Great Cooks ATC

This ATC was made by first stamping a mask of the polymer frame stamp (My Minds Eye), then stamping again with onyx black Versafine ink onto a white card blank.  The mask was then used and a text stamp from MME was then inked with london fog Memento ink to fill in the background.

I then took a rubber stamp of a rather stern looking lady (Tuscan Rose) and stamped this into the frame centre. The frame was painted with Viva gold paint and a fine paintbrush to gild it followed by a wash of broken china Distress re-inker.  The ladies face was then coloured with a pinkish Marvey Le Plume II pen.  Two lines were drawn in fine black permanent ink to represent hanging wires and a pewter brad applied as the hanger.

The words were printed and stuck on and a self adhesive dome sticker applied as shown.  The card was finished with beige Versamagic chalk ink to the edges.

Don't know why, but she reminded me of one of those rather stern Victorian cooks so I made her a cook and she is cook No.2 in a series yet to be completed. I'm sure I will find countless other stamps of stern ladies in my collection.

Sid xx

I'm forever blowing bubbles !

Here is another rather bubbly creation made as my entry for this weeks Rolling Recipe Challenge over on the UK Stampers Forum.  This weeks ingredients were:

1. Heat embossing

2. Something round

3. Something shiny

So I decided on a theme of bubbles.  I started with three round metal edged tags in different sizes.  Each one was heat embossed several times with Moonglow embossing powders in aurora amethyst, midnight violet obsidian & sunset yellow orange.

The base tag was cut from white card and coloured with cut'n'dry foam and Distress inks in milled lavender and mustard seed.

Next a bubbles stamp (Cherry Pie) was inked in Milled lavender then mustard seed and lastly in dusty concord and stamped randomly on the background. A couple of squares were also stamped in the same inks.

 

The words 'light as a feather' were coloured in milled lavender and stuck in place as shown with Glossy Accents.  Some iridescent beads were stuck in place at the bottom left corner and allowed to dry.  The embossed circles were then shaded with reflections in white opaque pen and these were stuck in place.

Final touches were made by adding a yellow eyelet with the crop-a-dile and tying some sari silk through the hole.  The tag was then finished with purple chalk ink on the edge.

Sid xx

Clowns ATC

I made this ATC using a stamp from Zettiology and it fits in rather well with the theme for this weeks TMTA theme which is 'Groups'.

I cut a piece of thin white card to size and stamped with Stazon black, I actually used most of the stamp but didn't ink the legs of the child clowns.  I then used a Memories primary rainbow pad and a brayer to colour the whole card.  I then used bleach and a fine brush to go over the faces which turned a delightful shade of turquoise !  The same bleach was used on the rim of a small bottle to produce the bleached out circles.  The bleach was dried with a heat gun.  The stars on the hats were coloured with Viva gold paint and the buttons and bobs glossed with Glossy Accents. Finally some vellum letters were added, the card mounted on chipboard and the edges coloured with purple hydrangea Versamagic chalk ink to finish.

Sid xx

Odd Art !

Here is a little wall hanging I have entitled 'Odd Art' because I think it is.  Actually the idea came from the stamp.  This was done for the Ready Steady Stamp challenge blog as a guest designer sample.

The 5 required elements this time were:

Not an easy bunch of requisites, especially the handwritten script background !  I can't write for toffee actually and I ended up writing the word Charming several times with a green script pen on the lime green stripe in the middle.

I started with a piece of chipboard 8 x 4 inches and trimmed three strips of coloured textured card using the challenge colours.  These were stuck in place centrally with a glue stick.  The remaining edges of the chipboard were covered with some metalised foil strips from the LLB collection (Trimcraft)  which just happened to be in the same colours.  These were stuck in place to complete the background..  I then handwrote the word 'Charming' several times with a Sakura green script pen on the lime greem stripe and applied a little Adirondack dye ink with sponge in stream & wild plum to the other two coloured stripes.

I then took some heat resistant acetate and stamped the house stamp (Zettiology) with Versamark ink and heat embossed this with detail black embossing powder.  The cooled image was then trimmed out.

Next I chose some little rectangular die cut frames from the same LLB collection and coloured these with more wild plum ink, stamping with a swirl stamp and violet pigment ink and heat embossing this with clear embossing powder. The centres of the frames were rubbed over with Memento grape jelly dye ink  These were placed and attached on the background with foam pads.

The embossed acetate house was stuck in place with Glossy Accents.  I took some ribbon and some brass ribbon embellishments and applied some purple and turquoise grosgrain ribbon over the frames sticking in place at the back with glue dots.  A couple of metal fold-over clips were added at the sides and two glitter flowers with gem centres added as shown.

The hanger consists of two brass spring clips threaded with a length of black glossy wire twisted to close.  Another of the rectangular frames was stamped in black Stazon with the words 'Odd Art' and this was attached to a piece of card over the wire with double sided tape to finish.

How ODD is that?

Sid xx

WOYWW - Week 54

Hi there again, it's that time again to reveal more of my crafty stash for the 'Whats on Your Workdesk Wednesday' blog.  So many of you commented on my drawers from last weeks post that I am now showing you just one of the 'inkpad' drawers opened - I'm sure you recognise a lot in there !

I have a long folding bench that I use for my main workbench. I bought it from Lidl, is actually a paste table and it's 12 feet long   Problem is that most of it is taken up with materials that I have no room for anywhere else.  This shot is far left hand side of this bench and has a motley selection of  AI's, reinkers, Copics and sprays - some in icecream containers.  There is a bit of sequin waste bottom left also that comes in very useful for background masking.

This is one end of one shelf of another black storage unit where I keep some of my colours. Starburst stains, Viva paints & pearl pens and acrylics.

That's it for this week hope you are enjoying noseying around too.  Look out for more next week.

Sid xx 

Spots & Dots ATC

This ATC was done to experiment with textures.  I took a piece of black & white printed dotty paper and put it through the Big Shot with a TH embossing folder.....this definately reminded me of a miniature bedquilt..  I then swiped over the raised squares with moonlight white Brilliance inkpad and dried with a heat gun before trimming to size.  This was stuck onto a card blank and the edges rounded with a corner rounder punch.

I then took some  various sized square punches and punched out squares in gold paper and some mulberry paper with gold flecks and applied these with glue as shown.  Then I applied three glue dots and heat embossed these with gold embossing powder.  I used a white opaque pigment pen to outline the squares and write the text.  The ATC was edged in burnt sienna Colorbox chalk ink and some diamond Stickles glitter glue was applied thinly to highlight some of the background squares.

Sid xx

Sea Side ATC

Here is an ATC inspired by a trip to the seaside and the sand dunes.  The main stamp is a grass and birds image (PaperArtsy) and was stamped at the bottom in black Stazon.  I then trimmed the base of the ATC with scissors to give it a scalloped edge.

I then set about it with Moonglow Starburst Stains dabbers in a variety of colours, layering the colours until the depth of colour I wanted was achieved.  The above shot shows the shiny glimmer the mica produces but which is very difficult to photograph.  A swirl stamp was inked with Memento lilac posies dye ink and stamped a few times as shown.

Some purple metallic paint was applied at the base of the ATC through a stencil.  The letters are gold rub-ons and the metal starfish embellishment was attached with glue gel.  The whole ATC was edged with gold Krylon pen to finish.

This one looks a bit reminiscent of Monet with its sploshy colours (not claiming that I am any kind of an artist though :-)).

Sid xx

Fly Away Home Tag

Here is this weeks tag for the Rolling Recipe Challenge over on UK Stampers Forum. This weeks ingredients were:

1. Stamped image of an animal
2. Heat embossing
3. Something shiny

I cut the base tag from white card and covered this with some printed background paper. I then stamped a pouncing cat stamp (Elusive Images) with vintage sepia Versafine ink and filled in some of the detail with Souffle pens in blue and grey.

Next I inked a leaf stamp (Elusive Images) with Versamark in and stamped several times down the left hand side of the tag, heat embossing this with topiary green embossing powder.  The same stamp was inked with Memento lilac posies and stamped down the right hand side.

I then took some more coordinating printed paper and cut this with a pair of decorative scissors and edged with the same Memento ink before applying top and bottom of the tag with glue stick. 

I then used a Martha Stewart punch and punched out some butterflies from fantasy paper, putting these through an embossing folder (Paisley) before sticking in place as shown.  The words were stamped in vintage sepia and also heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  Finishing touches were to apply an eyelet with the crop-a-dile and thread some decorative fibres through the hole, edging the whole tag with lilac chalk ink.

I wanted it to look like the little chap had missed pouncing on the butterflies and that they were flying away home to safety.

Sid xx

WOYWW - Week 53

Here are a couple of shots taken this week for WOYWW  (What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday) blog. Ok you saw it for the first time last week.  This weeks first shot shows a number of other craft items left after some recent crafting.......leave you to decide what you think!  Really must have a tidy !

The next shot is a pic of my drawers.........no not that type of drawers! These drawers are crammed full of stuff.  In fact when I have a dig down into any one of them I am guaranteed to find something I had forgotten I had. Does that sound familiar?

Lot's of things to see in those. So will post again next week to show a bit more of my little Aladdins cave.

Sid xx

Wild Tag

Here we go with another tag in the Rolling Recipe series being run over on UK Stampers Forum.  This weeks ingredients are:

1. Tree/trees

2. Heat embossing

3. Stamped image of an animal

I started with a white card blank cut to size.  I used orange pigment ink and inked a tree stamp (PaperArtsy) and stamped it twice overlapping at the top of the tag.  This was then heat embossed with detail clear embossing powder.  I then used Impress dye inks in yellow and tangerine applied direct to the card from the pads and rubbed off excess ink lying on the embossing with a tissue.

I then applied more Impress ink in olive green to the bottom of the tag in a similar manner.  I then inked a roman numeral stamp (Stamp-It) with tangerine Impress and stamped at the top and then with emerald green Impress at the bottom.

The wolf image is from Lost Coast stamps and I have had it for ages and never used it.  It's quite a stunning image on its own !  I inked this with black Stazon and cut it out.  I coloured its eyes pale blue and pencilled in areas with silver and graphite derwent metallic pencils.  Finishing with Inktense graphite applied with a water brush.  A final spray with Moonglow Glitz Spritz in scintillating silver gave it a fab shimmer.  This was dried with a heat gun before applying with a glue stick.

The tag was edged with Colorbox chalk ink in orange and green and a grey eyelet applied with the crop-a-dile.  Some self adhesive letters were coloured with orange solvent ink to spell 'Wild'. A short length of silver cord was tied through the hole to finish.

Sid xx

Au Naturelle ATC

This ATC started life as a humble piece of card backing from some embellishments. It was cut to size with some uneven edges and coated with a piece of original Japanese newspaper.  This was then coloured with Adirondack inks in cranberry and eggplant with cut'n'dry foam until the desired effect was obtained. 

The Ginkgo image (Inkadinkado) was inked with Versamark, stamped onto white card and heat embossed with Moonglow tannenbaum green gold embossing powder.  This was then coloured with the same Adirondack colours before being cut out and stuck in place as shown.

Next some blackberry Croco Crackling Colour (Viva Decor) was scraped on quite thickly with an old credit card on two corners and this was allowed to dry until crackled.  The card was then embellished with some transparent polymer stickers and the rub-on word applied at the top. The edges were finished with mauve Colorbox chalk ink,

I wanted to do a sort of plum and green effect depicting the beautiful colours of the oriental plum blossom so common in Japan !

Sid xx

'Journey' Gothic Arch

Here is another arch I have done and it fits the the latest Gothic Arch Challenge - 'Openings' . I chose another stamp from the  Collagabilities - Let's Face It plate of a lady looking out an open window.  I cut out the arch from pale blue card and began by stamping the main image in Versafine onyx black.  This I heat embossed with detail clear embossing powder. Next I masked this off and stamped a seed head stamp (PaperArtsy) in olympic green Versafine.

Next I die cut a border piece using the Sizzix Tim Holtz scallops 'On The Edge' die.  This was swiped with Memento inks in bamboo leaves and cottage ivy.  This was then stuck in place at the bottom of the arch.  I next took a concentric circle stamp (PaperArtsy) inked with Versafine vintage sepia and stamped around the main image after masking off the sides. I then used a selection of Inktense pencils and a waterbrush to colour the circles and main image and some Stickles crystal glitter glue added to the centre of the circles. Some blue dots were added to the dress with a blue Souffle pen.

The top of the arch was coloured with cut'n'dry foam and Distress inks in crushed olive and shabby shutters inks.  The word was stamped with a 7 Gypsies rotary stamp in onyx black Versafine.  The tag was embellished with a 3D butterfly made by stamping an Anna Griffin butterfly stamp onto thin card and colouring with contrasting Marvey Le Plume II pens this was then heat embossed with detail clear embossing powder.  This was trimmed out and attached with glossy accents after folding the wings upwards to complete.  I wanted an abstract finish to this arch.

Sid xx

WOYWW - Week 52

Well, here it is !  This is a view of my workdesk as it was this morning for the WOYWW blog. Actually this week I seem to have more space in which to work for a change.  I daren't show you the rest of the room, it really is a tip but hey ho, that's what you get when you craft.

Sid xx

Take Flight & Enjoy Each Moment !

This little plate was made as my first entry for Sunday Stamper (No.105) challenge, whose theme this week is 'Wings'.  I just had to have a play with my new Sizzix 'Alterations' heart wings die by Tim Holtz which has a pair of wings as some of the die cuts. 

I cut the wings from grungepaper and then dabbed on gold paint dabber.  Once dry they were embossed through the TH  'cracked glass' embossing folder to add some texture.  The wings were then swiped with chipped sapphire Distress ink and heat embossed with detail clear embossing powder.  I next stamped the ladies head (Collagabilities - Let's Face It) in onyx black Versafine and cut out before colouring with Marvey Le Plume II pens.

The background was cut from fuschia cardstock and first stamped with a roman key design (Cherry Pie Stamps) in onyx black versafine on two corners. Next an urn stamp also from Cherry Pie was stamped in vintage sepia Versafine as shown.  I then took a swirl from the same plate and inked this with Versamark (to provide a watermark effect) and stamped as shown.  I then added some detail clear embossing powder and heat embossed.

The edges of the card were inked with victorian velvet & chipped sapphire Distress ink blended with cut'n'dry foam.  Some drops of water were flicked onto the ink and it was dried with a heat gun to set. The background was matted onto some dark violet textured cardstock and this was also edged with chipped sapphire Dustress ink.

I then added the face and wings on foam pads and added rub-ons saying 'enjoy each moment'.  The colours are really rich and I like the Romanesque effect I managed to achieve.

Sid xx