Friday 30 September 2011

My new Blog Button

Today Cindy at Whimsical Musings has posted a free on-line seminar about how to improve your ratings on your blog and how to get more followers. Now whilst I am not trying to get a 10/10 blog, I do like to network to meet new people and to see the wonderful creativity there is out in blogland. So I decided to create a blog button to put in my sidebar with some html code that others can display if they want to.

This is my button -


Do pop over to Cindy's tutorial, it is very short but very informative and was great for helping me to understand how more of blogger links work - thanks so much Cindy for sharing this with us all.

Now I am off to create the html code and post this on my sidebar. If you have a button on your blog, do let me know and I can pop over and grab it.

Have a great Friday.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox


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Wednesday 28 September 2011

For the Steampunk Man

I worked at home yesterday morning so I got up extra early to see what my blogging friends have been making lately and to catch up on some challenges. I have combined some of them to make this tag which fits the themes at -
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Men only
Make My Monday - Steampunk anything but a card.
Sunday Stamper - Simply irresistible
PanPastel challenges - Anything Goes


I have used the PanPastels to create the background using versamark with stamps as a resist. Some stamping, spraying and embellishing finish it off. I love these pastels that create this dry mixing of colours. I used Turquoise Shade, Raw Umber, Bright Yellow - green tint and Yellow Ochre.

This is one of my moulds covered in copper inka gold and black soot DI with white and silver ink pads wiped over the numbers and cogs. I added washers and a watch part to it.

A Scrolls Work stamp coloured with PanPastels and inked round the edges. Added to a spring and wire and pinned to the top.

My pen nibs were acquired from ebay and watch pieces from a carboot.

Thanks for stopping by today. I am now off to work.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox



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Tuesday 27 September 2011

Shared Moments

Yay I have managed to get a piece made for the Gingersnap Creations challenge this week. The pressure of work has prevented me doing much else other than DT work and also I am prepping for the classes I am giving soon, but I have managed to squeeze this in for this week. This is a wooden page for a journal.


The image is from The Graphics Fairy. I have used all scraps from my box to add the collage pieces.  Underneath the background has numerous layers - music paper, paint and ink, pastels, versamark with masks and more pastels, various stamps and satin glaze.  The flowers have been made using a marianne die and for the butterflies I used a crealies die.


This is the piece that I came home and experimented with after buying the Pan Pastels from Lin on Sunday.  The colours are vibrant and translucent and give a completely different feel to the DIs I always use.  I want to experiment more with textures and other resist techniques. (I just need some more time at the moment!!!!)

I have discovered that there is a brand new challenge blog starting for this product - PanPastel UK Challenge, so I am going to enter it into their first challenge - Anything Goes. The four colours  used were Magenta, Turquoise Shade, Raw Umber and Yellow Ochre. I love the mixes they give.

Other challenges to have fun with -
Crafty Ribbons - Anything Goes
PolkaDoodles - Distress it
Creative Stamp Friends - Anything but a card

Well we are supposed to be getting a heat wave this week in the UK - how strange our seasons are at the moment because we are then predicted snow in October -  really can't believe that!!!

Have a great week everyone.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

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Sunday 25 September 2011

Halloween ATC

Hi Everyone.

A quick second post for me today. I have really been missing entering some of my favourite challenges and just had to find some time to get a couple of things made this weekend.

This is an ATC made to enter Simon Says Stamp and Show and I will just make it in time with a few hours to spare.


Stamps used are by Stampotique - the banner - and a small set by pinkpaislee. The bats are a free download and cut out and the skull and ribs are skeleton table sprinkles for parties. DIs used are black soot and walnut stain.

I got back from Alexandra Palace about 2 hours ago having met up with Sarah from Wolverhampton and with Neil from Kent. Neil and I are on the Stamp Man design team together. It was great to catch up with you guys again. I know I said there wasn't anything I wanted, but I still came home with card, ribbons, stamps and some gorgeous pastels that the lovely Lin from LB Crafts was demoing. I have already had a try with these on a piece I had already started for Gingersnap Creations challenge this week - I will post it later in the week but the colours are gorgeously bright and translucent, just what I have been looking for to lift the colour ranges I use.

Well I hope you have had a productive day.

Take care and have a good week.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Other challenges to have fun with
ATC Challenges - Anything goes
Speedy the Cat - Things with wings


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Vintage male card

Welcome to Sunday morning.

This is a scheduled post because when I get up and the grandchildren have been collected by their Mum and Dad, I am off to Alexandra Palace to the craft show. There's not alot I really want but I do love catching up with people and seeing what is new. There are usually some great people demoing as well.

So today the fabulous Stampettes at Fashionable Stamping Challenges want you to create something 'vintage' and this is my DT card.


The stamp is from Crafty Individuals. I used chalks to colour it and then covered it in crackle accents. The map is a page from an old AA book, the flourish is chipboard (thanks Suzanne - I won this in her candy recently) - it has been inked, stamped and heat embossed with one of my button moulds on the top. The sentiment is PC generated and the lock is another of my moulds.


Please go take a look at my amazing teamies contributions - I tell you we have one of the most talented group of people together on this challenge blog. Their creations are just fabulous and well worth you going to take a look. Don't forget there is a prize of a stamp for the winner chosen by the design team, so let's see what vintage project you can wow us with. I hope to see you there.

Enjoy your day whatever you have planned.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox
 Challenges to have fun with -
Simon says Stamp - Dies/punches (does the chipboard piece count?)
Gingerloft - Vintage or distressed
Bloggers challenge - Travel
Polka Doodles - Distress it

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Friday 23 September 2011

A Perfect Pear



That's the theme for the new challenge at The Stamp Man this fortnight or it could be the Perfect Pair, which would you choose? Janet has chosen the topic and asks that you include pears in your project or pairs if you prefer.


I chose a PAIR of PEARs on one I used the rusted enamel technique and the other was stamped and stickled.







The background was made up of lots of layers. With glue stick, adhere brown paper to the tag, iron and tear off. Do the same with copy paper, add vintage photo DI direct to tag. Add dictionary paper and iron dry with paper over the top and gesso and paint over the layers. Swoosh through DIs sprayed with water on craft mat and heat dry, repeat as desired. Stamp over the top then add stamped and cut out pears and other embellishments. 





You might notice that I chose dictionary paper that says perfect and pear. I've added some inked tissue paper, a flower and printed words etc. to finish it off.


I just love distress stains - here used on a cream, dark blue and turquoise flowers to grunge them up a bit.

The distress stains used here to change the colour of my cream shabby ribbon.



Supplies -
Stamps - pear from the Stamp Man, TH- nature's moments 
Distress inks - bundled sage, vintage photo, mustard seed, broken china, peeled paint
Distress Stains - dusty concord, peeled paint
Stickles - crystal
Gesso
Studio acrylic paint - dab of yellow, landscape green
Brown paper, copy paper, dictionary paper


We would love to see you join us at The Stamp Man. My lovely team-mates have produced some amazing creations, I hope you will pop over to see all the inspiration. If you decide to join us you could, of course, win a £10.00 voucher for the on-line store. Don't forget there is -
FREE P & P ON ORDERS OVER £20!!!

PLUS, Free gift with orders over £10
There are hundreds of sales prices throughout the website


We welcome a new team member this week to the Stamp Man, Siobhan from Recovering Stampaholic. She produces some amazing pieces of art so I hope you will go over and give her some love. Great to have you aboard Siobhan.


Have a fabulous weekend whatever you are doing and thanks for stopping by. I am off to Ally Pally on Sunday, I know Neil and Sarah will be there - anyone else?


luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox



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Tuesday 20 September 2011

A Vintage Christmas Card

As some of you know I am teaching some classes for the ART of CRAFT in Farnborough, Hants, this term and this is one of the Christmas cards we will be making on Wednesday 26th October 10:00 – 12:00. The class is almost full, but if you fancy coming along then ring the shop on 01252 377677. Alternatively I will be teaching techniques using distress inks on Saturday 8th October 10:00 – 3:00 and making a mini album on Saturday 12th November 10:00 – 12:30 and 1:30 – 4:00.






My cards are made using paper from the Dovecraft Victorian Christmas pack, TH rostte, chipboard snowflake and stickles. The sentiment banner was generated using PE4.
I have made a second one to show the same design but using different papers and two smaller rosettes.






I would love to see you if you are in the area.


luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox



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Monday 19 September 2011

Distress ink techniques

Hi All


This is my tag book of distress techniques which I will be teaching at The Art of Craft in Farnborough, Hants, on Saturday 8th October 10:00 – 3:00. 


I love my DIs and they are the most used product I own, they come out for almost everything I make, so having a book of techniques to refer back to is so handy to have. If you would like to make one too and can get along to the class I would love to see you. Ring 01252 377677 to book a place.

















I know we won't get through all of these but there is a wide selection to choose from.

Have a fabulous week. More workshop news tomorrow.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

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Sunday 18 September 2011

Thanks Hels

Just look what fell through my postbox yesterday - a tag made by Hels Sheridan. I was lucky enough to win this as one of Hels' 4th blogaversary give-aways. Thanks so much Hels, I just love it - it's beautifully adorned and exquisitely made, something I will treasure.


I hope you are all having a great Sunday. I have prepped some of my workshops I will be doing later in October. More info will be up tomorrow and Tuesday.

It's lovely to have been able to get some crafting done. I decided not to go to Sandown but to have some inky fun instead. Why buy more stuff if I haven't got time to play with it? I will go to Ally Pally next week though. Not sure which day.

See you soon, take care.

luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

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Saturday 17 September 2011

Finished Wedding Album at last

Is anyone going to the craft show at Sandown this weekend? I thought I might pop along, but I definitely want to go take a look at what is at Ally Pally next weekend. Let me know if you are going to either of them.

HI Everyone

Firstly welcome to Tracy as a new follower. I have been watching and following Tracy's blog for quite some time now, ever since I came across her at the Stamp Attic shop and blog. Tracy makes some amazing art which is very inspirational. Good to see you Tracy, thanks for joining me on my creative journey.

I know you have seen bits of this project in the making over the past few months, but I thought I would show you the finished Wedding Book that I gave to Jamie and Helen last week.

The book itself is a wooden ring binder and the pages have been painted with ordinary household paint and embossed in some places.

All the pages have been made using G45 le Romantique papers.





















Thanks for looking.

Have a wonderful weekend.

luv and hugs {brenda}
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