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 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE #492 - CHRISTMAS BAUBLE

 

Another Christmas challenge at ATSM this week.  I'm sharing a card I made with stamps by Tracy Evans.  Some are her old ones from Aallandcreate and some are her new ones under her own brand Tracy Evans Boutique Designs.  The bauble is one of her stencils and is such a great stencil to work with. 

I stamped and masked the poinsettia flower before I added the bauble to give that effect. All inks used are Versafine and Tim Holtz Distress.

I'm adding this into the following:

Krafty Chicks - Christmas 

My time to craft Christmas 

Outlawz Festive 

12 months of Christmas 

Girls Creative Christmas 

Peace on Earth

SIMON SAYS STAMP MONDAY CHALLENGE GUEST DESIGNER - WHATEVER THE WEATHER

SIMON SAYS STAMP STORE

It's my final week as Guest Designer for Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and it's been an honour to have been part of this great challenge for the whole of April.  

The challenge theme this week is Whatever the Weather.  Spring is definitely on our minds as we hopefully turn to warmer weather here in the UK and the birds on their nests.  

I started my card with spritzing some Tim Holtz Distress Oxides direct to the card to give a mottled effect.  I then used the Tim Holtz stencil with Speckled Egg to create the extra markings.  I wanted it to look a little bit like a birds nest - all jumbled together.   

I added a stamp from Alison Bombers set Winter Grasses for Paper Artsy stamps just behind the die cut of the feather.  

The die cuts are from Tim Holtz Thinlets set Funky Nature - I just love the addition of the feathers and the eggs in that set.  The little bird is one of Tracy Evan's Boutique Designs stamp set New Beginnings which I stamped and cut out and tucked behind the eggs. 

The sentiment is from another Tracy set with an additional quote from Tim Holtz Ideaology cuttings book. It doesn't show up very well on the picture but I also stamped the quote New Beginnings on the right hand side of the card and embossed it in white embossing powder - to give extra texture. 

Stamps - Tracy Evans Boutique Designs - The Wonder of Nature - TE14

                Tracy Evans Boutique Designs - New Beginnings TE004

        

                Paper Artsy Alison Bomber Winter Grasses - EAB42

Stencil -     Tim Holtz Doodle and Bubble 

Dies -         Tim Holtz Funky Nature thinlets 

Inks -         Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Spray - Speckled Egg 

                    Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink - Bundled Sage 

                    Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink - Evergreen Bough

                    Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink - Frayed Burlap

                    Versafine Clair - Pinecone 

                    Posca Fine White Paint Parker 

Sentiment -     Tim Holtz Ideaology clippings Small Talk 

Embossing Powder - Ranger White 

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

SIMON SAYS STAMP MONDAY CHALLENGE GUEST DESIGNER - BLOOMING BLOOMS - AURICULA

SIMON SAYS STAMP STORE 

I am delighted to be Guest Designer again for Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and our challenge this week is Blooming Blooms.  I chose some of the new stamps by Tracy Evans Boutique Designs for my card.

The background was created first with the gel press and some distress paint by Tim Holtz.  I gently brayered Salvaged Patina and Peeled Paint over the gel press and you just never know what you'll get which is part of the fun.  I was happy with the background colours and added some extra detail with the Fronds Snippet Stencil by Tracy in Peeled Paint again. 

Once the background was completely dry I used one of Tracy's Stamps called Take Flight embossed in white to add some more interest to the background behind the flower.

The flower stamp is called Alpine Plant and I stamped this and fussy cut it to add some layers to the piece. It was coloured in with Tim Holtz Watercolour Pencils.

Behind the flower in its cute pot I added another stamp, a persicaria flower, by Tracy from the set Delight in Nature.  The sentiment which is from New Beginnings has been stamped on a piece of calico from my stash in Versafine Nocturne. 

Stamps used - Tracy Evans Boutique Designs Design in Nature TE13

                        Tracy Evans Boutique Designs New Beginnings TE004

                        Tracy Evans Boutique Designs Take Flight - TE009

                        Tracy Evans Boutique Designs Alpine Plant - TE 001

Stencil            Tracy Evans Boutique Designs Fronds Snippet Stencil SS5 

Paints -            Tim Holtz Distress Paint Salvaged Patina 

                        Tim Holtz Distress Paint Old Paper 

Inks -             Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Spray - Iced Spruce 

                       Versafine Clair Shady Lane

                       Versafine Clair Nocturne

                       Versamark Embossing Ink Pad

                       Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Pencils my sets used are 1, 4 and 5 

Embossing 

Powder            Ranger Embossing Powder Cottontail

Tools                Gel Press 5 x 7 

                         Speedball Brayer - 4 inch 

Every week  Simon Says Stamp generously give away a $25 voucher to spend at  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

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.

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. 

PEARLY SPARKLES - ANYTHING BUT A CARD

Welcome back to another challenge at Pearly Sparkles.  This month we want to see Anything But a Card.

On my own FB craft group we run a few swaps and our swap this month was ATC's with the theme of spring flowers.  These were mine using some old stamps and new stamps by Tracy Evans. 

The backgrounds were all made with spritzing some Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks on to the mat and picking up the colour.  I kept the colours soft as I wanted the flowers to shine rather than the backgrounds.  I adore Lily of the Valley and even had it in my bouquet 40 years ago!  I have some growing in pots in my garden so hopefully they will spring forth soon when the weather gets warmer. 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE #485 - STENCILS/DIE CUTS

Welcome back to another challenge at ATSM - and we are on our diecuts/or stencils challenge.  I have quite a few die cuts and to be honest I really don't use them that much - apart from Tim Holtz ones.  I never seem to get them to cut very well and end up wasting a lot of paper.  But I did incorporate a die cut for the sentiment for my card and luckily it cut really well!

I used one of Tracy Evans Boutique Stencil for the vase and stamped over it with a stamp by Alison Bomber.  All other stamps are from Tracy Evans Boutique Designs.  I cut out the flowers and large leaves and added them with dimensionals and a touch of thread for added texture. The background was stamped and inked after I had created the focal feature.  I used Versafine Clair inks for the stamping and Tim Holtz Distress for the colouring. 

I'm adding this into the following:

Krafty Chicks - AG 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - AG 

Stencil Fun 

The Outlawz Challenge - AG Greeting 

SNOWY WISHES

Playing with the lovely set from Anita Jeram called Snow Happy from Colorado Craft Company.  I love her whimsical drawings.  The sentiment is from Tracy Evans. 

I'm adding this into the following:

Peace on Earth - moodboard 

Allsorts - Cute and Cuddly 

Inkspirational - Seasonal 

My time to craft - winter animals