ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE - #507 CHRISTMAS

Welcome back to another challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More Christmas challenge.  I was lucky enough to win a Polkadoodles challenge a few weeks ago and won a voucher.  I spotted this gorgeous stamp and just had to have it!  One of our favourite Christmas songs is Fairytale in New York and this just brought that song to mind. The stamp is called Tails of New York and is by Polkadoodles.

I started off my card by using a stencil from Sizzix called Cosmopolitan The View #2.  It was just perfect for the little dogs.  I stamped the dog stamp and used Tim Holtz Watercolour Pencils to colour them all in. I'm not a great one for batch making as I get bored easily but I could see me doing this next year more than once. 

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Rudolph Days Challenge - AG Christmas 

Shopping our Stash - 1 layer card

The Holly & The Ivy - AG 

Stencil Fun - AG

Dragonfly Dreams - CAS 

We Love Stamping - CAS 

Addicted to CAS - Pet 

Creative Moments - Cute 

TRYING TO KEEP IT SIMPLE

Challenge blogs are supposed to do just that - challenge us and I found the challenge at My Time to Craft really made me think outside the box.  When I spotted their challenge this week of a 1, 2, 3 recipe I really fancied having a go - after all I love mixed media and throwing everything but the kitchen sink at my cards.  I went with 3 inks - Distress Oxides in Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio and Dusty Concord.  These are not my usual colours so that was also a challenge for me to see if they went together. 

I started the card by smooshing Cracked Pistachio and Dusty Concord - drying in between each colour until I was happy with what I got.  I used the stamp/stencil set by Tim Holtz called Botanic Collage.  It comes with a rose stamp and a butterfly stamp. They were my 2 things - I used the rose stamp once completely then stamped off the word part of it as background stamping.  I stamped the butterfly in Cracked Pistachio and cut it out.   I edged the butterfly in Peacock Feathers and added some extra around the outside of the card.  

The word sentiment is also Tim Holtz - another small stamp set with a stencil called Phrases and Sayings and I thought it went well with what I was trying to do.  That was my no 1.

I found this a very hard challenge.

I am adding this into the following:

My time to craft - 1, 2, 3 recipe 

We Love Stamping AG 

Polkadoodle - AG 

Alphabet Challenge - W is for Wings 

Craftycatz - AG 

Creative Fingers  AG 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE - #486 - MAKE YOUR MARK

I've had this little bunny stamp for quite some time and not used him much.  He's an old one from Aallandcreate by Bipash BK. I thought it was time he got an inking for the Addicted to Stamps and More challenge of Make your Mark this week. 

I used Tim Holtz Distress Markers in the following colours - Pumice Stone and Antique linen for the bunny.  Peeled Paint and Mowed Lawn for the leaves.  Spun Sugar and Picked raspberry for the flowers and Mermaid Lagoon for the bow. The Spring sentiment is from an old Tracy Evans set.

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA #112

We are back at Creative Artiste Challenge Blog after our Christmas break and hope you are all ready to join in with us again for another year of fun Mixed Media. I fancied having a go at a mini book.  It actually ran away with me and I made more pages than I had originally anticipated - it became quite addictive. It's quite a small little book - 4" x 5" and I simply folded sheets of paper and then did a seam binding with some Tim Holtz tape.  

All stamps used are Alison Bomber stamps from Paper Artsy.  I also used Tim Holtz collage paper Photographic.  I added some stickers from Tim Holtz Idealogy and tried to match appropriate sentiments to the images. 

I had great fun making this little book and would encourage anyone to have a go and just play. 

I'm adding this into the following:

The Outlawz Challenge - not a card 

Let's Craft and Create - AG 

Creative Fingers - AG 

CRAFT - AG 

Creative Inspiration - AG 

FAbnFunky - include stamped image 

Ellibelle Wednesday - AG 

We love2Create  - AG 

Allsorts -- AG 

Daisy Chain challenges - layer it up 

THE MALE ROOM - MONOCHROME

Our challenge for you this month at The Male Room is monochrome.  To me this means shades of one colour or black and white so I went for black and white. 

I created the background by adding Tim Holtz Black Soot Distress Oxide ink to my paper then I used a Tim Holtz stencil to remove some of the ink.  The stamps are all from Tim Holtz The Professor CMS373 and the sentiment is from one of his Ideaology books. 

INSPIRATION STATION - #70

Welcome back to Inspiration Station...a Challenge Blog for all types of Mediums. We hope to bring you lots of inspiration to get those Creative Juices flowing. Here's our image for you this month - we hope it inspires you.

I used my gel press and some Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks to create my background. I added some of Tim's collage papers to the top left and bottom right.  The stamped images are from Creative Expressions designed by Sam Poole called Butterfly Walk.  I cut out the butterfly and added it on top for extra interest.  I also added a Tim Holtz flower die behind the butterfly.  The sentiment added to the bit of lace is from Tim Holtz Idealogy. 

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Stamping Sensations AG

We love 2 create - AG 

Allsorts - AG 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - AG 

Moving along with the times - things with wings 

ZURI THE UNICORN

My little granddaughter who is 5 is slowly moving her attention away from dinosaurs and to Unicorns!  I had to buy this one from Lavinia Stamps over Christmas and haven't had a play yet so today was the day - inspired by a few challenge blogs.

I used all Lavinia stamps to create the little scene and the words come from a word stamp called Sacred Spells. I used Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks and Versafine clair ink.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Critter Crazy - AG with an animal 

Creative Fingers - AG 

As You See It - challenge - this year I will use the stamps I have bought and make sure they get inked!

FAbnFunky - include a stamped image 

Crafty Animals AG 

Creative Crafters - AG 

Unicorn Challenge - Stripes of the unicorns mane and the hanging flowers 

PEARLY SPARKLES - LOVE IS IN THE AIR

Our challenge this month at Pearly Sparkles is Love is in the Air.  I'm sharing my card which will be for hubby - celebrating 44 years of Valentines this year and our 40th Wedding Anniversary later in the year.  Where did those years go?  He's still my one and only!

I used an old embossing folder from Stampin Up for my background.  I think it's called brush stroke and I added some Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink direct to the embossing folder in Frayed Burlap and Victorian Velvet.  It then adds that gentle touch of colour when you run it through the machine.  The little love sentiment and the die cut word are from my stash - things I'd forgotten I had.  The little key was also in my stash and can you see? .... I've used a brad lol!  

The sentiment is from Tim Holtz Ideaology and I've added it to a piece of adhesive burlap paper - which is a great find from a local craft shop.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Crafty Calendar - Hearts 

Allsorts - Romance 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - AG 

CRAFT challenge - AG - Love

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 

TEXTURE

I was inspired by the challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday to create a textural piece - something I love to do anyway.  I found a background I had made with the gel press in my stash and added some Cosmic Shimmer Antique Sand Paste in Delicate Blue through a Tim Holtz stencil.  The butterfly has also previously been made and nothing done with it - it was added to some cardboard and textured paper and I cut it out.  I added some old Stampin Up paper which I think looks a bit like a trellis and I added some gesso to the front of it to distress it a bit more.  I added some lace behind the butterfly. 

I'm adding this into the following:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge 

Cardz4Galz - use a stencil 

Stencilfun - use a stencil 

Tuesday Taggers - feeling blue

Welove2create - AG mixed media 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE #484 - ANY OCCASION

Happy New Year and welcome back to our challenges for 2025 at Addicted to Stamps and More.  We start off the New Year with Any Occasion so really anything goes. 

This is definitely not my usual colour palette as I tend to go for the grungy type of colours - I must just be craving some spring weather after all the miserable cold weather we've had lately.  It seems to have gone on for months here in Wales especially as we didn't have much of a summer.  I used some Versafine Clair inks in Baby Pink and Avodao and used Tim Holtz watercolour pencils to colour in the flowers with Villanous Potion and Picked Raspberry. 

I used one of Tracy Evans Boutique Stamps set called Malva TE8 for the main flower and added some of the stems from the Persicaria from TE13 Delight in Nature.  I have this plant in my garden and didn't even realise and I have even managed to make cuttings.  I stamped a smaller Mallow stamp from the set and added a pearl to the inside.  The background word stamping is from another of Tracy's stamps TE9 Take Flight.  The butterfly and the sentiment is from an old Simon Says Stamp set called Thoughtful Flowers. 

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Creative Inspiration - AG

Outlawz Challenge - AG 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - CAS 

Simplyellibelle - Wed - AG 

Beautiful Blossoms- AG 

Creative Crafters - AG 

A NEW YEAR'S TAG

I was inspired by the challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Monday to use a new to me set of Aallandcreate stamps I have that I've not inked yet.  They are by Bipasha BK and the set is called Time Up.  As we are in a New Year I thought the clock would make a good focus point for my tag.

I used lots of layers on the tag and even forced myself to cover some of them up - I find that very difficult.  I started off with some Distress Paints in Salvaged Patina, Brushed Corduroy and Walnut Stain.  I then used a Tim Holtz stencil of the clocks and used Salvaged Patina watercolour pencil to add the colour in the background.  I added some collage paper - Typeset for the added numbers at the side.  I also added some Tim Holtz Ideaology Ephemera, some lovely thick washi tape of Tim's which is sparingly used and the sentiment is from one of his stamp sets.  I covered the clock in Sepia Accents from Ranger.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - new Aallandcreate 

Craft Rocket - Something new

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - something new 

Stamping Sensations - AG 

We love2create - AG Mixed Media 

We love Stamping - Anything but square 

Delighted to be chosen as one of the top 3 for Simon Says Stamp Monday