spot I even found an old leaf brad in my stash!  Brads need love too.  The ephemera words are from the same set.  I found a fruit embellishment for the ribbon at the top.  I layered this onto some strong cardboard to protect it and give it strength.  

I used Tim Holtz Distress Inks for all my colours and wanted to take my inspiration from the old sweets we used to have called Fruit Salad.

I'm adding this into the following 

Tag Along - AG plus garden.- I have a pear tree in my garden but no fruit as yet.

Let's Craft and Create - AG 

Colourful Options 

The outlawz challenge - yum yum 

Inspire Create - Oranges and Lemons - colours Ive used 

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA - #117

Welcome back to another Creative Artiste Challenge where Anything Goes as long as you use at least 3 different mediums on your project.  I really enjoyed creating this piece and it was just a lovely hour of playtime.

I started off with some packaging from a well know delivery firm lol which had the corrugated inner to the cardstock.  I used some Tim Holtz Distress Ink direct from the bottle in Walnut Stain to age the piece and then added some strips of gesso just to lighten it a bit.  I dug out some piece of fabric from my little fabric stash and stamped on them.  The wording stamp on the top left is a very old stamp I can't remember from where.  The flowers are from Alison Bomber.

I love watching Alison's videos and she has inspired me to add real flowers to my pieces.  The little fluffy things I have no idea what they are but they were up on our mountain on a dog walk and I just knew I had to pick a few.  I've also added a dried flower I had from when I went on a make your own paper course.  

The various ephemera pieces are from my little stash of pieces I've made - also inspired by Alison.  It's nice to have a few to hand and makes creating collages a little easier.  The quote is from Tim Holtz.  I added some circles with a bottle top and some gesso.  To make the piece sturdier I added it to some extra cardboard painted with brown acrylic paint and added strips of white gesso to mirror the strips of the cardboard.  I even used a few brads!!

Here are a few close up's also

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Mix it Up - AG Mixed Media 

Crafts Galore Encore - AG 

Paper Rocks Scissors - AG 

Simply Ellibelle - Wed - AG 

Ellibelle - I spy - Vintage 

Outlawz - Not a Card 

Tic Tac Toe - Foliage - Layers Flowers