THREE..

Crafty Boots challenge this time is THREE. I've gone a bit Halloween mad and created a triptych.



I found that I did not have any spooky stamps but had lots of sizzix dies of bats, rats, ghosts and ghoulies! I bought in November of course.









In the end I found some stickers (oh my goodness!) of spiders and skeletons that seemed to fit well.. I know that Halloween's not for another 30 days but hey it's my birthday I can do what I want, can't I? Anyway I'm off to make a book pumpkin.. I'll share if it's any good.
Bev

For a traveller

What do you make for a man? I struggle with this regularly. The man in question is my daughter's GodFather. He is kind and very caring and I wanted to show him I appreciate all the postcards he sends from his travels not just to my daughter but my son, one each from all over the world - the cricketing world that is!

 I came up with this. I love the faded denim and weathered wood colour scheme and included some musical influences, watch parts and the travel theme. The main base is grey board and the circle the back of an art part. The stamps a mixture of Tim Holtz and Wendy Vecchi.

I did add a sari ribbon hanger at the top but forgot to photograph that, opps.

How do you say you care?

Making things has always been really personal for me. I have cried when journaling scrapbook pages and everything I make and give is intensely special. Some times you need to make things for sad occasions. I made this for a friend; I struggled to find the right things to say he's not a gushing type of man so I wanted to let him know we are here.

 I used the Tim Holtz Alteration Matchbook die, the larger of the two on the plate and cut it in grunge paper. This lovely flexible stuff worked well. I then coloured it with Broken China and Picket fence distress stains and distressed just about everything in sight with Vintage photo ink.

The stamps are a mixture, Paper artsy clocks 5, Tim Holtz and the Thinking of you a Creative Expressions wooden stamp. Some I stamped in Pumice stone Distress ink and others in Black archival to give the pages some depth. The last page I wrote on. To hold it all together I used 2 eyelets and a bit of twine to run through the eyelets. Not too frilly for him, now to pop it in the post! (I'm not always good at that bit!)

Bev

Postcard challenge!

Crafty Boots challenge this time is Postcards set by the lovely Gabrielle. However much I tried to convince myself I would not do the seaside I was drawn back!! I bought a Create a Scene stamp set - Seaside by Sheena Douglas ages ago. Not my normal thing but I liked the pier and have used that part of the stamp set.

I have spent many happy hours on the Norfolk coast at Winterton-on-sea and the ice-cream van than drives the beach is pink hence my inspiration. I used glossy accents to gloss the van windows and painted with worn lipstick to get that wonderful pink. To create depth I paper pieced the pink part of the van.

 It was good to play with perspective; I tried different colour inks to help this along with the pier in pumice stone and the foreground in archival black ink.

The sand is scattered straw distress ink and the sky broken china with salty sea as the sea. To give the corners dimension I used a sequin off cut and just added another layer of the same ink.

Have a go at the Postcard challenge and see what inspires you.

Bev

Roaring at 40!

This year and last, most of my friends have hit BIG BIRTHDAYS! This tag is for a friend that just loves motorsport and cars!

I used the bumping technique to compse a background and then stamped a sports car in archival ink. Again Wendy Vecchi's wonderful sentiment came out about "Embracing the adventure!" The edges were sanded and lightly distressed with Vintage photo distress ink and the file name plate was acrylic painted roughly then sanded and inked. The big metal numbers said the right thing about 40 - there is no hiding so enjoy it! the added extra was some watch parts glued together to add dimension.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICK!!

I think this qualifies for my design team piece for Crafty Boots - Sports Challenge, although more loosely than some connections. Have a go and see what you can enter.

Bev

A special young lady!

 Today is a special young Lady's 12th brithday! Happy Birthday Freya!!

I wanted to make something more than a card that could be kept and came up with a hanging.. it also combined the first piece that I have had to do for the Crafty Boots Design Team of which Freya and I both made the cut! Exciting huh.

 I used a piece of mount board and coloured it with Worn lipstick distress stain, then stamped the spots with Seedless preserves distress ink (Freya's all time favourite - well so far!) I used a Stampin up dotty background stamp. If you have seen my blog you will know that these wonderful baseball boots have come out again. They are just so super - thank you Artistic Stamper! This time I stamped onto Ikeas lining fabric stuck it to the mount board with mod podge. It is seriously overstamped and grungey but I think Freya will like the look.

The heart is a Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 art part coloured with broken china distress stain and stamped again with seedless preserves distress ink. The script this time was an articstic stamper stamp. "Embrace the adventure is a Wendy Vecchi stamp from the Dressed for Art set. The embellishmets were spare buttons, a metal brad with cotton lace stuck to it and a Time Holtz Philosophy Tag, Journey.
Happy Birthday hope you like it!

Nautical

Inspiration was lacking for this challenge tag.. Nautical, ships, anchors, pirates etc.. I raided my stash to find something suitable. I did find brass and silver buttons with ships and anchors but could get there on that. I remembered a lovely stamp I bought a pier and dug it out only to find I had 2! The one I used in the end is from a Crative Expressions set.

 Sorry I couldn't get the pictures to turn round!! The background is Tumbled glass distress stain, blue acrylic paint dots through a stencil and Vintage photo gently distressed round the edge. I then stamped the pier, a mistake really as when embossing it stuck to the distressed edge (I forgot to heat it to set it) the result was a little heavy and messy but I actually quiet like it. The buttones were found in my stash and the flousih is a sissix one. The phrase Time and Tide comes from Paperartsy clocks stamp set. I have two of these and find I use the particular sets alot! I did add a little rock candy sparkles to the flourish and finished off with some wide Stampin up ribbon, a piece of silk off cut and tied it all round with a little blue ribbon. Red, white and blue!

I've entered this in the Nautical challenge for Crafty Boots and Fashionable Stamping Challenge.

Believe in yourself

The Tando Creative Challenge this month is Yellow and Green and I was surprised how hard that was as I don't really use those colours much but this was the result.I struggle with making things that aren't for people and this was made with my God daughters Birthday. She's 18 now and launching into the last sprint for A levels and looking at Universities. I have been lucky enough to visit a couple with her and a have been thrilled to see how this beautiful baby has turned into a fabulous young woman!

I used Distress Inks in Mustard seed, bundled sage and of course Vintage photo. The Stamps were from PaperArtsy and my first one from La Blanche. I emboosied the toadstool with Judikins Black detail embossing powder. It really gives very clear detail. I loved the quiet peacefullness of the boy reading. The flower is a Prima flower which I dulled down with a little ink. The key and clock hands are from steampunk.

Happily every after..

A friend has just apdopted. It is a wonderful and scary time for everyone, all the waiting, the panels and the uncertainty of it all. When the green light came I was offered to make a card for her and  wanted it to be a little special so that all her friends and coleagues could say how happy they were for her and her husband. I decided to make an Adoption card/book.

 I must admit that friends at work could not work out why they were only signing a sheet of the book but loved the finished article. The cover was made from grey board covered in K&Co Scrap pad to go, Peabody (an old one I'm afraid) with a simple stamp from Studio 490, Wendy Vecchi Homemade art stamp set "and they lived happily ever after". I used a chipboard scroll and covered it in pink stickles, d rings held everything together and a flower and a crystal stick pin from creative expressions finished off the cover.

These are some of the pages. I tried to put thought into the sentiments on each one.
They are all taken from the K&Co pad, I'm a fan of whole paper stacks to help me co-ordinate the colours.

 I cut the 12x12 in half and the folded them at 7.5inches and rounded the corners. The edges were lightly distressed with vintage photo distress ink.

The stamps on the pages were from a varitey of sources, "FAMILY" was using the stampin up simple alphabet, "the most beautiful" quote from Dimension Fourth, the wooden tree from the lovely LB crafts before they closed but available around and about.

The book was quiet thick with about 16 pages so I decided to make it a box. I used my Crafters Companion scoring board for this. It was my first attempt at a box and I loved it! It was so easy and looked so good. I then added some butterflies in gathered twig distress ink, some being the second stamp to give a lighter impression. The rosette was the sme paper and Tim Holtz sketchbook tissue tape (the butterfly one) mainly to keep it together but hey it looked so good I made that the right side! I finished it with a green button and Hat pin.

I used the butterfly theme onto the gift envelopes. A lovely project work on.. and they lived happily every after!

A "love"ly class

I was thrilled to go to a Crafty Thoughts workshop run by Gabrielle Price. We made a lovely Typtrch on a Valentines theme. Everyone was really friendly and it was lovely to see not just grown-ups crafting but Mum's and daughters as well, you could do want you wanted, I left my 2 at home and crafted with my lovely cousin.

I thoroughly enjoyed my hour and a half and amazed how much we got done! SO good in fact I'm looking forward to March's class and a chunky ATC. Thank you Gabrielle!

A special young man..

I don't often do children's cards or tags except for my own children but it was my Godson's birthday and I knew I had a stamp that would fit the bill completely.

 I cut a plain white card tag using Tim Holtz  trusty Tag and bookplates large die and stamped Guitar player, Lily of the Valley collection INCA stamp. I then used the Star free gift stamp from October's Craft stamper and a number nine from my super alphabet set by Papermania. All the stamping was done in black and then embossed using just plain black embossing powder. I love balck embossing for a clear image. I used my ranger pens to colour the stamp in (something else I rarely do!). I wanted a bit of glitter for my little star and used Broken China sticles on the guitar and crystal stickles on the stars.

A little distressing round the edge with vintage photo distressing ink and a red ribbon and hey presto! Simple but I liked the effect. It looked lovely on the brown paper parcel and with something funky Costco ribbon. Hope he likes it!

I'm going to enter this in the Fashionable Stamping Challenge #16 - Make it for  a child. Not as fancy or beutiful as most there but a bit of fun!

To keep all those special tags in

I have been very lucky and been given some beautiful tags by friends. Then what to do with them? My lovely friend, suggested an A5 folder with pcokets so I duly popped to Staples and purchsed one. It was a boring black so I decided to jazz it up a little..

I used canvas on the binding coloured with Tea dye distress ink and paper from a long ago bundle of papers from Costco. The paper had birds on it and was a bit staid so I stamped some Butterflies from my Darkroom door set and just lightly stamped again, re-inking every second stamp. The rosette was cut using the Tim Holtz die and I used the sketchbook tissue tape on the right side. It was all finished off with a creative expression stick pin and jewel in the middle. I was very pleased with the folder but I have noticed my sister eyeing it up, she doesn't craft but really appreciates all she receives so it may be going her way!
I'm entering this for the Craft room colour challenge using orange, brown or cream.

My lovely man..

My husband took me away to Venice on our 10th wedding anniversary and as we have just had our 16th I thought I'd make him a tag to remind him of that magical week! I cut a tag out of patterned paper K&Co Blue Awning paper and then stamped the Gondolier, B line Design stamps in Staz on saddle brown ( a bit of a favourite of mine) and distressed the edges with Tea Dye. It needed a little lift so I glossy accented to the waves in the water just to highlight the movement. I have been intrigued with stamping on fabric and decided to have a go with a bit of lining fabric from Ikea stamped with Unity Stamps "Remember" from their wonderful Beloved - Be still collection. All finished wff with an offcut of silk sari ribbon. I was very pleased with it, simple but said what I wanted!
I'm entrying it into the Simon says stamp and show one colour challenge.

Boo!

I felt I needed something to get me going on the craft front and a challenge or 2 seemed a good place to start..plus the children want a Halloween party so the challenge of Halloween at Crafty Boots and Trick or treat at Sunday stamper went down a treat..chuckle sorry no pun intended.

I made a double stretch of bunting using some Basic grey paper, June Bug - apron and another geometric paper WUBE retro rhythms cardstock. For those who know me I love different patterns together - spots and stripes florals all the lot!! I suppose I don't like to do whats expected of me?

I used the Sizzix scary cat die and Pumpkins 3 to cut the embellishments, fished around in my button box for some metallic buttons for the centres of the Tim Holtz rosettes and used a lot of vintage photo ink round the edges of the pennants. The pumpkins had their stalks coloured in and stamped with one of Tims flourishes. To give them a bit of deepth I glossy accented the stamp lines to make them shine.

I have recently purchased the Papermania "Alphamania - leftover alphabet" and stamped Happy Halloween. The children love it and it is hanging pride of place in our bay window. Note to self imossible to take a photo into the light! I thought I'd finish off with a tag to keep for longer.. Same process, the request now from Lilli is some Happy Birthday bunting ready for her birthday in January!! off to pick some paper. Boo!!

A wish for my friends..

I have the most amazing bunch of friends and some of them craft. We share that joy of a stolen hour to let our creativity run riot..
When the Grungy Monday challenge 19 was about Tim Holtz's re-use of packaging I though immediately of the Stars cuttlebug embossing folder "wishing upon a star" fitted perfectly with the Sunday stampers challenge.

I cut a tag using Tim's wonderful large tag die (get's well used in my house!!) I decided on a bright theme and used Wild Honey, Victorian Velvet and Tumbled glass distress inks. I used my "friend" Stampin up background stamp for an all over background. The packaging technique was fun and I love the idea of using it at Christmas for snowflakes etc.. I wanted it to stand out a bit more so I wiped Peony ecoGreen crafts acrylic paint over it. The sentiment stamp was from Dimension Fourth and said what I wanted and hey who can resist the dymo now I have one (I've wanted one since I was a kid!)

I need the challenges to make me squeeze my craft into my week, I am really grateful for the help so thank you to all you challenge setters :-) They give me inspiration and a deadline. My tag is really for all those friends that craft or have a special something you want to fit in, I wish for you more time and joy!

"Family is a patchwork of love.."

Last weeks challenge passed me by, I could have posted a past alcohol ink project and still might do but that seemed like cheating for a challenge so.. here is my effort for Grungy Monday 14 It was using Tim Holtz's March 2008 technique, basically a resist with acrylic paint.

I took needlework this time as it's close to my heart. I used my Vintage Sewing stamp set from Creative Expressions and resist stamped in white acrylic paint, Paper fresco finish in Snowflake to give a chalky finish. I used the only distress re-inkers I have; teaming tea dye with gold perfect pearls, milled lavender with a magenta and fired brick with green. I decided on full coverage and not the speckled look.

I then stamped the verse, scissors and mannikin in Stazon Jet black but also stamped a couple of swirls in saddle brown. It looked a bit clean so I distressed the edges with Soot black. To embellish it I used a ticket and a key charm. Happy with this one again.. might try this again as it was a nice result.