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.

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.