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