A Stampotique Sketch!

This is another 'first' for me - making a card using a 'sketch'!

Here's the sketch

It's from the

 Stampotique Designer Challenge blog

where the current challenge (set by the Basement Stamper) is to make something with this sketch using Stampotique stamps only.

Looking at some of the Design Teams' creations I'm guessing

that you only use the sketch as a guide and dimensions may

be altered?  If anyone has some advice or guidance on this I'd

really appreciate it.

For my card, I used Stampotique's 'Heart Shirt' rubber stamp.

I coloured him with Promarkers cut him out and stuck him onto

some scrapbook paper. 

I created a shadow around him with Distress Ink (Mustard Seed).

I masked off the background rectangle and coloured it in

with Distress Inks (Mustard Seed and Stormy Sky).

The band across the card I shamelessly copied from one

of the cards on the Challenge Blog - ie, used sequin waste

as a mask and coloured through it with the Stormy Sky Distress Ink.

The word 'Giggle' is a rub on, and mustn't forget

the Crown on the birthday boy's head

highlighted with some Platinum Stickles.

I don't normally like having to make birthday cards, but using a sketch

took a lot of the hard work out of this one, and I think I'll be

using them again! 

I'll be linking this to the Stampotique Designer Challenge Blog

- as this is what they say:

 ".... we encourage you to break out your Stampotique stamps and join our creative design team for your chance to add to your stamp collection with a prize of $30 gift certificate for stamps at Stampotique.  We will randomly pick a winner with the announcement of the next challenge".

Well, it'd be rude not to!

Dimensional Anniversary Card

The background paper is by Blonde Moments - Sugar Dumpling.

The word 'Love' is a rub on.

The hearts are wooden and the niche they're nestling in was created with two

layers of mountboard stuck together and a square cut out the middle.

I followed the technique outlined on Tim Holtz blog

May Technique Challenge

not to the letter, but this is my take on it.

I'm linking this up to Linda's blog

Studio L3

on which her current challenge Grungy Monday 05: A New Dimension

is to create something using this Tim Holtz technique

I hope this card fits the challenge as it's not particularly 'grungy',

although I did use distress ink around the edges of the niche!

Thanks for looking!

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? - Week 99

Hello WOYWWers and bloggers everywhere!

This is the first time I've ever posted my desk this early on a Wednesday

so this is completely unstaged.

I work on the main part of the desk, so the return bit at the right hand

end is usually where I dump things until I get around tidying them away -

that's the part I don't normally show!

Here's what's on the main part of the desk

It's an anniversary card I'm working on. 

 The hearts are wooden and are going to be placed inside the niche.

I must also show you what I won from the multi talented

and all round lovely person Minxy in her giveaway

It's an altered bingo clip board

complete with key hook and pen holders,

beautifully stamped and decorated -

and her card is beautiful too!

Many thanks again Minxy!

I'm linking this up to Julia's blog

Stamping Ground

where she invites bloggers everywhere to show

what's on their workdesks on a Wednesday!

As I'm so early today (just after 8am) I thought I'd be

up high on the list, but it looks like I may make it under number 50!

I'm early today as my hubby is on leave all this week

and wants to go shopping (yes, really!!) to our local market mainly for a few new plants for our garden.

All I've got to do now is try to drag him out of bed

(I can't hear him snoring anymore so that's a good sign!)

I'll be back later to look around some desks!

Thanks for looking at mine x

Button It Challenge

This is a challenge set by

Crafty Ribbons

who have now added to their beautiful ribbon ranges, buttons!

As I was one of the first fifteen people to email in response to their

'Button it' challenge, they sent me the above button box in the

colour range of my choice - which was 'Autumn Leaves'.

All they asked was that I make and send to them

two projects using the buttons.

I made two wall hangings.

Mountboard base covered with part of an old dressmaking pattern cover

(aged with Distress Inks, metallic rub on paste and gold mica spray).

The dress form and cotton reels are die cut from mountboard using Tim Holtz/Sizzix  ''Sewing Room" Bigz die.  This time I padded the body

part of the form with wadding and covered with fabric. 

 I used Walnut Stain ink to colour the base of the form and made it 

shine with Glossy Accents to give a polished wood look.

The buttons were stitched to a ribbon sash and draped over the form.

The wings were part of an old dressmaking pattern adhered to fabric

with Mod Podge and machine stitched around the edges.

The little sign is rubber stamped (from the 'Vintage Sewing' set by Sam Poole/Creative Expressions) onto card and edged around with 

brown promarkers to look like a frame. 

This one is entirely made from assorted fabric and ribbon scraps.

The main image is a rubber stamp from

PaperArtsy (Dolls Plate 1).

I used the following colours of Distress Ink

to colour the main background and the wide ribbon at the top.

Scattered Straw, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick and Forest Moss.

The ric rac hanger was white and coloured with the Spice Marmalade

and a little of Fired Brick Ink.

For 'Button Queen' I used a small alphabet set (a cheap one

from Hobbycraft) to make the words, stamped them onto fabric,

cut out and machined stitched them on.

Oh, and there's a few buttons here and there too!

Thanks for looking and I hope you're having a

Happy Easter xx

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday Week 98

This is actually what was on my desk yesterday afternoon.

There was my box of embroidery threads -

the ones on the left of the photo all neatly arranged

and on the right, the rest of 'em.

There was a selection of autumnal coloured buttons I received

 for a button challenge.

(I'll be posting about that in day or two probably)

Here's the wall hanging I've been making for the button challenge.

I've almost finished it now - but have to do one more button project too.

You may have noticed I HAD to sort all the buttons into their colours

before even thinking about what to do with them!

Also on the desk a hot ribena to ease my sore throat - which today

remains to be sore - doh!  At least my bad back feels a bit better today.

Enough of my ailments!  If you want to see what's on other

peoples' workdesks today, go an have a look at Julia's blog

Stamping Ground

where you'll find loads!

Thanks for looking and I hope your weather has been

as glorious as it's been here today!

Happy Easter to everyone too xx

Collaged Postcard

The current theme on the Flickr Art 'n' Soul challenge group

is to make a collaged postcard from any material but it must have on it somewhere something metal.

Last week I found an unusual postcard in a charity shop,

a wooden one!



Front



Back



The background is a combination of acrylic paint and Distress crackle paint.

The word 'wish' is a rub on and the floral flourish a rubber stamp.

I added a bit of old text top and bottom

and edged with some metallic rub on paste.

I finished it off with a shabby bow with the metal flower in the centre.

Here's the back

I've never attempted one of these collaged postcards before

and am pleased with how it turned out.

It measures three and half inches by five and half so it's slightly smaller than the challenge calls for.

 Maybe I'll be keeping it after all!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday, Week 97 - BOOKS - anyone want them?

I've been trying to make some space on my bookcase and found these

books which I've had for years and hardly ever looked at.

I was going to put them in a charity bag, but wondered if any keen scrapbooker or card maker would like them instead.

I don't want anything for them, just pay for the postage and they're yours!

I'm linking this up to Julia's blog

 Stamping Ground

where she invites bloggers to share what's on their desk.

Julia is nearing the second anniversary of her popular WOYWW posts

and a special 'pass it forward' event will take place on

the 104th week which will be on 18th May.

All the details can be found on Julia's blog here.

In readiness for the event, I have already made a gift

to 'pass it forward' but we're not allowed to reveal it until

the day.

Sssh, dont' tell Julia, but here's a little sneak preview

of what I've made.

I know I'm in real trouble now - so am off to hide!

Happy WOYWW if you're a WOYWWer

and happy Wednesday if you're not!

Sew What?

This 'Sewing Room' Bigz die by Tim Holtz Alterations/Sizzix

is my current favourite and as you can see from the photo above

I cut a few shapes from mountboard.

Although the mountboard is quite thick anyway, I stuck three

layers together with Liquitex Matte Medium

and the forms now feel a bit like wood, nice and sturdy.

I attached old music paper and book text to the forms.

Coloured with some water soluble crayons

and made some wings with cotton fabric and dressmaking tissue.

Here's what they look liked finished

Here's some close ups

I covered this one with Distress Crackle Paint (Clear Rock Candy)

and once dry and crackled, rubbed some Distress Ink

into the cracks (Dusty Concord).

I had some of the seam binding ribbon left over

from a previous project so that became a belt.

The other one was totally different, very grungy.

I really like the wings.

They are a layer of cotton fabric, dressmaking pattern

and a few layers of Mod Podge.

I machine stitched around the edge once totally dry.

They're adhered to the back with E6000.

This shot (above) shows just how thick the three layers of mountboard are.

.... and finally here's what the backs look like.

Which do you prefer, pretty or grungy?

I think I'm leaning towards the grungy, but then again I like the pretty!

(and no, I'm not mentioning Harry Hill - lol)

Thanks for looking x

'Simply Square' Crafty Individuals Challenge

I made this birthday card for the first challenge on the

Crafty Individuals Blog

which is based around 'Simply Squares'

and there is a requirement to use at least one

Crafty Individuals product.

I used two products, the first being the beautiful background paper

from 'Book 5' (Travels in Italy), and a rubber stamp from the set CI-238.

I lightly coloured with image with water colour pencils

and matted and layered it with some mirri, vellum and sparkly cardstock.

Around the edge, I laced some green ribbon and made a shabby chic

 bow with seam binding coloured with distress ink.

(Now for a bit of self critique)

On reflection I should have left the background card plain

instead of adding the Stickles - I must remember 'less is more'! 

It wasn't until I posted the photograph here I realised my square

matts around the image were in fact not very square at all -

I must remember check before glueing down! lol

Never-the-less, I still like the card and enjoyed the challenge.

Thanks for looking x

The 'Sewing Fairy' Art Doll

She was going to be a 'sewing witch', but she looks too serene so she's a fairy instead!  She's retired from active sewing service now - you can see

her greying hair and vintage wings.  However, she still likes to

have a little dabble now and again on her sewing machine.

Her head has been moulded from air dry clay

 and coloured with water colour pencils.

Her hair is from an old woollen scarf.

Her body is a Catherine Moore 'Character Constructions' stamp.

I used wire to try to replicate the wire form of the stamp

and attached some random beads and sequins.

They (the beads and sequins) can be moved up and down as I couldn't work out how to keep them in place!

Her 'feet' is a bobbin which is made from three

die cut shapes in mountboard, stuck together and coloured with

Distress Ink.

This is the back view of it (I know, you never would have guessed!),

 It's attached to the body with E6000 adhesive.

I used Tim Holtz Alterations 'Sewing Room' Bigz die.

For her wings, I cut a rough shape out from an old

dressmaking pattern and Mod Podged it onto some cotton fabric.

I applied several layers and once completely dry,

machine stitched around the edges a few times.

(I also applied a little distress ink too)

I'm pleased with how the wings came out as they have a leathery feel to them - not that I have a thing for leather you understand (!!!), just that it makes

them a bit stronger and they are nice and tactile.

Here's what the back looks like -

you can see I used a bright orange clothes tag

for the main part of the body of the doll.

I think I'll name her Matilda, not sure why, she just looks like a

Matilda to me!

She'll be flying off to a new home soon - I hope she'll have a

sewing machine at her disposal, otherwise she may develop

bad witchy tedencies!