ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE #490

Back to our Diecuts/or Stencils challenge this week and I've used another favourite of mine which is the bird die cut from Tim Holtz.  He does seem to feature a lot in my tags as he's such a perfect size.    The feather and eggs are just perfect to use with the bird  and they are part of Tim Holtz Funky Nature set.  

I used Distress Oxides in Speckled Egg and Crushed Olive with a touch of Salvaged Patina by directly adding the inks to the card stock.  I then used some Texture Paste in Delicate Blue by Cosmic Shimmer.  I have another one of these pastes but it's all gone hard so I'm hoping some hot water may just revive it.  

I layered the bird onto some lace and a real stick to give a bit of dimension and interest with the eggs just behind. I added some background stamping in an old script stamp and some pen doodling around the edges.  

I'm adding this into the following:

We love 2 Create - Mixed Media 

Outlawz - Not A Card 

Creative Inspiration - AG 

Mix it up - Layers AG 

Stamping Sensations - Birds 

Paper Funday - Beginning with B 

Ellibelle's Corner - Dawn of Spring -birds, nests and their eggs 

Unicorn Challenge - use Dies 

Hearts Quest - TAG 

A cut Above - Dies 

Tic Tac Toe - Birds, Free, Pastel Colours - free is my lace 

THE HOLLY AND THE IVY CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE #182

Welcome back to another Christmas challenge at The Holly & Ivy.  We are actually having gorgeous unseasonal weather here in Wales and it seems strange creating Christmas cards.  It's a great habit to get into though to make them all year round so you don't get rushed nearer the big day and challenges like ours are the perfect motivation.  As usual we are Anything Goes and here's my card for this week. 

I've used some of the gorgeous stamps by Tracy Evans Boutique Designs to create my wreath. The inks are all Versafine Clair.  I then used one of Tracy's stencils to create the baubles in the middle and embossed them in gold embossing powder. I added some touches of white to the baubles to give them dimension.  The little bird is also from Tracy and the sentiments are from Tim Holtz.

SIMON SAYS STAMP MONDAY CHALLENGE GUEST DESIGNER - A TAG SHOWCASING STUDIO LIGHT

SIMON SAYS STAMP STORE 

I am delighted to have been asked to be Guest Designer for the month of April for Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.  

Our first challenge for this month is a Tag showcasing Studio Light.  I must admit this is not a company I have heard of before so it was exciting to be using some new stamps.  My eye was immediately drawn to this gorgeous Thistle stamp set with the gorgeous thistle and the extra images of the bird and the ladybird.  A set that is right up my mixed media street!  I had a great time playing with this set and as well as the project for the challenge I also did a few more which I've added below. 

For my tag for this Monday challenge I did the following:

I used some watercolour paper from my stash for the tag which measures approximately 6" x 3 ".

I started off by smooshing some inks for my background - drying in between until I was happy with the results.  I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Wilted Violet, Peacock Feathers and Distress Oxide Twisted Citron.  I then stamped the thistle stamp in Versafine Clair Nocturne and used some black embossing powder to make it pop.  

I coloured some ribbon from my stash with the Wilted Violet and added some wording from an old dictionary I use for my mixed media with the word Thistle on it.  I also stamped the little ladybird next to the thistle.  

Some Distress Oxide in Black Soot and some twine from my stash which was inked with the Wilted Violet finished off this tag.

Products Used:

Stamps - Studio Light Thistle 

Inks -      Tim Holtz Distress Ink Wilted Violet 

                Tim Holtz Distress Ink Peacock Feathers 

                Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Twisted Citron     

                Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Black Soot 

                Versafine Clair Nocturne

Embossing Powder - Spellbinders Black

I also had a play with this set on a canvas which measures 7" x 5".  I love working on canvases of this size and it makes a change from cards.  I brayered Old Paper Distress Oxide and Pumice Stone Distress Oxide onto the canvas.  I used a Tim Holtz Dot Fade stencil with some Tim Holtz Crackle Paste to add a bit more texture.  I used a Tim Holtz word stencil with some Distress Oxide Salvaged Patina to some of the corners.  The numbers are from the same stencil which were inked in Pumice Stone.

I then stamped the thistle stamp with Versafine Clair Pinecone.  I stamped the bird separately and cut it out layering it onto some cheesecloth material which has also been stamped with the extra dots stamp that is in the set.  I added some twine as a branch for the bird to rest on. The quote is from an old Tim Holtz Ideaology book Small Talk and thought it suited this as I was trying to work with just this one set and not throw a load of products at my canvas like I usually do. 

Here is what I used on my extra canvas project:

Stamps - Studio Light Thistle 

Inks  - Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Salvaged Patina 

           Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pumice Stone

           Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Old Paper

           Tim Holtz Distress Ink Weathered Wood

           Tim Holtz Distress Ink Scorched Timber 

           Versafine Clair Pinecone

Stencils - Tim Holtz Dot Fade 

                 Tim Holtz Mini Stencil set 49

Media - Tim Holtz Crackle Paste Opaque 

I had one more play with a tag using a simple watercolour technique.  I inked the stamp with Tim Holtz Distress Oxide in Peeled Paint and Dusty Concord - gave it a spritz of water and stamped it onto watercolour paper.  Once it was dry and I added some Distress Oxide Antique Linen to the background and Distress Oxide Iced Spruce to the edges.  A simple CAS tag which allows this lovely stamp to shine. 

Inks - 

            Tim Holtz Distress Oxide  Peeled Paint 

            Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Dusty Concord

            Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Antique Linen

            Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Iced Spruce 

Don't forget every week  Simon Says Stamp generously give away a FABULOUS $25 voucher to shop at the Simon Says Stamp Store!  One lucky participant chosen at random has the chance to win the voucher - You can join up to 5 times which gives you 5 chances to win.  You have until next Monday at 8 a.m. Ohio time 1 pm UK time, 2 pm CET time to join in.  Good Luck everyone

I'm adding this into the following:

Ellibelles Wednesday - AG 

Stamping Sensations - Flowers 

We love 2 Create - AG Mixed Media 

Allsorts - AG 

Outlawz - Not a Card 

INSPIRATION STATION - #72

Welcome back to another inspirational photo for you from Inspiration Station.  We would love to see how you are inspired by our image.  

I chose to use the lovely set by Anita Jeram called Stargazers of the bears watching the sky at night.   I started by using a die cut to cut out the inner part of the card which I then coloured with Distress Oxide in Chipped Sapphire and Salty Ocean.  I stamped and coloured in the bears and added some embossed stars.  I then put the piece back into the white card stock and layered it onto some grey card. 

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA CHALLENGE

Welcome back to another Mixed Media challenge at Creative Artiste.  

I've made some vintage style slides.  I'd had this little die cut for ages and never really used it and finally got to have a play with it.  I used a variety of stamps, washi tape and ephemera for my little slides.  I even got those old brads out for all the corner.  Keep a thing for 20 years and you finally use it.  

THE MALE ROOM - GEOMETRIC #197

Welcome back to another month's challenge at The Male Room and we would love to see your Geometric projects.  I realised this is something I don't often do so it was a good challenge for me.

I used a stencil for my geometric background and used a number of Distress Oxides Inks and also some Distress Crackle Paste to give added texture.  The stamp is from Tim Holtz.  This card was actually for my son's birthday-  there is a certain film we both love which has a song about a moustache - and if you know the film you'll know you can't stop singing the song once you see this card!  

PEARLY SPARKLES - MONOCHROME #106

Welcome back to another challenge at Pearly Sparkles and our choice for you this month is Monochrome.  

I covered my whole cardstock in Distress Oxide Peacock Feathers.  I then stamped the lovely flower stamp from Tracy Evans in Versafine Clair Warm Breeze.  I then took a wet paint brush and removed some of the colour to give the white effects.  The bird also from Tracy Evans was also stamped in Warm Breeze and I used white embossing powder for the sentiment. 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE - ANY OCCASION #489

It's time for those Any Occasion cards this week at Addicted to Stamps & More.  I chose to go with a Thank You card because you never know when you might need one. 

I started my card with an embossing folder from Tim Holtz - I thought it looked like  mice tails.  The image is from Anita Jeram from her set Thank You.  I stamped the image first then inked round it with Distress Oxide in Dusty Concord and a touch of Iced Spruce and then added some water splashes.  I added some pen squiggles to the paper to look like he'd written something.  

I'm adding this into the following:

Creative Inspiration - AG 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - AG 

THE HOLLY AND IVY CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE -

Welcome back to another challenge at the Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge. As always the challenges are Anything Goes.  I've chosen one of the lovely stamp sets by Tim Holtz for my card called Watercolor Trees.  I stamped the tree image in the centre - added a soft colour wash around it and then added lots of stars with another Tim Holtz Stamp.  The sentiment is also from the same set.  It's one of my favourite Christmas sayings as I love the song by Judy Garland from Meet Me In St Louis. 

I'm adding this into the following:

52 Weeks to Christmas 

CRAFT - Christmas 

Time Out - Favourite Movie - as mentioned mine is Meet Me In St Louis 

Creative Inspiration AG 

Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday - AG 

Rudolph Days Challenge - AG 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE - BIRTHDAYS #488

Welcome back to another challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More and this time we are back on Birthdays.

March is a very  busy month in our household with no less than four birthdays for my daughter, son, son in law, and husband just sneaks in on 1st April but still four major birthdays in a two week period!  

This was the card I did for my daughter this year - I love using these stencils by Lavinia Stamps and creating a little scene inside.  All inks are Tim Holtz.  I did add a few drops of Nuovo along the edge of the bottle too. 

I'm adding this into the following - 

Addicted to CAS - stencil - not sure if this is CAS enough though 

Allsorts - Feminine 

Heart's Quest - Fantasy

Polkadoodle - AG 

Creative Moments - for a special lady - this was for my daughter 

Creative Knockouts - Birthday Wishes 

THE HOLLY AND THE IVY CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE - DESIGN TEAM MEMBER

I'm delighted to be a member of the Design Team for The Holly and the Ivy Christmas challenge.  It's a great way to have a load of Christmas cards already made by the time December comes around.  The challenge is a fortnightly one and is always Anything Goes.

I wanted to play with that cute little set I won recently from Polkadoodles called Tails of New York.  This time I wanted the little critters to be looking up at the sky and to see Santa.  I inked the background with Tim Holtz Distress Oxide in Chipped Sapphire and Iced Spruce.  I used Distress Inks to colour in the animals.  The santa and reindeer set is a very old one I have from Sunny Studio called Here comes Santa. The sentiment is from Tim Holtz Tiny Text Christmas. 

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA #113

For my DT piece for Creative Artiste Challenge Blog this month I was inspired by Alison Bomber of W0rdsandP1ctures and her Violets stamp set for Paper Artsy to create a 3d piece out of an old cheese box.  I have made these in the past but totally forgot how much fun they are to make.

The whole box was covered with Gesso and I use Liquitex. I then covered the base of the box with Tim Holtz Distress Paint.  You can see it but the cheese labels which were still on the box came through and gave a great addition of texture.

I then created my own tissue paper with Alison's stamps and covered the edges of the box with this.

For the front of the box which has the inside I added a piece of card which I had in my stash from an earlier gel press play so that really decided my colours.  Luckily it was in a shade of violet.  I added some background stamping - I cut out the violets many times to stick in various places on the piece.  I tucked a bit of lace behind the violet and added some wash tape words.  I also added some lichen from my garden - some Tim Holtz Funky Thinlet leaf dies - and can you spot right in the middle a tiny little air plant.  It is a baby from one of the plants in my home.  I think he looks right at home there.

I continued the theme on the back of the box - I used  Distress Paint in Brushed Corduroy to give a sort of bark effect.  I added an extra stamp of Alison's from her Pressed Umbrels set.

I love how it turned out and it may even get pride of place on the Easter table with some little chocolate eggs tucked in.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Allsorts - AG 

The Outlawz Challenge - not a card 

Polkadoodle - AG 

Gem of a challenge - AG 

Let's craft and create - AG 

Creative Fingers - AG 

Creative Moments - For a Lady - this would be perfect for Mother's Day 

The Outlawz Festive - Spring 

As you like It - colourful to bring the colours of spring after the dire winter 

CRAFT - Spring 

Creative Inspirations - AG 

Simply Ellibelle Wed - AG 

We love stamping - Spring 

The crafting challenge - spring

The four seasons - Spring 

Mix it up - AG layers 

Secretstamper - Creative Creases 

SPRING

We've been having some gorgeous Spring weather this week here in Wales - and doesn't the sun make a big difference.  It's been so long since we've seen it!  I've been busy digging my veg patch ready for planting my seedlings later and just generally having a tidy up of the garden.  I've still been doing a bit of crafting though and am loving these new stamps by Alison Bomber for Paper Artsy.  The one I have is called Apple Blossom and I also have one of her new stencils - Twiggy! 

And just to show that the stamps can also be used for non Springlike images - I've teamed it up here with a stamp by Lavinia to create a moody scene. 

I'm adding these into the following challenges:

DD Triple B - Bids, Blooms 

Let's Craft and Create - AG 

Stencil Fun - plus splatter 

The Paper Players - Spring flowers 

Dragonfly Dreams - Gardening 

Stamping Sensations - hello spring 

We love stamping - Spring